A Dark Day on the Lakefront

This is what it has come to.

In the same day, all three Cleveland sports teams dominated local news and garnered national media attention, each with bizarre twists that seemingly can only happen in Cleveland – at the same time, anyway.

The Indians? They fired manager Eric Wedge…but said he and his staff will stay on to finish the season. “In this game, situations often dictate decisions, and often the blame or the change occurs in one place when the reasons for that and the accountability for that lies throughout an organization,” said GM Mark Shapiro, stopping short of resigning himself.

The Browns? After spending five months conducting a quarterback contest between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, and choosing Quinn to be the starter, Eric Mangini reversed himself and switched to Anderson. Of his new starter’s 30-minute, three-interception relief appearance against Baltimore, Mangini said, “He did some good things.” Well, so did the captain of the Titanic.

The Cavs? Starting guard Delonte West remained a no-show at training camp, somehow knocking the LeBron James-Shaquille O’Neal pairing off the front pages for the second straight day. Because West continues to battle depression and various inner demons, I’m inclined to leave this one alone.

Nonetheless, for Cleveland sports fans this was – to borrow a phrase from my favorite funny man, Lewis Black – the “trifecta from hell.” Think about it: All in Cleveland? All in the same day? Really?

Some thoughts:

Regarding Wedge, Shapiro and team president Paul Dolan were correct in the vaguely describing the firing as, well, “the tried and true way of baseball.” Right or wrong, that is how it works. When the house is tumbling down around you and you need to give the impression of making a quick fix, you fire the manager – and they did. That’s not to say Wedge didn’t have it coming. His teams’ perennial slow starts, coupled with his frequently odd personnel decisions and lineup switcheroos, have a lot to do with the current mess. But, to his credit, Wedge conducted himself with class over the whole thing. He wanted to know his status now for next year, and they told him. Case closed. He’ll move on, probably to something better. And he’ll collect $1.25 million next year, regardless. Why do I get the feeling he’s getting the good end of this deal?

Regarding Anderson…who cares, really? I’ve been in favor of giving Quinn a chance, and am not persuaded that 10 quarters of football as the starter constitutes “a chance.” On the other hand, it’s becoming apparent that Quinn is not the kind of quarterback who is capable of rallying a miserable team to play above its skill level (think Culpepper, McNabb or Vick in their primes). Passes have been sailing behind or over targets, and others have been surprisingly wobbly. Perhaps his confidence has taken a beating playing for the Browns (who’s hasn’t?), but still, he’s struggled. So it’s back to Anderson, and…who cares? Honestly, being a Browns fan in Northeast Ohio has become surreal. Since 1999 they’ve been a shell of what the franchise was before the Modell move, and it’s not unusual anymore to see Steelers memorabilia worn and displayed in neighborhoods from Cleveland to Canton and all points in between. That never would have happened in the Jim Brown-Brian Sipe-Bernie Kosar eras. But it happens now, and, sadly, people care less and less and less.

Regarding West, as I said, I’m inclined to leave this one alone. He says he’s troubled, the Cavs openly admit it, so I believe it. Getting arrested riding a motorcycle (something banned by his contract) and carrying three firearms (something banned by common sense, if not a few laws or ordinances) is a clear warning signal. West was present for media day earlier in the week, then disappeared from view. All the Cavs are saying is that GM Danny Ferry has been in touch with West and had at least one long conversation with him. His teammates are expressing support and letting him know, publicly, that he’s always welcome back. It’s all you can do, and the Cavs – Cleveland’s beacon of hope in an otherwise stormy sports sea – seem, as usual, to be handling the situation with respect and professionalism. The question confronting them is, How long can they ride out this storm before it has a permanently negative effect on the team?

Anyway, I’m amazed at all that happened Wednesday. I don’t know if September 30, 2009, was a day that will go down in Cleveland sports infamy, or what. But it was some kind of day, that’s for sure.

Tribe Shows C.C. 'La Porta'

The confirmation today of the news that C.C. Sabathia had been traded by the Indians to the Milwaukee Brewers brought recollections of the deal in 2002 that sent Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos. A flame-throwing, top-of-the-rotation pitcher who promised to be difficult to re-sign, sent packing in exchange for some solid prospects.

In Colon's case, the Tribe stole some bonafide major leaguers right out from under the Expos' (now Nationals) noses. In addition to journeyman Lee Stevens, Cleveland nabbed then-minor leaguers Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips. The company line has always been that Eric Wedge and the Indians had their reasons for parting with Phillips in 2006, but the guy would sure look good in a Cleveland uniform right about now. In his third year in Cincinnati, he's been a .285 hitter during that span. Meanwhile, Lee and Sizemore will represent the Indians in this year's All-Star Game.

