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101-628: The Green Sox franchise was ultimately forced out in Cleveland when the major league Cleveland Naps relocated their affiliate, the Toledo Mud Hens to Cleveland for the 1914 season and forced the Federal League to forfeit the team in Cleveland. In 1912, baseball promoter John T. Powers formed an independent professional league known as the Columbian League . However, the withdrawal of one of

202-523: A 20,000 seat football field called the "Luna Bowl" and a baseball field. After the Green Sox, Negro league baseball teams Cleveland Stars (1932), Cleveland Giants (1933), and Cleveland Red Sox (1934) also played at Luna Park. The short lived 1912 Cleveland Forest City club of the United States Baseball League had used Luna Park the year before the Green Sox. Luna Park was located on

303-672: A 35-acre site bordered by Woodhill Road, East 110th Street, Woodland Avenue, and Ingersoll Avenue. Luna Park was greatly affected by the depression and prohibition, closing in 1938. Later, the site became home of the Woodhill Homes housing development, which was built in stages in the 1940's and still exists today. Cleveland Naps The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland . The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as

404-527: A Federal League franchise fee were major financial obstacles. After the 1913 season, Cleveland did not return for the Federal League's 1914 season. Besides finances, a final factor was another team coming to Cleveland for the 1914 season. On February 16, 1914, Cleveland Naps owner Charles Somers formally announced that the minor league Toledo Mud Hens of the American Association (owned by Somers) were relocating to Cleveland to share League Park with

505-699: A Major League baseball game. On October 10, 1948, Game 5 of the World Series against the Boston Braves drew over 84,000. The record stood until the Los Angeles Dodgers drew a crowd in excess of 92,500 to watch Game 5 of the 1959 World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox . Under Veeck's leadership, one of Cleveland's most significant achievements

606-513: A member club of the American League (AL) Central Division . Since 1994 , the team has played its home games at Progressive Field (originally known as Jacobs Field after the team's then-owner). Since their establishment as a Major League franchise in 1901, the team has won 12 Central Division titles, six American League pennants , and two World Series championships (in 1920 and 1948 ). The team's World Series championship drought since 1948

707-470: A number of players who made no impact. League Park Cleveland Tigers ( OL / NFL ) 1916–1922 Cleveland Indians/Bulldogs ( NFL ) 1924–1927 Cleveland Rams ( NFL ) 1937, 1942, 1944–1945 Western Reserve Red Cats ( NCAA ) 1929–1932, 1934–1941, 1947–1949 League Park was a baseball park located in Cleveland , Ohio, United States. It was situated at the northeast corner of Dunham Street (now known as East 66th Street) and Lexington Avenue in

808-517: A power in the league. In 1891, the Spiders moved into League Park , which would serve as the home of Cleveland professional baseball for the next 55 years. Led by native Ohioan Cy Young , the Spiders became a contender in the mid-1890s, playing in the Temple Cup Series (that era's World Series) twice and winning it in 1895. The team began to fade after this success, and was dealt a severe blow under

909-459: A powerhouse Perfectos team, as St. Louis finished fifth in both 1899 and 1900 . The Spiders were left with essentially a minor league lineup, and began to lose games at a record pace. Drawing almost no fans at home, they ended up playing most of their season on the road, and became known as "The Wanderers". The team ended the season in 12th place, 84 games out of first place, with an all-time worst record of 20–134 (.130 winning percentage). Following

1010-450: A single game and went on to lead the league in strikeouts from 1938 to 1941. On August 20, 1938, Indians catchers Hank Helf and Frank Pytlak set the "all-time altitude mark" by catching baseballs dropped from the 708-foot (216 m) Terminal Tower . By 1940 , Feller, along with Ken Keltner , Mel Harder and Lou Boudreau , led the Indians to within one game of the pennant. However,

1111-582: A unique trade of managers in mid-season 1960, sending Joe Gordon to the Tigers in exchange for Jimmy Dykes . Lane left the team in 1961, but ill-advised trades continued. In 1965, the Indians traded pitcher Tommy John , who would go on to win 288 games in his career, and 1966 Rookie of the Year Tommy Agee to the White Sox to get Colavito back. However, Indians' pitchers set numerous strikeout records. They led

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1212-518: A wealthy industrialist and also co-owner of the Boston Americans , lent money to other team owners, including Connie Mack 's Philadelphia Athletics , to keep them and the new league afloat. Players did not think the name "Bluebirds" was suitable for a baseball team. Writers frequently shortened it to Cleveland Blues due to the players' all-blue uniforms, but the players did not like this unofficial name either. The players themselves tried to change

