Post by tonyo on Feb 25, 2007 21:50:33 GMT -5
BASEBALL'S ROCK WHO COULD SOCK
The great sports city of Cleveland, Ohio has produced players of
legendary status. From homegrown boxing heroes like Jimmy Bivins and Joey
Maxim to players who were brought in to perform for the city's franchise
teams. Even today Jim Brown is considered by many as the greatest football
player ever. Today in basketball the Cleveland Cavaliers have a budding
superstar in Lebron James.
Baseball's Cleveland Indians have many players that have achieved the
highest level of popularity with the fans. Mel Harder, Lou Boudreau and Bob
Feller come to mind. One that truly stands out for me and I'm sure to many
Tribe fans of my generation is simply known as " The Rock ".
Rocky Colavito had a terrific career. His home run swing kept the fans on
the edge of their seats. He broke in with the Tribe in 1955, one year after
the Indians were upset in the World Series by the New York Giants. Rock only
played in five games but he latched on for good in 1956 belting 21 home runs
and driving across 65. He improved his numbers slightly in 1957 with 25
clearing the fence and 84 batters driven in.
The year 1958 established Rocky as a bonafide superstar. He blasted 41
home runs and sent 113 men across the plate. He also batted a career high
.303. Although his average dipped to .257 in 1959 he also ripped 42 homers
to lead the league and also had 111 RBI's. The fans loved Rocky Colavito.
In 1959 Harvey Kuenn, an outstanding contact hitter with the Detroit
Tigers had paced the American League in batting at a .353 clip. Frank Lane
who was the Indians General Manager at the time saw justification for
swapping the league's home run leader for the league's batting leader and
just like that Rocky was off to Detroit. The fans were stunned to say the
least. " Trader " Lane had made a deal that in the eyes of many cursed the
Tribe for 35 years !
In 1960 with the Tigers Rocky was still belting them out. He launched 35
of them to be exact. With the Tribe Harvey Kuenn who was a good ballplayer
hit only nine home runs. He did bat a very respectable .303 but he was soon
gone. He was sent to the San Francisco Giants in a deal that brought the
Tribe Willie Kirkland. Willie had hit 43 homers in the two combined seasons
of 1959 and 1960. He had the makings of a solid ballplayer.
The following season, 1961 was the year of the M and M boys Maris and
Mantle. Their pursuit of Babe Ruth's home run record dominated the news. It
also overshadowed fine seasons by Baltimore's Jim Gentile and Rocky's team
mate Norm Cash ( Also an ex-Indian. Maris was too. ). Maris hit 61 to break
Ruth's record while an ailing Mantle pulled up with 54. All Rocky did was
hit 45 out of the park while driving in 140 runs. MVP numbers any other
season. Willie Kirkland had a decent first year with the Indians hitting 27
homers and getting 96 RBI's. In San Francisco Harvey Kuenn slipped to a .265
average with only five home runs.
Rocky was still busting the fences in 1962 with 37 HR's and 112 RBI's.
Kirkland's numbers dipped to 21 HR's and 72 RBI's. Willie's batting average
was a paltry .200. Although his numbers went down Rocky still had a solid
season in 1963 with 22 HR's and 91 RBI's. Kirkland would slip to 15 homers
and only 47 RBI's. His days in Cleveland were numbered. So were Rocky's in
Detroit.
In 1964 Rocky found himself with the lowly Kansas City Athletics. Still
he continued to shine with a solid 34 homer 102 RBI season. Then it was back
home. Back into the confines of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Rocky was
traded back to the Tribe. He responded well. He batted a neat .287 and hit
26 dingers. He also led the American League with 108 RBI's. He was also
walked 93 times to lead the league. Gee it was good to be back home again.
The numbers slipped a bit in 1966. Rocky still had the power with 30 home
runs but his RBI total was cut to 72 and his average dipped to .238. During
the 1967 season Rocky was sent to the Chicago White Sox. His combined totals
with Cleveland and Chicago were 8 HR's and 50 RBI's. Very un-Rocky type
statistics. Rocky started 1968 with the Dodgers but finished with the
Yankees and then it was over. Rocky had reached the end of the line.
Although I doubt if Rocky will ever get inducted into the Baseball Hall
Of Fame, for a decade he was one of the premier long ball hitters in the
game. His final numbers were impressive. He had 374 career home runs and
delivered 1159 RBI's. He retired with a respectable .266 average. With these
numbers in mind let us compare the stats of Willie Kirkland and Harvey Kuenn
who will forever linked with " The Trade " ! Willie's career numbers were
148 HR's and 509 RBI's. He finished with a .240 batting average. Kuenn would
finish up his fine career with a very respectable .303 average. Even though
he ended his career with only 87 home runs he drive in 671.
During his career Rocky was considered a dependable fielder with a rifle
for an arm. His arm was so strong he was even called in to pitch a few
innings during his career.
" Don't Knock The Rock " was a book written by Gordon Cobbledick about
Colavito. Rocky was immortalized in Terry Pluto's excellent book " The Curse
Of Rocky Colavito. He's a hero and a legend. In Cleveland he's just " The
Rock ".
