“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.” -- Winston Churchill

Congratulations, voters. You found the cup of the carpenter. You did not choose poorly. Your dogged pursuit of justice and righteousness prevailed, even in the bearded face of the formidable Casey Blake.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give your aptly-monikered Fridge Magnet — Carlos Baerga. We've added Baerga to our Hall of Handles with dignity, honor and mid-zeroes compensation ...

"Fridge Magnet" — Carlos Baerga (24% of the vote)

"English Leather" — Jack Hannahan (48% of the vote)

Our next name for bid is very near and dear to my pantry. Whilst scavenging about the kitchen,I found a box of Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Passion Herbal Tea. If Country Peach Passion doesn't sound like an awesome and worthwhile nickname to you, then you have no soul and are possibly an android who hates 'the ladies.'

One thing is certain — this is more than an herbal tea. Country Peach Passion is a lifestyle. An full-flavored lifestyle.

Let the Amazon.com Product Description of Country Peach Passion herbal tea be your guide:

Caffeine. 100% Natural herb tea. This product contains all natural ingredients and flavors, and no artificial colors or preservatives. Gluten free. As daring as that first country kiss and as full of promise, our Country Peach Passion Herb Tea is sweet and sassy with flavor. Real peaches and natural peach flavors are brightened with tangy orange peel, snappy hibiscus and the surprise of passion fruit for a memorable orchard fresh taste. Savor an aromatic cup or sip a chilling glass. You never know where that first flirtation will take you!

So ... where will that first flirtation take you?

The virtual floor is open. Let the nominations flood in.

via blogs.roanoke.com (Google image search of "indians fridge magnet")

The nominations are in. The arduous seventy-four-hour process of culling the near-interminable list of suggested recipients to the nine below is finished. The bunting has been hung. The volunteers obliged. The voting rolls opened anew. The meatballs loved.

From these hallowed few you must choose one. Like The Highlander (perhaps a future moniker?), there can be only one ... former or present Cleveland Indian now known as "Fridge Magnet." Weigh the options carefully, consider the pros and cons of each worthy aspirant with full respect, and let loose the machinations of digital democracy.

Then and only then will the black white smoke curl from the figurative chimney of nicknamehood, and a new Indian will take his place in our Hall of Handle Heroes!

So, unlike the foolhardy and reckless, Walter Donovan, do not choose poorly.

via hypeskin.com (Hy Peskin Collection, not hype skin.)

Pitch-22

People often speak of intangibles — you know, those strangely mysterious qualities athletes have that don’t show up in box scores or on the back of baseball cards. Whether they be grit, leadership, guile, intelligence, or will, these abstract entities entitle the normally less-talented David Ecksteins of the universe a seat at the sports star table.

So I propose a quandary:

Can a player’s name — his birthright or patrimony — be considered as one of these intangibles, that help him rise above his lackluster talent level to excel beyond his mortal abilities?

Consider the case of Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish.

Or Cal, for short.

McLish was burdened with a mantle of expectation from his first day forward with the triumphs of a two-time President, a conqueror of ancient worlds, and the capital of the Choctaw nation (Tuskahoma is Choctaw for "Red Warrior.)

What is a Cleveland Indian, but a red (and mostly blue) warrior?

We can argue indefinitely whether or not Cal McLish was certainly better than Brian Giles, whose middle name is a rather pedestrian Stephen, or James … Blair … Bibby.

Both Giles and Bibby went on to slightly more formidable careers in Pittsburgh, while McLish methodically pitched his way out of baseball in short stints Cincinnati, Chicago and Philadelphia.

What we know is this:

McLish won 46 games over a span of four seasons, with an ERA+ of 113. A product of a better overall team in Cleveland than his predecessors in Pittsburgh and Chicago (NL), McLish took advantage of moving into a starting role in 1958 and responded with a 16 win season in 30 starts. A year later, he made 32 starts and won 19 of 27 decisions. He hurled 13 complete games in both seasons, was an All Star in 1958, and an top-15 MVP candidate in both 1958 and 1959.

True, both Bibby and Giles accumulated more WAR (7.0 and 6.8, respectively) than McLish (6.2) in their short tenures, but Giles was on the wrong end of potentially the worst deal in modern Indians history, and Bibby was granted free agency at the end of 1978.

