Fire Wedge

“RESPECT THE GAME” Words Cleveland Indians Manager Eric Wedge says repeatedly.

“RESPECT THE GAME” Words athletes should live by.

“RESPECT THE GAME” Something Shapiro should do and FIRE WEDGE!

I’m done. I’ve backed Wedge for six years now and he’s done nothing but underachieve and let Cleveland fans down. Somebody needs to be held responsible for the Indians failures and Wedge is that someone.

One of Wedges’ biggest faults is his inability to win early in the season.

Now in his seventh season, Wedge has led his team to just one winning record after the first 20 games in a season. And to make it worse, his teams are a combined 29-41 for the first 10 games in a season. That’s a wimpy .414 winning percentage.

The slow starts are exhausting and they destroy team chemistry. It’s always easier to win games when you start off with an early lead, and it’s the same for the season.

I’m sure everybody remembers Wedges' one and only playoff experience. The Indians knocked the Yankees out (which is definitely the highlight of Wedges' stay in Cleveland) but what he did next is what I remember. He blew a 3-1 series lead against the Red Sox in the ALCS, but it didn’t stop there. The next season the Indians followed up with an 81-81 record. They went from being one of the best teams in the league to a .500 team. The way he lost in his only playoff appearance is terrible but the way he followed up the next season is just un-excusable.

I believe its time to give Joel Skinner a shot at fixing this season before its too late. Something has to be done and Wedge isn’t going to do it. Step up to the plate Mr. Shapiro, I know he’s your buddy, but it’s time for Wedge to go. You’ve given him plenty of talent to work with for the past 6 seasons and he’s done nothing with it. When will Wedge be held accountable?