Indian Bummer

Gene Bearden, who almost single-handedly secured the only World Series title for the Cleveland Indians in the last 84 years, died at the age of 83. That he survived to reach the major leagues was something of a miracle, as his ship narrowly escaped the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, only to be cut in two by a torpedo. Bearden floated for several days in a lifeboat before being rescued. As a rookie in 1948, Bearden had put together a decent season, winning 13 games as of Sept. 10. Over the last 4 weeks of the season, he won 7 more, including the one-game playoff over the Boston Red Sox on one day’s rest that put Cleveland in the World Series. In the Series, he won Game 3, then saved Game 6 as the Indians took the title. Once the American League learned not to swing at his knuckleball the following season, the jig was up, and he won just 25 more games in his career.