You said it...

As we watch the Indians waste opportunity after opportunity to win the division, we all notice the mistakes Wedge is making. It's too much to ask of any one person to keep track of all of his blunders. And we all need an outlet to vent. So, here's your chance to get what's bothering you off your chest. If you have anything you'd like to talk about, please send your comments to firewedgenow@yahoo.com.

Here are this week's submissions:

Dave Yahr, Beechwood, OH:

Hey - nice blog there. But, you didn't even mention anything about him bringing Borowski in for the 10th inning. I mean, the guy is pretty much guaranteed to give up at least 1 run every time he pitches, and that's really all the Tigers would need to win with the Indians offense.

But in true Indians spirit, they get the first 2 guys on base and then Grady tries to pull a pitch low and outside and grounds weakly to first. And what's the deal with Martinez? I thought maybe he was out of his slump when he got 3 hits the other day, but he looked horrible at the plate tonight. In his first at bat he tries to pull a low outside pitch and he grounds out weakly to first. Then with runners on later, he strikes out on a pitch in the dirt. And even in the 10th with 2nd and 3rd and 1 out, he almost gets a hit down the right field line and then strikes out on an 84 mph fastball. He was nowhere close on that swing. I mean, all he had to do was put the ball in play and at least get a cheap RBI to pad his stats and he couldn't even do that. And don't get me started on Hafner. Getting called out on a pitch right down the middle and then arguing about it? The ump was really horrible tonight, but that pitch wasn't one of his screw ups.

I was at the game on Friday when Peralta drops a pop-up and they don't give him an error. Then he misses a grounder he should have got. The Yankees shouldn't have had any runs then, but thanks to Peralta, they had 2, and with the Indians, you know that's enough to beat them. And the guy has been striking out even more than usual -and mostly on pitches nowhere near the strike zone.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention Barfield. Earlier in the season when he was struggling for hits, he at least was decent when he came up with men on base. But for the last few weeks he's really looked awful at the plate. It's almost as if someone has taught all the Indians hitters how to swing at pitches out of the strike zone, especially when they have 2 strikes on them. Hard for me to believe that any team has struck out more than they have, although I hear that Tampa Bay has. But you were right about the Indians leading the league in strikeouts when they have men on base.


Dan Grill, Eastlake, OH:

I am a big Indians fan, and have been all my life, but I a totally frustrated with our manager situation. Eric Wedge does not know how to win close games, doesn’t know how to bunt people into scoring position, doesn’t know when to pinch hit for someone, and doesn’t know how to deal with players doing stupid things. There is more that he doesn’t know how to do, but there is not enough time to write about it.

Let’s start with today’s game (Sunday) against the Yankees. The bottom of the 7th inning, Peralta walks, then gets pick off of 1st base. We are down 4 runs, the bases are loaded, nobody out, a lefty is on the mound, no where for Peralta to go. How and why does he get picked off 1st base. Then after getting picked off he should have been yanked from the game.

Next in the 8th inning, runners at 1st and 2nd, Blake batting and in my opinion should be bunting to move 2 runners into scoring position with our best hitter coming to bat, but instead he fouls out to the catcher, then Martinez gets a base hit, and we end the inning with the next batter only scoring 1 run.

Next in the 9th inning, we start off with 3 hits, score 1 run, and have runners at 2nd and 3rd with no outs, and we have a hitter up that has only been in the majors for a week, and we have Lofton, and Nixon on the bench, and the Yankees have one of the best closers in the game on the mound. How do we let Cabrera bat in that situation? I realize we did not have anyone to put in to play 2nd base, but you could have moved Blake to 3rd, and Gomez to 2nd, and have your pitcher bat. You don’t have to worry about your defense if you don’t tie the game.

Among other things I never saw a manager switch his lineup around as much as this idiot does. Your 1 thru 5 hitters should stay consistent, unless someone needs a day off. When you are playing the Yankees you should have your best lineup in the game, and I did not see that today. I love Casey Blake, but his not a #2 hitter. Lofton should be playing every day, batting lead off, and I would move Sizemore to 3rd. I’m not really sure who should bat 2nd, but I would be willing to give Barfield a shot, 1 because he can bunt, 2 he has great speed, 3 he has been our best clutch hitter. One game Lofton bats 2nd, the next games he is 7th, the next game he is not in the line-up. Your 1 – 5 hitters are supposed to be your run producers, and I don’t see switching them every game. It makes no sense to me. The Indians don’t win because of Wedge, they win in spite of him, and he needs to go.

