All-Time Indians: Braggo Roth

The Indians first DH came about 60 years too early as the designated hitter wasn’t used in the American League until 1973. Braggo Roth didn’t play long in Cleveland, but when he did, it was a legacy of solid offensive production and terrible outfield defense.

Roth was born in Chicago and after coming up through the lower levels in Wisconsin and Missouri, was lucky enough to make his MLB debut in 1914 with his home town White Sox. Almost a year to the day from his initial signing in August of 1914, Roth was traded to Cleveland in a deal that would have major implications that last to this day.

While that may seem melodramatic, Roth was traded for the man who has a better argument than any other to be reinstated into baseball and entered into the Hall of Fame, Shoeless Joe Jackson. If the trade hadn’t taken place, the Black Sox scandal would probably still have taken place, but since Jackson never received money or dropped his level of play, he would have likely been made a Hall of Famer as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

Instead, Jackson went to Chicago for Roth, Ed Klepfer and Larry Chapell. The White Sox definitely got the better of the deal, but both Klepfer and Roth both made some noise for Cleveland. In that 1915 season, Roth played his first 70 games in Chicago, but finished strong with the Indians, batting .299 in 39 games with 20 RBI and 14 steals.

The following season, Roth was the starter in right alongside two great outfielders in the Hall of Famer, Tris Speaker and Jack Graney. Roth batted .286 with 72 RBI and 19 doubles, making him one of the top hitters on the team at the time, behind only his two outfield contemporaries. While the Indians finished 7th of eight AL teams that year, the budding offense that Roth was part of would eventually lead to the turnaround that lead to a 1920 World Series championship.

The 1917 season would not just be Roth’s best as an Indian, but the best in his eight year Major League career. He played in a career high 145 games and his 51 steals remain in the top ten in Indians single season history. His second straight season of 72 RBI lead the team while his 30 doubles were behind only the MLB double king, Speaker. Overall, only Speaker was a better offensive performer on the team that improved to 88 wins, 31 more than just two years earlier. This was good enough for a third place finish as the White Sox won the pennant and the World Series that made them willing to throw it just two years later.

Roth continued to be the same hitter a year later, stealing 36 bases and batting .283 through 106 games. His 12 triples were the most since 1915 (17 combined between his two teams) and 21 doubles would ultimately give him five straight years with at least 19. Even though he didn’t play a full season, Roth was still one of the Tribe’s best hitters again alongside Speaker and the left fielder, now Joe Wood. As in previous years, his 53 runs scored, 59 RBI and 53 walks were all among the top three on the team.

Considering that his Indians career came completely within the dead ball era, Roth was remarkably consistent for his four years in Cleveland. During that time, he batted .286 and slugged .408, numbers that were very similar year to year. He struck out just 55 more times than he walked, stole 129 bases and knocked in 223, all very impressive given just 415 games played. While it would have been impossible to truly replace Shoeless Joe, Roth did his absolute best at the plate.

As much has helped turn around the offense, the trade of Roth in 1919 to the Philadelphia Athletics was a major contributor in the Indians ultimate World Series run in 1920. Coming to the Tribe in the deal were Larry Gardner, Charlie Jamieson and Elmer Myers. The first two of these would become starting fielders and Jamieson in particular would have a long and impactful Indians career.

Roth wouldn’t play long in Philadelphia, but did have a great season in 1919 and another in 1920 between the A’s, Red Sox and Washington Senators. It wasn’t until his 1921 season with the New York Yankees that he saw a drop off as he played just 43 games thanks to a knee injury. This would ultimately be his final Major League season as he attempted to comeback in 1922, but was released by the Yankees. He then went on to play for two American Association teams in 1923 and the Hollywood Stars in the Pacific Coast League in 1928 at the age of 35.

He retired for good after this season in the minor leagues, but his retirement wouldn’t last long. He died less than a decade later at the age of 44 when he crashed his car into a truck in 1936.