Former manager Mike Hargrove, pitcher Charles Nagy, and center fielder Kenny Lofton reflect on one of Cleveland’s most unforgettable baseball seasons.

CLEVELAND — Thirty years later, it still doesn’t seem possible.

“Does it feel like 30 years?: 3News’ Jay Crawford asked former Cleveland Indians manager Mike Hargrove.

“No,” Hargrove said, with a laugh. “(My wife) Sharon and I were talking just before we came in for this and she said, ‘Do you realize it’s been 30 years?’ And I said, ‘Well, you know, mentally no. Physically, yeah. Getting old’s not for sissies.'”

Pitcher Charles Nagy had a similar reaction.

“I’m in denial,” Nagy said. “I guess kind of like everybody else. But yeah, I got a thing today — 30 years for that and 40 years for my high school reunion.”

Though times have certainly changed, three decades on, the excitement of that season is unforgettable. And what a time it was to be a Cleveland baseball fan.

In 1995, the Indians were electric — a team so stacked with talent that it sometimes seemed unfair.

“We wanted the No. 1 starter (from opposing teams) because we had that confidence in us that we didn’t care who was on the mound,” said center fielder Kenny Lofton.

Hargrove remembers it the same way.

“Kenny Lofton and Omar Vizquel did a tremendous job in setting up any for our big guys to come up and really do damage,” he remembered. “I mean, we had Thome, Murray, Ramirez — you know, who you going to pitch to?”

The 1995 Indians were an embarrassment of riches: veterans Dave Winfield and Eddie Murray showing the way for rising stars like Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, and Jim Thome.

“Like you said, an embarrassment of riches” Nagy said. “We all had one goal in mind, and that was just to win every night. And then, we got on a roll, and the way the city of Cleveland embraced it — they stayed one through nine. No matter what the score was, they knew we had a chance to win.”

The crowds were just as relentless.

“The energy, it felt like a playoff game every night,” Nagy admitted. “Everybody was in their seats from the first pitch to the last. Nobody went home, and we just tried to put on a good show for them. Our guys did a really good job of that.”

“It was chaos. Bedlam at times, but it was controlled chaos and fun,” he added. “The city came along with us, and we just enjoyed it — the ride — just as much as they did.”

The team’s chemistry wasn’t by accident. Hargrove credits the front office for building a roster where strengths complemented each other.

(General manager) John Hart and (assistant GM) Dan O’Dowd did a great job in putting that team together,” Hargrove said. “It all came together.”

That season played out like a highlight reel: late-game heroics, colossal home runs, and countless unforgettable moments that erased decades of frustration. For the first time since 1954, the Indians made it to the postseason, and eventually the World Series.,

“The first thing that went through my mind was, ‘There’s 40 years of frustration out the window,'” Hargrove said. “‘We can start new.'”

Even though the season ended just short of a championship, there are no regrets.

“If you had a mulligan button and someone said you can go back and relive the entire ’95 season, but it’s going to end the same way, are you going to do it?” Crawford asked.

“Sure, you do it,” Hargrove answered. “It’s a fun time, it’s a great time. There’s not many people who get to experience something that grand.”

Lofton agreed, though he acknowledges some lingering bitterness at the World Series loss to the Atlanta Braves.

“We did it the right way,” he said. “That’s why I want to look at it as — we played the game the right way. Even though the outcome wasn’t there, everyone saw it. Everyone knows that. So no, I would’ve done it the same way, because everyone knows — and I use the word ‘cheated’ — but we got that stolen from us.”

For Nagy, the memories remain as vivid as ever.

“It was just great to be part of this, to be here on the North Shore,” he said. “It was a good time to be in Ohio. Even the years after that, it was a great ride — and it’s still going on today, which is great. It’s great to see.”