Former Indians manager Doc Edwards dies at 81

Howard "Doc" Edwards, who played for four major league teams and then managed the Cleveland Indians for three seasons, died Monday in San Angelo, Texas, at age 81.

No details of a cause of death were included when his family announced his death.

Edwards replaced Pat Corrales as the Indians' manager during the 1987 season, and the club went 30-45 under his watch, finishing seventh (last) in the American League East.

He posted a 78-84 record in 1988 as Cleveland came in sixth in the division. The Indians were 65-78 and in sixth again when he was fired late in the 1989 season, replaced on an interim basis by John Hart.

Prior to his baseball career, the West Virginia native earned his "Doc" nickname from serving as a Navy medic.

Edwards broke into the majors as a catcher with the Indians in 1962, hitting .273 with three homers and nine RBIs in 53 games. The following year, he was dealt along with cash to the Kansas City A's in exchange for catcher Joe Azcue and infielder Dick Howser, another future manager.

After parts of three seasons with the A's, Edwards was traded to the New York Yankees in January 1966 for outfielder Lou Clinton. He appeared in 45 games with the Yankees that year, then spent most of the next four years in the minors before playing 35 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1970.

In 317 career major league games, Edwards amassed a .238 batting average, a .287 on-base percentage, a .325 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 87 RBIs.

He later coached in the majors for the Phillies, Indians and New York Mets, and he coached or managed in the farm systems of the Phillies, the Indians, and the Baltimore Orioles. Edwards managed the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in 1981 when they played a pro-baseball-record 33-inning game against the Pawtucket Red Sox.

Most recently, Edwards managed the independent San Angelo Colts from 2006-14.

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