All-Time Teams: Indians

The Packers are off today so let's squeeze in another All-Time Team. Here's the Cleveland Indians:

 Manager: Mike Hargrove
Home: Municipal Stadium

Leading off for the Indians.. the Center Fielder.. Tris Speaker

The all-time leader in doubles with an astounding 792, Tris Speaker somehow won just one batting title despite a lifetime .345 batting average that ranks sixth all-time. The Red Sox sold Speaker to Cleveland prior to the 1916 season. He proceeded to slash .386/.470/.502, leading the majors in all three categories. Tris sits atop the Tribe's all-time list with a .444 on-base %. In his eleven seasons with the club he never struck out more than twenty times.





Batting second for Cleveland.. the Second Baseman.. Nap Lajoie

A five time batting champion, Nap Lajoie played thirteen seasons for the team that was named after him. He is the franchise standard-bearer in WAR with 80.0, and his career mark of 107.4 is third all-time among second basemen. No second sacker in history has more RBI than his 1,599 - a total that places him 37th all-time. Lajoie is 14th all-time in hits (for now) and eighth all-time in doubles.






Batting third.. the First Baseman.. Jim Thome

Hall of Famer Jim Thome was a feared slugger for over twenty seasons, thirteen with the Indians. Thome holds team records for home runs, walks, and strikeouts. His 612 career round-trippers ranks eighth all-time. The five-time all-star won a single Silver Slugger in the Steroid Era, but his consistent power and sterling reputation allowed him to sail into Cooperstown on his first try.






Batting fourth.. the Designated Hitter.. Albert Belle

The heart of the Indians' order through the early-mid 1990s, Albert Belle ended the decade with 30 or more home runs in eight consecutive seasons. In 1995, Belle became the first player in history to smash 50 home runs and 50 doubles in the same season - an even more impressive feat considering the strike-shortened season was just 144 games. The five-time all-star and five-time Silver Slugger winner led the league in RBI three times.

 



Batting fifth.. the Right Fielder.. Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez played eight seasons in Cleveland and eight seasons in Boston. His slash line numbers for each team are nearly identical: .312/.411/.588 for the Indians, .313/.407/.592 for the Red Sox. His OPS for the Tribe was .999; for the Sox it was .998. Manny's highest finishes in AL MVP voting: third in 1999 for Cleveland, third in 2004 for Boston. He's here because he played left field for the Red Sox - where he'd have no chance to start on their All-Time Team.


 


Batting sixth.. the Left Fielder.. Earl Averill

Had Ramirez played left field for the Tribe this would have been a tougher call. Instead Earl Averill will play out of position. The Hall of Fame center fielder played just eleven full seasons but managed to collect 2,019 career hits and 1,164 RBI in that time. He holds Indians career records for total bases, triples, runs scored, runs batted in, and extra-base hits. Overlooked by the BBWAA, Averill was a Veteran's Committee selection to Cooperstown in 1975.


 


Batting seventh.. the Third Baseman.. Al Rosen

Al Rosen's brief but brilliant career lasted just seven full seasons. In that time, he led the league in home runs twice, RBI twice, and total bases twice. The 1953 AL MVP was a four time all-star and a key contributor to the Indians' pennant-winning 1954 season. Rosen's 192 home runs for the Tribe ranks tenth on the team's all-time list. Rosen batted .300 or better three times and his career OPS+ mark of 137 is well ahead of every other third basemen the Indians have had.


 


Batting eighth.. the Shortstop.. Lou Boudreau

The third player in this lineup who also played for the Red Sox, Lou Boudreau is third on the Indians' all-time list for games played and WAR. Boudreau was named the AL's MVP in 1948 after a career year culminating in a World Series victory. Boudreau batted .355 that season, a much higher mark than his league-leading .327 total in 1944. The eight time all-star led the league in doubles three times - smacking 45 two-baggers each time.


 


Batting ninth.. the Catcher.. Sandy Alomar, Jr.

Sandy Alomar played for seven teams in his twenty-year career, eleven of which were in Cleveland. In 1990, Alomar was awarded his first of six All-Star selections, won his only Gold Glove, and was named AL Rookie of the Year. He had a career year in 1997, batting .324 with 21 home runs and 83 RBI. Sandy appeared in 47 playoff games - all while with the Indians - and batted .311 with 11 RBI in 12 World Series contests.


 


The Starting Pitcher for the Indians.. Bob Feller

Bob Feller began his Hall of Fame career at age 17. He led the league in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts in the three seasons preceding World War II. In his first full season after the war, Feller set a modern single-season strikeout record with 348. He remains the Indians' career leader in over a dozen categories including WAR, wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. Feller finished top-5 in AL MVP voting four times.

Now let's take a look at the Indians' bench and bullpen:

Catcher: Jim Hegan
1st Base: Hal Trosky
Infield: Joe Sewell
Outfield: Larry Doby
Outfield: Rocky Colavito

Hegan was a five-time all-star and caught more games than anyone in Indians history. Trosky slugged .551 over nine pre-war seasons with the Tribe. HOFer Sewell was a .320 hitter in his eleven seasons with Cleveland. Doby, the American League's first black player, made seven All-Star teams and finished a close second to Yogi Berra for the 1954 MVP Award. Colavito had three seasons of 40+ home runs and made nine All-Star teams.



#2 Starter: Addie Joss
#3 Starter: Corey Kluber
#4 Starter: Sam McDowell
#5 Starter: Stan Coveleski

Joss pitched just nine seasons, but his 0.968 WHIP is lowest in baseball history. Kluber's nine seasons have netted him two Cy Young awards. He has the highest K:BB ratio in team history. McDowell is second in Indians' annals with 2,159 strikeouts. Known for his wildness, "Sudden Sam" has a lower career WHIP than HOFers Feller, Early Wynn, and Bob Lemon. Coveleski won three games for Cleveland in the 1920 World Series.



RH Reliever: Steve Gromek
LH Reliever: Don Mossi
RH Reliever: Paul Shuey
RH Reliever: Jose Mesa
RH Reliever: Doug Jones
RH Reliever: Cody Allen

Allen is the Indians' all-time leader in saves and games finished. Jones was a five-time all-star and earned 303 career saves. Mesa finished second in AL Cy Young voting after a 46-save season in 1995. Mossi qualified for both the Indians and Tigers, but he was primarily used as a starter in Detroit.




Stay tuned for our next All-Time Team, the Colorado Rockies.


Thanks for reading!


~