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.

The brother of one of the greatest players in Indians history was actually one of the greatest catchers in Indians history himself. Luke Sewell was the fourth longest tenured catcher for the Tribe, starting for seven seasons during the 1920's. Luke came to Cleveland shortly after his brother Joe Sewell, just missing out on the first Indians championship in 1920.

Sewell joined the team as a 20 year old rookie in 1921 and played as the reserve catcher behind Steve O'Neill and Glenn Myatt until 1926. He then became the starting catcher and stayed in that role for seven straight seasons. While he was never incredibly productive (and was devoid of any power), he played long enough for the Indians to rank among the the top catchers in runs scored, RBI and triples. One thing he had in common with his brother, Joe was his skill in avoiding strike outs. In a long career of near 1,000 games played and more than 3,000 at bats, he struck out less than 200 times.

Sewell ended his first stint with the Indians just prior to the 1933 season when he was sent to the Washington Senators in exchange for Roy Spencer. In 1939 he returned as a free agent, but only played in 16 games. After his playing career, Sewell managed for St. Louis (AL) and Cincinnati through the 1950's. Joe Sewell died in 1987 at the age of 86.

The 2013 Indians bullpen will be the most similar section of the team to the past few seasons with just a couple changes going into the next season. The backbone will be exactly the same as past seasons with Chris Perez staying in the closers role despite repeated trade rumors. Looking back on 2012, it seems that Perez's frustrations with Manny Acta's managing style during their losing streak were the main reasons for his media blow-ups. New manager Terry Francona has had experience with his own crazy closer, Jonathan Papelbon, so he is at least more qualified to deal with Perez. The Michael Bourne signing meant a lot to Perez, who said it made him feel like the Indians were a big market club. One of his biggest issues in 2012 was that the Indians didn't add anybody at the trade deadline and he should be extremely happy with the Indians offseason.

The men responsible for maintaining leads for Perez to save will be the same as well with Vinnie Pestano and Joe Smith responsible for the 7th and 8th innings. Pestano set the Indians record for single season holds (36) last year and has recorded at least 20 with an ERA under 2.60 in each of his first two seasons. Smith has pitched at almost the same level as Pestano, pitching three years for the Tribe and recording 16 or more holds each year with an ERA under 3.00 the past two seasons. Both pitchers have been incredibly solid and haven't shown any signs that this year will be any different.

One of the big changes this season will be the new left hander as for the first time since 2006, the main match-up LHP will not be Tony Sipp or Rafael Perez. This year the top choice for the Tribe will be Nick Hagadone who made his debut in 2012 before breaking his hand and ending his season. There really aren't any other good options for the Indians, but Scott Kazmir and David Huff are both be in camp trying to win starting jobs and could technically be moved into short inning roles if necessary. Scott Barnes is another option that was used some in 2012, but he is obviously not on the same level as Hagadone.

Upstart right hander Cody Allen looks to be the last remainder from 2012. The 2011 draft pick was amazing in his first professional season, not allowing a single run until his thirteenth appearance. Allen benefited from the strong back end of the bullpen and the lack of close games as he never really had to pitch in any high intensity situations. After a half season in the Majors, however, that will likely change this year as he will certainly see more time in close games as he matures as a pitcher.

The last two places in the bullpen are unknown as of yet and will likely be pitchers that were not in the bullpen last season. Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw look to be the front runners, both coming from the Diamondbacks in the trade that sent away Tony Sipp (along with Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Donald). Albers had a great 2012, split between Boston and Arizona. He pitched a combined 60 innings and maintained an ERA of 2.39, his best season since converting to reliever in 2008. Shaw is a little younger than Albers, but also had a great season last year for Arizona, and has combined for a 3.18 ERA over 87.2 innings over his first two seasons. With these two relievers in the fold along with Allen and Hagadone improving after their first pro seasons the 2013 bullpen could be even better than last season. 

