All Time Favorite Indians Lineup

To kick off the pitchers and catchers reporting, I’ll move back to the realm of sports.  I haven’t written a sports blog in a while so this is appropriate for President’s day, I’ll write about sports.

Leadoff and starting in center field,

Kenny Lofton

Sorry Grady, you’ll have to ride the pine for 

this series.  Kenny Lofton was one of the best leadoff hitters I’ve seen play live.  HOFer Ricky Henderson is the best I was able to

 watch on TV, put Kenny is the best I’ve seen with my eyes.  Since acquiring Lofton from the Astros, he provided the pop in the lineup that we needed for those powerhouse hitters in the 2-9 spots on the ’94 and ’95 Tribe.

Batting Second and playing Second Base

Julio Franco 

I couldn’t find a better picture, I’m impatient and this was on the first google search page.  Who didn’t love hearing Mr. Johnson yell at the top of his lungs in the old Upper Reserve at Municipal, JJUULLIIOOO!!!!!!  Besides the fun time with Ricky, Dad, and Coach, we got to see Julio in his prime in Cleveland at the young age of 72 in 1988.  Now Julio stars in “Back on Topps” another Eisener webgem.

Hitting Third  and playing Leftfield

Joe Carter

The game where I was keeping score and almost got beaned by a JC homer and then cousin Scott almost got stuck underneath the seat diving for the ball, priceless.

 

Cleanup and playing Right

Albert Jojuan Belle

The reason why I hate Gene Lamont and the rest of the White Sox.  When Belle showed his guns proving he didn’t need cork, nuff said.  The guy should be a cop, he caught criminals with his laser like throws into the stands, and chases down juvenile delinquents in a single bound in his Escalade.  If he wasn’t a superhero posing as a ball player then call me Batman.  I still wear my Belle jersey T-shirt with pride.

Batting Fifth and playing First Base

Jim Thome

The “Pride of Peroria” still another hammer in the lineup and another good memory.  Detroit, Comerica Park, dad dropping his bag of peanuts and shells onto the guy in front of us.  Awesome.  Also, I can’t let it be not said, when your wife is your rock and she is a newscaster I had a crush on as a teenager, then props my man, props.

Batting Sixth and hitting DH

Manny “The Baby Bull” “Manny being Manny” Ramirez

Again, I have to apologize to Kim for being a Red Sox hater, Manny’s ours, he grew up here, we uttered the phrase Manny being Manny before you did, and an entire first grade class at a west side elemen

tary school is probably begat by Manny.  

Batting Seventh and Catching

Sandy Alomar, Jr.

I couldn’t find the picture I wanted, the one where Sandy karate kicks a White Sox for beanning him.  I had it on my wall in my bedroom and didn’t save the picture, why lord, why?  It was one of the sweatest air kicks, ala Daniel Larusso style, Mr. Miyagi would be proud.

 

Batting Eight and playing Third

Brook Jacoby

All hustle, one of the players you could have pride in as a child of the 80s.  Also, he’s my friend Jessica’s favorite Indian.

Batting Ninth and playing Shortstop

Omar Vizquel

When my grandmother used to talk about how cute he was, that was awesome.  Grandma was a die hard Indians fan, and probably the biggest reason besides hanging out with my dad and brothers why I love baseball so much.  

Bench

Oddibe McDowel

Another of my grandma’s faves when he played for the Rangers she liked saying his name and then when we had him for 69 games it all came together.

Keith Hernandez

Again we had him for a short time, but I had a Keith Hernandez autograph Firstbasemen’s glove.  Dude dated Elaine Benes and partied with Gooden and Strawberry in the 80s in NYC, enough said.

Grady Sizemore

Despite how much I hate him that he can date any woman in Cleveland, he’s turning into an okay ballplayer and seems like a nice kid.

Joel Skinner

Backup catcher and all around good guy, I met him at the museum and he read a children’s story.  I got his autograph and I might have been more nervous meeting him than when I met Ozzie Newsome.

Felix Fermin

Del Gatto, I was there for his first MLB homerun, and hey we could always trade him for another Vizquel. That was in 1990 his fourth year in the league, he’d go on to hit 3 more.  That’s Malkamaki power.