If there is one thing that defines the Cleveland Indians as a franchise over the past 110 years it is their tremendous starting pitching. By far more starting pitchers than any other position have made it into the Hall of Fame as Indians. Over the history of the franchise, the Indians have had three Cy Young award winners and Cy Young himself play for the team, but only two of those four pitchers will make this list of the top ten Indians aces.

Of the top ten aces in Indians history, five are already in the Hall of Fame and one is not eligible yet. These pitchers are strike out champions, World Series winners and the pitcher who leads all Major League baseball in WHIP (and is second in ERA). While some of the positions covered in these lists are relatively new (like the closer and DH), this particular positional history spans the entire history of the franchise. This will be the last top ten list for the 2012-13 offseason, so enjoy the top ten aces in Cleveland Indians history.

10. Wes Ferrell - Years as Ace - 1930-1932

Ferrell is a borderline pitcher on this list for two reasons. First, he only lead the rotation for three years, but this was a larger percentage of his time on the team than any of the players listed as a starter, but not an ace.  Secondly, he ranks last among those listed in both WHIP and BAA, while ranking second to last in ERA despite playing in the dead ball era.

9. C.C. Sabathia - 2002-2007

Sabathia culminated his time as Cleveland's ace with his most impressive feat, winning the 2007 Cy Young Award. That year he set career highs in wins (19) and ERA (3.21) and finally became the pitcher he was expected to be since his rookie year in 2001. During his time with the team, Sabathia struck out over 1,200 batters and won more than 100 games as well, both which rank among the best in Indians history.

8. Vean Gregg - 1911-1913

If there is one name on this list that Indians fans might not recognize it would be Gregg, but he deserves a little recognition for his time as the ace of the Cleveland Indians. While he did pitch less than 1,000 innings with Cleveland, he has a better winning percentage than any Indians pitcher with more than 580 innings pitched. He also ranks in the top five in ERA. Gregg took over the team after Joss died, providing a very smooth transition to when Coveleski took over.

7. Early Wynn - 1951-54, 1957

Wynn is the first Hall of Famer on the list, making it for his contributions to the White Sox as well as the Indians. Wynn struck out more than 1,200 batters and won more than 160 games as well during his time in Cleveland. He was part of an impressive string of aces, taking over for Feller and pitching around Score. Most impressively, Wynn was the ace in a rotation that included Feller, Bob Lemon and Mike Garcia, two Hall of Famers and another great young starter.

6. Herb Score - 1955-1956

Those who think that the best pitcher is the one with the most wins and strike outs won't like a couple of pitchers on this list and Score is one of them. However, there is more to pitching than accumulating stats by playing for decades. Score holds the record for greatest K/9 in Indians history. Score was the ace for just two seasons, including winning the Rookie  the Year in 1955. Score was hit in the face by a baseball that ruined his career. After two seasons of sub 2.85 ERAs, Score was never same after being struck.

5. Gaylord Perry -  1972-1974

Perry was a top ten pitcher for at least two teams, as he played 10 years for the Giants before coming to Cleveland. As soon as he joined the Indians, Perry won his first of two Cy Youngs. Perry only played four seasons for the Indians, but still accumulated some impressive stats, including leading all Indians ever in innings pitched per game and posting a sub-3.00 career ERA for one of the only times after the 1920's. While he made the Hall of Fame for much more than his time in Cleveland, Perry arguably pitched his three greatest seasons in an Indians uniform. 

4. Sam McDowell - 1968-1971

McDowell would be the Indians strike out king if it weren't for a certain Feller. He struck out just around 400 less batters than Rapid Robert, while pitching in almost 250 less games. He also struck out close to 900 more batters than the next best Indians pitcher. McDowell was also an efficient pitcher, throwing 22 shut outs in just 295 starts, a similar rate to the other great Indians starters, well below only the one ranked number one below.

3. Stan Coveleski - 1916-1924

Coveleski was the ace of the first Indians World Series team, pitching three complete games (winning all three) and allowing just two runs. Of course he couldn't play at that level through his entire career, but he was incredibly good during the regular season as well. He ended his career ranking fourth in wins and third in innings pitched as an Indian, all while keeping his ERA under 3.00.

