· The Indians were established as one of the eight AL charter franchises in 1901 as the Cleveland Bluebirds.
· The franchise originated in 1884 as the Grand Rapid Rustlers a minor league team in the Western League. When the team moved to Cleveland they became the Lake Shores. After being the Bluebirds they became the Broncos before being the Naps for twelve seasons.
· They got their name because the club owner asked the sports writers to choose a new nickname to replace the Naps name after Nap Lajoie. It was a revival of the nickname that fans gave to the Spiders, while a Native American was playing for them.
· They play their games at Progressive Field which is located in the downtown area in Cleveland, Ohio.
· They have made the playoffs fourteen times with one wild card berth and ten divisional titles.
· They have won six AL Pennants and two World Series Championships in 1920 & 1948.
Batting Lineup:
1. CF Tris Speaker
2. 3B Joe Sewell
3. 1B Jim Thome
4. DH Manny Ramirez
5. 2B Nap Lajoie
6. C Victor Martinez
7. RF Larry Doby
8. LF Earl Averill
9. SS Lou Boudreau
Starting Rotation:
1. Bob Feller
2. Bob Lemon
3. Early Wynn
4. Sam McDowell
5. CC Sabathia
Bullpen:
1. Closer: Bob Wickman
2. Jose Mesa
3. Doug Jones
4. Chris Perez
5. Dave LaRoche
6. Jim Kern
Bench:
OF-Kenny Lofton
OF-Albert Belle
INF-Omar Vizquel
INF-Ken Keltner
Coaching Staff:
Manager-Mike Hargrove
Mike Hargrove managed the Indians for nine seasons where he finished with the second most wins with 721 and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He guided them to five divisional titles and two AL Pennants.
Bench Coach-Terry Francona
Terry Francona has managed the Indians for seven seasons where he already has the third most wins with 638. He guided them to one wild card berth, three divisional titles and one AL Pennant. He also won AL Manager of the Year twice.
1B Coach-Al Lopez
Al Lopez managed the Indians for six seasons where he finished with the fifth most wins with 570 and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He guided them to a record then 111 wins in a season and to one AL Pennant in 1954.
3B Coach-Eric Wedge
Eric Wedge managed the Indians for seven seasons where he finished with the sixth most wins with 561. He guided them to one divisional title where they lost in the ALCS but that got him The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award and MLB Manager of the Year Award.
Hitting Coach-Roger Peckinpaugh
Roger Peckinpaugh managed the Indians for seven seasons where he finished with the seventh most wins with 490. He also came back for a second run as manager where he then became VP, then GM and president.
Pitching Coach-Walter Johnson
Walter Johnson managed the Indians for three seasons after his Hall of Fame career as a pitcher.
Bullpen Coach-Lee Fohl
Lee Fohl managed the Indians for five seasons where he finished with the ninth most wins with 327. He guided them to one second place finish.
There have been thirty six Hall of Fame players who have played for them at different points in respective careers. They have retired eight numbers for players and one number for the fans.
Nap Lajoie spent thirteen seasons in the infield for the Indians as their greatest/longest tenured second basemen where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1937 and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He won four batting titles, led the AL in RBIs once and led AL second basemen in putouts three times while there. He also was their player manager for five seasons where he finished with the eight most wins with 377. He finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the highest WAR for position players, most at bats, hits, singles, second most doubles, games played and offensive WAR to name some.
Jim Thome spent thirteen seasons in the infield for the Indians as their greatest/longest tenured first basemen where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 2018, is in the Indians Hall of Fame and they retired his number 25. He made three of his five All-Star appearances, won his only silver slugger and won the Roberto Clemente Award while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the most home runs, walks, second most RBIs, third most extra base hits, third highest slugging percentage, on base percentage, fourth most total bases and fourth highest offensive WAR to name some.
Lou Boudreau spent thirteens seasons in the infield for the Indians as their greatest/longest tenured shortstop where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1970, is in the Indians Hall of Fame and they retired his number 5. He made all eight of his All-Star appearances, won the 1948 AL MVP, won one batting title and was on one World Series Championship team in 1948 while there. He also was their player manager for nine seasons where he finished with the most wins with 728. He finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the highest defensive WAR, second most plate appearances, third most games played, third highest WAR for position players, fourth most walks and at bats to name some.
Tris Speaker spent eleven seasons in the outfielder for the Indians as their greatest center fielder where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1937 and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He won one batting title, led the AL in RBIs once, was on one World Series Championship team in 1920 while there, and has the most career doubles and outfield assists in MLB history. He also was their player manager for eight seasons where he finished with the fourth most wins with 617. He finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the most doubles, highest on base percentage, highest offensive WAR, second highest WAR for position players, second highest batting average, second most hits, runs scored, total bases, triples, walks and extra base hits to name some.
