0308 - Jeremy Feador
Jeremy Feador is the official team historian of the Cleveland Guardians. During our conversation, he referenced a handful of things and people upon which you may want to do more research. Consider this page to be your “liner notes” for the episode so you can follow along.
Me and Jeremy Feador after recording our interview at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
The 1990s Indians
The Cleveland teams of the 1990s were an embarrassment of riches. An extremely solid player (if not an All-Star) at every position, the team was in contention nearly every year and is considered one of the greatest teams to not win a World Series in history.
“The Move”
Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell announced that the team would move from its longtime home of Cleveland to Baltimore for the 1996 NFL season.
Subsequent legal actions by the City of Cleveland and Browns season ticket holders led the NFL to broker a compromise in which Modell agreed to return the Browns franchise to the league.
The agreement stipulated that the Browns franchise, including its history, records and intellectual property, would remain in Cleveland. In exchange, the NFL agreed to grant Modell a new franchise in Baltimore (which was eventually named the Ravens) and the City of Cleveland agreed to build an NFL-caliber venue to replace the aging Cleveland Stadium.
Adams Street Cemetery
Jeremy worked on a cemetery research project while at Wright State University. He found military records for an Indian Wars veteran who served in the late 1890s. Anthony Ruhl now has a headstone, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, thanks to Jeremy’s research.
“Feador, whose car bumper sticker reads "I Brake for Old Graveyards," also located the diary of another Adams Street Cemetery resident, George N. Huckins, in the Duke University Library.”
Bob DiBiasio
Bob DiBiasio, known fondly as “Bobby D” around town, is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the Cleveland Guardians.
Bob’s association with the team dates back to 1979. He is renowned throughout the community as the city’s baseball memory and as an exceptionally friendly individual. You can frequently find him promoting both the team and the city at large, taking time to engage with fans who want to offer advice on the team or reminisce about their baseball memories.
Bob Feller Museum
When the Bob Feller Museum in Iowa was closing, Jeremy and Bobby D flew to Van Meter and drove a U-Haul back to Cleveland full of items for the team to preserve and display at the stadium.
In the New York Times article about the trip, Jeremy is referred to as “another Indians employee,” which he has most definitely gotten over.
The Lorain-Carnegie Bridge opened in 1932.
The 1969 Cuyahoga River Fire
Stories about the Cuyahoga River fire on June 22, 1969 often combine fact and myth. The fire took place in Cleveland, a few miles north of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Heavy industry dominates this section of the river. Railroad bridges near Republic Steel trapped debris in the river, causing it to pile up. Oil on the water added to its flammability. A flare tossed from an overpassing train likely provided the spark that ignited the debris. The fire lasted for less than a half hour and resulted in minor damage to the railroad bridges.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, The Cleveland Museum of Art houses a diverse permanent collection of more than 61,000 works of art from around the world.
The museum provides free general admission to the public. With a $755 million endowment, it is the fourth-wealthiest art museum in the United States.
Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the United States. For the past twenty years in the fields of cardiology, heart, and vascular surgery, Cleveland Clinic has been ranked and regarded as the best and highest-performing hospital in the world.
Cleveland’s Theater District
Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York City (only Lincoln Center is larger).
Constructed in a span of 19 months in the early 1920s, it has 10 performance spaces, including five theaters restored to their original 1920s elegance, that host more than 1,000 events a year, including some of the biggest titles on Broadway.
Guardians of Transportation
The Art Deco “Guardians of Transportation” figures on the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge are 43-feet tall and were carved out of local sandstone.
Wilbur Watson, the bridge’s engineer, wrote that the eight figures - who have stood guard over east-west traffic since 1932 - were meant to “typify the spirit of progress in transportation,” with each Guardian holding a different kind of vehicle in its hands.
“The Rock Hall”
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, located on the shore of Lake Erie, documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures and personnel who have influenced its development.
The museum opened on September 2, 1995, and celebrated with a blockbuster benefit concert at nearby Cleveland Municipal Stadium.
Cleveland Forest City Club
Cleveland Forest City Club, 1868. Standing (left to right): Charles J. Sheffield, James L. “Deacon” White, J.W. Clarke, Arthur E. Burt. Bottom (l-r): George W. Stockley, A.R. “Pikey” Smith, William P. Johnson, Harvey B. Brown, Leonard C. Hanna.
Forest City's club had been established three years earlier, and the following June would become a professional team.
Forest Citys
The actual name of the team, as shown in standings, was Forest City, not "Cleveland.” The name "Forest Citys" was used in the same generic style of the day in which the team from Chicago was called the "Chicagos."
Modern writers often refer to the club as the "Cleveland Forest Citys," which does not reflect 1870s usage, but does distinguish the team from the Rockford, Illinois, professional team that was also called "Forest City," that being a long-standing nickname of both of those cities.
Deacon White
James Laurie “Deacon” White, who batted left-handed, finished his pro career with a .312 batting average, collecting 2,067 hits, 24 home runs, and 988 RBI in an era when home runs were rare. Only the legendary Cap Anson had more hits, runs and RBIs than White during those early days of baseball.
In addition, White helped six teams win championships and was the first player to bat in an organized professional league game, hitting a double at age 23 for the Forest Citys in a National Association contest in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1871.
A right-handed pitcher, White was among the first players to throw a curveball, during a brief semi-pro stint with Cleveland in the 1860s. He also claimed he created the first catcher's mask, though he isn't officially credited with that invention.
He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013.
“The Forest City”
One of Cleveland’s nicknames is “The Forest City,” which is especially fitting when looking at older images of the landscape.
This photo shows the opening of the Cleveland Fine Arts Garden in 1928.
Cleveland Blues
The Original Cleveland Blues team began in 1878 as an amateur club. In 1879 they became part of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. The Blues played at Kennard Street Park (aka National League Park), which is currently East 46th Street & Cedar Ave.
Hugh Daily threw a no-hitter for the Blues on September 13, 1883. Other notable Blues players included Jack Glasscock and Ned Hanlon. The team was purchased by Charles Byrne in 1885 for $10,000 and folded into his Brooklyn Grays team.
Franklin Lewis
First published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in 1949, Franklin “Whitey” Lewis’s The Cleveland Indians begins with the organization’s early years as the Cleveland Forest Citys, covers the 1920 World Series victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers, and concludes with the excitement of the 1948 pennant race.
With the advantage of modern research, however, some of the stories and anecdotes included in Lewis’ book have been disproven. Unfortunately, many modern writers have relied heavily upon Lewis’ book while doing research of their own, thereby perpetuating the untrue myths Lewis included in his work.
The Plain Dealer
The newspaper was established in January 1842 when two brothers, Joseph William Gray and Admiral Nelson Gray, took over The Cleveland Advertiser and changed its name to The Plain Dealer.
Their archives have been digitized, which has made research much easier for modern historians like Jeremy.
Mike Miller
Mike Miller is a Shoeless Joe Jackson historian and expert, and has volunteered at the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum as a tour guide for more than 10 years. His research led him to find the exact date and the exact hit when Joe got the nickname “Shoeless.”
CLICK HERE to view the free digital version of his book on Joe’s career.