2. Bob Feller - 1938-41, 1946-50

Feller is widely considered to be the greatest Indian, not just for his pitching, but also for his contributions to his country in WWII and to the team after his official retirement. Feller ranks first in all the important counting pitching stats, a combination of his ability and his durability. He ranks first in wins, complete games, innings and strike outs despite losing parts of four seasons in service to his country. Long after he retired, Feller was a mainstay around the Indians clubhouse until his death in 2010.

1. Addie Joss - 1902-1909

Far be it for this website to punish a man for dying. Joss continues to hold what looks to be unbreakable records in WHIP and BAA and ranks second in ERA. Most people consider Feller to be number one, but he never had a ten year string as good as Joss. Only tuberculous meningitis could stop Joss, killing him at the age of 31. Joss tossed the second perfect game in American League history in 1908 among his two no hitters. His 45 shut outs also remain an Indians record, despite playing in 300 less games than Feller. Joss remains completely underrated and remains the greatest Cleveland Indians pitcher of all time.

Borderline: Charles Nagy, Cliff Lee, Len Barker, Tom Candiotti, Greg Swindell

The first week of Spring Training (2/22-2/27) has been full of surprises so far, leading to a precarious amount of optimism. The Indians won their first five games starting with an amazing comeback, walk-off win against the Reds on opening day. Offensively, the Indians have been extremely impressive and leading the way is Michael Brantley. Brantley has been hitting lower in the lineup than he is used to, but has excelled, by going 4-4 in his first two games with three doubles leading to an .833 batting average at present. Brantley has also been the owner of the most negative news to this point in the Spring as he lacerated his arm sliding into third base. He will miss up to two weeks, but should be back in plenty of time to get ready for the regular season.

Ryan Rayburn has been the biggest surprise after he hit three home runs in the first two games and he currently leads the team in both runs and RBI. The Indians shouldn't take this too seriously as he hit 6 home runs with 19 RBI during Spring of 2012, but still ended up batting .171 with a single home run throughout the rest of the regular season.

In general the offense has been hot, with 13 hitters still batting above .300. Since it is early in Spring, most starters are only playing for three or four innings before being replaced. This has lead to some unlikely stars like Rayburn and Mike McDade (the first baseman who hit the game winning double on Opening Day). Matt Carson, Juan Diaz, Ben Francisco, Carlos Moncrief and Jesus Aguilar have all impressed as well in multiple games. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Cedric Hunter has received more at bats than any other player and has not made the most of the opportunity (.083 AVG). With Brantley out, the Indians need an extra outfielder for these games, but it is likely to change to Tim Fedroff, Ben Francisco and Carson more often as the Spring goes on.

The most impressive pitching outing thus far was a combined one hit shut out on Sunday against the Reds. That game included Zach McAllister, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Cody Allen, Jerry Gil, T.J. House and Preston Guilmet with only Rich Hill giving up a single hit. Besides that game, the final scores have shown a team that has absolutely no pitching, but this is not necessarily the case. While they have given up 10 runs in three separate games, 14 pitchers who have thrown at least two innings have yet to give up a run, including Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Trevor Bauer, David Huff, Scott Kazmir and Vinnie Pestano. In fact, 30 of the 43 runs allowed so far came against just six pitchers including Giovanni Soto who gave up five runs in a third of an inning on Opening Day.

Overall things are definitely looking positive. The Indians have almost won more games in one week than they did all last Spring and they have won the Goodyear Ballpark series against Cincinnati by sweeping the first three games. With all that, don't get too excited as the first week of Spring Training is generally the least accurate predictor of the actual season. Seeing all those W's after the game should definitely help out morale in camp, though, helping mold this group of players thrown together into real team.

The Cleveland Indians starting pitching was a disaster in 2012. Based solely on ERA, the team had one of it's worst ten seasons in the long history of the franchise. There was no stopper in the rotation as noted by the teams multiple lengthy losing streaks and the average pitcher was very below average. In 2013, things look at least a little different. Carlos Carrasco is returning from Tommy John surgery and big offseason moves have brought in two new starters, Brett Myers and Trevor Bauer. There will be returning starters as well with at least three of the five starters from 2012 returning for 2013.

