A Letter to Paul Dolan

 

The day after the Cleveland Indians traded last year’s Cy Young Award winner, CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers, I received a letter from the team’s President, Paul Dolan, explaining the trade to his franchise’s fans.  The letter was barely read when it arrived.  A couple of days later, I decided to give it a good read.  My first reaction was correct, I should have ignored it.  Then, I decided I should respond. 

 

Dear Mr. Dolan:

 

     I received your letter explaining your recent personnel decisions, including trading C.C. Sabathia.  I would advise you to save the paper in the future.  Your fans don’t want to hear about how you tried to sign the big left-hander, nor do they want to hear about the injuries to Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, and Fausto Carmona.  Injuries are part of the game and so is free agency. 

 

     As fans, we know you wanted to sign Sabathia, but if he wanted a six or seven year deal, it’s not a good business decision for any franchise, let alone one in a mid-sized market.  However, that doesn’t make our disappointment any less.  The Indians missed the World Series, a Series they likely would have one, by one game last fall.  We were hoping this was the year the Tribe would bring home Cleveland’s first championship in 44 years.  Instead, we are watching a team that will be trying to lose less than 90 games this season.

 

     I understand that many of the fans of the Indians feel you are frugal, and do not want to spend money.  I do not share that opinion.  You invested a great deal of cash in Hafner and Jake Westbrook, as well as poured capital into the farm system.  I’m sure many people want you to throw around cash like a drunken sailor, but that doesn’t guarantee success.  The Indians haven’t won a title under your ownership, but they have made the playoffs twice, and missed two other appearances by one game apiece.  So, the Dolan regime has not been a failure.

 

    However, as fans, we don’t want letters covering your rear end.  We don’t want any more excuses.  Your father told us he wanted to win multiple titles, and I don’t doubt that the both of you have that desire.  We just want to see progress toward that end.  You have admitted that this season has not been one of progress, and dealing one of the best pitchers in baseball doesn’t seem like an end to that goal. 

 

    The letter seemed to be an immediate response to make us feel bad for your situation.  Perhaps a better reaction next time is to wait until the end of the season, so you can explain the reasons why the campaign went the way it did.  The letter sounded like a little kid whose first reaction was "I didn’t do it".  We are all Indians’ fans, and we likely will be for life.  If we could survive the teams of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, we can handle a trade that was made to avoid losing an elite player for amateur draft picks.

 

Sincerely,

 

An Indians Fan for over 40 years.

 

MW