The Curse of Rocky Colavito (curse supposedly began in 1960) is a phenomenon that supposedly prevented the Cleveland Indians baseball team from winning a World Series, or an American League pennant, or reaching postseason play, or even getting into a pennant race, following the 1960 trade of right fielder Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn. The following are the baseball events of the year 1960 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 5, 14, 18, 19, 21, 42, 455 Name Cleveland Indians (1915–present) Cleveland Naps (1905-1914) Cleveland Bronchos (1902-1904) Cleveland Blues (1901) Ballpark Jacobs Field (1994–present) Cleveland Stadium (1932-1993)* a. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... American League The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1960 throughout the world. ... Rocky Colavito on the cover of Time in 1959 Rocco Domenico Rocky Colavito (born August 10, 1933 in New York, NY) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder (primarily playing right field, but also at the other outfield positions, as well as a small number of games as a pitcher... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1998–present) Current uniform Name Detroit Tigers (1901–present) Ballpark Comerica Park (2000–present) Tiger Stadium (1912-1999) Bennett Park (1894-1911) Major league titles World Series titles (4) 1984 â€¢ 1968 â€¢ 1945 â€¢ 1935 AL Pennants (10) 2006 â€¢ 1984 â€¢ 1968 â€¢ 1945 1940... Harvey Edward Kuenn (December 4, 1930 - February 28, 1988) was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. ...

The idea of this curse was first presented in print by Terry Pluto, sports columnist for the Akron Beacon Journal, who had previously covered the Indians for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. In his 1994 book The Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a 33-Year Slump, Pluto suggested that the trade, made by Indians general manager Frank Lane to blunt Colavito's popularity and salary demands, led to a stretch where the Indians did not even come within 11 games of first place from 1960 to 1993. At that point, the team had not won a pennant since 1954, and had not won a World Series since 1948. Terry Pluto is an award winning sports writer living in Akron, Ohio who primarily writes columns for the Akron Beacon Journal mostly about Cleveland Sports and religion. ... The Akron Beacon Journal is a morning newspaper located in Akron, Ohio. ... The Plain Dealer is the major daily newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio. ... See also: 1993 in literature, other events of 1994, 1995 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Frank Lane (February 1, 1896 - March 19, 1981), nicknamed Trader Lane, was a Major League Baseball general manager for the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Athletics, and St. ... // This year in baseball Events January - Reggie Jackson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 94% of the vote. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1954 throughout the world. ... The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians, who had won the American League pennant in a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox, and the Boston Braves, who had won the National League pennant for the first time since the Miracle Braves team of 1914. ...

In The Curse of Rocky Colavito, and his 1999 book Our Tribe, Pluto writes of many of the misfortunes that struck the Indians following the Colavito trade: See also: 1998 in literature, other events of 1999, 2000 in literature, list of years in literature. ...