Justin Masterson looks to return as the ace for the third straight season. In 2011, Masterson took over the role from Fausto Carmona and has went 23-25 since. While this doesn't seem like the kind of record an ace should produce, he has absolutely been the most dominant pitcher since the departure of Cliff Lee. He has lead the team in strike outs each season since 2010 and has averaged around 200 innings per season. With a new pitching coach in the fold, Masterson will be looking to regain his form from 2011 in an effort to bring some steadiness to the rotation.

The other two returning starters from last season are Zach McAllister and Ubaldo Jimenez. McAllister was the most consistent pitcher in 2012, leading all regular starters with a 4.24 ERA. It was also Zach's rookie season, so he should have no where to go but up as he progresses in his career. Jimenez will remain in the rotation despite being a large part of the Indians downfall last year. In his short time with the Indians his ERA currently ranks 179th of the 182 pitchers who have pitched at least 200 innings for the Indians. On the bright side, Jimenez is better than Jaret Wright, Al Lopez and Earl Whitehill with his tremendous 5.43 ERA. Last season, Jimenez set the record for most wild pitches in a single season as an Indian as well. It will be interesting to see how long management puts up with his struggles as he tries to set other negative Indians records in 2013. Jimenez's team option for 2014 is nowhere near as attractive as his 2012 option so the Indians will probably not put up with as much as they have in the past.

Brett Myers will be the Indians token free agent veteran in the rotation and will be a starter again for the first time since 2011. He has always been a reliable pitcher, throwing around 200 innings each season he was a starter and keeping an above average ERA. He should definitely be a step up from Derek Lowe last season, although like Lowe, may not make it through the entire season. If Jimenez doesn't struggle and Bauer doesn't make the rotation out of camp, Myers is the pitcher most likely to replaced first. An added benefit of Myers' versatility is that he will be able to move into a long relief role easily if he is removed from the rotation.

Along with Trevor Bauer, the Indians have a few other options after the slated top five starters. David Huff is out of options and needs to make the team or be exposed to waivers when the season starts.The lefty pitched a few strong games for the Tribe at the end of 2012, but has been unremarkable throughout his career and doesn't necessarily deserve another chance. Corey Kluber is another pitcher who made a few starts last season and will be available if needed. Rich Hill and Scott Kazmir are other options if the Indians want to go with a left hander in the starting five to provide a different look every once in awhile. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Danny Salazar, Matt Langwell, Joe Martinez and T.J. House are also in camp trying for a starting role, but most likely the Indians will stick with what they have. Expect the rotation of Masterson, Jimenez, Myers, McAllister and Carrasco (in some order or another) to open the season, but don't be surprised if it doesn't make it through April intact.

Can this former WBC MVP complete his new goal of defeating the Red Sox?

Going into this recent offseason, both the astute and casual fan understood that the starting rotation needed to be corrected to avoid another 90+ loss season in 2013. However, a quick glance over the thin and unimpressive free-agent list left most to wonder how the front-office would address the rotation.

Guy Morton was incredibly consistent from 1915 through 1919, posting an ERA below 2.90 with at least 140 innings each season. During this peak he went 61-48, a considerable higher winning percentage (.560) than the rest of his career (.493). In just his second season he hit peaks in ERA, innings pitched, WHIP and BAA that he would never reach again.

In 1920, when the rest of the team was hitting it's peak, Morton fell off a cliff. His ERA skyrocketed to above four and he was replaced in the rotation by Duster Mails for the end of the regular season and the World Series. The move was a great one as Mails was the star of the series, throwing 15.2 innings in two games without allowing a single run and just six hits. It must have been a huge disappointment to Morton, however, who worked so long to get to the highest point, only to be replaced at the last minute.

Unlike many early Indians players who were traded to finish their career with another team, Morton played his entire career in Cleveland. He finished up in 1924, throwing just 12 innings as he obviously didn't have it anymore. After ten years of retirement, Morton died at the age of 41.