You can listen to Episode 2 of Season 1 of My Baseball History to hear our conversation HERE.
The Cleveland Press
The Cleveland Plain Dealer proclaimed, “The Blues Will Win The Pennant This Year” across the page when it printed the American League schedule on March 6, 1903.
The Plain Dealer continued to refer to the club as the Blues as somewhat of a protest to the new name of Naps, which was chosen by fans in a contest run by the rival Cleveland Press.
Larry Tye
Few reliable records or news reports survive about players in the Negro Leagues. Through dogged detective work, award-winning author and journalist Larry Tye has tracked down the truth about this majestic and enigmatic pitcher, interviewing more than two hundred Negro Leaguers and Major Leaguers, talking to family and friends who had never told their stories before, and retracing Paige’s steps across the continent.
Buy a copy of Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend HERE
Frank W. Smith
Frank W. Smith was a staff photographer for the Cleveland Ledger in the early 1900s and shot for the Cleveland Plain Dealer during the 1910s, traveling out of state with the baseball team for their Spring Training on multiple occasions.
This photo shot by Smith of League Park head groundskeeper Frank Van Dellen resides in my personal collection.
Louis Van Oeyen
Louis Van Oeyen (1865-1946) was the first photographer hired as staff on a Cleveland, Ohio, newspaper, and a pioneer in many techniques and activities of photojournalism.
Van Oeyen was hired as a Cleveland Press photographer in 1901, after his photographs of the water intake explosion disaster in Lake Erie, and the assassination of President William McKinley, were published in the Press.
During his career at the Press, he shot portraiture, politics, disaster, crime, scandal, and sports photographs. His greatest love was baseball, and he became official photographer for the American League in 1908, and for the World Series until 1922.
This portrait he took of Shoeless Joe Jackson is one of my favorite photos of Joe ever taken.
Grainy/Graney Photos
Images from the Cleveland Plain Dealer digital archives prove that original photos with higher resolution must have existed at some point.
Like this one, from the October 9, 1920 issue as the Indians headed into Game 4 of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. The paper depicted 20 players from the Cleveland squad, with each panel having a unique advertisement from a local merchant booster.
1901 Team Photo
Had this photo not been captioned this way in the April 18, 1901 issue of the Plain Dealer, you might not have known this was a shot of the 1901 team, especially based on the different uniforms the players are wearing with different city names and logos on their chests.
One of the great (and awful, and difficult, and rewarding) things about being a researcher is knowing how many other photos like this exist but have not yet been properly identified because it is not necessarily immediately apparent who is depicted.
Cleveland Spiders
Before the 1889 season, the Cleveland Blues switched from the American Association to the National League. They also earned a new nickname, the Cleveland Spiders, because so many of their players were very thin, long, tall, and gangly, reminiscent of spiders.
The 1892 Spiders are pictured here at League Park, with the original wooden stands visible in the background.
Cy Young
Cy Young pitched from 1890 to 1898 for the Cleveland Spiders, then returned to Cleveland from 1909 to 1911 to pitch for the Cleveland Naps.
He holds nearly all of the career counting statistics records for pitchers, including most Wins all time (511), most Losses (315), most Games Started (815), most Complete Games (with 749!), most Innings Pitched, most Batters Faced, and a handful of others.
He passed away in 1955, and in 1956, they started calling the award given to the best pitcher at the end of every season the Cy Young Award.
Cy’s Plaque
Cy Young was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Buy Scott Longert’s biography for young readers, Cy Young: An American Baseball Hero, HERE.
Cy Young and Bob Feller
Even after his playing days were over, Cy Young would often make the drive to Cleveland and be present at the ballpark.
This 1940 photograph depicts the greatest pitchers in the history of Cleveland baseball, as an old Cy Young shows off his curve ball grip to young phenom Bob Feller in the Indians locker room.
Stan Coveleski
Stan Coveleski was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
League Park
Cy Young pitched the opening game at Cleveland’s League Park. There aren’t too many baseball diamonds left where you can go stand on the same mound that Cy Young once threw from, but League Park is one of them.
1890 Cleveland Infants
The Cleveland Infants were a one-year baseball team in the Players' League, a short-lived Major League that existed only for the 1890 season. Owned by Al Johnson, the Infants finished 1890, their lone season, with 55 wins and 75 losses. Their home games were played at Brotherhood Park.
The team included future Baseball Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty, and the league's batting champion, Pete Browning.
Textile League
South Carolina had a blossoming textile industry in the late-1800s and early-1900s. At its peak, there were 18 different cotton mills within a 3-mile radius in Greenville. Many mills had their own baseball team to improve morale, and those teams formed a league to play against each other.
This photo depicts the 1907 Victor Mill baseball team, featuring Shoeless Joe Jackson, middle row, second from left.
Buy Tom Perry’s great book on the Textile League HERE.
League Park
Built in 1891, League Park was situated at the northeast corner of Dunham Street (now known as East 66th Street) and Lexington Avenue in the Hough neighborhood. League Park was originally built as a wood structure, but was rebuilt using steel and concrete in 1910.
Here is what it looked like circa 1905, as colorized by They Played In Color Galleries.
Brian Powers of Bandbox Ballparks digitally recreated the steel and concrete version of League Park.
Tebeau’s Tribe
Sportswriters occasionally referred to teams by names other than what they were officially called.
After the arrival of Louis Sockalexis in 1897, one of the many names used to describe Cleveland’s baseball team became the Indians.
Sometimes they were referred to as Tebeau’s Indians (Patsy Tebeau was the team’s Irish-American player-manager), Tebeau’s Tribe, and even as Tebeau’s Hibernian Indians.
Louis Sockalexis
Louis Sockalexis was a member of the Penobscot Indian tribe of Maine. He played in only 94 Major League games, but is remembered today as being the first recognized minority to perform in the National League.
Sockalexis was signed by the Cleveland Spiders in 1897, fifty years before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers.
He is depicted here in the May 19, 1895 issue of the Boston Post.
Jim Toy
James Madison Toy was an early Major League Baseball player who had a short two-year career with the Cleveland Blues and the Brooklyn Gladiators, both of the American Association.
Toy began his professional baseball career in the International League for the Utica, New York team. He showed his versatility by playing many different positions, as well as having a well known good throwing arm. He helped lead the Utica team to the International League championship in 1886.
While his heritage is still uncertain, it is possible that with his inclusion on the 1887 Cleveland Blues of the American Association made Toy the first ever Native American to play Major League Baseball.
St. Louis Perfectos
In 1899, Spiders owners Frank and Stanley Robison purchased a second team – the bankrupt St. Louis Perfectos of the National League (who later became the Cardinals) – and then promptly sent all of the Spiders' top talent to that club, including future Hall-of-Famers Cy Young, left fielder Jesse Burkett, and shortstop Bobby Wallace. The remaining Spiders were one of the worst teams in history.
Here, the 1899 St. Louis Perfectos are pictured, with Cy Young in the lower left corner.
Grand Rapids Rustlers
The Grand Rapids Rustlers were founded in 1894 and were one of the founding teams of the Western League, a league that would go on to become the American League. Other teams in the league included Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Toledo, and Sioux City.
