[image-1]We’re almost there, and today’s schedule could — could! — mean the magic number could drop to as low as 2. The Tribe squares up against the Royals again tonight and the Tigers have a doubleheader.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, ALDS tickets go on sale soon, but we’re in the homestretch of the last homestand of the year and you should really get out to the ballpark. Chances are good you’re probably not going to snag playoff tickets, so take advantage of the few games that are left at The Jake and go watch some Tribe.
Anyway, with the magic number at 5 it’s time to remember a few guys. One of those is Roger Maris, who you might remember started his MLB career with the Indians (wearing No. 5) before being traded to the A’s and then the Yankees. Another guy to know: Buddy Booker, who was an eminently forgettable major leaguer whose only claim to fame — and it’s a small one — was that he was the last Indian to wear No. 5 before the team retired the number in 1970 in honor of Lou Boudreau, who was at the helm of the Tribe’s last World Series championship.
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2016.
Before pitching a couple seasons for the home team in the early 1970s, Ray Lamb was the third and final player on the Los Angeles/Brooklyn Dodgers to wear jersey #42…..the club retired the number in July 1972 to honor the iconic second player — Jackie Robinson. In 1939, George Jeffcoat toted the jersey number for the one game and two innings he pitched for Brooklyn.