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1961 Cleveland Indians Season
The 1961 Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the newly expanded 10-team American League with a record of 78–83, 30½ games behind the New York Yankees. Although the 1961 season ended up being a disappointment, the Indians had a brief flurry of pennant fever early in the 1961 season. After starting 12-13, the Indians started to streak, going 22-4 over their next 26 games to reach a record of 34-17 (were 38-20 after 58 games). However the Indians cooled off afterwards and were quickly knocked out of first place, as they went 44-66 the rest of the year. For the 2nd year in a row, the Indians had held first place in June, only to slump to a losing record. This would happen again in 1962 as well (47-34 start in early July). Offseason * December 14, 1960: 1960 MLB expansion draft **Marty Keough was drafted from the Indians by the Washington Senators. ** Jim King was drafted from the Indians by the Washington Senators. * December 27 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium, commonly known as Municipal Stadium, Lakefront Stadium or Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football. The stadium opened in 1931 and is best known as the long-time home of the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) of Major League Baseball, from 1932 to 1993 (including 1932–1946 when games were split between League Park and Cleveland Stadium), and the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), from 1946 to 1995, in addition to hosting other teams, other sports, and concerts. The stadium was a four-time host of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, one of the host venues of the 1948 and 1954 World Series, and the site of the original Dawg Pound, Red Right 88, and The Drive. Through most of its tenure as a baseball facility, the stadium was the largest in Major League Baseball by seating capacity, seating over ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washington Senators (1961–71)
The Texas Rangers are an American professional baseball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Rangers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. In 2020, the Rangers moved to the new Globe Life Field in Arlington after having played at Globe Life Park (now Choctaw Stadium) from 1994 to 2019. The team's name is shared with a law enforcement agency. The franchise was established in 1961, as the Washington Senators, an expansion team awarded to Washington, D.C., after the city's first AL ballclub, the second Washington Senators, moved to Minnesota and became the Twins (the original Washington Senators played primarily in the National League during the 1890s). After the season, the new Senators moved to Arlington, and debuted as the Rangers the following spring. The Rangers have made eight appearances in the MLB postseason, seven following division championships in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2011, 2015, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tito Francona
John Patsy Francona (November 4, 1933 – February 13, 2018) was a Major League Baseball player. As a child, he was nicknamed "Tito" by his father. His son, Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona, is also sometimes referred to as "Tito." Baltimore Orioles Francona originally signed with the St. Louis Browns in 1952. He spent two seasons in the Browns/Baltimore Orioles' farm system (the franchise was relocated to Baltimore and renamed on September 29, 1953) before departing to serve in the U.S. Army for two years. Upon his return, he was invited to Spring training 1956 as a non-roster invitee, and made the club. He batted .258 with nine home runs and 57 runs batted in to finish tied with the Cleveland Indians' Rocky Colavito for second place in American League Rookie of the Year balloting behind Chicago White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio. With Al Pilarcik's acquisition during the off season, Francona lost his starting job in right field, and was demoted to the Pacific Co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Temple
John Ellis Temple (August 8, 1927 – January 9, 1994) was a Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Redlegs/Reds (1952–59; 1964); Cleveland Indians (1960–61), Baltimore Orioles (1962) and Houston Colt .45s (1962–63). Temple was born in Lexington, North Carolina. He batted and threw right-handed. Temple was a career .284 hitter with 22 home runs and 395 RBI in 1420 games. A legitimate leadoff hitter and four-time All-Star, he was a very popular player in Cincinnati in the 1950s. Throughout his career, he walked more often than he struck out, compiling an outstanding 1.92 walk-to-strikeout ratio (648-to-338) and a .363 on-base percentage. Temple also had above-average speed and good instincts on the base paths. Quietly, he had 140 steals in 198 attempts (71%). In , Temple and six of his Redleg teammates—Ed Bailey, Roy McMillan, Don Hoak, Gus Bell, Wally Post and Frank Robinson—were voted into the National League All-Star starting lineup, the res ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Mahoney
James Thomas Mahoney (born May 26, 1934) is a former Major League Baseball shortstop. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies before the 1953 season and played for the Boston Red Sox (1959), Washington Senators (1961), Cleveland Indians (1962) and Houston Astros (1965). The native of Englewood, New Jersey, threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed during his active career. Mahoney was the first player to appear as a pinch runner in modern Washington Senators history. On April 10, 1961, in the bottom of the ninth inning, he entered the game for second baseman Danny O'Connell, who had singled with one out. He reached second on an R. C. Stevens grounder to third, but did not score, as the next batter made the third out. The Senators lost to the Chicago White Sox, 4–3. Other career highlights include: *one 3-hit game...three singles and two runs scored in a 9–4 victory over the Detroit Tigers (May 11, 1961) *a home run vs. the New York Yankees in fro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gene Green (baseball)
