This is one installment in a team effort by The Cleveland Fan, highlighting the top local sports figures by jersey number. Please weigh in with your thoughts on the Boards. And as David Letterman would say, “For entertainment purposes only; please, no wagering.”
“You have to play with pride -- for the game and for yourself. You have to go out and give a major-league effort. If you're 0-for-3 but make a major-league effort, you can go home and say, 'I gave it what I had.’” – Sandy Alomar
Catchers tend to hold a special place in the hearts of baseball fans. Catchers have to play without fear. More often than not, they appear to be the heart and soul of the team, assuming a leadership role, both by example and by words. The catcher position is one that takes enormous dedication, both to one’s teammates and one’s own body. One could argue that catchers are the most important players on the team because they have to be involved in every facet of the game and every pitch when the team is on defense. Santos Alomar Jr. was one of the best in Cleveland Indians history.
Sandy Alomar Jr. was not the face of the Indians of the 1990s, but he may very well have been the team’s heart. One of the most perceptive and aware players to play for the Indians, Alomar had the tough task of handling a pitching staff full of mediocrity through the steroid era and doing so with bad knees. Alomar never had enough plate appearances in a season to qualify for the hitting leaderboards, so it’s hard to say what he could have become as a hitter had it not been for the consistent injury problems.
There are really just two serious candidates for top honors at #13 in our series...with all due respect to Felix Fermin. As it turns out, Fermin is due more respect than he is often afforded, having brought to Cleveland in trade one of the greatest shortstops in major league history, and one of the most popular Cleveland Indians of all time, 
Vizquel’s greatness and his eventual Hall of Fame worthiness seem inarguable to those of us who watched him play every day, yet he still has his 
This is one installment in a team effort by The Cleveland Fan, highlighting the top local sports figures by jersey number. Please weigh in with your thoughts- click on the Boards link above. And as David Letterman would say, “For entertainment purposes only; please, no wagering.”
This is one installment in a team effort by The Cleveland Fan, highlighting the top local sports figures by jersey number. Please weigh in with your thoughts- click on the Boards link above. And as David Letterman would say, “This is for entertainment purposes only; please, no wagering.”