Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a Major League Baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of the American League.
- Founded: 1901 (charter American League member)
- Formerly known as: the Cleveland Blues (1901), Broncos (Cleveland Indians, 2004) or possibly Bronchos (1902) and Naps (1903-1914). They were called the Blues because they wore blue uniforms. When they lost reporters referred to them as the "Bluebirds", which the players hated, so the players chose the name Broncos (Pluto, 1999, p. 45) or Bronchos. The name was changed to the Naps when Napoleon Lajoie was the team's star player.
- Home ballpark: Jacobs Field, Cleveland
- Uniform colors: Navy blue and Red
- Logo design: "Chief Wahoo," a smiling Indian caricature.
- Wild Card titles won (0): none
- Division titles won (6): 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
- League pennants won (5): 1920, 1948, 1954, 1995, 1997
- World Series championships won (2): 1920, 1948
Franchise history
Contrary to popular belief, the team was not named for Louis Sockalexis when it assumed its current name in 1915. Rather, when the Naps needed a new name after Napoleon Lajoie was given to the Philadelphia Athletics after the end of the 1914 season Charles Somers, the team owner, asked the local newspapers to come up with a new name for the team. They chose "Indians" as a play on the name of the 1914 Boston Braves, who were known as the "Miracle Boston Braves" after going from last place on July 4 to a sweep in the World Series. This was also a reversion to a name of an earlier National League club. The name was meant to be temporary. (Pluto, 1999)
On June 4, 1974 the Indians hosted "Ten Cent Beer Night", but had to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers due to drunken and unruly fans.
Players of note
Current stars
- Aaron Boone (3B)
- Ronnie Belliard (2B)
- Casey Blake (3B)
- Ben Broussard (1B)
- Coco Crisp (OF)
- Jason Davis (P)
- Scott Elarton (P)
- Jody Gerut (RF)
- Travis Hafner (DH)
- Matt Lawton (LF)
- Víctor Martínez (C)
- Cliff Lee (P)
- C.C. Sabathia (P)
- Grady Sizemore (CF)
- Omar Vizquel (SS) 9-time Gold Glove (1993-2001)
- Jake Westbrook (P)
- Bob Wickman (P)
Not to be forgotten
Retired numbers
Other Contributors
References
- Pluto, Terry (1999). Our Tribe: A Baseball Memoir. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-84505-9
- Cleveland Indians. Indians History Overview: The early years. http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cle/history/cle_history_overview.jsp. Retrieved Sep 2, 2004.
