Everything but the Championship


	1954 Cleveland Indians		Home Fields: Municipal Stadium
	A.L. Champions		Hit: #2 R; #4 BA
	W - 111 L - 43		Pitch: #1 OR, ERA
	Manager: Al Lopez		Def: #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

Courtesy of Mike & Maria