Misplaced Pages

#163836

133-580: The team was affiliated with the Cleveland Indians (1936–1937), Milwaukee Brewers (1938), St. Louis Browns (1947–1949) and Cincinnati Redlegs (1956–1957). The team played its home games at Athletic Park from 1936 to 1957. The Lumberjacks played at Athletic Park , located at 324 E. Wausau Ave. Wausau, Wisconsin Originally built in 1936 , Athletic Park was also home to the Timbers of

266-741: A Major League baseball game. On October 10, 1948, Game 5 of the World Series against the Boston Braves drew over 84,000. The record stood until the Los Angeles Dodgers drew a crowd in excess of 92,500 to watch Game 5 of the 1959 World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox . Under Veeck's leadership, one of Cleveland's most significant achievements

399-461: A career-high, and 304 total bases led the majors, the fourth and final time in his career he would lead the majors in the latter category. Lajoie missed significant parts of back-to-back seasons, the first in 1911 when he appeared in just 90 games. Stovall, the former Naps first baseman, replaced McGuire as the club's manager and the Naps finished 80–73. Lajoie was forced to sit out six weeks of

532-514: A detective to arrive at the conclusion that at some point Johnson (or someone in the league office, anyway) realized the error and decided to conceal it. Lajoie ended his career with a lifetime .338 batting average. His career total of 3,252 hits was the second-most in MLB history at the time of his retirement, behind only Honus Wagner's total (3,420). Lajoie's 2,522 hits in the American League

665-517: A fellow pitcher. Donahue instead made pitches on the outside corner, to which Lajoie reached over "and hit them with ease." Donahue then aimed a pitch at Lajoie's head and he proceeded to hit a home run. "That's the kind I eat", he said. For the first part of the 20th century, Lajoie's and Ty Cobb 's statistics rivaled each other like few other players in the American League. In 1908, Honus Wagner and Lajoie recorded their 2,000th career hits. Baseball historian David Anderson wrote: Nap Lajoie reached

798-551: A fine fielder, and had already been sought by several big league clubs. Nap Lajoie clearly represented a financial asset to Marston, who did not give him away. The price the Phillies paid was a substantial sum for two minor leaguers in 1896. Against the Washington Senators on August 12, 1896, Lajoie made his major league debut. He played first base and recorded a single. Ed Delahanty was being considered to play

931-478: A hit (which would have allowed him to go 9-for-9) but that Cobb's batting average was greater, recording 196 hits in 509 at bats to Lajoie's 227 hits in 591 at bats. Johnson asked Chalmers if his company would award an automobile to each player, to which he agreed. Lajoie initially refused the car, but eventually relented and accepted it. Cobb said, "I am glad that I won an automobile and am especially pleased that Lajoie also gets one. I have no one to criticize. I know

1064-515: A hotel lobby and Stovall broke a chair over Lajoie's head. "George didn't mean anything by it," Lajoie said, and the two maintained a working relationship. He finished the season with an average of .301. Naps owner Charles Somers received a trade offer from the Detroit Tigers for Flick and the Tigers' Ty Cobb . Tigers manager Hughie Jennings called Somers and told him he was offering

1197-520: A member club of the American League (AL) Central Division . Since 1994 , the team has played its home games at Progressive Field (originally known as Jacobs Field after the team's then-owner). Since their establishment as a Major League franchise in 1901, the team has won 12 Central Division titles, six American League pennants , and two World Series championships (in 1920 and 1948 ). The team's World Series championship drought since 1948

1330-529: A number of players who made no impact. Nap Lajoie As manager Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie ( / ˈ l æ ʒ ə w eɪ / ; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie , was an American professional baseball second baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "the Frenchman" , he represented both Philadelphia franchises and

1463-554: A peak in 1910, when Hugh Chalmers of the Chalmers Auto Company (a direct predecessor to modern-day Chrysler ) promised a Chalmers 30 Roadster to the season's batting champion. The public became fascinated with the daily statistics of Lajoie and Cobb in what became known as the Chalmers Race. Sports bettors, who by this time followed the sport attentively, also followed the daily reports with interest. Cobb took

SECTION 10

#1732786776164

1596-530: A power in the league. In 1891, the Spiders moved into League Park , which would serve as the home of Cleveland professional baseball for the next 55 years. Led by native Ohioan Cy Young , the Spiders became a contender in the mid-1890s, playing in the Temple Cup Series (that era's World Series) twice and winning it in 1895. The team began to fade after this success, and was dealt a severe blow under

1729-459: A powerhouse Perfectos team, as St. Louis finished fifth in both 1899 and 1900 . The Spiders were left with essentially a minor league lineup, and began to lose games at a record pace. Drawing almost no fans at home, they ended up playing most of their season on the road, and became known as "The Wanderers". The team ended the season in 12th place, 84 games out of first place, with an all-time worst record of 20–134 (.130 winning percentage). Following

1862-455: A single game and went on to lead the league in strikeouts from 1938 to 1941. On August 20, 1938, Indians catchers Hank Helf and Frank Pytlak set the "all-time altitude mark" by catching baseballs dropped from the 708-foot (216 m) Terminal Tower . By 1940 , Feller, along with Ken Keltner , Mel Harder and Lou Boudreau , led the Indians to within one game of the pennant. However,

1995-498: A taxi driver and joined the Class B New England League 's Fall River Indians in 1896. Lajoie played as a center fielder , first baseman and catcher , earning $ 25 weekly ($ 916 in current dollar terms). He recorded 163 hits in 80 games and led the team in batting average , doubles , triples , home runs and hits . Lajoie was "widely regarded as an outstanding prospect," and Indians owner Charlie Marston rejected an offer from

2128-545: A unique trade of managers in mid-season 1960, sending Joe Gordon to the Tigers in exchange for Jimmy Dykes . Lane left the team in 1961, but ill-advised trades continued. In 1965, the Indians traded pitcher Tommy John , who would go on to win 288 games in his career, and 1966 Rookie of the Year Tommy Agee to the White Sox to get Colavito back. However, Indians' pitchers set numerous strikeout records. They led

