Cleveland Indians

Any Cleveland fan with a decent short-term memory knows that, for the past several seasons, the Tribe has experienced consistent inconsistency at third base.

Since Travis Fryman hung up his cap, the Indians have had a revolving door at the hot corner. The Indians have had four different Opening Day third basemen in the last seven seasons, none of them for more than two years in a row.

The 1999 Cleveland Indians had one of the best lineups in the history of Major League Baseball.

They had incredible individual accomplishments. Three sluggers combined for 108 homers. Four hitters had RBIs in the triple-digits. Five players scored 100 or more runs.

They became the first team in nearly 50 years to score 1,000 runs in a season.

The Cleveland Indians' best chance at a World Series ring in recent times was when they were leading 3-1 in the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox in 2007. Given the Red Sox's 4-0 slaughter of the redoubtable, but overmatched, Colorado Rockies, does anyone doubt that the Indians would have won in at most seven, if they had advanced?

This past Sunday, the Indians hired Manny Acta as their new manager. Former Washington Nationals skipper Acta was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2013.

The Acta hiring has received a mix of cheers and jeers. Some say Acta's reputation as an excellent handler of young players makes him a perfect fit, while others question the ability of a manager whose team lost more games than the Tribe did last year.

Sunday night’s ALCS game was a watershed event in my young life.

After relentlessly hating them for years and years—since before I can remember—I found myself almost kind of happy to see the Yankees beat the Angels.

No, the Cleveland Indians' team is not in the 2009 World Series. But two individual former Indians are. They're C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee.

Such are the trials of low budget outfits like the Indians. They can't pay enough keep their best players after the team-controlled six years, and are forced to trade them, or lose them in free agency.

Chiba Lotte's fans wanted Bobby Valentine back in Japan for yet another year. Chiba Lotte management didn't want to pay him.

I don't know what budget the Marines are on, but surely an MLB team, even one as cash-strapped as Cleveland, could afford Valentine's asking price.

In Mark Shapiro's quest to hire a new manager, he has said that money won't be an issue. However does that mean money won't be an issue because they won't think of hiring someone that costs a pretty penny or they would shell out the cash for the right guy?

At various points throughout the season, we try to take a bit of a step back and objectively review what has come to pass and what the future might hold for our Cleveland Indians.

We conducted a survey of Indians fans and experts at the beginning of the season, the All-Star break, and one last time when the 2009 season came to a close. Below, you will find our final conclusions on the Indians' 2009 season, based on the results of our last survey.

"What took so long?"

"About time!"

"Good, now Shapiro must go!"

"Not shocked at all."

All common responses from Cleveland Indians fans at the news that Eric Wedge has been let go as the manager.

After seven seasons as the skipper for the Tribe, Wedge departs with the club that gave him his first managerial job back in 1998 with Low-A Columbus.

He takes with him good memories, such as the success of a 2007 ALCS run and the rough and many lessons learned.