Some notable players from the Rustlers were George Pinkney, Bob Caruthers, Lady Baldwin, Crazy Schmit, and Bumpus Jones.
Pictured here is pitcher Harley Parker, who may have pitched one of the worst games in history on July 25, 1894.
Cleveland Lake Shores
After the 1899 season, the Grand Rapids Rustlers moved to Cleveland, renamed themselves the Lake Shores, and played their games at League Park. Managed by Jimmy McAleer, the 1900 team missed the postseason after finishing the regular season in 6th place with a 63-73 record in the Western/American League, still a minor league at the time.
1901 Cleveland Blues
In 1901, the American League (formerly Ban Johnson’s Western League) broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a competing Major League. The Cleveland franchise was among its eight charter members.
Although some American League teams chose names abandoned by other major league teams in their respective cities (such as the Chicago White Stockings, Philadelphia Athletics, and [in 1902] the St. Louis Browns), the Cleveland team did not want to associate themselves with the disastrous 1899 Cleveland Spiders, so the new team became known as the Bluebirds or Blues.
The 1901 Cleveland Blues played 136 games during the regular season, winning 54 games while losing 82, and finished in seventh position. They played their home games at League Park I and drew 131,380 fans over the course of their home season.
1902 Cleveland Bronchos
In 1902, the National League's Philadelphia Phillies obtained an injunction, effective only in Pennsylvania, barring Nap Lajoie from playing baseball for any team other than the Phillies.
The American League responded by transferring Lajoie's contract to the Cleveland Bronchos. Lajoie is pictured here, bottom row center.
Charles Somers
Once called the “good angel of the American League,” Charles Somers was much more than one of the league’s founding members; he was also its principal financier.
A shy, unassuming man who made his fortune in the coal business, Somers brought major-league baseball back to Cleveland in 1901, and also helped the junior circuit establish clubs in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston. At one point, the free-spending magnate was part-owner of four of the league’s eight franchises.
Ban Johnson
The most powerful figure of the Deadball Era, Ban Johnson’s rise to prominence in the national pastime was as improbable as it was meteoric.
Relying neither on athletic renown nor inherited wealth, Johnson maneuvered his way into becoming president of the Western League in 1893, then skillfully transformed the fledgling circuit into one of the most formidable minor leagues of the late nineteenth century. In 1901, Johnson renamed the Western League the American League, declared it a major league, and then succeeded in challenging the one-league supremacy of the National League.
Johnson’s triumph marked a turning point in baseball history, cementing the modern two-league system and setting the stage for the unparalleled financial successes of the coming years.
Napoleon Lajoie
In 1902, Napoleon Lajoie became Cleveland's first big signing. From 1901 to 1904, Lajoie had the highest batting average in the league. In 1901, he batted .426, and led the American League in nearly every offensive category, winning the triple crown.
Lajoie became not only their second baseman, but also their manager. He was one of baseball’s first superstars, so Cleveland just up and named the whole team after him. His name was Napoleon, they called him “Nap” for short, and until 1911, Cleveland’s baseball team was officially called the Cleveland Naps.
Nap
Napoleon Lajoie was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Lajoie combined graceful, effortless fielding with powerful, fearsome hitting to become one of the greatest all-around players of the Deadball Era, and one of the best second basemen of all time.
At 6’1″ and 200 pounds, Lajoie possessed an unusually large physique for his time, yet when manning the keystone sack he was wonderfully quick on his feet, threw like chain lightning, and went over the ground like a deer.
Candy LaChance
George Joseph "Candy" LaChance reached the majors in 1893, spending six years with the Brooklyn Grooms / Bridegrooms before moving to the Baltimore Orioles (1899), Cleveland Blues (1901) and Boston Americans (1902–05).
He hit .300 or more five times, and from 1894 to 1899 averaged 26 stolen bases each year, with a career-high 37 in 1895. He also led all National League hitters in 1895 with 108 RBI.
LaChance earned the nickname "Candy" because he preferred to chew on peppermints rather than chewing tobacco.
Ed Delahanty
John Rogers, described as a "penny-pinching" majority owner of the Phillies, assured Napoleon Lajoie that he would make the same salary as teammate Ed Delahanty.
However, Lajoie discovered that while he was earning $2,600, Ed Delahanty was earning $3,000.
Rogers increased Lajoie's pay by $200 but the damage had already been done. "Because I felt I had been cheated, I was determined to listen to any reasonable American League offer," Lajoie said.
It was nothing personal against Delahanty, for whom Lajoie changed positions to play First Base so Ed could go back to his natural position of Left Field. The two were even roommates on the team. It was a matter of principle.
The Chalmers Race
In 1910 auto magnate Hugh Chalmers offered an automobile to the baseball player with the highest batting average that season. What followed was a batting race unlike any before or since, between the greatest but most despised hitter, Detroit’s Ty Cobb, and the American League’s first superstar, Cleveland’s popular Napoleon Lajoie.
The race came down to the last game of the season, igniting more interest among fans than the World Series and becoming a national obsession. Cobb, thinking the prize was safely his, skipped the last two games of the season, while Lajoie suspiciously had eight hits in a doubleheader against the St. Louis Browns. Although initial counts favored Lajoie, American League president Ban Johnson, the sport’s last word, announced Cobb the winner, and amid the controversy both players received cars.
Buy Rick Huhn’s amazing book HERE.
Elmer Flick
Elmer Flick was the right fielder for Cleveland from 1902 to 1910, before Joe Jackson came to town. A speed demon, from 1904 through 1907, Flick had four straight years with at least a .300 batting average, at least 15 triples, and at least 35 steals. He had 10 straight seasons with 20 or more steals, 7 of those being seasons with 30 or more. Flick also won the 1905 batting title.
Elmer Flick
Elmer Flick was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Addie Joss
Addie Joss pitched from 1902 to 1910 with the Cleveland Bronchos and Naps. He is baseball’s all-time leader in WHIP, with a 0.968 career mark, and is second all-time in career ERA, with a 1.887 mark, trailing only Ed Walsh’s 1.816 total.
Joss completed 234 of the 260 games he started in his career, and finished with 160 wins in a little more than 8 full seasons.
The Human Hairpin
Joss threw a 74-pitch perfect game against Ed Walsh of the White Sox on October 2, 1908 at League Park in the final days of the 1908 pennant race, and added another no-hitter to his résumé on April 20, 1910 when he beat the White Sox again.
“The greatest array of players ever seen on one field” at Addie Joss’s benefit game, July 24, 1911.
Addie Joss Benefit Game
To help raise money for Joss’ family after he passed away, the players organized the first ever gathering of All-Star players for a benefit game. It was essentially the first All-Star game in history, and it took place on July 24, 1911. The Cleveland Plain Dealer called it “The greatest array of players ever seen on one field.” The total raised was $12,931.60, the equivalent of more than $375,000 today.
Addie
Addie Joss was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Joss was called the “Human Hairpin” because of his long arms, gangly build and pitching motion. He would turn his back to the plate, sometimes facing second base, and then whirl around and unleash a sidearm delivery to the plate.