1313-529: A young team and a new manager; Roger Peckinpaugh had replaced the despised Vitt; but the team regressed, finishing in fourth. Cleveland would soon be depleted of two stars. Hal Trosky retired in 1941 due to migraine headaches and Bob Feller enlisted in the Navy two days after the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Starting third baseman Ken Keltner and outfielder Ray Mack were both drafted in 1945 taking two more starters out of

1414-617: Is still an American League record. The Indians returned to the World Series to face the New York Giants . The team could not bring home the title, however, ultimately being upset by the Giants in a sweep. The series was notable for Willie Mays ' over-the-shoulder catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in Game 1. Cleveland remained a talented team throughout the remainder of the decade, finishing in second place in 1959, George Strickland 's last full year in

1515-530: Is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams. The team's name references the Guardians of Traffic , eight monolithic 1932 Art Deco sculptures by Henry Hering on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge , which is adjacent to Progressive Field. The team's mascot is named "Slider". The team's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona . The franchise originated in 1894 as

1616-459: The 1933 season , the Indians played at the new and far larger Cleveland Stadium . However, the players and fans complained about the huge outfield, which reduced the number of home runs. Moreover, as the Great Depression worsened, attendance at the stadium plummeted. After the 1933 season, the Indians exercised their escape clause in the lease at the stadium and returned to League Park for

1717-470: The 1934 season . The Indians played all home games at League Park for the 1934 and 1935 seasons, and played one home game at Cleveland Stadium in 1936 as part of the Great Lakes Exposition . In 1937, the Indians began splitting their schedule between the two parks, playing Sunday and holiday games at the stadium during the summer and the remainder at League Park, adding selected important games to

1818-526: The 1946 season . The final Indians game at League Park was played on Saturday, September 21, a 5–3 loss in 11 innings to the Detroit Tigers in front of 2,772 fans. League Park became the last stadium used in Major League Baseball never to install permanent lights. The Indians continued to own League Park until March 1950 when they sold it to the city of Cleveland for $ 150,000. After the demise of

1919-643: The Bearcats , then the Spiders , reviving the old National League club's name. The Indians hosted games four through seven of the 1920 World Series at League Park. The series, won by the Indians five games to two, was notable as the first championship in franchise history, as well as for game five, which featured the first grand slam in World Series history and the only unassisted triple play in postseason history. In 1921, team owner "Sunny" Jim Dunn , who had purchased

2020-516: The Brooklyn Robins 5–2 in the World Series for their first title, winning four games in a row after the Robins took a 2–1 Series lead. The Series included three memorable "firsts", all of them in Game 5 at Cleveland, and all by the home team. In the first inning, right fielder Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam. In the fourth inning, Jim Bagby hit the first Series home run by a pitcher. In

2121-547: The Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League during the 1950 season , League Park was no longer used as a regular sports venue. Most of the structure was demolished in 1951 by the city to convert the facility for use by local amateur teams and recreation and to prevent any competition with Cleveland Stadium. The lower deck seating between first base and third base remained, as did the Indians' clubhouse under

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2222-563: The Cy Young Award . The Green Sox' franchise owner was Matthew Bramley, who was president of the local Cleveland Trinidad Paving Company, which at the time was the largest paving company in the world. The league played a 120-game inaugural season. The Cleveland Green Sox hosted the very first Federal League game. The Federal League opener was held at Cleveland's Luna Park against the Covington Blue Sox . In their only season of play,

2323-464: The Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn just before Opening Day in 1960 . It was a blockbuster trade that swapped the 1959 AL home run co-champion (Colavito) for the AL batting champion (Kuenn). After the trade, however, Colavito hit over 30 home runs four times and made three All-Star teams for Detroit and Kansas City before returning to Cleveland in 1965 . Kuenn, on the other hand, played only one season for

2424-699: The Grand Rapids Rustlers , a minor league team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan , that played in the Western League . The team relocated to Cleveland in 1900 and was called the Cleveland Lake Shores . The Western League itself was renamed the American League prior to the 1900 season while continuing its minor league status. When the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, Cleveland

2525-649: The Hough neighborhood. It was built in 1891 as a wood structure and rebuilt using concrete and steel in 1910. The park was home to a number of professional sports teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball . League Park was first home to the Cleveland Spiders of the National League from 1891 to 1899 and of the Cleveland Lake Shores of the Western League , the minor league predecessor to