Thanks for writing (and inspiring this post)!!

FIRE WEDGE NOW!!!!!!!!!

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!! I can't take the idiotic moves Wedge makes. I can't take the poor, the non-existent situational hitting, I can't take anymore mental errors going unpunished. In what is sure to be a repeat of the 2005 season, Wedge's moves and non-moves in close games will keep us out of the playoffs!!!

Why does Wedge love to take out the best and hottest hitters in the line-up for pinch runners with two outs and the runner on first? Why does he insist on letting guys hitting 260 swing when he gets a runner on second with no-one out? I want to know how many times we've had a runner in scoring position with no outs and the next hitter has struck out. I just heard that we lead the league in strike outs with RISP.

In Sunday's game, a must win game, he starts three rookies. He starts Michaels instead of Lofton. Those were he first mistakes. Then with RISP, he does not pinch hit for any of the rookies. Why oh Why does he let Cabreara hit when he has Lofton on the bench and all they need is a hit to tie the game? Why does he pinch run for Martinez with 2 outs in the 8th when Martinez is only on first? Why does he use his only utility infielder (Barfield) as the pinch runner? Wouldn't that make it hard to pinch hit for your second baseman? After all, he's only played in a couple of MLB games. Besides, shouldn't Barfield be in in the later innings just for defensive purposes at least? Does Wedge think ahead -- scratch that -- does he think? Tonight, he takes out Lofton and puts in Michaels. Why? Lofton is one of the games best hitters since 95. He has plenty of experience with lefties. May be Wedge wasn't watching the playoff game against Seattle in 95 where Lofton got big hits against Randy Johnson -- one of, if not the hardest, left-handed pitcher for lefties to hit. He left Cabrera in Sunday's game but, pulls Lofton tonight. Are you serious? Why did we extend this joker's contract?

Why doesn't he bench Peralta? He takes a 20 ft lead with bases loaded no outs and gets picked off. Peralta should have been on the pine for the rest of the night plus tonight's game. His struck out just about every at bat in the last week, he made costly errors in Friday's game, he makes a huge mental error in Sunday's game getting picked off, and all Wedge has to say is, "They made a good play, threw behind the runner, and he got picked off," Wedge said. "Pettitte has one of the best moves in the game, and he's not going to be easy to read. Obviously, that's something that can't happen." Good play? GOOD PLAY? I could have made that play. Peralta was so far often, it didn't take a good play!! Where was he going? What was he thinking. No, it was a horrible job of base running. How can you let that go unpunished? He can't bunt a runner over earlier in the week; but, yet he doesn't get benched? What has this bush-leaguer done to help this team. The guy is in a major slump. Let Cabrera, Gomez, anyone play there other than him. I can't stand watching him play anymore. Peralta flat out sucks!!! Give me Inglett back rather than him (and he's only batting 240 in the minors). Why does he get to play every night and Lofton has to sit? What is he doing?

Just like in 2005, we are getting great starting pitching and wasting every start. All 5 guys are pitching great and we can't win. We can't score. What did we score in the Yankee series, 7 runs? Tonight, 2 runs? We get a lead-off double and Wedge doesn't even try to bunt him over. Instead, he'd rather watch his batters go up and strike-out than move the runner over.

The only way we win a close game is if we get lucky. The only way we will make the play-offs is if Detroit loses. We are going no where with Wedge.

Welcome Home Kenny!!

In one of the simplest moves this year, the Indians brought Kenny Lofton back to Cleveland. This may be the move that gets them into the playoffs. Not only will this move add a much needed boost at the beginning of the line-up; but, it added an electricity to the team and the fans. The Boston series held a lot of excitement -- near sell-out crowds, a lot of tension between Cleveland and the Boston fans, some great pitching match-ups, and a little offense. There was a special feeling back in the Jake through out that series. But, when Lofton came back, the fans went out to see him. There was an electricity on Friday night that was about the team. Cleveland is finally getting excited about this team. A big part of that is having one of our heroes back in town. There are a lot of guys on this team that the fans just don't like -- Michaels, Peralta, Dellucci, and even Blake (although he's underapperciated). Lofton is one of the guys Cleveland likes to root for. When he was here the first time, The fans loved everyone 1-9. It doesn't seem that way this year. Lofton is a favorite. He belongs here and hopefully will retire an Indian.

