Dan Gilbert’s letter following LeBron James’ departure may have been a mistake on his part, but it does provide a stark contrast to his neighbors on Gateway Plaza.
You see, the Cavaliers’ owners rant shows passion and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win, something that most Indian fans don’t see from the Dolan family.
You can be sure that the Indians’ front office and ownership want to win, mostly because it means more cash in the Dolan’s pockets. And even the most hardened Tribe fan will admit that is high on the list of important things to do for the franchise.
WKNR’s Greg Brinda says the Indians’ ownership likes to argue with their fans. They are constantly telling the people who buy tickets why the team can’t compete and that the economic rules of baseball hurt their chances of winning.
Guess what? The fans don’t care about the whys and wherefores; they just want to see a winning baseball team. They will point out that Detroit and Minnesota aren’t big markets, yet they have been in contention consistently over the last five years, and in the Twins’ case, even longer.
The Cavs lost their best player, and one of the sports’ best players, and the owner comes out and says he is more committed than ever to bring a winner to Cleveland.
The Indians have traded two of the best pitchers in baseball over the past three years, one of them with a full season remaining on his contract in Cliff Lee. Then, during the off-season, the ownership tells us that the best they can hope for is to contend every four or five years, when a group of young players grows together and before they will be eligible for free agency.
Which team do you think the fans feel better about?
No one expects the Indians to have a payroll anywhere near those of the Yankees and Red Sox, but fans do expect the franchise will try to win. That’s why the backlash of last season’s Lee and Martinez trades still effect attendance. Not only did the Tribe flush the 2009 season, but this season as well.
George Steinbrenner’s death this week just reminds Cleveland sports supporters of what would have happen if he had bought the Indians in 1972 instead of Nick Mileti. Steinbrenner wanted to win badly and demanded perfection, he would not have stopped until he delivered a winner here.
And he certainly wouldn’t have spent time moaning about the unfairness of baseball’s economic system.
That’s the problem with the Dolan’s, they spend more time bemoaning their fate than doing something about it.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Paul Dolan would issue a statement saying his organization’s talent evaluation in the amateur draft has been horrible and it must change? Or if he said the so-called “prime” prospects the team received in the deals for C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee have been disappointments thus far?
No one is asking for him to do it all the time. Much like Steinbrenner’s rants, if you do it too many times they ring hollow. That’s why Gilbert’s comments were so well received. It’s not as though he does it all the time.
It would be great for the Indians to show their fans that they do want to win, and it’s okay to tell your fans that. Instead, we get silence. Heck, GM and soon to be team president Mark Shapiro doesn’t really make comments any more.
Fans want to hear that owners want to win just as much as they do. There’s nothing wrong with that.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 