At his press conference last week following a loss at home to Kansas City, Browns’ coach Eric Mangini said his team needed to play perfectly to win.  Most thought he was exaggerating a bit, but maybe he wasn’t. 

 

The Browns played very well against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but a couple of key mistakes turned the good effort into another loss, this one by a 24-17 score.  They now sit at 0-3 on the season. 

 

Cleveland didn’t have the lead going into the fourth quarter of this game, but they had it one play into the final quarter.  However, the defense couldn’t hold it, and some questionable play calling on the team’s final drive led to the third straight loss to start the season.

 

Going into the game, it would have been a surprise here if the brown and orange could have any success running the football, but they ran for 173 yards, with Peyton Hillis having a huge game, gaining 144 yards on 22 carries. 

 

On a critical third down and 2 late in the fourth quarter though, the play call was a long sideline pass to Josh Cribbs which QB Seneca Wallace sailed out of bounds.  Getting the ball to Cribbs was a good thought, but running a play out of the wildcat formation or a short pass would have been a better option.  Especially since Mangini should have given serious thought to going for it on fourth down had the play failed.

 

His choice didn’t work, he chose to punt the ball away, and the Browns never got it back. 

 

The other crucial mistake for the offense occurred after Baltimore took the lead 21-17 on Anquan Boldin’s third TD catch of the game from QB Joe Flacco.  Cleveland’s first play was a missed timed pitch to Hillis which Wallace fell on inside the Browns’ five yard line.  Stuck with poor field position, the Browns punted and the Ravens turned this error into a field goal to stretch their lead to 10 points. 

 

The defense was not to be out done in the last quarter.  Matt Roth lined up the neutral zone on a 3rd and 4 play, giving the Ravens the first down they needed to run out the clock.  It killed one of the few opportunities Cleveland had to stop Baltimore in the fourth quarter. 

 

The other shot they had was a 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 27 with nine minutes to go and the Browns holding a 17-14 lead.  Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan dialed up a blitz that failed to reach Flacco, and the result was single coverage on Boldin and a 27-yard touchdown pass, beating CB Eric Wright for the umpteethed time during the game.

 

After a horrible game against Cincinnati last week, Flacco riddled the the Browns, hitting 23 of 32 passes for 262 yards, more than half of them to Boldin.    He had all the time in the world to throw, and he made the secondary pay. 

 

The question here is how was the big wide receiver open all day?  He’s their best receiver, and it seemed like the Browns didn’t bother to account for him.  Wright simply had a horrific day.

 

There is no question the Browns have improved from last season.  They were getting blown out more often than not at this stage of the season in 2009.  This year, they’ve had an opportunity to win each game, but critical errors continue to plague the squad.  They did get back to their running roots today, but still made critical mistakes to cost themselves yet another game.

 

Mangini may just have been telling the truth about his team needing to be perfect to win.  If he is, then this team is further from a winning season than we all thought.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

There are only ten games left for the Cleveland Indians.  Just ten more games in this painful season.  Ten more chances to finally improve the play of this team before they take off for the winter. 

 

Tribe skipper Manny Acta said after Tuesday’s game in which his team blew a three run lead and lost 6-4 to the AL Central Division champion Minnesota Twins that the Tribe is a young team still learning how to play.  The question here is this:  Isn’t this game 149?

 

The point is most of these players have played at least half the season at the big league level, yet they continue to make fundamental errors.  Why?

 

The AAA National Championship Game was a stark contrast, because at least in this game, the Indians’ highest minor league team played a fine game doing the little things you need to do to win at the big league level.  Why can’t the major league team do these things?

 

It’s because a losing atmosphere is permeating this organization.  Losing is accepted.  The front office makes excuses for losing.  Poor performance is written off as a learning experience. 

 

Fans accepted it last year, but have started to tune out this baseball team.  They will not tolerate another 90-loss season in 2011.  That is if they care at all anymore.

 

It was refreshing to see the Columbus Clippers win the AAA title because for the most part, they did it without a bunch of ex-major leaguers, trying to play their way back to the big leagues.  These were mostly guys on the way up.  These are players who should get a chance in Cleveland next season.  Many of them won an Eastern League title in Akron last season.  They are used to winning.