In today's deal, the Indians received four minor leaguers in return for Sabathia. The centerpiece of the deal for Cleveland is Matt LaPorta (left), an outfielder/first baseman considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball. LaPorta, thought to be on the fast track to the big leagues, was batting .288 with 20 home runs and 66 RBIs in 84 games for Huntsville, Milwaukee's AA minor league affiliate. (Note to Ryan Garko: No need to check out the picture to see Mr. LaPorta. Just look over your shoulder.)

The other prospects shipped to Cleveland in the deal -- pitchers Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson, plus a player to be named later -- will be discussed by others, elsewhere, ad nauseum. The bottom line is, Sabathia's gone. And there was little that Tribe G.M. Mark Shapiro could do about it. The big lefty seems set on testing the free agent market (remember, he turned down an extension during spring training that would have paid him $18 million a year), so the Indians had to get something in return rather than letting Sabathia leave the way Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez did over the years.

This is the reality of small-market baseball. A few years ago Shapiro was pointing to 2005 as the year he expected the Indians to blossom into a contender. Sure enough, by 2007 they were again the A.L. Central Champs, and came within a whisker of another trip to the World Series. But this year it all came tumbling down, and the rebuilding begins all over again.

C.C. was solid, if not always spectacular, for the Indians over the years. His departure, coupled with injuries to Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook, leaves the once-vaunted Indians pitching rotation depleted and scrambling for cover. Such is the life of a team caught once again in the "rebuilding" cycle.

A friend of mine is a lifelong Pirates fan, and he concedes that there's no reason for the team's ownership to field a winning team. They're a small market, and fans support the team as it is -- so why go out of the way to bring in big-name talent at big-name prices? The Indians' situation is similar. If LaPorta or one (or more) of the other prospects develops, great. If not, the team (and their affiliate network, SportsTime Ohio), make money regardless. What more could an owner want?

The Big Hurt of 2008

Along with the news Thursday of Victor Martinez heading to the disabled list came the double-whammy item of Josh Barfield, he of the Monday call-up from Buffalo, heading to the DL as well. Barfield sprained the middle finger on his left hand trying to check his swing Wednesday. Poor guy couldn’t even last a week in his latest audition as the Tribe’s second baseman. So Jamey Carroll (left) takes over, and the honest truth is he’s been as dependable as anyone else in the infield. Carroll had four hits in Thursday’s drubbing of the Twins and was 8-for-9 in the three-game set to raise his season average to .273. Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal recently wrote a nice article about Carroll that’s worth a read.

Martinez’s faulty elbow came as news this week, although he’s apparently been plagued by it much of the year. Why he and the team weren’t more forthcoming about the problem earlier in the season is anybody’s guess. Has it affected his hitting? “Just look at the numbers and you’ll see,” he said Thursday. Trainer Lennie Soloff said Martinez has been playing in pain and didn’t want to come out of the lineup. Nobody does, but doesn’t there come a time when you have to pull a guy for his own good?

The Beacon Journal’s Sheldon Ocker quoted manager Eric Wedge in today’s edition as saying that “whether you shut a guy down depends on whether he is better than the alternative.” Wouldn’t the player’s overall health and well-being be more of a factor? One presumes Wedge considers that a given, but, the way the team kept sending the likes of Martinez and Travis Hafner onto the field with injuries this season, one also wonders.

Meanwhile, it comes to this: Called up from Buffalo to replace Martinez and Barfield were -- wait for it -- catcher Yamid Haad and infielder Jorge Velandia. Haad was hitting .159 with the Bisons, although he did hit .301 in 35 games last year. He’d previously been to the majors with San Francisco. Velandia, shown here wearing a Pirates hat when he was in their minor league system in 2005, was signed last month after being released by Toronto and was hitting .235 in 16 games at Buffalo. He’s also suited up for San Diego, the Mets, Oakland and Tampa Bay in his career. (Question: Should the fact that Asdrubal Cabrera was left in Buffalo be interpreted as a statement by Tribe brass about this season?)

POLITENESS AWARD: Referring Thursday to the absence of Hafner and Martinez, Ben Francisco said, “We have to be tough with our two biggest hitters out of the lineup.” It was a nice thing to say, considering Francisco has actually been the biggest hitter in the lineup.

