There have been many memorable moments since the Indians began playing professional baseball in Indianapolis. This Day in Indianapolis Indians History reflects on 120 years of baseball in the heart of the Circle City.
1981: After giving up four runs in the fourth inning to surrender a 3-0 lead at Iowa, the Indians scored one run in the seventh and two in the eighth to rally for a 6-4 win. Right fielder Duane Walker went 3-for-5 with his 12th homer of the season and four RBI to lead the offense. All eight of Indy's position players recorded at least one hit in the contest, with the team outhitting Iowa, 12-9.
2000: Indians starting pitcher Horacio Estrada tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts over 9.0 innings in a 7-2 win over Pawtucket at Victory Field. Kurt Bierek went 2-for-4 with his sixth home run of the season, and the game was completed in a tidy 2 hours and 5 minutes.
1964: Right-hander Dave DeBusschere improved to 6-5 on the season after he tossed 7.1 scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in a combined shutout with Ed Drapcho and Warren Hacker to beat Dallas at old Victory Field, 2-0. DeBusschere also collected two of Indy’s nine hits in the contest, including a solo home run for his first long ball of the season. In 1964, the 6-foot-6 Detroit Pistons forward was just two seasons into his 12-year NBA career that eventually featured eight All-Star bids, two championships and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction in 1983.
1981: For the third time in as many games, the Indians earned a comeback victory at Iowa to take three of four games in the series. Indy used a pair of five-run innings in the second and sixth to spark the 14-10 triumph. German Barranca paced the offense by going 3-for-6 with a home run, four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base atop the lineup, and Duane Walker finished with a game-high four hits. Nick Esasky chipped in with his 13th home run of the season and four RBI.
1997: Pedro Martinez tossed the first of four 9.0-inning complete games in 1997 for the Indians in a 9-0 shutout at Nashville. He improved to 2-1 on the season after giving up six hits and two walks while striking out two. The Indians offense backed him with one run in the fourth and sixth innings before erupting with seven runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Brian Hunter and Ozzie Timmons both smacked three-run homers in the seventh to lead the team with three RBI apiece, while Pat Watkins and Eric Owens were the only Indy players with multi-hit games.
1976: Right fielder Dave Schneck homered three times to lead the Indians to a doubleheader sweep over Evansville, 4-3 and 2-0, at Bush Stadium. He homered twice in the opener, his second shot coming with two on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Indianapolis a dramatic 4-3 walk-off win over the Triplets. He then ripped a solo homer in the fourth inning of the nightcap to propel the Indians to another victory.
1997: The Indians launched seven home runs as a team in a 16-11 win at Nashville's Greer Stadium, a Victory Field era record that wasn't matched until July 6, 2017 at Columbus. Brian Hunter finished with a double and two home runs as part of a 5-for-6 performance. Hunter went on to lead the team with 142 hits, 36 doubles and 85 RBI, and he led the American Association with 249 total bases. He finished the season with 21 home runs, just one shy of the team leader, Aaron Boone.
2000: Indians starter Ben Sheets tossed 7.0 innings and yielded one earned run with five strikeouts, and the Indians topped Louisville in 14 frames, 8-5. Creighton Gubanich ripped his 11th homer of the season while Kurt Bierek went 3-for-3 with his seventh long ball. The game lasted 4 hours and 12 minutes.
1964: In Game 1 of a doubleheader against Oklahoma City at old Victory Field, Bruce Howard struck out 10 in 7.2 innings to earn his sixth win as Indy won, 3-1. Warren Hacker struck out three of the final four batters he faced in the triumph.
1970: In the opening game of a Fourth of July doubleheader against Evansville at Bush Stadium, Milt Wilcox tossed a 7.0-inning no-hitter with three walks and three strikeouts for the sixth no-hitter in franchise history. Wilcox said after the 2-0 victory: "That was the worst I ever felt before a ballgame." The Indians went on to sweep the doubleheader behind a 6-1 win in the nightcap.
