Cleveland Indians: Top 5 managers in team history

CLEVELAND – 1954. The American League Champion Cleveland Indians pose for their team photograph in 1954. Larry Doby and Early Wynn are in the back row, far left and second from left, and Bob Lemon second from right. Bob Feller is in the middle row, second from left, and manager Al Lopez is in the second row from the bottom, center. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)

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570-324 record
1954 American League Champion
Four 90+ win seasons
Five second place finishes
No sub .500 seasons
Fifth all-time on Indians managerial win list
.617 win percentage
Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame Inductee
National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee

The only man in Indians history to be inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for his role as a manager is Al Lopez.

Lopez can be best described as a winner. His .617 win percentage ranks as the best in franchise history as he never posted a sub .500 season as Indians manager.

In his six-year stint as Indians skipper, Lopez led the Tribe to four wins of at least 90 wins and in 1954 guided the team to a 113-43 record, which allowed them to finally beat out the New York Yankees for the AL Pennant.

While the Indians would suffer a sweep in the World Series in a series best known for Giants outfielders Willie Mays’ iconic catch, Lopez cemented himself in Indians history as one of just four skippers to lead the team to a World Series.

After departing Cleveland, he went onto spend two stints managing the Chicago White Sox (1957-65, 1968-69) where he led the White Sox to the 1959 World Series.

He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977 and was named the American League’s honorary team captain in the 1990 MLB All-Star Game at Wrigley Field.

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