The Wedge Watch – Will He Last Through the Day?
Written By: TD | Category: Cleveland Indians | Comments: 32
It’s an off day for the Indians – a much needed one for the players at that. But not the timing that Manager Eric Wedge was hoping for. The buzzards seem to be circling the beleaguered skipper and with the Tribe on the road and not playing Monday, speculation is rampant that he won’t make it to Pittsburgh.
PD beat writer Paul Hoynes spent Sunday essentially calling for Wedge’s ouster. Hoynes is dialed in to this team and the culture around it. I don’t think he makes statements such as “Perhaps someone should remind Wedge, his coaches and players that this is not the way to perform in front of the guys who sign their checks if they’re interested in long-term employment;” and “So when does manager Eric Wedge get fired?” if he doesn’t think a move is in the offing.
Worst of all, owner Larry Dolan, who normally keeps quiet, was asked about Wedge’s future. He made the curious quote of “I’ll talk to you later.” When asked what that meant in regards to a change, Dolan said, “I just don’t want to lie to you.” How about just saying “no comment” and being done with it? Instead, he adds juice to the speculation. Of course, what do you expect from the guy who overpaid for the team by about $120 million and couldn’t get $.50 on the dollar for the team right now if he he tried to sell.
Back to the Grinder.
Here is my opinion. I have always been a Wedge supporter. I love the fact that he is the same every day win or lose. He always keeps things with his players in house unless there is no other alternative course. This season, more than any, Wedge’s frustration has become apparent. He has gone public with his beefs with Jhonny Peralta, Rafael Perez, and Kelly Shoppach – all justified might I add.
The bullpen struggles have completely killed any kind of momentum this team ever seems to get. Any time the Tribe has a lead, it isn’t safe, and Wedge has no clue who he can turn to on a day to day basis. Last week was a prime example of that. On Monday, Greg Aquino, Matt Herges, and Perez were handed a four run lead with six outs to get. They lost 14-12. Wednesday, Aquino couldn’t find the plate in extra innings and the Tribe lost. He was designated for assignment the next day. A week earlier, he was pitching in the set-up role.
Friday. Cliff Lee left with a 7-2 lead in the eighth. Grindmaster Flash first tried Joe Smith (who is my #1 whipping boy right now). He failed miserably again. He tried Perez. That didn’t work. Then Kerry Wood blew the save. Yet Saturday, Jensen Lewis (5.40 ERA), Herges, Smith (5.27 ERA), and Perez pitched seven scoreless before Wood wet himself again. Go figure.
The facts – Grady Sizemore has been hurt all year. Travis Hafner still isn’t himself. Asdrubal Cabrera – their hottest hitter not named Victor Martinez – has missed almost a month. The rotation after Cliff Lee has been in constant flux with journeymen and kids who either can’t hack it (Jeremy Sowers), are hurt (Aaron Laffey), or aren’t ready (David Huff). (SIDE NOTE – Jake Westbrook has been shut down for another month with a setback on his rehab stint).
My point is that the disaster that is the 2009 Cleveland Indians is not Eric Wedge’s fault.
That said, the message he is sending to his players clearly isn’t working anymore. Combine that with the fact that the roster is littered with fringe players (Ben Francisco, Ryan Garko, Trevor Crowe, Josh Barfield, Chris Gimenez) and under-achievers (the entire bullpen, Kelly Shoppach, Fausto Carmona), a change may need to be made.
Ever the fighter, Wedge has answered every question regarding his job status with the same attitude he manages with. No excuses. “There is always going to be fingers pointed at me,” said Wedge. “That comes with the territory. When you have this type of year, and you’re going through a tough stretch like this, there is going to be a certain amount of focus on me. I take full responsibility. I don’t shy away from that at all.”
After the horrific events in Chicago over the weekend and the off day today, I just don’t think he is going to survive. The fans are restless and the media seems to be bringing up his job security on a daily basis.”The Grind Tour” may end here. The real question is, will Mark Shapiro, who has always been in lock-step with his manager, actually go through with the firing considering the effect his moves have had on Wedge’s ability to win?
What if the Dolan’s go to Shapiro and for the first time in their tenure, make a baseball decision above his head and require their GM to fire his manager? Shapiro did say before Saturday’s game “If anyone is to blame, it’s me.” That tells me that if Wedge gets the ax, the Dolan’s are calling the shot.
It should be an interesting week in Wahooville.
Author: TD
TD is a born and bred Clevelander who agrees with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt when he says ""Ranch Dressing makes everything better except for cereal and ice cream."TD has written 253 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I feel bad for “Chief Grind-hoo”. Is it his fault that Ben Francisco has not hit a ball hard in months? Who is he supposed to play with Grady hurt? Trevor Crowe? He sent Wood out for the ninth Friday and Saturday, what else is he supposed to do? Someone, though, does have to go to send a message to the fans.
the problem is the size of the embroidered chief wahoo on the caps. he needs to be scaled back up to mid 90’s proportions and we’ll be alright. same goes for the brownies; get some stripes back on those socks and we’ll have a winner.
While you can’t blame everything on Wedge, I think a different atmosphere in the clubhouse would help. I think the players are tired of “The Grind.”
