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The Boys of Summer of 1948: The Golden Anniversary of the World Champion Cleveland Indians

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Former Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter/columnist Russell Schneider has penned a number of books on the history of the Cleveland Indians , a club he covered for the newspaper from 1964-1977, and this could be the grand-slam of the bunch.

Combining coverage from the magical 1948 season, with research that included interviews with a dozen players and legendary Tribe pitcher - and coach on that club - Mel Harder, Schneider brings the memories to life in a wild run to the American League pennant and World Series victory.

Flamboyant team owner Bill Veeck assembled a club that included five players who appeared in the All-Star Game - shortstop Lou Boudreau, third baseman Ken Keltner, second baseman Joe Gordon and pitchers Bob Lemon and Bob Feller - with Boudreau ultimately winning league MVP honors.

But it was the signing of perhaps the greatest pitcher ever on July 7 that made the difference. In 21 games as a reliever and starter, Satchel Paige turned in a 6-1 mark and 2.48 ERA in nearly 73 innings. The club defeated the Boston Red Sox in a one-game playoff for the league title and beat the pesky Boston Braves in six games for the world championship. In the three title games played in Cleveland, the attendance figures were 70,306; 81,897 and 86,288.

The foreward is written by former Plain Dealer sports editor and baseball historian Hal Lebovitz, which makes for a solid double play for fans living in northeast Ohio, though the coverage should be of interest to any fan of the "Grand Old Game."