Sartorial Tribe: 1948 Indians Home

As the years tick by it feels like every new season sees MLB introduce another batch of special uniforms to each team's wardrobe. We've got Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, retro throwbacks and a bunch more. And this got me thinking; the entire aesthetic side to sports has always been hugely appealing to me. I love the uniforms, the logos, the entire design of sporting attire. Baseball in particular has an extremely rich history and has always been a huge factor in my love for the game.

On that note, I thought I would sprinkle in the odd post here and there about the Indians' uniforms, past and present. Uniforms I like, that I love, and some that I hate. I'll try and feature a good variety too, from every era of Tribe baseball. Without further ado, let's look at our entry edition:

What better way to start than with Cleveland's cream of the crop, the best Indians team in the club's history, the 1948 championship side. Their home uniform that season was something to behold, and not only because it was the uniform worn when the Tribe last took home the World Series.

Here's a photo of player-manager and hall of fame shortstop Lou Boudreau congratulating pitcher Gene Bearden after the left-hander had shut down the Boston Braves in Game 3 of the World Series. You'll have already noticed that the Indians script across the chest is very reminiscent of today's uniforms, a certain throwback to the glory days.

An iconic shot of the legendary Satchel Paige from the 1948 season, his first in the majors following a dominant career in the Negro Leagues. The socks stand out immediately and would look good on today's players (and they do, with Francisco Lindor regularly rocking the look). You'll have also noticed the cap with the wishbone C logo, now a staple logo for the Cincinnati Reds, but was used by the Tribe for nearly four decades between the 30's and 70's.

The only blemish on these classic threads is the rather ghastly Chief Wahoo logo on the player's left sleeves. The Native American image that would come to define the Indians was still a couple of years away from becoming the team's primary logo and wouldn't feature prominently on the club's caps until the mid-80's. The 1948 version is, shall we say, less refined than his modern counterpart.

Overall though, it's a vintage uniform from a glorious era of baseball. Many would argue that baseball has never looked better aesthetically than the late 40's (I would argue this, actually). It was a time when the Indians were so stacked with talent, with legends like Bob Feller, Larry Doby, and Bob Lemon representing the Tribe, leading them to their second and most recent championship. And they looked damn good too. Maybe our current group can join their 1948 counterparts and help elevate the 2017 uniform to legendary status? Time will tell on that one.

Exceptional Encarnacion, Back On Track

When the Indians signed slugger Edwin Encarnacion in the off-season, fans got pretty excited. Winter nights were spent dreaming of the Dominican veteran launching 400 ft home runs over the fence at Progressive Field, this time wearing the red, white and navy of Cleveland and not the blue hue of Toronto.

After a winter of anticipation finally gave we to spring, we got our first look at Edwin and his delightful parrot trot as he rounded the bases after a home run in the Arizona sunshine. Opening Day came and went, as did the month of April. And Edwin? Well, he was okay. Actually (lets be honest) he wasn't quite what we expected. He struck out a lot, and he wasn't hitting loads of homers, just 4 actually. By the end of the first month he was batting just .200 with an OPS of .696. Something was definitely amiss and there were quiet rumblings that the Indians had signed a bum.

But Edwin didn't listen to the naysayers and kept plugging away, battling at the plate as he always does, and has done. Since the start of May, Encarnacion's approach has finally started to reap the rewards that fans were craving for. In the last month and half, Edwin has slashed .297/.398/.579 with 12 home runs and 27 RBI, raising his season OPS to a much improved .872. He's been especially hot in the last couple of weeks, slashing .370/.483/.804 over 14 games, with 6 home runs in that span.

And it couldn't have come at a better time. The Indians have been scuffling in recent weeks, their inconsistent play holding them back from making any attempt at leading the AL Central. Then along came Edwin and a trip to Minneapolis, home of the first place Twins. This was an opportunity the Tribe could not afford to pass up, to really put a marker down in the race for the division. And Edwin and the boys did not disappoint. Encarnacion, combining with some stellar pitching and some other contributors on offense, took apart the Twins in a four-game sweep to wrestle back the AL Central lead. “It’s not a surprise that he can literally carry a team,” reliever extraordinaire Andrew Miller said, and Edwin has been doing just that.

This was the kind of performance and the kind of series that clubs look to build upon, to create that wave of momentum that will hopefully carry them to October. Encarnacion has been a huge factor in this resurgence and he'll need to continue this level of performance to keep the Indians ahead in the race for postseason baseball. As a core piece in the heart of the Indians' lineup, you could argue that the Tribe's success in 2017 hinges upon Encarnacion's output. If recent activity is to be believed, then I think we'll be just fine.