Of Tribes and Tribulations: The Early Decades of the Cleveland Indians

by James E. Odenkirk

Overview

Over their first four decades in the American League, the Cleveland Indians were known more for great players than consistently great play. Its rosters filled with all-time greats like Cy Young, Nap Lajoie, Elmer Flick, Tris Speaker, and the ill-fated Addie Joss and Ray Chapman, Cleveland often found itself in the thick of the race but, with 1920 the lone exception, seemed always to finish a game or two back in the final standings.

In the 10 years that followed the end of World War II, however, the franchise turned the corner. Led by owner (and world-class showman) Bill Veeck, the boy-manager Lou Boudreau, ace Bob Feller, and the barrier-busting Larry Doby, Cleveland charged up the standings, finishing in the first division every season but one and winning it all in 1948.

This meticulously researched history covers the Indians' first six decades, from their minor league origins at the end of the 19th century to the dismantling of the 1954 World Series club. It is a story of unforgettable players, frustrated hopes, and two glorious victories that fed a city's unwavering devotion to its team.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476617060
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	05/23/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	316
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

James E. Odenkirk, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University, splits his time between Chandler, Arizona and Boise, Idaho.
James E. Odenkirk, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University, splits his time between Chandler, Arizona and Boise, Idaho.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
1. Nineteenth Century Baseball in Cleveland
2. The Clevelanders and the American League
3. A “Dunn” Deal, Then Tragedy and Triumph
4. The Roaring Twenties and New Ownership
5. Filling Up the Tribe Managers’ Graveyard
6. The Tumultuous Tenure of Oscar Vitt
7. Tempest in a Teepee
8. Boy Manager, Bradley and the Burrhead
9. The Cleveland Franchise Takes on a New Look
10. Team Integration and the Glory Years
11. The Indians’ Greatest Season Since 1920
12. A Second World Championship and the End of the Veeck Era
13. An Indians Summer, Then Forty Years of Winter
Epilogue
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Offers a unique perspective... Odenkirk does an admirable job of conveying not only the early history of the Indians but what that history has meant to Clevelanders...his personal approach to history thus gives his writing a certain timelessness”—Nine; “Odenkirk’s history deftly combines his personal remembrances with the meticulous research and discerning analysis of a scholar to produce an authoritative and entertaining history.”—Larry Gerlach, emeritus professor at the University of Utah and the author of Men in Blue; “A veritable ‘trip tik’ through the long and exceedingly interesting history of baseball in Cleveland. Not only Indians fans but all fans of the game will enjoy hitching a ride.”—Rick Huhn, author of The Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National Obsession; “A scholarly and well-researched history, Odenkirk’s book will rank with the best in succinctly describing the thrills and disappointments of Tribe baseball in the twentieth century.”—Russell Schneider, sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and author of The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia.

From the Publisher

"A scholarly and well-researched history of Cleveland's longest-running sports franchise. Odenkirk's book will rank with the best in succinctly describing the thrills and disappointments of Tribe baseball in the twentieth century."

sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and author of The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia - Russell Schneider

Jim presents a veritable 'trip tik' through the long and exceedingly interesting history of baseball in Cleveland. Not only Indians fans but all fans of the game will enjoy hitching a ride.

author of The Chalmers Race: Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie, and the Controversial 1910 Batting Title That Became a National O - Rick Huhn

'"Labor of love' may be a cliche, but it applies to Jim Odenkirk's history of the Cleveland Indians. He deftly combines his personal remembrances with the meticulous research and discerning analysis of a scholar to produce an authoritative and entertaining history."

emeritus professor at the University of Utah and the author of Men in Blue - Larry Gerlach