I hate you.
Yes, that is right, I hate you. I hate the moves you have made, and the terrible moves that you will make in the future.
I hate that you make Mark Shapiro try to spin this awful transactions and try to make the fans believe that 2010 is going to be a good year for the organization. You really expect everyone to believe that trading six of your best players for 11 minor leaguers is going to benefit this team next year?
Look, I get the Cliff Lee deal. You probably weren’t going to be able to re-sign him. Whatever. At least get something back for him. There’s a novel idea.
But that wasn’t what made me leave the team that I have rooted for my entire life. You ran me off by dealing Victor Martinez.
Unlike Cliff Lee, I think you had a very good chance of getting Victor back. I mean he wasn’t crying after he was told he was traded because he WANTED to go. Oh, and you broke his son’s heart in the process, great job.
Rebuilding is something that most franchises have to do from time to time. Not twice in seven years, but it is part of the game. The thing is, you HAVE TO BUILD AROUND YOUR BEST PLAYERS. You can’t expect Matt LaPorta to be this team’s savior. You haven’t even seen him in action. Oh yeah, nobody has BECAUSE YOU WON’T CALL HIM UP FOR NO APPARENT REASON.
So you’re rebuilding around Grady Sizemore, which is fine. Except when he’s up for a new contract in a few years, you’ll go the cheap route and deal him for "can’t miss prospects", which apparently this team covets like no other.
I know a few teams have been having fire sales this summer, but this one hurts. Who cares if the freaking Pittsburgh Pirates give away their players for pennies on the dollar. They’re the Pirates. You own a team that was one win away from the World Series ONLY TWO YEARS AGO! Your team was expected to contend, if not win, the AL Central this year. Now you’re gonna lose over 100 games this year. Only in Cleveland would something like that happen.
So who exactly is going to pitch for your (no longer our) team next year? The ace is Jake Westbrook. Let me repeat, your ace is Jake Westbrook. A player (who conveniently has a great contract to trade next year) who hasn’t thrown a single pitch this year because he’s coming off Tommy John surgery, is your 2010 opening day starter. I love Jake Westbrook. I don’t love his elbow, and that’s what you’re gonna have to ride to "contend in 2010", as you told your marionette Mark Shapiro to feed to whatever fans you may have left.
I understand that you don’t have pockets as deep as Boston’s or New York’s, but either are Tampa Bay’s. And they were in the World Series last year, and are in contention this year in the toughest division in MLB. Did they benefit from sucking so bad they had tons of number one picks? Sure they did. But are they a small market team with owners who can’t outspend their rivals? YES.
It’s called putting the right people in the right places. It’s called not signing David Dellucci. Or Jason Michaels. Or giving Travis Hafner superstar money. Or TRADING AWAY THE ONLY PLAYER IN THE CLUBHOUSE THAT ACTUALLY WANTED TO PLAY FOR YOUR JOKE OF A TEAM.
Victor Martinez is known around the league as being a great teammate. He has a different handshake for every player on the team. Who does that? Victor Martinez does. He takes the time to talk to his teammates, to know them. Doesn’t that sound like a perfect guy to have around all of these young guys you’re supposedly going to build around? Sounds like it would be a good idea. But what do I know? I’m just a fan.
Strike that.
Was a fan.
Yes I said it. I seriously used to love the Cleveland Indians. I would defend every questionable move you guys have made from the beginning. I have told everyone I will not support the team if you moved Victor Martinez, and you did. You traded my favorite Cleveland Indian of all time. And good for him. He only went 5-6 last night with four RBI, and now he’ll actually be able to play for a team that is relevant.
I’m done with you guys. It honestly hurts me to do it, but I can’t do it anymore. You told me this was a year to contend, and three months later you spit in my face and tried to tell me it was a good thing. I don’t know what team I’ll root for, or even if I will. But I will tell you this. I will NOT root for the Cleveland Indians as long as you own the team. You got lucky in 2007 and caught lightning in a bottle, but the stars will not align like that again.
Best of luck to you and your penny pinching, media twisting ways. I never thought there would be a day where it would come to this. Ask anybody, I absolutely LOVED your team. Picked you every year with friends that you’d win the division, and lost every year (except lucky ’07). You have driven me to this.
Oh yeah, one last thing. Way to sell the naming rights to Jacobs Field. It was only a landmark, and you just couldn’t stand it that Dick Jacobs’ name was on the front of your stadium. An owner who had competent people in his front office. And you know, spent money to make the team better. And just so you know, nobody calls it Progressive Field. Nobody. Except for you, the broadcasters you pay to say it, and Progressive executives. That’s it. Seriously.
Consider this my official letter of resignation as a fan of the Cleveland Indians, effective around 3:30 Friday afternoon when I heard the news. You Dolans sure know how to run teams. It really wouldn’t surprise me if you were asking your nephew James about how to manage an organization. Because the New York Knicks haven’t been a total train wreck and laughing stock for the past eight years.
Wait, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
