Spokane Indians Hall of Fame Plaza

Stan Coveleski (1913-14)

Stan Coveleski, a product of the Pennsylvania coal mines, was a five-time 20-game winner and earned 215 total major league victories. He compiled 13 straight wins in 1925. Coveleski was Cleveland's hero in the 1920 World Series, defeating Brooklyn three times while yielding a total of only two runs.

Before rising to stardom in the major leagues, Coveleski pitched in Spokane for two seasons. In 1914, he won 20 games for the Indians and led the Northwest League with 214 strikeouts. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1969.

George "Highpockets" Kelly (1914)

Known as "Highpockets", this slick-fielding first baseman enjoyed six consecutive .300+ seasons and four-straight years with over 100 RBI. He shares a National League record of slugging seven homers in six consecutive games in 1924. Kelly appeared in four consecutive World Series with the New York Giants from 1921 to 1924.

In 1914, at the age of eighteen, Kelly began his professional career in Spokane. Along with fellow Hall of Famer Stan Coveleski, he lead the Indians to 84 wins and a third place finish in the Northwest League. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.

Duke Snider (1965)

Duke Snider was a smooth-fielding, power-hitting centerfielder for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Over his 18 major league seasons, "The Duke of Flatbrush" batted .295 with 407 home runs, includings five-straight seasons in which he hit 40 or more. Snider was an eight-time NL All-Star and led the league in runs for three-straight seasons from 1953-55.

When Indians manager Pete Reiser suffered a heart attack in 1965, Snider filled the void to gain his first managerial experience. The team struggled to a 57-90 record that year and Snider moved on to the Tri-City Atoms the following season. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Hoyt Wilhelm (1971)

For 21 major league seasons, knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm distinguished himself as one of the game's premier relievers by winning 143 games and collecting 227 saves. In a rare start for the Orioles on September 20, 1958, he no-hit the New York Yankees. Wilhelm's 1,070 games pitched is the second-highest total in major league history.

In 1971, Wilhelm pitched in eight games for the Spokane Indians before being recalled to the Los Angeles Dodgers for his final two major league seasons. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.

Tommy Lasorda (1969-1971)

A highly-successful big league manager, Tommy Lasorda skippered the Dodgers for 20 seasons. During his tenure, Los Angeles captured eight National League West titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships.

Before his time with the Dogers, Lasorda managed the Indians for three seasons. His 1970 club won 94 games, swept the Hawaii Islanders in four games to win the Pacific Coast League Championship, and is considered by many to be the greatest team in minor league baseball history. Lasorda's energy and personality made him a favorite with the Spokane fans during his stay in the Inland Northwest. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

Don Sutton (1968)

A model of consistency and durability throughout his 23-year major league career, Don Sutton won 324 games and struck out 3,574 batters while never missing his turn in the pitching rotation. The four-time All-Star reached double figures in wins in 21 of his 23 seasons and appeared in four World Series.

Assigned to Spokane afte spring training in 1968, Sutton spent only one week with the Indians. He pitched 16 innings with 19 strikeouts before being recalled to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sutton was inducted inot the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.

George Brett

George Brett, a lifetime Kansas City Royal, finished his career as the only major leaguer to combine for over 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, 600 doubles, 100 triples, and 200 stolen bases. A career .305 hitter, Brett batted over .300 in 11 different seasons and is the only player in MLB history to win batting titles in three different decades. The thirteen-time All-Star was the American League's MVP in 1980 after hitting .390. He led the Royals to a World Series Championship in 1985.

The Brett Brothers (Bobby, George, JB and Ken) purchased the Indians in 1986. Under the Brett group, Avista Stadium has seen many major improvements, the Indians have set numerous attendance records, and Baseball America named the Indians the Minor League Organization of the Decade for the 1990s. Brett was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.