Cleveland originally signed with the
St. Louis Cardinals in 1966, and after a one-game trial with the Redbirds, he made the major leagues for good during August of . In his first full season, he won 12 games and the
National League Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award from
The Sporting News. He hurled for the Cardinals (through ),
Boston Red Sox (–
78),
Texas Rangers () and
Milwaukee Brewers (–
81). As a member of the
pennant-winning
1975 Red Sox, he was the
starting pitcher in Game 2 of the
1975 American League Championship Series against the
Oakland Athletics. He allowed three
runs and seven
hits in five
innings of work, exiting the game with the score tied, 3–3. He earned a
no-decision, with Red Sox
relief pitcher Roger Moret gaining credit for the
win when Boston prevailed, 6–3. Then, in the
1975 World Series, Cleveland worked in three games, two in relief. He was the starting pitcher in Game 5 against the
Cincinnati Reds on October 16 at
Riverfront Stadium. He gave up seven hits and five runs, all
earned, and was charged with the 6–2 loss. He also came out of the bullpen in the top of the ninth inning of Game 7 at
Fenway Park and got the final
out, but the Reds had already forged ahead against Cleveland's predecessor on the mound,
Jim Burton, and secured a 4–3 win and the world championship. The 1975 campaign afforded Cleveland his only postseason appearances; in his four games and 11
innings pitched, he compiled a 0–1
win–loss record and a 6.17
earned run average. He ended his regular-season MLB career with 105 wins and 106 defeats, with a 3.73
ERA, 930
strikeouts, 57
complete games (in 203 career starting assignments), 12
shutouts and 25
saves. In 1,809 innings pitched, he allowed 1,843 hits and 543
bases on balls. In , while with the Red Sox, Cleveland led the American League in fewest
home runs allowed per nine innings (0.159). He allowed only 3 home runs in 170 innings pitched that year. He served as a
pitching coach in the
Toronto Blue Jays' organisation during the 1990s. ==Personal life==