As an American League charter franchise, the Cleveland Indians have a rich heritage overshadowed by a drought that began prior to the first expansion. First called the Blues, then the Bronchos, Cleveland became the Naps when Nap Lajoie was acquired in 1902. Pitching was an early and consistant club focal point. Addie Jones posted Hall of Fame credentials, including a perfect game during the heated 1908 pennant race. His career was tragically shortened by tuberculosis.

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A new era dawned when Tris Speaker was acquired by the newly named Indians. After second place finishes in 1918 and 1919, Cleveland survived more tragedy to win its first pennant. Despite the loss of star shortstop Ray Chapman, killed by a Carl Mays pitch, the Indians outlasted the scandal-ridden White Sox and the Yankees to reach a memorable World Series featuring the first grand slam in Series history (Elmer Smith), first homer by a pitcher (30-game winner Jim Bagby), and the only unassisted triple play in championship annals (Bill Wambsganss), Cleveland topped Brooklyn five games to two.

The next 28 pennant-less years were highlighted by near-misses in 1921 and 1926 and the Crybabies incident of 1940. Four years earlier, Bob Feller burst on the scene to begin a legendary career. Teamed with pitchers Mel Harder and Johnny Allen, plus young shortstop Lou Boudreau, Cleveland was the team to beat in 1940. Still, discord between players and manager Ossie Vitt increased to the point that club members petitioned owner Alva Bradley to replace the unpopular skipper. Bradley refused, the Indians were labeled Crybabies, and Detroit rallied to the pennant when unknown Floyd Giebel beat Feller in the season's final weekend.

The golden age of Cleveland baseball dawned on June 21, 1946, when Bill Veeck purchased the club from Bradley. Veeck made Larry Doby the first black to play in the American'J(((League in 1947. In 1948 he brought Negro League great Satchel Paige to the big leagues. Led by MVP player-manager Boudreau, the 1948 Indians topped the AL in batting average, fielding average, ERA, and drew a record home attendance of over 2.6 million fans. They beat the Boston Red Sox in the first-ever AL pennant playoff, then turned back the Braves in the World Series, four games to two. Feller suffered both losses, despite a brilliant two-hitter in the first game. Cleveland remained a contender for the next decade.

Following three straight second-place finishes (1951-53) under new manager Al Lopez, Cleveland posted the winningest regular season in ML history (111) in 1954, then failed to win once in the World Series against the Giants. Further tragedy occurred in the late 1950s. Herb Score's brilliant early career was ruined by a line drive off Gil McDougal's bat and by subsequent arm trouble. A young, contending club built by Frank Lane for 1959 was devastated by the most controversial trade in club history. Lane sent young, handsome home run champ Rocky Colavito to Detroit for batting champ Harvey Kuenn. Thirty years of frustration followed. Underfinanced ownership barely kept the club afloat. Rumors of a move to cities like New Orleans and Seattle were constant. What success there was usually came on the pitching mound. Sam McDowell was the AL Sandy Koufax, but alcoholism kept him from greater success. Luis Tiant was AL ERA king in the year of the pitcher (1968). Gaylord Perry, acquired in a trade for McDowell, was Cleveland's first Cy Young Award winner (1972).