You have to fire the whole coaching staff and the GM. Hit the organizational RESET button. CTRL-ALT-DEL.
You have a roster of potential stars and a bunch of marginal talent. Who assembled that roster? Shapiro. Who has made a ton of questionable signings in the last few years? Shapiro. Whose drafts have been downright awful until the last couple of years? Shapiro.
Given the roster he has, who has made terrible managerial decision after terrible managerial decision? Wedge. Who shuffles the lineup on a daily basis, to the point where you have no idea who ANY of your starting infielders will be that day? Wedge. Do “real” managers do that? No. Who does? Wedge.
As such, you need to fire them both. Garbage in, garbage out.
So my question is, who takes over for Wedge? And for how long?
It’s time. In fact, it’s well past time. People keep asking, “Is Eric Wedge to blame for the way this season has gone?” I think partially yes, partially no. The utter collapse of the bullpen is not his fault, but I do attribute the slow start (AGAIN), the misuse of young players (see LaPorta, not playing Cabrera at short) and the failure to assist younger players in their development (see Francisco, Shoppach, Fausto, etc.) on Wedge and his coaching staff.
So is he to blame completely? No – the bullpen has done more damage than anything else, and injuries to key personnel certainly haven’t helped. But all of that said, asking who is to blame for this season is the wrong question. The question we should be asking is, “Is Eric Wedge part of the SOLUTION to assisting this team in getting better this year AND next year?”
And to my mind, the answer to that question is a resounding no. Wedge’s act is getting stale with the players, and most importantly to ownership, really stale with the fans. At this point, I think the Dolans HAVE to fire Wedge if they plan on selling any tickets the rest of the season. They have to send a message to their fan base that they recognize this losing is not acceptable. If Eric Wedge ends up being the fall guy so the team can retain some sliver of credibility with its fans, I don’t see that as being some great injustice.
“The buzzards seem to be circling the beleaguered skipper…”
Shouldn’t have that been the Seagulls are circling?
Yes, there are a mountain of reasons why this season is not entirely on Wedge’s shoulders. However, there are plenty of reasons Wedge is an ineffective manager.
How many guys on our roster can actually lay down a bunt to advance a runner? Maybe 2. Most recently evidenced by Jhonny Peralta’s sad attempt to bunt on Saturday, and then striking out after realizing he couldn’t lay one down. Romeo ran Club Med in August and Eric run’s Club Wahoo in the spring. This team is never ready to play in April.
That’s the manager folks.
Side note, Joel Skinner, nice guy. Terrible 3rd base coach. He has a knack for sending guys when they should hold (*cough* Kelly Shoppach) and holding guys with speed. If we are cleaning house he needs to go as well.
Firing Wedge is the perfect way for Shapiro to try and start over. The last couple years, Shapiro has known that his team doesnt have all the right pieces to contend, but he also knew that if he started trading some popular vets (Peralta, Hafner, etc.) then it would look like the Indians were rebuilding again and the fans would leave in droves. Now is the time to make the changes that are necessary to get this team back into contention. They are not that far from contending in the Central, given that its a really bad division, and with some savvy moves and some better luck in the health department they could get back to the playoffs soon.
Time for speculation. Does anyone know if Willie Randolph has a job after the Mets tanked him last year? I think hes the type of guy who could give this team some discipline.
@Mark – You won’t have to worry about Skinner coaching 3rd if Wedge gets fired because Skinner will likely take over as interim manager. I doubt the Tribe will hire a Tony Pena-type to take over mid-season.
Did someone say my name?
/Eric Nies’d
I agree that not everything that has gone wrong this (and past) seasons can be attributed to Wedge alone.
That being said, certain things, most noteably the TERRIBLE starts to season, are Wedge’s fault.
I agree w/ #4 – it’s time to clean house. No one is doing their job, and this includes a lot of our “star” players.
I’m only speaking on my behalf, but it seems like the team plays without much passion…they look like they know theyre not good…like theyre expecting to have something happen again that will make them lose…they look like theyre all backups and sorta look like theyre playing passive…Vic looks like hes getting annoyed with the situation…Grady doesnt seem to be too excited about coming back…I saw his interview during one of the MIL games last week and he just seemed like he was not too interested in coming back too soon…
It seems like the team knows its bout to be blown up…and it sucks, because I think DeRo is a cornerstone you can build around…hes a consumate pro, and would be a great guy to have in the clubhouse…but he will be traded soon…and thats unfortunate…I can see where he will be a great addition for a playoff team…the team has potential, but it seems like Wedge has lost this team…when you jerk players around and have a revolving door to and from the minors, and then you try to bring those same guys up you jerked around…they tend to not want to play for you…
I am tired of the “Grind” bots we have. Just like that interview Reghi had with B Philips a few weeks back. You have to act the way they want you to, and what not….. God forbid we have a little character guys to get this team to have fun and play loose. Instead of the same boring robots that can’t show emotion. GET HIM OUTTA HERE!!!
Sounds like Jeremy is welcoming a team full of Milton Bradleys.
