Editing Cleveland Guardians (section)

==Rivalries==
===Interleague===
{{See also|Ohio Cup}}
[[File:New Ohio Cup Trophy.jpg|thumb|175px|The Ohio Cup trophy]]
The rivalry with fellow [[Ohio]] team the [[Cincinnati Reds]] is known as the Battle of Ohio or Buckeye Series and features the [[Ohio Cup]] trophy for the winner. Prior to 1997, the winner of the cup was determined by an annual [[spring training|pre-season]] baseball game, played each year at minor-league [[Cooper Stadium]] in the state capital of [[Columbus, Ohio|Columbus]], and staged just days before the start of each new [[Major League Baseball]] season. A total of eight Ohio Cup games were played, with the Guardians winning six of them. It ended with the start of [[interleague play]] in 1997. The winner of the game each year was awarded the Ohio Cup in postgame ceremonies. The Ohio Cup was a favorite among baseball fans in Columbus, with attendances regularly topping 15,000.

Since 1997, the two teams have played each other as part of the regular season, with the exception of 2002. The Ohio Cup was reintroduced in 2008 and is presented to the team who wins the most games in the series that season. Initially, the teams played one three-game series per season, meeting in Cleveland in 1997 and Cincinnati the following year. The teams have played two series per season against each other since 1999, with the exception of 2002, one at each ballpark. A format change in 2013 made each series two games, except in years when the AL and NL Central divisions meet in interleague play, where it is usually extended to three games per series.<ref>{{cite news |title=On schedule: New Interleague format brings twists |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/on-schedule-new-interleague-format-brings-twists/c-48380512 |author=Schlegel, John |date=May 23, 2013 |work=MLB.com |publisher=[[Major League Baseball]] |access-date=May 20, 2016 |archive-date=June 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611144513/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/48380512/on-schedule-new-interleague-format-brings-twists |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2024, the Guardians lead the series 76–59.<ref>{{cite web |title=Head-to-head results for Cleveland Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds from 1901 to 2018 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/games/head2head-games.cgi?team1=CLE&team2=CIN&from=1901&to=2019 |work=Baseball-Reference.com |year=2018 |access-date=July 18, 2019 |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |archive-date=December 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154350/https://stathead.com/baseball/head2head-games.cgi?team1=CLE&team2=CIN&from=1901&to=2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

An on-and-off rivalry with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] stems from the close proximity of the two cities, and features some carryover elements from the [[Browns–Steelers rivalry|longstanding rivalry]] in the [[National Football League]] between the [[Cleveland Browns]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]. Because the Guardians' designated interleague rival is the Reds and the Pirates' designated rival is the Tigers, the teams have played periodically.  The teams played one three-game series each year from 1997 to 2001 and periodically between 2002 and 2022, generally only in years in which the AL Central played the NL Central in the former interleague play rotation. The teams played six games in 2020 as MLB instituted an abbreviated schedule focusing on regional match-ups. Beginning in 2023, the teams will play a three-game series each season as a result of the new "balanced" schedule.  The Pirates lead the series 21–18.<ref>{{cite web |title=Head-to-head results for Cleveland Indians vs. Pittsburgh Pirates from 1901 to 2016 |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/games/head2head-games.cgi?team1=CLE&team2=PIT&from=1901&to=2016 |work=Baseball-Reference.com |year=2016 |access-date=May 20, 2016 |publisher=Sports Reference |archive-date=December 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154429/https://stathead.com/baseball/head2head-games.cgi?team1=CLE&team2=PIT&from=1901&to=2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Detroit Tigers===
As the Guardians play most of their games every year with each of their AL Central competitors (formerly 19 for each team until 2023), several rivalries have developed.

The Guardians have a geographic rivalry with the [[Detroit Tigers]], highlighted in past years by intense battles for the AL Central title. The matchup has some carryover elements from the [[Ohio State-Michigan rivalry]], as well as the general historic rivalry between Michigan and Ohio dating back to the [[Toledo War]].

===Chicago White Sox===
The [[Chicago White Sox]] are another rival, dating back to the 1959 season, when the Sox slipped past the Indians to win the AL pennant. The rivalry intensified when both clubs were moved to the newly created AL Central in 1994. During that season, the two teams challenged for the division title, with the Indians one game back of Chicago when the season ended in August due to the players' strike.  During a game in Chicago, the White Sox confiscated [[Albert Belle]]'s [[corked bat]], followed by an attempt by Indians pitcher [[Jason Grimsley]] to crawl through the [[Comiskey Park II|Comiskey Park]] clubhouse ceiling to retrieve it. Belle later signed with the White Sox in 1997, adding additional intensity to the rivalry. In 2005, the White Sox led the division by 15 games in July, only to see the Indians trim the lead to a single game late in the season.  However, the White Sox swept a three-game series to end the season to win the division by six games; the Sox later won that year's World Series.

On August 5, 2023, Cleveland third baseman [[José Ramírez (infielder)|José Ramírez]] and Chicago shortstop [[Tim Anderson (baseball)|Tim Anderson]] instigated a [[bench-clearing brawl]] after Anderson applied a tag to Ramírez.  Anderson then attempted to punch Ramírez, after which Ramírez wound up knocking Anderson to the ground with a right hook.  Anderson and Ramírez were suspended five and two games, respectively, for their roles in the brawl.