2261-526: A wealthy industrialist and also co-owner of the Boston Americans , lent money to other team owners, including Connie Mack 's Philadelphia Athletics , to keep them and the new league afloat. Players did not think the name "Bluebirds" was suitable for a baseball team. Writers frequently shortened it to Cleveland Blues due to the players' all-blue uniforms, but the players did not like this unofficial name either. The players themselves tried to change

2394-448: A wheelchair, and doctors considered amputation. The injury and illness kept Lajoie out until August 28, when he returned as the team's first baseman. Near the end of the season he sustained an injury to his ankle from a foul tip during an at bat, and did not play for the remainder of the season but continued to manage from the bench. He finished the season having only appeared in 65 games (a career-low, other than his rookie season when he

2527-537: A young team and a new manager; Roger Peckinpaugh had replaced the despised Vitt; but the team regressed, finishing in fourth. Cleveland would soon be depleted of two stars. Hal Trosky retired in 1941 due to migraine headaches and Bob Feller enlisted in the Navy two days after the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Starting third baseman Ken Keltner and outfielder Ray Mack were both drafted in 1945 taking two more starters out of

2660-519: Is incorrect. He was a competent fielder, even a good fielder. He was not a defensive superstar." During spring training before the 1928 season, Lajoie commented on the 1927 New York Yankees . "Of course, you could see a lot of loafing going on but if that club is the greatest of all times, you just know that we had a lot of clubs in my time who were world champions and didn't know it." He died in Daytona Beach, Florida on February 7, 1959, at

2793-582: Is now the official major-league record, lists both men at .384 in its seasonal section, but its player register has Lajoie at the same number and Cobb at .383—so even the various editors of that source do not, or cannot, agree. Jon Wertheim wrote in Sports Illustrated 100 years after the event, The statistics for the Detroit players had been crossed out and nullified. Every Detroit player, that is, except one: Ty Cobb. It takes something less than

SECTION 20

#1732786776164

2926-632: Is still an American League record. The Indians returned to the World Series to face the New York Giants . The team could not bring home the title, however, ultimately being upset by the Giants in a sweep. The series was notable for Willie Mays ' over-the-shoulder catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in Game 1. Cleveland remained a talented team throughout the remainder of the decade, finishing in second place in 1959, George Strickland 's last full year in

3059-574: Is tainted. The 1901 season was the first for the AL and the level of competition was presumably evolving. Such questions, however, in no way cast doubt on the extraordinary batting ability of the second baseman." In April 1902, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overruled an earlier decision by the Court of Common Pleas and upheld the reserve clause in contracts between players and NL clubs. President of

3192-540: Is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams. The team's name references the Guardians of Traffic , eight monolithic 1932 Art Deco sculptures by Henry Hering on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge , which is adjacent to Progressive Field. The team's mascot is named "Slider". The team's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona . The franchise originated in 1894 as

3325-452: The 3,000 hit club . Lajoie recorded the hit off Yankees pitcher Marty McHale in a 5–3 Naps win. His .258 batting average for the season, however, was the lowest since he had joined the majors in 1896. The Naps finished in last place in the American League standings with a 51–102 record, their worst record since joining the league and the franchise's lowest winning percentage (.333). Lajoie requested that Somers trade him and

3458-527: The Brooklyn Robins 5–2 in the World Series for their first title, winning four games in a row after the Robins took a 2–1 Series lead. The Series included three memorable "firsts", all of them in Game 5 at Cleveland, and all by the home team. In the first inning, right fielder Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam. In the fourth inning, Jim Bagby hit the first Series home run by a pitcher. In

3591-508: The Chicago National League Club Jim Hart said the state Supreme Court's decision had dealt "a fatal blow to the rival league" and NL clubs "have won a great victory." The Phillies' Rogers obtained an injunction barring Lajoie from playing baseball for any team other than his team. However, a lawyer discovered that the injunction was enforceable only in the state of Pennsylvania . The courts ruled that

3724-654: The Cleveland Naps , the latter of which he became the namesake of, and from 1905 through 1909, the player-manager . Lajoie was signed to the Philadelphia Phillies of the National League (NL) in 1896. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, the upstart American League (AL) was looking to rival the supremacy of the NL and in 1901, Lajoie and dozens of former National League players joined

3857-419: The Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn just before Opening Day in 1960 . It was a blockbuster trade that swapped the 1959 AL home run co-champion (Colavito) for the AL batting champion (Kuenn). After the trade, however, Colavito hit over 30 home runs four times and made three All-Star teams for Detroit and Kansas City before returning to Cleveland in 1965 . Kuenn, on the other hand, played only one season for

3990-484: The Goudey Gum Company . However, the card (#106 in the set) became infamous for being impossible to find copies of. While the company eventually sent copies of the card to those collectors who wrote in to complain, it was revealed years later that the uncut sheets of the set did not include the card, and the alleged 1933 Lajoie card was printed with the 1934 set. Today, the card is among the highest value from

4123-672: The Grand Rapids Rustlers , a minor league team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan , that played in the Western League . The team relocated to Cleveland in 1900 and was called the Cleveland Lake Shores . The Western League itself was renamed the American League prior to the 1900 season while continuing its minor league status. When the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, Cleveland

Wausau Lumberjacks - Misplaced Pages Continue

4256-537: The Pittsburgh Pirates for Lajoie in exchange for $ 500 ($ 18,312 in current dollar terms). He was also scouted by the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Beaneaters . The Philadelphia Phillies of the MLB's National League (NL) purchased Lajoie and teammate Phil Geier from Fall River for $ 1,500 ($ 54,936 in current dollar terms) on August 9. Phillies' manager Billy Nash originally went to Fall River intending to sign Geier only but obtained Lajoie when

4389-567: The first base position after Dan Brouthers retired. Delahanty, however, wanted Lajoie to play first so he could return to his natural position of left field . Delahanty said to Lajoie, "Look, sonny, you tell the boss you're a first baseman and you and me are gonna get along." Lajoie became the team's first baseman, and by the end of the season he and Delahanty were roommates. Later in 1898, new manager George Stallings moved Lajoie to second base , commenting, "[Lajoie would] have made good no matter where I positioned him." Lajoie hit .363 and led