Hall of Famer Bobby Wallace said “Joss sort of hid the ball on you. One moment, you’d be squinting at a long, graceful windup and the next instant, out of nowhere, the ball was hopping across the plate – and a lot of us were caught standing flat-footed with our bat glued to our shoulders.”
Jack Graney
From 1908 to 1922, Jack Graney was the Left Fielder for the Cleveland Naps and Indians. Though not officially named, he was essentially the team captain.
Never one to hit for power or for a high average, Graney generated offense by working the count and drawing walks, earning the nickname “Three-and-two Jack” in the process.
Graney’s hitting philosophy worked: despite posting a career batting average of just .250, the left-hander registered a .354 on-base percentage, and twice led the league in base on balls.
Jack & Larry
Jack’s dog Larry was beloved by fans and players alike. He was a Bull Terrier who could do tricks and acted as on-field entertainment before games and between innings on many occasions.
Team Photos With Larry
While there are actually official team photos taken with Larry in them, here’s a rarely seen image taken by photographer Frank W. Smith of a handful of Naps out on an excursion with Larry in Athens, Georgia during the team’s 1914 Spring Training.
Larry Playing Leap Frog
This image was taken by Frank W. Smith at 1914 Spring Training for the Cleveland Naps in Athens, Georgia.
As A Broadcaster
Not only was Jack Graney a major part of the team as a player, but he eventually became the play-by-play broadcaster for the Indians from 1932 to 1953, widely considered to be the first former big league player to broadcast a major league game.
Graney called the World Series for a national audience in 1935 and also broadcast that year’s All-Star Game in Cleveland.
Graney was the 2022 Ford C. Frick Award winner.
Herb Score
Herb Score pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 1955 through 1959 and the Chicago White Sox from 1960 through 1962. He was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1955, and an AL All-Star in 1955 and 1956. Due to an on-field injury that occurred in 1957, he retired early as a player in 1962.
Score was a television and radio broadcaster for the Indians from 1964 through 1997. He was inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2006.
League Park
Rebuilt with steel and concrete in 1910, Jeremy describes the updated version of League Park as a “reverse Fenway” with a huge wall in Right Field to accommodate for the short dimensions to the fence.
Right Field Wall
A good second baseman would turn and run toward the outfield if a ball was hit at the right field fence because caroms off the wall were wildly unpredictable.
League Park today, with a modern fence built to the same height as the original.
Deep CF
Look at how deep it is to straightaway center field. The fact that Tris Speaker would play shallow enough to be able to turn unassisted double plays in this park is insane. But he knew what he was capable of, and he made it happen.
Check out the 360 degree views of League Park from the upper deck, recreated by Brian Powers of Bandbox Ballparks, by clicking HERE (trust me, do it).
Men’s Restroom
Circled here, the men’s restroom on first base side of the lower level had a window which overlooked the field, so you wouldn’t have to miss any action while you were taking care of business.
View From The Restroom
Not too shabby, huh?
Progressive Field
Even though it’s still only a few decades old, Progressive Field has already seen tons of history, including play during three World Series, two All-Star Games, a 22-game winning streak, and countless walk-off wins.
Not to mention, a 455-game sellout streak which lasted from June 12, 1995 through April 4, 2001.
Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, under construction in 1931.
1920 World Series
The 1920 World Series was the first World Series played at League Park. Cleveland hosted games 4 through 7 of the series.
1945 Cleveland Buckeyes
“The Cleveland Buckeyes … astounded the diamond world by knocking off the Homestead Grays, long the dominant force in Negro baseball, in four straight games in the world series,” wrote legendary Pittsburgh Courier sportswriter Wendell Smith. “… Cleveland ‘breezed’ through the series in easy fashion.”
Ray Chapman
By 1915, Cleveland owner Charlie Somers was in such financial trouble that he was only able to afford to keep one of his team’s two superstars. He was faced with a decision between building around Ray Chapman, or building around Shoeless Joe Jackson.
He chose Ray.
Steve O’Neill
Steve O’Neill was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Charlie Jamieson
Charlie Jamieson was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Shoeless Joe Jackson
People say that Joe Jackson’s first three full seasons in baseball may be the best 3-year run in history. From 1911 through 1913, he led the major leagues with 656 hits. He slashed a .393 batting average, a .462 on base percentage, and a .574 slugging percentage with a 192 OPS+. He averaged 219 hits, 43 doubles, 21 triples and 6 home runs. He also averaged 119 runs, 81 runs batted in, 34 steals, and 320 total bases per season.
Bris Lord
Bristol Robotham Lord played from 1905 to 1913 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Naps, and Boston Braves.
Lord, pictured here, is best known for a 1910 trade between Philadelphia and Cleveland in which he was exchanged for Morrie Rath and Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Jackson had only played 10 games in his MLB career at that point, but went on to become one of the best hitters in baseball history.
This vacant lot at 7209 Lexington Avenue was where Joe Jackson once lived. League Park is a couple blocks to the left.
6301 Hough Ave.
Was this once a boarding house where the likes of Tris Speaker and Ray Chapman once lived? Jeremy did some digging on twitter to try to find the answer.
Jim Dunn
One of James Dunn’s earliest moves as the new owner of the Cleveland team was to rehire most of the front-office staff and meet personally with Charles Somers for his input, assuring a smooth transition. Somers was certainly impressed. He gave his support to Dunn, calling him “a real live wire (who) will … give Cleveland a good ball club.” His most significant early move was the acquisition of Tris Speaker, star center fielder for the Boston Red Sox. The deal was expensive, costing Cleveland two players, including a solid pitcher, as well as $55,000 in cash. Dunn asserted: “A tail-ender will not pay in Cleveland, but a first division team will draw big … I would not have thought of entering baseball if I had intended to be content with a second division outfit.”
The Tris Speaker trade to Cleveland was not without a little controversy.
Tris Speaker
Legendary for his short outfield play, Tris Speaker led the American League in putouts seven times and in double plays six times in a 22-year career with Boston, Cleveland, Washington, and Philadelphia. Speaker’s career totals in both categories are still major-league records at his position.
No slouch at the plate, Speaker had a lifetime batting average of .345, sixth on the all-time list, and no one has surpassed his career mark of 792 doubles.
Complicated Legacy
While Speaker is rumored to have been a member of the KKK in Texas, he was also a supporter of Larry Doby’s when he broke the American League’s color barrier with Cleveland.
Here, Speaker demonstrates batting for Cleveland players. Left to right: Luke Easter (1B), Jim Hegan (C), Larry Doby (OF), Ray Boone (SS), and Al Rosen (3B).
The Grey Eagle
Tris Speaker was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Dutch Leonard Affair
In May of 1926, Dutch Leonard contacted the office of the Tigers and informed Detroit owner, Frank Joseph Navin, that he held proof that Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker had fixed and bet on a game played on September 25, 1919.
Leonard contacted Ban Johnson's office, as well. Navin and Johnson believed Leonard's story and agreed to buy him off for $20,000, the amount that Leonard argued Detroit owed him. So, Dutch surrendered his two letters of proof to them. They, in turn, notified Commissioner Landis of the events, as a courtesy.