He's back in the city where he belongs; but, isn't necessarily where he belongs in the batting order. He needs to bat first to get the offense going. The problem is, the Tribe does not have a true number 2 hitter. What the Tribe needs is to bring Omar back and get rid of Peralta, the team would be greatly improved -- offensively and defensively.

It's great to have Kenny home again!!!

Wedge the Crack-head

Why is Wedge in love with pinch-running for Hafner in the 8th inning of a close game? He normally uses Ben Francisco. Last night there were two outs and Hafner was on first. I see two problems with this strategy. One, if we tie the game up, we lose Hafner's bat. Two, we lose Francisco's bat to pinch-hit for someone else.

The other problem with last nights game (vs. CWS), why did he pinch-hit Nixon for Michaels? These are the stupid moves that will keep the Indians out of the post seson this year and for the next 3 years. Why not bring in someone that is hitting at least 250? I understand that he wants to match-up; but, don't do just to do it. If you have no one that you can bring in that's hitting better than the scheduled batter, don't make a move. This is a situation where I would have liked to see Francisco -- but, wait, he was running for Hafner. Can't use the hottest hitter on the team now.

In tonight's game, he nade the same move and Francisco got thrown out at home on a really bad decision by Skinner. However, Garko tied the game-up and now, we've lost Hafner in extra innings. I have one question -- what are the coaches smoking before the game??? They seem to be on another planet.

And we gave Wedge a three year extension. My head's going to ex...pl...ode!!!!

C.C. No A-C-E

When I think of an Ace, I think of someone that when you see their name in the line-up, you can bet the farm that he's going to win. Someone that is going to win the biggest game of the year. Someone that is going to beat any other number 1 pitcher in the league 1-0. You need to understand, it's not a word I throw around casually. Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux were all aces in their prime. Clemens in 1990, had a 1.93 ERA, went 21-6, and had 209 strike outs in 228 innings. In 9 of his starts that year, he gave-up less than 3 runs and did not get the win. He only gave up more than 3 runs in two of his starts!! That is the definition of an Ace. That's someone I would count on winning every night he pitched. I don't even regard one of my all-time favorite pitchers, Nolan Ryan, as an Ace.

Yes, Sabathia has put up some great numbers this year. He's also has had some disaster starts. In his last two starts, he's given up 13 runs in 11 innings. In a start against Texas this year, he had a 6-0 lead, and gave up five runs on six straight hits in the sixth inning. In Oakland, he sailed for 6.2 innings and then gave-up 5 runs. That's hardly something a grizzled veteran should do. He hardly measures up to my definition of an Ace.

I don't think Sabathia has ever won a big game against another good pitcher. He will not pitch a shut-out against a good (hitting) team. Yes, he'll beat-up on bad teams, like the Reds, but, put him him in a big game and he will eventually implode.

This guy does not have the mental toughness to be a great pitcher. He will still lose his focus after he's made a mistake or after a mistake in the field. When the Tribe needs him to buckle down, is when he's at his worse. He needs to learn to control his emotions when he's pitching. I think that's part of the reason he's so bad when in pitches in Oakland.

If the Indians were to make the playoffs, which, I still don't think they will because of Eric Wedge of course, he should not be the starting pitcher. I would give the nod to Byrd, a veteran that knows how to pitch in big games. With the Dolans opening up their checkbooks, I'm worried that they are going to pay for a Porsche and only get a Ford.

Would I like to have him on my team? Sure. Do I want to pay him top dollar? No. We have Carmona showing that he is capable of being an Ace, Sowers who can be another dominating pitcher, Westbrook, Byrd, and others in the minors ready to come-up. I would rather trade him and get some much needed help. There are plenty of holes we need to address on this team and he can get a lot of help. Let another team overpay the Indians for him.

April Report Card

Well, after a full month of ball, there is still many questions the Indians need to answer.

There is no question they've improved dramatically from last year and Eric Wedge has shown that he's not comatose during games; but, still they have not proven they are as good as their record says.

The majority of wins have come against bad teams. They couldn't beat the Yankees, who are far from a good team, they shouldn't have won the series against Tampa Bay, and they've lost the series in Baltimore. They did beat the Twins and Angels, who can be play-off contenders. So, the question is, Is this team for real?