Larry Doby spent ten seasons in the outfield for the Indians where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1998, is in the Indians Hall of Fame and they retired his number 14. He made all seven of his All-Star appearances, led the AL in home runs twice, led the AL in RBIs once and was on one World Series Championship team in 1948 while there. He was first player to break color barrier in the AL and was one of the two first black players to win a World Series with his teammate Hall of Famer Satchel Paige. He also finished with the sixth most home runs, seventh most walks, seventh highest offensive WAR, eight highest WAR for position players, ninth most RBIs and tenth most runs scored in Indians history.
Joe Sewell spent eleven seasons in the infield for the Indians where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1977 and is in the Indians Hall of Fame.
Earl Averill spent eleven seasons in the outfield for the Indians where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1975, is in the Indians Hall of Fame and they retired his number 3. He made all six of his All-Star appearances, first player to hit four home runs in a double-header, led the AL in hits once, and led the AL in triples once while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the most extra base hits, RBIs, triples, total bases, plate appearances, runs scored, second most bats, third most doubles, hits and third highest offensive WAR to name some.
Bob Feller pitched eighteen seasons for the Indians as their greatest pitcher where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1962, is in the Indians Hall of Fame and they retired his number 19. He made all eight of his All-Star appearances, won the pitching Triple Crown once, led the AL in wins six times, led the majors in strikeouts seven times, led the AL in ERA once, pitched three no-hitters and was on one World Series Championship team in 1948 while there. He also finished as the franchise leader for many pitching categories in Indians history like having the most wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games, games started and highest WAR for pitchers.
Bob Lemon pitched thirteen seasons for the Indians where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1976, is in the Indians Hall of Fame and they retired his number 20. He made all seven of his All-Star appearances, led the AL in wins three times, led the AL in strikeouts once, led the AL in shutouts once, pitched a no-hitter and was on one World Series Championship team in 1948 while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many pitching categories in Indians history like having the third most wins, innings pitched, shutouts, games started and sixth highest WAR for pitchers to name some.
Early Wynn pitched ten seasons for the Indians where he put up numbers that speak for themselves that got him elected into the Hall of Fame in 1972 and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He made three of his nine All-Star appearances, led the majors in wins once, led the AL in strikeouts once and led the AL in ERA once while there. He also finished in the top 10 for many pitching categories in Indians history like having the fourth most strikeouts, fifth most wins, seventh highest WAR for pitchers, seventh most shutouts, games started and innings pitched to name some.
Manny Ramirez spent eight seasons in the outfield for the Indians where he made four of his twelve All-Star appearances, won three of his nine silver sluggers, won one AL Hank Aaron Award and led the AL in RBIs once while there. He also finished with the highest slugging percentage, third most home runs, fourth highest on base percentage, eight most RBIs, ninth most extra base hits and tenth highest offensive WAR in Indians history.
Victor Martinez spent eight seasons behind the plate for the Indians as their greatest catcher where he made three of his five All-Star appearances and won one of his two silver sluggers while there.
Sam McDowell pitched eleven seasons for the Indians where he made all six of his All-Star appearances, led the AL in ERA once, led the AL in strikeouts five times while there and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He also has the second most strikeouts, fifth highest WAR for pitchers, eighth most shutouts, games started and tenth most innings pitched in Indians history.
CC Sabathia pitched eight seasons for the Indians where he made three of his six All-Star appearances, led the AL in shutouts twice and won one AL CY Young Award while there. He also finished with the sixth most strikeouts in Indians history. Other notable starters in Indians history have been Mel Harder, Jim Bagby, Wes Ferrell, Mike Garcia, Dennis Martinez, Earl Moore, Cy Falkenberg, George Uhle, Johnny Allen, Earl Whitehill, Allie Reynolds, Steve Gromek, Jim Perry, Mudcat Grant, Gary Bell, Luis Tiant, Dick Donovan, Sonny Siebert, John Denny, Rick Sutcliffe, Orel Hershiser, Tom Candotti, Greg Swindell, Charles Nagy, Dwight Gooden, Bartolo Colon, Cliff Lee, Roberto Hernandez, Paul Byrd, Jake Westbrook, Dave Burba, active players Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Hall of Famers Stan Coveleski, Addie Joss, Satchel Paige, Cy Young, Gaylord Perry, Dennis Eckersley, Bert Blyleven, Phil Niekro and Jack Morris.
