Former Cleveland Indians shortstop and manager George Strickland dies at 84

Former Cleveland Indians shortstop and manager George Strickland dies at 84
By Plain Dealer staff and wire reports
February 23, 2010, 3:33PM

ToppsIndians shortstop George Strickland's 1958 Topps baseball card.By Nakia Hogan
The Times-Picayune

George Strickland, the slick-fielding shortstop for the Indians in their historic 1954 season and a two-time interim manager for the team, died on Sunday at 84.

The Indians acquired Strickland in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 18, 1952. Playing in an era when the value of middle infielders was determined by their fielding and not their hitting, Strickland batted .233 with 22 home runs and 213 runs batted in for the Indians before he was released on Aug. 3, 1960.

For much of his time with the Indians, Strickland's glove ably backed the Indians' famed "Big Four" starting pitchers: Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Early Wynn, and all-star Mike Garcia.

Strickland played 112 games, batting .213 with six homers and 37 RBI, in 1954, when Cleveland set what was then an American League record for wins, finishing 111-43 before being swept in the World Series by the New York Giants.

Strickland was an Indians coach from 1963-69, usually stationed at third base. His first stint as Cleveland's interim manager began on April 2, 1964, one day after manager Birdie Tebbetts suffered a heart attack, and days before the start of the season. The Indians went 33-39 with Strickland at the helm, before Tebbetts returned on July 5.

Cleveland began the 1966 season 27-10, but had slumped to a 66-57 record when Tebbetts was dismissed as the manager on Aug. 19. Strickland took over, and Cleveland went 15-24 the rest of the way to finish 81-81. Strickland went back to his duties as the third base coach when Joe Adcock was hired as the manager.

Strickland, a New Orleans native who was a standout baseball player at S.J. Peters High School in the early 1940s and played two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association, was one of that city's more celebrated players.

Nicknamed "Bo," Strickland was one of the more provocative speakers among a group of retired athletes in the New Orleans area who met once a week for lunch and some good-old-days conversation.

Strickland often was the life of the party.

"Everybody wanted to sit near George at those things," said local baseball historian Peter Barrouquere, a former Times-Picayune reporter. "He told the most amazing stories. When (Hall of Fame pitcher) Bob Lemon passed away, he kept us going for 3 1/2 hours with Bob Lemon stories. He had us in stitches."

Mel Parnell, a former All-Star pitcher with the Boston Red Sox and a high school teammate of Strickland, agreed.

"It was great getting together like that because we had a mixture of athletes," Parnell said. "We have baseball, football, basketball, a boxing referee and a race horse trainer. And we all talked about our profession. We would bring up stories about our playing days, which were interesting."
Strickland had much to talk about.

After graduating from high school, Strickland served in the Navy in 1944 and '45. He then spent five years in the minor leagues, including two seasons with the Pelicans, before making his major league debut in 1950.

Strickland made the Pirates in 1950, and including his time with them, he had a career batting average of .224 with 36 homers and 284 RBI.