Peralta's defense is still questionable. He made two errors in the final game against Toronto and he has difficulty catching balls thrown to him. Despite all the errors he's made, Joe Novak points out that last year he had a better fielding percentage than the 2006 Gold Glove winner, Derek Jeter (.977 vs. .975).

The upside to Peralta's defense is that his bat is starting to come around. He's already had several big hits in this last couple of games, including a 5 RBI night. It looks like his lasix is paying off.

Speaking of offense, it's still a concern that the Tribe scores the majority of their runs of off home runs. They rank 20th of 30 in batting average, .259, but rank 8th in home runs. Their situational hitting is much better than last year, but that's not saying much as last year it was non-existent.

Grady stealing more, the occasional bunt, and a hit-and-run are all signs the Tribe is trying to manufacture runs. In Thursday's game against Toronto, Barfield singled to right with a runner at first. It was nice to see someone try to move a runner over and not swing for the fences.

Sizemore, Blake, Barfield, Dellucci, Garko, Michaels, and Marte are all struggling at the plate. If these guys hit like they're capable, it'll could be one of the best offenses in baseball this year. Despite Grady's slow start, he has a .400 on base percentage -- one of the top for AL lead-off hitters.

Now, more about the defense. Although we've only played a month and he's on the DL, it seems clear that Marte is not ready for the majors. Blake has played well at third. Garko has been alright at first. The team has a nice feel without Marte. If Rouse could hit, it would be nice to see him at short. And, it would be nice defensively to play Shoppach. Martinez still is struggling to throw out runners. Shoppach, on the other hand, as shown he has no problem gunning a man down and he hustles. Martinez offense, though, is making-up for his lack of defense.

The outfield is also a concern. It's nice to have Sizemore as the anchor; but, there a big holes on either side of him. Nixon isn't the fastest guy and neither Dellucci or Michaels have been impressive. Choo would be good in right; but, there is no room for him because we have two left fielders.

Speaking of unimpressive, Joe Borowski has had a rough start. The loss against NY was incomprehensible and he's been lucky he didn't blow a couple of the games against Chicago. He did have a great outing in the last game against Toronto; so, hopefully, he's turned the corner. Hernandez and Bettancourt have good days and bad. It's never a comfortable feeling when they come in the game. The one guy that has shined in the pen is Fernando Cabrera. He has a 1.23 ERA and 22 K's in 14.2 innings.

With the exception of Jeremy Sowers, our starters have done a good job. Carmona has done a great job filling in for Westbrook. Lee was rusty in the beginning of his first start, but, he looked good once he got going. C.C. and Byrd have been strong.

The Tribe starters have bee solid, they have a nice bench, and their bullpen has improved; but, the coaching and defense is still horrible.

Overall, I have to give this team a C. It's the tale of two teams. There are many positive signs and there are just as many negative signs. After a month of baseball, it's hard to say how this team will do. No one in the division -- or the rest of the league -- are playing really well; like Detroit and Chicago have done the last two years. Boston has the best winning percentage at .655 and the Indians are just behind them at .631. It'll be a good sign of how good this team is when we go into Boston and Detroit (.621).

If they play well against Detroit, they should be able to win the division.

2007 Home Opener -- The Snow Game

Once again, Major League Baseball has shown that incompetence is running rampant in the front office. Yes, those brainiacs scheduled a team that only comes to Cleveland once in '07 to a four game series in April.

Friday was the home opener for the Cleveland Indians. They were playing the Seattle Mariners. This is the most celebrated game in Cleveland all year and MLB managed to rain on Cleveland's parade. The first problem, they scheduled the game on Good Friday. It would be nice if MLB had a little more consideration for Cleveland's faithful and stop scheduling home openers on Good Friday. This really causes dilemas for people who want to be part of the celebrations and also want to keep the sacredness of this most holy day. There have been two Friday home openers in the last 12 years and they both fell on Good Friday.

Second, by scheduling the game with a team that only visits Cleveland once, they don't leave the home team any option for postponing the game. They had no business playing on Friday, but, because of the scheduling, they had no choice but to try to go ahead as planned.