2000: With two 10-inning doubleheader wins over Norfolk following a series win against International League West-leading Louisville, the Indians moved into first place in the division for the first time since June 6. Indy's bullpen tossed 8.0 scoreless innings over the course of both games to spark both victories. Rafael Roque (6.0ip, 2er) and Tim Harikkala (6.0ip, 1er) took no-decisions for Indy while throwing quality starts.
2019: After winning five straight games with a 1.78 ERA (7er/35.1ip) and 0.91 WHIP for Double-A Altoona, James Marvel made a statement in his Triple-A debut against Toledo at Victory Field. The right-hander went the distance in Game 2 of a doubleheader, tossing 7.0 three-hit innings with six strikeouts to earn his first Indians win and sixth straight in the minors. Two runs in the second inning and a solo home run by Ke'Bryan Hayes in the third gave Marvel the run support he needed and led to a twin bill sweep of the Mud Hens.
2000: The Indians plated three runs in the first and five in the second en route to a 9-2 win over Norfolk at Victory Field. Lyle Mouton clubbed two home runs and tallied four RBI, and Horacio Estrada earned his seventh victory with 7.1 innings of two-run ball.
2017: The Indians recorded their largest margin of victory in the Victory Field era when they hammered Columbus at Huntington Park, 21-1. The Indians scored in seven of their nine trips to the plate and tied a Victory Field era record with seven home runs in the game, three coming during a nine-run ninth inning. Danny Ortiz had a game-high four hits and four RBI, and he smacked his sixth and seventh long balls of the season. Jacob Stallings reached base safely in all six of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a home run, two doubles, four RBI and three walks.
1964: In Game 1 of a doubleheader against Arkansas at old Victory Field, Ken Berry launched a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Indians a 6-3 win. Ed Hobaugh earned the win in relief of Dave DeBusschere, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts to improve to 3-0.
1970: Bo Belinsky struck out 14 batters over 7.0 innings of one-run ball as Indianapolis defeated Denver at Bush Stadium, 6-2. The Indians used a pair of three-run frames in the seventh and eighth to earn a comeback victory.
1996: The Indians put up 11 runs in the second inning en route to a 14-4 win at American Association Eastern Division-leading Buffalo. Eric Owens and Roberto Mejia led the offense with four RBI on three hits each and a combined three home runs, two by Owens. After Mike Remlinger allowed four runs on five hits, Indy's bullpen shut down Buffalo with three hitless innings.
1987: The Indians doubled Buffalo's hit total (18-9) in an 11-4 win at Bush Stadium. Luis Rivera, Razor Shines and Billy Moore each had three hits, and Moore belted his seventh home run in the victory.
2006: In the final game before the All-Star break, starter Marty McLeary struck out 11 batters in 6.1 innings against Toledo en route to a 6-2 Indianapolis win at Victory Field. McLeary was in line for the loss as he surrendered two earned runs in the sixth inning, but Indy tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Richard then hit a three-run homer during a four-run eighth. McLeary finished the season with a team-leading 115 strikeouts and 2.68 ERA.
1998: The Indians won a 12-inning, four-hour game vs. Norfolk on a two-run, walk-off home run by Jon Nunnally. He went 4-for-5 in the game with three RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle. It was Indy's second game back from the All-Star break, and Nunnally went a combined 6-for-10 with three doubles, a home run and three RBI in those two games combined.
2003: Center fielder Jason Conti recorded the first cycle in the Victory Field era in an 8-5 win vs. Norfolk. Batting second, Conti went 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. The Indians scored one run in each of the first three innings and put the game out of reach with a three-run sixth inning. There have been six cycles in the Victory Field era (through the 2021 season), and Conti's was the only cycle until the 2010 campaign.
1957: Playing at old Victory Field, the Indians overcame a 7-0 deficit midway through the second inning by scoring 12 runs over the final three innings in a 19-8 win against St. Paul. The offense raked 21 hits in the comeback victory, with center fielder Ted Beard, first baseman Ron Jackson and third baseman Charlie Williams each tallying four knocks apiece. Jackson was the star of the game scoring four runs, driving in four and launching Indy’s lone home run.
1970: The Indians topped Wichita 2-1 in eight innings and 6-5 in seven innings to sweep a twin bill at Bush Stadium. Indianapolis used a four-run seventh inning in the nightcap to stun the visitors.