McLish was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds for Johnny Temple, who had two mediocre seasons (one of which he was a dubious All-Star) for the Tribe.

He would later work as a pitching coach for the Philadelphia Phillies (1965-1966), Montréal Expos (1969-1975) and Milwaukee Brewers (1976-1982.)

Cal McLish may indeed be a curious choice for this honor, perhaps getting by more on his namesake than his actual baseball talents.

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Congratulations to Sir Jack HANNAHAN, who garnered over half of the thousands of votes cast. I'm sure the nickname "English Leather" will serve him well in the years beyond his service to the diamond.

HANNAHAN's gifted glove and English-sounding although Irish surname pushed the vote in his direction. Ohioans love their HANNAHANS, well a little less than Illinois anyways.

What's up next?

The wonderfully charming nickname "Fridge Magnet"

What kind of player is a fridge magnet? Better yet, what kind of former or present Cleveland Indian player is a fridge magnet? A player whose stick-to-it-ive-ness is only challenged by stainless steel? A player who is a reminder of horrible things to come, like a calendar from your least favorite dentist? Or a player who is a cheap souvenir from the Florida panhandle?

There are no parameters other than your own perverted whimsy. Let the nominating process begin!

The thoroughly exhaustive nomination process is complete, and there are six contenders to the crown of "English Leather." I applaud all who participated and enjoyed their detailed and overwrought analysis. Computations of UZR ratings, and extensive name etymology have joined forces to produce six worthy options for the nomenclature. From the well-bearded and genial Jake Westbrook, whose last name translates literally into West Brook, to inveterate comedian and Moose Hall Mangler Leslie Townes Hope, these six hopefuls have combined brash individuality with either slick fielding or the essence of tanned cow hide to become the half-dozen most worthy Tribesman limited memory can muster.

Click and be heard! ... clicking. Let the voting commence, word counts be damned!

via 2.bp.blogspot.com

twentysomething

The best player to wear #20 for the Cleveland Indians is not the same as the best #20 in Cleveland Indians history. Frank Robinson, the first African American manager in the Major Leagues wore #20 in his brief time in Cleveland. A sure-fire Hall of Famer, Robinson spent his best seasons in places other than Cleveland, accumulating 95.9 WAR in his 10 seasons in Cincinnati and subsequent six with Baltimore. In his time on the field for the Indians, Robinson had only 289 plate appearances and an OPS of .796.

Robinson guided the Indians as a player-manager to a .496 winning percentage. In the competitive American League East of the mid-seventies, his Cleveland teams never finished above 4th.

The best 2-oh in Cleveland history is Ray Narleski. Narleski's 10.1 career WAR ranks him a little above fellow 20-somethings like short right fielder Ronnie Belliard (7.1 WAR) and beloved lady magnet/center fielder Rick Manning (8.3 WAR).

The two-time All Star pitched five seasons in Cleveland before finishing a shortened career with a lone season for the Detroit Tigers. Overshadowed by fellow staff members Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia and Bob Feller, Narleski debuted for the 1954 American League Champions with 13 saves.

Paired with left-handed relief pitcher Don Mossi, the twenty-six year old Narleski led the American League in saves in 1955 with 19. He made a league-leading 60 appearances that season, finishing thirty-six games. He managed to still pitch 111 innings in a relief role, striking out 94 and walking 55.

1956 saw Narleski post an unreal 279 ERA+ in 59.1 innings of work. He posted his best K/BB ratio of his career, striking out 42 and walking 19.

By 1957, Narleski would move into a hybrid role, making 39 starts while appearing in 90 games through the 1958 season. He posted a combined 24-15 record in 337 1/3 innings pitched. He also returned to the All Star game in '58, pitching 3.1 scoreless innings.

Recurring shoulder problems limited Narleski's promise and workload, and ulitimately derailed his career.

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via images.checkoutmycards.com

Not So Sweet Sixteen

Never have so many contributed so little to the historical plight of the Cleveland Indians than the collective to wear the number 16. This is a motley crew, to be sure. The dregs of baseball humanity have donned 16 eighty-five largely mediocre times for the Tribe, and only one sincerely stands out from any of the others.