4522-507: The "Clown Prince of Baseball" as a coach. Patkin's appearance in the coaching box was the sort of promotional stunt that delighted fans but infuriated the American League front office. Recognizing that he had acquired a solid team, Veeck soon abandoned the aging, small and lightless League Park to take up full-time residence in massive Cleveland Municipal Stadium . The Indians had briefly moved from League Park to Municipal Stadium in mid-1932, but moved back to League Park due to complaints about

4655-613: The 1899 season, the National League disbanded four teams, including the Spiders franchise. The disastrous 1899 season would actually be a step toward a new future for Cleveland fans the next year. The Cleveland Infants competed in the Players' League , which was well-attended in some cities, but club owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season. The Cleveland Infants finished with 55 wins and 75 losses, playing their home games at Brotherhood Park . The origins of

4788-507: The 1912 season when he sprained his back in May during a practice session in Chicago. He played in 117 games on the season, an increase of the 90 he played in one season before, but Cleveland, who had hired Joe Birmingham as the team's fifth manager since Lajoie gave up the role in 1909, finished 75–78. Lajoie and Joe Jackson tied for the team lead with 90 RBIs. He finished fourth in

4921-476: The 1915 season, when he returned to play for Mack and the Athletics. While with Cleveland, Lajoie's popularity led to locals electing to change the club's team name from Bronchos to Napoleons ("Naps" for short), which remained until after Lajoie departed Cleveland and the name was changed to Indians (the team's name until 2021). Lajoie led the AL in batting average five times in his career and four times recorded

5054-542: The 2021 season); moreover, it is the lowest of any major league team in the modern (post-1900) era. In 1917, Lajoie joined the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League as manager. At the age of 42, Lajoie won the league's batting title with batting average of .380. He appeared in 151 of 156 games and, for the first time in his career, played on a team that won a pennant. He later

5187-491: The A's after his contract was capped at $ 2,400 per year—one of the highest-profile players to jump to the upstart AL. The Phillies subsequently filed an injunction to force Lajoie's return, which was granted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court . The injunction appeared to doom any hopes of an early settlement between the warring leagues. However, a lawyer discovered that the injunction was only enforceable in

5320-591: The A's. With Lajoie gone, the club needed a new name. Somers asked the local baseball writers to come up with a new name, and based on their input, the team was renamed the Cleveland Indians. The name referred to the nickname "Indians" that was applied to the Cleveland Spiders baseball club during the time when Louis Sockalexis , a Native American , played in Cleveland (1897–1899). At

5453-463: The AL in runs, home runs, RBIs (for the second year in a row), and slugging percentage, and coming in second by one point in batting average. Ryan was forced out in 1953 in favor of Myron Wilson, who in turn gave way to William Daley in 1956 . Despite this turnover in the ownership, a powerhouse team composed of Feller, Doby, Minnie Miñoso , Luke Easter , Bobby Ávila , Al Rosen , Early Wynn , Bob Lemon , and Mike Garcia continued to contend through

Wausau Lumberjacks - Misplaced Pages Continue

5586-493: The AL to George Stone in batting average, slugging and on-base percentage. In 1906 he married Myrtle Smith and the couple moved to a small farm outside Cleveland. In June of the 1907 season, Lajoie's .296 average, "an average even now that scores of players would be glad to accept," put him at risk for hitting below .300 for the first time in his career. He also missed 15 games due to a recurrence of sepsis. Lajoie and Naps first baseman George Stovall got into an argument in

5719-520: The AL with a .368 batting average. In 1913, Birmingham and Lajoie had arguments in the open, including one incident in June when Lajoie cursed Birmingham openly to reporters after being benched during a batting slump. Lajoie hit .335 on the year, the last time he would hit over .300 in his career. Only two other major league players had attained 3,000 career hits until Lajoie hit a double on September 27, 1914, and so joined Cap Anson and Honus Wagner in

5852-464: The AL, for the franchise's first winning record since the AL began as a league. After his first season with the Bronchos, Lajoie's .378 average led all AL players. New York Giants manager, John McGraw , was rumored to want to sign Lajoie, but Lajoie said "... I intend to stick to Cleveland." For the remainder of 1902 and most of 1903, Lajoie and Elmer Flick traveled separately from the rest of

5985-494: The American League. National League clubs contested the legality of contracts signed by players who jumped to the other league, but eventually Lajoie was allowed to play for Connie Mack 's Philadelphia Athletics . During the season, Lajoie set the all-time American League single-season mark for the highest batting average (.426). One year later, Lajoie went to the Cleveland Bronchos , where he would play until

6118-474: The Chicago owner suspended eight players. The White Sox lost two of three in their final series, while Cleveland won four and lost two in their final two series. Cleveland finished two games ahead of Chicago and three games ahead of the Yankees to win its first pennant, led by Speaker's .388 hitting, Jim Bagby's 30 victories and solid performances from Steve O'Neill and Stan Coveleski. Cleveland went on to defeat

6251-746: The Class-A Midwest League (1975-1990) and the Wausau Timberjacks (1950–1953). The park hosted the Lumberjacks in three separate incarnations (1936-1942, 1946–1949, 1956–57). Currently, since 1994, Athletic Field has hosted the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the summer collegiate Northwoods League }. Ray Boone played for the Lumberjacks in 1942. Boone enjoyed a 13-year big league career (1943–1960). Ray

6384-546: The Cleveland Guardians date back to 1894, when the team was founded as the Grand Rapids Rustlers , a team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and competing in the Western League . In 1900, the team moved to Cleveland and was named the Cleveland Lake Shores. Around the same time Ban Johnson changed the name of his minor league (Western League) to the American League. In 1900 the American League

6517-443: The Indians before departing for San Francisco in a trade for an aging Johnny Antonelli and Willie Kirkland . Akron Beacon Journal columnist Terry Pluto documented the decades of woe that followed the trade in his book The Curse of Rocky Colavito . Despite being attached to the curse, Colavito said that he never placed a curse on the Indians but that the trade was prompted by a salary dispute with Lane. Lane also engineered

6650-492: The Indians defeated the Boston Braves four games to two for their first championship in 28 years. Boudreau won the American League MVP Award . The Indians appeared in a film the following year titled The Kid From Cleveland , in which Veeck had an interest. The film portrayed the team helping out a "troubled teenaged fan" and featured many members of the Indians organization. However, filming during

