Wedge Love

[kidduck]

Wedge's future: An ownership call?

Ken Rosentahl, Foxsports

One rival general manager says the only way the Indians will fire manager Eric Wedge at the end of the season is if ownership forces GM Mark Shapiro to make a change.

Some good things are happening with the Indians, who are 21-16 since July 23. But then, some good things happened last season after the pressure lifted, and the team went 32-17 down the stretch to finish .500

Wedge does not deserve to be fired — Shapiro is more responsible for the Indians' 2009 collapse — but the manager faces two problems: The Indians' slow starts the past two years and a restless fan base that never has embraced him.


If the Indians fire Wedge, good luck finding someone better. Wedge has remained a loyal, dutiful soldier through the Indians' trades of CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. His teams have never quit, and he would become the hot manager-in-waiting the moment he was unemployed.

Link: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10011642/Royals-must-rebuild-to-win-a-World-Series

 

[Gunther]

I was not anti-Wedge before this season. Blowing defensive sets, erratic lineups every day, firing of Louis Isaac - just a few of the reasons that I'm no longer a Wedge fan. But the biggest reason is that he lost the respect of his veteran players. He has really earned my scorn this season. He needs to go if for no other reason than we need change.

For Rosenthal to write this tripe is silly. I know that ESPN has no reason to care about the Indians. I can think of at least 4 reasons why:

1. They are not in New York
2. They are not in Boston
3. They are not in New York
4. They are not in Boston

But, frankly, I would appreciate just a little more inside information if you are going to write an article holding Wedge blameless.

And as for the "hot, manager in waiting" comment - it makes me wonder what's in the drinking fountain besides water in the ESPN studios.

 

[GreasySpread36]

If the Indians fire Wedge, good luck finding someone better. Wedge has remained a loyal, dutiful soldier through the Indians' trades of CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. His teams have never quit, and he would become the hot manager-in-waiting the moment he was unemployed.

1.) Wedge's teams have repeatedly quit throughout his tenure. The 2006, 2008 and 2009 teams white-flagged it before the All-Star Break. The second-half surges are meaningless- bring a bunch of young kids up, of course they're going to bust their asses. They're auditioning for jobs the following year.

2.) "Hot manager-in-waiting" my ass. Eric Wedge will never manage at the big-league level again if and when the Indians fire him. Personally, I wouldn't hire him for a mop-job. The guy is a clod, a half-wit.

I'll tell you, if they don't fire him after this season, they might as well give him a lifetime contract. Because if the performance of the club this year doesn't warrant a pink slip, nothing will.

 

[Chris]

I was not anti-Wedge before this season. Blowing defensive sets, erratic lineups every day, firing of Louis Isaac - just a few of the reasons that I'm no longer a Wedge fan. But the biggest reason is that he lost the respect of his veteran players. He has really earned my scorn this season. He needs to go if for no other reason than we need change.

For Rosenthal to write this tripe is silly. I know that ESPN has no reason to care about the Indians. I can think of at least 4 reasons why:

1. They are not in New York
2. They are not in Boston
3. They are not in New York
4. They are not in Boston

But, frankly, I would appreciate just a little more inside information if you are going to write an article holding Wedge blameless.

And as for the "hot, manager in waiting" comment - it makes me wonder what's in the drinking fountain besides water in the ESPN studios.

All valid points, but who gives a shit about Louis Isaac? I can't believe some people really think that's why our bullpen has sucked.

 

[DougHeil]

All valid points, but who gives a shit about Louis Isaac? I can't believe some people really think that's why our bullpen has sucked.

It's the principal of it all. The firing of Issac was damn dumb. It's true that is NOT the reason the pen sucks, but geez; of all the coaches to fire and we fired Issac?

Wedge needs to go on so many levels. Why do you bat shoppach in the ninth inning? Why do you constantly change up and tinker with positions and lineups daily? We just need a new voice and face in the dugout.

 

[Chris]

You don't need to convince me Wedge needs to go. :chuckles: Just, tired of hearing about old Louis Isaac.

 

[Gunther]

All valid points, but who gives a shit about Louis Isaac? I can't believe some people really think that's why our bullpen has sucked.

There was a very good article on this by Terry Pluto (I think it was Pluto - I'd have to look it up), but basically what it says is that Louis Isaac was instrumental in helping our Latin pitchers in particular to prepare for games, and in some cases, prepare for life matters. In other words, they were more prepared for the game and more focused when they went to the mound. Rafeal Perez and Fausto Carmona were specifically mentioned in the article.

Louis Isaac was with the team over 40 years. Wedge, as Manager, had every right to fire him, but there were rumblings that he fired him because Isaac was second-guessing the way he prepared or used the pitching staff. Wedge said after the firing, "We wanted a different dynamic." Well, that's just fine. But for what reason? If it was because Wedge just didn't like him or couldn't control him, then that is Wedge being a bad leader - foreshadowing to what took place this year on a larger scale. If it was because Wedge felt whoever we have now is better qualified - uh, I would say that's just wrong.

It all points to Wedge making rash decisions under the gun - which is not a sign of good Management.

 

[DougHeil]

This comment from the article tells me this Ken Smoe has totally no clue what he's talking about:

Wedge does not deserve to be fired — Shapiro is more responsible for the Indians' 2009 collapse — but the manager faces two problems: The Indians' slow starts the past two years and a restless fan base that never has embraced him.

Shapiro gave Wedge the players over seven year's time. Wedge and the players did NOT win. Of course blame goes to everyone, but saying Wedge "does not deserve" to be fired is asinine and moronic, and I'm being nice.

 

[THamiltonIsGod]

The title of this thread made me cringe. Don't get me wrong, Wedge is a good guy...I don't doubt his leadership and character qualities. The reason I want to see him go is because of his decision making. His managing seems completely random and his philosophy seems to change on a daily basis. Basically he sucks at the "managing" part of being a manager.

 

[DougHeil]

The title of this thread made me cringe. Don't get me wrong, Wedge is a good guy...I don't doubt his leadership and character qualities. The reason I want to see him go is because of his decision making. His managing seems completely random and his philosophy seems to change on a daily basis. Basically he sucks at the "managing" part of being a manager.

So you are saying managing is a part of being a manager? Wedge failed at that a long time ago.

 

[THamiltonIsGod]

So you are saying managing is a part of being a manager? Wedge failed at that a long time ago.

Yeah that's kind of a requirement I think Wedge would be a great manager at a lower level...he'd be a great mentor for younger guys, he's just not a big league manager. I lol'd pretty hard at this guy's article when he says Wedge would be a hot candidate for another team, I really hope we fire him and another team picks him up. A division rival perhaps? That would be fantastic.

 

[AMC]

He needs lineup help more than he needs "love"

 

[elcheato]

Yeah that's kind of a requirement I think Wedge would be a great manager at a lower level...he'd be a great mentor for younger guys, he's just not a big league manager. I lol'd pretty hard at this guy's article when he says Wedge would be a hot candidate for another team, I really hope we fire him and another team picks him up. A division rival perhaps? That would be fantastic.

He was a minor league manager before he came to the bigs

 

[Chris]

He needs lineup help more than he needs "love"

He needs a rotation even more.