ENCOURAGING NEWS: Grady Sizemore has been swinging a hot bat of late. He’s batted .342 (13-for-38) with three homers and six RBI during a nine-game hitting streak. . .Jake Westbrook had Tommy John surgery Thursday in Los Angeles to repair his right elbow. See you in 2010, Jake. . .Fausto Carmona is expected to make a rehab start next week. . .Aaron Laffey picked up his fourth win last night in the 12-2 shellacking of Minnesota. His ERA is 2.83. If Jeremy Sowers can make a strong showing tonight in the series opener against San Diego, perhaps the pitching will hold things together yet this season. . .Still, you have to wonder how long C.C. Sabathia will be in a Tribe uniform. Despite three straight losses by the White Sox, the Indians are 6-1/2 games out, and the spate of injuries doesn’t bode well for the stretch run. As Tribe fans learned with Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, there’s no hometown discount when it comes to star players and contract negotiations. If the Indians can get value for Sabathia as they look to 2009, you couldn’t blame Mark Shapiro for pulling the trigger on a deal that brings some solid prospects or experienced big leaguers to get things back on track.

Random Notes

The LeCharles Bentley era in Cleveland ended before it started. A mysterious tour with the Browns came to an abrupt halt Wednesday when he asked for, and was granted, his release. Go figure on this one. Bentley didn't say much, and neither did the Browns. What was said was rather cryptic, on the part of all parties. GM Phil Savage called it "a chapter that finally comes to an end," said the team had "some closure" and acknowledged that it "just didn't work out." Asked by the Plain Dealer's Marla Ridenour if he had requested his release, Bentley replied, "Why would I do that?" OK, we get it, everybody's saying the right things. But this had to be one of the weirdest odysseys in Browns history. Well, it's over. Good luck to Bentley, and Go Browns. . . .

2008 has gradually shaped up to be a season that Victor Martinez would rather forget. A .278 batting average, with no homers and 21 RBIs? Hardly Martinez-like numbers. He strained a hamstring on Opening Day, and it's clear he's never been 100 percent since. Now he's scheduled to have an MRI on a right elbow inflammation that forced him out of Wednesday's loss to Minnesota. It flared up after an awkward swing in the first inning. Manager Eric Wedge later revealed that the elbow has been an issue for Martinez for a while. The question now is whether the combination of the hamstring and the elbow might land Martinez on the disabled list. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, a tip of the cap to Aaron Laffey. The young lefthander moved into the starting rotation when Jake Westbrook was lost to injury. Laffey was honored as the AL Rookie Pitcher of the Month for May, when he was 3-2 with a 0.79 ERA. Opponents hit just .220 against him over 34 innings during the month. Overall he's now 3-3 with a 2.98 ERA, and has most likely cemented his stay in Cleveland. . . .

Apparently Stark County's Kosta Koufos made a wise decision when he chose to leave Ohio State for the NBA after just one season. Word is his stock continues to rise and that he's looked good in personal workouts for NBA teams. Winning the MVP while helping lead Ohio State to the 2008 NIT Championship was a stroke of timing genius. Todd Porter of the Canton Repository recently wrote that NBA teams are focusing on wingspan more than height when it comes to big men in the draft. In other words, the fact that Koufos is a shade over seven feet tall is one thing; but the fact that his wingspan is almost 7'6" is more significant. Koufos has excellent skills for a post player, including his ball handling and his outside shooting ability. A number of mock drafts have Koufos going in the first round -- in at least one of those, to Cleveland. He'd be an intriguing pickup for the Cavaliers, who will need to groom a replacement for Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the next couple of years. If he falls to them in the draft, it could be another gift from the basketball gods for the franchise. . . .

An interesting side note to the NBA Finals is the presence of Ira Newble on the Lakers' roster. The former Cavalier, traded to Seattle in the deal that brought Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak to Cleveland, later signed with the Lakers and is enjoying a second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. He's mostly a practice player and has logged a grand total of one minute in the postseason for L.A., but he's admittedly got the best seat in the house for the grand stage, and, if nothing else, he can boast of playing with the two best players in the league -- LeBron James and Kobe Bryant -- over the last two seasons. And Newble isn't alone as a former Cavalier enjoying the ride -- Chris Mihm is still with the Lakers, also in a benchwarming role. The two were teammates in Cleveland during the 2003-04 season.

Could the Indians' Bats Be Coming Alive?

The Indians exploded for 17 hits to outlast Texas, 15-9, in a wild one in Arlington Wednesday night. Manager Eric Wedge announced the other day that the Tribe's hitting slump was over, but that it wasn't obvious because the hits just weren't falling in, and the team wasn't winning. Well, they left no doubt last night.

Call it beginner's luck, call it the scouts not having had enough time to watch him, call it what you want, but Ben Francisco is on a tear. He was 5-for-6 Wednesday to raise his average to .343 on the season. Wherever the ball has been thrown, he's hit it, and usually hit it hard. Francisco has been a fixture in the lineup and will remain so as long as he's hitting. Amazing stat check: He already leads the Indians in doubles (13) despite having played in only half of the team's games.

