Manny Acta signs three-year deal with the Indians.

[outacontrol music]

Wedge to be fired at 1:20pm today.

 

[kiddin like jason]

I'm not sure why you do that with six games left, but alright.

I haven't watched a game since football started.

 

[belle155]

so glad this season is over. i dont know how many games i couldnt get rid of tickets FOR FREE. no one wants to watch such a sorry team. i liked going with afew people if the weather was nice just for somethin to do but seriously... this city deserves a winner . so glad its almost time for tip off

 

[kiddin like jason]

As expected, the Eric Wedge era is over.
Wedge and his entire coaching staff have been dismissed. A press conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET today at Progressive Field to announce the moves.

It is my understanding that Wedge has known about the move for several days, while the coaches -- including hitting coach Derek Shelton, pitching coach Carl Willis, bullpen coach Chuck Hernandez, first-base coach Luis Rivera and third-base coach Joel Skinner -- were informed following Tuesday's rainout.

Wedge and his coaches are all expected to remain aboard for the season's final six games, which includes today's doubleheader against the White Sox and the four-game trip to Boston to close out the year.

The Indians will still be on the hook to pay Wedge somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.3 million in 2010.

Larry and Paul Dolan met with Shapiro and assistant GM Chris Antonetti over the last few weeks to discuss many topics, with the managerial situation a major item on the agenda. It had been speculated that ownership would push the front office for a managerial change.

Regarding Wedge's eventual replacement, an internal hire is considered highly unlikely. If that's the case, then the Tribe will go outside the organization to hire its manager for the first time since John McNamara took over in 1990.

It is possible that some members of the staff will stay aboard, if the new manager sees fit.

In seven seasons, Wedge has compiled a record of 560-568, with one division title and playoff appearance in 2007, when the Indians finished one win shy of the World Series. Among the 39 full-time managers in Tribe history, Wedge ranks fifth in wins, third in losses and fourth in games managed.
Plenty more to come on Indians.com today and tonight.

 

[al3xis]

I guess it was time.

 

[outacontrol music]

The ownership is horrible though.

Shapiro and Wedge's hands were tied.




No talent = no competing.

 

[kiddin like jason]

No talent = no competing.
You said, "no talent."

 

[thekillerj23]

Originally Posted by outacontrol music

The ownership is horrible though.

Shapiro and Wedge's hands were tied.




No talent = no competing.

My exact thoughts, you can't do anything with DOLAN'S DISCOUNTS

I would be shocked if anybody went to the double-header today, especially with the garbage weather outsidie

Glad the Season is finally over in couple more days

 

[outacontrol music]

 

[kiddin like jason]

So where do the Indians go from here? There is a lot of buzz that Boston Red Sox Pitching Coach John Farrell is the leading candidate for the job. At this point, he is the clear frontrunner for the job. It was reported by Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal a few days ago that Farrell has a clause in his contract which would prevent him from seeking another job opportunity this offseason, but it is very possible that the clause could be waived in light of an opportunity for a promotional move from pitching coach to manager. If Farrell is interested in seeking the opening as the Indians' manager, at this point there appears to be no reason why the Red Sox would not let him pursue the job opportunity.

Farrell would be a very good choice. The Indians ideally do not want a complete outsider to be added to the coaching mix since they would want someone to come on board who is familiar with their philosophy. This is not a requirement as at this point they will likely explore all manager options available to them, but it is something they prefer. Farrell is a former player in the organization and was the Farm Director from 2001 to 2006, joining the front office when Shapiro was promoted to General Manager. With Farrell coming from a very successful Red Sox organization, he can also help give the Indians some new insight and views based on his experiences working in Boston.

There has also been some talk of Mike Hargrove coming back as he expressed interest in a recent radio interview of wanting to manage again. Whether or not the interest is mutual from the Indians perspective is unknown at this point, but while becoming the manager again may not be likely for Hargrove it is a possibility he could be named a bench coach for Farrell or whoever assumes the manager role.

Once the manager is named, look for Triple-A Columbus Manager Torey Lovullo to be added as a coach in some capacity, likely the third base coach. Lovullo also will receive strong consideration for the manager opening, though he would seem to be down a little on the Indians' priority list at this point.

Also, Triple-A Columbus Pitching Coach Scott Radinsky looks to be almost a given to assume the pitching coach duties no matter who the manager ends up being. Radinsky is well received in the system and one of the better pitching coaches in the minors. He also has an excellent rapport with his players, and is very familiar with every pitcher who should make up a very young staff in Cleveland in 2010 and beyond.
I love the Farrell, Lovullo and Radinsky ideas.

I wouldn't be surprised if Travis Fryman's name is thrown around, also.

 

[the stoic paisano]

Fryman supposedly wants no part of a ML managerial job until his kids are older.

And every talking head in Cleveland is gonna !@@#@ that Lovullo/Radinsky are the next Skinner/Willlis (or Wedge/Willis) because they came out of the minorleague system.

They'd rather have Sandy Alomar and Omar Vizquel coaching. Feh.

 

[DeadsetAce]

so shapiro didn't want to fire wedge...but the owners made him do it anyway. that's lame.

 

[kiddin like jason]

GM Mark Shapiro met with reporters today, following Manny Acta's formal interview for the Tribe's managerial vacancy, and revealed that four candidates are in the hunt for the job.
Acta, the former Nationals skipper, is, of course, a finalist.

The remaining internal candidate is not Travis Fryman, as had been speculated elsewhere, but Triple-A manager Torey Lovullo. Lovullo will interview on Friday.

Former Mets and Rangers manager and current ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine is also in the mix. Shapiro was not yet sure when Valentine will be coming to Cleveland, but it will be sometime this week.

