Stack of All Trades: Sorting through the NBA Trade Deadline
February 20, 2015Charting Expectations for the Indians by Kluber’s Enthusiasm
February 20, 2015No, honest: Spring is approaching. I know because I just followed the progress of the Tribe’s equipment trucks’ sojourn to Goodyear, much like a small child refreshing noradsanta.org to track the location of the jolly man’s sleigh. Their pitchers and catchers are already beginning supervised workouts in the warm sun of Arizona. It’s a time to lift the cover once again on the sentimental musings on the pastoral romance of baseball.
It seems too early to care very much about wins and losses, about win totals and Central Division rivals.
But before long, the desire for a playoff spot will be the lens through which I view the CleveIand Indians. Fair or not, I want a winner.
I sometimes wish to be more laid-back in my interest in sports. If it is an angst-ridden pursuit, what’s the point? I can get that at work. And of all the major sports, baseball lends itself to the enjoyment of ‘the process.’
A commonly-held impression of Indians fans seems to be that our level of anxiety has been increasing a bit more every year, in a linear fashion, ever since the glorious 1948 World Series championship that nobody remembers.
We know it is a lot more nuanced than that. If we could quantify a Tribe fan’s ‘misery index’, the graph would show peaks and troughs over several decades (along an upward slope).
There was even a time when the team was really good—a perennial Series contender—yet frustration had mounted anyway. From 1951 through 1956, the Indians won an average of 95 games a season (out of 154). They won 111 in 1954, on their way to the league pennant. But in each of the other five seasons, they finished in second place. Behind the New York Yankees, and out of the World Series (which at that time was the entirety of the postseason).
Hegan was an American League All Star five times between 1947 and 1952. He caught six 20-game winners.
The 1957 Indians had clearly boasted the finest pitching staff in baseball for over ten years—since the end of World War II. The fact that they did finish as high as second place in 1956 with a team batting average of only .244 was a testament to the continued dominance of the pitching (which by now was bolstered by the sensational young lefty, Herb Score). One constant was the tutelage of pitching coach, and Indians lifer, Mel Harder. Another constant was catcher, and de facto pitching coach, Jim Hegan. This would be his final season with the team, as well.
Jim Hegan’s hitting statistics did not reflect his worth to the team. All of baseball accepted the superior skills he possessed in handling pitchers, in calling a game, and in fielding his position. A good example was Birdie Tebbetts. By now the manager of the Cincinnati Reds (and future manager of the Indians), Tebbetts’ big league catching career had spanned at least parts of three decades. He declared there had been no better player performing the duties of catcher than Jim Hegan.
Hegan’s skills were legendary. It was said that in the instant a foul ball was struck, Hegan would scramble to the point it would meet the field- without looking up for the ball. Apparently, that was true. His pitchers learned not to shake off his signs; when hitters struck out, it was said they often turned and cursed Hegan. And base stealers had only a 65% chance against him.
Interestingly, back in 1947, shortstop/manager Lou Boudreau pulled Hegan aside and told him he would call all pitches, surreptitiously signaling while playing short. Hegan was to relay Boudreau’s sign to the pitcher. It was a particularly tough time in Hegan’s career- especially when the secret was revealed at the end of the season. Since it bothered the catcher so much, Boudreau backed off and relinquished the duties in 1948- and oh by the way, the Indians won the World Series.
Hegan was an American League All Star five times between 1947 and 1952. He caught six 20-game winners: Gene Bearden, Bob Lemon, Bob Feller, Early Wynn, Mike Garcia and Herb Score. He caught no-hitters from Don Black, Lemon and Feller.
Hegan’s quiet personality sometimes projected a first impression of arrogance. He was just very quiet, and naturally dignified. He was a little embarrassed when people made a big deal of his status as a major league baseball player, and his reaction caused others to consider him a bit aloof. I always like to note which 1947 Indians befriended newcomer Larry Doby. The first black player in the American League, Doby never played in the minors. He game directly from the Negro leagues to the Cleveland Indians, so he had no previous friendships on the team. Along with such players as Steve Gromek, Joe Gordon, and Bob Lemon, Jim Hegan befriended Doby at a time when ignoring him would have been the easiest thing to do.
He was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Indians in 1938. Hegan had been offered a tryout with manager (and former catcher) Steve O’Neill on the suggestion of Hegan’s neighbor, a former Indian and teammate of O’Neill’s. According to Hegan’s wife, he was actually a better basketball player than baseball player. He played semi-pro hoops in the offseason, until Tribe owner Bill Veeck mad him quit upon hearing he’d broken a bone in his hand. He made the big league club in 1941. He spent three years in the service during the war, before becoming a fixture behind the plate for the Tribe in 1946.