In addition to those mentioned above, there are a few other players that could see time in the Indians pen this year. Joe Martinez, Fernando Nieve, Jerry Gil, Edward Paredes and Blake Wood are all minor league pitchers that were signed (or invited to Spring Training)  this offseason and will get a chance to compete for a place in the pen during this Spring. Matt Capps and Rich Hill signed late in the offseason and have a slightly better chance at making the team that those others. Frank Herrmann and Corey Kluber pitchers that remain on the 40 man roster from previous seasons, but are unlikely to make the team with the added talent this year.

The last type of player is the kind to get excited about, the young pitchers that are almost ready for the big leagues. Chen Lee, Danny Salazar, Trey Haley, Eric Berger, Cole Cook and T.J. House all pitched well in the upper levels of the minors last season and could appear in games in 2013. While none of them are likely to break camp with the team, don't be surprised to see one or two as the season drags on with it's typical struggles and injuries. At a minimum, Lee, Berger and House will almost certainly join the team as September call-ups if they are not needed earlier. Berger and House are both considered starting pitchers, but will likely spend some time in the bullpen first like Jeanmar Gomez has over the past two seasons.

The Indians bullpen is definitely something to get excited about as it looks to be better than even the great bullpens of 2011 or 2007. The combination of a dominant closer with at least three solid set-up men is something the Indians haven't had in years. This is the first season in a long time that the Indians won't waste a spot in the bullpen with a has been like Jeremy Accardo or Chad Durbin. There should be no waste pitchers in 2013 who can only be used in games that were lost in the early innings. Of course there is always the randomness inherent in relief pitching and someone is likely to fall off after last year, but things couldn't be set up much better than they are right now. It will be up to the offense and the rotation to give the Indians the lead, but the certainly shouldn't have to worry about someone blowing it once they do.

The fearless leader of the Bullpen Mafia.

Have you ever though to yourself, "I really want a new 1904 replica block "C" Indians hat, but can't bring myself to pay for it?" If so, then you are in luck. The Cleveland Indians are holding a ton of giveaways for fans (in addition to all the money they are giving away to Michael Bourne and Nick Swisher) and Burning River Baseball will highlight the best of them for you.

• There are 18 different give-a-way days on the scedule (not including weather and photo days), 16 fireworks shows and 15 dollar dog nights.
• Almost every single Friday home game features both dollar dogs and fireworks, perfect for those who enjoy the patriotic American experience. What could be more American than baseball (featuring a team named after Native Americans), hot dogs and things exploding.
• There are only two bobbleheads this year, but they are good ones. One of the best giveaways of the year will be the Albert Belle 1995 ALDS bobblehead, pointing at his bicep. This will be given away on June 1st. The second bobbler is also a throwback as Omar Vizquel will be given out on July 8th.
• If free is your favorite kind of shirt, 2013 is the year for you. There are two shirt and five jersey giveaways. There will be  replica jerseys of newcomer Nick Swisher on August 24th, Michael Brantley on July 28th and (my favorite) Jason Kipnis on June 15th. The other jerseys and shirts are throwbacks.
• The coolest new giveaway of the year is the Rocky Colavito Hall of Fame Commemorative Plaque. This is a unique item, reminiscent of the Bob Feller statue they gave away a few years ago (my favorite giveaway of all time). If this game is a big seller, maybe the Indians will continue this line into 2014 and do a few more all time favorites.
• Remember that all giveaways are limited to the first 10,000 fans, so get there early if you want one of the special giveaways. While early season ticket sales were slightly dismal, things have picked up incredibly since the Michael Bourne signing, showing that if the team shows that they are going to try to win games, the fans will show up.

If you like free things, you probably like to save money all around as well. Check out the Progressive Field guide at our friends Ballpark E-Guides.com for some great tips on how to get cheap tickets, how to get to the game, park and eat for the bare minimum.