When not running for president, Al "Fuzzy" Smith played multiple positions (RF, 3B, CF, LF, SS, 2B) for the 1955-1957 Tribesman. Smith wore 16 for his best complete season in 1955, when he posted a career-high 133 OPS+, and finished 3rd in the league’s MVP voting. Smith would play two more seasons in Cleveland before being dealt to the White Sox in a trade involving Minnie Minoso.  Smith struggled initially in Chicago before putting together a solid season in 1961 at the age of 33. He would later be dealt to Baltimore and would return to Cleveland for a brief spell before finishing his career in Boston as a pinch hitter.

Smith would be featured in one of the most famous baseball photographs of all time. During Game 2 of the 1959 World Series, Smith chased Los Angeles Dodger Charlie Neal’s fly ball to the wall, only to watch it reach the stands for a home run. In the scramble for the home run ball, a Comiskey Park fan accidentally knocked over his beer, dousing Smith in the process.

Smith would retire and become a Chicago parks manager before his death in 2002 at the age of 73.

The Best of the Rest

Hal Newhouser (1.0 WAR) — Hall-of-Famer "Prince Hal" finished his distinguished career in Cleveland, going 7-2 in 26 appearances for the Tribe in 1954. The following season, Newhouser worked 2.1 innings for the Tribe, and walked 5 (one IBB).

Dwight Gooden (1.6 WAR) — By the time Doc made his way to Cleveland, he was fairly considered washed up, with deteriorating K/9 and K/BB numbers. Gooden posted a 99+ OPS in his two year stint for the Tribe. In 1998, Gooden fininshed 8-6 with a respectable 3.76 ERA and an ERA+ of 127.  Gooden made two postseason starts for the club, working only one-third of an innning against Boston and 4 and 2/3 innings against the Yankees in the ALCS.

Juan Timer

Juan Alberto Gonzalez Vazquez’s return to the Cleveland Indians was a short but somewhat dramatic affair. The slugger previously played for the Tribe in 2011 at the age of 30, putting together a 325/370/590 season with an OPS+ of 148. He finished 5th in AL MVP voting and had a 1.087 OPS in 5 postseason games.

After signing a one-year, $600k deal, Gonzalez was activated in May. In his lone at bat (a routine groundball), Gonzalez tore his right medial hamstring completely off the bone at the knee joint.  The major injury effectively ended Gonzalez’s Major League career and opened the door for future fixture (and current injury-plagued outfielder) Grady Sizemore to take the field for the Indians.

Gonzalez would make repeated comeback attempts, first with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League, and subsequently with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008.

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via www.pristineauction.com

He was the other Alomar brother.

Although he's a Hall of Famer with a Blue Jay cap, Roberto Alomar is the greatest Cleveland Indian to wear uniform #12.  Sandy was the bigger prospect, and is more synonymous with the Tribe, but Roberto was the more talented and successful Alomar.

His two best offensive seasons were with the Indians in 1999 and 2001. Alomar scored a league-leading 138 runs in '99 and hit 24 home runs, added 120 runs batted in and stole 37 bases. His 139 OPS+ doesn't seem all that amazing considering the hyper-offensive period in which he thrived,  but he also played an outstanding second base and drew more walks than strikeouts in two of the three seasons in a Cleveland uniform. His 1999 season may be the best season by a second baseman in the history of the game, and he finished 3rd in the MVP voting for that season.

A lifetime .300 hitter, Alomar arguably had the best three-year stretch of his career in Cleveland. 

Whatchyou talking about, Willis?

George Willis "Ace" Hudlin wore #12 longer than any other Cleveland Indian in history.  For little more than a decade, Hudlin donned #12.

All but one of his 158 career wins came with Cleveland. Never flashy or dominant, Hudlin's 102 ERA+ isn't remarkable for a pitcher of his era. Hudlin never won 20 games in a season, or had an full season ERA under 3.30.  To some degree, he was the original Charles Nagy. He walked more batters than he struck out in every season of his career until his final one. His best season was in 1935, at the age of 29, Hudlin won 15 and lost 11, with an ERA+ of 123. A paltry 2.3 SO/9 and a lifetime K/BB of 0.80, Hudlin complied 28.3 WAR over 15 seasons with the Tribe.  

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The ConTENders.

via www.clevescene.com

Patrick Sean Tabler

Ohio native Pat Tabler played six seasons in Cleveland.

