The Cocoa Indians were a minor league baseball team based in Cocoa, Florida. From 1951 to 1958 the "Indians" played exclusively as members of the Dlass D level Florida State League, winning the 1956 league championship. The Cocoa Indians were a minor league affiliate of the New York Giants in 1956 and the Cleveland Indians in 1957 and 1958.
The Cocoa Indians teams hosted home minor league games at Provost Park in Cocoa. The park is still in use today.
History Early Cocoa teams Cocoa first hosted minor league baseball in the 1942 season when the Cocoa Fliers began play as charter members of the Class D level Florida East Coast League, finishing in last place. After completing their first season, Cocoa returned to the league for the 1942 season. After briefly beginning play, the Cocoa team folded after four games on April 21, 1942, and the 1942 Florida East Coast League season was cancelled due to the beginning of World War II on May 14, 1942.
1951 to 1955: unaffiliated teams The Cocoa Indians resumed minor league play in Cocoa in 1951. The franchise was formed as an unaffiliated team and the Cocoa "Indians" became members of the eight–team Class D level Florida State League. Cocoa replaced the St. Augustine Saints team in the league.
The Daytona Beach Islanders (Cleveland Indians affiliate), DeLand Red Hats, Gainesville G-Men, Leesburg Packers, Orlando Senators (Washington Senators affiliate), Palatka Azaleas and Sanford Giants (New York Giants affiliate) teams joined the Cocoa Indians in beginning Florida State League play on April 13, 1951.
The Cocoa use of the "Indians" nickname occurred when Cocoa was a team without a minor league affiliation. The "Indians" nickname corresponds with regional history and geography. Numerous Indian tribes were native to the state of Florida and the Cocoa region. Native Indians had first inhabited the Brevard County region, which contains Cocoa and existed in the area for approximately 1,200 years. When founded, Cocoa was first called "Indian River City" in 1882, but the name was rejected by the U. S. Postal Service because it was too long. The Indian River (Florida) and Indian River Lagoon are both in Cocoa and the region.
In their first season of play, the newly formed Cocoa Indians ended the 1951 season in last place in the Florida State League final standings. Cocoa ended their first season with a final record of 49–91. The Indians finished in eighth place, playing the season managers Carl Kettles (12–33), Lee Hipp (5–10), Sam Demma (25–38) and Harry Murdock (7–10). Cocoa ended the Florida State League regular season 41.0 games behind the first place DeLand Red Hats. with their eighth-place finish, the Indians did not qualify for the four-team playoffs won by DeLand.
In 1952, the Florida State League expanded to a 10-team league to begin the season, adding the Jacksonville Beach Sea Birds and St. Augustine Saints as expansion teams. However, the Gainsville G-Men and St. Augustine Saints teams both folded on June 2, 1952, and the league completed the season with eight teams. Cocoa again finished in last place in the final league standings. The Indians ended the season with a final record of 40–93 to finish the season in eighth place and Cocoa was led by managers James Balogh and Pep Rambert. The Indians ended the regular season 54.0 games behind the first place DeLand Red Hats. Cocoa did not qualify for the four-team playoffs won by the Palatka Azaleas.
In 1953, The Florida State League played the season as an eight-team league and Cocoa improved in the Class D level league standings. Cocoa ended the season in third place, with an overall record of 75–59, playing the season under manager Bama Rowell Cocoa finished 9.0 games behind the first place Daytona Beach Islanders in the overall regular season standings. The league adopted a split season schedule, with Daytona Beach winning the first half title and the DeLand Red Hats winning the second half title. DeLand ended the regular season in second place in the overall standings, 2.0 games ahead of Cocoa. The two teams then had a playoff, where Daytona Beach defeated DeLand to capture the championship. Cocoa Indians player manager Carvell "Bama" Rowell scored 127 runs to lead the Florida State League. Playing at age 37, Rowell hit .345 for Cocoa with 12 home runs and 127 RBI with 42 stolen bases.
Cocoa player/manager "Bama" Rowell was in his first season as a minor league manager in 1953. Before returning to the minor leagues, Rowell had played six seasons in the major leagues with the Boston Braves (1939–1941, 1946–1947) and Philadelphia Phillies (1948) as a second baseman and outfielder. Coming from a family with 10 children, Rowell had played both football and baseball while attending Louisiana State University. His major league baseball career was interrupted by World War II. Rowell was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1941 and served in a chemical warfare training battalion, eventually achieving the rank of sergeant. He returned to baseball following his military service. Playing for the Boston Braves on May 30, 1946, Rowell hit a notable ball at Ebbets Field in a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers that struck the Bulova clock that was atop the scoreboard. The ball bounded back onto the field and broken glass rained down on the Dodgers' outfielder Dixie Walker. The hit inspired a scene in the 1984 movie The Natural. In 1987, Bulova presented Rowell with a wristwatch in honor of the event. Bulova had promoted a free watch to any player who hit the clock and Rowell received his watch 41 years later, on "Bama Rowell Day," held in his hometown of Citronelle, Alabama.
