One of baseball's greatest pitchers passes away. So long, Mr. Feller.

On December 15, 2010, "Rapid Rob" Bob Feller passed away at the age of 92 after battling leukemia.  Bob Feller is one of Cleveland's most beloved baseball heroes.  To the baseball world at large, he was one of the sports greatest ambassadors.  He loved the game, loved the fans.  And, we loved him right back.

Bob Feller was one of those players I have always wanted to meet in person and shake his hand.  Ever since I was a child, first learning just who the Indians were and building my love for the team, Bob Feller was a name I always connected with anything related to the Tribe.  Though I never did get to meet him, I feel as though I have have lost a long-time friend.  

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 

Indians Manager Lou Brown Dies at 70

(the image below came from the web site youhitlike####.wordpress.com)

James Gammon, best known to Tribe fans as the BEST manager the Indians have ever had, passed away today at age 70. His voice was so unique that when it came on, many people would instantly know it was him (even if they may not have known his name).

I loved him the Major League, and he will be missed as an iconic, beloved member of the Tribe family. Yes, I know it was a movie, but that doesn't matter. May he rest in peace, hopefully swapping stories with Herb Score and the other Indians that have gone before us.

*The web site mentioned above takes its name from a line in the movie. The author of the site also happens to make some great Major League-related fan art/custom cards! I used the modified image without express permission. I hope he's okay with that in this instance.

Woodie Held Passes Away

Woodie Held passed away earlier today (Thursday) at age 77. He held the record for the most homers by a Tribe Shortstop until Peralta broke his record this season. Held played for the Indians from 1958-1964 and racked up 85 home runs. He also played for the Royals, Angels, Yankees, Orioles, White Sox and Washington Senators, and was a perennial part of the Indians Fantasy Camp (which I hope to be blessed with attending some day).

He had been battling a long fight with cancer until his death. He will be a very missed part of the Indians family.

Dick Jacobs, Rest in Peace

83-year old Dick Jacobs passed away Friday, and Indians fans have lost a significant figure in Cleveland baseball history. He is the reason the field was called "Jacob's Field" before the whole Progressive thing. He's the reason the Indians stayed in Cleveland at all. He's the reason many Indians fans will always fondly refer to the current field as "The Jake."

I learned of his passing from Baseball Dad's post on his blog. I've been watching ESPN all morning, and never once had they mentioned it. That's unfortunate, and perhaps they will put together something for later today.

The simple fact is that the Tribe sucked and Jacobs became the reason the Indians remained in town. When things looked bad for the team and their staying power in Cleveland, Jacobs was courted to come in and save the team. A new attitude, a new team, a new field (eventually) and the Indians became a force to be reckoned with. In the early days of his ownership (late 80's - early 90's), he took the full brunt of the blame while building the minor league system up to par. Luckily for the Tribe, Jacobs was more than able to handle the cost himself (having been worth an estimated $500 million in 1986!). There are always growing pains when a new owner comes in, and this was no different. But, like most things in life: where there is pain, there is growth.

The Indians got the players they needed, the branding they needed, and managed to find themselves in multiple post-season (including a couple World Series) appearances - a long stretch from the Tribe of the 80's.

Even though the Indians are struggling this season, as far as I'm concerned, the principles, ideas, and heart that Jacobs put into effect to turn the Tribe around makes all the headache and heartache worth it.

I can only imagine Jacobs was met at the pearly gates by former Tribers tipping their hats to the man who brought back that Indians pride.

"Now you play for another Angels team."

(post title comes from words written on a baseball seen at the memorial, according to Fox News)

Arkansas Native HOF George Kell Passes Away

Kell never played for Cleveland, and before today, I don't know that I had ever heard of him. But earlier today, he passed away at his home in Swifton, Arkansas.

Swifton is about 200 miles northeast from where I live.

Kell played for the A's, Tigers, Red Sox, White Sox, and Orioles during a 15-year career in the majors. He was chosen for 13 all-star teams. He had an overall .971 fielding percentage and a .306 batting average. Kell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

After playing, he was a broadcaster for the Tigers, Orioles, and network stations. He served on the Arkansas State Highway Commission and owned a car dealership.

He was born in Arkansas and died in his hometown. A full life come full circle.

Paul Newman (1925-2008)

Paul Newman poses with Cleveland Indians players Leon Wagner, Chuck Hinton, and Rocky Colavito (image from The Cleveland Memory Project)
I've been sick the past couple of days, but this morning it hit hard and I woke up very late. When I finally got my groggy head out of bed and threw my rear end into the couch in front of the TV, my wife told me that Paul Newman had passed away.

He was born in Cleveland (well, near Cleveland really), and will be missed in all the various circles in which he made an impact: Sports, Philanthropy, and of course, Acting....

"Doc Hudson" heads for the great race in the skies above...

Mickey Vernon heads to the diamond in the sky

Ex-Triber Mickey Vernon passed away earlier today (September 24). Vernon made a couple appearances in the Indians Uniform Countdown. As a tribute and reminder, he was born in 1918 and played with the Indians from 1949-1950 and then again in 1958. Vernon batted .291 in his first year with the Tribe, hitting 18 homers, getting 170 hits, 27 doubles, and 83 RBIs. In his next season, he dropped to 90 at-bats with 17 hits, watching his average drop to .189. In his return to the Tribe in 1958, he got 49 runs on 104 hits while bringing in 55 RBIs. His .293 avg netted him a place on the '58 AL all-star team. He had come back to the Tribe after playing with the Senators and the Red Sox. He left the Indians for the Braves in late 1959 with a .293 average on the season.

Our hearts go out to his friends and family.

My own memories of Jim McKay

I was very young when the Olympic hostage situation occurred. I don't remember much of it at all. But, growing up, McKay was always the voice of competition. He had a way of telling a story that brought me into an event as more than a simple spectator. Suddenly, I actually CARED about certain athletes.

But, to me, Jim McKay was the voice of a little-known computer game called "British Open." My Dad had found the game in some bargain bin somewhere, so we each ended up with a copy of it. Though much of the commentary turned repetitive (which is understandable given 18+ holes of golf in a game), there was still the familiar voice of Jim McKay. In fact, my Dad and I played the game long after Tiger came onto the scene to dominate golf gaming. The game itself wasn't a bad golf game, but it was the fact that you were playing as Jim McKay made comments about YOUR gameplay.

In a way, McKay gave me some of the best memories of playing on the computer with my Dad.