I've been going to home openers ever since I was 15. I've gone to the last 15 of 16 home openers and this was the craziest thing I've ever seen. There weren't only flurries, there were actual white-outs!! There were times we couldn't see the field. That didn't stop the party in Cleveland. The bars were filled well before game time. People enjoying cold beverages on the restaurant patios leading to the Jake. And by game time, I would guess, there were at least 20,000 in their seats. Many more in the several bars/bar areas around the Jake. The fans made the best of the cold and the snow. The Indians played I'm dreaming of a White Christmas and Let it Snow during the delays. A fan ran out onto the field and made a snow angel. The grounds crew used leaf blowers to clear the snow off the field. Despite the cold, the fans had a blast!! The Indians made the best of it as well, as they took a 4-0 lead into the 5th. And then, the final blow was delivered by MLB...

The umpires did not have control over the game. With the Tribe leading 4-0, two outs, bases loaded, a 1-2 count on the batter, in the top of the 5th; they allowed Mike Hargrove to come out and argue that the batter could not see the ball. At this point, the snow was no worse than at any other point in the inning. One more out, and the game was official. Instead of telling Hargrove that they were finishing the inning and to get back in the dugout; the umps allowed Hargrove to argue until the snow got so bad, they had no choice but to stop the game. Eventually the game was suspended. Meaning, the game needed to be replayed from the beginning. The Indians lead - Paul Byrd's victory - erased. The fans sat in the cold cheering their team for at least 4 hours for nothing. It would have made sitting in the cold worthwhile to see a victory.

Despite everything that went wrong, this will be one game that everyone in Cleveland tells their grandchildren about. I can hear it now; "Back in my day, we went to Home Openers in blizzards. And we loved it!!!"

Why the Indians Won't Make the '07 Playoffs

The Indians wasted a scrappy performance by Jeremy Sowers Thursday. This game is a textbook example of why the Indians will not make the playoffs as long as Eric Wedge is the manager. I know it's early; but, what I saw (well...actually I heard) on Thursday is what I've been seeing ever since Wedge took over. He is incapable of playing small ball, which is critical when playing good teams. When facing good pitching, you have to manufacture runs and Wedge does not know how to do that; nor, does he prepare his team to do that.

The White Sox won a championship because they knew how to play small ball. They won Thursday because they manufactured runs. In the first inning, Scott Podsednik leads off with a hit. Steals second. Then Darin Erstad was able to get the ball to the right side of the infield, allowing Posednik to move to third. This is something Wedge's team has always struggled to do: advance base runners. Then Paul Konerko grounds out scoring Podsednik. Wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, one quick run. Nothing fancy, nothing spectacular, just a very ordinary run. When the Indians had the chance to do that, they failed.

It was the ninth inning. After David Dellucci walked, Jhonny Peralta steps up to the plate. He takes two horrible tries at bunting the man over. He struck out on three pitches. I don't entirely blame Peralta, although a major leaguer should know how to bunt; but, the manager has to make practicing bunting a priority. A major leaguer not being able to bunt, is like a Le Bron James not knowing how to make a free throw. Tom Hamilton, the play-by-play guy for Indians baseball, pointed out that Chicago dedicates an entire field to situational hitting in spring training. They practice stuff like bunting and hitting the ball to the right side. That's why they are so good at advancing runners. In fact, Peralta should have been benched Friday for failing to get the job done. I want guys on the team that are willing to do what it takes to win. If he's not willing to learn how to bunt, sit him and bring up someone that is. I heard that in an interview, Wedge said that he would not have had Peralta bunt in that situation. Why? Because Bobby Jenks is a good pitcher? What do you see in the playoffs; bad pitchers? I can't remember the last time I saw a team with a bad closer in the play-offs. Next time, make sure Peralta is able to do his job. Being able to do the little things is how you win games.

Another mistake he made was letting Marte hit. He had Trot Nixon on the bench. Why let a rookie hit when he has a veteran on the bench. This is a guy he brought to the team so he would have a good hitter to go to in key situations. We needed a hit in that situation, not a home run. Why pinch-hit for Garko, who has proven he can hit in key situations, and not pinch-hit for Marte? Wedge continually makes the wrong moves.

