Editing Cleveland Guardians (section)

===1960–1993: The 33-year slump===
From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third-place finish (in 1968) and six fourth-place finishes (in 1960, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings, including four seasons with over 100 losses (1971, 1985, 1987, 1991).

====Frank Lane becomes general manager====
The Indians hired general manager [[Frank Lane]], known as "Trader" Lane, away from the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in 1957. Lane over the years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals. With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years.<ref name="Cards">{{cite book | last1 = Eisenbath | first1 = Mike | first2 = Stan | last2 = Musial | title = The Cardinals Encyclopedia | publisher = Temple University Press | year = 1999 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hymGG28xYcoC&pg=PA410 | isbn = 1-56639-703-0 | access-date = November 19, 2015 | archive-date = December 14, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154310/https://books.google.com/books?id=hymGG28xYcoC&pg=PA410 | url-status = live }}</ref> In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded away [[Red Schoendienst]] and [[Harvey Haddix]].<ref name=Cards/> Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he did not make.<ref>{{cite book | last = Schneider | first = Russell | title = Tales from the Tribe Dugout | publisher = Sports Publishing LLC | year = 2002 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCNvizFvLy0C&pg=PA100 | isbn = 1-58261-303-6 | access-date = November 19, 2015 | archive-date = December 14, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154317/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCNvizFvLy0C&pg=PA100 | url-status = live }}</ref>

One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland was to send [[Roger Maris]] to the [[History of the Kansas City Athletics|Kansas City Athletics]] in the middle of 1958. Indians executive [[Hank Greenberg]] was not happy about the trade<ref name="Maris">{{cite book | last = Rosenfeld | first = Harvey | title = Still a Legend: The Story of Roger Maris | publisher = iUniverse | year = 2002 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=LIQLHXQrAssC&pg=PA44 | isbn = 0-595-24615-X | access-date = November 19, 2015 | archive-date = December 14, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154344/https://books.google.com/books?id=LIQLHXQrAssC&pg=PA44 | url-status = live }}</ref> and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane.<ref name=Maris/> After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange.<ref name=Maris/>

After the Maris trade, Lane acquired 25-year-old [[Norm Cash]] from the White Sox for [[Minnie Miñoso]] and then traded him to Detroit before he ever played a game for the Indians; Cash went on to hit over 350 home runs for the Tigers. The Indians received [[Steve Demeter]] in the deal, who had only five at-bats for Cleveland.<ref>{{cite news | last = Dow | first = Bill | title = Former Tiger Norm Cash | work = Baseball Digest | url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_9_60/ai_76928886 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120710070550/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCI/is_9_60/ai_76928886 | url-status = dead | archive-date = July 10, 2012 |date=September 2001 | access-date = August 11, 2006 }}</ref>

====Curse of Rocky Colavito====
{{see also|Curse of Rocky Colavito}}

In 1960, Lane made the trade that would define his tenure in Cleveland when he dealt slugging right fielder and fan favorite<ref name="Colavito">{{cite book | last =Borsvold | first =David | title =The Cleveland Indians: Cleveland Press Years, 1920–1982 | publisher =Arcadia Publishing | year =1960 | page =81 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=v0hgrNuScVMC&q=%2B%22colavito%22+%2Bfan+%2Bfavorite&pg=PA81 | isbn =0-7385-2325-9 | access-date =October 16, 2020 | archive-date =December 14, 2020 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154318/https://books.google.com/books?id=v0hgrNuScVMC&q=%2B%22colavito%22+%2Bfan+%2Bfavorite&pg=PA81 | url-status =live }}</ref> [[Rocky Colavito]] to the [[Detroit Tigers]] for [[Harvey Kuenn]] just before Opening Day in {{MLBy|1960}}.

