A must-have book for any Guardians fan, Cleveland Guardians A-Z is compiled alphabetically for easy accessibility. The book offers a complete history of the franchise going back to when it was known as the Indians for many years, then way back when it was known as the Naps, Napoleons and Blues, and even as far back as its very first season of 1901 when it didn't even have a nickname. The book contains hundreds of different items of interest.
The Cleveland baseball team, as it was known in its first season, finished 54-82 that year and in seventh place out of eight teams in the American League. The team experienced many ups and downs until it finished 98-56 and won the World Series in 1920. The Indians were average for the most part until they won the World Series again in 1948. They followed that up with five very good seasons before finishing 111-43 and reaching, but getting upset by the New York Giants, in the 1954 World Series. The Indians contended again in 1959 but then, after trading fan favorite Rocky Colavito, were rather ho-hum through most of the 1960s until falling into a dismal abyss until the mid-1990s when they moved from decrepit Cleveland Stadium into brand-new Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field). Six postseason appearances and two trips to the World Series brought baseball excitement back to Cleveland in the form of 455 straight regular-season home sellout crowds. Losing seasons for the most part followed until Terry Francona came aboard as manager in 2013. The son of former Indians player Tito Francona, the younger Francona led the team to nine winning seasons in his eleven years as manager, including six playoff appearances and a World Series berth in 2016. Cleveland Guardians A-Z brings you the history of the team and will delight those with a penchant for sports trivia with its array of facts and heightened attention to detail. From Fred Abbott to George Zuverink, this book has all the information Guardians fans would ever want to know about their team.