Time for a change...

I heard Eric Wedge last night about changes are coming, whether inside or outside the organization. To me, this means he is in agreement with GM Mark Shapiro. It means that this is serious. It means that promotion and/or trades are in the works.

However, what does this mean to the players who are struggling? It means that Wedge and his staff lack the capacity to motivate and even help the players.

Yes, the season has been a "win one" then "lose one" ride, but Wedge has found his out. Instead of trying to motivate these players or talk to them, he will just get rid of them.

Now, I do agree with the possibility of changes. I like change, especially in this season. I agree that some players are taking up space, such as David Dellucci, Masa Kobayashi, Jhonny Peralta, Ryan Garko, and Rafael Betancourt.

The thing that gets me going is that Wedge is talking about the changes with the players. What about his staff? Carl Willis should have the capacity to motivate and help a pitcher. That is his job. If he is not doing his job, he should be replaced. Derek Shelton was under fire last year for hitting and should be raked over the coals again. If he is not doing his job, he should be replaced. Oh yes, one more thing, what exactly does Jeff Datz contribute to the staff?

I see the bullpen as the #1 issue right now with the Indians. What about the bullpen coach? Oh, right, Wedge fired the last coach, Luis Isaac, and brought in his man, Chuck Hernandez. I am not a baseball analyst, but in my opinion, I think that Chuck Hernandez is not doing his job and should be replaced.

I think the one thing you should take away from this is that Eric Wedge and his staff determine who makes the team, who is sent to the minors, and who is let go. That says a lot about his ability to put the best team on the field.

The finger pointing has begun and that means the coaching staff does not have his players vote of confidence and he has lost the team. Threatening with changes should be last on the list of motivation techniques. But since it is Eric Wedge, that seems to be his first.