It was a blockbuster trade that swapped the {{MLBy|1959}} AL home run co-champion (Colavito) for the AL batting champion (Kuenn). After the trade, however, Colavito hit over 30 home runs four times and made three All-Star teams for Detroit and Kansas City before returning to Cleveland in {{MLBy|1965}}. Kuenn, on the other hand, played only one season for the Indians before departing for [[San Francisco Giants|San Francisco]] in a trade for an aging [[Johnny Antonelli]] and [[Willie Kirkland]]. ''[[Akron Beacon Journal]]'' columnist [[Terry Pluto]] documented the decades of woe that followed the trade in his book ''The Curse of Rocky Colavito''.<ref>{{cite news |first= Steve|last= Gietschier |title= The Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a Thirty-Year Slump.&nbsp;– book reviews |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n17_v217/ai_15355261 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713173059/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n17_v217/ai_15355261 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 13, 2012 |work= The Sporting News|date=September 25, 1994 |access-date=June 10, 2008 }}</ref> Despite being attached to the curse, Colavito said that he never placed a curse on the Indians but that the trade was prompted by a salary dispute with Lane.<ref name="Curse">{{cite news |first=Stan |last=Grossfeld |title=Colavito Always Straight Shooter |url=http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/10/12/colavito_always_straight_shooter/ |work=The Boston Globe |date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=June 29, 2008 |archive-date=November 19, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119021633/http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/10/12/colavito_always_straight_shooter |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lane also engineered a unique trade of managers in mid-season 1960, sending [[Joe Gordon]] to the Tigers in exchange for [[Jimmy Dykes]]. Lane left the team in 1961, but ill-advised trades continued. In 1965, the Indians traded pitcher [[Tommy John]], who would go on to win 288 games in his career, and 1966 Rookie of the Year [[Tommy Agee]] to the White Sox to get Colavito back.<ref name = Curse/>

However, Indians' pitchers set numerous strikeout records. They led the league in K's every year from 1963 to 1968, and narrowly missed in 1969. The 1964 staff was the first to amass 1,100 strikeouts, and in 1968, they were the first to collect more strikeouts than hits allowed.

====Move to the AL East division====
The 1970s were not much better, with the Indians trading away several future stars, including [[Graig Nettles]], [[Dennis Eckersley]], [[Buddy Bell]] and 1971 Rookie of the Year [[Chris Chambliss]],<ref>{{cite book | last =Riess | first = Steven | title = Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball Clubs: Volume 1 | publisher = Univ of South Carolina Press | year = 2006 | page =1067 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ZCcJVZyl5oYC | isbn = 0-313-32993-1}}</ref> for a number of players who made no impact.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 10-best Yankee Trades of All Time |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=list/bestyankeetrades |work=ESPN.com |date=March 1, 2004 |access-date=December 14, 2020 |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120014949/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=list%2Fbestyankeetrades |url-status=live }}</ref>

Constant ownership changes did not help the Indians. In 1963, Daley's syndicate sold the team to a group headed by general manager [[Gabe Paul]].<ref name="TBT"/> Three years later, Paul sold the Indians to [[Vernon Stouffer]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Murray |last=Chass |title=BASEBALL; Demise and Pall Of the Indians |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/02/sports/baseball-demise-and-pall-of-the-indians.html?pagewanted=all |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 2, 1991 |access-date=February 17, 2008 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729051658/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/02/sports/baseball-demise-and-pall-of-the-indians.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}</ref> of the [[Stouffer's]] frozen-food empire. Prior to Stouffer's purchase, the team was rumored to be relocated due to poor attendance. Despite the potential for a financially strong owner, Stouffer had some non-baseball related financial setbacks and, consequently, the team was cash-poor. In order to solve some financial problems, Stouffer had made an agreement to play a minimum of 30 home games in [[New Orleans]] with a view to a possible move there.<ref name="Mileti">{{cite magazine|first=Ron |last=Fimrite |title=Circle The Wagons, Indian Uprising! |url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1972/05/29/circle-the-wagons-indian-uprising/ |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=May 29, 1972 |access-date=February 16, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826001322/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1086136/index.htm |archive-date=August 26, 2012 }}</ref> After rejecting an offer from [[George Steinbrenner]] and former Indian [[Al Rosen]], Stouffer sold the team in 1972 to a group led by [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] and [[Cleveland Barons (1937–1973)|Cleveland Barons]] owner [[Nick Mileti]].<ref name=Mileti/> Steinbrenner went on to buy the New York Yankees in 1973.<ref>{{cite book | last =Schneider | first = Russell | title = Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia | publisher = Sports Publishing LLC | year = 2001 | page =352 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9jkqN0qu-fcC | isbn = 1-58261-376-1}}</ref>

