As it is so often, it seems, a new year in Cleveland for the Indians includes a new Manager, a lot of new young faces and new hope for a World Championship in my lifetime.  (One that I can remember, at least).  I was just one year old in 1948! The new manager for 2010 is Manny Acta, pictured left.

Cleveland, like all small market major league baseball teams, again faces the daunting task of trying to compete with the big market teams like the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.  American baseball and it's figurehead clown of a Commissioner, Bud Selig, continue to cowtow to the likes of George Steinbrenner and resist all forms of revenue sharing.  I guess he's blind to what that has done for the NFL.  Selig is retiring after the 2012 season.  Not soon enough to suit me.

This is, in fact, my yearly rant about how unfair baseball is to the teams and fans of small market teams like the Indians.  All you need do to validate this argument is to track the whereabouts of some of the Cleveland Indians most recent talent.  Where are C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Victor Marinez, Ryan Garko, Kelly Shoppach, etc, etc, etc?  These guys are all talent developed by the Cleveland organization that the Indians could no longer afford because of the millions and millions of dollars available to them from teams like the Yankees.  Can you buy a pennant?  A World Championship?  Of course you can.  The New York Yankees have been doing it for years!

So, what about the 2010 Indians?

Can't say I know. I'm still trying to figure out what Eric Wedge did to get canned.  Or Mike Hargrove for that matter.  I never have understood how firing a decent Manager makes any difference in a team's performance.  But, I can't figure out how somebody like Bud Selig became commissioner of baseball either. I've heard Acta speak, seems OK.  He's been the manager of the Washington Nationals until he got fired.  Not a bright spot on his resume for sure. It was the Nationals that took the field last year with "Nationals" spelled wrong on their uniforms. Quite an organization there!

There's still some talent here. Sizemore's still around. Peralta, Choo, Westbrook, Cabrera, etc.  Not a bad bunch.  Pitching should be just OK.  Bull pen must somehow get better.  No where to go but up with the bull pen. Hafner is still around but nearly washed up.  Marte is still on the roster.  Not sure where the long ball will be coming from.

The Need for a Fast Start in 2010

Attendance has been way down the past couple of seasons.  The Indians have started terribly in 2008 and 2009 and frankly, pretty much lost support from the fans.  They need to get out of the gate better this year and put some butts into seats early and build some support.  I read somewhere that the club lost $16 million last year.  Not a good situation.

Pro sports have been on borrowed time for some time now. The recent recession hasn't helped either.  But, baseball is one pro sport that can actually be semi-affordable for the average Joe and his family.  That is, if he doesn't mind where he sits and the kids don't ask for food and drinks and the old man can make it 9 innings without an $8 beer.