Baseballbriefs.com tracking back So Long, Eric Wedge…

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.

Yeah, I thought the 22-4 game was going to be the start of a nice run for your club. I texted “We want Swisher!” to a co-worker (the NY native with whom I went to Yankee Stadium last year) in the middle of that big inning. He’d taken the afternoon of the new YS opener off and called me during the 7th to tell me you could hear ‘em chanting that through the TV at the sports bar in which he was drinking heavily.

My club gets the Baby Jesus back Friday–he’ll look great hitting in front of Morneau again–and won’t get Zack Greinke when the Royals are in town this weekend. Kevin Slowey and Sidney Ponson are Friday’s starters, which I’m hoping will be as lopsided as it looks on paper.

Man, it looks like anybody could take the Central this year.

Peralta did play third in the Winter League this offseason, and it seems to be management’s opinion that he will end up there eventually, perhaps as early as next year depending on whether Luis Valbuena forces his way into the majors. However, right now, the general consensus seems to be that third base is DeRosa’s best position, and that he is adequate at second. Asdrubal Cabrera, on the other hand is a stud fielder at second base. Let’s put it this way – moving Peralta to third, Cabrera to SS and DeRosa to second most likely weakens our defense at second and third and improves it at shortstop. As long as Peralta can provide a plus bat and make the routine plays at shortstop, I think the Tribe will keep him there. DeRosa will be a free agent after this season, and I think Valbuena will likely force his way into the lineup at second base to start next season

Crede could be just the guy the Twins need at 3B – if he can stay healthy – and that’s a huge IF. I wonder about a guy with chronic back problems signing to play half his games on concrete, but I’m sure it was the best offer he had, and the Twins certainly had a need.

Paul Hoynes is certainly one of the worst baseball beat writers for a major newspaper covering a major league team – period.

Crede debuts tomorrow against the FEDBU, but the combined line for everyone who’s played third for the Twins in the first two Grapefruit League outings is 10-for-14 with 5 runs and 2 RBI. I’ll take that.

One of the Mpls guys wrote about Andy here:
http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/christensen/2009/02/19/prized-prospect-turned-into-a-booby-prize/

Heard a bit of the Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes on a local sports talk show Wednesday talking about the possibility of moving Peralta to 3rd and The Beaded One to short, with DeRosa at 2nd. Is that likely?