Tabler, originally drafted by the Yankees, came to the Indians after bring traded three times in three seasons. First, to the Cubs and then crosstown to the White Sox, before coming to Cleveland in exchange for the luxurious glove of Jerry Dybzinski.

Tabler took Dybzinski’s #10, and made his Tribe debut in 1983 at the age of 25. In 492 plate appearances, he batted .291 with an OPS+ of 112.  Tabler split time in left field and third base. He made 2 appearances, but no starts, at second base.

For 1984 and beyond, Tabler played primarily at first base. Although he lacked power for the position, Tabler proved to be a difficult out, batting .326 in 1986 and .307 in 1987. His lone All-Star appearance came as a 29 year-old in 1987, in which he had a career high in RBI with 86.  Beyond the ‘idiot’ stats, Tabler was slighly better than league average, putting up a 108 OPS+ during his stay with Cleveland.  Neither a base-stealing threat nor a walks machine, Tabler leveraged solid contact skills into six consecutive seasons of over 400 at-bats.

Tabler later played in Kansas City, New York (NL) and Toronto. Tabler would never put together the kinds of seasons he experienced in Cleveland, and exited the game after winning a World Series with the Blue Jays as a bench player in 1992.

A fan favorite, Tabler received a lot of love in spite of his somewhat pedestrian numbers. During the dark days of mid-eighties Indians baseball, Pat Tabler was a solid role player in a system low on talent.

If this were a list of the best-named Indians player to wear #10, the next two would clearly outshine "Pat":

via www.baseball-almanac.com

Victor Felipe Pellot Pove

Like a Hollywood star, Victor Pove transformed himself into Vic Power, slugging first baseman for the Philadelphia-Kansas City A’s. The problem is, Power never hit more than 19 home runs in a single season.

Traded with Woodie Held in 1958 from the Kansas City Athletics for a guy named Roger Maris (and some others), Power came to Cleveland and put up a .317/.336/.504 line for an OPS of .840.

A two-time All-Star, Power would would play exactly 147 games per season for his next three years in Cleveland.  Diminishing brawn (just 43 XBH in 1961) sent Power packing to the Minnesota Twins.

Power would play for three teams in 1964. (Minnesota, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia) before ending his career at the age of 37, back in Los Angeles for the California Angels in 1965.

Power and Tabler were very similar good-average, low-power corner infielders.  Power’s above-average glove (3.0 dWAR over 4 seasons) made him a slightly more valuable ten spot. 

via www.baseball-almanac.com

Covelli Loyce Crisp

Another pecuilarly-named Indian to wear #10 was Covelli "Coco" Crisp.  Although he’s no Phifer, Crisp was drafted in 1999 in the seventh round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Crisp came to Cleveland as a player to be named later in the 2002 deadline deal that sent starter Chuck Finley to the Cardinals.

Crisp made his Tribe debut in August 2002 at the age of 22.  Less than two years later, he was the team’s starting center fielder, later moving to left field to accommodate Grady Sizemore. In 2004 and 2005, Crisp put together nearly identical solid seasons (.297/15/71 and .300/16/69). A stellar fielder, Crisp’s 2.4 defensive WAR led the American League in 2005. His active defensive WAR of 6.2 in currently 22nd best.

Following the 2005 season,  Crisp was traded with Josh Bard and David Riske to the Boston Red Sox as a part of "Dominos-Player-of-the-Century Deal", netting the Indians Guillermo Mota, Kelly Shoppach, Andy Marte and cash money.

Crisp would later go on to win a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2007. He currently shows off his afro and/or cornrows for the Oakland Athletics.

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via www.historicauctions.com

Eight Sans Debate

Sometimes, you have to let the numbers do all of the talking:

50 Home Runs.

52 Doubles.

Five-time All Star.

Five silver slugger awards

Three-time top 5 MVP finishes.

One deteriorating hip.

When it comes to uniform number eight, no Indian comes close to Albert "Don’t Call Me Joey" Belle.

An awesome force, Belle led the American League in RBI three times, and led the majors in home runs and extra base hits in his signature 1995 season. That season, Belle became the first and only player in Major League History to hit 50 doubles and 50 home runs in the same season.

