When a team wins 93 games and loses just 61 and their season is considered an abstract failure, you know they had high expectations and didn't achieve them. Fresh off an incredible 111 win campaign the Tribe wound up getting swept in the fall classic by a shockingly hot Giants team. In 1955 the Tribe geared up for another run at the pennant by adding 7 time NL homerun king Ralph Kiner. On paper this was a move that should have put the Tribe over the top, but at the tender age of 32 Kiner was damaged goods thanks to back troubles. Ralph hit just 18 homer and batted .243 in 113 games. When the season was over so was his career. His broadcasting career was 7 years away. Looking at Cleveland's lineup I find it amazing that they were in it right until the final week. Only 2 starters were under the age of 30 with George Strickland only 1 year away from 30 and Al Smith 3 years away. Larry Doby led the team with 26 homers and hit .291. Al Smith chipped in with 22 long balls and was the only regular to hit over .300. Al Rosen did hit 21 homers, but his .244 average and his lack of range at the hot corner was emblematic of a player who was fading fast. The bench was deep, and quite frankly stronger than most of the starting lineup. Gene Woodling hit .278. Backup catcher Hal Naragon hit .323. A pair of part time oufielder/pinch hitters Dave Pope and Dave Philley both hit an identical .298.
On the hill the Indians were truly aging fast. Their once celebrated rotation did not have a 20 game winner for the first time in years. 22 year old rookie Herb Score got his chance to shine and he made the most of it winning the rookie of the year with a 16-10 (2.85) record. Score struck out 245 batters in 227 innings with his blinding fastball. 35 year old Early Wynn finished the season at 17-11 (2.82). Bob Lemon did win 18, but his ERA was an unimpressive 3.88. Mike Garcia was a sub .500 pitcher and Bob Feller (4-4, 3.47) didn't have much of a fastball left. Ray Narleski was 9-1 as the closer. He had 19 saves in an era where you really had to earn your saves. His 3.71 ERA is a bit bloated. Art Houtterman went 10-6 as a spot starter and long reliever. Cleveland even took a flier on Sal "the Barber" Maglie, who they claimed off of waivers from the Giants on July 31st. Maglie couldn't get on track and went 0-2 down the stretch. With all of their challenges the Tribe held a 2 game lead over the Yankees on September 13th with 9 games left to play. With 14 of their last 17 games on the road the Indians were in deep trouble. Going 3 and 6 over the final 9 games sealed their fate as the Yankees went 14-4 down the stretch and took the pennant by 3 games. Once again the Tribe would finish second to the Evil Empire, something they did 5 times in 6 years from 1951 on.
On the hill the Indians were truly aging fast. Their once celebrated rotation did not have a 20 game winner for the first time in years. 22 year old rookie Herb Score got his chance to shine and he made the most of it winning the rookie of the year with a 16-10 (2.85) record. Score struck out 245 batters in 227 innings with his blinding fastball. 35 year old Early Wynn finished the season at 17-11 (2.82). Bob Lemon did win 18, but his ERA was an unimpressive 3.88. Mike Garcia was a sub .500 pitcher and Bob Feller (4-4, 3.47) didn't have much of a fastball left. Ray Narleski was 9-1 as the closer. He had 19 saves in an era where you really had to earn your saves. His 3.71 ERA is a bit bloated. Art Houtterman went 10-6 as a spot starter and long reliever. Cleveland even took a flier on Sal "the Barber" Maglie, who they claimed off of waivers from the Giants on July 31st. Maglie couldn't get on track and went 0-2 down the stretch. With all of their challenges the Tribe held a 2 game lead over the Yankees on September 13th with 9 games left to play. With 14 of their last 17 games on the road the Indians were in deep trouble. Going 3 and 6 over the final 9 games sealed their fate as the Yankees went 14-4 down the stretch and took the pennant by 3 games. Once again the Tribe would finish second to the Evil Empire, something they did 5 times in 6 years from 1951 on.
Manager Jim Clouser will return for his second season with the Tribe. Clouser's goal is to use his bench wisely in key situations to supplement and rest his cast of aging superstars. With no team speed the Tribe will rely on the long ball and their staff, which despite it's decline, still posted the 3rd best ERA in the AL.
To complete this set I had to start from scratch. The '55 set was set in landscape mode, which rendered each card useless for game display. I decided to use the Pacific Trading Cards template because there were a lot of Indian players from this team on this set.
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