2626-641: The Mid-American Conference from 1947 to 1949. Western Reserve played many of its major college football games at League Park, including against the Ohio State Buckeyes , Pittsburgh Panthers , West Virginia Mountaineers , and Cincinnati Bearcats . Western Reserve and Case Tech often showcased their annual Thanksgiving Day rivalry game against one another, as well as playing other Big Four Conference games against John Carroll and Baldwin-Wallace . The final football game played at League Park

2727-458: The National League in 1889. Team owner Frank Robison chose the site for the new park, at the corner of Lexington Avenue and Dunham Street, later renamed East 66th Street, in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood , because it was along the streetcar line he owned. The park opened May 1, 1891, with 9,000 wooden seats, in a game against the Cincinnati Reds . The first pitch was made by Cy Young , and

2828-507: The "Clown Prince of Baseball" as a coach. Patkin's appearance in the coaching box was the sort of promotional stunt that delighted fans but infuriated the American League front office. Recognizing that he had acquired a solid team, Veeck soon abandoned the aging, small and lightless League Park to take up full-time residence in massive Cleveland Municipal Stadium . The Indians had briefly moved from League Park to Municipal Stadium in mid-1932, but moved back to League Park due to complaints about

2929-601: The 1899 season, the National League disbanded four teams, including the Spiders franchise. The disastrous 1899 season would actually be a step toward a new future for Cleveland fans the next year. The Cleveland Infants competed in the Players' League , which was well-attended in some cities, but club owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season. The Cleveland Infants finished with 55 wins and 75 losses, playing their home games at Brotherhood Park . The origins of

3030-525: The 1913 Cleveland Green Sox finished in second place in the six–team Federal League standings. Cleveland ended the season with a 64–54 record, finishing 10.0 games behind the first place Indianapolis Hoosiers. The league held no playoffs. For the 46–year–old Cy Young, the 1913 season was his final managing position after a 511-win pitching career. During the 1913 Federal League season, Gilmore replaced Powers as league president. The Federal League franchises, Cleveland included, were struggling financially and there

3131-595: The 1920s and 1930s, as well as for college football . Most notably, the Cleveland Rams of the NFL played at League Park in 1937 and for much of the early 1940s. Later in the 1940s, the Cleveland Browns used League Park as a practice field. The Western Reserve Red Cats college football team from Western Reserve University played a majority of homes games at League Park from 1929 to 1941, and all home games after joining

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3232-480: The A's after his contract was capped at $ 2,400 per year—one of the highest-profile players to jump to the upstart AL. The Phillies subsequently filed an injunction to force Lajoie's return, which was granted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court . The injunction appeared to doom any hopes of an early settlement between the warring leagues. However, a lawyer discovered that the injunction was only enforceable in

3333-459: The A's. With Lajoie gone, the club needed a new name. Somers asked the local baseball writers to come up with a new name, and based on their input, the team was renamed the Cleveland Indians. The name referred to the nickname "Indians" that was applied to the Cleveland Spiders baseball club during the time when Louis Sockalexis , a Native American , played in Cleveland (1897–1899). At

3434-463: The AL in runs, home runs, RBIs (for the second year in a row), and slugging percentage, and coming in second by one point in batting average. Ryan was forced out in 1953 in favor of Myron Wilson, who in turn gave way to William Daley in 1956 . Despite this turnover in the ownership, a powerhouse team composed of Feller, Doby, Minnie Miñoso , Luke Easter , Bobby Ávila , Al Rosen , Early Wynn , Bob Lemon , and Mike Garcia continued to contend through

3535-519: The Chicago owner suspended eight players. The White Sox lost two of three in their final series, while Cleveland won four and lost two in their final two series. Cleveland finished two games ahead of Chicago and three games ahead of the Yankees to win its first pennant, led by Speaker's .388 hitting, Jim Bagby's 30 victories and solid performances from Steve O'Neill and Stan Coveleski. Cleveland went on to defeat

3636-528: The Cleveland Guardians date back to 1894, when the team was founded as the Grand Rapids Rustlers , a team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and competing in the Western League . In 1900, the team moved to Cleveland and was named the Cleveland Lake Shores. Around the same time Ban Johnson changed the name of his minor league (Western League) to the American League. In 1900 the American League

3737-469: The Cleveland Naps. This move was made by Somers to compete with the Federal League potential presence in Cleveland. With the new Cleveland Spiders being established as the second team in Cleveland, Bramley and the Federal League folded the 1914 Cleveland Green Sox franchise. The Green Sox were subsequently sold to Bernard Hepburn , who moved the franchise to Toronto, Ontario . There, the franchise became