Finally, there is another candidate whose identity Shapiro did not reveal. Shapiro just said that this candidate currently has other responsibilities -- the implication being that he is still involved in the postseason. Though Shapiro didn't say so, Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly is that guy. The Dodgers are down 3-1 to the Phillies in the NLCS, so he could be available to interview soon.
While it's believed these are the final four candidates, there is a chance that one or two others may emerge late. For now, it's down to Acta, Lovullo, Valentine and Mattingly.

CLEVELAND (AP)-Manny Acta led off the second round of interviews to be Cleveland's next manager. The heavy hitters are coming up.
Acta, fired by the Washington Nationals in July after 2 1/2 rebuilding seasons, spent nearly eight hours meeting with Indians owners Larry and Paul Dolan, general manager Mark Shapiro and others on Tuesday at Progressive Field as the team searches for Eric Wedge's successor.

Acta was the first candidate to get a face-to-face interview with the Indians, who plan to meet with former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine and Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly. Torey Lovullo, Cleveland's Triple-A manager in Columbus, interviews on Friday.

Shapiro said the team, which conducted phone interviews with as many as 10 candidates last week during meetings in Goodyear, Ariz., is considering two other finalists he declined to identify. Shapiro wasn't sure when Valentine, who took the Mets to the World Series in 2000, would come to Cleveland. The team is trying to work around his obligations as an ESPN analyst.

Shapiro also did not disclose Mattingly as one of his candidates, but the former Yankees All-Star first baseman confirmed he spoke with the Indians last week and will talk to them again. Mattingly, who has no managing experience, said he also has been approached by Washington about their opening.

"I've wanted to manage for a long time," Mattingly said as the Dodgers, trailing 3-1 in the NLCS to Philadelphia, prepared for Game 4 on Wednesday. "When the opportunity knocks, you kick the door down. I'm flattered there are organizations that are interested. I've been through what it takes to get from one place to another."

Shapiro also said he spoke with both former Indians manager Mike Hargrove and former third baseman Travis Fryman, and although either would be a popular hire with Cleveland fans, neither are finalists.

"Mike is a guy I have immense respect for and appreciation of," Shapiro said. "I made the decision that at this time it just wasn't the right fit for a variety of reasons."

The 59-year-old Valentine has spent the past six seasons managing the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. They would not renew Valentine's contract of at $4 million per season, prompting a protest by the team's fans, and Valentine has said he wants to get back into major league baseball. He had a 1,117-1,072 record with Texas and the Mets.

Acta was confident and relaxed during a 20-minute meeting with reporters. He spoke candidly about his time in Washington, where his won-loss record carried the ugly blemishes of rebuilding.

The club went only 158-252 under Acta, but the Nationals lacked the talent to compete and were regarded as baseball's worst team.

Acta said his time in the nation's capital prepared him for other jobs in similar-sized baseball markets. It was a job he could not afford to turn down.

"Let's be realistic," he said. "Everybody in this town and every town in America would want a top-notch guy, a Joe Torre, a Tony La Russa, one of those guys to walk in and manage your club. The reality is, those guys don't go for those jobs. Every one of them already paid their dues and those type of jobs go to guys like me at the beginning."

Acta, 40, said he has no regrets about his time with the Nationals, who fired him after a 21-61 start last season.

"I knew what I was getting into," he said. "I knew rebuilding is tough. It's grueling and you are going to suffer in Ws and Ls and people earn their right to judge you on that. But I'm thankful that baseball people count more the Ws than the Ls when you are going through the rebuilding process."

Last week, Acta interviewed for Houston's opening. He was drafted by the Astros as a 17-year-old and played and managed in their system until 2001. When he was 22, the Astros told him he could not play in the majors, so he turned to coaching as a way to make baseball his life.

Acta, who prides himself on his communication skills, was prepared for his interview with the Indians. He spent countless hours watching them on TV last season, knowing they might be changing managers. He rattled off the names of Indians players, from stars to part-timers, and said the rebuilding project in Cleveland is far different from the one he left in Washington.

"This is far and away advanced," he said. "The Indians have a lot of pieces in place."

Acta was born in the Dominican Republic and his ability to communicate with Cleveland's Latino players is a plus.
"I can communicate with them without anything getting lost in translation," he said. "It's on my side but I hope I'm not getting the job just because I'm bilingual."
I can deal with Lovullo and maybe Mattingly.

 

[holdupstop23]

If there is a god, please dont take away the slim hope of Bobby v coming back to the Mets.

 

[kiddin like jason]

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Indians have hired Manny Acta as their manager.
Acta signed a three-year contract with a club option for 2013, team spokesman Bart Swain said Sunday. Additional terms were not disclosed.

Acta was fired by the Washington Nationals in July.

The Indians chose him after a second round of interviews over former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine and Indians Triple-A manager Torey Lovullo. The team also had been expected to interview Dodgers hitting coach Don Mattingly.

"We are very excited to have Manny Acta on board as our major league manager," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said in a statement. "After speaking with an impressive array of candidates, we feel that Manny is a very strong and experienced leader who possesses great energy and enthusiasm along with tremendous communication skills and a positive mindset that will command a presence in the dugout, clubhouse and with our fans."

The 40-year-old Acta, who was drafted by the Astros as a 17-year-old first baseman, also interviewed for Houston's opening this offseason.

The Indians will introduce him at a news conference Monday.

Acta went 158-252 in 2 1/2 seasons with the Nationals, who fired him after a 21-61 start this season. The Indians, though, dismissed Acta's poor record and appreciated the way he developed some of the franchise's young players.
Cleveland tied for last in the AL Central after coming into this season with high expectations. The Indians fired manager Eric Wedge in the final week of the season.
...

 

[pj and bompton]

Originally Posted by outacontrol music

you can literally count the people in the stands...