Cleveland Indians: Top 5 managers in team history

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NEW YORK – JULY 11, 1939. Before the start of the 1939 All Star game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Vandermeer makes some home movies of the festivities, getting Grover Cleveland Alexander, left, and Tris Speaker on film. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /

player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Manager. 3. 1919-26. TrisSpeaker. 5

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617-520 record
Player Manager
1920 World Series Champion
94-60 1921 season
Fourth all-time on Indians managerial win list

Not only was Tris Speaker the Cleveland Indians best player during the 1920 World Series champion season, but he was also the manager.

Speaker led the Indians to their first-ever championship by leading the 1920 club to a 98-56 regular season and seven-game World Series win over the Brooklyn Robins. In addition to his work in the dugout, he also hit a team-high .388 with eight home runs and 107 RBI’s.

As a manager, Speaker had to navigate the 1920 Indians through a tragedy as shortstop Ray Chapman was killed during a regular season game against the New York Yankees after being hit the head by a spitball pitch from Carl Mays at the Polo Grounds.

In addition to his effort in 1920, Speaker led the Indians to a 94-60 1921 season and finished his time as Indians manager with 617 wins, which ranks fourth all-time in franchise history.

He went onto finish his career as a player with the Washington Senators in 1927 and Philadelphia Athletics in 1928. Speaker was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee as a player in 1937.

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