3838-426: The Federal League was called an "outlaw league" by its competitors. The Federal League's "outlaw" status allowed it to recruit players from established clubs, and it attracted many current and former players from the major as well as minor leagues. Powers initially served as president, but he was soon replaced by James A. Gilmore . The 1913 Federal League began play as a six–team minor league . The Cleveland franchise

3939-443: The Indians before departing for San Francisco in a trade for an aging Johnny Antonelli and Willie Kirkland . Akron Beacon Journal columnist Terry Pluto documented the decades of woe that followed the trade in his book The Curse of Rocky Colavito . Despite being attached to the curse, Colavito said that he never placed a curse on the Indians but that the trade was prompted by a salary dispute with Lane. Lane also engineered

4040-481: The Indians defeated the Boston Braves four games to two for their first championship in 28 years. Boudreau won the American League MVP Award . The Indians appeared in a film the following year titled The Kid From Cleveland , in which Veeck had an interest. The film portrayed the team helping out a "troubled teenaged fan" and featured many members of the Indians organization. However, filming during

4141-496: The Indians, in 1900. From 1914 to 1915, League Park also hosted the Cleveland Spiders of the minor league American Association . In the 1940s, the park was also the home field of the Cleveland Buckeyes of the Negro American League . In addition to baseball, League Park was also used for American football , serving as the home field for several successive teams in the Ohio League and early National Football League (NFL) during

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4242-556: The League Park structure was demolished in 1951, although some remnants still remain, including the original ticket office built in 1909. After extensive renovation, the site was rededicated on August 23, 2014, as the Baseball Heritage Museum and Fannie Lewis Community Park at League Park. League Park was built for the Cleveland Spiders , who were founded in 1887 and played first in the American Association before joining

4343-513: The Maris trade, Lane acquired 25-year-old Norm Cash from the White Sox for Minnie Miñoso and then traded him to Detroit before he ever played a game for the Indians; Cash went on to hit over 350 home runs for the Tigers. The Indians received Steve Demeter in the deal, who had only five at-bats for Cleveland. In 1960, Lane made the trade that would define his tenure in Cleveland when he dealt slugging right fielder and fan favorite Rocky Colavito to

4444-436: The Spiders season was so poor they drew only 6,088 fans for their entire home season—an average of only 145 per game—and were forced to play 112 of their 154 games on the road as the other NL teams deemed it pointless to travel to Cleveland's League Park, since their cut of the ticket revenue would not come close to covering their travel and hotel expenses. The team was contracted by the National League after 1899, being replaced

4545-607: The Spiders won 12–3. During their tenure, the Spiders finished as high as 2nd place in the NL in 1892, 1895, and 1896, and won the Temple Cup , an early version of the modern National League Championship Series , in 1895. During the 1899 season , however, the Spiders had most of their best players stripped from the roster and sent to St. Louis by their owners, who had purchased the St. Louis Browns that year. Consequently, Cleveland finished 20–134, and

4646-609: The Toronto Beavers playing in the 1914 Class B level Canadian League . The Federal League played as an eight–team major league in 1914, before permanently folding after the 1915 season amidst an antitrust lawsuit that eventually went to the Supreme Court of the United States . The 1913 Cleveland Green Sox reportedly played home games at Luna Park . Luna Park had been owned since 1908 by Green Sox owner Matthew Bramley. Luna Park

4747-616: The UA after being offered higher salaries. The Cleveland Blues merged with the St. Louis Maroons UA team in 1885. Cleveland went without major league baseball for two seasons until gaining a team in the American Association (AA) in 1887. After the AA's Pittsburgh Alleghenys jumped to the NL, Cleveland followed suit in 1889, as the AA began to crumble. The Cleveland ball club, called the Spiders (supposedly inspired by their "skinny and spindly" players), slowly became

4848-504: The ball over a 40-foot (12 m) fence to get a home run (by comparison, the Green Monster at Fenway Park is 37 feet (11 m) high). It was essentially rebuilt prior to the 1910 season , with concrete and steel double-decker grandstands , expanding the seating capacity to 21,414. The design work was completed by Osborn Architects & Engineers , a local architecture firm that would go on to design several iconic ballparks over

4949-445: The block, was slightly tilted counterclockwise, making right field not quite as easy a target as Baker Bowl 's right field (which had a 60-foot (18 m) wall), for example. Currently the site is a public park. A small section of the exterior brick facade (along the first-base side) still stands, as well as the old ticket office behind what was the right field corner. The last remnant of the grandstand, crumbling and presumably unsafe,

