Remembering

Welcome to the Tribe, Mark DeRosa.
The new third baseman blasted a three-run homer in his second at-bat with the Indians in their first exhibition game at the new park in Goodyear, Ariz., Wednesday afternoon.
It was a wonderful sight to see, as I spent my off day watching the first few innings of the Indians’ spring training opener. It was 80 degrees and sunny at the Tribe’s new spring training facility in Arizona. I was hoping to shake some of these winter blues that have settled in. When my son came home from school and we played some tennis, taking advantage of the plus-50-degree temperatures, it helped even more. It didn’t matter to me that I lost two sets to none. I felt as if I was cheating Mother Nature by playing tennis outside in February… in Ohio.
I was tempted to take a trip out west for some spring training, as Southwest had some incredible offers to Phoenix, but they still haven’t refunded my tickets for our ill-fated attempt to go to California over Christmas break, but that’s another story.
The last time I went to spring training was the first year the Indians moved to Florida from Tucson, back in 1993.That was the year the new stadium complex the Indians were supposed to move into in Homestead, Fla., was ruined by a hurricane, and they wound up in Winter Haven. The day I left Florida to return was the day of the boat crash that killed Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews. It was so bizarre getting into the office at the Coshocton Tribune the next morning and finding out about the accident. I had just interviewed Olin two days earlier and the closer was looking forward building on his 29-save season of 1992.
My fantasy league had a poll asking if we could name the 16 guys who led the Indians in saves since 1980. More recent closers, such as Jensen Lewis, Joe Borowski, Jose Mesa and Bob Wickman were easy. But that stretch between Olin and Mesa was tough to recall. That’s probably because the trio of Eric Plunk, Paul Shuey and Jeff Russell combined to save fewer games in 1993 and ‘94, than Olin did in ‘92 and Mesa did in ‘95. Russell and Shuey led the team with five saves apiece in ‘94 and Plunk saved 15 in ‘93.
I remembered Doug Jones, who closed from’87 to ‘90, and Ernie Camacho, who led the team in saves in ‘84 and ‘86. But somehow I forgot Tom Waddell, who saved nine whole game in ‘85, and Dan Spillner’s stellar seven save season of 1981.
Spillner did settle into the closer’s role and saved 21 games in ‘82 and eight in ‘83 before being shipped off to Chicago.
I surprisingly could recall Phil Hennigan, the closer of the 1971 Indians, and Tom Hilgendorf, who closed in ‘73. I also remembered Dave LaRoche, Jim Kern and Sid Monge, the closers from ‘75-80, but somehow I forgot Steve Mingori (‘72) and Tom Buskey (‘74).
It was the group of closers after Mesa in ‘98 and before Wickman in 2001 that stumped me. But when I saw the names, it all came back to me quickly: “Thriller” Mike Jackson saved 79 games in 1998 and ‘99, and Steve Karsay saved 20 in his season as closer of 2000.
I also forgot about Danys Baez, who closed the year Wickman was injured (2003), before getting traded to Tampa Bay.
It’s funny how a silly question like “How many of the Tribe’s 16 saves leaders from 1980 to present can you name?” can set your mind a-wandering.
Thanks Mike Miller for sending me on a trip down Nostalgia Lane.
Oh, and the Tribe wound up losing their game today 10-7. And new closer Kerry Wood didn't pitch because he was nursing a sore back.