A good Birthday Team today. No real weaknesses, except for maybe Gavin Lux -- and he's one of the top prospects in baseball, so his status as a weakness probably won't last long.

C: Chief Zimmer (29.4 WAR)
1B: George Stovall (13.3 WAR)
2B: Gavin Lux (1.3 WAR)
3B: Brook Jacoby (15.0 WAR)
SS: Justin Turner (29.3 WAR)
LF: Jimmy Sheckard (49.7 WAR)
CF: Freddy Leach (7.4 WAR)
RF: Socks Seybold (24.3 WAR)

SP: Luis Tiant (66.1 WAR)
SP: Hal Schumacher (29.5 WAR)
SP: Jesse Petty (14.1 WAR)
SP: Tom Hall (5.9 WAR)
SP: Adam Eaton (4.6 WAR)
RP: Jonathan Papelbon (23.3 WAR)

Manager: Jack McKeon
Has all five vowels in his last name: Pedro Figueroa
Fun Cleveland Indian of my youth: Broderick Perkins
Fun names: Biggs Wehde, Bubber Jonnard, Dwain Anderson
Where does one keep a captured Wayne?: Wayne Cage
How does one greet a congregation?: Hi Church
Inexplicable All-Star: Ken Schrom
Not that one: Mark Smith
Not that one: Eddie Collins
One-year wonder: Aaron Small
Underappreciated submariner: Matt Miller

No real weaknesses

At least until Turner gives everyone Covid.

Jimmy Sheckard walked 147 times in 1911, which stood as the MLB record until Babe Ruth in 1920, and remained the NL record until Jimmy Wynn got 148 BB in 1969. One hundred and nine years later, it's good for 17th all-time.

Schrom was 8-2 through the end of June, 10-2 by the time of the AS game. A very unspectacular ERA around 4 on a lot of HR and an endearing 3.8 K/9. He wsan't a sole-rep though, sharing Cle honors that year with birthday mate Brook Jacoby.

I was surprised Eaton has so few WAR -- and it turns out he has more WAR for his bat (2.3) than his arm (2.2). I had him pegged as often hurt but solid 105-110 kinda pitcher when healthy but that's not true at all. Maybe my brain has him confused with a Benes or something.

Schrom also probably got a boost because the Indians were kind-of-sort-of vaguely contending a bit at the All-Star Break in '86, a year after losing 102 games. They weren't legit contenders, but they were 46-39 and someone had to have been responsible for the turnaround, right? Must be the new guy with all those wins.

They weren't legit contenders, but they were 46-39 and someone had to have been responsible for the turnaround, right?

And better yet, that turnaround was just the beginning, and the 1987 season would usher in even greater things for the Tribe.

*throws 1987 SI baseball preview issue*
*and a chair*

*throws 1987 SI baseball preview issue*
*and a chair*

*and Cory Snyder*

To acquire Adam "Pitcher" Eaton, who had less than nothing left, the Rangers gave up Terrmel Sledge, whose name alone was worth more than Eaton … and also gave up Chris "Pitcher" Young, who had some fair seasons ahead … and Adrian Gonzalez, who had an entire HOVG career ahead.

I think somewhere in the archives of Primer I say something about that trade in real time like "Oh well, I suppose a miracle could happen and Eaton could be good."

It is notable as a trade of two pitchers who both had the same names as pretty good outfielders.

Adam Eaton then signed a free agent contract with the Phillies, for 3 years and $24 million following his 5.12 ERA and finger injury in one year with the Rangers. BTF reaction at the time.

This signing confused fans on an objective level; was seen as adding insult to injury, the Phillies having earlier given the good years of Adam Eaton's career to the Padres in an inexplicable trade for one year of Andy Ashby; and only got worse.

April 4, 2007: First appearance with the team. Gave up 8 runs to the Braves.
April 25, 2007: Gave up 7 runs to the Marlins, for an ERA of 7.71 in his first month with the team.
July 15, 2007: Losing pitcher in the Phillies' epochal 10,000th loss.
October 2007: Left off the Phillies' first postseason roster in 14 years. This after starting 30 games as their 5th highest paid player. Two of their higher paid players had been even worse and were also left off the postseason roster (Jon Lieber and Freddy Garcia), but they were injured. Eaton was a healthy scratch.

April 5-10, 2008: Gave up ONLY 3 runs each in two starts, giving him an ERA under 4 for the only time.
July 7-12, 2008: Gave up 8 runs each in two starts, giving him an ERA of 5.71.
July 26, 2008: Returns from the All-Star break in new role as reliever.
July 28, 2008: Optioned to the minors.
September 2008: Called up when rosters expanded. Did not pitch in September. Obviously left off the playoff roster again.
February 2009: Released with $8 million left on the contract.

I'm surprised he even has a positive WAR. Looks like over 150% of his WAR was in his first two seasons.

Chris Young was the first athlete in Ivy League history to be first-team All-Ivy in both basketball and baseball. New Red Sox bench coach Max Venable was the second. Both went to Princeton, although they just missed being teammates by a year. They later became teammates on the San Diego Padres.