- The Indians finished fifth when many experts expected a pennant for the Tribe. When the question as to what happened this season was put to General Manager Gabe Paul, he merely offered a somewhat weak version of the famed Mona Lisa smile and ignored it with a "wait-until-next-year" shrug. That would seem appropriate as the Indians have several puzzle pieces seemingly in place for a pennant run. Rocky Colavito, who returned to the Tribe last winter, was the American League's RBI leader with 108, the most for a Cleveland player since a youngster named Colavito drove in 111 back in 1959. Colavito played in every game and did not commit a single error. Best of all, he doesn't show any signs of growing old - except for a few gray hairs. Fred Whitfield hit 23 home runs while battng at a .334 clip.
The Tribe hurlers, led by Sudden Sam McDowell, headed the league once again in strikeouts (for the third straight year) with a total of 1,153, just nine shy of the all-time record set in 1964 by the Indians. McDowell totaled 341 whiffs in 268.1 innings of work this season, which breaks down to 1.27 per inning, better than even Sandy Koufax who totaled a National League record of 369. Sonny Siebert finished fifth with 182 in 207 innings. There are also the performances of young Steve Hargan, a 21-year-old righthander who came to the Indians in August, registering a 4-3 mark and a 2.70 ERA in 13 apperances, including eight starts. Another rookie hurler who was even more outstanding was Tom Kelley,also 21 years old. He was 16-3 in the Pacific Coast League until the Tribe summoned him in mid-September. Kelley finished with a 1-1 mark and a 1.44 ERA in four starts, fanning thirty in 31.1 innings pitched. Kelley was a ski instructor during last off-season, but Paul was quick to veto that job for this winter.
- Another encouraging factor was the work of the Indians' keystone combination - shortstop Larry Brown and second baseman Pedro Gonzalez - once Manager Birdie Tebbetts got them in the lineup to stay. And add these achivements to another item of importance. As a team, the Indians finished with 106 stolen bases, thus becoming the first Cleveland team since 1920 to pilfer more than 100. Perhaps even more important, they played before a home crowd of 21,651 on the final day for their largest closing crowd since 1955. The figure brought the season total to 934.786, best for the club since 1960, and the biggest increase in the A.L. this season, 43.1 per cent.
- American League President Joe Cronin fined Indians second baseman Pedro Gonzales $500 and suspended him for the remainder of the seasonT for a bat-wielding attack on Tiger reliever Larry Sherry on September 20. After a disputed double play raised the ire of the Cleveland bench, Sherry's first pitch was high and inside yet called a strike by home plate umpire Bill McKinley. As Gonzalez glared to Sherry, he said he read Sherry's lips and the Tiger hurler "called me a bad name." When the next pitch was high and tight, too, Gonzalez backed away from the plate and charged toward the mound, waving his bat. Sherry at first backed off, then rushed into the Tribe second baseman. To press box observers, it appeared Gonzalez swung twice at Sherry, but missed with both. Later, Pedro said, "I would have stopped halfway to the mound, but he (Sherry) started after me. That's why I went the rest of the way and didn't drop my bat. I didn't swing at him either," the Indian insisted. The red welt on Sherry's upper left arm proved otherwise. Sherry finished the inning, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter the next frame.
- Despite the optimism for Cleveland's current crew, it is well known that Paul is looking to add a lefthanded relief pitcher and a catcher, if there's any available....The Indians were the only club in the first division with a losing record in 1-run games this season (24-29). Perhaps with a little more luck, the Tribe can push for that expected pennant.
