Cleveland Indians - The Disco Years (1970-1979)  
   
 

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        Yr P W L   Yr P W L   Yr P W L               1970  
        1970 5 76 86   1973 6 71 91   1977 5 71 90               Decade  
        1971 6 60 102   1974 4 77 85   1978 6 69 90               Click  
        1972 5 72 84   1975 4 79 80   1979 6 81 80               on Logo  
                  1976 4 81 78                            
                                                       
   
  Titles: None Top Indians Players of the Seventies  
     
  BallPark:Municipal Stadium Pitchers:  
       
  Team Name: Indians Gaylord Perry (28.75) -   55  
    Dennis Eckersley (13.34) -   29  
  Owner:  Sam McDowell (12.3) -   28  
  Ve3rnon Stouffer (1970-1972) Rick Waits (11.34) -   26  
  Nick Mileti (1972-1976) Dick Tidrow (5.01) -   20  
  Ted Bonda (1977-1978) Jim Bibby (6.88) -   17  
  Steve O'Neill (1979) Rick Wise (5.07) -    16  
    Fritz Peterson (-0.11) -   15  
  General Managers: Jim Kern (8.04) -   14  
  Gabe Paul (1970-1973) Jim Perry (3.24) -   12  
  Phil Seghi (1974-1979) Wayne Garland (2.67) -   10  
    Dave LaRoche (5.27) -    8  
  Managers: Sid Monge (5.71) -    8  
  Alvin Dark (1970-1971)    
  John Lipon (1971) Catchers:  
  Ken Aspromonte (1972-1974) Ray Fosse (11.87) -   29  
  Frank Robinson (1975-1977) John Ellis (3.23) -   14  
  Jeff Torborg (1977-1979) Dave Duncan (1.88) -   10  
  Dave Garcia (1979)    
    First Basemen:  
  No Hitters:  Andre Thornton (12.37) -   28  
  Dick Bosman (1974) Chris Chambliss (4) -   16  
  Dennis Eckersley (1977)    
    Second Basemen:  
  Hall of Famers: Duane Kuiper (5.84) -   14  
  Dennis Eckersley  Larvell Blanks (3.53) -   11  
  Gaylord Perry    
    ShortStop:  
  Rookie of the Year:  Frank Duffy (11.35) -   28  
  Chris Chambliss (1971)    
    Third Base:  
  MVP Buddy Bell (24.47) -   48  
  None Graig Nettles (17.49) -   23  
       
  Cy Young: Outfield:  
  Gaylord Perry (1972) Rick Manning (8.62) -   33  
    George Hendrick (8.15) -   29  
  Notable Events: Oscar Gamble (7) -   21  
    Jim Norris (4.99) -   20  
  1970 - The Seventies finds Cleveland mired in the midst of the reign of error in whch Rico Carty (7.79) -   19  
  they have only six above .500 seasons in a thirty four year span (1960-1993). And Charlie Spikes (1.1) -   18  
  most of those six seasons were barely over .500. The Indians would not contend, ever, Vada Pinson (2.86) -   15  
  during this dark stretch. The bad run was due to a succession of owners with Bobby Bonds (3.52) -   13  
  shallow pockets. It's almost a miracle that the Indians weren't moved out of     
  Cleveland during this period.  Notable Events:  
        
  1972 - Thirty three year old righthander Gaylord Perry is acquired from the Giants 1975 - The one plus pitching prospect developed by the Indians during   
  in exchange for washed up lefthander Sudden Sam McDowell. Who knew that  the decade, righthander Dennis Eckersley, 20, comes up as a rookie.   
  Perry was still only in the midst of his career at this advanced age? Perry wins  He is frittered away to the Red Sox  in a trade for a bunch of nobodies  
  the Cy Young in 1972 with a 24-16 record and a 1.92 ERA. Incidently, Perry's  in 1978. Eckersley was selected in the 3rd round of the '72 draft  
  older brother, Jim, was a Cleveland ace in the Sixties.  
    1976 - The Indians have a winning season (81-78) , their first in  
  1972 - The one plus position player that the Indians develop during the decade  seven years  
   comes up, twenty year old third baseman Buddy Bell. Bell was a 16th round    
   pick in the 1969 draft, pretty low considering he was the son of star OF Gus Bell.  1977 - After an above .500 season, the Indians get bold and go for   
    signing Baltimore ace Wayne Garland to a big free agent contract.  
  1974 - the Indians conduct the first and last nickel beer night. As a promotion,  Of course, as luck would have it for the luckless Cleveland franchise   
  the Indians vend beers for five cents. This brilliant scheme attracts every rummy during the Dark Period, Garland blows out his arm almost immediately  
  in Cleveland with predictable (except to Indians management apparently) results.  and the Indians are left holding the bag for a contract they could   
  A drunken riot ensues and the Indians forfeit the game to the Rangers amidst  barely afford. Cleveland sinks ten games in the standings thanks  
  flying beer bottles.   in large part to Garland's 13-19 mark.   
       
  1974 - GM Gabe Paul leaves for the Yankees. He will subsequently orchestrate several  1977 - Frank Robinson becomes the first black man fired as a major   
  trades with Cleveland grabbing some of the Indians' best young talent such as Graig  league manager in baseball history  
  Nettles, Chris Chambliss, Oscar Gamble, and Dick Tidrow. Cleveland's new GM,  
   Phil Seghi, was the fleecee in these deals. 1979 - The Indians have a winning season (81-80) in 1979. Hallelujah.  
       
   1975 - Cleveland hires the first black manager in baseball history, Frank Robinson. 1979 - Cleveland picks up fireballing twenty three year old    
   Frank's playing days are winding down, but he has enough left in the tank to righthander Len Barker from Texas in a four player trade with   
   hit a home run in his first at bat as a player-manager. Coincidentally, the Indians   relief ace Jim Kern going the other way  
   had employed the league's first black player, Larry Doby, twenty eight  years earlier.