Indians History

In 2000, the Indians amazed the league as their 5-year reign as Division Champs come to an end. They fall out of 1st Place early in the season. Despite a 90-72 record and failing to make the playoffs the Indians Infield defense continued to set a spark. 2B Roberto Alomar, SS Oscar Vizquel, and 3B Travis Fryman each win Gold Gloves, and set Gold Glovers R. Alomar, Vizquel, and Fryman, lead the 2000 Indians to set AL season fielding records in fielding percentage (.988)& fewest errors (72). In 2001, the Indians won their sixth American League Central Division crown in seven years. The Indians bested the Seattle Mariners in ALDS who tied a Major League Record with 116 wins during the regular season. However, the Mariners would rebound to take the next 2 games to advance to the ALCS. In 2002, owner Jim Dolan started trading the players, due to the economic losses. Roberto Alomar was traded to the New York Mets and Bartolo Colon was traded to the Montreal Expos, while Juan Gonzalez and Kenny Lofton signed deals as Free Agent. The Indians finished the season in 3rd place with a 74-88 record ending a streak of 8 straight winning seasons.

The following season the elimination continued as Jim Thome who signed as a Free Agent Deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. With the young and unproven team, the Indians won just 13 of their first 40 games, registering terrible 68-94 record and finishing 4th in the division. The Indians terrible performance made people reminiscent of the days when the Indians recorded 40 years of discrepancy without being in a true pennant race. However, Jody Gerut recorded a solid rookie season with 22 homers and 75 RB. In 2004, the young Indians were joined by the prospects like Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, Jake Westbrook and Coco Crisp. Catcher Victor Martinez hit 23 homers and drove in 108 RBI, and Travis Hafner hit 28 homers with a team leading 109 RB. The Indians progressively climb their way over .500 but soon their playoff hopes ended with a 9-game losing streak in August. The Indians finished the season in 3rd place with a record of 80-82. Tribe finished third in the Central Division with an 80-82 record. Cleveland started hosting professional baseball in 1869 when the Cleveland Forest Citys vied with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Cleveland played in the National Association 1871.

The following season, the Cleveland’s franchise terminated its operations. Cleveland's return to pro baseball came in 1879 in the National League that was established in 1876. After seeing various ups and downs and the rounds of elimination, Cleveland enjoyed ultimate success and failure in the N.L. from 1891 through 1899 with Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young as their key player. When Western League became the American League after a year of minor league play in 1900, the new franchise joined the newly formed American League in 1901. The new franchise was named after the color of their uniforms, the Cleveland Blues and played their home games in League Park. In 1902, the team became the Bronchos and was renamed the Naps after second baseman and future manager Napoleon Lajoie a year later. In 1915, the team assumed the name Indians. The team provisionally adopted the name Pluto in 1999. From 1901 to 1919, the team finished no better than second place finish. The early team featured batting champions Lajoie, Elmer Flick, and Tris Speaker, and pitchers Addie Joss and Cy Young. In 1919, Speaker became the player-manager of the team and the following year, the Indians bested the Chicago White Sox, and Yankees to clinch their first ever AL Pennant with a 98-56 record. That year the World Series was a best 5 out of 9 affair and the Indians faced the Brooklyn Dodgers and went on to win Games 6 and 7 with Shutouts to win their first ever World Championship. The same season New York Yankees, pitcher Carl Mays hit Indians shortstop Ray Chapman in the head with a pitch, which proved to be fatal. From 1921 to 1948, the Indians once again became inconsistent. Though their roster featured future Hall of Fame members Earl Averill and Bob Feller, the team could not made the playoffs. Feller, who joined the team in 1936, delivered some outstanding individual performances. He led the league in strikeouts seven times, in victories six times, and in shutouts four times.

The Indians fielded a competitive team in the late 1940s and early 1950s with the special contributions from pitching stars Bob Feller, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, and Mike Garcia. Bill Veeck became the new owner of the team in 1946. He geared the Indians to a phase of productivity. In 1948, the Indians won their first pennant in 28 years and their second World Series title under manager-shortstop Lou Boudreau. In 1954 the Indians with a 111-43 win-loss record captured the AL pennant. That season the team’s pitching staff was at its best. However, poor trades and a weak farm system caused the team to decline miserably in the 1960s through the 1980s. From 1955 through 1994, the highlights of the 40-season draught were the team’s three second-place finishes in 1955, 1956, and 1959 and in 1974 Frank Robinson’s designation as a player-manager of the Indians, becoming the first African American to manage a major league team. Also in 1990, the team moved to Jacobs Field. The Indians won five division titles in the 1990s, and pennants 1995 and 1997. The logo of the team is “Chief Wahoo," a smiling a red faced Indian caricature and the mascot of the team is a slider.,