 

Naturally, it appears that only a couple of the heroes of this title team will be called up before the year, catcher Luke Carlin and closer Vinnie Pestano.  The only reason one can think of is the cost of bringing up more players is prohibitive.

 

Once again, money is getting in the way of progress for Cleveland Indians.

 

Seriously, look at the lineup the team is putting out on the field right now.  Are Mark Shapiro and Manny Acta telling us we need to see more of Luis Valbuena instead of giving Cord Phelps a shot?  Jose Constanza get take some of Trevor Crowe’s playing time?  And let’s not forget Jared Goedert at third base in place of the immortal Jayson Nix. 

 

The Tribe will tell you they don’t have space on the 40-man roster, but they could easily make some moves.  They will probably put Nick Weglarz and Hector Ambriz on the 60 day disabled list to make room for Carlin and Pestano, and they could easily designate guys like Chris Gimenez and Andy Marte for assignment to make room for more players.

 

That seems cruel to those players, but check out the transaction page of your local newspaper, other teams are doing it. 

 

And it shouldn’t be about being nice it should be about winning. 

 

In spring training, once again, the roster will be virtually predetermined and only selected young players will have an opportunity to break camp with the major league team.  And you wonder why the Tribe gets off to poor starts?

 

If Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall hit .450 in Arizona, let them open the season with the Indians.  Stop worrying about what might happen if they fail, that part of the defeatist attitude that exists at Progressive Field. 

 

Let’s start a new tradition of playing the best players.  That would help the fans be serious about the franchise.

 

MW

 

Under Eric Mangini, the Cleveland Browns have seemed to have a philosophy of having hard working players who were all on the same page, and tried to scheme their way to victory. 

 

It’s kind of the same idea Bill Belichick had when he first took over the Browns in the early 1990’s.  It was Belichick’s first head coaching job and he learned over the years that you need talent as well as good coaching to win games in the NFL.

 

Mangini needs to learn the same lesson, and quickly for the sake of this football team.

 

Professional sports are talent based.  More often than not, the team with the better talent wins the game.  The Browns have some players who can play, just not enough of them.

 

One thing Mangini has demonstrated during his tenure here is that he has had trouble with some talented players. 

 

Some of those guys were jerks, like WR Braylon Edwards, who recently was miffed with Joe Namath after the latter mentioned his problems holding on to the ball.  It’s pretty clear that Edwards was a me-first type of player.  However, what about Kellen Winslow?

 

At some point in time, you need to add talented players to the roster, and the coach needs to be able to handle them.

 

Former Browns’ coach Sam Rutigliano likes to tell the story about how he told then defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer that anyone can coach Clay Matthews, but he got paid to coach Chip Banks. 

 

Rutigliano’s message is clear.  Being able to handle the talented, somewhat difficult player is part of the challenge of coaching.  No coach gets the opportunity that all the players he has are self-motivated hard working talented guys.  Sometimes, you have to coax the performance out of these guys.

 

Right now, it appears that Mangini is unwilling to put the time in to do exactly that.

 

Former Indians’ manager Eric Wedge was the same way.  He had problems with a guy like Brandon Phillips, who is a very talented player, but didn’t fit the mold Wedge was looking for in a player.  He preferred the Casey Blake type of player, a grinder who played the game the “right” way. 

 

Blake was a solid player, but Phillips is an all-star.  And ultimately, games are won and lost by talent, not grit and determination.  It always helped Wedge that his best player, Grady Sizemore, worked very hard. 

 

This is not to say that Phillips doesn’t try, in fact, if he didn’t he wouldn’t be an all-star, but he had a different personality, and his manager couldn’t handle it.

 

Mangini seems to have the same type of attitude toward his players. 

 

Josh Cribbs is the Sizemore type of player for the Browns.  He is the team’s best player and has a tremendous work ethic.  In addition to being an All Pro kick returner, he’s the best coverage guy on special teams. 

 

Eventually, Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert are going to bring in talented, playmaking players on both offense and defense because they understand that’s what wins in the NFL.  If the head coach can’t demonstrate an ability to get along with these types of players, that will be a contributing factor in whether or not he remains coach of the Browns.