A more than a couple of the greatest Indians of the past 110 years have been shortstops including two of the Indians Hall of Famers. It has also been a very prominent position in recent years, with four players on the list playing in the 1990's or later. This list also includes some of the longest tenured Indians with four players who played more than 10 years with the team including the player who played more games as an Indian than any other player. Of all offensive positions, shortstop has to be considered the second most storied in Indians history behind just centerfield.  

10. Johnny Burnett - Starting Short Stop - 1931-1932

Burnett was the shortest termed short stop on the list, but did play very well during his time with the team. Along with a nice average of .292 and an impressive 272 runs scored, Burnett currently holds the Major League record for hits in a single game with nine.

9. Terry Turner - 1904-1908, 1910

Turner played more games as an Indian than any other player which allowed him to rack up almost 1,500 hits in his Indians career. Of course it took him longer than most to add up all those hits as he hit just over .250 over that period. For his contributions to the team over 15 seasons, Turner deserves a space on this list, but his numbers simply don't compare to the other great Indians short stops.

8. Woodie Held - 1959-1962

The next two players were incredibly similar, being the only true power hitting short stops in team history. They also both played positions outside of short as they were below average defenders. Held was a second baseman for a few seasons after he was done at shortstop. He has the strongest dichotomy as a hitter, leading all players in home runs and slugging percent and coming in dead last in average.

7. Jhonny Peralta - 2003, 2005-2008

Peralta was hated during his time with the Indians, mostly because he didn't "look" like a short stop, but it is impossible to deny that he was the most successful power hitting short stop in team history. He ranks second in home runs and third in slugging, while maintaining an average 15 points higher than Held, the other power shortstop. At the end of Peralta's career he was moved to third to make room for the next player on the list, but he stayed at short long enough to set the Indians record for most home runs while playing short stop.

6. Asdrubal Cabrera - 2009-Active

Cabrera is the Indians current short stop and already ranks among the top Indians short stops in home runs, RBI and steals, despite playing in less games than all but one other player on this list. His slash stats are a sign of the times with his average a little lower than the average short stop and his slugging percent a little higher, but he still maintains a decent speed threat and is above average defensively.

5. Julio Franco - 1983-1988

Franco played two stints with the Tribe, but was only a short stop during his first time around. He was actually one of the most well rounded players, coming in fourth among short stops in home runs and steals. He did this despite playing in more than 500 less games than the leaders.

4. Ray Chapman - 1913-1920

Chapman was a great talent who had his career cut short in 1920 when he was struck in the head with a pitch. Before that, Chapman was the Indians first great short stop, stealing 233 bases and scoring 671 times in over 1,000 games played. 

3. Omar Vizquel - 1994-2002, 2004

Vizquel is known as the greatest defensive short stop in Indians history (or at least since the development of televised baseball), winning nine straight Gold Gloves starting 1993. Of course, Omar wasn't just a glove, leading all Indians short stops in steals and runs scored. He also set the postseason records for games played, hits, triples and steals in his six playoff seasons.

2. Lou Boudreau - 1940-1949

Boudreau is almost certainly the most famous player on this list and was the player/manager during the last Indians championship. He is second to Turner in games played at short, but he did have great rate numbers, batting almost .300 and slugging more than .400. He is one of three players on this list with more than 800 runs scored and one of two with at least 700 RBI. He is undoubtedly one of the top ten greatest offensive Indians of all time regardless of position.

1. Joe Sewell - 1921-1928

Boudreau was great, but Sewell was better. His most impressive feat was that he (almost) never struck out. From 1925 through 1933 Sewell lead the league in AB/K. After doing that he still ranks second all time in all of Major League baseball history in this stat. As an Indian he played in less games than Boudreau, but scored more runs, had more hits and stole more bases. He was the only short stop in team history to break 800 runs batted in and still batted .320. Sewell also won a World Series after he took over for Chapman when he was killed in 1920. Sewell was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1977 and is unquestionably one of the greatest Indians hitters of all time.

Borderline: Larry Brown, Bill Knickerbocker, Frank Duffy, George Strickland, Lyn Lary