1981: Trailing 5-4 going into the ninth inning at Evansville, Indianapolis scored five runs to knock off the American Association Eastern Division leaders, 9-5. Nick Esasky doubled and scored three times as part of a four-hit performance.
2001: For the first and only time in Victory Field history, the Indians hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game between the Pacific Coast League and International League. Indy first baseman Mike Coolbaugh hit a two-run homer and Louisville left fielder Adam Dunn belted a pair of long balls for the IL All-Stars, who were handed a 9-5 loss.
1996: A day after playing their first game at new Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis, the Indians won their first game there vs. Oklahoma City, 2-1. Mike Remlinger allowed just one run on two hits over 6.1 innings, and Indy's bullpen backed him by allowing just three hits over the next 2.2 innings. Pokey Reese went 2-for-4 and drove in Roberto Mejia twice.
2000: In their first games back coming out of the All-Star break, the Indians swept a doubleheader at Toledo 3-0 and 4-2 to break a tie with Louisville for the International League West lead. In Game 1, Horacio Estrada tossed a complete-game shutout over 7.0 innings and allowed just three hits for his eighth win of the season. In Game 2, Indy outlasted the Mud Hens in eight innings thanks to a tiebreaking two-run homer by Brad Tyler. Kevin Barker hit a pair of solo home runs in the nightcap as well.
2013: After the Indians’ July 10 game at Huntington Park was suspended, Columbus and Indy picked up where they left off three days later at Victory Field and battled out a 16-inning game that lasted 5 hours and 32 minutes. Down 4-3 entering the ninth, Jared Goedert hit a solo home run to tie the game. The teams traded runs in the 14th and 15th innings before Indy put up three runs in the 16th inning behind a two-run home run by Brian Bocock. The Indians had 19 hits to Columbus’ eight with seven players recording two-plus knocks, including a game-high four by first baseman Jerry Sands.
1982: In the first game of a doubleheader against the Oklahoma City 89ers at Bush Stadium, the Indians gave up seven runs in the top of the seventh to fall behind 13-7. With 12,612 fans in attendance, the Indians battled back with seven runs of their own in the home half to win 14-13. First baseman Ronnie Farkas went 2-for-5 with a double, home run and game-high five RBI. Indianapolis third baseman Nick Esasky also doubled, homered and scored three runs in the thrilling victory. After the game, Indianapolis manager George Scherger said, "I've been in the game over 40 years and have never been involved in one like that.”
2000: In Game 2 of a twin bill at Toledo, Ben Sheets tossed the fourth one-hitter in the Victory Field era for his second win of the season. Sheets struck out eight batters and allowed one unearned run as Indy's offense backed him with one run in the top of the sixth and one in the seventh for a comeback win. It was the fourth of seven complete games on the season for Indy's rotation.
1964: Dave DeBusschere delivered 9.0 shutout innings in an 11-0 Indianapolis win at Salt Lake City. Indy tallied 14 hits in the victory, with the top seven batters in the lineup all recording two hits apiece. Gary Johnson hit his fourth home run to lead the attack.
1981: One day after getting swept in a doubleheader by Denver at Bush Stadium, Indians hurler Charlie Leibrandt went the distance in Game 1 of another twin bill to lift Indy to a 2-1 win in 10 innings. Over 10 innings of work, Leibrandt held Denver to four hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Tom Foley delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th to score Gene Menees.
1985: In a battle of last-place teams, the Indians earned a 9-5 win at Iowa. Mike O'Berry launched his first home run of the season and Razor Shines clubbed his fifth in the victory.
1991: Wilfredo Cordero ignited a Game 1 win in a doubleheader against Iowa at Bush Stadium by going 2-for-3 with a home run, double and five RBI. Kent Bottenfield held the I-Cubs to one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts in his 9.0-inning effort.
1964: The Indians climbed over .500 at 46-45 following a doubleheader sweep, 5-3 and 2-1, at Dallas. Warren Hacker closed out both victories in relief of Bruce Howard (5.2ip) and Jim Golden (6.0ip).
