NewsInbox: Will Acta right the ship for Tribe?
MLB.com's Castrovince answers Indians fans' questions
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
11/02/09 10:00 AM EST
The Indians have a new manager, but it's business as usual in the Inbox. You have questions, I have speculation, blind guesses and even the occasional answer.
Let's see what's brewing this week.
I like the Manny Acta hiring. He knows a lot about our roster, and I think he will be a good manager.
-- Kenny K., Elyria, Ohio
Manny Acta!? Are you kidding me!? In what way is this a better step than keeping Eric Wedge? It makes no sense to hire a manager who already failed at one rebuilding project to take on a completely new rebuilding project. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!
-- Justin S., Nashville, Tenn.
His managerial record leaves quite a bit to be desired, but he understands the difficulties of working in a small market and he's well-respected in the industry.
But enough about Wedge.
Regarding Acta, this guy's personality really jumps out at me, and, obviously, it jumped out at the Indians. The Tribe wanted to bring in a good communicator, and they got one. Acta is a likable and charming guy, so you'll notice that all the reports about him after his introductory press conference were glowing (these things have a way of working hand-in-hand).
But what kind of manager will Acta be? I have absolutely no idea. Believe it or not, I didn't watch many Nats games the last couple years. A couple people who did, however, were Braves manager Bobby Cox and Mets GM Omar Minaya, and they both submitted to the Indians positive reviews of Acta's in-game work, to date. That has to count for something.
Basically, we are in "benefit of the doubt" territory with Acta. It's well-established that he was working with a team low on talent and high on maintenance in Washington, so I wouldn't lose too much sleep over his record. His insights into the Indians during his presser showed he's done his initial homework on this team, which is encouraging.
(Granted, not one bit of this insight couldn't have been conjured up by reading a few weeks' worth of Indians.com articles, though at least he name-dropped the mighty Nick Weglarz.)
Acta has a lot to prove, and he appears hungry to do so. The Indians' front office has a lot to prove, and it is eager to do so. You could say, then, that this is a perfect marriage, in that sense. These two need each other. And while I can't blame fans for wanting a more recognizable, proven name to take over, I think Bobby Valentine's disastrous meeting with the media during the interview process demonstrated that such wishful thinking does have its pitfalls.
Any idea if Torey Lovullo might join the coaching staff in Cleveland?
-- Jody M., Rootstown, Ohio
I think that's possible, though when I spoke with Lovullo on Thursday night, he wasn't sure what direction the Indians were going in.
Under different circumstances, Lovullo would have won the Indians' managerial gig. From what I gather, the primary reason he didn't get the job is that the Indians felt strongly about bringing in an outside voice with this hire. But Lovullo's knowledge of the Tribe's young players, his energy and his intelligence make him, in my eyes, a perfect candidate for Acta's staff. Lovullo is primed to be a big league manager someday -- perhaps soon -- and a Major League coaching position is the next logical step for him.
What can one conclude from your interview with Sabathia? He now doesn't overthrow (and maintains his composure) when he has Derek Jeter, A-Rod, and the rest of the Yankees behind him? And he couldn't have done that with the 2007 Indians? Do you interpret his remarks as admitting his own weaknesses and shortcomings, or blaming the Indians for his poor pitching?
-- Glenn B., Herndon, Va.
I thought that was a very telling comment on CC's part. This is a guy who had long had a reputation for overthrowing in emotional situations (especially when he would pitch in Oakland, near his hometown). In 2007, he was supposed to be past all that. But his postseason performance -- not Joel Skinner holding Kenny Lofton up at third or Fausto Carmona getting shellacked in Fenway -- was the No. 1 factor that kept the Indians from advancing to the World Series. It proved Sabathia still had some growing to do as a Major League ace.
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Watching the way Sabathia put the Brewers on his back and carried them to the postseason in the second half last year (when he seemingly pitched every other game) was impressive. And watching him take it to the Angels in the ALCS was confirmation that he's matured. But his comment about having that Yankees lineup working for him and taking the burden off his shoulders is an accurate one. Though he has superior stuff to a guy like Cliff Lee, he is more prone to let the environment get the best of him. For that reason, a Yankees team on which he is just one of many All-Stars is a better fit.
Sabathia recently told reporters that his departure from Cleveland and the demise of the Indians wasn't his fault. Maybe you can help me figure out who the fault belongs to. Perhaps it's the Yankees for enabling him to be greedy. Or perhaps it's Major League Baseball for not instituting a salary cap and thereby enabling the Yankees. Either way, I'm pretty disgusted by these events, and I think that if Sabathia had signed a contract extension with the Indians in 2008, much of the fire sale might never have happened.
-- John R., Fremont, Ohio
If CC had signed an extension with the Indians before the 2008 season, would that '08 team have performed any better or been any less injury-prone in the first half? Probably not. Would more fans have flocked to the games at the newly named Progressive Field? Probably not. Would the Indians have more than 20 percent of their payroll -- for years to come -- tied up into one pitcher? Definitely.
Long story short, I don't know what the Indians could have done to handle the Sabathia situation more appropriately. The guy wanted to chase every bit of his worth on the open market, and you can't fault him for that. The Indians, like every other mid- or small-market team in baseball (including, as it turned out, the Brewers) didn't have the financial flexibility to sign him long-term (though they did try), so they did the next best thing by trading him for prospects. What happened with Sabathia is a direct result of baseball's cap-less system.
The Lee situation is different, because the Indians still had him under contract for 2010, so their choices weren't as cut and dried as they were with Sabathia. And the haul brought in for Lee seems a bit riskier. Speaking of which...
After seeing Cliff Lee dominate the Yankees in Game 1, learning about Jason Knapp's season-ending injury and seeing Carlos Carrasco struggle mightily in the bigs, I can't help but think this was one of Mark Shapiro's worst trades. I know this trade is old news, but I still have a fresh wound in my heart when I watch Cliff pitch. Are my early assessments of the prospects we got in this deal at all accurate? Or am I being a nervous Nelly?
-- Nathan H., Stevensville, Ontario, Canada
I don't know about nervous Nelly, but you are being a cliché Clevelander (even up there in Canada). And who could blame you? Shapiro once called Cleveland a "traumatized" fan base, and this World Series matchup is a Halloween horror story that pours salt in old wounds.
We don't know how Knapp will turn out after surgery, and it's too early to rate Carrasco, Lou Marson and Jason Donald. All we know at this point is that it's clear Shapiro and company, after getting word from ownership that no additional payroll would be poured into the 2010 team, acted quickly to move Lee and got no immediate Major League-ready talent. Based on what we saw from Carrasco, you can't expect him to slide immediately into the 2010 rotation, nor can you expect Marson to make an immediate impact behind the plate. Knapp is years away, and Donald's ailing back prevented him from a September callup.
Because the returns aren't immediate, it's easy to point to the Indians' end of the trade at this juncture and call it a disappointment. Clearly, there is not much to like about this deal right now, if you're a Tribe fan, but it's never wise to judge a prospect haul three months after the deal is made. Practice patience, Nathan, but also know that your early skepticism is justified, particularly in light of post-trade events.
And finally...
As with every new face of an organization, I believe a nickname for Acta is in order. I propose "Tough Actin' ManActa."
-- Patch R., Columbus, Ohio
All right, then, the floor is open. I hereby submit "Manny Being Manager" and "Actavision." And when Acta announces that an injured player is coming off the disabled list, you better believe I'm going to report said player was "Acta-vated."
I also hope the American Council of Trustees and Alumni is given complimentary admission to the Party Deck in right field.
All right, I'm done. Keep those questions and nicknames coming.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
