May 26, 2013

WFNY Podcast – 2013-03-31 – Walking Dead, Byron Scott, and firing coaches

March 31, 2013 by 4 Comments

WFNY Podcast LogoWe crowned the winner of the contest from last week and also talked some TV and gruesome injuries before getting to real sports talk.

  • Walking Dead finale…
  • Faces of Death
  • Daniel Pearl and gruesome video
  • Game of Thrones and the soft core additions
  • The Sopranos and how sex shaped Tony’s character
  • David Chase and unlikeable characters
  • Chasing Amy and Banky being anti-gay
  • Byron Scott’s trashing by anonymous sources
  • Manny Acta’s trashing last year
  • Byron Scott and the ever-younger Cavaliers fan
  • Eric Wedge and Mike Brown
  • Putting your name on criticism

Check out this episode

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Francona, Scott, and Gruden? Could You Imagine?

October 9, 2012 by 51 Comments

Think back to 2008. It was a year removed from one of, if not the best year in the history of Cleveland sports. The Browns were coming off a 10-win season. The Indians had just won the AL Central and finished a game away from the World Series. The Cavaliers still had LeBron James and were one of the best teams in the NBA. We probably took for granted just how great that year was. It seems like a lifetime ago when you consider the sad state of affairs that we are currently subjected to.

Just a year later, the Tribe was beginning their downward spiral. The Browns proved to be a one-year, schedule-aided fluke. The Cavs were still great with LeBron, but we all knew his contract was just one year away from expiring.

In 2008 the three major sports teams in this town were led by Eric Wedge, Mike Brown, and Romeo Crennel. Let that soak in for a moment….. [Read more...]

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Indians 6 Mariners 5: Beating The Grinder With Some Progressive Field Magic

May 18, 2012 by 7 Comments

When Eric Wedge was the manager of the Indians, I have to admit, I was a fan. I know I was in the minority, but I always liked the fact that he never got too high or too low. He was the same guy, win or lose. I look back at his time here now differently. He made the playoffs just once (2007) and had a winning record twice (2005, 2007) in seven years. He wasn’t exactly Rex Ryan with the media, and Indians fans never really took to him. So when he returns to Cleveland with his Seattle Mariners, it is always fun to watch him squirm.

Let us put it out there – his team is not good. Between the Minnesota Twins Monday and Tuesday and the Mariners Wednesday and Thursday, the Tribe has seen the soft underbelly of the American League and they have liked it. Actually, they have loved it. But torturing their old manager is twice the fun.

Just a quick 14 hours after dispatching King Felix Hernandez, the Wahoos took their shots at Hector Noesi. It seemed like a relatively easy task, considering how they handled Hernandez a night earlier. For the first six innings however, the Tribe offense looked like they normally do on these getaway day, putrid. Since the beginning of last year, the Indians had lost nine of their 10 weekday afternoon home games and were outscored 65-26. Their lone win was a 1-0 shutout of the Red Sox last April. [Read more...]

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Masterson finds run support as Tribe bats heat up

July 2, 2011 by 1 Comment

Justin Masterson, the Indians’ offense is sorry. Not sorry as in pathetic and inept as they’ve been for stretches in the past two months, especially with him on the mound. No, I mean sorry as in apologetic. At least, that’s what it seemed like in last night’s game, as the Tribe finally gave Masterson the run support he so desperately needed and deserved. The Tribe put up more than enough O for Masterson, who shut down the Cincinnati offense for eight innings in the 8-2 victory.

With the win, Masterson was victorious for the first time since April 26th. In those 11 starts in between wins, Justin gave up more four or more earned runs just three times. However, the Tribe was shut out four times with Masterson on the hill and only gave him 8 total runs in that stretch. If anyone could handle that adversity the right way, though, it’s Masterson.

The Indians actually (gasp) got power from the middle of their order in this one. I would say it started with Grady Sizemore, but in truth, it really starts with Bronson Arroyo. Arroyo had given up 21 homers coming into this game, and it was more of the same for the struggling Red. Grady was the first to draw blood, sending a fastball to the third row of the right-center field seats in the second. Grady added a two-out RBI double in his next at-bat, and hopefully that will get the Tribe centerfielder on track, because there’s been a whole lot not to like coming from #24 lately.