1986: Tom Romano (2x), Luis Rivera (2x), Herm Winningham (2x), Derrell Baker and Dallas Williams each stole bases to lead the Indians to a team-record eight bases swiped in an 8-6 win over Oklahoma City. Romano also went 3-for-3 and drove in four runs in the win.
1970: The Indians swept a doubleheader on the road at Iowa, 6-3 and 1-0. In the opener, Don Anderson launched his fourth home run and drove in three runs. In Game 2, Ross Grimsley stymied the Oaks in a 9.0-inning complete game, limiting Iowa to just one hits and three walks with 13 punchouts. Grimsley improved his record to 8-5 on the season.
1990: Indy scored four runs in the first inning at Nashville, highlighted by a two-run double off the bat of Quinn Mack, and never looked back in a 4-0 shutout win. Indians starter Howie Farmer went 9.0 innings and scattered six hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts.
2005: The Indians erased a 9-0 deficit to win a wild game against Syracuse at Victory Field, 14-11, the largest comeback in the Victory Field era. Indians right fielder Graham Koonce and designated hitter Brad Eldred each hit two home runs and combined for nine RBI. Indianapolis tied the game at 10-10 in the sixth inning and jumped in front for good with a four-run seventh.
1976: After hitting a foul ball off his foot on the previous pitch, pinch-hitter Danny Godby hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning vs. Evansville to give Indy a 5-4 win. Ray Knight tied the game at 3-3 in the ninth with his second home run of the night, and both teams traded runs in the 10th before Godby's heroics.
1981: Indians third baseman Nick Esasky finished 3-for-6 with an RBI double as Indy topped Omaha in 12 innings at Bush Stadium, 4-3. Second baseman Gene Menees also collected three hits in the victory. Starting pitcher Charlie Leibrandt yielded three unearned runs over 8.0 innings in a no-decision for the Indians.
2000: On a Saturday night at Victory Field against Columbus, the Indians ushered in the largest crowd in stadium history as 16,168 fans made their way through the gates. Lyle Mouton hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI, but it wasn't enough in an 8-5 loss.
2000: Santiago Perez smacked a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to give Indianapolis a 4-2 win over Columbus. Tim Harikkala pitched 4.0 no-hit, scoreless innings in relief to pick up his second win on the campaign. The walk-off blast was the only one hit by Indy during the 2000 regular season.
2001: With 22 hits in a 15-6 win vs. Toledo, the Indians set a new Victory Field era record for the most hits in a single game. Of those 22 team hits, eight were doubles and one was a home run. The effort was highlighted by first baseman Larry Jacobsen, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored on three doubles. Indy’s No. 8 and 9 hitters – Elvis Pena and Robinson Cancel – tallied four hits apiece.
1959: Left-hander Gary Peters tossed a no-hitter against Minneapolis at old Victory Field in a 5-0 Indy triumph. He walked five and fanned four batters. It was the fifth no-hitter thrown in franchise history and the first of three tossed by an Indians pitcher in old Victory Field/Bush Stadium. Second baseman Jim Snyder, who later managed the Indians in 1976, saved the no-hit bid with a leaping catch on a line drive for the final out of the game.
1970: Frank Duffy went 5-for-5 with five singles, four runs scored and one RBI to lead a 20-hit burst by Indianapolis in a 14-11 win over Iowa in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Bush Stadium. Kurt Bevacqua hit his 11th dinger and drove in five runs. Indy scored eight runs in the first inning to bury the Oaks.
1997: Giovanni Carrara won his 10th game of the season as he tossed 8.0 one-hit innings with seven strikeouts in a 6-0 win at Louisville. He combined with reliever Richie Lewis for the second one-hitter in the Victory Field era. Brian Hunter tallied a two-run single, Aaron Boone hit a two-run home run by Aaron Boone and Ozzie Timmons collected two RBI. Brook Fordyce contributed a game-high three hits and two runs scored.
1967: Trailing 5-2 in the middle of the eighth at old Victory Field, the Indians plated one run in the eighth and two in the ninth to force extra innings, where they won in 11 frames, 6-5. Slugging first baseman Jim Hicks clubbed his 15th home run as part of a four-hit game, and Charles Nash belted his 13th homer while driving in three.