6783-517: The Maris trade, Lane acquired 25-year-old Norm Cash from the White Sox for Minnie Miñoso and then traded him to Detroit before he ever played a game for the Indians; Cash went on to hit over 350 home runs for the Tigers. The Indians received Steve Demeter in the deal, who had only five at-bats for Cleveland. In 1960, Lane made the trade that would define his tenure in Cleveland when he dealt slugging right fielder and fan favorite Rocky Colavito to

SECTION 50

#1732786776164

6916-510: The NL in putouts (1898) and the AL four times in his career (1901, 1903, 1906, and 1908). From 1906–1908 he led the AL in assists (amongst second basemen). He also led the league in double plays six times in his career. Baseball historian William McNeil rates Lajoie as the game's greatest second baseman, when combining both offensive and defensive impact. Bill James argues, "In the last 20 years several statistical analysts ... have credited Lajoie with immense defensive value ... this analysis

7049-411: The NL in slugging percentage in 1897 and doubles and RBIs in 1898. He had a .378 batting average in 1899, though he played only 77 games due to an injury. In 1900, he missed five weeks due to a broken thumb suffered in a fistfight with teammate Elmer Flick . In April 1900, Brooklyn manager Ned Hanlon made a public offer of $ 10,000 to purchase Lajoie from the Phillies which would be rebuffed by

7182-653: The National Agreement in September 1903 (which also brought the formation of the World Series ). To begin the 1903 season, the club changed its name from the Bronchos to the Naps in honor of Lajoie after a readers' poll result was released by the Cleveland Press . (The team was officially the Blues in their inaugural AL season but changed to the Bronchos for the 1902 season.) The Bronchos finished

7315-430: The Phillies owners. John Rogers , described as a "penny-pinching" majority owner of the Phillies, assured Lajoie that he would make the same salary as Delahanty. However, Lajoie discovered that while he was earning $ 2,600 ($ 95,222 in current dollar terms), Delahanty earned $ 3,000 ($ 109,872 in current dollar terms) (contracts for NL players were not allowed to surpass $ 2,400). Rogers increased Lajoie's pay by $ 200 but

7448-568: The U.S.'s involvement in World War I. Lajoie made his services available to the draft board but they rejected his offer. On December 27, 1918, Lajoie announced his retirement from baseball. Several years after his retirement, a story in The Milwaukee Sentinel talked of Lajoie's ability to "outguess any pitcher." Lajoie faced pitcher Red Donahue , who avoided pitching fastballs to Lajoie after seeing him go 4-for-4 against

7581-750: The UA after being offered higher salaries. The Cleveland Blues merged with the St. Louis Maroons UA team in 1885. Cleveland went without major league baseball for two seasons until gaining a team in the American Association (AA) in 1887. After the AA's Pittsburgh Alleghenys jumped to the NL, Cleveland followed suit in 1889, as the AA began to crumble. The Cleveland ball club, called the Spiders (supposedly inspired by their "skinny and spindly" players), slowly became

7714-503: The age of 84 from complications associated with pneumonia. He had fallen in the autumn of 1958 and fractured his arm. His wife had died earlier in 1951. In 1999, he ranked number 29 on The Sporting News ' list of the "100 Greatest Baseball Players", and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team . Lajoie was included in the checklist for the 1933 baseball card set produced by

7847-425: The alias "Sandy" because his parents did not approve of their son playing baseball. He earned money as a taxi driver with a horse and buggy and locally was called "Slugging Cabby." "When I told my father I had decided to take the job he was very angry. He shouted that ball players were bums and that nobody respected them, but I was determined to give it a try at least one season," Lajoie later said. He also received

7980-419: The cavernous environment. From 1937 onward, however, the Indians began playing an increasing number of games at Municipal, until by 1940 they played most of their home slate there. League Park was mostly demolished in 1951, but has since been rebuilt as a recreational park. Making the most of the cavernous stadium, Veeck had a portable center field fence installed, which he could move in or out depending on how

8113-536: The city gained an NL team. A new Cleveland Forest Citys were recreated, but by 1882 were known as the Cleveland Blues , because the National League required distinct colors for that season. The Blues had mediocre records for six seasons and were ruined by a trade war with the Union Association (UA) in 1884, when its three best players ( Fred Dunlap , Jack Glasscock , and Jim McCormick ) jumped to

SECTION 60

#1732786776164

8246-425: The club obliged, selling Lajoie to the Athletics for the waiver price and in so doing, Lajoie returned to Philadelphia. The following season, 1915, Lajoie returned to the Athletics when Mack signed him to a contract. In his first season back with the Athletics, he finished with a .280 batting average but the team ended the season in last place with a 43–109 record. The 1916 season would be Lajoie's last in

8379-438: The contract on behalf of Mack. "Hough offered me $ 24,000 ($ 878,976 in current dollar terms) for four years. You can bet I signed in a hurry," Lajoie said. Lajoie was considered "the first superstar" to join the newly formed AL. He was also the first player whose yearly salary was $ 4,000 ($ 146,496 in current dollar terms). "The Phillies opened their season and drew 6,000 fans. A week later, when we opened, there were 16,000 in

8512-590: The damage had already been done. "Because I felt I had been cheated, I was determined to listen to any reasonable American League offer," Lajoie said. In 1901, the newly created American League had attracted several of the top players in the competing National League to join its ranks. Rogers declined Lajoie's request for an increase in salary, and as a result Lajoie jumped to the crosstown Philadelphia Athletics , owned by former Phillies' part-owner Benjamin Shibe and managed by Connie Mack . Frank Hough offered Lajoie

8645-416: The decade in last place. In 1927 Dunn's widow, Mrs. George Pross (Dunn had died in 1922), sold the team to a syndicate headed by Alva Bradley . The Indians were a middling team by the 1930s, finishing third or fourth most years. 1936 brought Cleveland a new superstar in 17-year-old pitcher Bob Feller , who came from Iowa with a dominating fastball . That season, Feller set a record with 17 strikeouts in

