Future Indians General Manager Frank Lane is born in Cincinnati.

Before gaining his infamous status as “Trader Lane”, the Ohio native tried his hand in a variety of roles in sports. He played professional football in Ohio before the birth of the National Football League; failed in an attempt at pro baseball; worked as a basketball and football official; and was a traveling secretary for Cincinnati’s Major League club and later became their assistant general manager.

During World War II, Lane joined the U.S. Navy and served four years there before returning to the states and working as a minor league GM. He worked his way to the MLB level with the Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals before coming to Cleveland.

Indians fans will remember his role in trades of many key players, including Rocky Colavito, Roger Maris, Norm Cash, Jim Busby, and Early Wynn, and his trade of manager and future Hall of Famer Joe Gordon to Detroit for their manager, Jimmy Dykes.