Cleveland Must Play Odd Twinbill

Baseball decided Monday the Cleveland Indians must play a strange doubleheader against two teams Sept. 25 at Jacobs Field , facing the Chicago White Sox in the daytime and the Minnesota Twins at night.

Since 1900, only once has there been a three-team doubleheader at the same ballpark. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Giants, 6-4, then lost to the Boston Braves, 2-0, on Sept. 13, 1951, at Sportsman’s Park.

With the Indians in the wild-card chase and no off-days left, the split doubleheader was deemed the best way to make up a rainout Sept. 10 between Cleveland and the White Sox.

Indian General Manager John Hart had lobbied to play the makeup game Oct. 2.

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Boston Red Sox right-hander Bryce Florie had surgery to repair the fractures in his right eye he suffered on Sept. 8 when he was hit in the face by a line drive. Florie suffered three fractures as well as a severe injury to the right eyeball. . . . Seattle Mariner Manager Lou Piniella, in the final year of his contract, is a native of Tampa, Fla., and lives there in the off-season, so naturally there is speculation that he might replace Devil Ray Manager Larry Rotchscild. With the Mariners in Tampa, Piniella was greeted by this Tampa Tribune headline: “Lou, Rays seem to be perfect fit.”