While the fanfare and celebrations are planned for tomorrow's game, the Indians and Reds quietly opened up Spring Training in Goodyear in front of a small crowd on Friday. The starting lineups for both teams closely resembled what should be the opening day rosters, but the pitching staffs looked a lot more like week one of Spring Training.

Overall, the game was a general mess as far as pitching was concerned. Both teams struggled with control although things did calm down some after the eight run first. Indians starer, Giovanni Soto, struggled and wasn't able to make it out of the first inning after facing the Reds starting lineup (this wasn't really surprising as Soto has yet to pitch above the AA level). Positive pitching notes on the Indians side were that Vinnie Pestano and Frank Herrmann threw the only two perfect innings in the entire game.

Defensively the Indians were a mess all around. Carlos Santana had a passed ball, a few balls snuck their way past infielders that probably should have been caught and a ball dropped right in between the Indians two brand new centerfielders. Michael Bourne especially looked rusty, bouncing multiple throws to the cut-off man from short centerfield. Some of this first game rust can probably be explained by Terry Francona's policy of eliminated intersquad games.

Offensively, the Indians were impressive, scoring both early with their regular starters and late with some of the more unexpected stars. Lonnie Chisenhall and Ryan Rayburn each hit home runs while Nick Swisher, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley all had RBI as well among the starters. The game was won in the ninth inning by a one out, walk off, three run double by Spring Training invitee, Mike McDade. This happened after Reds reliever Carlos Contreras allowed two walks and a single to load the bases. While the walk off win sounds exciting, it was actually slightly anticlimactic in person as the umpires and players on the field didn't seem to know that the game was over after Tim Fedroff scored the game winning run. 

Stay tuned for more updates from Goodyear, AZ

The center fielder is the general in the outfield. Directing traffic and making sure the outfield works as a unit. In Indians history, the center fielder has also generally been the lead off hitter, setting the standard for the rest of the lineup. The Indians have been lucky over the history of the team by having not just strong defensive center fielders, but great offensive ones as well. The top three players on this list are all in the Hall of Fame and have had their numbers retired (if they wore a number at all). This is the most Hall of Fame players at any single position for the Cleveland Indians. The next four also rank among the top Indians of all time. Because the Indians have had such great defenders in center, those who won such Gold Gloves (beginning in 1957) will be listed next to their years as a starter for the Indians. 

10. Vic Davalillo - Years Starting CF - 1963-1967 - Gold Glove 1964

The fact that the top of this list is so great forces the last few spots to be less than mediocre. The top seven players on the list represent 53 years of starting centerfielders, leaving 58 years for the many other center fielders to play for the Tribe. Davalillo grabs the tenth spot almost by default after playing in less than 700 games and knocking in 181 runs.

9. Joe Birmingham - 1907-1912

Birmingham is in the same boat as Davalillo as he probably doesn't deserve consideration with those above him. He was the Indians first long term centerfielder and does rank high among the others in RBI and steals. However, he brings up the bottom of the list as far as batting average goes and was just altogether not that impressive.

8. Brett Butler - 1984-1987

Butler has the shortest career of any player on this list, but still impressed, racking up a ton of steals and keeping a high average. He was part of a surprisingly good outfield for some very bad 1980's Indians team along side Carter and Cory Snyder.

7. Rick Manning - 1975-76, 1978-82 - Gold Glove 1976

The greatest color commentator in Indians history was once a great defensive star. Manning ranks among the best Indians ever in steals (in fact 9 of the the 23 Indians with 100 or more career steals were center fielders) while playing in more than 1,000 games. An injury severly harmed Manning's career as he missed all of 1977 and was eventually traded to Milwaukee.

6. Grady Sizemore - 2005-2009 - Gold Glove 2007-2008

Sizemore was the most recent Indians center fielder and was something special before injuries derailed his career. His all-out level of play won him two Gold Gloves, and helped him steal 134 bases and leg out 43 triples, but eventually ended his time with the Indians after repeated injuries. Sizemore also had power not usually seen in center, hitting 139 home runs in less than 1,000 games, ranking fourth among Indians centerfielders and 13th overall.