Ray Daviault pitched for Cocoa in 1953 in his first professional season, compiling a 10–8 record with a 3.25 ERA in 19 games. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Daviault was signed by Al Campanis of the Los Angeles Dodgers and assigned to Cocoa by the Dodgers. Daviault struck out 15 hitters in one start for Cocoa. With a brief major league career, Daviault made his major league debut pitching for the expansion 1962 New York Mets and appearing in the Mets' first home game at the Polo Grounds. On June 30, 1962, Daviault had a career-high seven strikeouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game in which Dodgers Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax threw first career no-hitter. When the Montreal Expos were formed, Daviault often threw batting practice at Jarry Park. On April 15, 1977, Daviault threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the Montreal Expos first game at the Olympic Stadium (Montreal). In 2017, Daviault was recognized along with Russell Martin and Eric Gagne as Canadian-born Major League players in ceremonies before a Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game held at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. In August 2017, a baseball field was dedicated to Ray Daviault in Pointe-aux-Trembles. The ballpark is home to the Montreal Brewers of the Ligue de Baseball Majeur du Québec.
The Florida State League reduced to six-teams for the 1954 season, as the Leesburg and Palaka teams did not return. Cocoa compiled a record of 60–76 to end the Florida State League regular season in fifth place in the overall standings. The Indians were led by returning manager Bama Rowell (41–57), Clyde Stevens (1–3) and Bill Steinecke (18–16) during the season. In the overall regular season standings the Indians finished 17.0 games behind the first place Orlando C.B.'s. Orlando did not qualify for the playoff as the league continued with a split season format. The Jacksonville Beach Seabirds won the first half title and the Lakeland Pilots won the second half title. Lakeland then won the title, defeating Jacksonville Beach in the final series. After leaving Cocoa during the season, Bama Rowell stayed in the Florida State League and became the manager of the DeLand Red Hats, his final minor league managing position.
Bill Steinecke had a lengthy minor league career as a manager and as a player. As a player he appeared in 1,907 minor league games over 21 seasons, batting .297 with 57 home runs and 855 RBI in the minors.https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/steinbi01.shtml Baseball Reference From 1946 to 1964 he served as a minor league manager. After managing Cocoa, Steineke joined the Milwaukee Braves' farm system in 1955 and continued with the Braves minor league teams through the 1964 season. While serving as manager of the Class D level McCook Braves in the Nebraska State League, he was featured in pitcher Pat Jordan's novel, A False Spring.
The 1955 Florida State League expanded to eight teams, adding the West Palm Beach Indians and St. Petersburg Saints teams. Bill Steineke left Cocoa and became the manager of the new West Palm beach team, who were a Milwaukee Braves affiliate. The Cocoa Indians continued league play as an unaffiliated team and ended the regular season in third place. Cocoa ended the season with a record of 75–64, playing the season under managers Gaspar del Monte (12–8) and Doug Williams (63–56). Cocoa finished 16.5 games behind the first place Orlando C.B.'s in the overall regular season standings. With the spilt season schedule remaining, no playoff was held, as Orlando finished in first place in both half-seasons of league play. Inocencio Rodriguez of Cocoa hit 20 home runs to lead the Florida State League. At age 21, Rodriguez hit .319 with 111 RBI, 24 stolen bases and a .454 OBP for Cocoa in 127 games. He played in the minor leagues through 1959.
1956 to 1958: League champions and minor league affiliate teams At age 33, Buddy Kerr was hired to manage Cocoa in 1956 in his first managerial position. After growing up in New York city less than a mile from The Polo Grounds, Kerr had been a shortstop for the New York Giants for seven seasons during his career and was a favorite of Giants' owner Horace Stoneham. Kerr managed in the minor leagues for New York and San Francisco Giants affiliated teams through 1963. He then became scout for the San Francisco Giants in 1964 and signed John Montefusco among others.
The Cocoa Indians became an affiliated team and won the 1956 Florida State League championship, as the league continued play as a Class D level league with eight teams. Cocoa became an affiliated team for the first time, playing the season as an affiliate of the New York Giants while retaining their "Indians" nickname. The Indians ended the regular season with an overall record of 90–50, finishing in first place under manager Buddy Kerr. Cocoa ended the season 7.0 games ahead of the second place Gainsville G-Men and 34.0 games ahead of the eighth place Orlando Seratomas in the final overall standings. No playoff was held, as the league continued with a split season schedule and Cocoa finished in first place in both half-seasons of league play, claiming the championship.
In 1956, Cocoa's Felipe Alou won the Florida State League batting title, hitting .380 on the season, while his teammate Gene Cockrell hit 22 home runs to tie for the league lead. Cocoa pitcher Julio Navarro won the league triple crown, leading the Florida State with 24 wins, a 2.16 ERA and 216 strikeouts.