 

Coaches need to be flexible in handling players.  Belichick learned that from his experience in Cleveland.  Hopefully, Eric Mangini can figure it out quickly.

 

JD

 

They say once is an occurance, twice is a tendency, and three times is a trend. 

 

A bad tendency is rearing its ugly head for the Cleveland Browns, who have started out the regular season by losing two winnable games in the same manner. 

 

A bad mistake by their starting quarterback in the first half, and being totally dominated in the second half. 

 

With the Browns moving the ball well and with a 7-3 lead today, Seneca Wallace threw a pick six to give the Chiefs the lead.  It was very similar to the mistake made by Jake Delhomme in the opening game on the schedule, and both cost the team a touchdown.  Both games were ultimately lost by less than that margin. 

 

More disturbing is the lack of adjustments being made at halftime by the coaching staff.  In both games, the offense has not been able to move the ball, and the defense has been unable to stop what the opponents have been doing, but in their defense they are on the field quite a bit because the offense can’t do a thing. 

 

Kansas City held the Browns to less than 60 yards total offense in the second half, and once again, Cleveland went away from the running game, attempting just 26 rushes for the game for 73 yards.  The Browns also didn’t use Josh Cribbs in the running game, as he carried just once for one yard.

 

To be fair, Cribbs did provide a highlight, catching a 65 yard pass from Wallace for the Browns’ second touchdown.  However, the wide receivers as a whole still continue to have subpar performances as Mohammad Massaquoi and Brian Robiske combined to catch two passes for 21 yards.  That’s not an acceptable job. 

 

Defensively, there was no pressure on Chief QB Matt Cassel as the Browns managed just one sack, by Marvin Benard, who now has two on the season.  And they are still having problem covering the tight end as Tony Moeaki caught five balls, many in key situations.

 

However, whatever game plan the Browns have coming into the game works in the first half.  If it weren’t for the picks thrown by the starting quaterbacks, the Browns would have had an 11 point lead at the half in both games.  However, something is happening at halftime, and it is nothing good.  Either the coaching staff is thinking the opponent isn’t going to change anything to combat what Cleveland is doing, or they don’t have a good plan to stop the adjustments made by the other team. 

 

It’s either arrogance or bad scheming, and both are on the coaching staff. 

 

The defense was thought to be the questionable unit going into the regular season, but they have been just the opposite, allowing really only 10 points against Tampa Bay and just nine points against KC.  Despite some criticisms they are holding up their end of the bargain.  If you hold teams under 20 points per game in the NFL, you need to come up with victories.  Look at the early games today, teams that held their opponents to 20 points or fewer won 8 of 12 games. 

 

There were other games like the Browns-Chiefs where both teams scored under 20 points. 

 

It also has to be noted there was some strange officiating from the NFL as is usual.  Jerome Harrison’s fumble could have been overturned, and a terrible roughing the passer penalty in the fourth quarter didn’t help the Cleveland cause.  And the spot on the Chiefs’ final first down was questionable as well.  It was a bad gamble by KC coach Todd Haley that worked out. 

 

Why have replay if you are going to ignore it.  And one more comment about the rules, if you have a rule that seems to be idiotic by virtually everyone (i.e. the rule nullifying Calvin Johnson’s catch in Week 1), then get rid of it immediately.

 

Now the Browns enter the meat grinder part of the schedule meaning if they continue to make mistakes, the opposition will be a little less forgiving.  The Ravens are next on the slate, and Cleveland needs to start competing in the AFC North if they are ever going to turn things around.  Everyone thought that Eric Mangini was developing an identity for the football team, and he may be. 

 

However, instead of a tough physical football team, the identity might be one that can’t adjust in the second half.

 

JD

 

The baseball season is wrapping up soon with just a little over two weeks remaining on the schedule for those teams who will not be making the post-season, like the Cleveland Indians. 

 

It’s also time to begin speculation on who is indeed playing their last games in a Cleveland uniform.  Here is a look at a few guys who it would be surprising to see wearing a Chief Wahoo on their hat when 2011 rolls around.

 

This list doesn’t take into account possible baseball trades, that is to say deals that aren’t made with the concept of dumping salary, although outside of Travis Hafner, there is no one on the roster whose paycheck is a burden to the organization.

