Indians by the Numbers — #10

The ConTENders.

via www.clevescene.com

Patrick Sean Tabler

Ohio native Pat Tabler played six seasons in Cleveland.

Tabler, originally drafted by the Yankees, came to the Indians after bring traded three times in three seasons. First, to the Cubs and then crosstown to the White Sox, before coming to Cleveland in exchange for the luxurious glove of Jerry Dybzinski.

Tabler took Dybzinski’s #10, and made his Tribe debut in 1983 at the age of 25. In 492 plate appearances, he batted .291 with an OPS+ of 112.  Tabler split time in left field and third base. He made 2 appearances, but no starts, at second base.

For 1984 and beyond, Tabler played primarily at first base. Although he lacked power for the position, Tabler proved to be a difficult out, batting .326 in 1986 and .307 in 1987. His lone All-Star appearance came as a 29 year-old in 1987, in which he had a career high in RBI with 86.  Beyond the ‘idiot’ stats, Tabler was slighly better than league average, putting up a 108 OPS+ during his stay with Cleveland.  Neither a base-stealing threat nor a walks machine, Tabler leveraged solid contact skills into six consecutive seasons of over 400 at-bats.

Tabler later played in Kansas City, New York (NL) and Toronto. Tabler would never put together the kinds of seasons he experienced in Cleveland, and exited the game after winning a World Series with the Blue Jays as a bench player in 1992.

A fan favorite, Tabler received a lot of love in spite of his somewhat pedestrian numbers. During the dark days of mid-eighties Indians baseball, Pat Tabler was a solid role player in a system low on talent.

If this were a list of the best-named Indians player to wear #10, the next two would clearly outshine "Pat":

via www.baseball-almanac.com

Victor Felipe Pellot Pove

Like a Hollywood star, Victor Pove transformed himself into Vic Power, slugging first baseman for the Philadelphia-Kansas City A’s. The problem is, Power never hit more than 19 home runs in a single season.

Traded with Woodie Held in 1958 from the Kansas City Athletics for a guy named Roger Maris (and some others), Power came to Cleveland and put up a .317/.336/.504 line for an OPS of .840.

A two-time All-Star, Power would would play exactly 147 games per season for his next three years in Cleveland.  Diminishing brawn (just 43 XBH in 1961) sent Power packing to the Minnesota Twins.

Power would play for three teams in 1964. (Minnesota, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia) before ending his career at the age of 37, back in Los Angeles for the California Angels in 1965.

Power and Tabler were very similar good-average, low-power corner infielders.  Power’s above-average glove (3.0 dWAR over 4 seasons) made him a slightly more valuable ten spot. 

via www.baseball-almanac.com

Covelli Loyce Crisp

Another pecuilarly-named Indian to wear #10 was Covelli "Coco" Crisp.  Although he’s no Phifer, Crisp was drafted in 1999 in the seventh round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Crisp came to Cleveland as a player to be named later in the 2002 deadline deal that sent starter Chuck Finley to the Cardinals.

Crisp made his Tribe debut in August 2002 at the age of 22.  Less than two years later, he was the team’s starting center fielder, later moving to left field to accommodate Grady Sizemore. In 2004 and 2005, Crisp put together nearly identical solid seasons (.297/15/71 and .300/16/69). A stellar fielder, Crisp’s 2.4 defensive WAR led the American League in 2005. His active defensive WAR of 6.2 in currently 22nd best.

Following the 2005 season,  Crisp was traded with Josh Bard and David Riske to the Boston Red Sox as a part of "Dominos-Player-of-the-Century Deal", netting the Indians Guillermo Mota, Kelly Shoppach, Andy Marte and cash money.

Crisp would later go on to win a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2007. He currently shows off his afro and/or cornrows for the Oakland Athletics.

Ten Littlest Indians

The ten most offensive offensive performances as an Indian whilst wearing uniform #10 — small sample sizes be damned (minimum 25 PA) — are:

1. Jolbert Cabrera 72 PA, .111/.177/.125 OPS+ -16 (2002)

2. Luke Sewell 25 PA, .150/.261/.200 OPS+ 21 (1939)

3. Max Alvis 53 PA, .216/.245/.255 OPS+ 37 (1962)

4. Alvaro Espinoza  244 PA, .238/.258/.307 OPS+ 46 (1994)

5. Gomer Hodge: 90 PA, .205/.256/.277  OPS+ 46 (1971)

6. Pat Borders: 175 PA, .238/.289/.275  OPS+ 47 (1998)

7. Dave Roberts 156 PA, .238/.281/.308  OPS+ 48 (1999)

8. Max Alvis 207 PA, .225/.275/.272  OPS+ 52 (1969)

9. Jerry Dybzinski 278 PA, .230/.273/.294  OPS+ 55 (1980)

10. Jonah Goldman 351 PA, .242/.312/.310 OPS+ 56 (1930)

      Paul Zuvella 146 PA, .231/.275/.285  OPS+ 56 (1988)

The One Year Wonders

Jonah Goldman, George Uhle, Joe Becker, Hank Helf, Luke Sewell, Floyd Stromme, Jimmy Wasdell, Bud Daley, Rich Rollins, Jerry Moses, Tom Brookens, Jose Vizcaino, and Jolbert Cabrera all wore uniform #10 for only one season.  

The All-Time List

Jonah Goldman SS, 3B (1930)

George Uhle RP (1936)

Joe Becker C (1937)

Hank Helf C (1938)

Luke Sewell C, 1B (1939)

Floyd Stromme RP (1939)

Harry Eisenstat RP (1939-1942)

Mickey Rocco 1B (1945-1946)

Jimmy Wasdell 1B, OF (1946)

Jim Hegan C (1947-1950)

Bud Daley RP, SP (1957)

Vic Power 1B, 2B, 3B (1958-1961)

Max Alvis 3B (1962-1969)

Rich Rollins PH (1970)

Gomer Hodge PH (1971)

Jerry Moses C (1972)

Jack Brohamer 2B (1973-1975)

Ray Fosse C (1976-1977)

Jerry Dybzinski SS, 2B (1980-1982)

Pat Tabler 1B, DH, LF, 3B (1983-1988)  

Paul Zuvella SS (1988-1989)

Tom Brookens 3B, 2B (1990)

Mark Lewis SS., 2B (1991-1992)

Alvaro Espinoza 3B, SS, 2B, 1B (1993-1996)

Jose Vizcaino 2B (1996)

Pat Borders C (1997-1999)

Dave Roberts OF (2000-2001)

Jolbert Cabrera CF, RF (2002)

Coco Crisp LF, CF (2002-2005)

Kelly Shoppach C (2006-2009)

Statistics and such

The uniform #10 has been worn 71 times by 30 different players covering 65 seasons of a possible 83 seasons since 1929. Uniform #10 was shared in a season five times, 1939, 1946, 1988, 1996, and 2002. It was shared by three players in 1939.