Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

by Ryan on Jan 27, 2008 5:24 PM EST in News

Parts Two (7-5) and Three (4-1) will be appearing on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

10. Elmer Flick, 1904

579 AB, .306/.371/.449, 31 2B, 17 3B, 6 HR, 38 SB

Highlights:

4th Average, 3rd OBP, 3rd SLG, 3rd, OPS, 8th PA, 2nd Runs, 5th Hits, 2nd Total Bases, 4th 2B, 4th 3B, 4th, HR, 9th BB, 1st SB, 10th 1B, 2nd Adj OPS+, 2nd RC, 2nd Batting Runs, 2nd Batting Wins, 2nd Extra Base Hits, 5th Times on Base, 3rd Power/Speed Number, 7th AB/HR

The lone Hall of Famer on this list, believe it not. Flick came to Cleveland after he and Nap Lajoie were banned from playing in Philadelphia; the two had jumped from the Phillies to the cross-town Athletics after the 1901 season. From the Sporting News (5-8-1901):

Manager [Connie] Mack is preparing to foil the attack of [Phillies owner] Colonel Rogers as far as possible. He has let Elmer Flick go to Cleveland under an arrangement with [Cleveland] President Kilfoy...

As mentioned earlier in this series, Flick's numbers look pedestrian compared with today's run environment, but Flick was one of the best all-around players of his era, able to steal a base and hit for power. He lead the AL in triples three straight seasons, and finished at least third in OPS+ from 1904-1907.

Flick is perhaps best know not for his Hall of Fame career but for almost being traded for Ty Cobb. Flick was in his early thirties, and Cobb was just 21, but Cleveland elected to keep Flick, at that time one of the best players in the AL. But a "stomach ailment" soon curtailed his ability, and he wasn't the same after the 1907 season.

9. Jeff Heath, 1941

585 AB, .340/.396/.586, 162 OPS+, 32 2B, 20 3B, 24 RBI

Highlights:

All-Star, 8th AL MVP, 4th Average, 3rd SLG, 4th OPS, 9th Games, 8th AB, 2nd Hits, 2nd Total Bases, 1st Triples, 7th HR, 2nd RBI, 7th 1B, 3rd Adj OPS+, 3rd RC, 2nd Extra Base Hits, 9th Times on Base, 7th HBP, 1st Power/Speed Number, 7th AB/HR

Heath's career year came after a couple of relative disappointments in '39 and '40. Jeff collected 20 doubles, 20 triples, and 20 home runs in 1941, a feat that hasn't been equaled by an Indian since. From the Sporting News (5-8-1941):

Heath, who came within six points of leading the league in hitting in 1938, but who was practically worthless the next two seasons, at this writing was the Indians' No. 1 swatsmith with an average of .431. The young outfielder from the West Coast looks good even when he fails to hit. He has been fielding the ball solidly, hustling every minute both on the base lines and in the outfield.

Heath was 26 in 1941, and he was playing in his fourth season, so this wasn't some phenom exploding onto the scene. He may not have liked Ossie Vitt, who was run out the previous year by the players. But unfortunately, not many of the other regulars had good seasons, as the team finished 7th in the AL in runs scored.

Heath continued to produce for the Indians during the War Years; he was dealt to Washington after the 1945 season for George Case, a light-hitting outfielder. Heath apparently wanted out in large part to get away from "Cleveland and its average-murdering stadium."

8. Joe Jackson, 1913

528 AB, .373/.460/.551, 192 OPS+, 39, 17 3B, 7 HR

Highlights:

2nd AL MVP, 2nd Average, 2nd OBP, 1st SLG, 1st OPS, 10th PA, 3rd Runs, 1st Hits, 2nd Total Bases, 1st 2B, 3rd 3B, 4th HR, 9th RBI, 3rd BB, 6th 1B, 2nd Adj OPS+, 1st RC, 2nd Extra Base Hits, 1st Times on Base, 2nd Power/Speed, 8th AB/SO, 4th AB/HR

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson is not a Hall of Famer thanks to the Black Sox Scandal, but would have been had he retained his eligibility. Like Flick, the Naps acquired Jackson from the Philadelphia Athletics. Cleveland needed a right fielder to fill the outfield void the Flick had left, and young Jackson certainly answered it; his 1911 season entry will have all the details of that campaign.