 

Here is one person’s list of who will be jettisoned this winter—

 

Andy Marte.  Although Marte’s pitching performance against the Yankees was a highlight to this dismal season, he will be gone following the season.  He hasn’t always been treated well by the organization (former skipper Eric Wedge never gave him a legitimate shot), he now has over 800 big league at bats and has an OPS of 629. 

 

His lifetime batting average is just .215 with 20 homers lifetime.  And when given an opportunity to play more after the trade of Jhonny Peralta, his defense wasn’t up to his usual standard. 

 

Marte will turn 27 following the season, and that would be the only reason to give him another chance, but more likely he will hook on with some other club on a minor league deal before spring training.

 

Trevor Crowe.  Many people speculate that Crowe could be a good fourth outfielder, but usually those guys have one overwhelming skill, such as the crush left-handed pitching.  Crowe doesn’t have any statistics like that, nor is he a great defensive outfielder. 

 

He hits better against righties, but still has an OPS under 700.  He looks like he might be a top of the order hitter, but his on base percentage hovers around the .300 mark.  He also hasn’t been a guy who has destroyed minor league pitching on his way up, as his lifetime minor league OPS is under 800. 

 

He’s another guy who will turn 27 this winter, but it says here the Tribe would be better off letting him go to see if he can hook on with another organization.

 

Shelley Duncan.  The guess here is Duncan will be let go to make room on the 40-man roster, but this may not be the right move.  Duncan has the great skill needed from a bench player; he crushes southpaws to the tune of an 847 OPS lifetime, with 9 home runs in 157 career at bats.

 

He’s not a good defender, but he plays hard.  He could provide rest for Travis Hafner against tough lefties, and can also play 1B or LF.  If he is designated for assignment after the season, here’s hoping the Indians quickly ink him to a minor league contract and invite him to spring training.

 

Chris Gimenez.  Not really much of a reach, but with Carlos Santana returning next season and Lou Marson on the team, there is no need for a guy like Gimenez.  It’s a testament to his hard work that he got to the big leagues, but if he’s back on the roster next season, the Indians are not a good ballclub.

 

He’s hit .163 in 160 career at bats with an OPS of under 600.  He also strikes out a ton, in fact 35% of his at bats result in a whiff.  Nor is he a particularly good defensive catcher.  He’ll wind up in AAA with another organization because he works hard and can play multiple positions, but his big league days are likely at an end.

 

MW

 

It was quite surprising news from the Indians that they plan to make Progressive Field a winter wonderland starting Thanksgiving weekend.  The ballpark will have a skating rink around the field, a fire pit on the home run porch, and an innertube slide from the bleachers according to reports.

 

At least people can have fun there in the winter, because no one had a good time watching the baseball team that plays there in the summer.  That is, if you consider winning fun.

 

The ability to make money at the park is no doubt at the core of the decision, and actually, it’s quite innovative.  Concessions will be available and it will bring cash into the pockets of the ownership. 

 

Whether they will spend it or not is up for debate.

 

Back in the 70’s and 80’s, following a poor season, the fans could at least look forward to the hot stove league to find out what Gabe Paul and Phil Seghi would do to try and improve the team.  Fans today don’t even have that to look forward to. 

 

Instead, the front office will try to tell us how great the minor acquisitions they make are and how they will provide a “veteran” presence for the young core of players.  Unfortunately, you still have to be able to play to be an influence, and lately, the guys the Tribe signed haven’t been able to contribute on the field.

 

There are some promising young players in place, both position players and pitchers.  Plus, hopefully, the team will get a healthy Grady Sizemore back in the lineup for Opening Day 2011.  Players such as Shin-Soo Choo, Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera, Fausto Carmona, and Chris Perez are a good place to start gearing up for a competitive team.

 

However, the early talk from the front office is scaling back the payroll to the $40 million range.  And that would probably mean another winter of inactivity. 

 

This team needs to sign at least one proven starting pitcher and a third baseman to be competitive and not face another 90-loss season.  They cannot go into next season with guys like Jayson Nix, Luis Valbuena, and Andy Marte manning the hot corner.  Although he’s not a great option, a guy like Tigers’ 3B Brandon Inge would be an upgrade.  So would Ty Wigginton of the Orioles, as suggested by the News Herald’s Jim Ingraham.