5. Joe Carter - 1988-1989

Carter is an outliar on this list as he only started two seasons in center for the Tribe. He also played left field and first base for the Indians, but no position stands out as his main. However, he was so good he needs to be included on one of these lists. Carter ranks 12th all time in home runs among all Indians and third among center fielders. Carter played at a very high offensive level his whole time with the Tribe, leading the Indians offense from 1986 through 1989.

4. Kenny Lofton -1992-96, 1998-2001 - Gold Glove 1993-1996

The fact that Lofton is fourth on this list shows how deep this group really is. Lofton is among the greatest offensive Indians of all time and also won four straight Gold Gloves. He was unquestionably the best defensive centerfielder and offensive lead-off man in all of baseball for the entire decade of the 1990's. He keeps the record for most steals as an Indian, almost twice as many as the next best stealer. He also ranks among the top ten all time in hits and runs.

3. Larry Doby - 1948-55, 1958

Doby played just before the advent of the Gold Glove, but was famous for a great arm and good glove as well as his power. Doby was the most pure power hitter among those listed and lead the AL in home runs in 1952 and 1954. He probably should have won two MVPs for those seasons, but was beaten by the inherant racisim left in baseball. He ranks among the top four centerfielders in almost every production stat including runs, hits, home runs and RBI.

2. Tris Speaker - 1916-1926

Speaker was not just the starting centerfielder when he was on the team, but was also the manager when the Indians won their first World Series in 1920. Speaker holds the Major League record for doubles in a career and is second among Indians center fielders in steals and triples. His .354 average was the tops among Indians centerfielders and second among all Indians. Not only was he great offensively, but he was famous for playing a very short center because he had the speed to catch anything that was hit to deep center in addition to stealing some would be safeties up the middle.

1. Earl Averill - 1929-1938

Averill should be considered not just the greatest Indians centerfielder, but the greatest Indians hitter of all time. He ranks first among all Indians in runs, doubles, RBI and total bases and held the home run title from 1938 through the mid 1990's when Albert Belle broke it. During his twelve years with the Tribe Averill made six All-Star teams and received MVP votes seven times. He also played all but eight games in his career with Cleveland, unlike almost every other player on this list who spent time elsewhere. The most disappointing part of Averill's career was that he never made the playoffs despite being such a great player on a pretty good team. Many of his teammates were around for either the 1920 championship or the 1948, but Averill himself was just incredibly unlucky in his timing. 

Borderline: Roy Weatherly, George Hendrick, Coco Crisp, Harry Bay, Jim Piersall (GG 1961)

We here at BurningRiverBaseball are working on our predictions for this year and we'd like to hear what you think. In addition to our three staff writers, we want to know who the average reader thinks will be the team MVP, best pitcher and so on. To do this, we will hold polls (located on the right side of the main page) from now until the end of Spring Training. Each poll will last for a few days so keep checking back to see when the next one pops up. The categories are for Most Improved Player (2012 winner Shin-Soo Choo), Rookie of the Year (Zach McAllister), Best Reliever (Vinnie Pestano), Most Outstanding Defender (Michael Brantley), Most Outstanding Hitter (Choo), Best Overall Pitcher (Pestano) and Best Overall Player (Jason Kipnis). The winners from 2012 are listed to give you an idea of how things worked out last season. You can vote once each day and check back at the end of Spring Training to see everyone's predictions.

Homer Summa was the starting right fielder in a very strong outfield during the 1920's, playing next to Earl Averill in center and Charlie Jamieson in left. In his career he was a mid-level player offensively, ranking among the best Indians right fielders, but low when compared to all offensive players. Defensively, Summa lead the league in outfield assists in 1926 and had a total of 73 in his career ranking behind just Bruce Campbell, Rocky Colavito and Cory Snyder in Indians history. His arm was not just strong, but wild as he lead the league in errors (RF) in 1924 and 1926 through 1928.

In 1929, the Indians sold Homer Summa to the Philadelphia Athletics where he finished his career. After averaging over 50 runs scored per season while with Cleveland, he only scored 22 more times after leaving Cleveland across two seasons and 62 games. Homer Summa died in 1966 at the age of 67.