Kenny Lofton spent ten seasons in the outfield for the Indians where he made five of his six All-Star appearances, won all four of his gold gloves, led the AL in stolen bases five times while there and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the most stolen bases, third most runs scored, third highest defensive WAR, fifth highest WAR for position players and eight highest offensive WAR to name some.
Albert Bell spent eight seasons in the outfield for the Indians where he made four of his five All-Star appearances, won four of his five silver sluggers, led the AL in home runs once, led the AL in doubles twice, led the AL in RBIs three times, first player ever to hit 50 home runs-50 doubles in a season while there and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He also finished with the second highest slugging percentage, second most home runs, tenth most RBIs and extra base hits in Indians history. Other notable outfielders in Indians history have been Charlie Jamieson, Joe Vosmik, Jeff Heath, Dale Mitchell, Tito Francona, Minnie Minoso, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Leon Wagner, Brian Giles, Marty Cordova, David Justice, Matt Lawton, Coco Crisp, Jose Cardenal, George Hendrick, Rick Manning, Brett Butler, Joe Carter, Marquis Grissom, Milton Bradley, Grady Sizemore, Michael Bourn, Jorge Orta,Vada Pinson, Ellis Burks, Rocky Colavito, Rico Carty, Oscar Gamble, active players Shin Soo Choo, Michael Brantley and Hall of Famer Elmer Flick.
Omar Vizquel spent eleven seasons in in the infield for the Indians as their second greatest/second longest tenured shortstop where he made all three of his All-Star appearances, won eight of his eleven gold gloves while there and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the second most stolen bases, fourth highest defensive WAR, fifth most singles, at bats, fifth highest on base percentage, sixth highest batting average, sixth most runs scored and plate appearances to name some.
Ken Keltner spent twelve seasons in the infield for the Indians as their greatest third basemen where he made all seven of his All-Star appearances, was on one World Series Championship team in 1948 while there and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He also finished in the top 10 for many offensive categories in Indians history like having the fifth most extra base hits, total bases, sixth most doubles, at bats, plate appearances and seventh most RBIs to name some. Other notable infielders in Indians history have been Charlie Hickman, George Burns, George Stovall, Hal Trosky, Eddie Robinson, Vic Wertz, Vic Power, Andre Thornton, Chris Chambliss, their greatest manager Mike Hargrove, Richie Sexson, Travis Hafner, Jason Giambi, Carlos Baerga, Bobby Avila, Ray Mack, Jhonny Peralta, Julio Franco, Ray Boone, Al Rosen, Max Alvis, Graig Nettles, Buddy Bell, Toby Harrah, Brook Jacoby, Aaron Boone, Casey Blake, Travis Fryman, Willie Kamm, Bill Bradley, Larry Gardner, Terry Turner, active players Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Kipnis, Asdrubal Cabrera, Hall of Famers Eddie Murray, Roberto Alomar and Joe Gordon.
Sandy Alomar spent eleven seasons behind the plate for the Indians as their second greatest where he made all six of his All-Star appearances, won AL Rookie of the Year, won his only gold glove while there and is in the Indians Hall of Fame. He has also spent eleven seasons as their bench or first base coach. Other notable catchers in Indians history have been Ray Fosse, Dave Duncan, John Romano, Jim Hegan, Rollie Hemsley, Luke Sewell, Steve O’Neill and active player Carlos Santana.
Bob Wickman was the Indians closer for six seasons where he made one of his two All-Star appearances and led the AL in saves once while there. He also finished with the second most saves and third most games finished in Indians history.
Jose Mesa was the Indians closer for seven seasons where he made both of his All-Star appearances, led the AL in saves once and won reliever of the year once while there. He also finished with the fifth most saves and games finished in Indians history.
Doug Jones was the Indians closer for seven seasons where he made three of his five All-Star appearances while there. He also finished with the third most saves and second most games finished in Indians history.
Chris Perez was the Indians closer for five seasons where he made both of his All-Star appearances while there. He also finished with the fourth most saves and games finished in Indians history.
Dave LaRoche was the Indians closer for three seasons where he made both of his All-Star appearances while there.
Jim Kern was the Indians closer for six seasons where he made two of his three All-Star appearances and won reliever of the year once while there. He also finished with the tenth most saves in Indians history. Other notable relievers in Indians history have been David Riske, Dan Spillner, Ray Narleski, Paul Assenmacher, Sid Monge, Michael Jackson, active pitchers Cody Allen and Andrew Miller.
