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Taking a step back in time: Comparing 2016 and the 1948 World Series

Posted at 6:16 PM, Oct 28, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-28 18:20:26-04

Some things never change. Like the crack of a bat, the roar of a crowd, the sights and sounds of baseball have endured for generations.

But for all the tradition, there's a lot that's changed since the Tribe last won the World Series.

“Especially in terms of baseball, it was a different world,” said Eric Rivet, a Curator at the Cleveland History Center.

Perhaps the most obvious change is ticket prices. Tickets to this year's series are starting at a few hundred bucks. But back in 1948, “The cheapest tickets you could've gotten at the time would've been about, in today's money, about $10,” said Rivet.

Anywhere between two and eight dollars is what you would've paid for admission in 1948, with $8 on the high end translating to about $70 today.

Try paying 18 cents for a Coke. A far cry from the $4.50 you'd shell out at this series.

“At the time it was built, it was the largest professional stadium in baseball. You could fit more people into Municipal, than any other stadium in the country,” said Rivet.

Municipal Stadium was a monster. Game five of the ’48 series set record attendance at 86,000 people, while Progressive Field sells out at 35,000.

Legends graced the field then and now. Bob Feller and Bob Lemon mastered the mound in ’48. Now, it's Andrew Miller and Corey Kluber bringing the heat.

Their uniforms, looking a lot alike, aren't the only thing that remains the same. A day at the ballpark can ignite that passion and love for the game with fans who rally together; traditions that stand the test of time without a doubt.