Nice to see as well: Ryan Garko's 4-for-5, 6 RBI performance. He's bumped his average up to .260. Garko needs to continue his strong hitting for the Indians' offense to shift into high gear. And give David Dellucci credit. He had two more hits Wednesday, including his sixth home run, and he now has more RBIs this season (22) than Victor Martinez (20).

Speaking of RBIs, Casey Blake has managed to knock in 37 runs to lead the team, despite his low batting average. He's on a pace to drive in 100 runs, something he's never done in his career.

And what to make of Cliff Lee? The lefthander raised his season record to 9-1, while his ERA rose right with it, to 2.45. To be fair, Rangers Ballpark is a hitter's paradise, and Lee got knocked around for six runs before exiting after six, but still got the win. Over time, hitters adjust, too, so scouts are no doubt getting a line on Lee and forwarding it to their coaching staffs. It was nice to see Lee get the run support he needed Wednesday night after all the times he's bailed his teammates out this season. Here's hoping C.C. Sabathia gets the same tonight in the final game of the series.

Red Wings do it again...

A tip of the cap to the Detroit Red Wings, who defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 Wednesday night to capture their fourth Stanley Cup title in 11 seasons, and their first since 2002. They jumped out to an early lead and held off a furious Pittsburgh rally as time ran out.

But what a rally it was. Marion Hossa's power play goal with 1:27 remaining pulled the Penguins within one. Pittsburgh had already pulled Game 5 hero Marc-Andre Fleury from the net to create a 6-4 skating advantage, and they put on one last, furious attack to try to tie the game up as the seconds ticked away. Sidney Crosby's last second backhand attempt was deflected wide by Detroit goalie Chris Osgood, and Hossa's desperation attempt to tip it in trickled harmlessly across the crease as the horn sounded.

It was great theater, and a fitting end to a hard-fought, well-played series. The Penguins are young and likely to compete for the crown again next year. In the meantime, congratulations to the Red Wings, winners of the Stanley Cup for the eleventh time in franchise history.

A Snapshot of What Ails the Tribe

The Indians dropped another winnable game Wednesday, this one by a 6-5 score to the White Sox. Patrick McManamon wrote in today's Akron Beacon Journal that Eric Wedge was openly angry with his team after the game, as he should have been.

In addition to Wedge's frustration with reliever Rafael Betancourt -- something with which I have no firsthand knowledge but can't blame him for, either -- the skipper expressed disappointment, and rightfully so, with the final two at bats of the game, by Ben Francisco and Victor Martinez.

With one out in the ninth and runners at second and third, Francisco swung at the first pitch from Sox closer Bobby Jenks. The first pitch! Pop up, two outs.

Then Martinez, long the best hitter on the team, took a low and away pitch. On TV, Rick Manning mused that Jenks would waste another pitch and, if Martinez didn't bite, probably walk him to load the bases and create a force at any base.

He didn't have to. He wasted a pitch, alright -- high and outside, and Martinez bit. Pop fly to left, game over. You had to believe Manning's blood pressure rose a bit, watching that.

Let me issue a bit of a disclaimer here. I've coached sports at various levels for 30 years, most of it with kids. Yes, I've managed baseball teams. But I've never considered myself an expert at it. For that, I've attended seminars, and listened to those who have coached at levels far beyond mine. I also spent a couple of years broadcasting minor league baseball, and had the chance to talk about the game with coaches and players along the way.

One thing I've learned from it all, and tried to convey to teams I coached: When you've got a situation that's in your favor, be smart. Jenks was in trouble. Yes, he's good. But the Indians had the ideal situation. One out. Tying run on third. Winning run on second, in scoring position. Logic dictates that you work the count. Make Jenks throw strikes. Keep him on his heels. Wait for a mistake.

Instead, on three pitches, the game was over. No work. No sweat. No worries. Just, game over.

I was stunned, watching it. I'm sure Manning was stunned. The fans in the stands sure were. As Wedge himself put it, "They swung at pitches you're not going to be able to do anything with." And the Indians took that now customary long walk down the tunnel, while another opponent celebrated a win in a scene becoming all too familiar this season.

It needn't have been that way. But the Indians are shooting themselves in the foot with regularity. And it's mystifying.

I don't envy Wedge or Mark Shapiro right now. Who do you bench? Who do you send packing? What do you do to shake this team out of its lethargy before it's too late?

One is reminded of the two-bit carny hypnotist in "The Natural," who said, "Losing...is a disease."

He later added that it's "curable." For the Tribe's sake, let's hope so.