Jackson's 1913 season, his third best on this list, still had some memorable accomplishments. He solved the age-old trade-off of contact and power, walking 80 times, striking out just 26 times while finishing 2nd in the league in extra-base hits.

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Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

i don't know why, but i just have trouble picturing d.b. sweeney or ray liotta in a tribe uniform.

by Brick. on Jan 27, 2008 8:21 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Speaking of uniforms . . . I'd go back to those 1904 uniforms in a second. Beautiful.

by ploni on Jan 29, 2008 10:45 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

once Steppin' Out hit the charts, I knew Joe Jackson would be on this list someday

by royalsreview on Jan 27, 2008 10:15 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Jody Gerut, 2004?

by maledicta on Jan 27, 2008 10:35 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

obviously jackson and Ramirez will make up most of the rest of the list. I'm interested to see the order. I love these lists, but it just is so hard to do something like compare Manny's 99 season with a Joe Jackson season from the 1910's. Thanks Ryan.

by DaytonDogg on Jan 27, 2008 11:09 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

didn't Joey have a good season or two there before he moved to left for Man-Man? He wasn't always LF was he?

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 10:08 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Nah, only one season where he could be considered RF, here, 31 games to 15 in LF.

He got 31 games in RF in 1989. He didn't really return to RF until his final year in Balt.

by talonk on Jan 28, 2008 10:31 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

thanks. it's getting to be long enough ago that all that is starting to get blurry. and of course, pardon my laziness on that one.

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 10:36 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Well, there's another guy in there (chuck can fill you in about him), but yeah, it's mostly Jackson and Ramirez.

by Ryan on Jan 28, 2008 12:17 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Rocky?

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 12:19 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I assume 2007 Trot Nixon was number 11, right?

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 12:20 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Personally, I'd put Flick before Heath. Heath's offensive numbers are better, but he was a career left fielder who got plugged into right because the platoon from the 1940 season fell apart - Ben Chapman was traded in the offseason, and Beau Bell was at the tail-end of his career. Heath's defense in right was pretty lousy (rate 2 of 90). Flick ends up with a substantial advantage in WARP3 (11.7 to 9.0). I think the difference in OPS+ is small enough to use this as a tie-breaker.

Very cool that you're doing this, by the way.

by maledicta on Jan 27, 2008 11:11 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Heath's defense in right was pretty lousy (rate 2 of 90). Flick ends up with a substantial advantage in WARP3 (11.7 to 9.0).

Puting Heath before Flick was a judgement call - I know Heath was considered a lousy fielder (all the Sporting News articles about him made some reference to his weight and fielding), but it seems that this season he seemed to have put it all together.

Also don't forget that by this time (1941) the Indians were playing in League Park and Cleveland Stadium, so I didn't rely on the BPro defensive stats that much. For those who don't know, right field in League Park was essentially like left field in Fenway Park - a short porch with a huge wall. Cleveland Stadium's right field was much much bigger.

by Ryan on Jan 28, 2008 9:04 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Here's a picture of League Park, btw:

The right field wall was 60 feet high.

by Ryan on Jan 28, 2008 12:21 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Let's try this again:

by Ryan on Jan 28, 2008 12:21 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I had no idea that they played at both stadiums during that time (weekday and saturday day games at League Park). What was the reasoning for that?

Found this site about the park. Interesting notes:

-Cy Young opened League Park in 1892 for the Spiders.
-Joe Dimaggio hit in his 56th game there.

by Nat on Jan 28, 2008 12:43 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

The reasoning for splitting the two stadiums was $$ of course.