 

The Indians can’t go into spring training with Carmona being their only proven starting pitcher.  And no, please don’t include Mitch Talbot or Justin Masterson in that category.  You can also make the case that Carmona is not a sure thing either as he spaced two poor years (’08 and ’09) between productive ones (’07 and ’10).

 

Guys like Carlos Carrasco, Jeanmar Gomez, and Josh Tomlin have shown promise, but you can’t base a starting pitching staff around a bunch of young hurlers who have no proven track record.  Of these three, Carrasco is the guy who has the upper hand on a spot in the rotation based on his stuff and minor league experience.

 

If the ownership of the Indians really wants fans to have fun this winter, they should concentrate on improving the major league team, not on putting the Winter Olympics on at Progressive Field.  The fans are already angry with the management, and having another 90-loss season in 2011 might leave the summers at the ballpark available for a bird sanctuary.

 

MW

 

The game was going very well for the Cleveland Browns.  They were winning 14-3 in the second quarter and where playing very well until an old problem for QB Jake Delhomme raised its ugly head.  The bad interception.

 

It turned the game completely around.

 

Tampa Bay scored on the first play after the pick, closing the gap to 14-10.  Cleveland would score no more on this day, and the Browns went down to defeat, 17-14 in a contest where they outgained their opponents.  The problem was not holding on to the ball, as Cleveland committed a fumble and two interceptions, losing that battle by one. 

 

Coach Eric Mangini has to be furious following this one because holding on to the football was made a priority after the second pre-season game, and on opening day this happens.  Not to mention there were two other fumbles by the brown and orange that they recovered themselves.

 

Worse than that were the timing of the mistakes.  Besides the pick at the end of the first half, Peyton Hillis’ fumble came inside the Tampa 20 with a chance to add on to the Browns’ lead.  One turnover gave Tampa points and the other cost additional points for Cleveland.

 

Besides the turnovers, the offensive strategy was strange.  During the off-season, it appeared the team was building towards having a strong running attack, but they didn’t use it yesterday.  They strengthened the offensive line, brought in Hillis and drafted Montario Hardesty, who of course, is out for the season, to emphasize the running game.  However, they passed 38 times and only ran 23 times.  They need to get back to their strength.

 

Also, where was Josh Cribbs yesterday?  Understand that the Buccaneers have a good special teams unit which helped contain Cribbs on returns, but where was he on offense?  The All-Pro was talking about how special the package Brian Daboll put together with he and Seneca Wallace, but it was rarely used on Sunday.

 

Defensively, which was thought to be the shaky area going into the game, the Browns were solid.  Granted, they were not facing an offensive juggernaut, nor were they playing against a top flite quarterback, but the young secondary played well.  Joe Haden gave up the winning touchdown pass, but he was right on the receiver.

 

LB Marvin Benard continues to show an ability to get to the quarterback with 1-1/2 sacks, and the front seven did a good job against the run as well, holding the Bucs to 119 yards rushing on 30 attempts, 34 of those on a scramble by QB Josh Freeman. 

 

It was a topsy truvy game with the defense playing better than the offense, exactly the opposite of the pre-season.

 

This was a winnable game on the schedule and the Browns kicked it away by making mistakes.  Next week’s contest in another one they can win, against Kansas City at home.  However, the team needs to show progress and get back to playing to its strength.  This year’s Browns have an improved passing attack, but they aren’t the Saints in terms of being a passing team.

 

JD 

 

 

 

 

 

When Jim Thome left the Indians for the Philadelphia Phillies following the 2002 season, many fans in Cleveland were upset because the big first baseman had intimated that we would take less money to remain in an Indian uniform.

 

To this day, Thome still hears boos whenever he returns to Progressive Field. 

 

This weekend, Thome’s current team, the Minnesota Twins, come to Cleveland for the last time this season.  The Twins lead the AL Central and appear likely to make the playoffs yet again, and Thome has been a key contributor to their cause.

