Take the long way home

Associated Press photo

In a rather convoluted, eight-player trade involving three teams, a Cleveland icon, a future World Series hero and an eventual 288-game winner, Cleveland swings a deal 59 years ago today to bring back popular outfielder Rocky Colavito, the aforementioned icon they banish five years earlier to Detroit for Harvey Kuenn.

In order to reacquire the popular Colavito, who by then is with the Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland sends former All-Star catcher Johnny Romano and a pair of promising prospects – outfielder Tommie Agee and pitcher Tommy John – to the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox then ship outfielders Jim Landis and Mike Hershberger, as well as pitcher Fred Talbot, to the Athletics, while also sending catcher Cam Carreon to Cleveland.

Agee wins the American League’s Rookie of the Year award in 1966 with the White Sox and plays three seasons in Chicago before starring for the New York Mets in their stunning upset of Baltimore in the 1969 World Series.

John, who wins only two games for the Indians over the 1963 and ’64 seasons, goes on to win 82 games over the next seven seasons for the White Sox.

John then moves on to the Los Angeles Dodgers and undergoes a revolutionary arm surgery on his way to completing a 26-year career in which he wins a Hall of Fame-worthy 288 games.

As for Colavito, who is 31 at the time of the trade, he has two more productive seasons for Cleveland before drifting off to the White Sox, Dodgers and Yankees, and retiring after the 1968 season.

His reunion with Cleveland 59 years ago does not appreciably help the Indians in the standings as they finish fifth with him both in 1965 and ’66.

Colavito’s return, though, provides a significant boost in revenues for Cleveland as attendance jumps from 653,293 without him in 1964 to 934,786 with him in 1965.

Another 900,000 fans turn out to watch Cleveland’s home games in 1966 – Colavito’s final full season with the team.