Everything but the Championship
1954 Cleveland IndiansHome Fields: Municipal Stadium
A.L. ChampionsHit: #2 R; #4 BA
W - 111 L - 43Pitch: #1 OR, ERA
Manager: Al LopezDef: #2t FA

Life has but few certainties: death, taxes, and the Yankees winning the pennant. Or so it seemed in the early 1950s. Entering the 1954 campaign, New York had won five consecutive World Championships. The last American League team other than New York to win a pennant was the Indians in 1948. Since their 1948 title, Cleveland had remained strong. Under Al Lopez, the Indians had finished second to the Yankees three straight years. Things changed, if only for the season.

In 1954, Cleveland was the best team in baseball during the regular season. They won 111 games, more than any American League team had ever won, and finished eight games ahead of New York. Ironically, it was the first time the Yankees had cracked the 100 victory mark since 1942.

Center fielder Larry Doby, a member of the 1948 championship club, led the junior circuit with 32 homers and 126 RBIs. Second baseman Bobby Avila took the batting title with a .341 mark. Third sacker Al Rosen, coming off an MVP season, hit .300 with 102 RBIs. On the pitching end, Bob Lemon and Early Wynn won 23 each while Mike Garcia won 19 and led the league with a 2.64 ERA.

The Tribe was heavily favored to defeat the New York Giants in the World Series. How could they lose? The best remembered play of the series came in Game 1. The game was tied 2-2 in the eighth inning and Cleveland had two men on with nobody out with Vic Wertz at the plate. Wertz sent a drive to deep center and Willie Mays made a remarkable, some would say miraculous, catch to keep the game tied. Dusty Rhodes hit a pinch hit homer in the tenth inning to give the Giants Game 1. New York proceeded to sweep the series.


Pos Player Bats AB H R HR RBI BA AL Rank
C Jim Hegan R 423 99 56 11 40 .234  
1B Vic Wertz L 295 81 33 14 48 .275  
2B Bobby Avila R 555 189 112 15 67 .341    #1 BA, #3 R
SS George Strickland R 361 77 42 6 37 .213  
3B-1B Al Rosen R 466 140 76 24 102 .300    #5t HR
LF-3B Al Smith R 481 135 101 11 50 .281  
CF Larry Doby L 577 157 94 32 126 .272    #1 HR, RBI
RF Dave Philley B 452 102 48 12 60 .226  
                   
OF Wally Westlake R 240 63 36 11 42 .263  
3B Rudy Regalado R 180 45 21 2 24 .250  
1B Bill Glynn L 171 43 19 5 18 .251  
SS Sam Dente R 169 45 18 1 19 .266  
2B-3B Hank Majeski R 121 34 10 3 17 .281  
OF Dave Pope L 102 30 21 4 13 .294  
C Hal Naragon L 101 24 10 0 12 .238  
                 
Total: Team   5222 1368 746 156 714 .262  
  League Average   41909 10766 5203 823 4871 .257  

Pitcher Throw G IP W L ERA PCT    AL Rank
  Bob Lemon R 36 258 23 7 2.72 .767    #1t W, #3 ERA
  Early Wynn R 40 271 23 11 2.72 .676    #1t W, #4 ERA, #2 K
  Mike Garcia R 45 259 19 8 2.64 .704    #1 ERA, #4t W
  Art Houtteman R 32 188 15 7 3.35 .682  
  Bob Feller R 19 140 13 3 3.09 .813  
  Don Mossi L 40 93 6 1 1.94 .857  
  Ray Narelski R 42 89 3 3 2.22 .500  
  Hal Newhouser L 26 47 7 2 2.49 .778  
                   
Total: Team       111 43 2.78    
  League Average           3.72    

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