Editing Cleveland Spiders (section)

===1889–1898===
[[File:Cy Yoyng 1891.jpg|thumb|left|165px|Cy Young in 1891]]
In {{mlby|1889}}, they moved to the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] and became known as the Spiders, reportedly after comments from a team executive assessing the players.<ref name="Light 205">[[#Light|Light]], p. 205. "... a club executive assessing their shapes supposedly said: 'They look skinny and spindly, just like spiders. Might as well call them Spiders and be done with it.'&nbsp;"</ref> Frank H. Brunell, this team executive who also doubled as sportswriter for ''[[The Plain Dealer]]'', noted the combination of the team's new black-and-gray uniforms together with the sight of several skinny, long-limbed players. He joked the team should be called "Spiders", and the name stuck.<ref name="Fleitz 22"/> The team started to improve in {{mlby|1891}}, largely due to the signing of future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] pitcher [[Cy Young]].<ref name=cwru/>

The Spiders had their first taste of success in 1892 when they finished 93–56 overall; winning the second half by three games over Boston with a 53–23 record. Other than standout [[second baseman]] [[Cupid Childs]], the Spiders had an unremarkable offense. Their success in 1892 was built on pitching strength; Cy Young was the NL's most dominant hurler, and 22-year-old [[George Cuppy]] had an outstanding [[rookie]] year. Following the season, a "World's Championship Series" exhibition was played between Cleveland and the first-half winner [[Boston Beaneaters]], but the Spiders could only muster one tie in six games.

[[File:Cleveland Spiders team photo (1895).jpg|thumb|275px|1895 Cleveland Spiders team]]
In 1895, the Spiders again finished second, this time to the equally rough-and-tumble [[Baltimore Orioles (1882–1899)|Baltimore Orioles]]. Young again led the league in [[Win (baseball)|wins]], and speedy [[left fielder]] [[Jesse Burkett]] won the [[batting average (baseball)|batting title]] with a .409 average.  The Spiders won the [[Temple Cup]], an 1890s postseason series between the first- and second-place teams in the NL. Amid fan rowdyism and garbage-throwing, the Spiders won four of five games against Baltimore, including two wins for Cy Young.

The 1895 championship was the high-water mark for the franchise. The following season, Baltimore and Cleveland again finished first and second in the NL, but in the battle for the 1896 Temple Cup, the second-place Spiders were swept in four games. In 1897, despite a winning record, the franchise finished fifth, a season highlighted by Young throwing the first of three career [[no-hitter]]s on September 18. The Spiders again finished fifth in 1898.