1993: The last-place Indians swept a doubleheader over first-place Iowa at Sec Taylor Stadium in Des Moines, 7-2 and 13-2. In the opener, Greg Tubbs went 2-for-3 with four RBI before going 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in the nightcap. Indy totaled five home runs in the second game.
1989: Randy Braun and Armando Moreno each belted solo home runs as the Indians scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings en route to a 4-3 win over Columbus at Bush Stadium. Urbano Lugo improved to 8-3 on the season after tossing 6 1/3 innings and yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits with five strikeouts. Jay Baller pitched around a hit and walk allowed in the ninth for his 26th save.
2018: Casey Sadler improved to 6-5 on the season with a complete game in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Buffalo. He surrendered three runs to give Buffalo the lead, but the Tribe offense backed him with six runs in the final two innings combined for a comeback win. Six of the nine Tribe batters drove in a run, while Christopher Bostick led the team with three hits. Austin Meadows was one three two-hit games for Tribe players, both of his coming via the double.
1933: The largest crowd in franchise history – 22,153 fans – came out to Bush Stadium to pay tribute to second baseman Frank Sigafoos. He singled and stole a base in the contest and led the American Association that season with a .370 average. The Indians beat Louisville, 9-2.
2000: Rafael Roque surrendered seven hits, one walk and struck out five in a 9.0-inning complete game and 2-0 win at Syracuse. It was his only complete game in an Indians uniform and the fifth out of seven on the season for Indianapolis.
1964: Jim Golden and Warren Hacker held Salt Lake City to one run in seven innings for a 3-1 win to start a doubleheader, and Robert Locker posted his 10th win of the season with a 9.0-inning complete game in the nightcap, a 6-2 victory. Locker struck out seven and tallied a single and RBI at the plate.
1981: Bill Dawley fired 9.0 innings and surrendered just one unearned run on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts in a 7-1 victory at Omaha to snap Indy's seven-game losing streak. German Barranca, Eddie Milner and Duane Walker each collected two hits for Indianapolis.
2018: Indians right-handers Damien Magnifico and Jesus Liranzo combined for a 7.0-inning one-hitter while playing as the away team in Game 2 of a doubleheader against Buffalo at Victory Field. Each team was held to just one hit through six scoreless frames before back-to-back RBI singles by Erich Weiss and Kevin Newman put Indianapolis on the board in the top of the seventh. It was the Indians' ninth one-hitter in the Victory Field era and fourth at home, despite being designated as the away team.
1964: Rudy May took a no-hitter into the eighth inning vs. Salt Lake City until the bid was broken up on a two-out single by Don Landrum. May scattered eight walks and also hit a batter while earning his first win of the season in the 3-0 victory.
2017: Tyler Glasnow struck out 12 batters through 6.1 innings for his fifth of seven 10+ strikeout games on the season. After taking a 1-0 lead in the second inning, Pawtucket tied the game in the seventh. Both teams traded runs in the 10th, and Kevin Newman singled home Eric Wood to give the Indians a 3-2 win in the 12th frame. The bullpen excelled, adding seven strikeouts to Glasnow's 12 to set a season high of 19 strikeouts by the Indians staff in one game. The 19 strikeouts set a new Victory Field era home record and was one strikeout shy of the overall Victory Field era record, set on Aug. 15, 2003 in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Charlotte.
1969: Right-hander Gary Nolan collected 13 strikeouts in a 5-2 complete-game win vs. Iowa. Nolan served up a two-run homer in the third inning which put Indy behind 2-1, but the Indians scored four times in their half of the fifth. Nolan surrendered just two hits and one walk in a game that lasted just 1 hour and 45 minutes. Shortstop Dave Concepción and right fielder Bernie Carbo each scored runs for Indy, and first baseman Clarence Jones cleared the bases with a triple to lead the offense.
1981: Down 4-1 against Evansville at the stretch, the Indians scored four runs in the seventh to rally for a 5-4 win over the Triplets. Ronnie Farkas belted a pinch-hit, three-run blast to tie the game, and Nick Esasky knocked an RBI single later in the frame to complete the comeback.