5050-419: The cavernous environment. From 1937 onward, however, the Indians began playing an increasing number of games at Municipal, until by 1940 they played most of their home slate there. League Park was mostly demolished in 1951, but has since been rebuilt as a recreational park. Making the most of the cavernous stadium, Veeck had a portable center field fence installed, which he could move in or out depending on how

5151-521: The city gained an NL team. A new Cleveland Forest Citys were recreated, but by 1882 were known as the Cleveland Blues , because the National League required distinct colors for that season. The Blues had mediocre records for six seasons and were ruined by a trade war with the Union Association (UA) in 1884, when its three best players ( Fred Dunlap , Jack Glasscock , and Jim McCormick ) jumped to

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5252-416: The decade in last place. In 1927 Dunn's widow, Mrs. George Pross (Dunn had died in 1922), sold the team to a syndicate headed by Alva Bradley . The Indians were a middling team by the 1930s, finishing third or fourth most years. 1936 brought Cleveland a new superstar in 17-year-old pitcher Bob Feller , who came from Iowa with a dominating fastball . That season, Feller set a record with 17 strikeouts in

5353-402: The distance favored the Indians against their opponents in a given series. The fence moved as much as 15 feet (5 m) between series opponents. Following the 1947 season, the American League countered with a rule change that fixed the distance of an outfield wall for the duration of a season. The massive stadium did, however, permit the Indians to set the then-record for the largest crowd to see

5454-615: The early 1950s. However, Cleveland only won a single pennant in the decade, in 1954, finishing second to the New York Yankees five times. The winningest season in franchise history came in 1954, when the Indians finished the season with a record of 111–43 (.721). That mark set an American League record for wins that stood for 44 years until the Yankees won 114 games in 1998 (a 162-game regular season). The Indians' 1954 winning percentage of .721

5555-557: The groundbreaking of the League Park restoration. The project included a museum, a restoration of the ball field, and a community park featuring pavilions and walking trails. The community park was dedicated in September 2013 as the Fannie M. Lewis Community Park at League Park. Lewis was a city councilwoman who encouraged League Park's restoration. Restoration was completed in 2014, and League Park reopened August 23 of that year. As part of

5656-455: The joy of the crowd, they were unsuccessful." From 1865 to 1868 Forest Citys was an amateur ball club. During the 1869 season , Cleveland was among several cities that established professional baseball teams following the success of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings , the first fully professional team. In the newspapers before and after 1870, the team was often called the Forest Citys , in

5757-472: The league in K's every year from 1963 to 1968, and narrowly missed in 1969. The 1964 staff was the first to amass 1,100 strikeouts, and in 1968, they were the first to collect more strikeouts than hits allowed. The 1970s were not much better, with the Indians trading away several future stars, including Graig Nettles , Dennis Eckersley , Buddy Bell and 1971 Rookie of the Year Chris Chambliss , for

5858-483: The lineup. In 1946 , Bill Veeck formed an investment group that purchased the Cleveland Indians from Bradley's group for a reported $ 1.6 million. Among the investors was Bob Hope , who had grown up in Cleveland, and former Tigers slugger, Hank Greenberg . A former owner of a minor league franchise in Milwaukee, Veeck brought to Cleveland a gift for promotion. At one point, Veeck hired rubber-faced Max Patkin ,

5959-429: The majors. From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third-place finish (in 1968) and six fourth-place finishes (in 1960, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings, including four seasons with over 100 losses (1971, 1985, 1987, 1991). The Indians hired general manager Frank Lane , known as "Trader" Lane, away from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Lane over

6060-594: The name Cleveland Indians . That name stuck and remained in use for more than a century. Common nicknames for the Indians were "the Tribe" and "the Wahoos", the latter referencing their longtime logo, Chief Wahoo . After the Indians name came under criticism as part of the Native American mascot controversy , the team adopted the current name (Guardians) following the 2021 season . From August 24 to September 14, 2017,

6161-530: The name to Cleveland Bronchos in 1902 , but this name never caught on. Cleveland suffered from financial problems in their first two seasons. This led Somers to seriously consider moving to either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati . Relief came in 1902 as a result of the conflict between the National and American Leagues. In 1901, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie , the Philadelphia Phillies ' star second baseman, jumped to

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6262-459: The next decade. One reporter referred to the team as the Napkins, "because they fold up so easily". The team hit bottom in 1914 and 1915, finishing last place both years. 1915 brought significant changes to the team. Lajoie, nearly 40 years old, was no longer a top hitter in the league, batting only .258 in 1914. With Lajoie engaged in a feud with manager Joe Birmingham , the team sold Lajoie back to