The Indians infield should see a marked improvement offensively, at the cost of a slightly worse defense. Defensive specialists Jack Hannahan and Casey Kotchman are both gone, replaced by power hitting Nick Swisher and Mike Aviles. There are a few starters who will be keeping their places in 2013 as well and all three are solid offensive producers as well as dependable on defense. Asdrubal Cabrera survived the offseason and looks to be a veteran presence from short stop while Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana will also retain their positions of second and catcher respectively. 

Lonnie Chisenhall will be taking over the hot corner to start the season for the first time (even though it should be for the third time). Despite originally being further along than Kipnis, unfounded favoritism pushed Kipnis to be a starter early (where he has excelled) while Chisenhall remained in AAA for no reason. With Hannahan to the Reds, there is now absolutely no one who could compete with the Chiz Kid for the starting third baseman job. He has not had as much experience in the Majors as he should have at this point (after missing most of last season when hit by a pitch in the arm), but should provide a spark from the bottom of the lineup. He has also improved defensively over the years and is no longer a liability on defense.

After the signing of Michael Bourne pushed him out of the outfield, newcomer Nick Swisher became the top candidate for  the new first baseman. He has played 307 games at first and holds an impressive .994 fielding percent. He shouldn't be a huge drop off from Kotchman last year defensively and will be a huge upgrade offensively. During his four years in New York, Swisher averaged more than 25 home runs a season, immediately making him the Indians top power threat.

Mark Reynolds will be the Indians main designated hitter, but his versatility will allow him to play first (or third in an emergency) when necessary. This is the first time in a long time that the Indians will have a DH that can play in the field. This will be especially beneficial this year with the increase in Interleague play. Instead of relegating a top hitter to the bench (only useable as a pinch hitter), the Indians would be able to use Reynolds at first, Swisher in right field and bench either Drew Stubbs or Michael Brantley. Reynolds came as a free agent and is expected to big a strong middle of the lineup force after hitting 23 or more home runs every year since 2008.

As part of the Indians big spending spree this offseason, former Yankee Nick Swisher will be joining the team as well. There will be a lot of pressure on Swisher to earn his contract (an average of $14M per year through 2017) in his first year. He will be in Cleveland for a long time, so making a good first impression will be important with the fans. He will also be expected to make up for the loss of Choo in the lineup and will likely bat somewhere right in the middle of the order. He was originally slated to play in right field, but with the addition of Bourne, he will be relegated to firstbase. He will likely play some in the outfield as the season progresses, but his glove is a significant drop off after considering the other three outfielders.

The combination of Swisher and Reynolds offers a great opportunity for the Tribe to have a first baseman hit more than 21 home runs for the first time since Thome hit 52 in 2002. Since Thome left, the Indians have never found a solid first baseman, using the low average/low power hitters Ben Broussard, Ryan Garko, Matt LaPorta and Casey Kotchman. Both new hitters should be better than all these players combined. 

The infield bench is yet to be cemented, but will likely include two players acquired from Toronto early in the offseason, Yan Gomes and Mike Aviles. Aviles will directly replace Jason Donald (who went to Cincinnati in the Shin-Soo Choo deal) as the back-up short stop and second baseman. He should also be able to play third when needed, but since the infield is still very young and has proven durable to this point, he shouldn't be needed often. It is yet to be seen how Terry Francona will manage this team, but if it is anything like when he was with Boston, he will play his starters every day (a style contrary to both Manny Acta and Eric Wedge).

Gomes should be the back-up catcher, replacing Lou Marson, although Marson is still with the team. Gomes is younger with much more upside and at this point everyone in the Indians organization must be completely frustrated with Marson's performance and ready for something new. 

The last utility infield spot is completely undecided, but has many contenders. It will likely be a player who can play first, DH and possibly corner outfield like 2012 rule five pick Chris McGuiness or Mike McDade. Jason Giambi and Ryan Rayburn are both in camp after disappointing 2012 campaigns and are long shots to make the team. 

Jason Kipnis should be the center of the team, on defense and offense.