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1950

4

92

62

1953

2

92

62

1957

6

76

77

Decade

1951

2

93

61

1954

1

111

43

1958

4

77

76

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1952

2

93

61

1955

2

93

61

1959

2

89

65

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1956

2

88

66

Titles: AL Champs (1954 Lost to Giants)

Top Indians Players of the Fifties

BallPark: Municipal Stadium

Pitchers:

Early Wynn (33.88) - 100

Team Name: Indians

Bob Lemon (25.46) - 96

Mike Garcia (26.41) - 79

Owner:

Bob Feller (7.79) - 43

Ellis Ryan (1950-1952)

Cal McLish (6.77) - 32

Myron H Wilson (1953-1956)

Herb Score (13.64) - 28

William R Daley (1956-1959)

Ray Narleski (12.51) - 26

Gary Bell (3.89) - 20

General Managers:

Don Mossi (9.12) - 15

Hank Greenberg (1950-1957)

Art Houtteman (1.51) - 11

Frank Lane (1958-1959)

Hal Newhouser (1.32) - 1

Managers:

Catchers:

Lou Boudreau (1950)

Jim Hegan (2.82) - 40

Al Lopez (1951-1956)

Russ Nixon (0.16) - 13

Kirby Farrelll (1957)

Bobby Bragan (1958)

First Basemen:

Joe Gordon (1958-1959)

Luke Easter (9.64) - 29

Vic Wertz (6.81) - 22

No Hitters:

Vic Power (5.85) - 17

Bob Feller (1951)

Second Basemen:

Hall of Famers:

Bobby Avila (28.01) - 73

Hal Newhouser

Minnie Minoso

ShortStop:

Early Wynn

George Strickland (6.68) - 26

Bob Feller

Ray Boone (7.54) - 21

Bob Lemon

Woodie Held (3.34) - 13

Ralph Kiner

Chico Carrasquel (2.61) - 12

Larry Doby

Third Base:

Rookie of the Year:

Al Rosen (33.27) - 84

Herb Score (1955)

Al Smith (10.7) - 40

MVP

Outfield:

Al Rosen (1953)

Larry Doby (35.4) - 83

Rocky Colavito (17.46) - 42

Cy Young

Dale Mitchell (11.17) - 25

None

Minnie Minoso (10.73) - 24

Gene Woodling (5.73) - 17

Notable Events:

Tito Francona (4.78) - 12

Harry Simpson (1.54) - 10

1950 - The Indians win 92 games in 1950. It is the beginning of a streak

Roger Maris (1.76) - 9

of six ninety plus win seasons for Cleveland. If it weren't for the Yankees,

Ralph Kiner (0.15) - 6

the Indians of the late Forties thru mid Fifties would have been considered

one of baseball's great dynasties. Instead, the Yankees were.

Notable Events:

A look at the awesome Indians roster coming into the decade

□ Catcher - Jim Hegan, 29 - one of the top defensive backstops and

1955 - Slugging rookie Rocky Colavito joins the club. He's 21.

handlers of pitchers in the game

He would end up with 374 lifetime home runs.

□ IB - Luke Easter, 34, - still a big time slugger at his advanced age.

Rocco was signed out of High School in the Bronx by Cleveland in 1951

Luke had been opportunistically picked up from the Negro Leagues

right out from under the Yankees' noses at the age of 17

□ 2B - Bobby Avila, 26, - excellent hitter and one of the better second

basemen in the big leagues. He had been opportunistically been

1955 - Herb Score, the next great pitcher, bursts onto the scene

picked up from the Mexican League

and wins sixteen games and rookie of the year. He picks up

□ SS - Ray Boone, 26, - Doesn't blossom as a hitter until he leaves

"The Natural" mantle from aging teammate Bob Feller.

Cleveland in 1953

Herb was signed out of High School by Cleveland in 1952 at the age

□ 3B - Al Rosen, 26 - Finally emerges from under Ken Keltner's shadow

. of nineteen.

in 1950. Will have a short but brilliant career winning two home run

and two rbi titles over the next seven years

1956 - A new owner William R Daley

□ CF - Larry Doby, 26 - One of the top centerfielders in the game,

he will win two home run titles and an rbi title for Cleveland.

