In front of 19,867 of the Tribe’s faithful, Detroit right-hander Ed Willett spoils the team’s debut in League Park, blanking Cleveland, 5-0. The ballpark, located at E. 66th and Lexington Avenue, will serve as the franchise’s full-time home until the club moves during the 1932 season to Municipal Stadium.
On April 20, 1910, Addie Joss of the Cleveland Naps pitches his second career no-hitter. A busy Joss helps himself by recording 10 fielding assists during the 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Nap Lajoie resigns as the manager of the faltering Cleveland club. The fans still show their support for the popular skipper when a response to a newspaper poll indicates the overwhelming choice is to keep the team name as the Naps instead of choosing a new one, which will not happen until they become the Indians following the 1914 season.
1909 – With two men on base, Cleveland shortstop Neal Ball catches Amby McConnell’s line drive, gets Heinie Wagner at second, and then tags Jake Stahl completing the first modern major league unassisted triple play in a 6 – 1 win over the Red Sox. Cleveland wins, 6 – 1, behind Cy Young, but Boston wins the nitecap, 3 – 2.
Bob Rhoads, outdueling Frank Arellanes, the only Mexican-American playing in the majors, tosses a no-hitter, beating the Red Sox at Cleveland’s League Park, 2-1. Four years ago, the Indians right-hander held Boston hitless until Chick Stahl singled with two outs in the ninth inning.
Walter Johnson picks up his first major league victory
On May 21, 1902, future Hall of Famer Earl Averill is born in Snohomish, Washington. “The Earl of Snohomish,” who will make his major league debut in 1929 with the Cleveland Indians, at the time he was 26, but he made up for lost time quickly as he becomes one of the first players to…
The Detroit Tigers roll over Cleveland behind Ed Siever with what was the most lopsided score in American League history: 21 – 0 (equaled on August 13, 1939) — until the Cleveland Indians beat the New York Yankees 22 – 0 on August 31, 2004 at Yankee Stadium. Detroit pounds out 24 hits off rookie Jack Bracken as Pop Dillon leads the way with four hits. The game is mercifully called after 7 1/2 innings to allow Cleveland to catch a train. Bracken’s ERA is not helped by this outing and he will end this season, his only one in the majors, with a 6.21 mark, the highest in the deadball era.
The bleachers at League Park during a Cleveland Indians game, 1901. Photo by National Baseball Hall of Fame Library’s