The Cleveland Indians (1901-), American League, Central Division, World Series Champions in 1920 and 1948

[DonRocks]

I wonder if we have any old-time Cleveland Indians fans here - I wonder, because I found a baseball from when I was a kid, and I'm trying to figure out what year it's from. It's autographed by a bunch of Cleveland Indians, but some of these signatures are pretty illegible:

(It has been glossed over, and I'd written "Donald" on it - twice (once right on top of Mike Paul's signature) - so it isn't worth anything. I also don't think there's either Sam McDowell or Graig Nettles on it.)

1968-1971 - Mike Paul

1970-1972 - Roy Foster

1970-1971 - Vada Pinson

1971-1971 - John Lipon (well, I guess I just figured it out) <--- great website, btw

1967-1972 - Ray Fosse

1971-1971 - Gomer Hodge

1969-1972 - Jack Heidemann

????-???? - Ill Egible

????-???? - Un Readable

1968-1972 - Eddie Leon

1970-1973 - Steve Mingori

1971-1971 - Jim Clark

????-???? - Who Knows (it looks like "Cut Deal")

1969-1971 - Frank "Sacrfice Bunt" Baker

1971-1974 - Chris Chambliss (before he won Rookie of the Year!)

1969-1972 - Phil Hennigan

1971-1972 - Kurt Bevacqua

1968-1971 - Ken Suarez (?)

[Kibbee Nayee]

Yeah, I think you figured out this was 1971. I was never an Indians fan per se, but as an avid baseball youngster they represented the original 8 American League teams, so I had a lot of respect for them. (So were the Orioles, by the way, even though they were called the St. Louis Browns for five decades.)

Sudden Sam McDowell was the guy I watched as often as I could. He was a monster. I didn't like him pitching against my Yankees, but then, in 1973 and 1974 he joined the Yankees and had two mediocre years at the end of his career.

I remember 1974, when my roommate and I took a mid-summer break to hitchhike to Cleveland to see his sister....and I force him to come to me to the Mistake by the Lake (Municipal Stadium) for 3 games (in 2 days). The Indians were playing the Brewers and A's _ I remember watching a young Robin Yount playing catch before a game, a John Ellis towering home run to left, and my roommate's reaction when he saw how ripped cathcer Dave Duncan was.

Remember, I was a Yankees fan back then, and when George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees -- he was a shipbuilder from Ohio -- Gabe Paul was a Cleveland Indians executive who left the team and joined the Steinbrenner ownership team of the Yankees. His knowledge of the Indians helped the Yankees acquire Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow and Oscar Gamble from the Indians. Just prior to his arrival, in a winter 1972 trade that my dad said was "the kind of trade that wins championships," the Yankees acquired Graig Nettles and Jerry Moses from the Inidans for Charlie Spikes, Jerry Kenney, John Ellis and Rusty Torres....Silly me, I was excited about the trade because I thought (and I still do) that Gerald Braheen Moses was a Lebanese catcher, and the best one in baseball until Ron Hassey came along soon after. (After all, KN was a Syrian/Lebanese catcher through high school).

[DonRocks]

I wonder if we have any old-time Cleveland Indians fans here - I wonder, because I found a baseball from when I was a kid, and I'm trying to figure out what year it's from. It's autographed by a bunch of Cleveland Indians, but some of these signatures are pretty illegible:

(It has been glossed over, and I'd written "Donald" on it - twice (once right on top of Mike Paul's signature) - so it isn't worth anything. I also don't think there's either Sam McDowell or Graig Nettles on it.)

Do we really not have any die-hard Cleveland Indians fans here who followed the team in the early 70s? Can't you see when something is a subtle hint?

Puppy Dog Looking For Good Home! Owner Must Truly Love Puppies!

[darkstar965]

Laughed out loud quite literally.

And, no, not an Indians fan though though Major League was mildly entertaining and I am a Tito fan.

[aaronsinger]

Laughed out loud quite literally.

And, no, not an Indians fan though though Major League was mildly entertaining and I am a Tito fan.

Even this White Sox fan loves Major League. That was in the early 90s when the Sox could be considered villains.

Speaking of Francona and the Sox, Tito was Michael Jordan's manager in Birmingham.