Cleveland Indians All-Time Top 20 Hitters in Franchise History

#18: Rocky Colavito

The so-called Curse of Rocky Colavito has allegedly plagued the Cleveland Indians for decades, but in 1955, the young outfielder made his debut with the Tribe under much more pleasant circumstances. He quickly became a fan favorite, batting .272/.365/.534 with 129 home runs in four full seasons with the Tribe.

In 1959, Colavito made his first All-Star team, but he was traded away to the Detroit Tigers in what is widely regarded as one of the worst deals in history. In his two seasons before the trade, Colavito had came in third and fourth in the MVP voting, respectively, and he had ranked in the top ten in WAR.

Colavito was the best hitter on the Indians’ roster at the time, hitting the second-most home runs in the AL in 1958, with 41, and leading the league with 42 homers in 1959.

Colavito’s first stint with the Indians ended prematurely thanks to the trade, but he was eventually dealt back to the Indians in 1965. After a pair of All-Star seasons, the Indians send him to the White Sox in mid-1967. In 1965, he lead the league with 108 RBIs, making him as valuable as ever, but he quickly fell off after that. The latter years of his career were much rougher, and in 1968, he retired after just 14 seasons in the big leagues.

Next: Top 20 Hitters: #17