Gene Leroy Green (June 26, 1933 – May 23, 1981) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and catcher who played all or portions of seven MLB seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals (–), Baltimore Orioles (), Washington Senators (), Cleveland Indians (–) and Cincinnati Reds (1963). A right-handed batter and thrower, he stood tall and weighed . MLB career Born in Los Angeles, Green was signed by the Cardinals in 1952. He spent six full years in the Redbird farm system, hitting over 20 home runs four times,Baseball Reference">Baseball Reference: "Gene Green Minor & Winter League Statistics"/ref> before his recall to St. Louis in September 1957. He then spent all of the season on the Cardinal roster, setting career bests in games played (137), hit (baseball), hits (124), and batting average (baseball), batting average (.281), starting 71 games in right field and 48 as catcher. However, he struggled in 1959: he got into only 30 games for St. Louis, spent the heart of that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dick Donovan
Richard Edward Donovan (December 7, 1927 – January 6, 1997) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Boston Braves (1950–1952), Detroit Tigers (1954), Chicago White Sox (1955–1960), Washington Senators (1961) and Cleveland Indians (1962–1965). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . A Boston native, Donovan graduated from North Quincy High School and served in the United States Navy during and after World War II. Signed by the hometown Braves, he reached the major leagues in 1950 but was used sporadically over the next several years. While pitching for the minor league Atlanta Crackers, he learned how to throw a slider, and this helped him claim a spot in the White Sox' rotation in 1955. He was an All-Star in his first major league season, winning 15 games with only nine losses. In 1956, he led the American League (AL) with a 1.155 walks plus hits per innings pitched. He led the AL with a .727 winning percentage i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Piersall
James Anthony Piersall (November 14, 1929 – June 3, 2017) was an American baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for five teams, from 1950 through 1967. Piersall was best known for his well-publicized battle with bipolar disorder that became the subject of a book and a film, '' Fear Strikes Out''. Early life Piersall led the Leavenworth High School ( Waterbury, Connecticut) basketball team to the 1947 New England championship, scoring 29 points in the final game. Early athletic career Piersall became a professional baseball player at age 18, having signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox in 1948. He reached Major League Baseball in 1950, playing in six games as one of its youngest players. In 1952, he earned a more substantial role with the Red Sox, frequently referring to himself as "the Waterbury Wizard," a nickname not well received by teammates. On June 10, 1953, he set the Red Sox club record for hits in a nine-inning game, wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy John
Thomas Edward John Jr. (born May 22, 1943), nicknamed "The Bionic Man," is an American retired professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 26 seasons between 1963 and 1989. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, and Oakland Athletics. He was a four-time MLB All-Star and has the third-most wins (288) of any pitcher since 1900 not in the Hall of Fame. Known for his longevity, John was the Opening Day starter six times – three for the White Sox (1966, 1970, and 1971) and three times for the Yankees (1981, 1982, and 1989). At the age of 18, in 1961, John was signed by the Indians, who were impressed with his curveball. After three seasons in the minor leagues for them, he was called up for the first time in 1963. He pitched two seasons for Cleveland before getting traded to the White Sox, with whom he would spend seven seasons. He established himself as a major league star ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Lee (baseball)
Michael Randall Lee (born May 19, 1941 in Bell, California) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who appeared in 13 games in Major League Baseball (MLB) over two seasons for the Cleveland Indians () and Los Angeles Angels (). He threw and batted left-handed, stood tall and weighed . Lee attended East Los Angeles College and signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1959. After winning only seven of 26 decisions for Class B Fresno (with 160 strikeouts and 202 bases on balls in only 162 innings pitched), he was selected by Cleveland in the December 1959 first-year player draft. He then spent 1960 with the MLB Indians. Working in seven games, all in relief, he allowed only six hits and two earned runs in nine full innings pitched, with six strikeouts. However, he issued 11 bases on balls. In 1961, he began the year with the Indians' Class A Reading affiliate, but was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals' organization in June. After only a year with Cardinal fa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Nieman
Robert Charles Nieman (January 26, 1927 – March 10, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and scout. An outfielder, he spent all or parts of a dozen Major League Baseball seasons with the St. Louis Browns (1951–52), Detroit Tigers (1953–54), Chicago White Sox (1955–56), Baltimore Orioles (1956–59), St. Louis Cardinals (1960–61), Cleveland Indians (1961–62) and San Francisco Giants (1962). He also played one season in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons (1963). He threw and batted right-handed, stood tall and weighed .Retrosheet"Bob Nieman"/ref>Baseball Reference"Bob Nieman Major, Minor & Japanese Stats"/ref> Career Minor leagues Nieman was born in Cincinnati. After attending Kent State University, he was signed by his hometown Reds as an amateur free agent in 1948. He spent three full seasons and part of a fourth in the Cincinnati farm system, although he played only 38 games above the Class A level. In June 1951, he was acquired by the unaffiliated Okla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