Next, Johnson contacted the two players and called them into his office. Cobb and Speaker denied the charges. Johnson, not believing them, told them they had to quit. On November 2, Ty left a letter of resignation at Navin's office. On November 29, Speaker's resignation was announced, with no explanation given.
Ray Chapman
Ray Chapman had four seasons with 10 or more triples, six straight seasons with 20 or more steals, including 52 in 1917. He was a great team player, leading the American League in sacrifice hits three times in his eight seasons, and was just really well-liked by teammates and opponents.
Carl Mays of the Yankees, pitching at League Park earlier in the 1920 season
War On The Diamond
War On The Diamond is a documentary which tells the story of how the death of Ray Chapman in 1920 sparked a 100-year rivalry between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
You can watch it HERE.
Joe Sewell
Joe Sewell got called up in mid-September of 1920 and ended up taking Ray Chapman’s place at Shortstop in the middle of a pennant race after Ray passed away. He was only 21 years old, but he hit over .300 and struck out only 4 times for the rest of the season.
From 1921 through 1929, back when there were only 154 games in a season, Sewell never played less than 152 games in a season.
Joe Sewell
Joe Sewell was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Ray Chapman’s Grave
Ray Chapman is buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland. His marker is always covered with baseballs and Cleveland baseball mementos.
Ray Chapman
Ray Chapman was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
After Ray’s passing, the team wore black arm bands on their sleeves to remember their fallen teammate.
Tim Murnane
Tim Murnane had gotten his start in professional baseball as a member of the 1872 Middletown (CT) Mansfields before six seasons of service to the Major Leagues with the Philadelphia Athletics, the Philadelphia White Stockings, the Boston Red Caps, and the Providence Grays.
When Murnane suffered a fatal heart attack while attending an opera performance at Schubert Theater in Boston in February of 1917, it was learned that he had left only meager savings from his long baseball career to support his widow and four children from his second marriage.
A memorial fund was established, with the support of the American League and the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Murnane's good friend and former Red Sox team owner John I. Taylor began to orchestrate plans for a benefit game pitting his old club against a selection of Major League greats.
Tim Murnane Benefit Game
Before the game was played, multiple skills competitions were held. Ray Chapman was the fastest player to round the bases.
He is pictured here on that day, also with (left to right) Rabbit Maranville, Ty Cobb, and Joe Jackson.
The Cooperstown Casebook
Jay Jaffe shows us how to use his revolutionary ranking system to ensure the right players are recognized at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
The foundation of Jaffe’s approach is his JAWS system, an acronym for the Jaffe WAR Score, which he developed over a decade ago. Through JAWS, each candidate can be objectively compared on the basis of career and peak value to the players at his position who are already in the Hall of Fame. Because of its utility, JAWS has gained an increasing amount of exposure in recent years.
Buy The Cooperstown Casebook HERE.
The Ray Chapman memorial plaque was lost for years, but is now on display at Progressive Field.
1920 Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox had thrown the 1919 World Series, but they hadn’t been caught or punished after the series, so they played almost the entire 1920 season.
During the span of the previous four years, from August 26th, 1916 through August 26th, 1920, the White Sox never lost more than 4 games in a row.
But from August 27th to September 4th, 1920, the White Sox lost seven consecutive games, falling all the way down to third place in the American League, behind the first place Indians and the second place Yankees.
Here, Joe Jackson takes batting practice before a 1920 White Sox game.
Game 5 of the 1920 World Series
In Game 5 of the 1920 World Series, Cleveland turned an unassisted triple play, Elmer Smith hit a grand slam, and pitcher Jim Bagby, Sr. hit a home run against the Brooklyn Robins (today's Dodgers).
It was the first time any of those events had ever happened in the World Series, and shortstop Bill Wambsganss's big moment remains the only unassisted triple play in the history of the postseason.
Bill Wambsganss' SABR Biography
Joe Jackson’s World Series Ring
While the White Sox didn’t technically give out rings after the team won the 1917 World Series, Joe Jackson had his fob turned into a ring. I’ve been lucky enough to wear it a couple times, and yes, it’s as cool as you’d imagine.
The Indians and Yankees play a game at League Park in 1920, featuring some great Babe Ruth footage.
Babe Ruth at League Park
In 173 career games at League Park, Babe Ruth batted .372 with 46 home runs, 33 doubles and 11 triples. He drove in 144 runs, scored 147, and had 394 total bases. He walked 177 times in 173 games, which helped him achieve a .528 career on base percentage at League Park.
Babe Ruth holds the all-time record with a .689 career slugging percentage. Second place all-time is Ted Williams at .634, more than 50 points behind him. But at League Park, Babe slugged .728.
Cleveland pitcher George Uhle said the hardest ball he ever saw hit was a line drive Babe hit at League Park. It was still rising when it hit the top of the screen near the scoreboard, 460 feet away.
Uhle said, “It was the most terrific hit I ever saw. It would have landed on East 79th Street, but the screen stopped it and he only got a double.”
Babe Ruth’s 500th HR
Babe Ruth became the first player ever to hit a 500th career home run when he put a ball over the right field fence at League Park on August 11, 1929.
This is the view from the Andrews Storage Company building rooftop, just across Lexington Avenue.
Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game Hit Streak
Joe DiMaggio’s record-breaking hitting streak was snapped at League Park on July 17, 1941.
Babe’s 500th
Babe gave Jack Geiser, the kid who retrieved and returned the ball Ruth hit for his 500th home run, a $20 bill (the equivalent of more than $300 today), an autographed baseball (worth about $25,000 today), and a chance to sit in the Yankees’ dugout.
Ruth is seen here with Lou Gehrig looking at the home run ball in the League Park dugout on August 11, 1929.
At the end of the 1929 season, Ruth had 516 career home runs. Rogers Hornsby was 2nd on baseball’s all-time list with 277.
The Bob Feller exhibit in the Terrace Club at Progressive Field.
Bob Feller’s Contract Ball?
“My father signed [my first] contract with me, as my guardian. I received a check for $1.00 to make it legal…I also received a ball autographed by all the Cleveland Indians.”
— Excerpt from Bob Feller’s Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom
Jeremy and the Guardians have the ball pictured here on display at the Bob Feller exhibit, but is this that baseball?
The story of Bob’s “gopher ball” signed by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig
Ray Fosse
In the first half of 1970, Ray Fosse hit .313 with 16 home runs and 45 runs batted in. He hit in 23 consecutive games beginning June 9, the longest AL streak since 1961. Fosse was rewarded with a spot on the American League All-Star Game roster.
In the bottom of the 12th inning, Pete Rose singled and was on second when the Cubs’ Jim Hickman singled to center field. The Royals’ Amos Otis fired the ball home to try to nail Rose. Fosse moved up the third-base line to catch the throw from Otis when Rose and the baseball seemingly arrived at the same time. Rose crashed into Fosse’s left shoulder to score the winning run, bowling Fosse over.
Hotz Café In 1919
Hotz Café was only in business for about a year when Prohibition began. The café survived that era (1920-1933) as a speakeasy, attracting such high-profile characters as Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.
