November 18, 1999

Indian's lore could have included Banks, Mays, Aaron

Everyone knows that Jackie Robinson was the first black to play major league baseball when he joined the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers in the National League and that Larry Doby broke the color barrier in the American League with the Cleveland Indians. What probably few people know is that blacks might have been playing as early as 1943 if later Cleveland owner Bill Veeck would have had his way.

Also, if Veeck and later Club President Hank Greenberg had heeded the advice of Doby, the Indians might have dominated baseball in the 1950s, and possibly beyond, instead of the hated New York Yankees.

Veeck promised to turn the Philadelphia Phillies into a championship team when he made a bid to purchase the financially strapped franchise in 1943. When Commissioner Kenesaw Landis learned that Veeck planned to stock the team with the top Negro League stars, Landis quickly announced that the team was no longer for sale even though the Phillies were sold a short time later to another bidder.

Veeck, of course, was the owner when the Indians signed Doby, who played a key role in leading the Tribe to its last winning World Series appearance in 1948. His only misstep was not listening to Doby who recommended that he sign future Giant Hall of Famer Monte Irvin to a Cleveland contract. Veeck could have had Irvin for a mere $1,000, but he nixed the deal because he thought Irvin, then 28, was too old.

If the Indians' later fall from grace could be blamed on one person, it would have to be Greenberg even though he was the club president when the Indians lost in four straight games to the then New York Giants in the 1954 World Series. One of the Giant stars in that series was Irvin.

Greenberg's biggest blunder came in 1949 shortly after Veeck had sold the Indians. Doby submitted the names of three Negro League players he thought could help the Indians. Those three players, who could have been signed by the Indians for a pittance, were Ernie Banks, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

As incredible as it seems today, Greenberg turned his back on all three of these future Hall of Fame and All-Century team members. He claimed that Tribe scouts had reported that Aaron had a hitch in his swing, that Mays could not hit a curve ball and that Banks did not have the range of a good shortstop.

Looking back, it breaks a true Indian fan's heart when he imagines how many World Series titles the Tribe might have won with Aaron, Mays, Roger Maris and Irvin in its outfield, and Banks at shortstop and later at first base. By having Aaron, Mays and Maris in the outfield, Doby, himself, would have been free to play his natural position at second base.

It would have been any manager's dream to be able to round out his roster with Cleveland stars of that 1951-76 period. These included Dale Mitchell, Irvin, Rocky Colovito, Lou Boudreau, Al Rosen, Bobby Avila, Ray Boone, Luke Easter, Vic Wertz, Vic Power. Jim Hegan, Minnie Minoso, Mickey Vernon , Al Smith, Tito Francona, Jim Piersall, Vic Davilillo, Joe Cardenal and many others.

Both 1959 AL home run champion Colovito and Maris, who later broke Babe Ruth's season HR record of 60 with 61 with the 1961 Yankees, were traded away by Cleveland braintrusts.

What would have made this lineup even more awesome is the fact that Cleveland, at that time, had the best pitching staff in the major leagues in those Aaron-Mays years.

. Among the elite hurlers were Bob Feller, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon, Mike Garcia, Herb Score, Ray Narleski, Steve Gromek, Sam McDowell, Tommy John, Dennis Eckersley, Don Mossi, Jim and Gaylord Perry, Satchel Paige, Cal McLish, Dick Donovan, Jim "Mudcat" Grant, Steve Hargan, Sonny Siebert and Luis Tiant to name a few. They also had a top-flight pitching coach in Mel Harder.

As if this lineup would not have been potent enough, consider the fact that many other Negro League stars also might have signed with the Indians rather than the teams they later starred with since most of them were well aware of the gifted talents of Mays, Aaron and Banks.

Just for the record, all-time HR champion Aaron (755), Mays (660) and Banks (512) accounted for a grand total of 1,927 home runs in their careers. All three are also ranked high in career runs batted in, games played, at bats and batting averages.

Many feel that the Indians' fate of not appearing in another World Series until 1995 was also sealed by a directive sent by Greenberg to his scouts shortly after the 1954 Series massacre at the hands of the Giants. He instructed his birddogs not to sign any prospect under 6-feet tall and only those with home run potential. Many outstanding Tribe minor league prospects also were released under this order, including the late McCutchenville slugger Merle Barth.

What resulted from this foolhardy decision by Greenberg, who once told spray hitter Mitchell that "single hitters drive Chevys, but home run hitters drive Cadillacs", were sluggish Indian teams. Since they had very little speed either on defense or on the bases, their hitters would reach base and then stand there until some of the other big sluggers would leave them stranded or drive them around the bases.

Greenberg also did very little to endear himself to Cleveland fans when he commented after the 1954 World Series that it was much cheaper to finish second since all players demand pay raises after pennant-winning seasons.

. Then, as if to prove this philosophy, the Indians finished fourth or better in only 13 of the next 25 seasons (1951 to 1976). Mays, of course, played with the Giants from 1951 to 1973, including one year off while serving in the Army. Aaron starred for the Braves from 1954 to 1976, and Banks was a Cub great from 1953 to 1971.

In view of this past history, Cleveland fans can't be blamed for being very nervous about the team's future.

Since Dick Jacobs has sold the team to the Larry Dolan group and Charlie Manuel has replaced new Oriole skipper Mike Hargrove as Indian manager, all they can do is wait and hope that the "Greenberg Jinx" won't haunt them like the "Ghost of Ruth" has dogged the Boston Red Sox for so many decades.

At least, that's the view from here.