Only five years later, Mileti's group sold the team for $11&nbsp;million to a syndicate headed by trucking magnate Steve O'Neill and including former general manager and owner Gabe Paul.<ref>{{cite news |first=Richard |last=Goldstein |title=Gabe Paul, Ex-Yankee Official, Dies at 88 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/28/sports/gabe-paul-ex-yankee-official-dies-at-88.html?pagewanted=all |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 28, 1998 |access-date=February 16, 2008 |archive-date=July 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729051747/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/28/sports/gabe-paul-ex-yankee-official-dies-at-88.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live }}</ref> O'Neill's death in 1983 led to the team going on the market once more. O'Neill's nephew Patrick O'Neill did not find a buyer until real estate magnates [[Richard Jacobs (businessman)|Richard E. and David H. Jacobs]] purchased the team in 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-30-people-who-defined-cleveland-1972-2002-richard-jacobs|title=The 30 People Who Defined Cleveland 1972–2002: Richard Jacobs|access-date=October 30, 2016|archive-date=October 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030143146/http://clevelandmagazine.com/in-the-cle/the-30-people-who-defined-cleveland-1972-2002-richard-jacobs|url-status=live}}</ref>

The team was unable to move out of last place, with losing seasons between 1969 and 1975. One highlight was the acquisition of [[Gaylord Perry]] in {{MLBy|1972}}. The Indians traded fireballer [[Sam McDowell|"Sudden Sam" McDowell]] for Perry, who became the first Indian pitcher to win the [[Cy Young Award]]. In {{MLBy|1975}}, Cleveland broke another color barrier with the hiring of [[Frank Robinson]] as Major League Baseball's first African American manager. Robinson served as player-manager and provided a franchise highlight when he hit a pinch-hit home run on Opening Day. But the high-profile signing of [[Wayne Garland]], a 20-game winner in [[Baltimore Orioles|Baltimore]], proved to be a disaster after Garland suffered from shoulder problems and went 28–48 over five years.<ref>{{cite book | last = Schneider | first = Russell | title = More Tales From the Tribe Dugout | publisher = Sports Publishing, LLC | year = 2005 | url= https://archive.org/details/moretalesfromtri0000schn | url-access = registration | isbn = 1-58261-680-9 }}</ref> The team failed to improve with Robinson as manager and he was fired in {{MLBy|1977}}. In 1977, pitcher [[Dennis Eckersley]] threw a no-hitter against the [[1977 California Angels season|California Angels]]. The next season, he was traded to the [[Boston Red Sox]] where he won 20 games in 1978 and another 17 in 1979.

The 1970s also featured the infamous [[Ten Cent Beer Night]] at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The ill-conceived promotion at a 1974 game against the [[1974 Texas Rangers season|Texas Rangers]] ended in a riot by fans and a forfeit by the Indians.<ref>{{cite web | last = Jackson | first = Paul | title = The night beer and violence bubbled over in Cleveland | url = https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=beernight/080604&sportCat=mlb | date = June 4, 2008 | access-date = February 17, 2009 | archive-date = October 17, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081017055146/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=beernight%2F080604&sportCat=mlb | url-status = live }}</ref>

There were more bright spots in the 1980s. In May 1981, [[Len Barker]] threw a [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] against the [[1981 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]], joining Addie Joss as the only other Indian pitcher to do so.<ref name="Barker">{{cite web |first=Anthony |last=Castrovince |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060514&content_id=1453617&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle |title=Barker's special night remains vivid |date=May 15, 2006 |access-date=July 1, 2008 |work=MLB.com |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107045658/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060514&content_id=1453617&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Joe Charboneau|"Super Joe" Charboneau]] won the [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|American League Rookie of the Year]] award. Charboneau was out of baseball by 1983 due to back injuries<ref>{{cite web |first= Stephen |last= Ripley |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Golf/News/2007/07/08/4323392-sun.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722232755/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Golf/News/2007/07/08/4323392-sun.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 22, 2012 |title=Missing in Action |date=July 8, 2007 |access-date=July 1, 2008 |work=Winnipeg Sun}}</ref> and Barker, who was also hampered by injuries, never became a consistently dominant starting pitcher.<ref name=Barker/>

[[File:Frank Robinson 1975 (1).jpeg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|In 1975, [[Frank Robinson]] became the first [[African-American]] manager in MLB history. ]]
Eventually, the Indians traded Barker to the [[Atlanta Braves]] for [[Brett Butler (baseball)|Brett Butler]] and [[Brook Jacoby]],<ref name=Barker/> who became mainstays of the team for the remainder of the decade. Butler and Jacoby were joined by [[Joe Carter]], [[Mel Hall]], [[Julio Franco]] and [[Cory Snyder]], bringing new hope to fans in the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Ron |last=Fimrite |title=Pow! Wow! |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065788/index.htm |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=April 6, 1987 |access-date=February 16, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826001347/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065788/index.htm |archive-date=August 26, 2012 }}</ref>

Cleveland's struggles over the 30-year span were highlighted in the 1989 film ''[[Major League (film)|Major League]]'', which comically depicted a hapless Cleveland ball club going from worst to first by the end of the film.