• Getting Colavito back in 1965, from the Kansas City Athletics, but having to give up pitcher Tommy John and outfielder Tommie Agee to the Chicago White Sox in a three-team trade. John, winner of two games in the major leagues to that point, would win another 286, mostly for the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, and play on four teams that reached the World Series. Agee, still a prospect in 1965, would win the American League's Rookie of the Year award in 1966, and would be traded to the New York Mets, where his hitting and fielding would be a major factor in their 1969 World Championship season.
• Trading pitcher Jim "Mudcat" Grant to the Minnesota Twins in 1964, for Lee Stange and George Banks. Grant was 28 years old, hardly old for a pitcher, and had already won 67 games in his career. After the trade, he would win 78 more, including 21 in 1965, when he helped the Twins win their first pennant. He would later return to the Indians as a broadcaster.
• The alcoholism of pitcher Sam McDowell, who went from being one of the game's top pitchers in the 1960s to an unreliable pitcher who left the game at age 32. He would eventually stop drinking and become a counselor to athletes with drinking problems.
• The mental illness of left fielder Tony Horton, a power hitter who couldn't handle the stress of playing in the major leagues, and left the game in the middle of the 1970 season at age 25. Like McDowell, he would receive treatment and recover, but he never returned to baseball.
• The rushing of pitcher Steve Dunning to the major leagues. The second overall pick in the 1970 baseball draft, he was brought straight to the major leagues from Stanford University without ever pitching in the minors. Called up too soon, he quit baseball in 1977, at the age of 28, with a career record of 23 wins and 41 losses.
• The signing and injury of Wayne Garland. In 1976, Garland, a 25-year-old righthanded pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, won 20 games and lost only 7. A free agent after that season, the Indians offered him a contract worth $2.3 million over 10 years. But he hurt his shoulder in his first spring training with the Indians, chose to pitch through the pain rather than have immediate surgery, and went 13-19 in 1977. He retired in 1980, at age 30, with a career record of 55-66.
• The 1984 trade of pitcher Rick Sutcliffe to the Chicago Cubs, along with two other players, for outfielders Joe Carter and Mel Hall and two others. Sutcliffe would help the Cubs win the National League Eastern Division title that year -- winning the NL's Cy Young Award -- and again in 1989. He won 35 games in just over two seasons with the Indians, and won 114 more after they traded him. Hall was a good hitter but a disappointment, and though Carter became one of baseball's top sluggers with the Indians, they never had a pitcher as good as Sutcliffe at the same time. Carter would be traded to the San Diego Padres in 1989 for catcher Sandy Alomar and second baseman Carlos Baerga, possibly the best trade in the Indians' recent history, as Alomar and Baerga would be major cogs in their 1990s success. The Padres would trade Carter to the Toronto Blue Jays, where he would lead them to back-to-back World Series wins, including 1993, when his home run won the Series.
• The 1987 baseball preview issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. Following a surprising 86-win season for the Indians in 1986, the cover showed Indians sluggers Carter and Cory Snyder, and carried the words "INDIAN UPRISING" and the sub-headline, "Believe it! Cleveland is the best team in the American League!" The Indians lost 101 games that year, though some believe that the curse that led to this collapse was "The Dreaded SI Cover Jinx."
• The 1993 spring training boating accident that killed relief pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews and nearly killed starting pitcher Bob Ojeda. Reliever Kevin Wickander was so grief-stricken at the loss of Olin that he was traded in mid-season and never regained his effectiveness, so the Indians essentially lost four pitchers due to one accident.

