Indians resurrect hall of fame

The team's last induction ceremony was in 1972.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- It's hard to imagine that former Cleveland Indians pitcher Addie Joss and manager Al Lopez, both members of baseball's Hall of Fame, aren't in the Indians' own hall of fame.
The Indians organization can't explain it either. But it is rectifying the situation by adding Joss and Lopez along with five other players in the team hall of fame's first induction ceremony since 1972.
Which raises another question. Why so long between inductions?
"I wish I had an answer," team spokesman Bob DiBiasio said. "It's a long time coming."
Joss and Lopez, along with Ray Chapman, Rocky Colavito, Sam McDowell, Al Rosen and Herb Score, will be inducted in a pre-game ceremony on July 29. The four living members of the class -- Colavito, McDowell, Rosen and Score -- all plan to be present.
Honored
"It is an awesome feeling and certainly wasn't expected," said McDowell, a dominant lefty who played for some poor Indians clubs in the 1960s. "When I was called, I had the strangest feeling though because all I could think about was my teammates who gave it 150 percent despite us not going anywhere as a team."
The seven join the 20 current members of the team's hall of fame -- pitcher Early Wynn was the last player inducted 34 years ago.
The Indians plan to avoid another lengthy gap between induction ceremonies by making them an annual event.
Also, for the first time next season, the hall of fame will actually have a physical location, just beyond the center-field wall at Jacobs Field. Unlike Monument Park at Yankee Stadium, the area will be open during games.
"Jacobs Field is now 13 years old [and] we are making a more concerted effort to connect with our rich history," DiBiasio said.
The Indians worked with an architectural firm to come up with a design that will allow fans access, while preserving the solid background that's so important for a batter to pick up the ball coming out of the pitcher's hand.
And who knows, maybe putting Colavito in the team's hall of fame and putting up a plaque of him will improve the Indians' fortune.
The Indians haven't won a World Series title since 1948. Some blame the drought on the club trading Colavito, one of the city's most popular players, to Detroit in 1960.
Colavito said he's honored by the induction, but doesn't know anything about a curse.
"I never really thought of it, as I know I didn't personally put a spell on the team," Colavito said. "I gave it my best shot each day I was in an Indians uniform. As for the trade, that was out of my hands."