By now, Ryan Merritt is practically a household name after his gutsy outing against the Blue Jays to help the Indians clinch the American League pennant. (And speaking of household – a number of Indians fans made sure that his household would be stocked with wedding registry items). However, this is not the first time that a soft-tossing rookie pitcher helped vault the Indians into the World Series. In 1948 (prior to divisional play) the Indians ended the season tied at the top of the American League with the Boston Red Sox. This meant that the team would need to face the Red Sox in a one-game playoff in order to advance to the World Series.
Ryan Merritt and Gene Bearden – The Times a Rookie Pitcher Came Up Big on the Way to the Pennant
