Mac Aljancic: The top 10 breakout teams in Cleveland professional sports history
Though I thankfully haven’t had to put this wisdom to use, I have heard that you don’t want to bring a knife to a gun fight. Well, manager Terry Francona has somehow taken his set of shiny new discount knives and held his own with that expensive, explosive Yankee arsenal. The amazing season of these young Guardians is the inspiration for another of my "10-4 Good Buddy" lists: the 10 best youthful breakout teams over the last four-plus decades of Cleveland sports.
1986 Indians
The year before, Cleveland finished with the second-worst record in baseball (60-102). Fiery new manager Pat Corrales sparked a 24-game improvement behind an exciting young outfield duo of third-year player Joe Carter (.302 batting average, 29 home runs, 121 RBIs) and rookie right fielder Cory Snyder (24 HRs). Ageless 47-year-old knuckleballer Phil Kniekro (11-11 record) contrasted lineup of 20-somethings that included Julio Franco, Brook Jacoby, Mel Hall, Pat Tabler, Brett Butler, and fellow knuckler Tom Candiotti. Carter and Snyder graced the cover of the 1987 Sports Illustrated baseball preview. Unfortunately, the Tribe flatlined, going 61-101.
2007 Browns
The Browns improved from 4-12 to 10-6 behind a quartet of Pro Bowlers all age 24 or younger: Quarterback Derek Anderson, receiver Braylon Edwards, tight end Kellen Winslow and tackle Joe Thomas. This group combined for nine more Pro Bowl bids. Unfortunately, all of those belonged to Thomas. The other three never again came close to matching their 2007 breakout seasons, and Cleveland collapsed to 4-12 in 2008.
1997-98 Cavaliers
In the off-season, Cleveland GM Wayne Embry rebuilt the roster, surrounding newly acquired all-star Shawn Kemp with four talented rookies: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Derek Anderson, Cedric Henderson and Brevin Knight. Knight was the only one not to average double digits scoring (9.0 points per game), but the point guard averaged 8.2 assists. Mike Fratello’s team unexpectedly made the playoffs with a 47-35 record. They then unexpectedly collapsed under Kemp’s growing waistline the next season, going just 22-28.
2020 Browns
This 11-5 squad got the franchise its first winning record in 13 years and its first playoff road victory since 1968. Cleveland’s high draft picks of 2017-18 sparked this renaissance: Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb on offense, along with Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward on defense.
2003-04 Cavaliers
Who deserves more credit for getting a team to improve their record from 17-65 to 35-47? The newly hired Paul Silas or newly drafted LeBron James? LBJ averaged 20.9 points as a 19-year-old rookie (and 30.3 points at age 37 last season). Silas was canned less than a year later.
1985 Browns
After taking over for Sam Rutigliano at the mid-point of an ugly 1984 season (5 wins, 11 losses), Marty Schottenheimer led his young squad to a 1985 Central Division title behind a strong running game and stout defense. A pair of 23-year olds ― Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner ― became just the second NFL duo to rush for 1,000 yards in the same season. The offense also included a trio of 22-year-olds that would help lead the Browns to five straight post-season appearances: Bernie Kosar, Brian Brennan, and Reggie Langhorne. The 8-8 Browns just missed knocking off the top-seeded and defending AFC champion Dolphins in the playoffs.
2021-22 Cavaliers
Last season’s squad doubled their win total of 22 games from the 2020-21 season, becoming the first non-LeBron James Cavs team with a winning record since the 1997-98 club. Their top three scorers were all, as Dick Vitale would say, "diaper dandies" ― Darius Garland (age 22, 21.7 points per game, 8.2 assists), Jarrett Allen (age 23, 16.1 points, 10.8 rebounds), and Evan Mobley (15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds). Unfortunately, the trio missed a combined 31 games over the final 31 regular season games, as Cleveland limped into and quickly out of the playoffs.
1994 Indians
The last Tribe team to make the postseason was in 1954. Cleveland had not even contended for a playoff spot since 1959. But this exciting club, playing in brand-new Jacobs Field, captured the hearts of Northeast Ohio. The explosive offense included 38-year old DH Eddie Murray and a bunch of 20-somethings, including Sandy Alomar (age 28), Albert Belle, Omar Vizquel, Kenny Lofton (all age 27), Carlos Baerga (age 25), Jim Thome (age 23), and Manny Ramirez (age 22). Those seven combined for 38 All-Star game nods, including 27 as Indians. Cleveland’s strike-shortened 66-47 record (.584 win percentage) was the franchise’s first winning record in eight seasons and its best winning percentage since 1955.
1988-89 Cavaliers
The Cavs won a franchise-record 57 games (eight better than their previous best total and 15 games better than the previous season), finishing with the second-best record in the NBA. Lenny Wilkens’ squad was built around veteran forward Larry Nance and a quartet of third-year players: Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, Ron Harper, and John "Hot Rod" Williams. The team went 6-0 vs. the Bulls in the regular season, but "The Shot" by Michael Jordan gave Chicago the opening playoff series win. MJ would haunt Cleveland for years to come on his path to six NBA titles.
2022 Guardians
This scrappy, exciting club is not only the youngest team in baseball (average age of 26), but they are younger than any Triple-A minor league team. Seventeen players made their major league debut this year No one predicted them to have a winning record this year, let alone make the postseason. Yet somehow, Terry Francona got his players to execute an old-school brand of baseball: Plate discipline and contact, smart aggressive base running, and great defense, all backed by strong pitching. On May 29, Cleveland was five games below .500 and 7½ games out of first place in the Central Division. They finished the season 92-70, winning the division by 11 games. Can these kids somehow knock off the mighty Yankees? As I have written before, "Trust in Tito".
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Mac Aljancic column on the 10 best breakout teams in Cleveland sports
