Factory Of Sadness
FanSided

4 baseball legends you forgot played for the Cleveland Guardians

By Chad Porto

CLEVELAND - 1965. Satchel Paige, right, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, talks with fellow moundsman Bob Feller before a game at Municipal Stadium in 1965. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
CLEVELAND - 1965. Satchel Paige, right, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, talks with fellow moundsman Bob Feller before a game at Municipal Stadium in 1965. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Indians first baseman Jeff Kent (2nd-R) argues with home plate umpire Greg Kosc (R) over whether or not Baltimore Orioles B. J. Surhoff ran inside the first base line, forcing Indians catcher Sandy Alomar to throw wide to Kent, as Indians manager Mike Hargrove (L) talks with first base umpire Tim Tschida in the eighth inning of the American League division playoff game in Baltimore 02 Oct. Baltimore won the second game of the best of five series, 7-4. AFP PHOTO/Ted Mathias (Photo by TED MATHIAS / AFP) (Photo credit should read TED MATHIAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Cleveland Indians first baseman Jeff Kent (2nd-R) argues with home plate umpire Greg Kosc (R) over whether or not Baltimore Orioles B. J. Surhoff ran inside the first base line, forcing Indians catcher Sandy Alomar to throw wide to Kent, as Indians manager Mike Hargrove (L) talks with first base umpire Tim Tschida in the eighth inning of the American League division playoff game in Baltimore 02 Oct. Baltimore won the second game of the best of five series, 7-4. AFP PHOTO/Ted Mathias (Photo by TED MATHIAS / AFP) (Photo credit should read TED MATHIAS/AFP via Getty Images) /

Jeff Kent

Despite not having the All-Star appearances one would expect a player of his caliber to have by the time he arrived in Cleveland in 1996, at the age of 28, Jeff Kent was one of the best players in baseball. Kent had absurd power for second basemen at the time, and he was only starting to find his groove.

The deal that saw Kent land in Cleveland included Carlos Baerga and Alvaro Espinoza, while the Guardians got back Kent and Jose Vizcaino. Kent would later be part of the trade to San Francisco that would give the Guards Matt Williams.

When Kent arrived in San Francisco, he and Barry Bonds partnered up for one of the most potent lineups in baseball history with Bonds hitting third and Kent hitting cleanup for most of the season.

Kent and Bonds never got along and the two would often clash, even coming to blows, which would help hasten his exit from the club. He’d have a decent run in Houston, where he’d help the team return to the playoffs before finishing his career strong in Los Angeles with the Dodgers.

While he had an impressive playing career, most fans now know him for his anti-steroid advocacy and his rivalry with Bonds.

He still has a shot to make the Hall of Fame at this rate, however, though he’s in his final year of eligibility.

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