I’d watch that team in a heartbeat.
agreed…and I would also give them a can of Jolt before and after each inning…
…if nothing else, it would be exciting to watch…
although, its pretty redundant to give before and after, since technically before one inning is after another…
bleh. this team clouds my thoughts.
Wedge is partly to blame but come on people. Firing Wedge will help sell tickets? At this point they have to pay fans to watch this sorry team. And what potential stars are we talking about? It goes Martinez, Choo, DeRosa, Lee, Cabrera, and Sizemore and even Sizemore has fallen back to Earth as an above average player but not a superstar. That is it, there are no other stars on this team and two of them will be gone by 2011 in DeRosa and Lee. The Indians won in the 90s because they had TALENT. They did not win since because lack of talent.
Grover
@ JM – not firing Wedge absolutely will depress ticket sales this summer if this team continues to fade. The fans overwhelmingly want a change in leadership.
Until all MLB teams have similar pay rolls it’s the league’s fault they suck. Every time we build up a good player they’ll just leave us for a larger team. I love baseball but i’m sick of the MLB.
@ Marc: That is a throw-away argument. The Indian’s 2009 payroll ranks 15/30 in the MLB.
If dollar signs directly equated to wins, we would be the 15th best team instead of the worst. Or at least better than the Twins (24) and Royals (21).
I don’t care who takes over for Wedge. Sure EVERYTHING isn’t his fault… but alot of it is!!
I was at the game that we lost 14-12 to Milwaukee. He brought in Perez, Perez blew it… but he left him in… so he can keep blowing it.
I watched the whole game on Friday… he brought in Perez… Perez starting blowing it… Wedge waiting until Perez walked the bases loaded and allowed 3 or 4 runs (can’t remember exactly)… and then STARTED GETTING SOMEONE WARMING IN THE BULLPEN. Why does Aquino have 2 bad outings and get designated when Perez is an everyday pitcher with an 11.– ERA?! It is absolutely rediculous the gay love affair Wedge has with our worst players.
And explain to me how Cliff Lee can execute 2 perfect, flawless sac bunts and Jhonny Peralta craps himself every single time. Someone needs beat Peralta with his own useless bat.
i was at that game tooooo! everyone in my section felt the same way! and how about in the 9th when we had a guy on and he left Vallbuena in to bat against Trevot Hoffman!??? helllllooooever heard on pinch hitting…Garko didnt play that day he’ has a better chance then that guy …christ anybody did….
People were starting to excited about this team again… we had won 3 series in a row against tough opponents, but then lose 6 straight, 5 of which we should have won. It has become unbearable to watch. I was hoping at this point we would have won at least 3 of those 6 if not 4 or 5… and people would be excited enough for the team to make the <2 hour trip to pittsburgh this week. I will still be there on Tuesday because we have been planning to do it all year and a supplier for my buddy’s company gave us free tickets 5 rows behind the pirates dugout.
At this time last week I thought that Indians fans would outnumber Pirates fans in Pitt… but now nobody cares.
Wedge and Shapiro have both run their course. Shapiro can’t draft a kid to save his life, although he does make good trades and sign good foreign born players, and Wedge makes mistakes with the terrible players he’s been given. We need to to call up LaPorta and have him pay everyday in Left/1st. Call up brantley and have him split the time with LaPorta, get Grady back in CF, Choo just keep doing what he does without striking out so much. Trade DeRosa, Start A-Cab at SS and Valbuena at 2nd, Carroll at 3rd and pray the starters can make it through 6 innings.
The pitching needs to be totally reworked. We need to sign some guys in the offseason and Trade Peralta then. This team is terrible.
@ben I definitely agree that money doesn’t directly equal wins. However, I do believe that it’s almost impossible for a team, even if they are 15th to compete with the few bigger teams that are almost always in the race every year. Like I said, I think they can build up some younger players and get a few good seasons now and then, but they’ll never really be able to compete consistently with larger market teams. That’s just my opinion, I’m sure it could be argued against.
Wedgie is a great guy, but honestly I don’t think he is as great as Dolan does (did?). Don’t quote me on this, but I seem to recall hearing that if he were to make it through the entirety of that big contract extension he got, he would be the second-longest tenured manager in franchise history (behind Hargrove, I think). Does that sound right to anybody? Is he really deserving of that? I don’t think so. I think he was lucky for a little while when things were coming together for us a few years back. He’s not responsible for all of the Tribe’s problems this year, but he hasn’t done anything to help the situation. The players need fire under their asses, and Wedgie isn’t bringing it.
@ben I guess I didn’t make my main point in that response which is that I just don’t like how it’s unfair. I like the Browns, and although i know a few teams have a little more funding, it’s nothing like the yankees having a payroll 2.5 times the size of the Indians or 5.5 times the size of the smallest team.
Time to give Hargrove a call!! He’s lookin for a job and I’m sure he’d come back. Now if only we could find a way to get Hart from Texas….
They both have to go. I don’t want Grover or Hart back. We need completely new blood. They have some decent talent or at least prospective talent in the minors and in the bigs. Yeah injuries have sucked so far, but that happens with everyone. This whole season is a wash, blow it up right now and use the rest of the season to see what we have in guys like Laporta and others in the minors.