Lawrence J. Dolan (1931–2025), Cleveland Guardians owner

Lawrence J. Dolan was an attorney best known as the longtime owner of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team, formerly known as the Cleveland Indians.

Jeff Torborg (1941–2025), longtime MLB player and manager

Jeff Torborg was a longtime Major League Baseball player and manager who caught Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965, and in 1990 was named American League Manager of the Year.

Rocky Colavito (1933–2024), Cleveland’s great MLB slugger

Rocky Colavito was a popular Major League Baseball player with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers in the 1950s and ‘60s, a six-time all-star who was one of the great sluggers of his era.

Luis Tiant (1940–2024), Boston Red Sox great

Luis Tiant was a Major League Baseball pitcher known for his distinctive windup and his years playing for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians.

Nick Mileti (1931–2024), founder of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Nick Mileti was an attorney, author, and businessman who was founder of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and former owner of the MLB’s Cleveland Indians. 

Fritz Peterson (1942–2023), Yankees all-star who traded families

Fritz Peterson was an all-star pitcher for the New York Yankees known both for his control on the mound and for a headline-grabbing “family swap” with his teammate, Mike Kekich.

John Adams (1951–2023), Cleveland Indians’ drumming superfan

John Adams was a Cleveland Indians (renamed the Guardians in 2021) superfan known for playing the bass drum at home games for decades.

Doug Jones (1957–2021), former All-Star relief pitcher

Doug Jones was a five-time All-Star relief pitcher who had over 300 saves in a 16 year career.

Ray Fosse (1947–2021), Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Indians catcher

Ray Fosse was a catcher for Major League Baseball teams including the Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Indians, as well as a color commentator after his playing career.

Eddie Robinson (1920–2021), oldest living former MLB player

Eddie Robinson was the oldest living former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and the last surviving member of the 1948 World Series winning Cleveland Indians.

Jim “Mudcat” Grant (1935–2021), first Black American League pitcher to win 20 games

Jim “Mudcat” Grant was a Major League Baseball player who was the first Black pitcher to win 20 games in a season in the American League.

John McNamara (1932–2020), manager of 1986 Boston Red Sox

John McNamara was a Major League Baseball manager and coach who took the Boston Red Sox to the 1986 World Series as their manager before a crushing defeat in Game 7.

Harrison Dillard (1923–2019), four-time Olympic gold medal winner

Harrison Dillard was a four-time Olympic gold medal winner in track and field. He was the top hurdler throughout much of the 1940s, though his first Olympic gold came in a dramatic photo-finish in the 100-meter sprint at the 1948 London Olympic games. He won his signature event, the 110-meter hurdles, at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games. He was part of the gold medal-winning 4x100-meter relay teams at both Olympics.

Frank Robinson (1935–2019), trailblazing MLB manager and Hall of Fame player

Frank Robinson was Major League Baseball's first Black manager. That groundbreaking distinction came after a notable playing career, beginning in 1956 with the Cincinnati Reds. He was Rookie of the Year and went on to play for the Reds until 1965. Traded to the Baltimore Orioles, he excelled for six seasons, including two World Series wins and a World Series MVP Award in 1966. In 1975, Robinson became manager of the Cleveland Indians, breaking the color barrier. He went on to manage the San Francisco Giants, the Orioles, and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.

Oscar Gamble (1949–2018), baseball slugger hit 200 home runs

The baseball slugger was known for his big hair and big swing.

Sam Mele (1922 - 2017), Minnesota Twins right fielder

Former MLB player led Twins to their first World Series in ’65…

Andy Marte (1983 - 2017), Cleveland Indians infielder

Andy Marte, a former Major League Baseball infielder who played for the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, and Arizona Diamondbacks, died Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, in a car crash in the Dominican Republic, according to multiple news reports. He was 33. The Cleveland Indians paid tribute to their former player on Twitter. "Sad to learn of Andy Marte's death this morning," the team wrote. "He was a genuine person who always greeted you with a warm smile." The Arizona Diamondbacks also expressed their condolences on Twitter, writing, "We are deeply saddened to hear that former D-back Andy Marte has passed away. Our thoughts are with his loved ones."

Dean Chance (1941-2015), Cy Young Award-winning pitcher

Dean Chance, the Cy Young Award-winning pitcher who palled around with the Hollywood jet set, died Sunday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Associated Press reported. He was 74.

Remembering Minnie Minoso

We remember the legendary Minnie Minoso, the first black baseball player in Chicago.