Question here from non-jerk Red Sox fan - whatever happened the Indians? I look at all the talent that club had over the last 10 years and it doesn't make any sense. Sabathia, Carmona, Lee, Hafner, Martinez, Sizemore... how come the Indians never got more done?
...oh, and at least you've still got Shin Soo Choo. That guy's a hell of a player. I'm visiting South Korea and everyone's crazy about him, I see more Indians hats than Sox or Yankees even.
Hafner fell off the map after hurting his shoulder. This also conveniently coincided with the height of the steroid blowup. His overpaid contract has crippled the team financially since just about the second he signed it.
CC and Lee were traded immediately after winning Cy Young Awards for prospects. That's not something you do when you want to keep a winning team together. Especially when the prospects you receive back have been less than thrilling so far.
Carmona seems to be running on the fumes and reputation of one successful season. Before that, he was a failed closer. Since then he's been up and down as a starter.
The Tribe sent Martinez to Boston because, while he's an awesome hitter, he's an average at best catcher and the team felt they had better prospects coming up behind him that would be cheaper (that's a recurring theme for the last decade or so).
The Indians are hampered by a cheap owner, an uninterested fan base, and a town that ranks them a solid #3 behind LeCavs and the Holiest of Holy Browns. Home attendance this year was right around 10,000 fans the last time I checked. The weather in Ohio hasn't been the best but that's still miserable for a team that had such a long sellout streak back in the day.
Indians GM Mark Shapiro read "Moneyball" and decided speed and defense meant absolutely nothing. He had, arguably, the best starting pitching in the Majors at some points, combined with the worst infield defense. They were streaky at the plate, and slow on the basepaths. They would lose to mediocre pitching 9 to 8, and good pitching 9 to 1.
I don't know. For some reason they never really put it all together. I've only loosely followed them since the 1997 world series. Been more of a Browns fan lately. It's easier because I don't have to worry about being disappointed. Any win is a celebration.
Question here from non-jerk Red Sox fan - whatever happened the Indians? I look at all the talent that club had over the last 10 years and it doesn't make any sense. Sabathia, Carmona, Lee, Hafner, Martinez, Sizemore... how come the Indians never got more done?
...oh, and at least you've still got Shin Soo Choo. That guy's a hell of a player. I'm visiting South Korea and everyone's crazy about him, I see more Indians hats than Sox or Yankees even.