Belle’s .580 slugging percentage is second in team history. Only contemporary Manny Ramirez’s percentage was higher. His career OPS is fifth-best in team history.  He’s also second in team home runs with 242 and sixth all-time with an OPS+ of 150.

Not a darling of the media, Belle’s remarkable surliness and tempestuous nature cost him an MVP award in 1995, as the clearly better and more dominant Belle finished second in the voting to Mo Vaughn.

Debilitating injuries cut short an explosive career, sending Belle into retirement at the relatively tender age of 34, after tours of duty with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles.  

Catching On.

Backstops donned #8 more often than any other position player for the Indians over the years. From initial Ocho Luke Sewell in 1929 to Chris Gimenez in 2010, a dirty dozen of Tribe catchers have worn #8 on their backs. If I had more grant money and less children, I would compile the complete aggregated statistics of all Indians catchers whom have worn the sacred #8. Maybe someone will do that in the comments.

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via blog.cleveland.com

First with a curse.

Rocco Domenico Colavito.

The name sends shivers down the spine of any reasonable Indians fan. 

From his rookie season in 1955 through 1957, Colavito wore #38 for Cleveland.  A switch to six the following year coincided with Colavito’s emergence as an bonafide MVP candidate and premier slugger.

That season, Colavito blasted American League pitching to a tune of  .303/.405/.620 in 1958 and followed up with a league leading 42-homer season in 1959.

As history would constantly remind us, Colavito would be dealt that offseason to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn, and Cleveland baseball would never be the same.

The highly competitive Tribe would descend into a three decade morass of sub-.500 baseball, highlighted only by Len Barker’s perfect game, the sight of Boog Powell in an all-red uniform, and Ten Cent Beer Night.

Colavito returned to the Indians in 1965 from the Kansas City A’s. However, the Indians traded pitcher Tommy John, who would win another 286 games mostly for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, and play on four World Series teams — and Tommie Agee, 1966 American League Rookie of the Year. Agee would later play on the World Champion 1969 New York Mets.

Since the trade, the Indians have met misfortune time and time again, both on and off the field and in the postseason.

 A Brief History.

Native-born son Joseph Franklin Vosmik held down #6 for six seasons. Vosmik led the league in hits in 1935 with 216, and triples with 20. Vosmik finished 3rd in MVP voting, drawing 59 walks to only 30 strikeouts in 620 at-bats.

Moose Solters became the first Indian wearing #6 to hit 20 home runs in a single season (1937). He is also the last Indian named Moose to hit 20 home runs in any season.

Immortal Minnie Minoso (Saturnino to you hardcore biographers) donned #6 for a single season in his remarkable 11 decade career.  The 25-year old’s 6 for 14 performance (and subsequent 1.101 OPS) disappointed Indians brass, so he was shipped to the Chicago White Sox as part of a three team deal.

Indian legends Bob Lemon and Larry Doby both donned #6, although not at the same time — even thought they might have made the best siamese-twin-Thing-With-Two-Heads baseball player in Major League history.  Doby wore six in 1953, and responded with a solid 136 OPS+ season. Doby, the first American Leaguer to cross the color line, spent a decade with the Tribe, and earned seven consecutive All Star appearances. His #14 is one of seven retired Cleveland Indians numbers. Lemon wore six out of the bullpen in his first real season with the Tribe, and went 4-5 with a 2.49 ERA, masked by a remarkable 14 unearned runs allowed (40/26) in 94 innings of work. Lemon would go on to win 203 more games in Cleveland, and his #21 has been officially retired as well.

The Magical Escobar Brothers* would both don #6 for the Indians more than a decade apart.  Thirty year-old Jose would grab a shot of espresso (smaller than a cup of coffee) with the amazing 1991 Indians. Highly-touted prospect Alex brought his minor league pedigree and his penchance for broken legs to Cleveland in 2003, and racked up a .235/.320/.363 line in 99 plate appearances.

* — May or may not be actual brothers. 

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De4ense.

"If I had been able to catch like Hegan I wouldn't have needed to hit". – Bill Dickey

via www.vintagecardtraders.com

Jim Hegan, a light-hitting catcher known more for his defensive skills and handling of the dominant pitching staffs of his era, donned el cuatro from 1951 through 1957.

