Titles: World Champs 1920 (Beat Brooklyn)

Top Indians Players of the Twenties

BallPark: League Park II

Pitchers:

George Uhle (28.29) - 79

Team Name: Indians

Stan Covelski (28.68) - 53

Joe Shaute (15.53) - 46

Owner:

Willis Hudlin (16.17) - 35

Jim Dunn (1920-1927)

Jim Bagby (8.8) - 27

Alva Bradley (1927-1929)

Jake Miller (17.56) - 27

Sherry Smith (12.54) - 22

General Managers:

Garland Buckeye (7.98) - 17

Ernest S. Barnard (1920-1927)

Wes Ferrell (6.54) - 17

Billy Evans (1927-1929)

Guy Morton (4.76) - 12

Ray Caldwell (1.28) - 12

Managers:

Dutch Levsen (4.32) - 11

Tris Speaker (1920-1926)

Duster Mails (4.81) - 8

Jack McCallister (1927)

Roger Peckinpaugh (1928-1929)

Catchers:

Steve O'Neill (11.82) - 34

No Hitters: (None)

Luke Sewell (0.28) - 23

Glenn Myatt (6.09) - 19

Hall of Famers:

Stan Coveleski

First Basemen:

Tris Speaker

George Burns (13.86) - 44

Earl Averill

Lew Fonseca (8.02) - 21

Joe Sewell

Second Basemen:

MVP:

Bill Wambsganss (1.11) - 15

George Burns (1926)

Riggs Stephenson (8.15) - 13

Notable Events:

ShortStop:

Joe Sewell (44.1) - 98

1920 - Since James Dunn took ownership and infused capital into the team,

Ray Chapman (3.81) - 12

Cleveland has been in the hunt, finishing third and second twice in the last

three years of the previous decade.

Third Base:

A look at the team as it enters the Twenties:

Larry Gardner (10.31) - 19

□ Steve O'Neill, 28, catcher, a team leader has been with the club since

he was 19

Outfield:

□ Bill Wambsganss, 26, 2B, has been with the club since he was 20

Tris Speaker (47.24)- 102

□ Ray Chapman, 29, SS, outstanding shortstop has been with the club since

Charlie Jamieson (23.63) - 73

he was 21

Homer Summa (4.07) - 21

□ Larry Gardner, 34, 3B, veteran but still one of the top third sackers

Elmer Smith (6.33) - 20

in the game. Picked up from Boston the previous year after an

Earl Averill (4.23) - 11

excellent career with the Sox

Johnny Hodapp (5.43) - 10

□ Charlie Jamieson, 27, OF, late bloomer who floundered prior to being

Smoky Joe Wood (4.41) - 9

picked up from the A's the previous season.

Would be one of the better outfielders in the game moving forward

Notable Events:

□ Tris Speaker, 31, CF, one of the best defensive centerfielders in history

combined with also being a great hitter.

1921 - Catcher Luke Sewell, Joe's younger brother, is a rookie. He'll go

Stilll at the peak of his abilities.

on to play a dozen years for the Indians, the first five as Steve O'Neill's

□ Joe Sewell, 21, SS, a rookie who would go on to become a Hall of Fame

understudy.Like O'Neill,Sewell is a natural leader who goes on to

shortstop.He was signed out of the University of Alabama

manage in the Big Leagues. Also like his older brother, Luke was signed

□ Jim Bagby, 30, righthander, a mainstay in the Cleveland rotation for

out of the University of Alabama.

the previous six years

□ Stan Coveleski, 30, righthander, the ace of the Cleveland staff for

1922 - Owner Jim Dunn dies in 1922. His estate retains ownership

eight seasons

of the club until a consortium led by Cleveland shipping magnate

□ George Uhle, 21, righthander, second year man who will have an up

Alva Bradley purchases the team in 1927. After Dunn passes,

and down ten year career with Cleveland. The ups, when they occurred,

the team flounders until it is sold.

were way up. Uhle was a local kid who came up to Cleveland

directly out of local sandlot ball.

1922 - Joe Shaute, 22 year old lefty, is acquired from Chattanooga.

He will be part of the Indians' rotation for the next seven seasons.

1920 - First baseman George Burns, 27, is purchased from the A's.

He's one of the better first basemen in the league.

1925 - Tris Speaker gets his 3000th hit

Connie Mack had been conducting a fire sale of his stars.

1926 - Willis Hudlin, twenty year old righthander, is purchased from

1920 - Ray Chapman dies from a pitch thrown by Yankee pitcher Carl Mays

Waco and is brought up to the Indians

This is the worst on field tragedy in baseball history. His death ushers in

the live ball era as baseball opts to bring in new balls during games

1927 - When owner Alva Bradley takes over, he hires on Billy Evans as

that are much easier to see (they are also livelier).

General Manager (the first ever General Manager in baseball).

Until this incident, balls were not replaced in games and were misshapen

Evans immediately starts acquiring talent to turn the club around.

discolored old rocks by the end of ball games, hard to see by batters,

A former umpire, Evans is an authoritarian sort of guy and will

expecially in the twilight.

end up leaving his posts in Cleveland and later Boston in disputes

over authority in personnel moves.

1920 - Cleveland's pitching leads the way to a 98-56 mark.

Jim Bagby has, by far, his best season in a very good career as he goes

1927 - Righthander Wes Ferrell, 19, is signed out of High School and

31-12. Stan Coveleskie wins 24, no surprise there, and one year

brought up to the Indians.

wonder Ray Caldwell wins 20

1928 - Righthander Mel Harder, 18, is signed out of High School and

1920 - The Indians beat out the White Sox for the 1920 pennant.

brought up to Cleveland.

The Chicago still has all of the players from the 1919 World Series

scandal playing for them. The race went right down to the wire.

1929 - The Earl of Snohomish (Washington) is purchased from

Lucky thing that the Indians beat Chicago out. It didn't hurt Cleveland

San Francisco of the Pacific Coast League.

that all eight of the Sox involved in the scandal were suspended for their

Centerfielder Earl Averill that is. He is twenty seven years old.

season ending series with the Indians. A White Sox sweep and the two

Averill was a late bloomer and came thisclose to never playing big

would have ended in a tie. Instead, Cleveland took two of three to end

league ball. After bouncing around local sandlot teams with mixed

matters and avoid an extremely awkward situation where the team

success, he finally caught the eye of the San Francisco Seals of the

that threw the 1919 series was back again in 1920.

Pacific Coast League where he starred for three seasons before

Cleveland purchased his contract. Altho' he only began in the

1920 - Bill Wambsganss executes an unassisted triple play against

big leagues at age twenty seven, Earl went on to a Hall of Fame

Brooklyn in the World Series.

career with Cleveland.

The only triple play ever in World Series history.

1929 - Cleveland embarks on a run of eleven over .500 years out

1921 - Bagby goes from 31 wins to 14 and Ray Caldwell goes from 20 wins

of the next twelve (the one sub .500 year was with a 75-76 record).

to 6, but the Indians only lose four games in the standings.

They gain twenty games in the standings going from being a doormat

Unfortunately, that's enough to drop them into second behind the Yankees.

for four of the previous five seasons to respectability. Most of the

improvement in '29 is due to twenty one year old righthander

Wes Ferrell emerging as one of the top pitchers in the game,

going 21-10, and the presence of slugger Earl Averill in the lineup.