1956 - The last year of the Great Indians Team run. They had won 88 or

Larry had been opportunisticallly plucked out of the Negro Leagues.

more games nine seasons in a row from 1948 thru 1956. Manager Al Lopez

□ OF - Dale Mitchell, 28, a career .312 hitter

retires after the season - maybe he knew what was coming. Phenom lefty

□ OF - Jim Lemon, 22 - One that got away. He will be sold to Washington

Herb Score wins twenty and, with his stuff, is poised to be the game's

in 1956 where he will emerge as one of the top sluggers in the league

next great pitcher.

over a five year stretch

□ SP - Bob Lemon, 29, Hall of Fame Righthander

1957 - Roger Maris, 22, comes up as a rookie.

□ SP - Bob Feller, 31, Hall of Fame Righthander

□ SP - Early Wynn, 30 - Hall of Fame Righthander

1957 - Gil McDougald hits Herb Score in the eye with a line drive on

□ SP - Mike Garcia, 26 - will win 79 games over a four year stretch

May 7, 1957.

(1951-1954). Righthander.

This effectively ends Score's brilliant, but short, career and also marks the

end of the Indian "dynasty". It's all down hill from here for Cleveland.

1951 - Al Lopez is hired on as manager. Lou Boudreau had been released

as both a player and manager after the 1950 season.

1957 - Hank Greenberg, as great a baseball executive as he was a hitter,

leaves the club. The new ownership doesn't share Greenberg's view on

1951 - The Indians embark on a six year streak of five second place finishes

spending to maintain a high quality farm system.

and one pennant

1958 - "Trader" Frank Lane is hired as GM. This is a "quick fix" move

1953 - Versatile Al Smith, 25, an outfielder/third baseman comes up as a

by owner Daley. Lane had built the excellent Chicago White Sox teams

rookie. He had been signed by the Indians five years earlier

of the fifties on a shoestring budget thru trades.

out of the Negro Leagues.

The early thru mid Fifties saw the American league standings finish pretty

much as 1-New York, 2-Cleveland, 3-Chicago

1954 - Twenty five year olds, righty Ray Narleski and lefty Don Mossi

Owner Daley was looking to capture Lane's magic-on-the-cheap

are rookies. They are the icing on Cleveland's pitching cake as

they are complementary lights out relievers. Both were signed out of

1958 - In the first of a series of terrible trades that gut the Indians,

High School by Cleveland, Narleski in 1948, Mossi 1949.

Lane deals young slugger Roger Maris to the A's for Vic Power and

Woody Held. Power and Held are decent players, but they're not Maris

1954 - Hall of Fame lefthander Hal Newhouser, 33, is picked up by the

Indians after being released by Detroit. Hal is very effective and goes 7-2

1959 - Rocky Colavito hits four homers in a game against Baltimore

in relief for Cleveland. He is released, however, in 1955.

Colavito is dealt to Detroit in an absolutely horrific deal after the season

Hal still had something left in the tank.

for Harvey Kuenn.

1954 - Cleveland finally beats out the Yankees for the pennant,

1959 - Gordy Coleman, 24 year old first baseman, is a rookie.

needing a league record 111 wins to do it.

He is dealt by Lane to Cincinnati in an awful trade for aging second

Ironically, the Yankees win more games in 1954 than they had in their

baseman Johnny Temple. A slugger, Coleman will be instrumental

five year world series title run (1949-1953), 104, but finish second.

in Cincinnati's 1961 pennant drive.

1954 - The Tribe gets swept by the Giants in the World Series.

1959 - Lane makes a good deal sending aging OF Minnie Minoso

It was an unfair result as Cleveland was truly a great team.

to the White Sox for young stud catcher John Romano and slugging

young 1B Norm Cash. Inexplicably, however, he turns around and

1955 - Hall of Fame OF Ralph Kiner, 32, is acquired from the Cubs.

deals Cash to the Tigers for journeyman infielder Steve Demeter.

Due to back problems, he is pretty far from the feared slugger he was

The Tigers must have initially thought that Lane was offering actual

with the Pirates where he had won seven straight NL home run titles.

cash for Demeter because the actual player Cash made no sense at all.

Cleveland thought they might catch lightning in a bottle like they did with

Ironically, the one good trade that Lane made, obtaining Cash in the first

Hal Newhouser the previous season. Ralph did OK hitting 18 homers but

place, was made with Indians former GM Hank Greenberg who was now

he was in too much pain to continue playing and retired after the season.

GM of the White Sox where Lane had made his reputation. Small world.

Kiner had been a teammate of GM Hank Greenberg in Pittsburgh;

Ralph was payment by the Cubs for righthander Sad Sam Jones.