A five-time All Star, Hegan led all American League catchers in putouts, assists, double plays, total chances per game, and fielding percentage three times. His career .990 fielding percentage was second only to Buddy Rosar among retired catchers at the time of Hegan’s exit from the game.

As a game-caller, the Indians pitching staff was the best in baseball — leading the league in ERA six times.

Hegan is the Indians’ all-time leader in games played at catcher with 1,491. Hegan caught six 20-game winners and caught three no-hitters. 

After 1957, Hegan was traded to the Detroit Tigers, and ending his playing days in 1960 with the Chicago Cubs at the age of 39.

Hegan later went on to coach future catching greats Thurman Munson and Rick Dempsey, before succumbing to a heart attack at the age of 63 in 1984.  Hegan would also spawn Mike Hegan, beloved voice and master of the obvious for the Indians in one medium or another since 1989.

The only other close #4 in history is Hall of Famer Joe “Flash” Gordon. Gordon donned #4 for the World Champion Tribe of 1948. In a brief 4 seasons with Cleveland, Gordon smacked 100 home runs and OPS-ed .817. He drew 278 walks to only 194 strikeouts. 

A former MVP with the Yankees. Gordon won his 5th and final ring with the Indians in 1948.

Gordon would later return to manage the Tribe from 1958-1960. His winning percentage of .549 ranks 5th among all Cleveland managers.

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Google Image Search of "Fat Shortstop" yields the above results. ALSO! Juan Uribe.  via www.esquire.com

A #2 By Any Other Name.

Did you know Earl Averill wore #2 for the Cleveland Indians?

I did - until I was informed that it's not THAT Mr. Averill, you know, the Hall of Famer, but his incredibly less-talented son.

Like Pete Rose,Jr., ‘Dougie' was a shadow of his father's playing prowess. In his brief three-year stint with the Tribe, Earl the Younger put up a paltry .216/.310/.365 line. The other Averill tried his hand with the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Angels, and Phillies, with moderate success. At age 29, he clubbed 21 home runs and put up an OPS+ of 122 with the Los Angeles Angels. Two years later, he was back in Snohomish, Washington doing whatever it is people do in Snohomish.

Since there's no clear-cut best #2 in team history, we'll let the poll do the work. Vote early and often! 

A Brief History

Carl Lind was the first Indian to slip into the wooly confines of uniform #2 in 1929. "Hooks" Lind, who liked to wear women's hosiery under his uniform*, manned the middle infield for the Indians from 1927-1930.

Sadly, he finished 15th in MVP voting in 1928, a year in which he wore no uniform number.

Joe Sewell, brother of Luke Sewell, enjoyed a decent run as the club's shortstop, knocking in over 100 runs in both 1923 and 1924. For nine seasons, Sewell donned #4, until a late switch to #2 is his final season with the Tribe before Sewell became a Jackass at age 31.

Boze Berger let his bat do the talking with a monstrous -3 OPS+ campaign in 1936. Berger quickly shed his #2 for the windy city and #19 for the Chicago White Sox.

Johnny Berardino brought style to the deuce for the 1948 Indians. Sadly, he forgot to bring his bat. "Bernie" blasted 2 home runs in 361 PA for the Tribe, and posted a nifty .187 batting average. In addition to his amazing plate discipline (hey, he only stuck out 38 times in 155 games!), Berardino leads all Indians former #2's in eyebrows.

What happens when you steal 40 bases in 227 at bats? They remodel the ballpark in your playing style! The speedy and exciting Alex Cole made quite a splash for the 1990 Indians, batting .300 and swiping 40 bags en route to a ninth place Rookie of the Year finish. Brass was so impressed by Cole's basepath bravura, they moved the fences out. The alley in left-center moved out from 377 to 390 feet; deep left-center went from 387 to 400 feet; center field moved from 400 to 415 feet; deep right-center went from 395 to 400 feet; and short right-center moved from 385 to 390 feet. Cole and company promptly went out and stole 84 bases (third worst in the league) and won a whopping 57 games. By 1992, Cole was out of town and out of favor.

* - May not be true. 

