Cleveland Indians All-Time Top 20 Hitters in Franchise History

#3: Earl Averill

The Cleveland Indians retired Earl Averill’s number 3 in 1975 – the same year the veteran was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, just eight years before his death. Averill had insisted on being elected to the Hall before he died, publicly stating that his wishes had been for his estate to turn down the honor if he was elected posthumously. That would probably have been a fair punishment for the slight.

Averill began his career with a bang – hitting a home run in his first Major League at-bat when he debuted on Opening Day in 1929.

Although Averill never played on a Championship team with the Tribe – or even a very good team – he consistently set records himself. He was 27 years old when he debuted with the Tribe, and holds the franchise record for runs scored (1,154), triples (121), and RBIs (1,084). He also is ranked third in hits (1,902) and doubles (377) behind only Nap Lajoie and Tris Speaker, and fourth in home runs (226) and walks (725).

Averill was a six-time All-Star with a career batting average of .318, and he spent all but three seasons of his career with the Indians. He reached the World Series during one of his two seasons with the Detroit Tigers in 1939, but the team did not win a Championship – making him one of the best players in the history of the game without a World Series ring.

Although he rarely finished first in any category, he was consistently in the top-ten for almost every offensive criteria. It’s not impossible to make the case that Averill was the best hitter in Indians’ history, but at least on this list, he falls just short of that title.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #2