April 14, 1959: Woodie Held and Herb Score star in Cleveland’s home opener

“I’m not a patient man,” declared Frank Lane upon arriving in Cleveland as the new general manager of the Indians in November of 1957. “I want to find out what trades need to be made and then make ’em.”1

By the beginning of the 1959 season, only seven players remained from the team Lane inherited.2 Five of Cleveland’s eight starting position players on Opening Day had been obtained via trades made by Lane.3

Two were acquired from the Kansas City Athletics on June 15, 1958, in a deadline trade that was generally well received at the time by Cleveland fans. Lane sent outfielder Roger Maris and two other players to the A’s for infielder/outfielder Woodie Held and first baseman Vic Power. “It gives us more balance, more flexibility, better defense and greater speed,” said Indians manager Bobby Bragan.4

Less than two weeks later, Joe Gordon replaced Bragan as Cleveland’s manager. At first, Gordon used Held primarily in the outfield, but he inserted Held at shortstop for 14 games during the last month of the 1958 season. By the end of spring training in 1959, the manager felt the 27-year-old Held could be the team’s answer at shortstop. “He is quick and has a good arm … He gives us more power in the lineup,” said Gordon.5

The Indians, fourth-place finishers (77-76) in 1958, started the 1959 season in Kansas City, winning two games before returning to Cleveland for their home opener.6 They faced the Detroit Tigers, fifth (77-77) in the eight-team American League in 1958. The Tigers, projected to finish as high as second in 1959, dropped three home games to the eventual AL champion Chicago White Sox before heading to Cleveland.7

Skies were sunny, with a temperature of 61 degrees for Tuesday’s Opening Day festivities.8 As 33,098 spectators watched, Cleveland Mayor Anthony Celebrezze threw out the first pitch prior to the scheduled 3 P.M. start.9

Herb Score took the mound for the Indians. The 1955 AL Rookie of the Year, Score led the league in strikeouts in each of his first two seasons and won 20 games in 1956. After being hit in the eye by a line drive and missing most of the 1957 campaign, the 26-year-old southpaw struggled with various injuries in 1958, limiting him to 12 games.

Score, who was wild during most of spring training,10 appeared in relief four days earlier during Cleveland’s first win in Kansas City. The left-hander walked two batters and was pulled with a 2-and-0 count on a third batter, missing the plate on 10 of his 12 pitches.11

Against the Tigers, Score walked leadoff hitter Eddie Yost.12 Rocky Bridges lined a single to center, moving Yost to second base. With Gary Bell warming up in the Cleveland bullpen, Score struck out eventual 1959 AL batting champion Harvey Kuenn and Gail Harris. Al Kaline grounded into a force out, ending the Tigers’ threat. “I wasn’t missing by much to the first couple of batters,” said Score after the game. “It helped when I got Harvey Kuenn on strikes.”13

Score went on to retire Detroit in order in the second inning through the sixth. Facing the minimum 15 batters and issuing no walks during this five-inning stretch, Score recorded four more strikeouts. The Tigers hit only four balls beyond the infield, each a routine fly-ball out. The closest Detroit came to getting a hit was in the fourth. Indians second baseman Billy Martin – a 1958 Tiger who had come to Cleveland in a five-player offseason deal – made a one-handed stop of Kuenn’s smash and threw him out at first base.14

Jim Bunning had been the losing pitcher against the White Sox in the Tigers’ home opener four days earlier, allowing 3 earned runs on 9 hits in 4⅓ innings. The 27-year-old right-hander won 20 games in 1957, his first year as a full-time starter, and pitched a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox in 1958.

Bunning held the Indians scoreless through the first three innings, allowing only a walk and a single in the second. He ran into trouble in the fourth. Minnie Miñoso led off with a 450-foot home run, clearing the left-field fence and landing at the base of the grandstand wall.15

After two fly outs sandwiched around a walk, Bunning had a chance to end the inning against Held, the only Cleveland regular who had yet to get a hit in the young season. Held had struck out in the second inning, leaving him 0-for-10 at the plate in two-plus games.

This time he drove one to deep left, his two-run homer landing a little short of Miñoso’s blast. George Strickland followed with a homer near the foul pole in left, making the score 4-0.16

Bunning, who went on to lead the AL with 37 home runs allowed in 1959, was relieved after the fourth inning. Jerry Davie and Tom Morgan followed with scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth. It was Davie’s major-league debut; he appeared in 11 big-league games, all with the 1959 Tigers.

Kuenn grounded out to start Detroit’s half of the seventh, the 19th batter in a row Score retired. Gail Harris hit a 2-and-2 fastball that cleared the fence in right field for a home run.17 Score recorded the next two outs on a foul popup to Power and a strikeout.

Morgan again retired the Indians in order in the seventh. Detroit’s Johnny Groth singled in the eighth, but Red Wilson struck out and pinch-hitter Gus Zernial took three curveball strikes to become Score’s ninth strikeout victim.18 Yost grounded into a force at second for the final out.

