Soon-to-be Indians Hall of Fame inductee Gaylord Perry throws out the first pitch before a game at Progressive Field. (Eric P. Mull-US PRESSWIRE)

The Indians announced last week that three Tribe figures will be inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in August: Jack Graney, Jim Warfield, and Gaylord Perry.

Graney spent 14 years in a Cleveland uniform, followed by 21 years in the broadcast booth; he won a World Series ring in 1920 and was watching from the press box when the Indians won the championship in 1948. Warfield, meanwhile, spent 38 years with the Tribe, including 26 seasons as head trainer. Both men will be inducted posthumously.

But the biggest name here is Perry, and he’s not your typical candidate for immortality. There’s no denying the extraordinary skill he showed during his three-and-a-half seasons with the Indians (let alone the rest of his storied 22-year career). But in an age in which even incredibly deserving players are denied entrance to Cooperstown because of completely baseless suspicions of doping, it’s significant that a known cheater will be enshrined in Heritage Park. (more…)