[Read more...]

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Milton Bradley’s Tumultuous Career Could Be Over

May 16, 2011 by 7 Comments

On March 17th when all pre-season stories are still exceptionally rosy, I wrote about Eric Wedge having to, once again, deal with Milton Bradley since signing on to manage the Seattle Mariners.  At the time, the quotes were all positive from both sides of the equation.  As the Seattle Mariners leave town after this weekend’s rain-soaked series in Cleveland just under two months later, Milton Bradley is gone.  He was designated for assignment on May 9th.   The Mariners, meanwhile, face the very real possibility of having to cough up the roughly $10 million remaining on Bradley’s gaudy deal.

One would have to think that this might finally signal the end of a tumultuous career for Bradley.  At 33, he would seemingly have enough gas left in the tank physically.  Mentally, it’s a completely different story.  I don’t say that lightly or with humor, either.  The lasting impression of Bradley will probably be of him getting ejected, fighting with umpires, or his actions when the Indians visited Seattle earlier this season. [Read more...]

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Eric Wedge and Milton Bradley Co-existing Fine in Seattle (So Far)

March 17, 2011 by 3 Comments

One of the strangest parts of Eric Wedge getting hired in Seattle was the reunion between the mustachioed grinder and the volatile outfielder, Milton Bradley.  Bradley and Wedge’s history began in Cleveland in 2003 and spring training 2004.  After a reported altercation during that spring, Bradley was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Franklin Gutierrez and Andrew Brown.

The major problems that Eric Wedge and Bradley had were over things like running out fly balls.  You will remember that Eric Wedge was like a little league coach – not that he was wrong – in that regard.  Bradley was also reportedly seen wearing a t-shirt that said “<blank> Eric Wedge.”  So, yeah.  He was traded. [Read more...]

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Vetting the Indians’ Bullpen

March 15, 2011 by 8 Comments

It seems to be fairly accepted wisdom that the Indians were not good last season.  There’s an advanced sabermetric statistic that does a nice job of conveying this.

It’s called “losses”, and the Indians had 93 of them.

But, for whatever reason, the Indians actually had some pretty good results out of their bullpen in 2010.  In an otherwise pathetic campaign, we were treated to a breakout performance from Chris Perez (2-2, 1.71 ERA), respectable bouncebacks from Raffy Perez (6-1, 3.25 ERA) and Jensen Lewis (4-2, 2.97 ERA), and reasonably effective showings from Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, Frank Hermann and Justin Germano.  And, in case you forgot, Andy Marte flat-out dominated. [Read more...]

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Eric Wedge: Unintentionally Hilarious Quote Machine

March 12, 2011 by 13 Comments

Mike Brown was in the media this week for being the strong favorite to land the Indiana Pacers head coaching job.  Eric Mangini, an attendee at the recent Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, was in the news this week giving his thoughts on analytics and how that could have helped him with the Browns.  The other Eric, Wedge, had to be feeling left out.  Thankfully, Paul Hoynes caught up with the former Tribe skipper after the Mariners-Indians spring training game yesterday.  And while not specifically citing “the grind,” Wedge did deliver a few classic lines which require mockery.

Hoynes sought comment on his days with the Tribe, prompting Wedgie to respond thusly: [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Braxton Miller, Skyenga, Browns Running Backs

February 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

About that next Buckeye star: “Insert freshman quarterback Braxton Miller. Like Pryor, Miller was the top rated quarterback of his class. He’s considered by most as the best dual-threat quarterback since the Pennsylvania bound Buckeye.” [Joe Dexter/Buckeye Battle Cry]

This nickname has made it big, and a WFNY writer deserves a ton of credit for that: “Earlier today Skyenga confirmed on his verified twitter page that he does indeed like the nickname of Skyenga. That was good to hear.” [Brendan Bowers/Stepien Rules]
[Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting…Patriots QB Coming Home, Belichick Takes a Shot at Mangini , Week One Cavs Thoughts

November 6, 2010 by 2 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Hoyer returns home tomorrow:  “Anyway, I remember we were at [Municipal Stadium] for the last game. People were ripping out seats and that’s what I really remember. It was the last game there, they were going to get rid of the stadium, the Indians had already moved, so everyone already knew (they were gone). Those are the memories I have of the Browns.”  Yikes. Not really what you want to remember from the team you rooted for growing up. And, make no mistake, Hoyer did root.  “I’m sure if I went back home and looked at my closet,”  Hoyer said, “I have a bunch of old Bernie Kosar jerseys.”  In an odd twist, the coach Hoyer grew up watching was — wait for it — Bill Belichick. Strange.”  [Ian Rapoport/Boston Herald]

[Read more...]