Ray Narleski relieved George Susce with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth. Susce  hit Miñoso to start the inning,19 and an infield single, a sacrifice, and a walk caused manager Bill Norman to bring in Narleski, an All-Star in 1958 but traded to Detroit in the Martin deal after five years with the Indians.

Held hit Narleski’s first pitch, a fastball in the middle of the plate,20 435 feet into the stands in left field.21 His grand slam extended Cleveland’s margin to 8-1 and gave Held six RBIs to go with his two homers.

Bridges led off the top of the ninth with a ground single to left. He moved to second after Score’s pickoff throw hit him in the back.22 Kuenn grounded out, ending a 20-game hitting streak that included the last 17 games of the 1958 season.23 Kaline singled one out later, moving Bridges to third. Score threw out Frank Bolling on a tap back to the mound to secure his first victory since April 23, 1958.24

“I don’t remember any games in which I walked only one batter,” said Score of his nine-strikeout, one-walk, five-hit performance. “I know I haven’t had any with no walks.”25

Although Score’s longest outing during spring training was five innings, his stamina didn’t seem to be an issue. “He was better at the finish than the start,” said Gordon. “He was stretching out and firing in the late innings.”26

Held’s third homer of the season beat the Tigers the next day. After going 0-for-3 against Detroit starter Paul Foytack, he faced Narleski in the 10th inning with the game tied, 1-1. With two outs and the bases empty, Held hit a 2-and-2 slider deep into the left-field stands for a walk-off home run.27

The Indians finished 1959 in second place, five games behind the AL pennant-winning White Sox. Effectively eliminated after losing a four-game series to Chicago at the end of August, Cleveland finished the year with a 7-15 record against the White Sox. Detroit fired Norman after a 2-15 start, replacing him with Jimmy Dykes. The Tigers came in fourth, 18 games out of first place.

Score posted a 9-5 record with a 4.07 ERA in the first half of the 1959 season, but in the second half went 0-6 (6.31 ERA).28 The day before the 1960 season opened, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox. Despite being reunited with Al Lopez, his manager during his first two seasons in the majors, Score was never able to  regain his pre-1957 form. He started 22 games (5-10, 3.72 ERA) for the White Sox in 1960, pitched in eight games in 1961, and made only four relief appearances in early 1962 before his major-league career ended.29

Held hit a career-high 29 home runs in 1959. His 22 homers while playing short topped Lou Boudreau’s club record of 18 home runs for a Cleveland shortstop, set during the Indians’ 1948 World Series championship season.30 Held played for Cleveland through the end of 1964, hitting 130 of his career 179 home runs during his 6½ years with the Indians.

Author’s Note

The first baseball card the author remembers owning is a 1960 Topps Woody Held card.31 The back of the card contains 1959 and career stats, plus a list of season highlights.  Also on the back is a drawing of a player crossing the plate in front of a catcher who says “Ain’t cha ever going to stop?” The caption below reads “Woody’s first three hits in 1959 were homers.”

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Bruce Slutsky and copy-edited by Len Levin.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org. for box scores/play-by-play information, player, team, and season pages, pitching and batting game logs, and other data:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE195904140.shtml

https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B04140CLE1959.htm

Notes

1 Harry Jones, “Lane Arrives to Ascertain Needs of Ailing Indians,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, November 12, 1957: 29. Before going to Cleveland, Lane had been the general manager of the Chicago White Sox (1949-1955) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1956-1957). An excellent summary of Lane’s performance as general manager for each team he worked for, including his best and worst trades, can be found in Warren Corbett’s SABR biography of Lane.

2 Lyall Smith, “Herb Evened Score with Bad Memories,” Detroit Free Press, April 15, 1959: 33. Six of the players still with the Indians at the start of the 1959 season were pitchers Herb Score, Cal McLish, and Mike Garcia, catchers Russ Nixon and Hal Naragon, and outfielder Rocky Colavito. The article referenced here included outfielder Minnie Miñoso as the seventh player Lane inherited. As noted in the following endnote, however, the first trade Lane made for the Indians was to acquire Miñoso from the White Sox. The seventh player is more likely catcher Dick Brown, who played in 34 games for the Indians in 1957. Brown began 1959 on Cleveland’s roster but was sent down to the minors on May 9. Infielder George Strickland, who played for the Indians from 1953 through 1957, retired in January of 1958, after Lane’s arrival. Strickland made a comeback in 1959 and was in Cleveland’s Opening Day lineup.

