Cleveland's Finest. Vince McKee

Charboneau was quite popular with the fans.

      The guidance Joe received from his third-base coach, Joe Nossek, brought out the best in his abilities. Charboneau would credit Nossek for keeping him grounded during some tough times during games. He kept him level-headed if he was having a bad night at the plate. It was also Nossek who worked with Charboneau in the outfield to further hone his skills.

      Nossek wasn’t the only person guiding young Joe that season. Assistant coach Dave Duncan took time to work with Joe and help him refine certain skills that were necessary to be a big-leaguer. Hitting coach Tommy McCraw played a crucial role in developing Charboneau’s swing at the plate and in making sure the young rookie was able to adjust to certain pitchers.

      It was the preparation of the 1978 and 1979 minor league seasons that helped Charboneau succeed in his rookie year in Cleveland. Those seasons gave him the confidence that he would need to excel at the professional level. He credits those seasons, along with the weight-training guidance of his brother, with helping his body develop as well. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, major league clubs didn’t have the techniques and equipment they do now, so it was those extra workouts that made a huge difference.

      Joe Charboneau’s rookie campaign will never be forgotten. In many ways it changed the landscape of baseball, proving that a player who was not highly touted could come out of nowhere and have a great season. It also gave the Cleveland Indians a new outlook, showing that the team could have a winner again after so many years of losing. Super Joe gave new life to the franchise, and to the city.

      Joe Charboneau today with Vince McKee

      CHAPTER FOUR

      Perfection!

      In the spring of 1981, the Cleveland Indians were led by manager Dave Garcia and played under the ownership of Francis J. “Steve” O’Neill. It was a roster carefully put together by general manager Phil Seghi. Bruce Drennan and Joe Tait were calling the Indians game on WUAB-TV, while Nev Chandler and Herb Score were the play-by-play duo for Indians radio games.

      The Cleveland Indians roster included the 1980 rookie sensation Joe Charboneau fresh off his amazing first year in the big leagues. Rick Manning joined Charboneau in the outfield, along with Larry Littleton. The team was anchored by “The Human Rain Delay” Mike Hargrove at first base, Duane Kuiper at second, Toby Harrah at third, and shortstop Tommy Veryzer. The team also had Pat Kelly and André Thornton ready to come off the bench at any time, Chris Bando sharing time behind the plate with veteran Ron Hassey, and future Hall of Fame pitcher Bert Blyleven to lead the starting rotation.

      On Friday, May 15, 1981, the Indians were ahead 15–8, surprising everyone by spending 16 days in first place in their division. The team never was more than a game ahead of the other teams in the division, but it didn’t matter because they gave hope to their fans. A five-game winning streak at one point in April had fans already talking postseason.

      Lenny Barker grew up in Rose Tree, Pennsylvania, with two brothers and two sisters, although he was the only one to play baseball. He enjoyed playing not only in organized leagues but also in the streets with his friends. Barker recounted that he wanted to be a pitcher at an early age, stating, “At the age of seven or eight, I felt that I would excel at it. I always liked pitching, and I would have kids in the neighborhood come over and catch for me. I knew at an early age that I wanted to be a pitcher.”

      Bert Blyleven was the ace of the 1981 Cleveland Indians.

      Barker and his friends would play in any field they could find and pretend to be their idols—Whitey Ford, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Barker’s own personal hero, Mickey Mantle. Barker revealed that it was his dream to play in the major leagues: “My aspirations of playing big league baseball started when I was 10 years old. By the time I got to high school, I knew I had a chance to play. It didn’t matter to me who I got drafted by because I just wanted to play professional baseball.”

      Barker played baseball at Neshaminy High School near Philadelphia, where he excelled and was eventually drafted by the Texas Rangers. Barker said he found out that he was drafted by Texas when he “got a call from a scout in their farm system letting me know I had been drafted. A short while later, they started coming over and we got working on a signing bonus.” Barker made his major league debut in 1976; looking back over his three years as a Texas Ranger, he noted:

      It felt great because it was a dream come true when I was picked first in the third round. All my life as a little kid I wanted to be a pro athlete, and this was my opportunity to get the ball rolling and show them what I could do. I have nothing bad to say about the Rangers because they treated me good and it was a great learning process. I learned a lot in the minor league system. I had a great time in the minor leagues; I didn’t make much money, but I still had a great time.

      However, going from Philadelphia was a culture shock for the young player:

      It was the first time I ever had to step on an airplane when I flew to Sarasota, Florida, where the rookie league was located for the Texas Rangers. It was a kind of shock just getting into an airplane for the first time. I was the type of guy who was large in size and, because my parents were divorced when I was a young age, I had to become a man pretty quick. I knew I had a lot of confidence in my ability when I got there, so it worked out good.

      Barker showed signs of brilliance at times, but he also struggled with command before being traded to Cleveland in 1979. Revealing how friendly and welcoming the Indians were to him, Barker received the nickname “Big Donkey” from Cy Buynak, the Indians’ clubhouse manager:

      We had great times, and we would have parties all of the time with our families. We had a lot of team unity back then. On the road, we would have a group of eight to ten guys go out to dinner together. I got traded to Cleveland after the 1978 season, when I was traded with Bobby Bonds. The first time you get traded, you’re kind of shocked in the beginning and feel like the other team didn’t want you. Then I started thinking about it and realized that the team trading for you really wanted you. I also realized that I had more of an opportunity to become a starting pitcher in Cleveland because in Texas they had four All-Stars in their starting rotation. They had Fergie Jenkins, Gaylord Perry, Bert Blyleven, and John Matlock. It would have been very hard to break the rotation. I was happy to be here because it was someone who wanted me. I was happy to play in the major leagues and I didn’t care where. Cleveland gave me the opportunity to start, and that’s why I still live here today. I love this city.

      The Indians were happy to have Barker, who went on to win 19 games in 1980—a breakout season after they won only six games in 1979. Barker explained what made the 1980 season special:

      I played winter ball in Puerto Rico after the 1979 season and concentrated on my pitching and getting command of all my pitches. We had a pretty decent team in 1980, and everything started working for me. I was able to throw a lot more strikes, as I threw over 240 innings. I had over 180 strikeouts with only 80 walks. It was a great ratio for a power pitcher. I believe that it was the concentration level and everything finally clicking. I was becoming a major league pitcher instead of a major league thrower. I started getting better and better at my control, and that, with my work ethic, turned everything around.

      Barker was off to a good start in 1981 and was proving the Indians’ faith in him to be correct. Later that year, on May 15, 1981, Barker took to the mound, just as he had done on previous game days, in front of a crowd of 7,290 fans at Cleveland Municipal Stadium:

      It was a normal spring day with some sprinkles and coolness in the air. I didn’t do anything different from my normal routine. I ate a little food, but not much because I didn’t like to eat a lot on the days that I pitched. I laid around the house and relaxed a bit before leaving to pick up my brother from the airport. I left my house around 4 p.m. to pick him up, but his plane was late and I had to wait. When he finally arrived, we had to speed to the ballpark.