The Best They Could Be

"It’s World Series time. And for fans of the Cleveland Indians, that means lots of football, leaf raking and pining for days gone by. . . . Longert’s 280-page missive on the ’20 Indians is for the serious Tribe fan who wants to be either reminded or taught about how the Indians went from bottom-feeder to contender in the late 1910s."—Phil Trexler, Akron Beacon Journal

"The Best They Could Be is a congenial page-turner, a fluidly-written and thoroughly researched account of an under-appreciated championship club."—Bill Lamb, Inside Game

“Scott Longert’s well-researched story of the making of the 1920 Cleveland Indians is one of the true underdog tales in baseball history. The Best They Could Be is a welcome addition to the baseball library.”—Mike Sowell, author of The Pitch That Killed and One Pitch Away

“In The Best They Could Be, author Scott Longert brings to life the triumph and tragedy of an unforgettable season in Indians history. A must read not just for every serious Cleveland sports fan, but for all baseball fans.”—Bud Shaw, Cleveland Plain Dealer sports columnist

“Scott Longert takes the reader back to a time when Cleveland was one of America’s mightiest industrial cities and baseball was the king of sports. His detailed account of how the Cleveland franchise rebounded from financial peril to win the World Series five years later is a tale worth being remembered and celebrated.”—Matt Underwood, Cleveland Indians announcer

“Scott Longert blends a strong sense of history, solid research, and fine writing. This isn’t just for Cleveland Indians fans; it’s for anyone who wants to experience baseball during the era of the First World War, when players climbed out of the coal mines, onto the diamonds, and into fans’ hearts.”—Marc Bona, Cleveland Plain Dealer editor