A year removed from his last game, former Indianapolis Colt Safety, Antoine Bethea announced his retirement from professional football.

A Sixth Round Pick from Howard in 2006, Bethea helped Indianapolis win the Super Bowl as a rookie as a starter. Staying with the Colts for eight seasons, Bethea went to two Pro Bowls in Indianapolis (2007 & 2009) and had five seasons where he cracked at least 100 Combined Tackles.

Bethea went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons, going to his third Pro Bowl in 2014. He would complete his career with two seasons in Arizona and a final one as a member of the New York Jets.

Bethea accumulated 25 Interceptions, 9.5 Sacks and 1,333 Combined Tackles.  He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, and we will shortly upload his profile for consideration on our futures list.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Antoine Bethea the best in his post-playing career. 

The decision by Sonny Siebert to trade the hardwood of the NBA for the red clay of a big-league mound remains one of the more inspired pivots in the history of Cleveland sports. A multi-sport phenomenon drafted by the St. Louis Hawks, Siebert possessed a raw, explosive athleticism that the Indians recognized could be weaponized on the rubber. Despite not being a pitcher when he first signed as an amateur free agent, he underwent a clinical transformation into a high-velocity starter, evolving from a project into a quality starter of the Cleveland rotation during the mid-1960s.

Siebert’s tenure on Lake Erie was defined by an immediate and high-frequency impact once he secured a regular role in the rotation. His best stretch with the Tribe was between 1965 and 1966, stringing together back-to-back 16-win campaigns. During this run, he wasn't just a reliable arm; he showed flashes of dominance, punctuated by a legendary no-hitter against the Washington Senators in June 1966. He possessed a specialized power that saw him strike out 786 batters in a Cleveland uniform, earning his first All-Star nod in 1966 while establishing himself as one of the premier run-preventers in the American League.

The versatile athleticism that often saw him contribute at the plate and on the mound was a remnant of his days as a collegiate star. While his win-loss records in 1967 and 1968 were occasionally hindered by a lack of run support, his underlying efficiency remained elite; he consistently ranked among the league leaders in shutouts and hits allowed per nine innings. He proved that a player could become a franchise pillar by mastering a completely new craft, providing the steady-state reliability required to navigate the grueling 1968 "Year of the Pitcher" schedule.

In 1969, he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in a significant multi-player trade. With the Indians, Siebert compiled a 61-48 record and 786 strikeouts while throwing a no-hitter in 1966.

While Bert Blyleven is often draped in the colors of Minnesota or Pittsburgh, his five-season residency in Cleveland provided some of the most statistically dominant pitching of the 1980s. Born in the Netherlands and raised in California, Blyleven arrived in 1981 as a proven champion with a curveball many hitters considered the best in the sport's history.

Blyleven’s arrival in Cleveland was defined by an immediate and relentless efficiency. Despite the strike-shortened nature of the 1981 campaign, he established himself as a model of specialized dominance, finishing the year with an 11-7 record and leading the American League in bWAR for pitchers. He possessed a rare, high-leverage durability that allowed him to navigate a serious elbow injury in 1982 and return with a focused intensity. His approach reached a second era of excellence in 1984, a summer when he orchestrated a masterclass in run prevention. That year, he posted a 19-7 record with a 2.87 ERA, earning a third-place finish in the Cy Young voting and proving he was still the most efficient starter in the league.

Blyleven’s calling card was a high-frequency strikeout ability paired with a "rubber arm" that allowed him to lead the league in shutouts and complete games. Even during a volatile 1985 season, Blyleven remained a model of steady-state production; while the Indians hovered near the bottom of the standings, he earned an All-Star selection on the strength of his individual metrics. He was a tactical engine that kept the club competitive in every start, eventually being traded to Minnesota at the deadline, where he finished the year by leading the league in strikeouts (206) and securing another top-three Cy Young finish.

With Cleveland, Blyleven compiled 48 wins and 548 strikeouts while leading the American League in pitching bWAR in 1981.

The ultimate punctuation on his career arrived in 2011, when he was finally inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The acquisition of Travis Hafner in late 2002 stands as one of the most lopsided trades in Cleveland history, as the front office managed to extract a premier middle-of-the-order force from Texas for a package that barely registered in the box scores. Known as “Pronk”, a nickname that perfectly captured his imposing physical frame and easygoing demeanor, Hafner arrived in 2003 and quickly transformed the North Coast into a destination for high-velocity offensive output. For a terrifying four-year stretch in the mid-2000s, he was arguably the most feared left-handed hitter in the American League, providing a blend of plate discipline and raw strength that consistently demoralized opposing pitching staffs.

Hafner’s stay in Cleveland was defined by a rapid ascent into the elite tier of modern designated hitters. After securing a full-time role in 2004, he began a relentless run of production, never dipping below 24 home runs or 108 RBIs over four consecutive summers. In 2006, a season that remains a statistical masterpiece. That year, he blasted 42 home runs and led the American League in both slugging percentage (.657) and OPS (1.097). He was a model of steady-state dominance, famously tying the MLB record with six grand slams in a single season, a feat that perfectly illustrated his ability to deliver in the highest-leverage moments.

The most profound aspect of his game was a disciplined eye that balanced his massive power profile. Between 2004 and 2007, Hafner was more than just a slugger; he was a refined contact hitter who maintained a batting average north of .300 for three straight years. He possessed a specialized ability to drive the ball to all fields, serving as the primary engine for an offense that returned to the top of the AL Central standings. While he narrowly missed out on the MVP award, finishing fifth in 2005 and eighth in 2006, he was the undisputed heart of the Tribe’s lineup, providing the veteran-like poise required to anchor a young, explosive roster.

His presence in Cleveland was eventually tested by a series of persistent shoulder and hand injuries that began to sap his strength in 2008. Despite these physical hurdles, he showed a professional resilience by remaining a valuable contributor for the organization through 2012, occasionally flashing the "Pronk" power that had defined his prime.

After a decade of service, he signed with the New York Yankees in 2013, marking the end of one of the most productive eras for a left-handed hitter in club history. He departed with a career .509 slugging percentage as an Indian and a reputation as a man who could change the scoreboard with a single flick of the wrists.

With Cleveland, Hafner compiled 200 home runs, 1,039 hits, and a .906 OPS while leading the league in slugging in 2006.