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The Mariners Love Wahoo Sloppy Seconds

October 20, 2010 by 21 Comments

First they hired Mike Hargrove. Then they dealt for the first base duo of Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez. Next they got their hands on Franklyn Gutierrez. Cliff Lee made a half season stop in Seattle in ’09. Then they actually took Russell Branyan off of our hands. And now, the coup de gras….The Grinder, Eric Wedge, has been hired by the Seattle Mariners as their new manager. He comes to Seattle with seven years under his belt, and a mustache!

Man do the Mariners love them some Wahoo sloppy seconds.

In all seriousness, Seattle GM “Trader” Jack Zduriencik has completely butchered this organization. How he still has a job is a mystery to many.

He handed a four year, $36 million contract to an aging Chone Figgins, then moved him from third to second. He moved second baseman Jose Lopez, also past his prime, to third. Both moves tanked. He traded for the cancer of all cancers, Milton Bradley, to be their cleanup hitter, and handed Gutierrez $20 million before he had proven that he was worth the money [Read more...]

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New Grind in Seattle; Milt Bradley Packs his Bags

October 16, 2010 by 10 Comments

After one year out of the game, Eric Wedge has landed on his feet and will be bringing his grindy style of managing to the Pacific Northwest.  Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated reported last night that the Seattle Mariners had chosen Wedge to be their new manager.  With an emphasis on defense and UZR, the Mariners were a trendy preseason pick to win the AL West in 2010 but finished with the worst record in the league at 61-101.  Wedge’s name had come up throughout the season for other positions with fellow cellar dwellers in Pittsburgh and Baltimore.  While no official announcement has been made, it appears the Mariners have the man that they believe can lead them out of the abyss.

[Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… Cavs Preview, Leon Powe, Eric Wedge Interviews

October 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com

Previewing the rocky situation for the Cavs this season: “The question of whether the Cavaliers are worse off after losing LeBron James is not debatable. Of course the franchise is worse off — today, tomorrow and possibly forever. The question is how far will Cleveland fall, and how long will it take to recover.

The latter is a bit misguided in the sense that Cleveland’s recent performance (at least in the regular season) is so rare it’s hardly regularly achievable. The Cavaliers won 66 games last season, becoming only the fourth team since 2000 to do so.” [Bethlehem Shoals and Tom Ziller/FanHouse]
[Read more...]

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A Faustian Bargain: To Pitch or Not to Pitch?

July 7, 2010 by 9 Comments

Let me take you back a few years, to a time before the trades of CC, Cliff, or Victor.  We still had Jhonny at SS, and the Bearded Blunder at third.  We looked like a reasonably talented, if young, team.  The promise of the 2007 playoff team was starting to emerge, though it still felt a long way off.  It was late July of 2006, and Mark Shapiro had just traded Bob Wickman to the Atlanta Braves, leaving the Indians with a hole in the back-end of the bullpen.

In all of his Wedgian Wisdom, the Grinder turned to a shy, 22 year-old rookie who barely spoke a word of English and had been with the team all of three months to assume the interim closer duties.  And in a span of seven days, from July 30th through August 5th, Fausto Carmona recorded four losses and three blown saves, shattering an otherwise promising young pitcher’s confidence for the remainder of the season.  I still haven’t forgiven David Ortiz or Pudge Rodriguez for their roles in this debacle.  But above all, I remember blaming Wedge.  After Carmona’s fourth loss–the one that put Tom Mastny (!) in the closer’s role–I think I even remember watching Fausto do something worse than cry: he stood precariously on the mound with his arms hugging his head, looking very much like a kid who wanted to give up pitching forever. [Read more...]

