1969 Cleveland Indians season
The 1969 Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The club finished in last place in the newly established American League East with a record of 62 wins and 99 losses. The 1969 season seemed hopeful before the season started, based on the Indians modest 86-75 record the previous season, along with their solid pitching. However, a 1-15 start shattered any illusions of a successful season. Not helping, was that the Indians strong pitching the previous season fell apart. Luis Tiant fell to 9-20 in 1969, and didn't look like same pitcher from 1968, when he went 21-9, with a 1.60 ERA. Sam McDowell stayed solid at the very least, going 18-14, with a 2.94 ERA.
1969 Cleveland Indians | |
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Owner(s) | Vernon Stouffer |
General manager(s) | Gabe Paul, Alvin Dark |
Manager(s) | Alvin Dark |
Local television | WJW-TV |
Local radio | WERE (1300) |
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Offseason
- October 8, 1968: Eddie Fisher was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the California Angels for Jack Hamilton.[1]
- October 15, 1968: 1968 Major League Baseball expansion draft
- Chico Salmon was drafted from the Indians by the Seattle Pilots as the 11th pick.[2]
- Lou Piniella was drafted from the Indians by the Pilots as the 28th pick.[3]
Regular season
Season standings
AL East | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
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Baltimore Orioles | 109 | 53 | 0.673 | — | 60–21 | 49–32 |
Detroit Tigers | 90 | 72 | 0.556 | 19 | 46–35 | 44–37 |
Boston Red Sox | 87 | 75 | 0.537 | 22 | 46–35 | 41–40 |
Washington Senators | 86 | 76 | 0.531 | 23 | 47–34 | 39–42 |
New York Yankees | 80 | 81 | 0.497 | 28½ | 48–32 | 32–49 |
Cleveland Indians | 62 | 99 | 0.385 | 46½ | 33–48 | 29–51 |
Record vs. opponents
1969 American League Records Sources: | |||||||||||||
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Team | BAL | BOS | CAL | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | WSH | |
Baltimore | — | 10–8 | 6–6 | 9–3 | 13–5 | 11–7 | 11–1 | 8–4 | 11–7 | 8–4 | 9–3 | 13–5 | |
Boston | 8–10 | — | 8–4 | 5–7 | 12–6 | 10–8 | 10–2 | 7–5 | 11–7 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 6–12 | |
California | 6–6 | 4–8 | — | 9–9 | 8–4 | 5–7 | 9–9 | 7–11 | 3–9 | 6–12 | 9–9–1 | 5–7 | |
Chicago | 3–9 | 7–5 | 9–9 | — | 8–4 | 3–9 | 8–10 | 5–13 | 3–9 | 8–10 | 10–8 | 4–8 | |
Cleveland | 5–13 | 6–12 | 4–8 | 4–8 | — | 7–11 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 9–8 | 5–7 | 7–5 | 3–15 | |
Detroit | 7–11 | 8–10 | 7–5 | 9–3 | 11–7 | — | 8–4 | 6–6 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 10–2 | 7–11 | |
Kansas City | 1–11 | 2–10 | 9–9 | 10–8 | 5–7 | 4–8 | — | 8–10 | 5–7–1 | 8–10 | 10–8 | 7–5 | |
Minnesota | 4–8 | 5–7 | 11–7 | 13–5 | 7–5 | 6–6 | 10–8 | — | 10–2 | 13–5 | 12–6 | 6–6 | |
New York | 7–11 | 7–11 | 9–3 | 9–3 | 8–9 | 8–10 | 7–5–1 | 2–10 | — | 6–6 | 7–5 | 10–8 | |
Oakland | 4–8 | 8–4 | 12–6 | 10–8 | 7–5 | 5–7 | 10–8 | 5–13 | 6–6 | — | 13–5 | 8–4 | |
Seattle | 3–9 | 6–6 | 9–9–1 | 8–10 | 5–7 | 2–10 | 8–10 | 6–12 | 5–7 | 5–13 | — | 7–5 | |
Washington | 5–13 | 12–6 | 7–5 | 8–4 | 15–3 | 11–7 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 8–10 | 4–8 | 5–7 | — |
Notable transactions
- April 10, 1969: Oscar Zamora was released by the Indians.[4]
- April 19, 1969: Joe Azcue, Vicente Romo and Sonny Siebert were traded by the Indians to the Boston Red Sox for Dick Ellsworth, Ken Harrelson and Juan Pizarro.[5]
- June 12, 1969: Rob Gardner was traded by the Indians to the New York Yankees for John Orsino.[6]
- June 20, 1969: Lee Maye was traded by the Indians to the Washington Senators for Bill Denehy and cash.[7]
Roster
1969 Cleveland Indians | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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Player stats
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
Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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SS | Larry Brown | 132 | 469 | 112 | .239 | 4 | 24 |
CF | José Cardenal | 146 | 557 | 143 | .257 | 11 | 45 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Dave Nelson | 52 | 123 | 25 | .203 | 0 | 6 |
Lee Maye | 43 | 108 | 27 | .250 | 1 | 15 |
Joe Azcue | 7 | 24 | 7 | .292 | 1 | 1 |
Pitching
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
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Gary Boyd | 8 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9.00 | 9 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Horacio Piña | 31 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5.21 | 32 |
Larry Burchart | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4.25 | 26 |
Awards and honors
Farm system
Level | Team | League | Manager |
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AAA | Portland Beavers | Pacific Coast League | Red Davis |
AA | Waterbury Indians | Eastern League | Clay Bryant |
A | Reno Silver Sox | California League | Ken Aspromonte |
A | Statesville/Monroe Indians | Western Carolinas League | Pinky May |
Rookie | GCL Indians | Gulf Coast League | Joe Lutz |
Statesville franchise moved to Monroe, June 20, 1969[8]
Notes
- https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fisheed02.shtml
- Chico Salmon page at Baseball Reference
- Lou Piniella page at Baseball Reference
- Oscar Zamora page at Baseball Reference
- Joe Azcue page at Baseball-Reference
- John Orsino page at Baseball Reference
- Lee Maye page at Baseball Reference
- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007