The Wahoo Who

When the team is winning everyone gets more credit then they deserve. The Wedge stuff on this board is unbelievable. Acta loses 90 games in a season for 3 years in a row. Then becomes a genius. Good guy but he does not pitch. The pitching is keeping this team in the game. Even though you will here about the bunts over and over again.

I would think Acta would be the first to tell you he needs horses who can produce.

He, of all people, should know.

Leyland has always said that it's the players that make a manager successful.

However, the manager also makes roster decisions and doles out the PT.

Put the current Tribe under Wedge and it's a minimum of 6 games worse.

I think Acta brings more of a National League approach to managing than anyone the Tribe has had in recent memory.

Wedge was here when the franchise turned rotten, starting with the collapse in the Red Sox playoff series. Let the arguments continue as to who shares the responsibilities for that, but Wedge has to get a good portion as the leader in the dugout. His clubs often appeared to get tighter the bigger the game.

So we then see the team plunge to the cellar of the division while unloading recognized stars and fan favorites for prospects, either in the minors or with minimal ML experience. No matter what the eventual return from these deals, the fan backlash was immense. And this is a case where the customer is always right, at least in the short term, because they don't bother going to games.

Acta is riding on the wave coming out of that chaos.

I hope his mojo just keeps on workin'.

Judy, Judy, Judy.

I think Acta brings more of a National League approach to managing than anyone the Tribe has had in recent memory.

I do agree with that.

BUT, that said, that is the direction baseball in general is going these days.

If Acta managed in the AL, during the 90s like Hargrove, he likely might have done the same thing. Steroid-era.

The Wedge stuff on this board is unbelievable.

No, rusty, it isn't.

The complaints about Wedge on this forum started in earnest already in mid 2004, at which point it was clear that he was a by-the-book, little-imagination manager. Maybe he worked well with the front office, maybe he was inspirational in the clubhouse, but over and over those of us posting here would make accurate predictions about what would go wrong with his in-game moves. That's why this Wedge stuff is not unbelievable. It may be inconsiderate, it may be with serious blinders on, it may be that we are a bunch of ingrates, but Wedge simply was nothing special as a field commander.

Perhaps he'll have success in a later gig, as does sometimes happen to managers. Maybe Acta is the benificiary of luck this season so far and when we finish 79-83 we will wonder what we were all smoking back in May.

But we are not unjustified in being disappointed with Eric Wedge's performance here.

And if for no other reason than: Brandon Phillips.

Wedge was WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG.

Acta is obviously benefitting from some outstanding starting and relief pitching, particulary from our 3-5 spots in the rotation.

However, I do agree with MtFan that Acta is pushing buttons in a way that Hargrove and Wedge never would have. MtFan is right - Hargrove and/or Wedge wouldn't have had Omar Vizquel drag bunt in that situation last night, let alone a rookie in his first major league at bat.

Good pitching and timely hitting can make any manager look like a genius and as Wedge always pointed out, the #1 ingredient to a lights out bullpen is to have starters pitching deep into games. However, and I can't really quantify it, but I just get the impression that Acta is actively managing in ways that Grover and Wedgie never did and that the team is scratching out a few wins because of it.

Detroit is losing, the Chiefs already lost, and the Black Sox won. The Triplets play later tonight...

Wedge was right about some things. GameBoy is exhibit One.

He was also wrong about some things, and IMO he was a lousy in-game manager. His teams often started very slow, I don't know if they way he ran spring training had anything to do with it or not.

Nothing personal whatsoever about Wedge, he's a hell of a good guy. I just didn't like certain aspects of his management style. I agree with VT''er that he was as bland, and by-the-book as it gets. And I recall many instances where his pitching moves infuriated me, and I usually ended up being right.

I do see Acta using some tactics to move runners and get runs in that I never saw with Wedge. I understand that statistically speaking those tactics are usually a wash versus just letting good hitters hit. But I like the perception that the manager is actively managing. And when it works it goes a long ways towards exiting the fans, getting them on the team's side if they think they have a smart competent manager who will make some moves to try to win a game as opposed to just hoping the hitters will jack a double or a homer. It's a style preference.

MtFan - one of the big differences I see in this year's team is the emphasis on aggressive base running. Not stolen bases but going from first to third and second to home (and even first to home). That sort of thing matters when you don't have the offense to out slug the other team.

Kittens now losing 6-2 to Captain Jack Sparrow's favorite team...

Kittens lose their 5th in a row to drop below .500. Detroit is one team I really enjoy seeing lose. I cannot stand them...