Looking back at one of the better offensive teams that nobody talks about, the 1936 Cleveland Indians were the perfect example of all hit and no pitch. Led by guys like 1B Hal Trosky and future HOF CF Earl Averill, they clearly had the offense to compete with the elite of the American League. Of course, the New York Yankees were about to win the first of their 4 straight World Series Championships and still had the great Lou Gehrig to go along with a rookie by the name of Joe DiMaggio.
The Yankees had one of their best offensive seasons themselves, perhaps not the 1927 version- but one that had offensive numbers that were sickening. In a previous article, I spent a little time breaking down the 1927 and 1936 Yankees, leaving the reader as the one to make the decision over which team had the better offense.
The Yankees had one of their best offensive seasons themselves, perhaps not the 1927 version- but one that had offensive numbers that were sickening. In a previous article, I spent a little time breaking down the 1927 and 1936 Yankees, leaving the reader as the one to make the decision over which team had the better offense.
On to the Indians, a team that finished 80-74 under manager Steve O'Neill- good enough for 5th place in the AL that season. The team was led by Trosky (.343, 42, 162) and Averill (.378, 28, 126). 3B Odell Hale hit .316, 14, 87 with 13 3Bs and 50 2Bs. LF Joe Vosmik hit .287 and drove in 94 runs for the season and the middle infield combination of SS Bill Knickerbocker (.294, 8, 73) and 2B Roy Hughes (.295, 0, 63, 20 SB, 112 RS, 188 hits, 35 2B) put up numbers that were stellar for middle infielders of that time. Starting C Billy Sullivan played in 93 games and hit .351, 2, 48 with 32 2Bs. His backup, Frankie Pytlak played in 75 games and hit .321, 0, 31 for a .819 OPS. Combined, it was 79 runs driven in by the catching tandem. In right field, it was Roy Weatherly who played in 84 games and hit .335, 8, 53. But it was his backup, Bruce Campbell, who played in 76 games and hit .372, 6, 30. That combined for an over .350 average, 14 HR and 83 RBI.
On a team that was so good offensively, we saw a team that was proportionately as bad on the mound. The one exception was Johnny Allen, who went 20-10, 3.44 with 165 Ks in 244 IP. He was clearly the heart and sole of the pitching staff that season. 1936 was Bob Feller's rookie season as he only got into 14 games that year. Understand that Feller was just 17 and he was 5-3, 3.44 in 8 starts with 5 CG. The Indians knew Feller would be part of things for years to come. In 62 innings, Feller K'd 76 batters but walked 47. One of the most consistent and better starting pitchers in the history of the Cleveland Indians was Mel Harder. 1936 was not one of Harder's best seasons (15-15, 5.17). The Indians regular rotation was rounded out by Oral Hildebrand (10-11. 4.90) and Lloyd Brown (8-10, 4.17).
Danny Galehouse split his time between the rotation and the back of the bullpen (8-7, 4.85 in 36 games, 15 starts). George Blaeholder (8-4, 5.09, 35, 16) and LHP Thornton Lee (3-5, 4.89, 43, 8) were inconsistent all season while Willis Hudin managed to finish with a 9.00 ERA for the entire season. He pitched 64 innings and gave up 64 earned runs.
The Indians as a team hit a AL leading .304 and led the circuit with their 1715 hits. They pitched to a 4.83 ERA as a team with a 1.59 WHIP and almost as many walks (609) as Ks (619). Allen, who was their stud pitcher, was acquired from the Yankees before the season in a deal that sent Monte Pearson to the Yankees. Allen was 17-4 on the 1932 Yankees team that beat the Cubs in the World Series. Oddly enough, in his one World Series appearance in 1932, he started but failed to get out of the first inning. He would later appear in the 1941 Fall Classic and pitched in 3 games of the 1941 World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Yankees without giving up a run.
On a team that was so good offensively, we saw a team that was proportionately as bad on the mound. The one exception was Johnny Allen, who went 20-10, 3.44 with 165 Ks in 244 IP. He was clearly the heart and sole of the pitching staff that season. 1936 was Bob Feller's rookie season as he only got into 14 games that year. Understand that Feller was just 17 and he was 5-3, 3.44 in 8 starts with 5 CG. The Indians knew Feller would be part of things for years to come. In 62 innings, Feller K'd 76 batters but walked 47. One of the most consistent and better starting pitchers in the history of the Cleveland Indians was Mel Harder. 1936 was not one of Harder's best seasons (15-15, 5.17). The Indians regular rotation was rounded out by Oral Hildebrand (10-11. 4.90) and Lloyd Brown (8-10, 4.17).
Danny Galehouse split his time between the rotation and the back of the bullpen (8-7, 4.85 in 36 games, 15 starts). George Blaeholder (8-4, 5.09, 35, 16) and LHP Thornton Lee (3-5, 4.89, 43, 8) were inconsistent all season while Willis Hudin managed to finish with a 9.00 ERA for the entire season. He pitched 64 innings and gave up 64 earned runs.
The Indians as a team hit a AL leading .304 and led the circuit with their 1715 hits. They pitched to a 4.83 ERA as a team with a 1.59 WHIP and almost as many walks (609) as Ks (619). Allen, who was their stud pitcher, was acquired from the Yankees before the season in a deal that sent Monte Pearson to the Yankees. Allen was 17-4 on the 1932 Yankees team that beat the Cubs in the World Series. Oddly enough, in his one World Series appearance in 1932, he started but failed to get out of the first inning. He would later appear in the 1941 Fall Classic and pitched in 3 games of the 1941 World Series for the Brooklyn Dodgers against the Yankees without giving up a run.
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