CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Righty batters love most lefty pitching. But Cleveland Indians lefty Andrew Miller's slider often buckles them to their knees. The Indians are counting on the 6-foot-7 All-Star reliever to dominate again in the 2018 season, which opens Thursday in Seattle.

Andrew Mark Miller

Cleveland creds: Traded to Indians by Yankees in 2016

Currently lives: Bay Village

Age: 32

Schooling: North Carolina

Family: Wife, Katie; two children

Favorite locally owned restaurants: Lola, Barrio, Cabin Club

How do you like Cleveland so far?

Miller: My family's really enjoyed it. It's been a great town.

We lived in Crocker Park my first year. We've been in Bay Village last year, and we'll be there again this year. The lake is beautiful. We've had a blast watching the water, watching the weather change.

Do you like how Bay's developers saved a lot of the big trees and built in the shade?

Andrew: Yes. It kind of reminds me of where I'm from in [upstate] Florida, with the mature trees. It's a pretty landscape. Our house has a historical marker on it.

The little towns here are special, with their own personalities not far from downtown. They're great places for your kids. There's all sorts of parks and public pools.

You've played in Boston and New York, among other stops. How's Cleveland compare?

Andrew: I've had a blast in all three places. Most guys dream of sticking with one team and a city forever, but that's not always the reality of the business I'm part of.

In New York, I could fly under the radar. I rode the train to the field every day. Hardly anybody said anything to me.

Boston falls somewhere in the middle.

In Cleveland, it's neat that people are so invested in their teams. Driving around, you see the flags. You can't go anywhere without fans recognizing you. That applies to all 25 guys.

Do fans approach you here?

Andrew: They come up. It's really short and polite. "We're watching the games. We're pulling for you."

You and your wife grew up in Gainesville, home of the Florida Gators. What's it like dealing with fans of the rival Ohio State Buckeyes?

Miller: I don't know if it's a rivalry. The Urban Meyer connection has brought it together. [Meyer coached football at Florida before Ohio State.] The teams played in national championships in basketball and football like a year apart.

We Buckeye fans remember the outcome, sadly.

Andrew: I won't bring that up. You can do it very gently.

The Buckeyes seem to be a prominent force in this area. They seem to claim the whole state.

How's Cleveland's food?

Andrew: Good. You don't have to be on Fourth Street. There's lots of good restaurants. Lola. Barrio, if you want tacos near the ballpark. The Cabin Club is really cool -- a little log cabin with really good food inside.

I hear you're a wine lover. Which Ohio wine's your favorite?

Andrew: I don't know that I've ever had a wine from Ohio. I'll have to correct that when we're back in town from spring training.

Favorite Ohio-owned stores?

Andrew: Heinen's. And the T-shirt companies are cool. I worked with GV Art on charity stuff. Over in Crocker Park, you see the guys from Homage [based in Columbus]. Other towns don't have all those little T-shirt shops.

Where do you spend the winter?

Andrew: We live in Tampa now.

Speaking of winter, are you getting used to our weather?

Andrew: It's not too bad. But the bugs are insane. Between the midges and the mayflies, every week there's a new infestation. They move on quick, though.

This season's starting earlier than ever. Mind that?

Andrew: They mixed in some new off days, so hopefully guys are more rested. Hopefully, it won't be as cold when we're playing in the World Series.

I like that: "when," not "if." So got any pre-game rituals?

Andrew: I like to say I'm not superstitious. But, for two hours before a game, it's probably one thing after the other, almost the same as the day before.

I don't step on the foul line. I always chew two pieces of Dubble Bubble. But I don't have the Jobu locker going on [a fictional Indians ritual in the movie "Major League" adopted by some real players].

I tend to wear the same stuff until something goes wrong. I tend not to wash my shoes if I pitch well.

Or your jockstrap, I hear.

Andrew: Yeah, I conveniently left that out.

On the field, you show more emotion than many of your teammates do.

Andrew: I can appreciate the idea of, "Don't show the hitter anything." But I've learned things that work for me. Clearly, what Corey [Kluber, the Indians' poker-faced ace] is doing works well for him. I'm not going to match Frankie [Lindor] for excitement and smiles. This game is not just about the physical. There are so many emotional things that go into it. I'm still working on figuring it out. Maybe talking to myself works for me. We're all unique.

Manager Tito Francona likes to start "Miller Time" at very different moments in different games. Is it hard to bounce around like that?

Andrew: Cody Allen has established himself as as good a closer as anybody in the game. So somebody's got to move around.

Tito's so good at managing this stuff and saying his reasons and making sure everyone's communicating, it's easy to fall in line. We have 25 guys that care about winning first and foremost.

You've won the division each year here, then lost three straight clinching games in the postseason. How hard were those losses to take?

Andrew: It's frustrating, but that's the reality of life and our profession. Only one team wins it all. That's our goal.

The Cavs broke the Cleveland curse, but the Indians still haven't won a World Series since 1948. Do you feel the pressure?

Andrew: That falls on the fans. We become aware, but our window is different than for people living in Cleveland for generations.

We would take a lot of pride in bringing that to an end. I saw what the Cavs got to experience when they won. This town would go nuts for any team that wins. We hope to experience that for ourselves.

Could it happen this year?

Andrew: We're in a good place, with what the organization's done and what they've got here. We ought to be good. We have a lot of exciting guys to watch. We've got the talent and the leadership. We're going to have the opportunity, and we hope to get it done this year.

After the season, you'll become a free agent. Sticking around?

Andrew: I'm focused on this season. But absolutely. if I have an opportunity to stay here, I would. I love it here. The city's been great to us. I can't imagine a better place to be.