The A-Paul-ling Cleveland Indians

TRIVIA QUESTION: In what year did the Cleveland Indians finally achieve a first place finish after finishing out of the race since 1954?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: When Reds slugger Tony Perez, who was born in Cuba, broke into the big leagues in 1964, he might have felt right at home in the clubhouse. Both Leo Cardenas and Chico Ruiz were on the club and both were also born in Cuba.

You can change or remake the club from one year to the next but it never guarantees a different outcome. Take the 1962 Cleveland Indians for instance. In 1962 Mel McGaha managed his team to an 80 win 6th place finish with a team which clubbed 180 home runs. In 1963 Birdie Tebbetts took over and with almost a completely different starting line-up, took the Indians to a 79-win, 5th place finish.

While many consider GM Gabe Paul a wise baseball man, the Indians never finished higher than third under his leadership and it didn't happen until 1968. Aside from that season, his clubs never ended up higher than 5th in the standings in Cleveland. Paul fought the good fight but it was almost always a losing battle.

As early as mid-August, the 1962 version was 15 games back of the leaders and would finish 16 back at the finish. The following year it only took Tebbetts' club until late July to fall to 15 back on it's way to a 25.5 games back season.

The 1962 team had nine players hit at least 10 homers, eight of them were starting players. The following year, the number fell to eight but only five of them were regulars in the line-up.

Johnny Romano led the 1962 Indians with 25 home runs. In 1963 he fractured a finger and was replaced in the line-up by Joe Azcue, limiting Romano's play at age 28. He did play in 89 games but only smacked 10 home runs. No one on the 1963 team came close to Romano's 25 dingers the previous season.

The club changed drastically. In 1962 the starting line-up mainly was Romano, Tito Francona, Jerry Kindall, Woodie Held, Bubba Phillips, Chuck Essegian (21 homers), Ty Cline and Willie Kirkland who shared the outfield with Al Luplow. The next season Fred Whitfield arrived to play first base moving Francona to the outfield where he replaced Essegian. Azcue did most of the catching, Larry Brown and Max Alvis took over the left side of the infield from Phillips and Held, and Vic Davalillo became the centerfielder. Kirkland continued to share time with Luplow. Cline was gone.

The really interesting thing about this club were the prospects and the pitching. Tommie Agee who would be the ROY with the White Sox in 1966 was on both clubs, but did not qualify for rookie status. The pitching staffs were loaded with guys who would make their marks with the Indians and in some cases other clubs.

While Sam McDowell and Gary Bell would remain Indian work horses, solid pitchers with the Indians who would become better known with other teams were plenty. Jim Perry, Mudcat Grant and Tommy John had better careers with other clubs.

Tommy John and Johnny Romano were eventually dealt to the White Sox along with Agee in a deal which brought Rocky Colavito to Cleveland in 1965. Bell would end up in Boston for Don Demeter and Tony Horton. Perry was dealt to the Twins during the 1963 season for Jack Kralick. For Perry, 163 of his 215 career wins came after leaving the Indians. Kralick would win 33 games in a Cleveland uniform before retiring in 1967. Grant of course with 21 victories, led the Twins to the 1965 pennant after being traded in 1964 for George Banks and Lee Stange. 

Gabe Paul is credited with fighting and maneuvering to keep the Indians in Cleveland. While his clubs were disastrous there, he finally became a winner in New York, leading a resurgence of the Yankees and winning the pennant and the World Series in 1977. He left the following season after battles with George Steinbrenner, ended up in Cleveland again (president and part owner) and went back to losing before calling it a career after the 1984 season. He died in 1998.

"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/
 
Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!! Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.     

Tony Perez Before the Big Red Machine

TRIVIA QUESTION: When Cuban born Tony Perez arrived with the Reds in 1964 there were two other players on the club who were also born in Cuba. Who were they?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: Bobby Richardson was the Yankee's lead off hitter for much of his career. During the 1960 World Series, when he was named the only Series MVP on a losing team, he only led off once in the seven game series. 

 You knew from Game One of the 1967 season, it was going to be Tony Perez's breakout year. He started off with a seven game hitting streak over the first eight games. He did not play in one of the eight. He was hitting .333 and the Cincinnati Reds were 6-2 to start the season off right. 

While Perez did most of his career damage with the group known as the Big Red Machine in the 1970's, the groundwork for that special group of guys was laid in the 1960's. The Cuban born Perez arrived in Cincinnati as a 22 year old kid in 1964. He got a real taste of the big leagues the following year sending 12 homers out of the park in 104 games while batting a respectable .260. His power fell off drastically in 1966 but when 1967 rolled around he was moved from first base to third and a star was born. 