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Better 2010 Winning Percentage: Acta vs. Mangini

January 20, 2010 by 18 Comments

Manny Acta Eric Wedge_med

Manny Acta is inheriting a team that went 65-97 – a .401 winning percentage.  The 2009 Cleveland Browns went 5-11 – a .312 winning percentage.  Many anticipate the 2010 Indians do be considerably worse than the team that took the field a season ago.  Some feel that the Browns should be able to improve off of their four-straight wins and take steps towards actually being a respectable football team on a consistent basis.

So, with that said – which coach experiences more success in 2010?

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Eric Wedge Speaks About 2009

October 30, 2009 by 15 Comments

wedgeIn what was likely one of the toughest two-year periods for any manager, former Tribe skipper Eric Wedge invited Fort Wayne’s Ben Smith into his Richfield, Ohio home to discuss the downward spiral that took place since being one game out of the World Series in 2007.

From the trades to the backroom issues, Wedge discussed most but hinted towards the rest. 

“I know what happened the last couple of years,” he says, as Merle Haggard plays softly in the background. “I don’t broadcast it just out of respect to everybody that’s involved. Plus, you can’t really talk about that, because then it makes it look like you’re making excuses. And that’s the last thing I want to do.” [Read more...]

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The Tribe Makes Their Move: Its Acta

October 26, 2009 by 39 Comments

ActaYesterday, the Indians made their big announcement – the new manager of your baseball team is Manny Acta. I know I know, this hire is far from sexy. All I’ve heard since the news came down is the following:

“Who is Manny Acta?”

“This is the best we can come come up with?”

“How is this guy going to sell any tickets?”

“Another boring hire from a boring team.”

I feel your pain. But there are some stark realities here that need to be addressed. First and foremost, Acta was actually in serious demand. [Read more...]

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MLB News: Indians Interview Manny Acta

October 15, 2009 by 27 Comments

Nationals Rays BaseballWith John Farrell officially bowing out of contention to replace the recently-fired Eric Wedge, the Associated Press reports that the Indians have began to look at Manny Acta. 

Former Washington manager Manny Acta has been interviewed by the Cleveland Indians for their managerial opening. [Read more...]

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MLB Rumors: Farrell Turns Down Interview

October 13, 2009 by 17 Comments

John Farrell IndiansTake this for what it is worth as it is coming out of Boston, but as a follow-up the TD’s news from last night, Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell has reportedly turned down the chance to interview with the Cleveland Indians. 

This is turning into quite a he said-she said between the Indians (and Paul Hoynes) and Red Sox (and ESPN, Boston Globe, etc). 

Since serving as the director of player development – a concept that has since been apparently ignored by the Indians - Farrell would be welcomed back with open arms.  However, until we get a confirmation, everything is speculation.

Assumed to be at the top of the wishlist, this would not be the best of news.  I have a feeling this is all going to go down a similar path as it did with the Browns and all of the Bill Cowher talks from last winter.  If so, I can’t wait to see who the MLB version of Josh McDaniels will be!

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The Indians Internal Candidates for Manager

October 10, 2009 by 2 Comments

large_mark-shapiroWhen the Cleveland Indians relieved Eric Wedge of his future managerial duties back on September 30th, the wheels were set in motion for a new face of the franchise. After seven years of The Grind, many suspected that the Indians would instantly start looking outward for a fresh face to the system and the organization. Chances are however, that this will likely not be the case this coming season. Knowing the financial environment of 2009 and the current order of business under general manager Mark Shapiro, I think the odds are that the Indians will fill their new manager slot from within the organization.

Long ago, the Indians were fresh off a 74-88 record in 2002 and had just suffered through a final season of Charlie Manuel and Joel Skinner. While Mr. Manuel went on to deliver a championship this past season with the Phillies, the Indians went from within with rookie MLB manager Wedge. A successful minor league skipper, he drew immediate praise because of the sound system between him and Shapiro. After the turmoil with Manuel and Shapiro in terms of personnel decisions, a friendliness of the GM and manager roles made the most sense for the team at the time.

[Read more...]

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