[[file:Slider 5-28-12.jpg|right|thumb|Slider, the team mascot since 1990]]
Throughout the 1980s, the Indians' owners had pushed for a new stadium. Cleveland Stadium had been a symbol of the Indians' glory years in the 1940s and 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/history/cle_history_overview.jsp?story=3|title=History Timeline|website=Cleveland Indians|access-date=October 30, 2016|archive-date=August 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820050823/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/history/cle_history_overview.jsp?story=3|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, during the lean years even crowds of 40,000 were swallowed up by the cavernous environment. The old stadium was not aging gracefully; chunks of concrete were falling off in sections and the old wooden pilings were petrifying.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jon |last=Morgan |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/bal-modell121795,1,3690562.story?page=1 |title=Inside the Browns deal |date=December 17, 1995 |access-date=July 1, 2008 |work=Baltimore Sun, reprinted by the Chicago Tribune}}</ref> In 1984, a proposal for a $150&nbsp;million domed stadium was defeated in a referendum 2–1.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/10/us/tax-rise-and-domed-stadium-are-voted-down-in-cleveland.html |title=Tax Rise and Domed Stadium Are Voted Down in Cleveland |date=May 10, 1984 |access-date=July 1, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |work=The New York Times |archive-date=November 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112071423/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/05/10/us/tax-rise-and-domed-stadium-are-voted-down-in-cleveland.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Finally, in May 1990, [[Cuyahoga County, Ohio|Cuyahoga County]] voters passed an [[Pigovian tax|excise tax]] on sales of alcohol and cigarettes in the county. The tax proceeds were to be used for financing the construction of the [[Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex]], which would include [[Jacobs Field]] for the Indians and [[Gund Arena]] for the [[Cleveland Cavs]] basketball team.<ref>{{cite news |first=Jennifer |last=Stoffel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/13/business/real-estate-new-sports-complex-for-cleveland.html |title=New Sports Complex for Cleveland |date=June 13, 1990 |access-date=July 1, 2008 |work=[[The New York Times]] |archive-date=September 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180916162752/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/13/business/real-estate-new-sports-complex-for-cleveland.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The team's fortunes started to turn in {{Baseball year|1989}}, ironically with a very unpopular trade. The team sent power-hitting outfielder [[Joe Carter]] to the [[San Diego Padres]] for two unproven players, [[Sandy Alomar Jr.]] and [[Carlos Baerga]]. Alomar made an immediate impact, not only being elected to the [[1990 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star team]] but also winning Cleveland's fourth [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] award and a [[Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove]]. Baerga became a three-time All-Star with consistent offensive production.

Indians general manager [[John Hart (baseball)|John Hart]] made a number of moves that finally brought success to the team. In {{MLBy|1991}}, he hired former Indian [[Mike Hargrove]] to manage and traded catcher [[Eddie Taubensee]] to the [[Houston Astros]] who, with a surplus of outfielders, were willing to part with [[Kenny Lofton]]. Lofton finished second in AL Rookie of the Year balloting with a .285 average and 66 [[stolen base]]s.

The Indians were named "Organization of the Year" by ''Baseball America''<ref>{{cite web |title=The Official Site of The Cleveland Indians: History: Indians History |url=http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/history/cle_history_overview.jsp?story=5 |publisher=Major League Baseball, Cleveland Indians |access-date=February 17, 2009 |archive-date=December 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212102356/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/cle/history/cle_history_overview.jsp?story=5 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in 1992, in response to the appearance of offensive bright spots and an improving [[Farm team|farm system]].

The team suffered a tragedy during spring training of {{MLBy|1993}}, when a boat carrying pitchers [[Steve Olin]], [[Tim Crews]], and [[Bob Ojeda]] crashed into a pier. Olin and Crews were killed, and Ojeda was seriously injured. (Ojeda missed most of the season, and retired the following year).<ref>{{cite web |first=Jayson |last=Stark |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1527339&type=columnist |title=Ten years later, the pain is still there |date=March 21, 2003 |access-date=June 30, 2008 |work=ESPN.com |archive-date=December 21, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041221150453/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=1527339&type=columnist |url-status=live }}</ref>

By the end of the 1993 season, the team was in transition, leaving Cleveland Stadium and fielding a talented nucleus of young players. Many of those players came from the Indians' new [[AAA (baseball)|AAA]] farm team, the [[Charlotte Knights]], who won the [[International League]] title that year.