Hitting home runs is one of the most productive acts in baseball. A home run counts as a hit, a run, and a run batted in, and it enhances your slugging percentage. Al Rosen was one of the top home run hitters in Cleveland Indians history. He led the American League in home runs in 1950 and in 1953, when he won the American League Most Valuable Player Award. Rosen … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Al Rosen (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Mel Harder (Complete Story)
In today’s world of free agency in baseball, it is unusual for someone to remain as a player with the same team for 20 seasons. However, Cleveland Indians pitcher Mel Harder did just that, playing for the Indians from 1928 to 1947. Nicknamed “The Chief”, Harder won over 200 games and made the All-Star team four consecutive years with Cleveland. After he retired from … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Mel Harder (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Sam McDowell (Complete Story)
A strikeout is one of a pitcher’s best weapons. When a pitcher strikes out a batter, an out is achieved without all of the risks associated with a batted ball, including a bad hop, a bloop hit, a bad fielding play, or a sacrifice that advances a runner. Sam McDowell was one of the greatest strikeout pitchers in Cleveland Indians history, leading the American League in … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Sam McDowell (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Earl Averill (Complete Story)
For the Cleveland Indians, the period after 1920 (the team’s first World Series championship) and before 1948 (the team’s second World Series championship) may be regarded as unsuccessful. However, one bright spot for the Indians during this period was the play of Earl Averill from 1929 to 1939. Averill was an outstanding hitter and center fielder. He was named to … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Earl Averill (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Lou Boudreau (Complete Story)
Three elements of a successful baseball team are outstanding hitting, outstanding fielding, and outstanding managing. When one person helps his team in all three of these areas and the team wins the World Series, it is truly a special season for the person and his team. Lou Boudreau and the Cleveland Indians had such a special season in 1948. Boudreau’s excellent … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Lou Boudreau (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Stan Coveleski (Complete Story)
It is one thing to be an outstanding pitcher during the regular season. However, when a pitcher excels during the playoffs or World Series, given the importance of the games, his performance is even more significant. Over a 14-year major league career, nine years with the Cleveland Indians, Stan Coveleski was an excellent pitcher. Yet, his three complete game … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Stan Coveleski (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Tris Speaker (Complete Story)
The Cleveland Indians have won two World Series championships – in 1920 and 1948. When a baseball team wins two World Series championships in over 100 years, the persons responsible for those two championships deserve special recognition. For the 1920 Indians, a key person responsible for Cleveland’s championship was player-manager Tris Speaker. Nicknamed “The Gray … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Tris Speaker (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Nap Lajoie (Complete Story)
Cleveland fans are very familiar with a person being the source for a team name – Paul Brown generally is credited with Cleveland’s football team being the Browns. They may be less aware that such “person-team” naming also once occurred with Cleveland’s baseball team. From 1903 to 1914, Cleveland’s baseball team was named the Naps after Cleveland’s star second … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Nap Lajoie (Complete Story)
The Life And Career Of Larry Doby (Complete Story)
It is one thing to be a social trailblazer in a sport. As the first African American player in the American League to break major league baseball’s “color barrier”, Larry Doby always will be recognized as a social trailblazer in baseball. In addition, Doby was an excellent player. He made the American League All-Star team for seven consecutive years and helped the … [Read more...] about The Life And Career Of Larry Doby (Complete Story)