8778-402: The distance favored the Indians against their opponents in a given series. The fence moved as much as 15 feet (5 m) between series opponents. Following the 1947 season, the American League countered with a rule change that fixed the distance of an outfield wall for the duration of a season. The massive stadium did, however, permit the Indians to set the then-record for the largest crowd to see

8911-633: The early 1950s. However, Cleveland only won a single pennant in the decade, in 1954, finishing second to the New York Yankees five times. The winningest season in franchise history came in 1954, when the Indians finished the season with a record of 111–43 (.721). That mark set an American League record for wins that stood for 44 years until the Yankees won 114 games in 1998 (a 162-game regular season). The Indians' 1954 winning percentage of .721

9044-517: The final two games, a doubleheader, off against the Chicago White Sox , confident that his average was safe and would allow him to win the AL batting title—unless Lajoie had a near-perfect final day. Going into the final game of the season, Cobb's average led Lajoie's, .383 to .376. Lajoie and the Naps faced a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns in Sportsman's Park , Cleveland's final two games of

9177-600: The games were on the square and I am greatly pleased to know that the affair has ended so nicely." Lajoie said, "I am quite satisfied that I was treated fairly in every way by President Johnson, but I think the scorer at St. Louis made an error in not crediting me with nine hits. However, I am glad that the controversy is over. I have the greatest respect for Cobb as a batter and am glad of his success." The Sporting News published an article written by Paul MacFarlane in its April 18, 1981, issue where historian Pete Palmer had discovered that while Cobb's September 24 doubleheader

9310-409: The highest number of hits. During several of those years with the Naps, he and Ty Cobb dominated AL hitting categories and traded batting titles with each other, most notably in 1910, when the league's batting champion was not decided until well after the last game of the season and after an investigation by American League President Ban Johnson . Lajoie in 1914 joined Cap Anson and Honus Wagner as

9443-461: The joy of the crowd, they were unsuccessful." From 1865 to 1868 Forest Citys was an amateur ball club. During the 1869 season , Cleveland was among several cities that established professional baseball teams following the success of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings , the first fully professional team. In the newspapers before and after 1870, the team was often called the Forest Citys , in

9576-481: The league in K's every year from 1963 to 1968, and narrowly missed in 1969. The 1964 staff was the first to amass 1,100 strikeouts, and in 1968, they were the first to collect more strikeouts than hits allowed. The 1970s were not much better, with the Indians trading away several future stars, including Graig Nettles , Dennis Eckersley , Buddy Bell and 1971 Rookie of the Year Chris Chambliss , for

9709-487: The league preferred Lajoie's personality to that of Cobb's. Coach Harry Howell is reported to have said to the game's official scorer, E. V. Parish, "to do well by Lajoie." Howell was reported to have offered a bribe to Parish, which as described in Al Stump's biography of Cobb, was a $ 40 ($ 1,263 in current dollar terms) suit. Parish refused the offer and the resulting uproar ended in O'Connor and Howell being banned from

9842-534: The league, he also offered a $ 10,000 ($ 339,111 in current dollar terms) reduction in salary. Somers promoted Naps coach Deacon "Jim" McGuire to manager. The team finished 71–82 while Lajoie's .324 average was third in the AL and 33 doubles second. The Naps finished 1910 71–81 but Lajoie had one of his better seasons statistically as he led the majors with a .384 average and 227 hits, both categories bettered only in Lajoie's 1901 campaign. His 51 doubles,

9975-488: The lineup. In 1946 , Bill Veeck formed an investment group that purchased the Cleveland Indians from Bradley's group for a reported $ 1.6 million. Among the investors was Bob Hope , who had grown up in Cleveland, and former Tigers slugger, Hank Greenberg . A former owner of a minor league franchise in Milwaukee, Veeck brought to Cleveland a gift for promotion. At one point, Veeck hired rubber-faced Max Patkin ,

10108-447: The major leagues by AL President Ban Johnson . Johnson had the matter investigated, and after having Cobb's September 24 doubleheader statistics re-checked, discovered only the first game of Cobb's statistics had been scored, but not the second game, in which he went 2-for-3. This put Cobb's suggested actual batting average at .385, again ahead of Lajoie's. In the end, Johnson ruled that Lajoie's sacrifice bunt should have been recorded as

10241-461: The major leagues unless you have players who know the game. We don't have time to teach and train youngsters up here. Our job is to win pennants, not run schools," he said. Franklin Lewis, sports writer and author, wrote "Lajoie, in spite of his marvelous fielding and tremendous batting, was not exactly a darling of the grandstand as a manager." Lajoie recommended to Somers on August 17, 1909, he find

10374-497: The majors in hits (232), batting average (.426), runs (145), on-base (.463) and slugging percentage (.643), and total bases (350). His 125 RBIs led the AL and his 14 home runs were a career-best and his 48 doubles are a Philadelphia Athletics' record. Mack said of Lajoie, "He plays so naturally and so easily it looks like lack of effort." Author Robert Kelly writes: The .422 [ sic ] batting average of Lajoie still stands as an AL record. To some degree, however, it

10507-429: The majors. From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third-place finish (in 1968) and six fourth-place finishes (in 1960, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings, including four seasons with over 100 losses (1971, 1985, 1987, 1991). The Indians hired general manager Frank Lane , known as "Trader" Lane, away from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Lane over

10640-448: The majors. In his final major league game, he hit a triple to help Athletics pitcher Joe Bush win his no-hitter. Lajoie, aged 41 years, played in 113 games and finished with a .246 average. Philadelphia's season record was worse than the previous season's franchise-low record, and the team finished in last place again with a 36–117 record. The Athletics' winning percentage (.235) is the franchise's worst winning percentage (through

10773-447: The milestone later in the summer with even less hoopla, in an age when individual records received little attention from the press and were generally scorned by many players. Players overly worried about their individual stats were often unpopular with teammates. The modesty of Wagner and Lajoie over their achievements contrasted sharply with Cobb's ambition and overriding interest in his individual numbers. The Lajoie-Cobb rivalry reached

10906-609: The name Cleveland Indians . That name stuck and remained in use for more than a century. Common nicknames for the Indians were "the Tribe" and "the Wahoos", the latter referencing their longtime logo, Chief Wahoo . After the Indians name came under criticism as part of the Native American mascot controversy , the team adopted the current name (Guardians) following the 2021 season . From August 24 to September 14, 2017,

