All-Time Indians: Rick Manning

Rick Manning was one of the top ten center-fielders in Indians history both offensively and defensively. He won his Gold Glove with the Indians in just his second year with the team. Manning excelled quickly to the Major League level, playing just three years in the minors before playing 120 games his rookie year. In 1977 Manning broke his back limiting him to 68 games, but he came back strong to play another five full seasons with the Tribe, racking up 142 steals and 500 runs scored. In 1983 Manning was traded along with Rick Waits to the Milwaukee Brewers for closer Ernie Camacho, Jamie Easterly and Gorman Thomas. He then played out the rest of his career (four years) in Milwaukee.

The most famous play of Mannings career had more to due with someone else than with him. On May 15th, 1981, Manning caught the last out of Len Barker's perfect game, jumping in the air after the catch and synchronizing himself forever in history with the event and Barker.

The trade didn't ruin Cleveland for Rick as he came back home in 1990 to be the Indians television color commentator. He has called games each season for the Tribe since then while they switched from station to station, settling for the present with Sports Time Ohio and WKYC (NBC). He already has been commentating on tv for the Tribe for longer than any other announcer in team history. He currently works with Matt Underwood, but spent the majority of his announcing career working with John Sanders on Fox Sports Net Ohio (1998-2006) and Sports Channel Ohio (1991-1997). Some of Mannings main talking points are the importance of baseball players wearing sunglasses and the time he spent in Milwaukee.