Comments on: So Long, Eric Wedge http://www.pronkneedsyou.com/2009/09/30/so-long-eric-wedge/ Pronk's Missing Mojo and Other Cleveland Sports Conundrums Tue, 20 Apr 2010 19:19:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Baseballbriefs.com http://www.pronkneedsyou.com/2009/09/30/so-long-eric-wedge/comment-page-1/#comment-358 Baseballbriefs.com Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:04:07 +0000 http://www.pronkneedsyou.com/?p=299#comment-358 <strong>Baseballbriefs.com tracking back So Long, Eric Wedge...</strong> Baseballbriefs.com tracking back So Long, Eric Wedge... Baseballbriefs.com tracking back So Long, Eric Wedge…

Baseballbriefs.com tracking back So Long, Eric Wedge…

]]> By: Tim http://www.pronkneedsyou.com/2009/09/30/so-long-eric-wedge/comment-page-1/#comment-357 Tim Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:08:32 +0000 http://www.pronkneedsyou.com/?p=299#comment-357 Chris Gimenez is the biggest reason that Eric Wedge has no business managing an Arby's next season. Gimenez is almost a historically bad hitter, posting an OPS+ of 33, placing him well below such luminaries of the bat as Yuniesky Betancourt (who elicited a couple of articles from respectable sportswriters decrying him as the worst player in all of baseball). What's more, he's a catcher that Wedge used in high-offensive positions. As silly as Garko playing in the outfield was, at least Garko was a one-tool player, because he could hit with enough authority to be a non-embarrassment as a corner outfielder offensively. Once Marte came up, Gimenez should never have held a bat in his hands again this season. There was no reason to put him on the 40-man roster over someone like Josh Barfield, who may not be worth a roster spot, but at least looked talented at one point and could serve as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner if necessary. I have disliked Wedge since he decided to take the first issues with Milton Bradley public and ruin Bradley's trade value (admittedly, Shapiro salvaged something out of it, but Bradley was worth more than Gutierrez and his tantrums weren't public knowledge before Wedge made them public). His insistence on using Rafael Perez in leveraged situations this year, benching of LaPorta (and now Marte), and once-again astounding underperformance just sealed a deal that should have been finished before it started. I don't really believe that managers make much of a difference to a ballclub and I think there are a few reasons why the Indians have underperformed their pythagorean expected record that aren't just Wedge-related. That said, Wedge never deserved the job in the first place and certainly did nothing to warrant seven years in it once he had it, so I'll shed no tears to see him getting to spend time with his family while drawing a seven-figure salary for 2010. Chris Gimenez is the biggest reason that Eric Wedge has no business managing an Arby’s next season. Gimenez is almost a historically bad hitter, posting an OPS+ of 33, placing him well below such luminaries of the bat as Yuniesky Betancourt (who elicited a couple of articles from respectable sportswriters decrying him as the worst player in all of baseball). What’s more, he’s a catcher that Wedge used in high-offensive positions. As silly as Garko playing in the outfield was, at least Garko was a one-tool player, because he could hit with enough authority to be a non-embarrassment as a corner outfielder offensively. Once Marte came up, Gimenez should never have held a bat in his hands again this season. There was no reason to put him on the 40-man roster over someone like Josh Barfield, who may not be worth a roster spot, but at least looked talented at one point and could serve as a defensive replacement or pinch-runner if necessary.

I have disliked Wedge since he decided to take the first issues with Milton Bradley public and ruin Bradley’s trade value (admittedly, Shapiro salvaged something out of it, but Bradley was worth more than Gutierrez and his tantrums weren’t public knowledge before Wedge made them public). His insistence on using Rafael Perez in leveraged situations this year, benching of LaPorta (and now Marte), and once-again astounding underperformance just sealed a deal that should have been finished before it started.

I don’t really believe that managers make much of a difference to a ballclub and I think there are a few reasons why the Indians have underperformed their pythagorean expected record that aren’t just Wedge-related. That said, Wedge never deserved the job in the first place and certainly did nothing to warrant seven years in it once he had it, so I’ll shed no tears to see him getting to spend time with his family while drawing a seven-figure salary for 2010.

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