All-Time Indians: Fred Blanding

During the dead ball era, all pitchers had incredible benefits leading to low ERAs and some incredible seasons. Of all these pitchers, the Naps had some of the best, including one of the best rotations in baseball history in 1908. This tradition continued from the clubs second season in 1902 through their first championship in 1920 and Fred Blanding had a large part to do with it during a short period.

Blanding was signed out of the University of Michigan at the age of 22 in 1910. After just 30 games at the class C level of the minors in 1910, he made his Cleveland debut and pitched six games with a 2.58 ERA. In that 1910 season, the Naps started with one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Cy Young, the greatest pitcher in Cleveland history, Addie Joss, but both would be gone by 1911. Joss missed most of 1910 with the illness that would take his life prior to the 1911 season and Young would be released in April. In addition, Cy Falkenberg made just 16 starts after 29 the season prior, leading to plenty of room in the Naps starting four. This year, Blanding made 16 starts himself in addition to 13 relief appearances, finishing 7-11 with a 3.68 in 176 innings.

That year, Vean Gregg had an incredible season as the rookie ace with a 1.80 ERA while he, another rookie Gene Krapp and the returning George Kahler were the only pitchers to make at least 20 starts. With this rotational confusion, Blanding was easily able to move up in the rotation in 1912. Gregg maintained his ace status and Kahler continued as the number two with Blanding falling in behind. At 24 years old, this season began Blanding’s short prime as he won 18 games in 39 appearances (31 starts). Adding 90 more innings than the previous season, Blanding lowered all his rate stats including his ERA to an impressive 2.92. The Naps won just 78 games that season and the combination of Blanding and Gregg were responsible for more than 50% of those wins.

Falkenberg came back with a vengeance in 1913 and became the Naps feature starter. Behind him remained Gregg and Blanding along with Willie Mitchell, who was coming into his prime in his fifth season in Cleveland. All four made at least 22 starts and Mitchell lead the way with a 1.91 ERA, the whole rotation keeping together with ERAs between 2.22 and 2.55. It was Blanding holding up the back end with the 2.55 and he won just 15 games compared to 43 between Falkenberg and Gregg. Blanding was also the worst of the five with 215 innings and a .266 BAA, all numbers that are substantial in any season. Player/manager Joe Birmingham rode that rotation to an 86 win, third place season, the best season in Cleveland since the Naps came just a half game short of the American League crown in 1908.

As quickly as Blanding’s success came, it disappeared. The entire Naps rotation saw a set back in 1914, especially Mitchell, who flipped from 14-8 to 11-17. Gregg was the only pitcher with a winning record and Blanding finished the year 4-9. Prior to the start of the season, Blanding had signed with Kansas City of the upstart Federal League, but jumped back to Cleveland when offered a raise to an estimated $10,000 per year. Birmingham apparently didn’t appreciate the disloyalty and Blanding was replaced by Rip Hagerman in the rotation making just 12 starts in what would be his final professional season. Without completely falling apart, he still held a 3.96 ERA, despite being used inconsistently. The Naps would win just 51 games that season, still the record for least wins in a year (although it was neared in 1981 with 52) and there would be quite a few changes in the next season including the loss of team namesake Napoleon Lajoie and the manager Birmingham.

Unhappy with the situation and seeing equal or greater financial opportunities elsewhere, Blanding retired for good after the 1914 season, heading back to his farm in Michigan. Shortly after, he opened up a car dealership, ultimately staying within the industry when he moved to Virginia where he died in 1950 at the age of 62. While he pitched just five seasons in the Majors, all of them were in Cleveland and he finished with a respectable 3.13 and a balanced 46-46 record. Blanding was never much of a strike out pitcher, but he did manage to keep that even as well as he finished with exactly one more strike out than walk over his career.