ON AUG. 24, 1919, Ray Caldwell puts on a Cleveland uniform for the first time. The weather is brutally hot but clear -- for now -- and none of the 20,000 or so fans at League Park has any idea that they're about to see something that defies belief. A story of desperation, terror, survival and redemption, all channeling through Caldwell over the next two hours.
The crowd roars as he takes the mound, and the cheers only get louder as it becomes obvious that Caldwell has his best stuff today. Cleveland fans know the stakes for the right-hander: He's just been waived by the Red Sox, and the pulse of his once-promising career had all but flatlined prior to that day.