<P> The winningest season in franchise history came in 1954, when the Indians finished the season with a record of 111--43 (. 721). That mark set an American League record for wins which stood for 44 years until the Yankees won 114 games in 1998 (a 162 - game regular season). The Indians 1954 winning percentage of . 721 is still an American League record . The Indians returned to the World Series to face the New York Giants . The team could not bring home the title, however, ultimately being upset by the Giants in a sweep . The series was notable for Willie Mays' over-the - shoulder catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in Game 1 . Cleveland remained a talented team throughout the remainder of the decade, finishing in second place in 1959, George Strickland's last full year in the majors . </P> <P> From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third - place finish (in 1968) and six fourth - place finishes (in 1960, 1974 to 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings . </P> <P> The Indians hired general manager Frank Lane, known as "Trader" Lane, away from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957 . Lane over the years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals . With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years . In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded away Red Schoendienst and Harvey Haddix . Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he didn't make . </P> <P> One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland was to send Roger Maris to the Kansas City Athletics in the middle of 1958 . Indians executive Hank Greenberg was not happy about the trade and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane . After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange . </P>

Last time small market team won world series