Prior to the publication of Pluto's book The Curse of Rocky Colavito, there had been another explanation for the Indians' difficulties, one that came after the 1954 World Series but preceded the 1960 Colavito trade. The Indians fired manager Bobby Bragan in 1958. According to the story, Bragan walked out to the pitcher's mound at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, and placed a curse on the Indians, saying they would never win another pennant. Bragan, however, always denied that such a thing happened. The following are the baseball events of the year 1965 throughout the world. ... The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. ... Tommy John (1960s) Thomas Edward John Jr. ... Tommie Agee (1969) Tommie Lee Agee (August 9, 1942 in Magnolia, Alabama - January 22, 2001 in New York City) was a center fielder most noted for making what were arguably two of the greatest catches in World Series history. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 2, 4, 19, 20, 24, 32, 39, 42, 53 Name Los Angeles Dodgers (1958–present) Brooklyn Dodgers (1932-1957) Brooklyn Robins (1914-1931) Brooklyn Dodgers (1911-1912) Brooklyn Superbas (1899-1910), (1913) Brooklyn Grooms... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 32, 37, 44, 49 Name New York Yankees (1913–present) New York Highlanders (1903-1912) Baltimore Orioles (1901-1902) (Also referred to as... In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given to the best first-year players in the American and National Leagues. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 20 - The Baseball Writers Association of America voters elect Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. ... Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league titles World Series titles (2) 1969 â€¢ 1986 NL Pennants (4) 1969 â€¢ 1973 â€¢ 1986 â€¢ 2000... The following are the baseball events of the year 1969 throughout the world. ... Jim Mudcat Grant (born August 13, 1935 in Lacoochee, Florida) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, St. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 6, 14, 29, 34, 42 Name Minnesota Twins (1961–present) Washington Nationals/Senators (1901-1960) Ballpark Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1982-present Metropolitan Stadium (1961-1981) Griffith Stadium (1903-1960) a. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1964 throughout the world. ... Albert Lee Stange (born October 27, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. ... George Banks is a Pennsylvania mass murderer, given a death sentence but later declared by the court to be too psychotic to execute. ... Samuel Edward Thomas McDowell (born September 21, 1942 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, playing his first 11 seasons for the Cleveland Indians before a 1971 trade to the San Francisco Giants and subsequent stints with the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates. ... Tony Horton (born Anthony Darrin Horton on December 6, 1944 in Santa Monica, California) is a former Major League Baseball player. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1970 throughout the world. ... Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University (or simply Stanford), is a private university located approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco and approximately 20 miles northwest of San José in Stanford, California. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1977 throughout the world. ... Marcus Wayne Garland (born October 26, 1950 in Nashville, Tennessee) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1973 to 1981 for the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 14 - Ted Turner completes the purchase of 100 percent of the Atlanta Braves. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 4, 5, 8, 20, 22, 33, 42 Name Baltimore Orioles (1954–present) St. ... In North American professional sports, particularly baseball, football, and basketball, a free agent is a team player whose contract with a team has expired, and the player is able to sign a contract with another team. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 9 - Al Kaline and Duke Snider are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1984 throughout the world. ... Richard Lee Sutcliffe (born June 21, 1956 in Independence, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and current television sportscaster. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1889) (a. ... Joseph Chris Carter (born March 7, 1960 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1983 to 1998, most famous for hitting a home run to end the 1993 World Series, with the Toronto Blue Jays trailing 6-5 to the Philadelphia... Melvin Hall Jr. ... In baseball, the Cy Young Award is an honor given annually to the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Major league affiliations National League (1969–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 6, 19, 31, 35, 42 Name San Diego Padres (1969–present) Ballpark PETCO Park (2004–present) Qualcomm Stadium (1969-2003) a. ... 1989 in baseball - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Santos Sandy Alomar Velázquez, Jr. ... Carlos Obed Baerga Ortiz (born November 4, 1968 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico), better known plainly as Carlos Baerga, is a Major League Baseball player. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ... // This year in baseball Events January - Reggie Jackson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 94% of the vote. ... Dates October 16, 1993–October 23, 1993 MVP Paul Molitor (Toronto) Television network CBS & Simulcast in Canada on CTV Announcers Sean McDonough, Tim McCarver Umpires Dave Phillips (AL), Paul Runge (NL), Tim McClelland (AL), Charlie Williams (NL), Mark Johnson (AL), Dana DeMuth (NL) The 1993 World Series was the second... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 14 - Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... This article is currently under construction // This year in baseball Events January 8 - Willie McCovey is the only player elected this year to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, and becomes the 16th player elected in his first year of eligibility. ... James Cory Snyder (born November 11, 1962 in Inglewood, California) was a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1986 to 1994. ... The first issue of Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1954, showing Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Mathews at bat in Milwaukee County Stadium. ... // This year in baseball Events January - Reggie Jackson is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 94% of the vote. ... Steve Olin (1965-1993) was a right-handed submarining relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians from 1988 to 1992. ... Stanley Timothy (Tim) Crews (April 3, 1961-March 23, 1993) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched the majority of six seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers -- 1987 to 1992. ... Robert Michael Ojeda (born December 17, 1957) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who pitched for five different MLB teams over fifteen seasons including the 1986 World Champion New York Mets. ... Robert Randall Bragan (born October 30, 1917, at Birmingham, Alabama) is a former shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball. ... The following are the events of the year 1958 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Cleveland Stadium (also known as Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Municipal Stadium and The Mistake on (or by) the Lake) was a baseball and American football stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

In 1994, the year Pluto's book was published, the Indians moved out of aging, crumbling Municipal Stadium and into the brand-new Jacobs Field. They were just one game behind the White Sox in the newly-created American League Central Division when a strike put an end to the season. Despite the abrupt end, this was the first time the Indians had genuinely been in a pennant race since 1959, Colavito's last season before being traded away. The following are the events of the year 1994 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... Jacobs Field (informally called The Jake) is a baseball stadium located in the middle of downtown Cleveland, Ohio. ... The American League Central Division is one of Major League Baseballs six divisions. ...