 

It’s time to stop the vitriol towards the big man, and afford him the standing ovation he deserves as this franchise’s all time home run leader, and a player who provided many thrills for the baseball fans of this city. 

 

He’s going to the Hall of Fame, and when he does so, he will be wearing an Indians’ cap. 

 

Thome is perhaps the most overlooked great player of this era.  He currently ranks 8^th on the all time home run list, tied with Frank Robinson, and he has never been linked to any performance enhancers, unlike many of the contemporary sluggers.  He also ranks 30^th all time in runs batted in.

 

He was one of the key players on the last two Indians teams that went to the World Series in 1995 and 1997, and since he left he has regularly appeared in the post-season.

 

He caught a pop up for the last out in the division clinching game in 1995 against the Orioles, putting the Indians in the playoffs for the first time in 41 years.  

 

He hit the home run to put the Tribe ahead in pivotal Game 5 of the 1995 ALCS against the Mariners.  That win gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead in the series, and the Tribe advanced to the World Series two nights later. 

 

In 2008, his home run in a one game playoff gave the White Sox the division title over the Twins.  He’s ranked in the top five in his league in dingers eight times, most recently in 2008 when he belted 34.

 

He’s finished in the top ten in the MVP voting four times in his career. 

 

And he’s still belting them out, smashing one off the top of the flagpole in Target Field earlier this week, an estimated 480 foot shot.

 

It was upsetting when Thome left because he talked about how he wanted to stay, but in the end he went for more money.  That’s no different than most other professional athletes.  However, that was almost eight years ago.  It’s time to turn the page.

 

The big guy is now 40 years old, and even though he’s been very productive this season, at that age, you don’t know if this will be his last appearance at Progressive Field, a place where he’s hit more home runs than anybody else.  He deserves to hear an ovation in this city one last time, a city that he’s given more than their share of thrills.

 

Thome is one of the remaining symbols of when the Indians were one of the best teams in all of baseball.  There aren’t many left any more, just Omar Vizquel and Manny Ramirez, who will be here with the White Sox at the end of the season. 

 

Jim Thome has been on winning teams for most of his career.  Let’s give him our thanks for the good times he contributed to with the Tribe.

 

KM

 

Football people always say that offense sells tickets and defense wins championships.  For the 2010 Cleveland Browns, that’s the reason they probably will not win more than half of their games this season.  Despite improvements at cornerback, the defense is still the team’s biggest question mark.

 

For years, the primary weakness on defense has been not being able to stop the run, and in the pre-season, it’s still an area of concern.  And if you can’t stop the ground game, it’s tough to rush the passer and use blitzes to stop the opponent. 

 

Until this area is improved, the Browns won’t be able to win consistently.

 

There is nothing wrong with starting the rebuilding on defense with the cornerback position, and GM Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren upgraded that spot with first round pick Joe Haden and by trading for veteran Sheldon Brown.  Having good cover corners allows you to blitz more often with the comfort of knowing the receivers will be handled.

 

Rookie T. J. Ward also looked impressive in the exhibition games, but the other safety spot, manned by Abe Elam has to be considered iffy.

 

The Browns certainly have quantity at linebacker, with 11 on the roster following the release of last year’s 2^nd round pick David Veikune, and while there are several solid pros, there is no difference maker.  The unit has definitely been upgraded, but there still isn’t a future all pro looming at the spot.  Marvin Benard may have the best chance to be an impact player.

 

The defensive line is filled with guys with little future, including three veterans over 30 years old in Shaun Rogers, Kenyon Coleman, and Robaire Smith.  Rogers has been a Pro Bowler.  The best of the younger guys is NT Ahtyba Rubin, at just 24 years old.  The balance of the personnel at this spot is filled with journeymen. 

 

Now Haden, Ward, Rubin, and Benard may be impact players down the road, they aren’t now, and there will be some pressure on them to step up right away if Cleveland’s defense is to improve. 

 

The other troubling thing about the opening day roster is the amount of players with 10 years of experience on a team that is supposed to be getting younger with an eye on improvement down the road.