He compounded his offense mistakes with making the wrong pitching changes. In the late innings, he uses the same guys over and over again. Why let Rafael Betancourt and Roberto Hernandez pitch 3 games in a row? He still hasn't learned that you can't use relief pitchers game after game. I understand that everyone has to have their role; which is fine. But, you need to use some common sense when making decisions. If a guy has pitched in every game of a series, you don't bring him out again. First of all, their arms are tired. They can't throw as hard and the pitches are flatter. Second, Chicago had seen them twice already. They are know what to expect from these guys. So, what you have is the Chicago hitters looking for a certain pitch and when they get it, its easier to hit. Why have 12 pitchers on the roster if you're only going to use 9? He had Davis, Carmona, and Cabrera he could have used. Why didn't he use someone that hasn't pitched yet this season?

Wedge can't manage close games. His stategy is to swing hard and hope to hit the ball far. If his team can't homer, they can't score. He does not prepare his team to be able to do the little things it takes to win ballgames. He's got the talent, he just doesn't know how to use it.

Wedge was out managed once again.


"Thursday's victory also was reminiscent of so many taut contests that ended in the White Sox favor during the 2005 championship season. The White Sox finished with five hits but made the most of them through good situational hitting to manufacture two of the first three runs." Scott Merkin, reporter for MLB ~ Chicago White Sox website

Let The Games Begin!!

S-w-w-w-w-i-n-g and a miss and the '07 baseball season was on its way with Westbrook's first strike-out. Baseball is back and once again all is right with the world. It's great to hear the best radio guy in sports, Tom Hamilton again. He brightens the gloomiest of winter days. Although, there are a lot of questions for the Tribe this year, Hamilton's enthusiasm makes it hard not to be excited about this team.

Tom Hamilton and partner Mike Hegan continue their best to sell this team. They keep saying how great this team is and how excited they are about watching this team; but, it's hard to buy into the belief this team can win. There are bright spots and improvements have been made; but, they won't be enough to propel this team to the playoffs.

Even with his new eyes and being in the best shape of his career, Jhonny Peralta does not carry the weight of an everyday shortstop. While it was nice to see Wedge and Indian's management taking a proactive stance this year and prescribe an off-season work-out schedule for Peralta, he has a lot to make-up for with his 2006 performance. He was extremely poor on both sides of the ball last year. He can't get to anything hit to his left and only batted 257 -- and that was with a big surge at the end of the year. He's below average defense was acceptable to the Tribe because of his offensive numbers. Since he didn't hit last year, I don't see any benefit he brings to this team. I still can't believe the Tribe's brain trust thought this guy was capable of taking Omar's spot. It's very funny to hear the Tribe talk about how they are looking for an utility infielder that can play short day in and day out and produce if Peralta gets hurt. Shouldn't they find an everyday player that can do those things first?

To add to the left side of the infield woes, third base is another big concern. Andy Marte is hitting a blistering 204 in 74 games in the big leagues. Last year he made 6 errors in 50 games with the Indians. That means the entire left side of the infield is wide-open -- both in fielding and hitting. What is frustrating is that they have already have given Marte a spot, a player with a poor big-league while they are making Ryan Garko, a top-rated prospect with a stellar track record, sweat-out the spring. He must hope that Joe Inglett can play shortstop up to the Indians expectations in order to make the team.

Garko is going to be one of the best hitters in the majors and he's not guaranteed a spot on the team? If Garko does not make this team, it would be the biggest injustice the Tribe has seen since Belle was suspended for leveling Fernando Vina in '96. I'm looking forward to seeing him play -- all year.

Another bright spot is Josh Barfield. In the first game of the spring, he combined with Peralta to turn an amazing double play. The ball was hit softly to short. Peralta fielded it quickly and threw to Barfield who spun and with just using his arm, fired a strike over to first for the DP. It sounds like watching him play defense is going to be fun. It also sounds like he's going to create some excitement on the base paths this year -- if Wedge doesn't get in his way. He's got speed, he has National League experience (he can bunt), and boy, can he play. It'll be interesting to see if he can distract pitchers enough to allow Hafner to have a Monster year. He's one of the leading regulars this spring with a 324 average. I hope that translates into the regular season.

Speaking of Sizemore, he keeps on shining. He made a spectacular diving play, fighting the sun, on a sinking line drive. This kid is fun to watch!!

However, he's only batting 116 this spring. The numbers for the offense are bleak this year. Hafner is batting 237, Blake, 211, Nixon 200, Marte is one of the higher ones at 268. Although this is spring, those numbers are concerning. It's not good to be coming out of the spring in a slump.

