Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a Thirty-Year Slump

Terry sums up perfectly what it's like to be a sports fan in Northeast Ohio since 1955. The talent we've had is incredible, the results even more incredible in that not much good has ever come of it. It will bring back tons of bittersweet memories.

Terry Pluto wrote two of my favorite sports books, "Loose Balls" and "Our Tribe", this one makes three. Reading this will be great entertainment for the casual or die-hard Indians fan. Those who don't fit those two classifications will probably enjoy it also.

A wonderful trip down memory lane, as I appear to be a contemporary of Terry Pluto in that I really relate to the Indians troubles from the mid-60's to their resurgence in 1995. As a youngster growing up, my favorite Indian was Sam McDowell and it was exciting and at the same time troubling to read how his personal problems affected his amazing potential. I, like Pluto, became a Tribe fan by listening to my father and went through all the frustration of watching a team that just did not appear to want to win...we were just happy if they were not in last place by July 4th every year! Pluto brought back many memories when he went into discussions like the Ken Harrelson trade, the deal that brought Gaylord Perry to Cleveland, the Dennis Eckersley era where my then favorite player George Hendrick prospered (and this is my only somewhat selfish critique of the book in that Hendrick is barely mentioned), the Wayne Garland fiasco and Len Barker's perfect game. These are all milestones for Tribe fans in an otherwise desulatory period of baseball watching. The purchase of the team by the Jacobs brothers and the day-to-day general management from Hank Peters and John Hart sets the stage for his next book on the Tribe's wonderful 1995 season where they finally put it all together. (Just a side note from a frustrated fan...if the Indians had played the 1995 World Series against the Braves in June of that year, we'd have smoked them!!!). In summary, this is an excellent book for the average baseball fan and a must-read for any Tribe fan who can remember the frustrations of the 60's and 70's. Go Tribe!

Cleveland Indians fans of today don't know how good they have it (or maybe they do, and that's why they're such big fans!) Regardless of how long you've been an Indian fan (25 years, myself) you'll love this book. It was the first time I'd ever heard of many of the stories in the book -- the section on Rick Manning and Dennis Eckersley was particularly eye-opening.

Terry Pluto, one of the best sports columnists in the nation, is the writer of this hilarious look at the years of Indian mediocrity. He has sections on Herb Score, the old Stadium and how as a beat writer during the 1980s he dreaded coming to work everyday. If you're an Indians fan you must have this book, if you're a baseball fan, I still recommend it highly.