1959 Cleveland Indians season

Last updated

1959  Cleveland Indians
League American League
Ballpark Cleveland Municipal Stadium
City Cleveland, Ohio
Owners William R. Daley
General managers Frank Lane
Managers Joe Gordon
Television WEWS-TV
(Ken Coleman, Bill McColgan)
Radio WERE
(Jimmy Dudley, Bob Neal)
  1958 Seasons 1960  

The 1959 Cleveland Indians season was the 59th season in franchise history. The Indians finished in second place in the American League with a record of 89 wins and 65 losses, 5 games behind the American League Champion Chicago White Sox.

Contents

Offseason

Regular season

On June 10, right fielder Rocky Colavito hit four home runs in one game against the Baltimore Orioles. [5]

Season standings

American League
Team W L Pct. GB Home Road
Chicago White Sox 9460.61047304730
Cleveland Indians 8965.578543344631
New York Yankees 7975.5131540373938
Detroit Tigers 7678.4941841363542
Boston Red Sox 7579.4871943343245
Baltimore Orioles 7480.4812038393641
Kansas City Athletics 6688.4292837402948
Washington Senators 6391.4093134432948

Record vs. opponents


Sources:
TeamBALBOSCWSCLEDETKCANYYWSH
Baltimore 8–1411–11–110–1213–98–1412–1012–10
Boston 14–88–148–1411–1111–1113–910–12
Chicago 11–11–114–815–713–912–1013–9–116–6
Cleveland 12–1014–87–1514–815–711–1116–6
Detroit 9–1311–119–138–1415–714–810–12
Kansas City 14–811–1110–127–157–155–1712–10
New York 10–129–139–13–111–118–1417–515–7
Washington 10–1212–106–166–1612–1010–127–15

Notable transactions

Opening Day Lineup

Opening Day Starters
#NamePosition
37 Jimmy Piersall CF
1 Billy Martin 2B
9 Minnie Miñoso LF
6 Rocky Colavito RF
15 Russ Nixon C
10 Vic Power 1B
3 Woodie Held 3B
4 George Strickland 2B
39 Gary Bell P

[9]

Roster

1959 Cleveland Indians
Roster
PitchersCatchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

Manager

Coaches

Player stats

= Indicates team leader
= Indicates league leader

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C Russ Nixon 8225862.240129
1B Vic Power 147595172.2891060
2B Billy Martin 7324263.260924
SS Woodie Held 143525132.2512971
3B George Strickland 132441105.238348
LF Minnie Miñoso 148570172.3022192
CF Jimmy Piersall 10031778.246430
RF Rocky Colavito 154588151.25742*111
  • Tied with Harmon Killebrew (WSH) for league lead

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Tito Francona 122399145.3632079
Jim Baxes 7724759.2391534
Dick Brown 4814131.220516
Ed Fitz Gerald 4912935.27114
Ray Webster 407415.203210
Granny Hamner 276711.16413
Carroll Hardy 325311.20802
Chuck Tanner 144812.25015
Hal Naragon 143610.27805
Gene Leek 13368.22215
Elmer Valo 34247.29205
Willie Jones 11184.22201
Billy Moran 11175.29402
Gordy Coleman 6158.53302
Don Dillard 10104.40001
Jim Bolger 870.00000
Randy Jackson 771.14300

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Cal McLish 35235.11983.63113
Gary Bell 44234.016114.04136
Herb Score 30160.29114.71147
Jake Striker 16.2102.705

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGIPWLERASO
Mudcat Grant 38165.11074.1485
Jim Perry 44153.012102.6579
Bobby Locke 2477.2015.2217
Don Ferrarese 1576.0533.2045
Mike Garcia 2972.0364.0049
Jack Harshman 1366.0512.5935
Bob Smith 1229.1015.2217
John Briggs 412.2015.2217

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

PlayerGWLSVERASO
Dick Brodowski 182251.809
Al Cicotte 263115.3223
Bud Podbielan 60105.845
Humberto Robinson 51004.156

Awards and honors

League leaders

Farm system

LevelTeamLeagueManager
AAA San Diego Padres Pacific Coast League Catfish Metkovich
AA Mobile Bears Southern Association Mel McGaha
A Reading Indians Eastern League Al Hollingsworth
B Burlington Indians Carolina League Pinky May
C Minot Mallards Northern League Ken Landenberger
D Selma Cloverleafs Alabama–Florida League Johnny Lipon
D North Platte Indians Nebraska State League Mark Wylie
D Batavia Indians New York–Penn League Paul O'Dea

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Mobile, Selma [10]

References

  1. Jay Porter page at Baseball Reference
  2. Billy Martin page at Baseball Reference
  3. Jim Piersall page at Baseball Reference
  4. 1 2 Jim Bolger page at Baseball Reference
  5. Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p. 258, David Nemec and Scott latow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN   978-0-451-22363-0
  6. Mickey Vernon page at Baseball Reference
  7. Bob Smith page at Baseball Reference
  8. Chuck Tanner Trades and Transactions by Baseball Almanac
  9. "1959 Opening Day Lineup at Baseball-Reference"
  10. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007