Bob Lemon started out as an infielder, but since we had Kenny Keltner at third base, they placed him in center field in 1946. Bob had pitched a lot in the navy during World War II. Bob couldn’t hit enough to be a center fielder so Lou Boudreau, our manager, placed Bob on the mound. Nineteen forty-six saw the pitching debut of Bob Lemon, and he became a phenomenal pitcher. A Hall of Famer, Bob literally went from saving my ballgame on opening day in 1946 by throwing to and doubling a man off second base after a daring catch in center field to taking the pitcher’s mound and becoming a tremendous pitcher. Bob had a good curve, a good slider, and a vicious sinker pitch. He wasn’t overly fast, but he always stayed ahead of the hitters and he didn’t walk many batters, which is the key to success in the majors. When Bob passed away in 2000, it saddened me deeply.

Early Wynn was another friend of mine on the Indians who won more than 300 games, his 300th with the Indians. Early had a good fastball, a really good change-up, and a really good slider. He had good control and, like Bob, did not walk many hitters. They were the heart and soul of the Cleveland pitching staff in the early 1950s. If Lemon and Wynn had not lost time in military service, their records would have been considerably better. Al Rosen took over for Kenny Keltner in 1950 and became the regular Cleveland Indians third baseman. Al turned out to be an excellent third baseman and a great hitter. He had an outstanding All-Star game in Cleveland in 1954, when he hit two home runs and helped the American League defeat the National League by a score of 11–9. He was a good clutch hitter, a good team player, and great in the clubhouse. He had a fine wife, Terri, and a nice family. He was a close friend of Larry Doby. Al was a great team leader, a great team captain, and a good businessman. He was also a terrific general manager, and a good president of the New York Yankees.

Al has always taken good care of his health, from his playing days until the present, and he never abused his body. I’m proud to say that he was my teammate in 1954, and although we lost the series to the Giants, Al was a great team leader in the clubhouse. The Giants just stopped us cold with their great pitching.

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