As a TEAM-centered fan, I have to keep repeating the mantra above. With today's release (er, trade) of Victor Martinez to the Red Sox, I am reminded of the great fire sale during the time that Thome and his fellow players were given the boot. I hated to see Thome go.
I hate to see Lee go, and what makes things even harder is to see and hear how much VICTOR MARTINEZ hated to go. "This is my house," he said. That is not only heartbreaking, but shows just how much the Dolans and Shapiro do NOT give a rat's rear about the team they control.
I know baseball is bigger than any one player, than any given group of players. And I know that rooting for a specific team is bigger than the players on that team. But, part of having a favorite team (for me, anyway) is finding the players that help you WANT to root for the team. Luckily, we still have Pronk and Grady, but for how long? I know what the contracts say (not specifically, just generalizing here), but that is very little consolation.
The Indians, in just a couple short seasons, have been "MANAGED" into the team of the 70's and 80's, and that is VERY unfortunate and sad for those of us that back our team to the bitter end, through good times and stupidity (er, bad times).
I would give just about anything to have the means to walk up to the Dolans, write a check and put my name on the ownership list. Shapiro would be gone. The field would once again bear the name "Jacob's Field," (even if it had to share it with Progressive due to contracts or whatever) and measures would be taken to make sure this kind of crap does not happen if at all possible.
I am not naive. I understand the business better than I communicate, and I understand the logic (if you can call it that) used in getting young, cheap "talent" in order to head off payroll problems. I'm not sure the payroll problems are as dire as we are being let on to believe, though.
And, above all of that, I love the Tribe. What happens to them happens to me, in my heart, and while business decisions cannot always be handled by following one's heart, it sure goes a long way in the overall process.
If there is any chance of rain in Cleveland over the next few days, I hope Jacobs is up there with his zipper undone, and directs as much of it as he can on the boneheads behind the dismantling of his beloved team.
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