The Indians made Frank Robinson the majors' first black manager in 1974. Players came and went, the best demanding trades or seeking free agency rather than play for a non-contender with poor attendance in the ancient and cavernous stadium. As a renaissance in both Cleveland and baseball took shape in the late 1980s, financially solid ownership, in the person of brothers Richard and David Jacobs, took over in December 1986. (ME)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » July 19, 1915: The Nationals come out running, stealing a major-league record eight bases (tied in the National League in 1919) against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning. Sore-armed catcher Steve O'Neill is the victim of three SBs by Danny Moeller including 2B, 3B and home, two each by Clyde Milan and Ed Ainsmith, and one by George McBride in the 11–4 Washington win. Walter Johnson (15-8) allows just two hits in six innings before taking the afternoon off. Reliever Nick Altrock gives up the Cleveland scores. » September 1, 1918: The Browns and Tigers finish the season with a doubleheader split in St. Louis as the Cleveland Indians refuse to make the trip for the Labor Day doubleheader. In Game 2, Ty Cobb pitches two innings against the Browns while the Browns' George Sisler pitches one scoreless inning. The Browns win, 6–2, and Sisler hits a double off of Cobb. Detroit wins the opener, 7-2. » August 4, 1929: The Yankees take the opening game of two from the visiting Cleveland Indians, winning 12–0. Tom Zachary wins his 7th straight. In the 2nd game, after trailing 6–5 with two out in the top of the 9th, Cleveland scores an American League record-tying nine runs, to win 14–6. » January 20, 1931: Joe Sewell, released by the Cleveland Indians after last season, signs with the New York Yankees. » February 14, 1934: Sam Rice is signed by the Cleveland Indians. He will fall 13 short of 3,000 career hits. » March 25, 1934: In New Orleans, Babe Didrickson takes the mound again, this time for the New Orleans Pelicans against split squad of the Cleveland Indians. She throws two scoreless innings and lines out in her only plate appearance. In nearby Lafayette, Louisiana, manager Walter Johnson pitches for the other Indian squad against the KC Blues. » May 2, 1936: The Cleveland Indians leave Boston tonight for Washington under a medical injunction to take precautions against contagion from the spinal meningitis afflicting right fielder Bruce Campbell. The Indians, 7–3 winner today over Boston, will be allowed to play the Senators tomorrow, but every player is told to isolate himself from family and children for three weeks. » April 20, 1937: Gee Walker of the Tigers becomes the only player to hit for the cycle on Opening Day when he performs the feat against the Cleveland Indians, hitting in reverse order for a HR, triple, double, and single. Detroit wins 4-3. » October 20, 1937: Ossie Vitt, the highly successful manager of the Newark Bears (IL), becomes the new manager of the Cleveland Indians, replacing Steve O'Neil. » April 16, 1940: Working in 47-degree weather, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians throws an Opening Day no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, winning 1-0 at Comiskey Park. Rollie Hemsley has the only RBI. Edgar Smith is the losing pitcher. It is the first Opening Day no-hitter since 1909. » May 24, 1940: The Cleveland Indians edge the St. Louis Browns, 3–2, in the first night game at Sportsman's Park before 24,827, the biggest crowd since 1922. Bob Feller beats Eldon Auker and his first ML homer is the margin of victory. » March 7, 1941: At Havana, the Dodgers roll over the Cleveland Indians 15–0. Pee Wee Reese and Joe Medwick use a batting helmet designed by two Johns Hopkins doctors with the help of Larry MacPhail. The two Dodgers, victims of HBPs last year, pronounce the helmets satisfactory. Brooklyn P Van Lingle Mungo celebrates the win a little too hard and when tomorrow's game is rained out, he continues to party. The result is that manager Leo Durocher sends him a note informing Mungo he's been reassigned to the Dodgers' minor league camp in Macon. Mungo will pitch just two innings for Brooklyn this year. » July 25, 1941: Forty-one-year-old Lefty Grove wins his 300th game as the Boston Red Sox defeat the Cleveland Indians 10-6 before a Fenway Ladies Day crowd of 16,000. Though he will make six more starts, this will be Grove's last career win. » February 25, 1946: The Chicago White Sox hand out the first media guide to beat writers. Just 17 pages long, it is the creation of Marsh Samuel, according to historian Peggy Beck. The project intrigues Bill Veeck, owner of the Cleveland Indians, who hires Samuel away from the Sox to create a guide for the Tribe. » April 30, 1946: Dispelling the rumors that he had lost his fastball after nearly 4 years in the Navy, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians hurls his 2nd no-hitter, beating the New York Yankees 1-0 on Frankie Hayes's HR in the 9th inning. » June 22, 1946: Bill Veeck heads a syndicate which purchases the Cleveland Indians. This launches Veeck on a long career as a lively promoter. » September 13, 1946: The Boston Red Sox clinch the AL pennant, edging the Cleveland Indians 1-0 on Ted Williams's inside-the-park HR, the only one of his career. Williams punches the ball over the shift when LF Pat Seerey pulls in behind the SS position. The Boston margin at the season's end will be 12 games. » March 1, 1947: In anticipation of the signing of the first black players, Bill Veeck, a resident of Phoenix, had set up a spring training camp there for the Cleveland Indians. Arizona was chosen because of its relatively tolerant racial climate. During the season, Veeck will sign the first AL black player, Larry Doby, who will train at the Arizona camp. The Giants also set up camp in Arizona, while the Dodgers moved their training camp from Florida to Havana. » July 5, 1947: Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians becomes the first black to play in the AL. He strikes out as a pinch hitter, as the Chicago White Sox edge the Indians 6-5. Tomorrow he will go 1-for-5 in his first full game at 1B. » July 10, 1947: In a rain-interrupted game before 47,871, Don Black of the Cleveland Indians pitches a no-hitter, beating the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. It is the first no-hitter at Municipal