The t-shirt market seems to be thriving in the Greater Cleveland area, where several quality local shops have popped up over the years to provide sports fans in the region with a wide variety of alternative options to the retail and mass produced shirts sold.
It seems the more unique the gear, the higher grade you receive on your Cleveland fandom license.
This October, the offerings are again plentiful with the Indians heading to their first postseason series since 2007. The t-shirt game has certainly changed and evolved since then, so whether you’ll be viewing the upcoming Cleveland Indians/Boston Red Sox American League Division Series matchup from Progressive Field, a local watering hole, or from the comfort of your living room, you may want to upgrade your wardrobe to fit your playoff needs.
A trip to the Indians team shop in Cleveland or to Indians.com will bring you to a slew of options celebrating October baseball and the Tribe’s AL Central Division championship. The charcoal “Made For October” and navy “We Came To Reign” shirts by Majestic has already seen some air time on TV and are available in both t-shirt and hoodie varieties.
Nike has an “AL Central Division Champs” shirt, while Under Armour has both “October Belongs to Cleveland” and “Cleveland Owns the Central” gear, both in navy blue.
A Fanatics Branded “Cleveland –Vs- Everybody” shirt, complete with the frequently absent Chief Wahoo logo along the 2016 MLB Postseason logo, is also out there for those who desire to “Keep the Chief”. Short sleeved and long sleeved versions are available online. They also have a red “Cleveland Indians October Baseball” officially licensed shirt in red, for those needing something different than the navy or gray playoff shirts out there.
The Fanatics gear is available in store, via Indians.com, or on the Fanatics website.
For those looking for new head gear, the gray “Postseason 2016” cap by ‘47 worn after the Indians clinched the AL Central last Monday in Detroit is a top seller on the site, as is their navy “AL Central Division Champions 2016” cap, both of which come in an adjustable size. The team shop also sells New Era Chief Wahoo and Block C caps with the 2016 Postseason logo above the right ear.
Also available from the team shop when in stock is the newest version of the season’s breakout t-shirt, if such an award might be given, the “Party at Napoli’s” t-shirt from 108stitches.com and friend of site, Nate Crowe.

The indigo original helped generate $120,000 for Cleveland Clinic Children’s and later spawned a heavily sought after limited edition red version for a special Party at Napoli’s held on September 4 at the Corner Bar at Progressive Field. The popular shirt also created a flood of fake shirts, lacking the bearded Napoli on the left sleeve, that came in numerous other designs and colors, without the financial contribution to charity. Please – don’t buy knock offs. The price is all for a good cause.
A new one is available just in time for the postseason. The “Post Party at Napoli’s” comes complete with “Post” in red font crossing slightly over “Party”, with baseball bunting (the decoration, not the action, Napoli would never bunt) draped over the three stars on the right side of the logo. As was the case previously, portions of the proceeds of the “Post Party” shirt will go to charity, per a response tweet by the company on its Twitter page.
The officially licensed 108 Stitches produces shirts across the country, including others for Indians players Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes, Cody Allen, Corey Kluber, Francisco Lindor, and Napoli.
The popular GV Art + Design is on the forefront of local sports collections, with several exclusive pieces available just in time for the postseason.
A red “Windians” t-shirt and hoodie and blue women’s sweatshirt are available. They have also gotten in on the party, offering fans a chance to “Keep the Party Going” with a navy heather t-shirt, complete with a teepee A in “Party”. Two big contributors to the Indians’ success this season, Jose Ramirez and Andrew Miller, also are represented on individual selections. Ramirez’s red “Yes Way Jose” shirt is one of the newer additions to the store’s offerings, while Miller’s black “Lites Out” t-shirt is modeled in the style of the neon “Miller Lite” bar signs.
Shirts are available both online and at their locations in Lakewood and Willoughby.
The always-growing Fresh Brewed Tees has kept roots in the northeast Ohio sports scene despite branching out nationwide over the last few years.
In time for the playoffs, a “Life of the Party” shirt with the bearded and goggled Napoli is available online in navy. The company also has a pair of red options, the “Rally Squad”, with a drum for the letter Q, and “Defend the Jake”. They also showcase another contributor to the success of the club this season on a navy piece, with Tyler Naquin’s infamous walk-off inside-the-parker pose with the phrase “Tyler Walk Off” in the background. Several other pieces of player-specific shirts are available, including Ramirez’s “Jose! Jose! Jose! Jose!’, Kluber’s “It’s Kluberin’ Time!” and “Kluber for President”, Lindor’s “Frankie, Baby”, and Kipnis’ “Kipnis for President”.
For those looking to remember a memorable June parade while eagerly anticipating a November one, head to EmilyRoggenburk.com. In addition to other memorabilia and prints capturing the events of June 22, 2016, the site has several parade-themed t-shirts that contain eye-catching images of the city of Cleveland’s long overdue summertime celebration.
While not having anything playoff specific on their website, the local Cleveland Clothing Co. also offers plenty of Cleveland-themed gear if looking to represent your city regardless of the sport season.
Whatever your preference, there are options abound for you to support the Indians on their push through the postseason. The above-mentioned options and undoubtedly others not listed will be packed into Progressive Field as the Indians open the ALDS on Thursday.
Photo: Indians Twitter account
Cleveland Vs. Everybody is a cool t-shirt but it’s not original. It was originally designed for Detroit, related to that city’s down time and the beginning of its rebirth after the state took over running the city. It’s really a Detroit thing.
When you put it that way, it makes me like it less. Haha. – B
Also, the Made for October t-shirt and matching cap is an example of MLB imposing a design on every team rather than letting teams/cities choose their own unique style and slogan. Indians are Made For October. So is Boston. So is Baltimore and Toronto. Same slogan. The playoffs are times for civic identity, not MLB cookie-cutters.