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The Number One Number One.  

via i38.photobucket.com

Bobby Avila was the first Mexican to enjoy success in the Major Leagues. Avila was a ten-year mainstay on one of the most dominant Indians runs in history. In 1952, he led the AL in triples. In 1954, Avila won the batting title with a .341 batting average, despite playing half of the season with a broken thumb. In all, Avila doesn’t crack the top ten in most team career categories, but the three-time All-Star remains an indelible memory of the great teams of the 40s and 50s.

A contemporary of other Indians greats like Bob Feller, Earl Averill, Bob Lemon, Larry Doby, and Al Rosen, Avila played with some of the best Cleveland has ever seen.

Avila would later enjoy success as the President of the Mexican League.

A Brief History

Jackie "Rabbit" Tavener became the first player to don #1 for the Cleveland Indians in 1929. Born in Celina, Ohio, Tavener was a former Detroit Tiger who finished his brief major league career in his only season with the Tribe. An OPS+ of 51 tends to lead to retirement.

Just as Tavener was winding down his career, Dick "Twitches" Porter began his. Porter was a good-average outfielder who also saw time at second base. Porter took uniform #3 in ’29, then switched to #1 a year later, in which he batted .350 and OPS-ed a hearty .918. Porter then wore #2 until his departure for the Boston Red Sox in 1934. By 1935, Porter was out of professional baseball.

Lyn Lary led the league (whew.) in 1937 with 741 plate appearances while wearing #1 for Cleveland.

Roy Cullenbine hit a combined .284/.395/.423 with #1 on his back from 1943-1945.

Billy Martin (yes, that one) donned his ubiquitous eins for one season with the Tribe before having that number retired after several managerial stints with the New York Yankees.

Jose Cardenal wore #1 after a six year hiatus for the number.

Tommy Hinzo claimed #1, not once, but twice as an Indian. First in 1987, and again in 1989 after spending 1988 in Colorado Springs with a sweet.598 OPS. Tommy’s awesome -68 OPS+ (21 PA) in ’89 sealed his fate as a major leaguer. 

Tony Fernandez provided post-season thrills in 1995 at the age of 35 with a #1 on his back and a Chief Wahoo on his cap. Tony batted .357 in the ALCS, and provided the series-winning home run in the 11th inning of Game 6.

Number One with a Beard.

Longtime LGT poster boy Casey Blake grabbed the mantle of uniform #1 in 2003, and with the undying love and devotion of manager Eric Wedge, held down the hot corner until his trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008.

The barbigerous Blake brought grit back to the Tribe by posting a .266/.337/.451 line over six seasons. Not bad for a career minor leaguer.

The One Year One-ders

Jackie Tavener, Del Unser, Mark Lewis, Tony Fernandez, Glenallen Hill, Sam Horn, Ken Berry, Billy Martin, Dick Porter, Jimmie Wasdel, Johnny Temple, and Jerry Kindall all wore uniform #1 for only one season.  

The All-Time List

Jackie Tavener (1929)

Dick Porter (1930)

Johnny Burnett (1931-1934)

Lyn Lary (1937-1938)

Milt Galatzer (1935-1936)

Oscar Grimes (1939-1942)

Roy Cullenbine (1943-1945)

Don Ross (1945-1946)

Jimmie Wasdell (1947)

Bobby Avila (1949-1958)

Billy Martin (1959)

Mike De La Hoz (1960-1961)

Johnny Temple (1960)

Jerry Kindall (1962)

Jose Cardenal (1968-1969)

Del Unser (1972)

Ken Berry (1975)

Johnny Grubb (1977-1978)

Tommy Hinzo (1987, 1989)

Glenallen Hill (1992)

Sam Horn (1993)

Tony Fernandez (1997)

Wil Cordero (1999-2000)

Mark Lewis (2001)

Casey Blake (2003-2008)

Luis Valbuena (2009-current)

Lest you think I’ve forgotten the exploits of past Indians who have chosen to wear either 0 or 00, I haven’t. It was just too difficult to choose between the amazing collective accomplishments of Paul Dade, Rick White, and Junior Ortiz for a standalone piece. Dade posted OPS percentages of .689, .660, and .697 before he departed for the sunny skies of San Diego and uniform number 21. Dade also briefly wore 31 for the Tribe. Dade is by default the best player in Indians history to have worn the goose eggs.

Up Next: Like many Germans, we’ll be taking a closer look at Number Two.