Hotz Café Today
"One night, after a baseball game, Babe Ruth came in and bought rounds for everyone in the bar," says Hotz. The Babe paid his tab with a check.
"Thirteen dollars and sixty-five cents," says Hotz. The Yankee legend rarely paid for a drink, however -- even when he "paid."
"We still have it in my mom's safe," says Hotz. "My grandpa refused to cash it."
Earl Averill
Earl Averill was another great Centerfielder for the Cleveland Indians from 1929 to 1939, picking up right where Tris Speaker left off.
The first ever All-Star Game in Major League history was in 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Earl was selected as an All-Star every year from 1933 through 1938 when he was 36 years old.
He was top 10 in MVP voting 4 times, and top 5 three times.
Earl Averill
Earl Averill was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1951. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Earl’s Indians HOF Clock
Each of the 10 original inductees received Atmos clocks by Jaeger-LeCoultre with a special engraving. Averill’s inscription reads:
Howard Earl Averill
Chosen by fans as outfield on all-time Cleveland all-star team
Charter member of Cleveland Hall of Fame
Sept - 2 - 1951
Municipal Stadium
Municipal Stadium was completed in 1931 and was designed for access by automobile. It held 80,000 people, which, for most of its tenure, was the largest seating capacity of any Major League stadium.
The stadium was built for football, and for the Indians, and the Indians played all of their games at the stadium from the middle of the 1932 season through 1933.
Ballpark Mustard
Bertman Original Ballpark Mustard is a brown mustard made by Bertman Foods Company, a Cleveland food manufacturer and distributor which has produced several varieties of mustards since 1925, well known regionally because they are served at sports stadiums around Cleveland.
Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau was a Shortstop with the Cleveland Indians from 1938 to 1950. He was player/manager from 1942 through 1950.
Lou finished 17th or higher in MVP voting for every single year in the 1940s, including 8 top-10 finishes, 3 top-5 finishes, and actually winning the award in 1948 when he had career-highs in nearly every offensive category: hits, home runs, runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS+, and total bases.
Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1954. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
The Kid From Cleveland
The Kid from Cleveland chronicles the journey of a troubled teenage baseball enthusiast from northeast Ohio. He’s taken under the wing of the 1948 World Champion Cleveland Indians, with personalities such as Bob Feller, Lou Boudreau, Tris Speaker, Hank Greenberg, Satchel Paige, and Bill Veeck playing pivotal roles.
Watch it HERE.
Rocky Colavito
Rocky Colavito was a nine-time All-Star who averaged 33 home runs per year for his first 11 seasons, exceeding 40 home runs three times and 100 runs batted in six times.
Colavito was the fifth player in the history of the American League to have eleven consecutive 20 home run seasons (1956–1966). In 1959, he hit four consecutive home runs in one game and, was the AL home run champion. He was also the first outfielder in AL history to complete a season without making an error.
“The Curse of Rocky Colavito” is a phenomenon that supposedly prevents Cleveland from winning the World Series. Its origin is traced back to the unpopular trade of the right fielder to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn in 1960.
Bob Feller
Bob Feller was a right-handed starting pitcher who began his career at the age of 17, before he finished high school. His high school graduation was covered by network radio.
He served as an anti-aircraft gunner on the battleship USS Alabama in WWII, missing 4 years in the prime of his career, and yet he STILL won 266 games. An extremely conservative estimate is that he would have won another 70 if he hadn’t left for the war, some people think he would have won another 100 games had he not missed that time.
Even still, he threw 3 no-hitters, including one on opening day in 1940 when he was only 21 years old, and another 12 one-hitters.
Bob Feller
Bob Feller was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Our Team
In intimate, absorbing detail, Luke Epplin’s Our Team traces the story of the integration of the Cleveland Indians and their quest for a World Series title through four key participants:
Bill Veeck, an eccentric and visionary owner adept at exploding fireworks on and off the field;
Larry Doby, a soft-spoken, hard-hitting pioneer whose major-league breakthrough shattered stereotypes that so much of white America held about Black ballplayers;
Bob Feller, a pitching prodigy from the Iowa cornfields who set the template for the athlete as businessman;
and Satchel Paige, a legendary pitcher from the Negro Leagues whose belated entry into the majors whipped baseball fans across the country into a frenzy.
Buy it HERE.
Anne Feller
Bob’s widow, Anne Feller, cut the red ribbon with Bobby D to officially open the Bob Feller exhibit.
That same day, May 13, 2015, Corey Kluber tied Feller’s club record with 18 strikeouts in a regulation game (set by Bob on October 2, 1938, against Detroit) when he struck out 18 Cardinals in only 8 innings.
In The Navy
Bob Feller was the first major sports celebrity to enlist in the military after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, doing so just days after the attack. In the weeks and months that followed, others followed his lead, including some of baseball’s brightest stars. Joe DiMaggio. Ted Williams. Hank Greenberg. Stan Musial.
A total of 4,500 professional ballplayers ended up serving in World War II. But Feller led the way. As veteran sportswriter Bob Hertzel wrote in 2010 at the time of Feller’s death, “Feller made it the American thing to do, to give up life as a professional athlete to serve in the military effort against Germany and Japan.’’
Bill Veeck
Bill Veeck bought the team for $1.6 million on June 22, 1946. He saw 80,000 empty seats by the lakefront and decided he wanted all of Cleveland’s home games played there again.
Veeck was instrumental in signing Larry Doby to the club, breaking the color barrier in the American League. The two are seen here together.
Listen to my interview with Bill’s son, Mike Veeck, HERE.
Larry Doby
Larry Doby broke the color barrier in the American league when he became the first Black player for the Cleveland Indians.
Some people say he may have had it even harder than Jackie Robinson. Jackie played in Montreal in 1946, so he had a whole year of preparation for the treatment he would face when he got to the Major Leagues, playing against white players, and in front of mostly white fans.
Doby, on the other hand, was playing with the Newark Eagles of the Negro League until July 2, 1947, when he signed with Cleveland. He made his Cleveland Indians debut three days later, on July 5 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, becoming the first player to go directly to the white Major Leagues from the Negro leagues.
Larry Doby
Doby came up as a 2nd baseman, but moved to center field in 1948, where he would eventually become a 7-time All Star.
He played with Cleveland from 1947 through 1955, then came back for one more year with the team in 1958.
Larry Doby
Larry Doby was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
Luke Easter
Luke Easter was best known for his powerful home runs, colloquially known as "Easter Eggs."
On July 18, 1948, while with the Homestead Grays, Easter became the first player to hit a home run into the center field bleachers at New York's Polo Grounds during game action, a drive estimated at 490 feet.
During his rookie season, he hit the longest home run in the history of Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, a 477-foot blast over the auxiliary scoreboard in right field. The only other player to match that feat was Mickey Mantle, who did it in 1960.
Cleveland Cubs
The Cleveland Cubs were a Negro League baseball team in Cleveland in 1931 and 1932. Even though they were hampered by disarray in the Negro Leagues and the crumbling economy, the Cubs managed the best record for a pre-World War II Cleveland Negro League team at 29 wins and 24 losses in 1931.
