Indians Baseball Card Hall of Fame #3: 1976 Topps #98 Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley was drafted by the Indians in the 3rd round of the 1972 draft. He would make the majors in 1975 and spend three seasons with the Tribe, putting up great numbers as a starter:

• 40-32 record
• 3.32 ERA/1.165 WHIP/116 ERA+
• 1977 All-Star

But because of some drama with teammate Rick Manning, the Indians were forced to trade Eckersley, along with Fred Kendall, to the Red Sox for Ted Cox, Bo Diaz, Mike Paxton, and Rick Wise. While none of the players the Indians acquired would do much to help the Tribe, Eckersley would go on to have a Hall of Fame career:

• 197-171 career record
• 390 saves, leading the league twice
• 6 x All-Star selections
• 2 x Rolaids Relief awards
• 1992 Cy Young
• 1992 AL MVP
• Was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004.