Cleveland Naps

The club was named for Nap Lajoie by a newspaper vote in 1903 and kept the name while he was there. He managed it from 1905 to 1909, going 377-309, and played second base throughout. Twelve seasons at 937-883 without a pennant; the closest was 1908, at 90-64, when the club finished half a game behind Detroit — the narrowest any pennant race has been decided.

Addie Joss pitched here and threw a perfect game in 1908 in the middle of that race. He died of meningitis in April 1911 at 31, and the league's players staged a benefit game for his family that is regarded as the first All-Star Game in anything but name.

Five Hall of Famers played here: Lajoie, Joss, Elmer Flick, Cy Young at the end of his career, and Billy Southworth at the start of his. The worst season is 1914, at 51-102. Lajoie left after it, the name went with him, and the club became the Indians in 1915.