11039-472: The name to Cleveland Bronchos in 1902 , but this name never caught on. Cleveland suffered from financial problems in their first two seasons. This led Somers to seriously consider moving to either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati . Relief came in 1902 as a result of the conflict between the National and American Leagues. In 1901, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie , the Philadelphia Phillies ' star second baseman, jumped to

11172-464: The next decade. One reporter referred to the team as the Napkins, "because they fold up so easily". The team hit bottom in 1914 and 1915, finishing last place both years. 1915 brought significant changes to the team. Lajoie, nearly 40 years old, was no longer a top hitter in the league, batting only .258 in 1914. With Lajoie engaged in a feud with manager Joe Birmingham , the team sold Lajoie back to

11305-429: The nickname "Larry" from a teammate who had trouble pronouncing Lajoie. Lajoie admired baseball players such as King Kelly and Charles Radbourn . When word of Lajoie's baseball ability spread, he began to play for other semi-professional teams at $ 2 to $ 5 per game ($ 73 to $ 183 in current dollar terms). He also worked as a teamster . He left Woonsocket and his $ 7.50 per week ($ 275 in current dollar terms) working as

11438-412: The number was revised. Previously, Ty Cobb and George Sisler had been credited with having the AL's all-time mark. That same year in a game against the Chicago White Sox 's Clark Griffith , Lajoie became the second Major Leaguer after Abner Dalrymple in 1881 to be intentionally walked with the bases loaded in an 11–7 game. For the 1901 season, Lajoie led the majors in doubles (48), and led

11571-405: The only major league players to record 3,000 career hits. He led the NL or AL in putouts five times in his career and in assists three times. He has been called "the best second baseman in the history of baseball" and "the most outstanding player to wear a Cleveland uniform." Cy Young said, "Lajoie was one of the most rugged players I ever faced. He'd take your leg off with a line drive, turn

11704-528: The ownership of the Robison brothers . Prior to the 1899 season, Frank Robison, the Spiders' owner, bought the St. Louis Browns , thus owning two clubs at the same time. The Browns were renamed the "Perfectos", and restocked with Cleveland talent. Just weeks before the season opener, most of the better Spiders were transferred to St. Louis, including three future Hall of Famers: Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace . The roster maneuvers failed to create

11837-484: The regular season. As a manager, Lajoie was also described as "much too lenient with his players." Lajoie contracted sepsis from an untreated spike injury after a game in July 1905. Dye from Lajoie's stockings entered his bloodstream and led to blood poisoning. (A rule was put into place requiring white socks to be worn underneath a player's colored socks.) The injury worsened and Lajoie eventually came to games in

11970-514: The reserve clause was not valid for players who signed with an AL team. Mack responded by trading Lajoie and Bill Bernhard to the then-moribund Cleveland Bronchos , whose owner, Charles Somers , had provided considerable financial assistance to the A's in the early years. Lajoie was also pursued by Charles Comiskey , owner of the Chicago White Sox. Lajoie, nicknamed "The Frenchman" and considered baseball's most famous player at

12103-553: The same generic way that the team from Chicago was sometimes called The Chicagos. In 1871 the Forest Citys joined the new National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), the first professional league. Ultimately, two of the league's western clubs went out of business during the first season and the Chicago Fire left that city's White Stockings impoverished, unable to field a team again until 1874. Cleveland

12236-613: The same time, Somers' business ventures began to fail, leaving him deeply in debt. With the Indians playing poorly, attendance and revenue suffered. Somers decided to trade Jackson midway through the 1915 season for two players and $ 31,500, one of the largest sums paid for a player at the time. By 1916, Somers was at the end of his tether, and sold the team to a syndicate headed by Chicago railroad contractor James C. "Jack" Dunn . Manager Lee Fohl, who had taken over in early 1915, acquired two minor league pitchers, Stan Coveleski and Jim Bagby and traded for center fielder Tris Speaker , who

12369-523: The season 77–63 and Lajoie finished his first full season with the club again the AL's batting champion with a .344 average. He also led the league in slugging percentage (.518), finished second in doubles (41), third in RBIs (93) and tied for fifth in home runs (7). In the off-season he contracted pleurisy . During the 1904 season, Lajoie received a suspension after he spat tobacco juice in an umpire's eye. He later informally replaced Bill Armour as

12502-463: The season cost the players valuable rest days leading to fatigue towards the end of the season. That season, Cleveland again contended before falling to third place. On September 23, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Indians buried their 1948 pennant in center field the day after they were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race. Later in 1949, Veeck's first wife (who had a half-stake in Veeck's share of

12635-402: The season. After a sun-hindered fly ball went for a stand-up triple and another batted ball landed for a cleanly hit single, Lajoie had five subsequent hits – bunt singles dropped in front of rookie third baseman Red Corriden (whose normal position was shortstop), who was playing closer to shallow left field on orders, it has been suggested, of manager Jack O'Connor . In his final at bat of

12768-509: The second game, Lajoie reached base on another bunt but the throw to first by Corriden was off target and the play was scored a error and thus, Lajoie did not record an official at-bat, nor a hit. He finished the doubleheader 8-for-8 and his batting average increased to .384, .001 greater than Cobb's mark. Although the AL office had not officially announced the results, Lajoie began to receive congratulations from fans and players, including eight of Cobb's Detroit Tigers teammates. Most players in

12901-411: The stands. The American League was here to stay," Lajoie later said. Lajoie's batting average that year was .426 (due to a transcription error that was not discovered until 1954, which inaccurately gave his hit total as 220 instead of 229, it was originally recorded at .405, later changed to .422, before finally being revised again to .426). The batting average mark became the all-time AL record after

13034-470: The state of Pennsylvania. Mack, partly to thank Somers for his past financial support, agreed to trade Lajoie to the then-moribund Blues, who offered $ 25,000 salary over three years. Due to the injunction, however, Lajoie had to sit out any games played against the A's in Philadelphia. Lajoie arrived in Cleveland on June 4 and was an immediate hit, drawing 10,000 fans to League Park. Soon afterward, he