6363-513: The next three years, including Comiskey Park , the Polo Grounds , Tiger Stadium , and Fenway Park . The front edges of the upper and lower decks were vertically aligned, bringing the up-front rows in the upper deck closer to the action, but those in back could not see much of foul territory. The fence was reconfigured, bringing the left field fence in 10 feet closer (375 feet (114 m)) and center field fence in 40 feet (420 feet (130 m));

6464-487: The next year by the Cleveland Lake Shores, then a minor league team in the American League . The American League declared itself a major league after the 1900 season and the Cleveland franchise, initially called the Blues, was a charter member for the 1901 season. The park was rebuilt for the 1910 season as a concrete-and-steel stadium, one of two to open that year in the American League, the other being Comiskey Park . The new park seated over 18,000 people, more than double

6565-456: The organization's primary investors caused the league to fail before ever playing a game. Undaunted, Powers tried again the following year, creating a new league with teams in Chicago , Cleveland , Pittsburgh , Indianapolis , St. Louis , and Covington, Kentucky . He named the organization the Federal League, and served as its first president. Because it did not abide by the National Agreement on player payment in place in organized baseball ,

6666-474: The ownership of the Robison brothers . Prior to the 1899 season, Frank Robison, the Spiders' owner, bought the St. Louis Browns , thus owning two clubs at the same time. The Browns were renamed the "Perfectos", and restocked with Cleveland talent. Just weeks before the season opener, most of the better Spiders were transferred to St. Louis, including three future Hall of Famers: Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace . The roster maneuvers failed to create

6767-413: The renovation, the Baseball Heritage Museum , housing artifacts from baseball history as well as many specifically from the history of League Park, was relocated from downtown Cleveland to the restored ticket house. Historic events that took place at League Park include the following: * Primary team: Cleveland Spiders †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used

6868-414: The right field fence remained at 290 feet (88 m). Batters still had to surmount a 40-foot (12 m) fence to hit home runs. The fence in left field was only five feet tall, but batters had to hit the ball 375 feet (114 m) down the line to hit a home run, and it was fully 460 feet (140 m) to the scoreboard in the deepest part of center field. The diamond, situated in the northwest corner of

6969-432: The same generic way that the team from Chicago was sometimes called The Chicagos. In 1871 the Forest Citys joined the new National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), the first professional league. Ultimately, two of the league's western clubs went out of business during the first season and the Chicago Fire left that city's White Stockings impoverished, unable to field a team again until 1874. Cleveland

7070-413: The same position of having to share their market. The Green Sox ended 1913 with financial losses. Cleveland Green Sox owner Matthew Bramley had plans for the 1914 Cleveland Green Sox that never materialized. Bramley had an option for a piece of property on Euclid Avenue between East 47th and East 49th streets as a site for a new ballpark. But the financial obligations of building a new stadium, coupled with

7171-613: The same time, Somers' business ventures began to fail, leaving him deeply in debt. With the Indians playing poorly, attendance and revenue suffered. Somers decided to trade Jackson midway through the 1915 season for two players and $ 31,500, one of the largest sums paid for a player at the time. By 1916, Somers was at the end of his tether, and sold the team to a syndicate headed by Chicago railroad contractor James C. "Jack" Dunn . Manager Lee Fohl, who had taken over in early 1915, acquired two minor league pitchers, Stan Coveleski and Jim Bagby and traded for center fielder Tris Speaker , who

7272-459: The season cost the players valuable rest days leading to fatigue towards the end of the season. That season, Cleveland again contended before falling to third place. On September 23, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Indians buried their 1948 pennant in center field the day after they were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race. Later in 1949, Veeck's first wife (who had a half-stake in Veeck's share of

7373-547: The seating capacity of its predecessor. It opened April 21, 1910, with a 5–0 loss to the Detroit Tigers in front of 18,832 fans in a game started by pitcher Cy Young. During 1914 to 1915, the Toledo Mud Hens of the minor league American Association were temporarily moved to League Park, to discourage the Federal League from trying to place a franchise in Cleveland. During their two-year stay, they were initially known as

7474-650: The stadium schedule in 1938. Lights were never installed at League Park, and thus no major league night games were played there. However, at least one professional night game was played on July 27, 1931, between the Homestead Grays and the House of David , who borrowed the portable lighting system used by the Kansas City Monarchs . In 1940 and from 1942 on, the Indians played the majority of their home schedule at Cleveland Stadium, abandoning League Park entirely after