3 In addition to the Maris trade, Lane acquired the three other starting players via trades. He traded outfielder Al Smith and pitcher Early Wynn in December of 1957 to the White Sox for Miñoso and reserve infielder Fred Hatfield. In November of 1958 he traded pitchers Don Mossi and Ray Narleski and infielder Ossie Álvarez to the Detroit Tigers for starting second baseman Billy Martin and pitcher Al Cicotte. Martin played third base for the Tigers in 1958, but moved back to second for the Indians. In December of 1958 he traded outfielder Gary Geiger and first baseman Vic Wertz to the Boston Red Sox for starting center fielder Jim Piersall. Although not a starter at the beginning of the season, outfielder Tito Francona was obtained in exchange for Larry Doby in a March 1959 trade with Detroit.

4 Harry Jones, “Maris, Ward Swapped for Power, Held,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 16, 1958: 1. The other two players sent to Kansas City were pitcher Dick Tomanek and first baseman Preston Ward.

5 Harry Jones, “Gordon Sees Indians ‘Improved’; Pitching Is No Worry,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 29, 1959: 2-C. Gordon stated as late as April 8 that Held would be the shortstop in his Opening Day lineup (“Indians to Start Held, Jackson,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 9, 1959: 29.), but opened the season with Held at third base. Gordon started Strickland at shortstop for the first month and a half of the season, with Held playing third base. After the beginning of June, Held played most of the games at shortstop, with Strickland moving to third base.

6 Sunday’s third game at Kansas City was rained out, and no major-league games were scheduled for Monday, April 13, 1959.

7 Harry Jones, “40,000 to See Tribe in Opener,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 14, 1959: 1. Besides adding Mossi and Narleski from the Indians to their pitching staff, the Tigers revamped the left side of their infield with a December 1958 trade with Washington. Detroit received starting shortstop Rocky Bridges, starting third baseman Eddie Yost, and outfielder Neil Chrisley from the Senators in exchange for infielder Reno Bertoia, outfielder Jim Delsing, and infielder Ron Samford.

8 Pat Garling, “33,000 Fans Run Fever of Faith in Tribe,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 15, 1959: 1.

9 Jones, “40,000 to See Tribe in Opener.”

10 Harry Jones, “Score Wins Over Tigers, 8-1,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 15, 1959: 1.

11 Harry Jones, “Score Is Starter Tuesday,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 13, 1959: 33.

12 Yost led the AL in walks in 1959 with 132. He led the league in walks six times during his career.

13 Chuck Heaton, “Score’s Control Amazes Even Herb,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 15, 1959: 25.

14 Gordon Cobbledick, “Score Re-Establishes Himself as One of Baseball’s Major Pitching Stars,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 15, 1959: 25.

15 Hal Middlesworth, “Tagging the Tigers,” Detroit Free Press, April 15, 1959: 35.

16 “Tagging the Tigers.”

17 “Score Wins Over Tigers, 8-1.”

18 “Score’s Control Amazes Even Herb.”

19 Miñoso led the AL in HBPs in 1959 for the eighth time. He finished his career having led the AL in HBPs a record ten times.

20 “Score Wins Over Tigers, 8-1.” This was the third HR surrendered by Narleski in just four innings of relief thus far in 1959; he ended up surrendering 21 in just 104 innings in 1959, his last season in the majors.

21 “Score Re-Establishes Himself as One of Baseball’s Major Pitching Stars.”

22 Hal Middlesworth, “Score (and 4 Homers) Rip Tigers, 8-1,” Detroit Free Press, April 15, 1959: 33.

23 “Tagging the Tigers.”

24 The Detroit Free Press said Bridges “stood rooted” at second base when Kaline singled (“Tagging the Tigers”). The Cleveland Plain Dealer says Bridges moved to third on Kaline’s single (“Score Wins Over Tigers, 8-1”). Both Retrosheet and Baseball Reference show Bridges moving to third.

25 “Score’s Control Amazes Even Herb.” Score was correct in stating he didn’t have any no-walk games, but he pitched a complete game with only one walk on September 22, 1956, and a seven-inning stint with only one walk on July 10, 1955.

26 “Score’s Control Amazes Even Herb.”

27 Harry Jones, “Held’s Homer in 10th Beats Tigers,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, April 16, 1959: 29.

28 Robert L. Burnes, “Herb May Be Headed for Bull-Pen Duty,” The Sporting News, August 12, 1959: 12. Score’s second half slump did not appear to be directly related to a specific injury. The TSN article suggests many felt he was throwing too many curve balls. Score disagreed. “I’ve thrown 22 home-run balls this year,” he said, “and all have been on fast balls. I just can’t reach back and get that little extra now when I’m in a jam.”

29 Score enjoyed a second career as a broadcaster for the Indians, first on TV (1964 through 1967) and then on radio (1968 through 1997).

30 Held hit 23 homers while playing the entire season at short for the Indians in 1961. That was tops for a Cleveland shortstop until Jhonny Peralta hit 24 home runs in 2005.

31 Held’s first name is generally spelled Woodie, but Topps misspelled it Woody on nearly all of his cards between 1958 and 1969. The only years it was spelled Woodie were 1961 and 1969.