A quiet, dignified gentleman who came to the Cleveland Indians in a 1976 trade with Montreal for pitcher Jackie Brown, Andre “Thunder” Thornton played for ten memorable seasons with the Tribe. During that time, the slugging first basemen/designated hitter connected for 214 home runs, just 12 short of Earl Averill’s record. A knee operation which forced him to miss the entire 1980 season undoubtedly cost him the mark. When he retired, he ranked eighth on the Indians career rbi list and tenth in total bases and slugging percentage. His single season total of 109 bases on balls was the second highest in club history at the time. Those figures helped earn him selections to the American League All-Star Team in 1982 and 1984. He was selected the Indians Man of the Year in 1978 and shared the honor in 1982 with teammate Toby Harrah. He has made Cleveland his home since his retirement in 1986.
National AAU long distance champion during the mid 1940’s, Ted Stevens was a multiple AAU All-American. He led the University Circle YMCA team to a National YMCA championship and was considered the outstanding distance swimmer in the area during his competitive years. Ted was an Ohio high school freestyle champion at East Tech for two years.
Louis “L.B.” Schaefer was a member of the 1959 United States Pan-American Team in backstroke. He won NCAA titles in the 100 and 200-yard backstrokes and swam on the gold medal-winning 400-yard medley relay team in 1962 to help Ohio State University win the national collegiate championship. L.B. was the Ohio state high school champion in the backstroke for three years (1957-1959) at Berea High School, where he captained the Berea team in his senior year. He also co-captained the Ohio State team in 1963.
Flora Graham Sanders starred for teams which compiled a record of 17 Class A Inter-City or Tri-State championships. Although listed as a forward, she frequently played and was equally effective as a guard. Flora was noted for her consistency as a scorer. A versatile athlete, she also earned titles or played on championship teams in softball, golf, bowling and dance skating.
After starring with several Cleveland amateur league teams, Willie Smith was signed by the New York Renaissance in 1932 and played with them through the 1941-42 season. He started for the 1935 Rens team which set a pro record by winning 88 straight games, was picked as the top player on the 1937-38 team and played on the first World’s Professional Championship team in 1939. Willie was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964.
As a rookie with the Cleveland Indians, Herb Score struck out 245 batters, which stood as a record for 29 years. As a result, he won the American League Rookie of the Year honor. In 1956 he struck out 263 in 249 innings, posting a 20-9 mark with a 2.53 ERA. He was selected to the American League All-Star Team in 1955 and 1956. Herb served as the radio voice of the Indians for more than 30 years.
A star collegiate football player at John Carroll, Don Shula went on to play professional football with the Browns and Colts. His coaching career spans over a quarter century and is one of the most impressive in the history of the NFL. His Dolphins won two Super Bowls and his record of 200 pro wins in a 20 year span is unrivaled.
A short fielder who played between the infield and outfield on ten-man teams in the 1920s and 1930s, Herb Timm was renowned for his fielding and base stealing. A better than .350 average hitter for the 14 years he competed in both 14-inch and 12-inch play, he rarely struck out and almost always reached base.
Born in Cleveland and developed on the Cleveland sandlots, he became one of the Cleveland Indians’ best hitters of the 1930s. Most outstanding season came in 1935 when he led the American League in hits (216), doubles (47) and triples (20). Lifetime batting average was solid .307. Teamed with Earl Averill and Twitchy Dick Porter to give Indians one of their all-time best outfields.
A native son of Cleveland he enjoyed a 17-year major league pitching career during which he started 368 games and completed 23. Between 1919 and 1928 he won 20 or more games three times with the Indians. Enjoyed his greatest season in 1926, posting a fine 27-11 record and pitching an almost incredible 32 complete games in 36 starts. Ended his major league career with an even 200 victories.