 

There are nine Browns with 10 or more years of experience in the NFL, and 17 players who are 30 years old or more.  Many of the ten-year guys are backups, so perhaps the thought process is to have experienced backups for some of the young starters, but most of the age is on the defensive front seven.  Four of the ten-year pros (LB Eric Barton and David Bowens, and linemen Rogers and Smith) play these spots, while seven of the 30+ crowd (the previous four plus LB Scott Fujita, CB Sheldon Brown, and Coleman) are in the front line of defense.

 

There is a fine line between experience and age.  This defense is skirting that line.

 

Perhaps the experienced hands will play well early in the season, but you have to worry about how they will hold up over the 17 week season.  Maybe the front office is biding time for some of the young players. 

 

However, for all the hand wringing about the offense last season, it has improved to the point where the success of the football team depends on the defense.  If the Browns can stop the opponent from running the ball, they will be fine.  And stopping the run would be a first since the team came back in 1999.

 

JD

 

Manny Acta is suffering through the same type of season Eric Wedge had during his last season at the helm of the Cleveland Indians.  The Tribe is approaching 100 losses once again after dropping 97 games a year ago. 

 

The current team is five games below the pace set last season, although to be fair Cleveland won just five of their last 25 last season.  Still, the 2010 Indians will need to go 11-14 the rest of the season to win one more game than they did last season.  And that would make them 66-96.

 

In order to win 70 games, Acta’s crew needs to go 15-10, something that is not likely to happen based on the way the Indians are playing. 

 

Most of the optimism in hiring Acta was based on the premise that he was not Wedge, and as fans, we would finally be rid of the "Wedgespeak", talking about grinding through the season, and separating one game from another. 

 

Was that optimism warranted?  In retrospect, based on Acta’s managerial record, it wasn’t. 

 

If the Indians do lose 100 games this season, it would be the third straight season the team he managed lost 100 games.  The 2008 Washington Nationals wound up 59-102, and last season, although the skipper was let go after a 26-61 start, the Nats wound up at 59-103.  In fact, the current Indian manager has a career "winning" percentage of .389, which is a 63-99 record over 162 games. 

 

Now this isn’t a total indictment of Acta, who wasn’t blessed with an all-star roster provided by GM Mark Shapiro.  However, what he has shown in his big league managerial career is ability to handle losing. 

 

And the Indians are an organization that needs to change a culture of losing, and it seems a manager who is used to losing doesn’t accomplish this.

 

Everyone wants a skipper who is is fiery and an emotional leader, and that’s not always the right course of action.  Take a look at Joe Torre.  However, what is needed is a manager who will fight for his team, and I don’t see that out of Acta.  His players need to know that he feels winning is important. 

 

Take Sunday’s game for example.  Acta was ejected after going out to protest a poor call by umpire Hunter Wendelstadt, which SS Asdrubal Cabrera complained about instantly, and with just cause.  However, it seemed like he went out there more to keep his shortstop from being kicked out more than he did to stand up for his team. 

 

The same thing happened a couple of weeks ago against the A’s with the Tribe in a losing streak.  The umpire ruled a hit by pitch on catcher Kurt Suzuki, on a ball that ricocheted 50 feet after hitting the knob of Suzuki’s bat.  Acta protested the call calmly.  With his club playing listlessly at the time, a tantrum was in order. 

 

Again, if Acta was winning big with his approach, it wouldn’t be questioned, but he’s not. 

 

Acta seems like a good baseball man, and the Houston Astros were interested in hiring him last year in the off-season.  And surely, Shapiro will point that out in his and Acta’s defense. 

 

With the organization in a losing spiral since their division winning season of 2007, one would think a person used to winning would have been brought in to change the attitude of the players.  The Indians like to play it safe, and you reap what you sow.

 

The manager deserves credit for his patience with Rafael Perez and some of the other young players, but he has been too tolerant with guys like Trevor Crowe, who has had the second most at bats on the team despite mediocre offensive statistics.  He also has given Luis Valbuena over 200 at bats with a batting average of around .170.  But, maybe that’s a directive from the front office.

 

This is a team that needs to change directions, and needs to do it right away.  Fans are being driven away by the continued direction of the organization, and that direction continues to head south. 

 

Something needs to change baseball wise in Cleveland.  A nice start would be winning, and hiring people who have been involved in winning would be a good start.

 

MW