 Lajoie , nicknamed " The Frenchman " and considered baseball 's most famous player at the time , arrived in Cleveland on June 4 and his play was immediately met with approval from fans . The Bronchos drew 10 @,@ 000 fans to League Park in Lajoie 's first game . The Bronchos ' record at the time Lajoie and fellow Athletics teammate , Bill Bernhard , joined was 11 – 24 and improved to 12 – 24 after the team 's inaugural game with their new players , a 4 – 3 win over the Boston Americans . The team went on to finish 69 – 67 , fifth in the AL , for the franchise 's first winning record since the AL began as a league . After his first season with the Bronchos , Lajoie 's .378 average led all AL players . New York Giants manager , John McGraw , was rumored to want to sign Lajoie but Lajoie stated his intentions when he said " ... for I intend to stick to Cleveland . " 