However, it doesn't seem that management is concerned about starting slow. While the Tigers and White Sox have gotten off to blistering starts the last two seasons, management feels that they put too much pressure on getting off to a fast start last year. So, it looks like the Tribe will be playing catch-up once again this year -- if they ever get going. I don't understand why the Tribe isn't more concerned about this. If the White Sox and Tigers can do it -- and the Tigers were coming off a horrible year -- why isn't the Tribe wondering why they can't do it? Management is complacent with mediocrity. The Astros have finished first or second 12 out of the last 13 years and they've had four new managers. The A's went to the ALCS last year and Ken Macha was fired. Why is management happy with a manager who's team was the biggest disappointment of the 2006 season? Why don't they want to find a manager that wants to play well -- and can -- from the first game to the last?

This team is a house of cards, it looks pretty from the outside, but, the inside is ready to crumble. The starting rotation is good. The closer should be good. But, what about middle relief? Bettencourt and Hernandez aren't the bridge we need to get from the starter to the closer. They are shakier then one of those rope bridges. Our line-up with Michaels, Marte, and Peralta is far from solid. Add a manager who doesn't know how to get the most from his players and you have what the management is looking for -- mediocrity.

It's not all gloom and doom with the Tribe this year. Sizemore and Barfield are going to be fun to watch. Peralta is going to be better than last year -- but, that's not hard to predict; he can't get much worse than he was last year. The starters should have a good year. But, in the end, the won't have all the pieces they need to solve the playoff puzzle this year.

Spring Training '07

The 2007 season is just beginning and things have already started off on the wrong foot -- or should I say elbow -- once again for Dolan's Discounts.

I've been a Tribe fan for all my life. Normally at this time of year, I can't wait for the start of baseball. The season is full of hope. This is the year I'd always say. My neighbor would always tell me that the only way I'll see the Tribe in first place would be to turn the newspaper upside down. He was always right (back in those days, it was a pretty safe bet). However, this year, I'm not the least bit excited about the upcoming season. The reason -- Eric Wedge.

I'm tired of watching his teams' lackadaisical play in the field and constant errors. I'm not talking about strategy or decisions he makes during the game. I'm talking about basics. His teams are completely unprepared for their opponents. To start with, we have no philosophy for different pitchers except swing hard and often. Last year, they started off so well being patient at the plate. I was impressed. I thought that they learned something from the previous year. But, that only lasted a couple of weeks, then they went back to their old habits of swinging recklessly.

I can't watch another season full of errors that characterizes Wedge's teams. It's horrible. They make mental errors, defensive errors, and base running errors. Are these coaches doing any type of training with these players? We have outfielders that don't want to hit cut-off guys, we have fielders that boot the ball, pitchers that don't have a clue what to do with the ball if they catch it.

Speaking of pitchers, I think we are the only team that has a pitching staff that doesn't know how to hold a man on first. I can't believe major league pitchers are capable of being this bad at holding runners. To compound matters, we have a catcher that can't throw down to first. May be he should use Rube Baker's method of throwing and recite old Playboy profiles.

Even when the team can overcome it's poor play -- as they did in '05; Wedge's inexperience certainly becomes a factor. He was out-coached at the end of the '05 season when they had a chance to make the play-offs. Look at what Lou Pinella did that year with Tampa Bay. They had much worse personnel than we did, but, he had the second best record in the league that year. In that last week of the season; we saw who was the better manager.

The Indians should have gone after Sweet Lou. But, Dolan is content with watching mediocre play as long as it's cheap. And, Wedge comes about as cheap as you can get. I'm tired of hearing it's not Wedge's fault the team is not living up to expectations and that he's not under a microscope. I don't believe he's done one good thing since he's been here. I think the only reason we had a chance at the playoffs two years ago was because of Kevin Millwood. I don't believe that it was a coincidence we had the best pitching staff in the league the year Millwood spent with us; nor that we were the worst the year he left. We don't have quality coaches on this team (with the exception of Derek Shelton) and it starts with Wedge. He doesn't have the experience to be a major league manager. He has the ability to become one; but, he should be a coach for a quality manager first, such as Pinella or even Leyland.

This team has the ability to contend (which from the letters that the Indians send out, that's all they want to do) with the right manager. It's time for management to put Wedge under the microscope and see exactly everything he's not doing for this team. I know I'll be.