7575-464: The state of Pennsylvania. Mack, partly to thank Somers for his past financial support, agreed to trade Lajoie to the then-moribund Blues, who offered $ 25,000 salary over three years. Due to the injunction, however, Lajoie had to sit out any games played against the A's in Philadelphia. Lajoie arrived in Cleveland on June 4 and was an immediate hit, drawing 10,000 fans to League Park. Soon afterward, he

7676-519: The stretch run of the pennant race, Veeck turned to the Negro leagues again and signed pitching great Satchel Paige amid much controversy. Barred from Major League Baseball during his prime, Veeck's signing of the aging star in 1948 was viewed by many as another publicity stunt. At an official age of 42, Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League baseball history, and the first black pitcher. Paige ended

7777-403: The team began to unravel, leading Kilfoyl to sell his share of the team to Somers. Cy Young , who returned to Cleveland in 1909, was ineffective for most of his three remaining years and Addie Joss died from tubercular meningitis prior to the 1911 season. Despite a strong lineup anchored by the potent Lajoie and Shoeless Joe Jackson , poor pitching kept the team below third place for most of

7878-434: The team in 1916, renamed the park Dunn Field . When Dunn died in 1922, his wife inherited the ballpark and the team. When Dunn's widow, by then known as Mrs. George Pross, sold the franchise in 1927 for $ 1 million to a group headed by Alva Bradley , the name reverted to the more prosaic "League Park" (there were a number of professional teams' parks generically called "league park" at the time). From July 31, 1932, through

7979-549: The team was wracked with dissension, with some players (including Feller and Mel Harder) going so far as to request that Bradley fire manager Ossie Vitt . Reporters lampooned them as the Cleveland Crybabies. Feller, who had pitched a no-hitter to open the season and won 27 games, lost the final game of the season to unknown pitcher Floyd Giebell of the Detroit Tigers . The Tigers won the pennant and Giebell never won another major league game. Cleveland entered 1941 with

8080-440: The team won 22 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in American League history and the second longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history. As of the end of the 2024 season, the franchise's overall record is 9,852–9,369 (.513). According to one historian of baseball, "in 1857, baseball games were a daily spectacle in Cleveland's Public Squares. City authorities tried to find an ordinance forbidding it; to

8181-539: The team) divorced him. With most of his money tied up in the Indians, Veeck was forced to sell the team to a syndicate headed by insurance magnate Ellis Ryan. In 1953 , Al Rosen was an All Star for the second year in a row, was named The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote playing for the Indians after leading

8282-416: The third base stands. The Cleveland Browns began using League Park as a practice field in 1952, including the former clubhouse, until 1965. All of the remaining seating areas were removed in 1961 except for the area above the former clubhouse, which was finally torn down in 2002. When it originally opened in 1891, it had 9,000 wooden seats. A single deck grandstand was behind homeplate, a covered pavilion

8383-462: The time were locked in a tight three-way pennant race with the Yankees and White Sox , were not slowed down by the death of their teammate. Rookie Joe Sewell hit .329 after replacing Chapman in the lineup. In September 1920, the Black Sox Scandal came to a boil. With just a few games left in the season, and Cleveland and Chicago neck-and-neck for first place at 94–54 and 95–56 respectively,

8484-431: The top of the fifth inning, second baseman Bill Wambsganss executed the first (and only, so far) unassisted triple play in World Series history, in fact, the only Series triple play of any kind. The team would not reach the heights of 1920 again for 28 years. Speaker and Coveleski were aging and the Yankees were rising with a new weapon: Babe Ruth and the home run. They managed two second-place finishes but spent much of

8585-455: The year with a 6–1 record with a 2.48 ERA, 45 strikeouts and two shutouts. In 1948 , veterans Boudreau, Keltner, and Joe Gordon had career offensive seasons, while newcomers Doby and Gene Bearden also had standout seasons. The team went down to the wire with the Boston Red Sox , winning a one-game playoff, the first in American League history, to go to the World Series . In the series,

8686-402: The years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals. With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years. In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded away Red Schoendienst and Harvey Haddix . Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he did not make. One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland

8787-399: Was a 30–0 victory by Western Reserve University over rival Case Tech on Nov 24, 1949. Although Cleveland Stadium opened in 1932 and had a much larger seating capacity and better access by car, League Park continued to be used by the Indians through the 1946 season, mainly for weekday games. Weekend games, games expecting larger crowds, and night games were held at Cleveland Stadium. Most of

8888-428: Was a misshapen, earth-colored ball that traveled through the air erratically, tended to soften in the later innings, and as it came over the plate, was very hard to see." In any case, Chapman did not move reflexively when Mays' pitch came his way. The pitch hit Chapman in the head, fracturing his skull. Chapman died the next day, becoming the only player to sustain a fatal injury from a pitched ball. The Indians, who at