The team played a great deal of its games at Kinsman Hardware Field, a small venue that only held a few thousand fans.
The best player on their 1931 team was a pitcher named Satchel Paige, seen here. Paige had a 199 ERA+, a 0.908 WHIP, and averaged 4.5 strikeouts for every walk that season.
Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige was 41 years old (maybe???) when the Indians signed him in 1948. A lot of people thought it was a gimmick. A publicity stunt. That Paige was washed up, and Bill Veeck knew it, but he was trying to sell tickets to black fans in Cleveland. He wasn’t washed up, though, and became an integral part of Cleveland’s run to the World Series.
Larry Doby and Satchel Paige became the first African-American players to win a World Series championship when the Indians won in 1948.
Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige was inducted into the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame in 1965. His plaque, seen here, is on display at Progressive Field.
One Game Playoff
The 1948 American League tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to the 1948 regular season, played between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox to determine the winner of the American League pennant.
The game was played on October 4, 1948, at Fenway Park in Boston. It was necessary after both teams finished the season with identical win–loss records of 96–58. This was the first-ever one-game playoff in the AL, and the only one before 1969, when the leagues were split into divisions.
Cleveland Buckeyes
The Cleveland Buckeyes existed in an era of war and racial strife. Overshadowed by the Indians' title in 1948, the Buckeyes were a very prominent team in the Negro American League, having won a World Series in 1945. The decline of the Buckeyes was not a result of decreased competitive play on the field, but rather the integration of Major League Baseball.
Buy Stephanie Liscio’s book Integrating Cleveland Baseball HERE.
A Second Life
The original ticket office from League Park still stands, seen here at the corner of 66th and Lexington in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland.
The Baseball Heritage Museum now operates out of the ticket office building, and the renovated field has gotten a second life thanks to investments from the city.
Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame
In 1951, the Indians spent about $25,000 to design a special S-shaped room on the lower level of Cleveland Municipal Stadium which housed the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.
It was the vision of the team’s public relations director, Marshall Samuel, after visiting the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He convinced Indians’ vice president Nate Dolin to create a museum for their own team’s history.
Artifacts
A lot of the artifacts which were supposedly once in the team’s Hall of Fame were unfortunately lost, sold, or stolen over the years.
Inaugural Class
The inaugural class of the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 1951 included 10 former players: Shoeless Joe Jackson, Napoleon Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Cy Young, Earl Averill, Mel Harder, Ken Keltner, Steve O’Neill, Joe Sewell, and Hal Trosky.
Joe’s Clock
While Joe probably never had the chance to see it, the Indians did, indeed, send the clock to the Jacksons in recognition of Joe’s induction into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame.
This photo, from the Jackson family scrapbooks, shows where Katie kept the clock on their mantel.
Gone Without A Trace?
There are a handful of theories as to where some of the missing items may be. Unfortunately, we will most likely never know for sure, and the team will almost certainly never get them back.
Heritage Park at Progressive Field honors all the members of Cleveland’s Hall of Fame. Frank Robinson, MLB’s first ever Black manager, is the statue in the center of the plaza.
Larry Doby’s Contract
On July 5, 1947, Larry Doby and Indians Owner Bill Veeck met in the General Manager’s office at Comiskey Park to hammer out the details of Doby’s contract. For $5,000 and a promise of $1,000 more if he was still with the team 30 days after signing, Doby was officially a member of the Cleveland Indians.
The bat Babe Ruth was leaning on in the famous photo was actually Bob Feller’s bat.
2019 All-Star Game
The team also has a number of items from the 2019 All-Star Game and its festivities, which were held at Progressive Field.
1916 Uniform Numbers
On June 26, 1916, Indians management rolled out the new concept of numbered uniforms. The next day, The Plain Dealer recorded a brief mention of this historic event:
“An innovation was sprung by the management when the Indians appeared with numbers upon their sleeves such as are worn by the drivers of race horses. It was the carrying out of an idea by Vice President Robert McRoy, and will, it is expected, be adopted by the league. Graney for instance, is № 1; Turner, № 2; Speaker № 3; and so on.”
1921 Worlds Champions
In 1921, the Cleveland Indians wore "Worlds Champions" across their chests because they could — they won the World Series in 1920. Imagine the hubris it takes to wear that on the front of your jersey everyday.
Everyone says the reigning champs in any sport have a target on their back, but that's speaking figuratively. This is a target on the front.
The Indians finished 94-60 in 1921, good for second in the AL behind the Yanks at 98-55.
Ray Caldwell
“The bolts flashed here and there, causing much excitement,” Harry P. Edwards wrote in The Sporting News. “There was a blinding flash that seemed to set the diamond on fire and Caldwell was knocked flat from the shock of it.”
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Jeremy’s Podcast
1994 Indians
I’m in the middle row, kneeling, all the way on the right.
Matt Corning
A lifelong friend, I met Matt Corning on this Indians team.
What’s Going On With My Hat?
This was clearly before I knew how to properly curve a bill.
SABR’s Baseball Graves Map
Using data graciously provided by former SABR Director Fred Worth, the Baseball Graves Map contains burial locations of over 9,000 players, managers, owners, executives, and other significant figures from Major League Baseball, the Negro Leagues, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and more.
Cy Young Museum
Cy Young died in Newcomerstown, Ohio. At the Cy Young Museum in that town, you can see his shoes, his rocking chair, the last hat he wore, and a number of other pieces.
Cy Young is buried at this beautiful, yet nondescript, local cemetery.
Cy Young’s Grave
You can find Cy Young’s grave at New Peoli Cemetery in Peoli, Ohio, which is in Tuscarawas County.
Javan Emory
“Some photographs tell stories; others keep secrets.” This is a stunning example of an image that doesn’t immediately answer all of your questions. It was taken circa 1885 of catching phenom Javan Isaac Emory.
Javan Emory was a celebrated catcher at a time when catching was dangerous and required real courage. He often caught for celebrated Black pitcher George Stovey.
His capabilities as a catcher during an exhibition game for a National League “proved to be so threatening that Major league baseball drew the color line in direct response.”
Read Paul Reiferson’s essay, “He Wears The Mask”, originally published in the Southwest Review from Southern Methodist University, by CLICKING HERE.
You can listen to Episode 5 of Season 3 of My Baseball History to hear our conversation HERE.
Carl B. Stokes
Elected in 1967, Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes’ platform on the environment stressed a people-first approach that we now call environmental justice.
Stokes served as the 51st mayor of Cleveland, and was one of the first black elected mayors of a major U.S. city.
He is buried at the historic Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland.
Weird Moments In Cleveland Sports
Cleveland sports teams have set records for futility in baseball, football, and basketball. But even beyond that, Cleveland sports fans have witnessed more than their share of weird, wild, random, and odd occurrences, from front office ineptitude to absurd losses to bizarre injuries and more.
Vince Guerrieri’s book sheds light on them all.
You can buy it HERE.
Ray Chapman’s Funeral
This photo of the floral arrangements at Ray Chapman's Funeral was taken by Louis Van Oeyen.
The Pitch That Killed
Buy Mike Sowell’s fantastic book The Pitch That Killed: The Story of Carl Mays, Ray Chapman, and the Pennant Race of 1920 HERE.
