the Cleveland Spiders and the St. Louis Perfectos engineered a 'trade' in which all of Cleveland's best players were assigned to St. Louis—in this way, the St. Louis team would have a shot at the pennant, while the Cleveland team would be allowed to languish. Sockalexis, no longer considered a star, was kept in Cleveland. After playing just seven games for what is often considered the worst team in major league baseball history, the Spiders released Sockalexis, and his major league career was over. Sockalexis finished his career in the minor leagues and returned to Indian Island to coach juvenile teams in . Five players whom he coached went on to play in the New England League. After playing in the minor leagues in 1902 (Lowell Tigers) and again in 1907 (Bangor White Sox), Sockalexis retired. Later life and legacy Sockalexis suffered from tuberculosis and heart trouble in his later years. On Christmas Eve, , Sockalexis died in Burlington, Maine. Although Sockalexis had a brief career, he faced many obstacles during his time in professional baseball. It was reported that fans of the opposing teams often shouted racial slurs toward him due to his Penobscot heritage. Additionally, fans imitated war whoops and war dances in his presence. Later, when sports journalists attributed his rapid decline to alcoholism, they identified the disease as the inherent "Indian weakness". The name change of the Cleveland Naps to the Indians in is attributed by some to a desire to honor Sockalexis, though this is disputed. The new name was chosen by sportswriters in honor of the nickname given while Sockalexis played for the Cleveland Spiders. In recognition of his accomplishments, the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame has elected Sockalexis. He was joined by his second cousin, marathon runner Andrew Sockalexis, who finished second in the 1912 and 1913 Boston Marathons and in fourth place at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. A plaque honoring Sockalexis stands in Cleveland's Heritage Park, beyond center field of Progressive Field. Sockalexis is interred in the Old Town Cemetery in Old Town, Maine. Disputed Distinction There is no official position on the part of Major League Baseball as to who was the first Native American to play in the major leagues. In 1963, Baseball Hall of Fame historian Lee Allen wrote a frequently cited article claiming that Jim Toy, a catcher in the early American Association, was the