As the 1957 Indians took the field, hopes were still high that the pitching might carry the team to a pennant. A disappointing start featured, yes, a lack of production on offense. This included Jim Hegan, who began to be platooned with two other catchers.
Let’s take a peek at a game from late April, in Kansas City against the Athletics- which, coincidentally, were managed by Lou Boudreau. The Indians entered the game with a record of 2-4, and were going with Early Wynn on the mound. Wynn was looking for his first win of the season. The Tribe lineup also boasted young Rocco Colavito, starting in right field. In left was another youngster, by the name of Roger Maris.
In the first, Athletics starter Wally Burnette worked around a one-out walk by inducing a strikeout/throwout double play against Maris and CF Al Smith.
Wynn had little trouble in the home half of the inning, getting two fly balls and a strikeout. AFTER ONE, 0-0.
In the Tribe second, Wertz led off with a walk. Colavito fouled out to the catcher, and Avila flied out to center. Second baseman George Strickland singled to left, advancing Wertz to second. Jim Hegan stepped up and delivered a double to left, scoring Wertz. Wynn grounded out.
Wynn issued a leadoff walk of his own, before retiring the side with a ground ball force at second and a fly ball to Maris- the Indians doubled up the runner. AFTER TWO, 1-0 TRIBE.
Skipping ahead to the bottom of the fourth: Kansas City scored on the strength of three singles. AFTER FOUR, 1-1.
The starting pitchers took control of the game through the next couple innings. In the top of the seventh, Hegan led off with a walk. A ground ball out by Wynn pushed Hegan to second. Pinch hitter Gene Woodling then walked, and Al Smith singled to left. Hegan scored the go-ahead run. After Maris popped out to first, Wertz clobbered a double to straight away center field. Both runners scored.
Wynn held serve in the bottom of the seventh. AFTER SEVEN, 4-1 TRIBE.
The Indians added a run in the eighth: Strickland and Hegan each walked. Wynn moved the runners over with a bunt. Shortstop Chico Carrasquel scored Strickland with a sacrifice fly to right.
In the bottom of the eighth, Wynn was coasting with two outs before allowing a single/homer/double. He was lifted for reliever Ray Narleski, who completed the four-out save. INDIANS WIN, 5-3! Early Wynn was now 1-1; perhaps the Tribe was ready to settle down and start winning several games…
Unfortunately, the team would ultimately fade as the season played out. Tragically, and shockingly, Herb Score would be struck in the eye with a batted ball during a game, and would briefly fight for his life before spending the season recuperating. Kerby Ferrell would be fired after this one season as Indians manager. The offseason would usher in a new era of tumult and upheaval, led by newly hired general manager Frank “Trader” Lane. Gone would be more of the old guard, including Jim Hegan. Moving forward, nobody was safe from the fickle moves of Lane.
In Cleveland, frustration was poised to spike.
6 Comments
Nice, Greg. Older Indians always spoke so respectfully of Hegan. Must have had quite the touch to handle a staff with that level of stardom and ego, from Feller to Lemon to Satchel Paige and the rest.
Didn’t realize Maris actually started regular season games for the Tribe, thought it was more like the way Unitas was in the Browns’ training camp.
Thanks, Harv. I also really like that he befriended Doby when it would have been easier not to. I like to keep that out there with him, Gromek, Gordon and Lemon.
According to his son, and Indians broadcaster/player Mike Hegan, Jim’s wife hosted groups of players at their home all the time. She liked all of them, except for Babe Ruth. She thought he was disgusting. haha There is an article out there that references that but I cant seem to find it at the moment.
Hmm, maybe her Babe Ruth story is apocryphal – wrong era. Except for part of one season when he was real young Hegan’s career was all after his service in WWII. Ruth was out of baseball in the mid-1930s and I believe and he was dead by 1948.
Yes, you’re right, of course. The story is right, but it wasn’t Hegan.
Found it. I get tunnel vision that way- ha.
Lefty Weisman was a long-time trainer (glorified personal clubhouse attendant) that Tris Speaker brought to Cleveland with him, from Boston. Weisman’s son reminisced about his mom, Sal. Sal often hosted players at their Cleveland Heights home, like Hegan, Feller, Bob Lemon, Ken Keltner, and entire visiting teams. They’d eat, then sing around the piano. Sal actually would say all were welcome – except Babe Ruth. She called him a “vulgar, rotten degenerate.” !!
There you go.