Jack Graney
Jack Graney was named the winner of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2022 Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting. Graney was the first winner of the award to have been born in Canada.
Notice the glasses of water next to Jack on the table, like Jeremy mentioned during our conversation.
Panoramic photo from the Addie Joss benefit game played at League Park on July 24, 1911.
Jack & Larry
Look at the love between these two.
Bob Feller Museum
Van Meter, Iowa’s City Hall still displays certain artifacts and memorabilia from the Bob Feller Museum.
The display is available for public viewing at Van Meter City Hall, 310 Mill Street, during normal business hours, Monday through Thursday, 8am to 5pm and Friday 8am to 1pm.
Some of the items and displays at the Bob Feller Museum at Van Meter City Hall.
Buddy Holly Crash Site
Unlike the official "Day the Music Died" shrine at the nearby Surf Ballroom (where the trio played their last concert only a few hours earlier), the memorial at the crash site is strictly D.I.Y.
In fact, the site didn't even have a memorial until 1988, when music fan Ken Paquette made a stainless steel monument of a guitar and three records with the names of the three rockers. In 2009 he made a memorial for the pilot as well.
American Gothic
In 1930, Grant Wood took a tour of a small Iowa town and spotted a little white house with a large Gothic window. Inspired, Wood quickly sketched the house and returned home to Cedar Rapids to paint American Gothic.
The house still stands to this day and its exterior is viewed by thousands of people each year. The adjacent visitor center welcomes travelers from near and far and provides services for the site, including an exhibit gallery and a gift shop.
The barn next to the house where Bob Feller grew up. He supposedly learned how to pitch in this barn.
Feller Barn
Really cool to see the “Feller” sign still hanging after all these years.
Guardians
That’s Progressive Field in the background. The bridge leads you directly to it. It’s a very powerful thing.
Bob Busser
Bob Busser is an incredible ballpark and arena historian who has photographed hundreds of venues across North America over the past five decades.
Bob shot this photo of League Park on film in 1987. You can view the whole album HERE.
Bob Busser, Pt. 2
Bob Busser was the winner of the 2019 Tony Salin Award, which is given each year to recognize an individual for their commitment to the preservation of baseball history by the Baseball Reliquary.
Bob shot this photo of League Park on film in 1991, 1996, 2003, or 2005. You can view the whole album HERE.
Bob Busser, Pt. 3
Bob also has an album on his site of miscellaneous photos at/of League Park at varying stages in its history, including during and after demolition. This photo shows some of the seats along the first base line, with the right field wall and foul pole in the background.
You can view the whole album HERE.
Lost To The Sands Of Time
These photos are from the Opening Ceremony of the Cleveland Baseball Hall of Fame at Municipal Stadium on August 15, 1952.
Read Jacob Pomrenke’s article HERE.
Mickey Mantle’s Boyhood Home
Marketed as “an investment opportunity” to interested fans, Mickey Mantle’s boyhood home in Commerce, Oklahoma recently sold for $7 per share.
Hopefully one day someone with a vision can turn it into the Mickey Mantle Museum.
The Baseball Palace Of The World
Thanks to a loan from Charlie Somers, Charles Comiskey was able to build Comiskey Park for his White Sox.
The Chalmers Race of 1910
Lajoie and Cobb battled for the batting title in 1910. Here they are in 1911 with Shoeless Joe Jackson. Their stats in 1911? Lajoie had the "low" batting average of the group at .365, while Jackson set the MLB rookie record with a .408 average. Cobb led the Majors with a .419 average, 127 RBI, and 83 steals.
The Dutch Leonard Affair
A meaningless game at the end of the 1919 regular season almost cost Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker their careers, and their legacies.
Here they are in 1911, locked in as they study someone in the batting cage.
Brian Powers takes us on a virtual tour through a digitally recreated version of Cleveland’s League Park.
Shibe Park
The first steel and concrete stadium ever built, Shibe Park (later known as Connie Mack Stadium) in Philadelphia was a sight to behold.
Blueprints
Brian Powers of Bandbox Ballparks is able to do what he does only if he can get his hands on a full set of blueprints of the stadiums he’s trying to recreate.
To date, he has digitally recreated Comiskey Park, League Park, Crosley Field, and Ebbets Field.
The blueprints pictured here are from Comiskey.
Period Appropriate Decorations
Brian looks at old photos to make sure he’s decorating spaces accurately. Here is a later version of the Bard’s Room at Comiskey Park.
You can take a 360 degree tour of an earlier version, decorated appropriately for that era, HERE.
Tris Speaker
The Worlds Champion of recording unassisted double plays in Center Field.
Lou Boudreau Day
October 28, 1948 was Lou Boudreau Day in Harvey, Illinois, honoring the hometown hero for winning the 1948 World Series.
In this photo, Boudreau and Illinois Governor Dwight Green acknowledge the crowd as they drive down the street.
We should all be as lucky as Jeremy, to get to do something we’re passionate about.
Heritage Park
If you find yourself at the ballpark in Cleveland at some point, make sure you take a stroll through Heritage Park and look at all of the plaques.
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Our Team
In intimate, absorbing detail, Luke Epplin’s Our Team traces the story of the integration of the Cleveland Indians and their quest for a World Series title through four key participants:
Bill Veeck, an eccentric and visionary owner adept at exploding fireworks on and off the field;
Larry Doby, a soft-spoken, hard-hitting pioneer whose major-league breakthrough shattered stereotypes that so much of white America held about Black ballplayers;
Bob Feller, a pitching prodigy from the Iowa cornfields who set the template for the athlete as businessman;
and Satchel Paige, a legendary pitcher from the Negro Leagues whose belated entry into the majors whipped baseball fans across the country into a frenzy.
Buy it HERE.
Weird Moments In Cleveland Sports
Cleveland sports teams have set records for futility in baseball, football, and basketball. But even beyond that, Cleveland sports fans have witnessed more than their share of weird, wild, random, and odd occurrences, from front office ineptitude to absurd losses to bizarre injuries and more.
Vince Guerrieri’s book sheds light on them all.
You can buy it HERE.
You can also retweet the pinned tweet on the My Baseball History twitter profile for a chance to win a signed copy of either Luke’s book or Vince’s book, so do that, too! HERE!
Vintage Base Ball
Me and my mom at the 2021 Vintage Games in Royston, Georgia.
A Dream Come True
I’ve rented the field at League Park for the evening of Friday, July 26th, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. To fulfill a lifelong dream to play on the field at League Park, I will be throwing an 1860s style baseball game that evening which will start at 7:00 pm that night and be open to the public.
The National
The 44th National Sports Collectors Convention will be held at the I-X Center in Cleveland from July 24th through July 28th, 2024. Follow The National on twitter HERE.
If you’re planning on being in Cleveland for that, carve some time out of your Friday night plans to come watch my game at League Park.
Baseball Heritage Museum
Entrance to the game will be $10 per person, but that price will also get you free admission to the Baseball Heritage Museum, which operates out of the original ticket office at League Park. All proceeds from the game will be donated to the museum, as well.
Make a donation toward the game HERE.