All-Time Indians: Rico Carty

In 1973, the Designated Hitter was established as a permanent part of the American League, but it was initially just a way to get another fielder a chance to hit. During the first two seasons for the Indians, that fielder was often Oscar Gamble, but in 1974 they found a player who perfectly fit the role in Rico Carty.

Carty had a strong beginning to his career, being signed as an international free agent with the Milwaukee Braves in 1959 and coming in second in the Rookie of the Year race in 1964 with a .330 average, 22 home runs and 88 RBI in 133 games (losing to Dick Allen of Philadelphia). He would continue this success as the Braves moved to Atlanta until he missed the entire 1968 season with tuberculosis. After coming back for two years, he missed another year after he hurt his knee in the Dominican Winter League in 1970 and his days of playing in the field regularly were over.

Luckily for him (in a way), his attitude and injury problems lead him on a trip across the country as he was traded from Atlanta to Texas, sold to the Cubs, sold to the Athletics and ultimately released after the 1973 season. During these two years, Carty played far below his previous career numbers and looked like his career could be over, but after signing with the Cordoba Cafeteros in the Mexican League he was purchased by the Indians in August of 1974.

He played in just 33 games that year, but batted .363 and looked much more like his old self. With the advent of the DH, he was able to rest his knee and when he was in the field, he moved from his old home in left field to first base. Carty was already 34 when he signed with Cleveland, so little was expected of the veteran, but during his four years with the team, he became the first great DH in Tribe history.

In 1975, he got into 118 games and posted the impressive line of .308/.378/.504 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. This would be indicative of his time in Cleveland and only Boog Powell and George Hendrick would outhit him in the first year with the Tribe. While his power totals would fall of some the next season, it would actually be a better year for him overall.

The 1976 season would be the best as an Indian for Carty, although not quite up to the level of his 1970 All-Star campaign with Atlanta. He hit another 13 home runs with a club best 83 RBI during a veritable power outage in Cleveland. This was a poor time for the Indians in just about every way possible, but one player who couldn’t possibly be to blame was Carty, who did as much as his DH role would allow. His 83 RBI were particularly impressive given that he was on a team where he was the only .300 hitter (.310) and they only scored 615 total runs.

For his effort that year, Carty received five vote points for MVP, his first votes since 1970 and third and last time ever to receive any. Thurman Munson won a tight competition that year for the award with Rod Carew, George Brett and Mickey Rivers who all had tremendous years.

Despite the fact that Carty was their top hitter, the Indians didn’t protect him at the end of the season and he was selected by the Blue Jays in the expansion draft. Not wanting to lose their top slugger, the Indians had to trade John Lowenstein and Rick Cerone to Toronto to ensure his return. This deal wouldn’t really hurt the Tribe as Cerone never really took off and Lowenstein never even played a game in Toronto as the Indians traded to get him back before the 1977 season.

Like he never left, Carty put together his third straight year of at least 13 home runs, 19 doubles and 60 RBI. He lead the team for the second year in a row in RBI (80) and doubles (23) and for the third straight year he was one of the Indians top three hitters. One hitter who did surpass him (in home runs at least) was Andre Thornton who would become the Indians next great DH after Carty left. Over the years, the DH position has very rarely been used by the Indians to house a regular player every day for multiple seasons, but two of those were in the 1970’s in Carty and Thornton.

Only nine Indians have been used primarily as a DH and played more than 200 games with the team and Carty ranks fourth among those in games played with 430. His 243 career RBI are also ranked fourth as are his 81 doubles. One way he set himself apart from his fellow AL only hitters was that he is the only Indians DH with at least 200 games played who batted above .300 for his entire Indians career and was one of two (Gamble was the other) to strike out less often than he walked. Even considering Gamble, Carty had the lowest strike out rate of the group and possibly the best pure hitter, not relying specifically on an all or nothing swing to get the job done.

Almost backtracking in his career, Carty was traded to the Blue Jays prior to the 1978 season and moved mid-season to the Athletics for his second partial season there. Toronto signed him again after he became a free agent at the end of the year and he played his final Major League season with the Blue Jays in 1979. He was a surprisingly consistent hitter even at 38 and 39 in his final two years, knocking in 154 runs in 277 games while striking out just 102 times to 103 walks. Showing more power than ever before, he blasted 31 home runs in 1978 and another 12 in 1979 as he ended his career with a bang. For a player who looked like his career had ended almost a decade before, the position of DH and Rico Carty fit together perfectly, saving and extending what ended up being a very successful career in baseball.