The last time the Cleveland Indians won the World Series

The Cleveland Indians had won their only World Series appearance in 1920 when they returned in 1948. The Indians proceeded to make it two for two when they defeated the Boston Braves to win the 1948 championship in six games. The Indians would go on to win three more American League pennants, but not another World Series championship.

In this photo, winning pitcher Warren Spahn, center, of the Boston Braves is flanked by joyous teammates Bob Elliott, left, and Tommy Holmes in the dressing room in Cleveland October 10, 1948, after an 11 to 5 win over Cleveland in the fifth World Series game. Spahn allowed only one hit in 5 and 2/3 innings of relief pitching. Elliott scored two home runs.

Cleveland Indians 1948

The 1948 Cleveland Indians on Oct. 3, 1948. Front row left to right: Eddie Robinson, first base; Ken Keltner, third base; Al Rosen, third base; Mel Harder, Coach; Manager Lou Boudreau, shortstop; President Bill Veeck; Muddy Ruel, Coach; Bill McKechnie, Coach; Joe Gordon, second base; and Johnny Beradino, traveling secretary; Sam Zoldak, Ed Kleiman, Steve Gromek, Russ Christopher, Gene Bearden, Bob Lemon, Satchel Paige, Bob Feller, and Bob Muncriff (all pitchers); and Lefty Weisman, trainer. Top row: Walt Judnich, Allie Clark, Hal Peck, Larry Doby, Hank Edwards, Dale Mitchell, Bob Kennedy, all outfielders; Jim Hegan, catcher; Ray Boone, shortstop and catcher; Joe Tipton, catcher; and Thurman Tucker, outfielder.

1948 World Series

Johnny Sain, right, of the Boston Braves, shakes hands with Cleveland’s Bob Feller, before the two pitchers took the field for the opening game of the 1948 World Series at Braves Field in Boston, October 6, 1048.

Superstar pitcher failed to win either of his starts in the World Series. He spent his entire career with the Indians and went on to enter the Hall of Fame in 1962.

1948 World Series

The Boston Braves meet the Cleveland Indians in the first game of the World Series before 40,135 spectators at Braves Field in Boston, October 6, 1948. Boston won, 1-0.

1948 World Series

Manager Lou Boudreau and his wife are shown in Boston during the Game One of the World Series against the Braves on October 6, 1948.

1948 World Series

Boston baseball fans who couldn’t get to Braves Field to see the opening game in the 1948 World Series watch the action on some of the 100 television sets installed on Boston Common in Boston, October 6, 1948.

It was the first World Series to be televised nationwide.

World Series

Jackie Price catches a ball while strapped upside down to a screen on the first day of the World Series in Boston on October 6, 1948. Price was known as the “Clown Prince of Baseball” for his antics that included hanging upside down and throwing two balls to two catchers at once--one a fastball and the other a curveball.

He actually got thrown off the Indian team in 1947 when he let several snakes loose in the dining car of a train on the way to the Indians training camp in Arizona. After that he made a career out of appearing at games to perform and entertain.

1948 World Series

Second base pick off play in the second game of the World Series between the Boston Braves and Cleveland Indians, October 6,1948, in Boston. Boston catcher Phil Masi slides in as Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau makes the tag under umpire Bill Stewart’s eye. The photo made it appear that Masi was out.

1948 World Series

Boston Braves catcher Phil Masi slides safely back to second under Lou Boudreau, the Cleveland shortstop, after being trapped off base by Cleveland pitcher Bob Feller in the bottom of the eighth inning of the World Series opener in Boston’s Braves Field on October 6, 1948.

1948 World Series pickoff play

Cleveland manager Lou Boudreau (and shortstop) disagrees with the umpire Bill Stewart that Phil Masi, who was pinch running for Bill Salkeld, is safe, October 6, 1948. Masi scored on the next play when Tommy Holmes singled to left field, enabling the Braves to beat the Indians, 1-0.

The play was considered one of the most controversial in World Series history. Masi admitted in his will that he was out.

1948 World Series

Cleveland pitcher Bob Lemon lets the ball loose in Game Two of the World Series, October 7, 1948.

1948 World Series

John Lindsay, New York Associated Press photographer, operates the K-25 camera during the second World Series game at Boston, Oct. 7, 1948.

1948 World Series

Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Lemon, center, is cheered by his teammates after the Indians defeated the Boston Braves in the second game of the 1948 World Series in Boston, October 7, 1948. Congratulating Lemon at left, facing camera, is manager Lou Boudreau, and at right is pitcher Bob Feller.

1948 World Series

Cleveland Indians pitcher Satchel Paige, who helped his team win the American League pennant, is shown during a World Series game against the Boston Braves in Boston on October 6, 1948. In his only World Series appearance, he got the final two outs in the seventh inning of Game 5 as the relief pitcher. He and Larry Doby became the first black players on a major league championship team.

Paige was a pitching legend in the Negro Leagues and the American League’s first black player in 1948, after trying out for the Indians in July of that year. Paige also had the distinction of being the oldest rookie in major league history. Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier a year earlier when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1948 World Series

Bob Elliott, Boston third baseman, comes into third base on his back as ball (lower left) skips past Ken Keltner, Cleveland third baseman, in the seventh inning of the fifth World Series game in Cleveland on October 10, 1948. Elliott got up and scored. Manager Billy Southworth (30) is third base coach.

1948 World Series

A crowd of 86,288 persons in Cleveland, the largest ever in baseball history, makes its way across a railroad bridge from the Municipal Stadium after the fifth game of the 1948 World Series between the Cleveland Indians and Boston Braves on October 10, 1948. Boston won, 11-5.

1948 World Series

A panoramic view of Municipal Stadium in Cleveland as the largest crowd in baseball history, 86,288 persons, watched the fifth game of the 1948 World Series, October 10, 1948.

Joe Gordon is at bat in the last half of the first inning for the Indians with manager Lou Boudreau (also the shortstop) on first with a single on a line smash that caromed off the glove of Boston pitcher Nelson Potter. Waiting in the batter’s circle is Ken Keltner, Cleveland third baseman.

1948 World Series

Indians crowd home plate to greet Jim Hegan, Cleveland catcher, scoring his three-run home run in the fourth inning of the fifth World Series game in Cleveland, October 10, 1948. Greeting Hegan are Dale Mitchell (34) Ken Keltner and Walt Judnich (35). Keltner and Judnich scored on the blow. Bill Salked (15) is Boston catcher and umpire is George Barr.

1948 World Series

Cleveland Indians relief pitcher Gene Bearden, center, embraces his teammates starting pitcher Bob Lemon, left, and catcher Jim Hegan as they celebrate in the dressing room after winning the World Series in Boston on October 11, 1948. The Indians took the Game Six 4-3 and the series four games to two.