13167-529: The stretch run of the pennant race, Veeck turned to the Negro leagues again and signed pitching great Satchel Paige amid much controversy. Barred from Major League Baseball during his prime, Veeck's signing of the aging star in 1948 was viewed by many as another publicity stunt. At an official age of 42, Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League baseball history, and the first black pitcher. Paige ended

13300-462: The team a new manager, although he wanted to remain on the club as a player. Somers responded to Lajoie by giving him more time to finalize his decision but when Lajoie came back days later and announced the same decision, Somers acted quickly to find a replacement. Lajoie later described the decision to take on the added duties as a player-manager as the biggest mistake of his career as he felt it negatively affected his play. The highest-paid player in

13433-401: The team agreed to include him in their asking price. Author David Jordan wrote: A legend later grew up that Geier was the main target of Nash's pursuit and that Marston "threw in" Lajoie in order to get the Phillies to pay the $ 1,500 asking price. This is hardly likely. While Geier was considered a good prospect, Lajoie was banging the ball at a .429 clip in his first professional season, was

13566-403: The team began to unravel, leading Kilfoyl to sell his share of the team to Somers. Cy Young , who returned to Cleveland in 1909, was ineffective for most of his three remaining years and Addie Joss died from tubercular meningitis prior to the 1911 season. Despite a strong lineup anchored by the potent Lajoie and Shoeless Joe Jackson , poor pitching kept the team below third place for most of

13699-558: The team was wracked with dissension, with some players (including Feller and Mel Harder) going so far as to request that Bradley fire manager Ossie Vitt . Reporters lampooned them as the Cleveland Crybabies. Feller, who had pitched a no-hitter to open the season and won 27 games, lost the final game of the season to unknown pitcher Floyd Giebell of the Detroit Tigers . The Tigers won the pennant and Giebell never won another major league game. Cleveland entered 1941 with

13832-513: The team won 22 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in American League history and the second longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history. As of the end of the 2024 season, the franchise's overall record is 9,852–9,369 (.513). According to one historian of baseball, "in 1857, baseball games were a daily spectacle in Cleveland's Public Squares. City authorities tried to find an ordinance forbidding it; to

13965-507: The team's manager (Armour submitted his resignation on September 9 but as team captain , Lajoie had already been acting as the Naps' field manager). After the season had concluded, Lajoie was officially named manager. He still managed to lead the majors with a .376 batting average as he recorded his second consecutive league batting title. He also led the majors in hits (208), doubles (49), RBIs (102) and slugging percentage (.546). Lajoie forbade his players from card playing and gambling during

14098-559: The team) divorced him. With most of his money tied up in the Indians, Veeck was forced to sell the team to a syndicate headed by insurance magnate Ellis Ryan. In 1953 , Al Rosen was an All Star for the second year in a row, was named The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote playing for the Indians after leading

14231-463: The team, needing to avoid entering Pennsylvania so as to avoid a subpoena (the only team they could legally play with inside state limits was the Phillies). When the Naps (the team was temporarily named the Naps after Nap Lajoie) went to play in Philadelphia, Lajoie and Bernhard would go to nearby Atlantic City to help pass the time. The issue was finally resolved when the leagues made peace through

14364-706: The third baseman around like a swinging door and powder the hand of the left fielder." In 1937 , Lajoie was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame . Lajoie was born on September 5, 1874, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island , to Jean Baptiste and Celina Guertin Lajoie. Jean Lajoie was French-Canadian and had immigrated to the United States. Upon arrival to the U.S., he first settled in Rutland, Vermont , but then moved to Woonsocket, where Nap,

14497-470: The time were locked in a tight three-way pennant race with the Yankees and White Sox , were not slowed down by the death of their teammate. Rookie Joe Sewell hit .329 after replacing Chapman in the lineup. In September 1920, the Black Sox Scandal came to a boil. With just a few games left in the season, and Cleveland and Chicago neck-and-neck for first place at 94–54 and 95–56 respectively,

14630-465: The time, arrived in Cleveland on June 4; his play was immediately met with approval from fans. The Bronchos drew 10,000 fans to League Park in Lajoie's first game. The Bronchos' record at the time Lajoie and fellow Athletics teammate, Bill Bernhard, joined was 11–24 and improved to 12–24 after the team's inaugural game with their new players, a 4–3 win over the Boston Americans . The team went on to finish 69–67, fifth in

14763-492: The top of the fifth inning, second baseman Bill Wambsganss executed the first (and only, so far) unassisted triple play in World Series history, in fact, the only Series triple play of any kind. The team would not reach the heights of 1920 again for 28 years. Speaker and Coveleski were aging and the Yankees were rising with a new weapon: Babe Ruth and the home run. They managed two second-place finishes but spent much of

14896-506: The trade because Cobb was not getting along with several teammates. Somers decided to retain Flick, saying, "We'll keep Flick. Maybe he isn't as good a batter as Cobb, but he's much nicer to have on the team." The Naps finished the regular season in second place to the Tigers with a 90–64 record, a half-game behind the Tigers (who finished 90–63 and were not forced to make-up a rained out game in accordance with league rules). Lajoie

15029-462: The year with a 6–1 record with a 2.48 ERA, 45 strikeouts and two shutouts. In 1948 , veterans Boudreau, Keltner, and Joe Gordon had career offensive seasons, while newcomers Doby and Gene Bearden also had standout seasons. The team went down to the wire with the Boston Red Sox , winning a one-game playoff, the first in American League history, to go to the World Series . In the series,

15162-402: The years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals. With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years. In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded away Red Schoendienst and Harvey Haddix . Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he did not make. One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland

15295-421: The youngest of eight surviving children, was born. Throughout his childhood Lajoie received little formal education. Jean, who worked as a teamster and laborer , died not long into Lajoie's childhood, which forced him and his siblings to work to support the family. Lajoie dropped out of school to work in a textile mill . He also began playing semi-professional baseball for the local Woonsocket team, under

15428-711: Was Gold Glove Award winning center fielder. His best years were with the Cincinnati Reds (1958–1968). Vada twice led the National League in hits (1961, 1963). He batted .343 in 1961, when the Reds won the pennant. He was a National League All-Star 4x. Pinson had career stats of: .286, 256 HR, 1,170 RBI. He had 2,757 hits in his stellar career. Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland . The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as

