Sister Mary Assumpta, the habit-wearing, cookie-baking Tribe fan who always includes the Indians in her prayers, will be honored by a group called the Baseball Reliquary with this year's national Hilda Award "to recognize distinguished service to the game by a baseball fan."
Sister Mary Assumpta has been a faithful fan of the Indians over the years at Progressive Field, and she remains faithful even though the team has struggled this season..CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians have one asset no injury can disable, no lousy relief pitching can destroy, no infield collision can fracture. They have an asset that can't even be felled by the annual trades of blossoming players in exchange for a handful of beans that haven't yet sprouted, if they ever will.
They have loyal fans.
Sister Mary Assumpta, cheering on a Jim Thome home run in this photograph taken on July 19, 1994. Sister Mary Assumpta, the habit-wearing, cookie-baking Tribe fan who always includes the Indians in her prayers, will be honored by a group called the Baseball Reliquary with this year's national Hilda Award "to recognize distinguished service to the game by a baseball fan."The Baseball Reliquary Inc., a nonprofit, educational organization in California that fosters an appreciation for baseball as a part of American culture, bestowed the same award in 2008 upon dedicated bleachers drummer John Adams.
"And they say Boston has the best baseball fans. Not true," said Sister Assumpta.
The award, named in honor of legendary cow-bell ringing New York Mets fan Hilda Chester, was established in 2001. A Tribe fan has won twice in nine years (which would be a terrific ratio for, say, World Series victories.)
Sister Assumpta had a cameo in the Tribe fans' cult-favorite film "Major League," has her own baseball card, and used to bake cookies back in the 1990s heyday for Manager Mike Hargrove and the players, eventually turning it into a business -- Nun Better Cookies -- made by her religious order, Sisters of the Holy Spirit, to support their ministry at the Jennings Center for Older Adults in Garfield Heights.
As proof that she's still a faithful fan, she brought trays of cookies to Progressive Field this year for the home opener, claiming that strikeouts were baked into the cookies that went to the pitchers, hits into the cookies that went to batters.
"They must have eaten the wrong ones," she said, displaying the cutting edge all true Indians fans have.
"This year, it has been especially challenging to be a fan. I'm sorry, but when they are playing like minor leaguers," she said.
Sister Assumpta will receive her award in Pasadena, Calif., July 18, two days before her 65th birthday.
It's a fine present. What would be even better?
"A team that's in first place at the All-Star break," she said. "But that would take not only ultimate faith, it would take several miracles. I do have the faith. I don't have the power of miracles."