League Park only held 21k or so. So for any bigger games where they knew they could gete more attendance, those games were played at Municipal Stadium since it could hold up to 80k. These games were always opening day and Sunday and holiday games.

by talonk on Jan 28, 2008 12:53 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

didn't it have somethign to do with the lights, also?

by DaytonDogg on Jan 28, 2008 1:36 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Well, I guess I just don't understand why they didn't just move all the games to Municipal stadium. Especially considering the quirkiness of League Park, it would seem like they would lose some of their home field advantage by splitting their games between the parks. I.e. one of Manny's biggest (only?) fielding assets is how well he can play the ball off the Monstah. If he had to play half his games in a park with a cavernous outfield, how would that affect his play? If the regular right-fielder wasn't very used to playing in League Park (due to only playing half the games there), he wouldn't have the advantage of really understanding the quirkiness of the park.

If it was purely financial, why not just use Municipal instead of paying for upkeep of 2 parks?

It just struck me as a weird compromise that didn't seem to be the most logical solution for multiple reasons.

by Nat on Jan 28, 2008 1:45 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Did you ever see how overly large Municipal Stadium was in person for a baseball game? None of the seats were all that close to the field. Not even close to being a fan-friendly atmosphere.

When Municipal was first designed/built, it wasn't meant to be the Indians home, but a stadium to bring the Olympic Games to Cleveland. For some reason they still built the Stadium without ever getting the Games. At that time I believe the Stadium/City approached the Tribe about playing a few games there.

By the picture of League Park you linked earlier, the fans definitely had better seats to the field. The Tribe rarely drew full capacity there anyways. It wasn't barren by any means, but there wasn't a Fenway-esque clamor for tickets either (remember this was the Great Depression era too). But Holiday games, Sunday games, Opening Day would definitely have more fans than the typical crowd, ergo they moved those games to Municipal.

Also remember that League Park location was the home of the Cleveland franchise for over 30 years at that point as well. I suspect in the early days, most didn't want to go to downtown to see a game anyways (especially weekday games etc.)

Anyways, as the years dragged on, League Park began deteriorating pretty badly, and Veeck now owned the Tribe. That is when he moved them to Municipal full time.

Am sure there is more detailed explanation in one of my Indians lore books I have. Unfortunately, they are packed in storage for a few months.

by talonk on Jan 28, 2008 3:20 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I'm ordering an Elmer Flick jersey.

by afh4 on Jan 28, 2008 12:35 AM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

The best thing about Flick is he's truly "home grown" since he was born and raised in Bedford Ohio. He lived in Bedford after he retired and died there at the age of 94 in 1971. When it comes to all time great players from Cleveland Elmer's the man.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jan 28, 2008 8:10 AM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I knew that Chuck would be good for some perspective here...

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jan 28, 2008 10:30 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

What's incredible is that Chuck and Elmer actually share the same birthday, year included. Elmer could play the OF but Chuck has lived to be 131 and learned how to use a computer.

by afh4 on Jan 28, 2008 10:33 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

That's a little known fact boys, courtesy of Andrew.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jan 28, 2008 11:01 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Actually - and this is the god's honest - Elmer usta live down the street from my aunt in Bedford. I got to meet him - great guy.

And oh yeah - screw you whipper snappers.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jan 28, 2008 11:22 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Actually - and this is the god's honest - Elmer usta live down the street from my aunt in Bedford. I got to meet him - great guy.

That's awesome. Did he tell any stories?

by Ryan on Jan 28, 2008 11:51 AM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Unfortunately no - no baseball stories any way.

They usta wheel him out every Fourth of July and he'd ride in a convertible down Broadway. I was a kid - 11 or 12 - and played Little League. We were introduced to him and told that he usta play for the Cleveland Naps and later the Indians. I was too young to know that the Naps were the major leagues - I thought it was one of those teams that played at Brookside Park. Later somebody told me that he knew, and played against, Ty Cobb, Big Train Johnson and Cy Young. At the time I only knew about the Indians I'd saw then - well I knew who Bob Feller was, but I thought that he had come out at the Dawn of Time from baseball's primordial ooze.