8989-419: Was along the first base line, and bleachers were located at various other places in the park. The ballpark was configured to fit into the Cleveland street grid, which contorted the dimensions into a rather odd rectangular shape by modern standards. The fence in left field was 385 feet (117 m), 460 feet (140 m) away in center, and 290 feet (88 m) down the right field foul line. Batters had to hit

9090-402: Was also late in the afternoon and the infield was completely shaded with the center field area (the batters' background) bathed in sunlight. As well, at the time, "part of every pitcher's job was to dirty up a new ball the moment it was thrown onto the field. By turns, they smeared it with dirt, licorice, tobacco juice; it was deliberately scuffed, sandpapered, scarred, cut, even spiked. The result

9191-538: Was an amusement park and sports facility that was located on the east side of Cleveland in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. Luna Park opened in 1904. There was a chain of Luna Park amusement parks throughout the country, all built and opened by Frederick Ingersoll , owner of the Ingersoll Construction Company. Bramley purchased Luna Park from Frederick Ingersoll. The Cleveland Luna Park grew to include

9292-546: Was breaking the color barrier in the American League by signing Larry Doby , formerly a player for the Negro league's Newark Eagles in 1947 , 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers . Similar to Robinson, Doby battled racism on and off the field but posted a .301 batting average in 1948, his first full season. A power-hitting center fielder, Doby led the American League twice in homers. In 1948, needing pitching for

9393-406: Was consideration given to folding the league. Gilmore convinced the league owners to continue the 1913 league and to play again in 1914. Gilmore aligned the Federal League with wealthy owners in Chicago, St. Louis and Brooklyn, but Cleveland was struggling being in the same city with the major league Cleveland Naps. Three other original Federal League franchises (St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Chicago) were in

9494-567: Was engaged in a salary dispute with the Red Sox . All three would ultimately become key players in bringing a championship to Cleveland. Speaker took over the reins as player-manager in 1919 , and led the team to a championship in 1920. On August 16, 1920, the Indians were playing the Yankees at the Polo Grounds in New York. Shortstop Ray Chapman , who often crowded the plate, was batting against Carl Mays , who had an unusual underhand delivery. It

9595-468: Was named team captain, and in 1903 the team was called the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps after a newspaper conducted a write-in contest. Lajoie was named manager in 1905 , and the team's fortunes improved somewhat. They finished half a game short of the pennant in 1908. However, the success did not last and Lajoie resigned during the 1909 season as manager but remained on as a player. After that,

9696-494: Was named the Green Sox. Cleveland joined the Chicago Whales , Covington Blue Sox , Indianapolis Hoosiers , Pittsburgh Filipinos and St. Louis Terriers in beginning Federal League play on May 4, 1913. The Cleveland Green Sox became the second baseball team in Cleveland, behind the American League 's Cleveland Naps, today's Cleveland Guardians . The 1913 Green Sox were managed by the legendary pitcher Cy Young , namesake of

9797-603: Was one of its eight charter franchises. Originally called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues , the team was also unofficially called the Cleveland Bronchos in 1902. Beginning in 1903, the team was named the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps , after team captain and manager Nap Lajoie . Lajoie left after the 1914 season , and club owner Charles Somers requested that baseball writers choose a new name. They chose

9898-583: Was still considered a minor league. In 1901 the team was called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues when the American League broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a competing Major League. The Cleveland franchise was among its eight charter members, and is one of four teams that remain in its original city, along with Boston , Chicago , and Detroit . The new team was owned by coal magnate Charles Somers and tailor Jack Kilfoyl. Somers,

9999-571: Was taken down in 2002 as part of a renovation process to the decaying playground. Local schools' youth teams still compete on the ball field. On February 7, 2011, the Cleveland City Council approved a plan to restore the ticket house and remaining bleacher wall, as well as build a new diamond on the site of the old one (and with the same slightly counterclockwise tilt from the compass points). On October 27, 2012, city leaders including Mayor Frank G. Jackson and Councilman TJ Dow took part in

10100-444: Was thus the NA's westernmost outpost in 1872, the year the club folded. Cleveland played its full schedule to July 19 followed by two games versus Boston in mid-August and disbanded at the end of the season. In 1876, the National League (NL) supplanted the NA as the major professional league. Cleveland was not among its charter members, but by 1879 the league was looking for new entries and

10201-465: Was to send Roger Maris to the Kansas City Athletics in the middle of 1958. Indians executive Hank Greenberg was not happy about the trade and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane. After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange. After

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