Stadium. » June 13, 1948: The Yankees retire Babe Ruth's No. three jersey in the Babe's final appearance at Yankee Stadium on the 25th anniversary of Yankee Stadium. After the ceremonies the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 5-3. » June 30, 1948: In his first full season as a pitcher, Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians pitches a no-hitter, beating the Detroit Tigers 2-0 in front of 49,628 at Briggs Stadium. Lemon has only two scares: Dale Mitchell makes a miraculous catch of a George Kell drive in the fourth and Ken Keltner makes a great stop behind 3B in the fifth. » October 11, 1948: In Boston, the Cleveland Indians nip the Braves 4-3 to take the WS in 6 games. Rookie lefty Gene Bearden is the pitching hero in relief. » January 10, 1950: The Cleveland Indians fire coach George C. "Good Kid" Susce when his son, George D. Susce, signs with the Red Sox. » December 18, 1952: In a shake-up of the Cleveland Indians, Hank Greenberg stays on as GM, while Ellis W. Ryan resigns as president after losing a showdown. Mike Wilson, who buys Ryan's share, will be the Indians new president. » January 8, 1953: The Cleveland Indians bar night games with the Browns due to St. Louis owner Bill Veeck's refusal to share receipts of the telecasts. » July 31, 1955: The Giants sell P Sal Maglie (9-5) to the Cleveland Indians. » June 26, 1958: Joe Gordon replaces Bobby Bragan as manager of the Cleveland Indians, signing a contract through 1959. » August 22, 1958: Cleveland Indians Chairman William Daley rejects a $4 million bid for his team » November 18, 1958: In a power struggle that has been brewing for some time within the Cleveland Indians organization, minority stockholders, led by Hank Greenberg, sell their stock to the majority stockholder, Chairman William Delay, who controls about 34 percent of the stock. Greenberg had proposed to Daley that he either buy Greenberg's group stock or sell his stock to the group. » June 23, 1962: Larry Doby, retired from the Cleveland Indians, signs on with the Chunichi Dragons to become, with Don Newcombe, the first former ML players to play for a Japanese team. His season BA will be a mediocre .225. » November 20, 1962: Sale of the Cleveland Indians is completed as Bill Daley and Gabe Paul take control. » June 11, 1964: Charlie Finley fires Ed Lopat (17-35) as manager of the A's, replacing him with Mel McGaha, former manager of the Cleveland Indians. » May 17, 1971: Washington OF Tom McCraw "slugs" a 140-foot home run against the Cleveland Indians. SS Jack Heidemann, CF Vada Pinson, and LF John Lowenstein collide on his short pop fly to left center, and McCraw circles the bases before the ball is retrieved. » March 22, 1972: Nick Mileti, owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, heads a group that purchases the Cleveland Indians from Vernon Stouffer for an estimated $9 million. Stouffer had turned down an offer from George Steinbrenner to buy the team, but when the AL owners reject his proposal to have the Indians play some of their games in the New Orleans Superdome, Stouffer decides to sell the team. » February 3, 1978: F.J. "Steve" O'Neill becomes the principal owner of the Cleveland Indians under a reorganization of the club's financial structure. » March 8, 1980: While waiting for the team bus outside his hotel during the Cleveland Indians 3-game exhibition series against the Mexico City Reds, rookie OF Joe Charboneau is stabbed by a crazed fan wielding a ballpoint pen. The pen penetrates one inch and strikes a rib, sidelining Charboneau for four days, but he will recover to win the American League Rookie of the Year award. » June 1, 1980: The Cleveland Indians tie a major-league record with four sacrifice flies (Ron Hassey, Dave Rosello, Gary Alexander, and Dell Alston) in an 8–7 loss to the Mariners. Seattle adds one more, tying the 2-team single-game record of 5. » November 4, 1982: Yankees coach Mike Ferraro lands his first ML managing job, signing a 2-year contract to lead the Cleveland Indians. He will be fired before the end of the 1983 season. » June 14, 1991: The Cleveland Indians are shut out for the 3rd game in a row, losing 7-0 to Minnesota. The mark matches the team record and falls one short of the major league mark. » September 16, 1997: Jimmy Key, 0–7 in his last nine starts at Camden Yards, beats the Cleveland Indians 7-2 to give the Orioles a split in a day-night doubleheader. Roberto Alomar has three hits and three RBIs and Brady Anderson and Rafael Palmeiro homer in the win. In the opener, Charles Nagy pitches five-hit ball into the seventh inning and Matt Williams drives home two runs to lead the Indians to a 4-2 victory. » April 6, 1998: The Cleveland Indians request permission from the Securities and Exchange Commission to sell shares of the team to the public. Plans are made for an initial offering of four million shares. » May 13, 1999: Cleveland Indians owner Richard Jacobs announces that he is putting the team up for sale. » November 4, 1999: Larry Dolan agrees to buy the Cleveland Indians from Richard Jacobs for $320 million. The sale is subject to approval by major league owners. If approved, the deal will be a record for a baseball franchise. The O'Malley family sold the Dodgers to the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation for $311 in 1998. » June 30, 2000: The New York Yankees tie a major-league record when three players (Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez and Jose Vizcaino) each hit sacrifice flies in the 4th inning against the Tigers. The record was set by the Chicago White Sox on July 1, 1962, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cleveland Indians. » September 1, 2000: The Baltimore Orioles turn the season's fifth triple play and the first triple-killing in Jacobs Field history in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians. On a pop up to short the infield fly rule is not called. With runners at first and second and no outs, O's SS Melvin Mora lets Sandy Alomar's pop fly drop, apparently intentionally, and throws to 2B Jerry Hairston who tags the runner at second as well as the runner coming from first. Alomar, believing the infield fly rule had been called, retreated to the dugout and was called out for leaving the basepath resulting in a 6-4-3 triple play. Charlie Manuel doesn't agree and gets tossed. Cleveland overcomes the TP to win, 5–2, behind Steve Finley.