 Typical of his '67 year was a game on May 5th at home against the Pirates. The two clubs battled into the 10th tied at 7-7. Perez had been a machine with three hits, three runs and an RBI. In the bottom of the 10th, facing Juan Pizarro with Tommy Harper at second and two out, Perez banged a double deep to the outfield and Harper came around to score the game winner. 

It was in the middle of a five game win streak while the Reds were winning nine of 11 and ran their record to 22-10. Before the season was over Perez breakout was complete. He hit 28 doubles, 26 homers and 102 RBI, while batting .290.

It was the first of his seven 100+ RBI seasons. Nine times Perez would hit 20 or more homers, topping the list with 40 in 1970, when the BRM was in full swing. Around him as part of that future squad in 1967 was Pete Rose and Lee May, Tommy Harper, Gary Nolan, Jim Maloney and a young kid who came up for a cup of coffee named Johnny Bench. 

Perez would play 23 years in the Bigs, finishing his final season at age 44. He left the Reds for the Expos, Red Sox and Phillies, but came back to play his final three seasons in the place he knew as home; Cincinnati. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000. Not bad for a kid from Cuba who grew up in a two bedroom home owned by the Sugar mill where his father, and he eventually would work before coming to the USA in 1960 under contract with the Reds.

"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/

Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!! Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.     

Bobby Richardson Class of AL Second Sackers

TRIVIA QUESTION: While Bobby Richardson was known for batting lead-off for the Yankees, he did NOT bat lead-off in every game of the 1960 Series. How many times did he bat first in the 1960 Series?

ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN: In the 1968 All-Star Game, Harmon Killebrew's career almost came to an end when a throw from shortstop to first caused the hulking first sacker to do a split. The injury limited him the rest of the year. The throw came from all-star shortstop, Jim Fregosi. 

He might be overlooked today but during the 12 seasons Bobby Richardson anchored second base for the New York Yankees, he was a town favorite. Overlooked perhaps because of Mantle, Maris, Berra and even Pepitone, the sterling defensive whiz had some solid years at the plate and even garnered fame with an award no one else of his stature ever got.

Richardson's career .266 BA belied his value and even his bat. Twice he hit .300 or better which for a lead off man who drew few walks, such an average was extremely important. Most years however he hovered around the .260 mark. He only smacked 34 homers in his career, but he did lead the league in hits with 209 in 1962. He also had 692 AB, one of three times he led the league in the category.

Of course with the team around him scoring so many runs so often, he had far more opportunities than most. However, it was in the post season where he excelled and especially in the strange 1960 Series against Pittsburgh.

The second baseman most noted for the series is Bill Mazeroski, whose walk off homer in Game 7 capped a wild set and sent the Yankees down to defeat. Maz could have easily been named MVP. He hit two key home runs in the seven games and played flawlessly at second. Richardson WAS named MVP.

Richardson was the only member of a World Series losing team to be named Most Valuable Player. He clubbed 11 hits and drove in a Series record 12 runs in the seven games. He also had 2 doubles, 2 triples and a home run while batting .367. Again it was the team around him giving him the opportunities because they scored 55 runs. Still, it was Richardson who drove in 12 of them and scored 8 in 30 AB's. 

The following year in the Yankees Series win against the Reds, he had 9 hits in the five game series and batted .391. In the 1964 Series which New York lost to St. Louis, he batted .401 with 13 hits in 32 AB. The Series went seven games. 

There would be no more post seasons for Richardson as New York began to slide. He'd retire after the 1966 season. Three times he led the AL in singles, twice in sacrifice bunts and three times striking out the fewest times per at bats. While Richardson never led the AL in fielding he often led in other defensive categories including four times being involved in double plays.

"NEW SPECIAL OFFER"
Need to get out of a baseball hitting slump, or a golf swing slump? Order my new book "Beating the Slump; An athlete's guide to a better career." See it on Amazon for only $5.99. That is for the Paperback, you can also order Kindle on that link. You can also order paperback copies directly from me via the email below for my other books.

You can get a signed paper back copy of the above book

"Tales of My Baseball Youth - a child of the sixties"

for $15 Shipping Included 

Use PayPal to brillpro@prodigy.net or contact us at the same email for other payment. 

Thank you to those of you who purchased my book after reading this column.

Also: Please check out our new Western Short Film. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/iron-gun-western-feature-film/#/
 
Please share this blog with your friends and colleagues and leave a comment at the bottom of the blog if you have one. Thank YOU VERY MUCH!! Please pick up a copy of my book "Tales of My Baseball Youth; A Child of the 60's" at www.bobbrillbooks.com, or on Amazon.