15561-428: Was a misshapen, earth-colored ball that traveled through the air erratically, tended to soften in the later innings, and as it came over the plate, was very hard to see." In any case, Chapman did not move reflexively when Mays' pitch came his way. The pitch hit Chapman in the head, fracturing his skull. Chapman died the next day, becoming the only player to sustain a fatal injury from a pitched ball. The Indians, who at

15694-402: Was also late in the afternoon and the infield was completely shaded with the center field area (the batters' background) bathed in sunlight. As well, at the time, "part of every pitcher's job was to dirty up a new ball the moment it was thrown onto the field. By turns, they smeared it with dirt, licorice, tobacco juice; it was deliberately scuffed, sandpapered, scarred, cut, even spiked. The result

15827-555: Was breaking the color barrier in the American League by signing Larry Doby , formerly a player for the Negro league's Newark Eagles in 1947 , 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers . Similar to Robinson, Doby battled racism on and off the field but posted a .301 batting average in 1948, his first full season. A power-hitting center fielder, Doby led the American League twice in homers. In 1948, needing pitching for

15960-637: Was engaged in a salary dispute with the Red Sox . All three would ultimately become key players in bringing a championship to Cleveland. Speaker took over the reins as player-manager in 1919 , and led the team to a championship in 1920. On August 16, 1920, the Indians were playing the Yankees at the Polo Grounds in New York. Shortstop Ray Chapman , who often crowded the plate, was batting against Carl Mays , who had an unusual underhand delivery. It

16093-405: Was more than that—hell, the team was actually called the "Naps" in his honor, as if Lajoie was the team. If Lajoie was in the habit of covering second base every play, the shortstop certainly wasn't going to tell him not to. Lajoie led the majors in 1906 in hits (214) and doubles (48) and the Naps finished third in the AL again with a winning record, 89–64. Lajoie finished second in

16226-477: Was named team captain, and in 1903 the team was called the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps after a newspaper conducted a write-in contest. Lajoie was named manager in 1905 , and the team's fortunes improved somewhat. They finished half a game short of the pennant in 1908. However, the success did not last and Lajoie resigned during the 1909 season as manager but remained on as a player. After that,

16359-413: Was not called up until well after the season had begun). The Naps finished with a 76–78 record in a season in which they had been 52–29, and held a three-game lead in the American League on July 24 Baseball historian Bill James wrote of Lajoie's higher-than-normal career putout total and importance to Cleveland: Nap Lajoie was not only the team's superstar, after 1905 he was also the manager. He

16492-406: Was not correctly tabulated (perhaps purposely) according to the correct date, the second game's statistics were in fact included in the next day's ledger, thus incorrectly recording a second 2-for-3 performance from Cobb which meant Lajoie's average was greater. Author James Vail wrote in 2001: To date, it seems that no one knows for certain who won that 1910 batting title. Total Baseball , which

16625-561: Was one of its eight charter franchises. Originally called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues , the team was also unofficially called the Cleveland Bronchos in 1902. Beginning in 1903, the team was named the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps , after team captain and manager Nap Lajoie . Lajoie left after the 1914 season , and club owner Charles Somers requested that baseball writers choose a new name. They chose

16758-426: Was out five weeks, and Cleveland lost the pennant to Detroit by half a game. Lajoie finished the season tied for third-most in hits (168) while Cobb's batting average, slugging and on-base percentages, and hit total led the American League. Baseball historians have suggested the managerial duties Lajoie took on affected his offensive numbers. Lajoie's dissatisfaction with the Naps' play worsened. "You can't win in

16891-517: Was partly blamed for the Naps' second-place finish. Author Fred McMane described an instance during the season between Naps catcher Nig Clarke and Lajoie. Clarke ... was newly married and asked Lajoie for a day off so that he could go home. Lajoie refused. Clarke sulked and walked over to warm up pitcher Addie Joss . On the first pitch, he stuck out a finger and the ball broke it cleanly. With blood streaming from his hand, Clarke waved it defiantly in front of Lajoie. "Now can I go home?" asked Clarke. He

17024-657: Was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers for $ 3,000 ($ 60,770 in current dollar terms) in March 1918 but the contract was annulled by the Commissioner's office and made a free agent to which Lajoie was "well pleased". Later that same year he joined the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association as player-manager. He helped lead the team to a third-place finish but the season was impacted due to

17157-531: Was still considered a minor league. In 1901 the team was called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues when the American League broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a competing Major League. The Cleveland franchise was among its eight charter members, and is one of four teams that remain in its original city, along with Boston , Chicago , and Detroit . The new team was owned by coal magnate Charles Somers and tailor Jack Kilfoyl. Somers,

17290-579: Was that league's record until Cobb surpassed his mark. He was among the second group of players elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937 and was later inducted on June 12, 1939, when the Hall opened that same year. Lajoie obtained the greatest number of votes as he led induction mates Tris Speaker (165 votes) and Cy Young (153) with 168 votes (83.6 percent of ballots) from the Baseball Writers' Association of America . Lajoie led all second basemen in

17423-606: Was the patriarch of the Boone family, followed by son, Bob Boone and grandsons Brett Boone and Aaron Boone . The Boone family was the first to send three generations to the All-Star Game. Ray led the AL in RBIs in 1955. He was a 2x All-Star and World Series Champion with the Detroit Tigers . Boone had career stats of: .275, 151 HR, 737 RBI. Vada Pinson played for the Lumberjacks in 1956. Pinson enjoyed an 18-year big league career (1958–1975). Pinson combined power, speed and

17556-447: Was thus the NA's westernmost outpost in 1872, the year the club folded. Cleveland played its full schedule to July 19 followed by two games versus Boston in mid-August and disbanded at the end of the season. In 1876, the National League (NL) supplanted the NA as the major professional league. Cleveland was not among its charter members, but by 1879 the league was looking for new entries and

17689-474: Was to send Roger Maris to the Kansas City Athletics in the middle of 1958. Indians executive Hank Greenberg was not happy about the trade and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane. After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange. After

#163836