The Indians won the pennant in 1995, and Pluto wrote a sequel, Burying the Curse. The Indians also won the pennant in 1997, but lost the World Series both times. They lost the 1995 Series to the Atlanta Braves despite being favored. In 1997, they led the Florida Marlins 2-1 with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7. But reliever Jose Mesa was unable to get the last two outs, as the Marlins tied the game, and then won it in the bottom of the eleventh. The following are the baseball events of the year 1995 throughout the world. ... The following are the events of the year 1997 that happened world-wide throughout the sport of baseball. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... Dates October 21, 1995–October 28, 1995 MVP Tom Glavine (Atlanta) Television network ABC Games 1, 4, and 5, NBC Games 2, 3, and 6 Announcers ABC: Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, and Tim McCarver NBC: Bob Costas, Joe Morgan, and Bob Uecker Umpires Harry Wendelstedt (NL), Joe Brinkman (AL), Bruce... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) East Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 3, 21, 35, 41, 42, 44 Name Atlanta Braves (1966–present) Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965) Boston Braves (1941-1952) Boston Bees (1936-1940) Boston Braves (1912-1935) Boston Rustlers (1911) Boston Doves (1907-1910) Boston... Dates October 18, 1997–October 26, 1997 MVP Liván Hernández (Florida) Television network NBC Announcers Bob Costas, Joe Morgan and Bob Uecker Umpires Ed Montague (NL), Dale Ford (AL), Joe West (NL), Greg Kosc (AL), Randy Marsh (NL), Ken Kaiser (AL) The 1997 World Series is widely regarded... Major league affiliations National League (1993–present) East Division (1993–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5, 42 Name Florida Marlins (1993–present) Ballpark Dolphin Stadium (1993–present) a. ... José Ramón Nova Mesa [MAY-sah] (nickname Joe Table; born May 22, 1966 in Pueblo Viejo, Dominican Republic) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates. ...

The Indians also won the Central Division, but not the pennant, in 1996 (losing the Division Series to the Orioles), 1998 (losing the American League Championship Series to the Yankees, despite being up two games to one with Games 4 and 5 at home), 1999 (losing the Division Series to the Boston Red Sox, dropping the last three games after winning the first two) and 2001 (losing the Division Series to the Seattle Mariners). The following are the baseball events of the year 1996 throughout the world. ... In Major League Baseball, the American League Division Series (ALDS) determines which two teams from the American League will advance to the American League Championship Series. ... This year in baseball 1995 - 1996 - 1997 - 1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 Events January-March January 5 - Don Sutton, a 324-game winner is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his fifth try. ... In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series (ALCS), played in October, is a playoff round that determines the winner of the American League pennant. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, 42 Name Boston Red Sox (1908–present) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Ballpark Fenway Park (1912–present) Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds (1901-1911) Major league titles World Series titles (6) 2004... The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world. ... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) West Division (1977–present) Current uniform Name Seattle Mariners (1977–present) Ballpark Safeco Field (1999–present) The Kingdome (1977-1999) Major league titles World Series titles (0) None AL Pennants (0) None West Division titles (3) [1] 2001 â€¢ 1997 â€¢ 1995 Wild card berths...

In 2005 the Indians took a 92-63 record into the final week of the season with a firm grip on the wild card spot only to lose 6oof their last 7 and lose the wild card to Boston.

Pluto wrote Our Tribe, a history of the team, published in 1999, insisting that the curse was still on. Through the 2006 season, the Indians have not won another pennant since their 1997 World Series collapse, and have still not won the World Series since 1948. This suggests that a Curse of Rocky Colavito, if it existed, still stands. Colavito, like Bragan, has denied putting a curse on the team. See also: 1998 in literature, other events of 1999, 2000 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world. ... The following are the baseball events of the year 1948 throughout the world. ...

See also

• Cleveland Sports Curse
• Cleveland Indians