Cleveland Indians: Top Five Second Basemen of All-Time

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May 5, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of a Cleveland Indians cap and glove in the dugout prior to the game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Who is the Cleveland Indians’ all-time best second baseman?

Entering 2015, the Cleveland Indians had a second base problem. Jason Kipnis had just finished a disappointing 2014, but Jose Ramirez had emerged from the minor leagues. Francisco Lindor’s impending arrival only added more confusion to the mix.

Ultimately, the situation ended with very little change. Kipnis went on to have a great season while Ramirez collapsed and Lindor shined. While Jose Ramirez did regain some stock near the end of the season, he very clearly missed a huge opportunity to establish himself in Cleveland before Lindor claimed his spot on the roster.

#5: Jason Kipnis

To begin our journey, we look at Jason Kipnis. Kipnis, 28, is the Cleveland Indians current second baseman. He has played in parts of five seasons with the Tribe, and has accumulated an impressive 14.6 wins above a replacement player, as measured by FanGraphs, in that time. While that sum ranks as only seventh on the all-time list, many of the players who rank above him have played substantially more games. If we sorted that list into WAR per 162 games, Kipnis would rank sixth.

The left-handed batter’s most impressive season came just last year. He batted an impressive .303 across 141 games. Combining his newfound line-drive prowess with his speed led to an increase in doubles and triples. All in all, weighted runs created plus valued his 2015 as 26 percent better than average, and FanGraphs valued him as 5.2 wins better than a replacement player.

Should Kipnis continue to play at an all-star level, he could very easily move up into the top three on this list. For this reason, it may almost be too soon to rate him as just the fifth best second baseman of all-time when he still has at least four more seasons on his contract. Of course there is always the possibility of a regression, an injury, or a trade.

Next on our list is a player from back in the 1950s…

Next: Number Four...

Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

#4: Bobby Avila

Bobby Avila earned his way onto this list mostly through longevity. Over the course of ten seasons and 1,207 games with the Cleveland Indians, he batted .284 with an on-base percentage of .362. The Indians could always count on him to be a good, as he posted seven straight seasons in which he was better than the average player. Like Kipnis, he had an intriguing combination of power and speed that led to many doubles and triples, and he collected the most triples in the American League in 1952.

His best season came in 1954, when his batting average of .341 led the American League. FanGraphs valued that year as being 6.4 wins better than a replacement player, and weighted runs created plus suggested that his bat was 46 percent better than the average player. It was his performance that led the Indians to the World Series that year. They ultimately lost to the New York Giants.

After baseball he served as a politician, even becoming the mayor of his hometown of Veracruz. Then in 1971, he became a member of the Mexican Baseball Hall of Fame. He died of complications from diabetes in 2004.

The third player on our list comes from the glory days of the 1990s…

Next: Number Three...

Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

#3: Roberto Alomar

While Roberto Alomar only played in three seasons for the Indians, he amassed an impressive 19 wins above a replacement player. His WAR per 162 games ranks second among qualified players, and this time span encapsulates the best season in his Hall of Fame career. Even further, he took home All-Star and Gold Glove honors in all three of those seasons and won the Silver Slugger in two of those years.

Arguably the best season of his career occurred in 1999. The switch-hitter slashed an elite .323/.422/.533 with 37 stolen bases and 24 home runs. This season was his first, and only, seven-win performance, and it marked a resurgence from a pair of “down” years in which he was still an all-star player. After the season, he finished the Most Valuable Player race in third place behind Ivan Rodriguez and Pedro Martinez.

His career as a whole was one of the best for any second baseman, with his career WAR of 63.6 ranking 11^th overall, per FanGraphs. He fell one stolen base short of 475, but that total still finished as one of the best all-time. Perhaps his most memorable feat was his 12 straight appearances in the All-Star Game from 1990 to 2001. The National Baseball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2011 with 90% of the vote on his second ballot.

Next on our list is a member of the 1948 World Series team…

Next: Number Two...

Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

#2: Joe Gordon

Joe Gordon served a huge role on the 1948 champion Cleveland Indians. He played elite defense while providing the Indians with power from an unlikely position. Not only did he dominate in the regulate season, as shown by his fWAR of 7.1, but he also gave the Indians the lead in two of World Series games. In another impressive feat, his seven double plays during that six game series remains the record.

1948 was a microcosm of both his time with the Indians and his overall career. During four seasons with the Tribe, he batted .262/.354/.463 with 100 home runs. Only Carlos Baerga hit more home runs than the right-handed Gordon, and Gordon’s slugging percentage was consistently one of the best in the American League. This led to his nine All-Star appearances, three of which came as a member of the Cleveland Indians, and American League MVP award in 1942 as a member of the New York Yankees. These awards culminated in an induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Another part of Joe Gordon that many forgot was his friendship with Larry Doby. Larry Doby was the first African-American player in the American League, and many reporters, fans, and players abused him because of the color of his skin. This hatred came not only from opposing players but members of his team, and, as Joe Morgan of ESPN recounted in 2003, most of the Indians refused to shake his hand and ignored him. Joe Gordon, however, befriended Doby and included him in team affairs. As Doby would later tell, Gordon’s acceptance and friendship helped to make Doby’s transition to the MLB easier.

Finally, we reach the best second baseman of all-time for the Cleveland Indians…

Next: Number One...

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

#1: Nap Lajoie

The all-time best second baseman of the Cleveland Indians was Nap Lajoie. Lajoie appeared in 12 seasons for the Cleveland baseball team. He went to the Cleveland Bronchos during the 1914 season, and the team changed its name to the Cleveland Naps. It was not until Lajoie left that the Naps changed its name to the Cleveland Indians.

Clearly he must have been an excellent player for a team to be named after him, and excellent he was. Across that span with the Indians, he slashed .339/.388/.452 and accumulated 75 wins above a replacement player. Keep in mind that this all occurred during the dead-ball era, when offense was at a low. As such, those offensive results were 52 percent better than an average player. Had the Most Valuable Player award existed at that time, he would have certainly won it many times.

His best season came in 1910, when he posted a 9.3 WAR and led the league in batting average. With a weighted runs created plus of 194, he was a menace at the plate. His .445 on-base percentage gave him plenty of opportunities to swipe bases, and he managed to collect 26 of these despite being 35 years old.

Next: Top 20 Hitters in Franchise History

Did that walk down memory lane leave you thirsting for more all-time best lists? If so, check out some of these links to other articles here at Wahoo’s on First:

Cleveland Indians All-Time Top 20 Hitters

Cleveland Indians Top Ten All-Time Pitchers

Top Five Cleveland Indians Relievers of All-Time

Building the Ultimate Cleveland Indians Starting Lineup

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