Indians fire Eric Wedge

September 30, 3:26 PMMLB ExaminerAlex Brown

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AP Photo/Mark Duncan

The Cleveland Indians fired manager Eric Wedge Wednesday afternoon, bringing to an end his seven years at the helm of the Indians ballclub.  Wedge compiled a 560-568 record as manager, and he and his coaching staff will finish out the 2009 season before they are dismissed.  Wedge had some ups and downs over seven years, and had to deal with a few issues that were out of his control as field manager.  Ultimately though, the Indians needed to make a change as they appear to shift directions as a franchise.

Wedge’s two best years with the Indians were 2005 and 2007.  In 2005, he guided the team to 93 victories, up from 80 in 2004 and 68 in 2003.  With Grady Sizemore, C.C. Sabathia, Victor Martinez, and Cliff Lee, the Indians appeared to have a young core that would remain competitive.  2006 however was a disappointing season in which the Tribe regressed to a 78-84 record.  Wedge led them on a rebound effort in 2007 however, as the Indians reached the playoffs for the first time since 2001, losing to the Boston Red Sox 4 games to 3 in the ALCS.  A poor start to the 2008 season led to a .500 finish, and 2009 has seen even more struggles as the club may not even win 70 games.

In my opinion, Wedge is being fired based on ½ of the 2008 season.  The Indians looked like a powerhouse team after their 2007 season, but a combination of injuries to key players and inconsistent performances from others led the team to begin worrying more about saving money than winning ballgames.  Midway through the 2008 season they dealt ace starter C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers, only to go on a tear late in the season.  The Indians were in no position to win in 2009, and thus made deals involving Martinez and Lee aimed at helping the bottom line rather than the win/loss column.  My fellow MLB Examiner, Tony DeMarco, shares my belief that it's never one person's fault, and that many should shoulder the blame for a bad team. 

Though it appeared at times as if Wedge should have gotten more out of his players, the quickness with which the Indians gutted a group of core talent probably contributed to their downfall at least as much (if not more) than the decisions made by their manager.  This is probably a good move for both parties, and I expect both Wedge and the Indians to rebound just fine after a period of time.