Cleveland Indians Top Ten All-Time Pitchers

#6: RHP Stan Coveeski

Few Cleveland Indians players can boast that they were on the mound in a game where their team clinched a World Series Championship, but right-hander Stan Coveleski is one of them. In Game 7 of the 1920 World Series, Coveleski pitched a beauty of a game – a 3-0 shutout victory over the Brooklyn Robins.

Coveleski was a spitball pitcher throughout his major league career, and he was even one of the players who were “grandfathered” in when the pitch was banned, still permitted to through the pitch for the remainder of his career. Despite leading the league in strikeouts in 1920, with 133, Coveleski was never much of a strikeout pitcher. He had just 981 in his 14-year career, despite throwing 3082 innings.

Most of his time as a major leaguer was spent in Cleveland, after a brief stint with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1912. After debuting with the Tribe in 1916, Coveleski spent nine years in an Indians uniform before being dealt to the Washington Senators, and finally closing out his career as a New York Yankee.

During his time with the Indians, Coveleski had a 2.80 ERA and 31 shutouts in 193 complete games. Of course, this was an era when pitching all nine innings was not uncommon, but he was still often in the American League’s top-ten for both complete games and shutouts.

In 1969, Coveleski was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee, thanks in part to winning the AL pitching title twice in his career, and having a career 65.2 WAR for pitchers that ranks 43^rd all-time. The 51 WAR he earned with the Tribe put him fifth All-Time, and second among Indians’ pitchers.

Next: All-Time Best Pitchers: #5