The great sports city of Cleveland, Ohio has produced players of
legendary status. From homegrown boxing heroes like Jimmy Bivins and Joey
Maxim to players who were brought in to perform for the city's franchise
teams. Even today Jim Brown is considered by many as the greatest football
player ever. Today in basketball the Cleveland Cavaliers have a budding
superstar in Lebron James.
Baseball's Cleveland Indians have many players that have achieved the
highest level of popularity with the fans. Mel Harder, Lou Boudreau and Bob
Feller come to mind. One that truly stands out for me and I'm sure to many
Tribe fans of my generation is simply known as " The Rock ".
Rocky Colavito had a terrific career. His home run swing kept the fans on
the edge of their seats. He broke in with the Tribe in 1955, one year after
the Indians were upset in the World Series by the New York Giants. Rock only
played in five games but he latched on for good in 1956 belting 21 home runs
and driving across 65. He improved his numbers slightly in 1957 with 25
clearing the fence and 84 batters driven in.
The year 1958 established Rocky as a bonafide superstar. He blasted 41
home runs and sent 113 men across the plate. He also batted a career high
.303. Although his average dipped to .257 in 1959 he also ripped 42 homers
to lead the league and also had 111 RBI's. The fans loved Rocky Colavito.
In 1959 Harvey Kuenn, an outstanding contact hitter with the Detroit
Tigers had paced the American League in batting at a .353 clip. Frank Lane
who was the Indians General Manager at the time saw justification for
swapping the league's home run leader for the league's batting leader and
just like that Rocky was off to Detroit. The fans were stunned to say the
least. " Trader " Lane had made a deal that in the eyes of many cursed the
Tribe for 35 years !
In 1960 with the Tigers Rocky was still belting them out. He launched 35
of them to be exact. With the Tribe Harvey Kuenn who was a good ballplayer
hit only nine home runs. He did bat a very respectable .303 but he was soon
gone. He was sent to the San Francisco Giants in a deal that brought the
Tribe Willie Kirkland. Willie had hit 43 homers in the two combined seasons
of 1959 and 1960. He had the makings of a solid ballplayer.
The following season, 1961 was the year of the M and M boys Maris and
Mantle. Their pursuit of Babe Ruth's home run record dominated the news. It
also overshadowed fine seasons by Baltimore's Jim Gentile and Rocky's team
mate Norm Cash ( Also an ex-Indian. Maris was too. ). Maris hit 61 to break
Ruth's record while an ailing Mantle pulled up with 54. All Rocky did was
hit 45 out of the park while driving in 140 runs. MVP numbers any other
season. Willie Kirkland had a decent first year with the Indians hitting 27
homers and getting 96 RBI's. In San Francisco Harvey Kuenn slipped to a .265
average with only five home runs.
Rocky was still busting the fences in 1962 with 37 HR's and 112 RBI's.
Kirkland's numbers dipped to 21 HR's and 72 RBI's. Willie's batting average
was a paltry .200. Although his numbers went down Rocky still had a solid
season in 1963 with 22 HR's and 91 RBI's. Kirkland would slip to 15 homers
and only 47 RBI's. His days in Cleveland were numbered. So were Rocky's in
Detroit.
In 1964 Rocky found himself with the lowly Kansas City Athletics. Still
he continued to shine with a solid 34 homer 102 RBI season. Then it was back
home. Back into the confines of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Rocky was
traded back to the Tribe. He responded well. He batted a neat .287 and hit
26 dingers. He also led the American League with 108 RBI's. He was also
walked 93 times to lead the league. Gee it was good to be back home again.
The numbers slipped a bit in 1966. Rocky still had the power with 30 home
runs but his RBI total was cut to 72 and his average dipped to .238. During
the 1967 season Rocky was sent to the Chicago White Sox. His combined totals
with Cleveland and Chicago were 8 HR's and 50 RBI's. Very un-Rocky type
statistics. Rocky started 1968 with the Dodgers but finished with the
Yankees and then it was over. Rocky had reached the end of the line.
Although I doubt if Rocky will ever get inducted into the Baseball Hall
Of Fame, for a decade he was one of the premier long ball hitters in the
game. His final numbers were impressive. He had 374 career home runs and
delivered 1159 RBI's. He retired with a respectable .266 average. With these
numbers in mind let us compare the stats of Willie Kirkland and Harvey Kuenn
who will forever linked with " The Trade " ! Willie's career numbers were
148 HR's and 509 RBI's. He finished with a .240 batting average. Kuenn would
finish up his fine career with a very respectable .303 average. Even though
he ended his career with only 87 home runs he drive in 671.
During his career Rocky was considered a dependable fielder with a rifle
for an arm. His arm was so strong he was even called in to pitch a few
innings during his career.
" Don't Knock The Rock " was a book written by Gordon Cobbledick about
Colavito. Rocky was immortalized in Terry Pluto's excellent book " The Curse
Of Rocky Colavito. He's a hero and a legend. In Cleveland he's just " The
Rock ".