He met with us kids after the parade and asked us about our league, what position we played etc. He showed us his batting stance and how he set up to throw the ball from the outfield to the infield. He got a coupla kids up to critique their batting stances and swings. Unfortunately I wasn't one of the kids chosen; otherwise I could brag today that I got hitting lessons - really just one - from an honest-to-god Hall of Famer.

He was about my 11-year old size and old and frail at the time and I couldn't imagine him loading groceries in a car, let alone playing professional baseball at the highest level. But he was the real deal - the equal of Peirsall or Minnie or Colavito - or Manny and Grady for that matter.

If you're interested the Bedford Museum - that's right Bedford has a museum, it's in the public square - has quite a bit of his stuff on display. The Bedford newspaper has a series of books - again that's no typo - on the history of Bedford. It's a collection of articles from a weekly series detailing events in Bedford. There's a picture of Flick with thee or four other HoFers in one of `em - I think I got a copy at home. I'll let you know.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jan 28, 2008 12:37 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

That's awesome Chuck. I met Catfish Hunter a few times, my Uncle was his insurance agent of all things. He was just totally down to earth, a really nice guy. The sad thing was I didn't know enough to appreciate at age 8 or 9 that I was meeting a true giant of the sport.

Somehow, I can't picture you as a kid. So the picture in my head of you playing Little League is just fantastical. Anyone who's met Chuck in person knows what I'm talking about.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jan 28, 2008 1:04 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

did he let you and other little tykes swing from his mustache like a monkey in the jungle?

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 1:13 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I assume you mean Catfish Hunter and not Chuck himself. I can totally see Chuck growing one of those things too. And no, he didn't.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Jan 28, 2008 1:29 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

man. in this thread alone, i've worked my way back on to the antecedent police most wanted list with my sloppiness.

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 1:53 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Almost spit iced tea all over my computer at work.

Burn on, big river, burn on...

by Turkmenbashi on Jan 28, 2008 2:45 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I heard construction on the new "Vehement Yankee-Hating Wing" is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2009.

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 1:11 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

You talking about Chuck's house? Or the Bedford museum?

by Nat on Jan 28, 2008 1:15 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Chuck's house is the Vehement Yankee-Hating headquarters. The wing at the Bedford Museum will just be a place to display some of the items from the main collection on loan from the Maui parent exhibition.

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 1:17 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Back at the Chez Chuck I've got a whole wall covered with the stuffed behinds of notorious Yankee fans I've collected through the years. It's a thing of beauty.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jan 28, 2008 2:16 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

For some reason, I keep reading the top of that picture of Flick as "F*** Cleveland."

Burn on, big river, burn on...

by Turkmenbashi on Jan 28, 2008 2:46 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

Also, as regards the picture, I think Elmer Flick maybe the most chiseled, statuesque Elmer in the history of that name. He looks carved.

by NickFantana on Jan 28, 2008 3:07 PM EST up 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

I've been staring at Flick's picture for awhile now. I totally dig the uni. And check out the ball glove hanging from his belt loop. I'm thinking about renting Field of Dreams tonight.

Man, I'd give anything to watch those old dudes play ball in League Park.

"the most vehement Yankee-hating guy I know" - Jay

by mauichuck on Jan 28, 2008 4:55 PM EST 0 recs

Re: Ten Best Seasons: Right Field (Part 1)

that pic is surreal. looking at his face, dude looks like an old movie actor or something. it would be sweet to just go to one game from the past and see what it was like. though, i'm not sure i'd want to wear a suit. but i can't imagine how big a fan i'd a been back in the day.

by Brick. on Jan 28, 2008 5:59 PM EST up 0 recs