Eric Wedge

As reported by CBSSports.com, the Seattle Mariners have hired former Cleveland manager Eric "The Grinder" Wedge, to replace fired skipper Don Wakamatsu following a 101 loss season.  For a team that has suffered from a chronic case of underachievement, Wedge doesn't strike me as the antidote.  Furthermore, he doesn't strike me as the solution to any team's problems. 

With John Russell gone, the top priority is now on selecting a new, hopefully winning, manager for the team. There are several good candidates, some of whom have strong Pittsburgh ties.

That should not be a litmus test, but could be a useful tiebreaker, if aptitudes are otherwise comparable.

As of Monday morning, he is out as the Pirates manager. Russell was the third full-time manager since 2001, not counting Pete Mackanin's stint as interim manager after the departure of Lloyd McClendon.

So, after the Gene Lamonts, the McClendons and the Jim Tracys, who is suitable to manage this team and, dare I say it, turn this mess around?

Here are my op five candidates that I feel the Pirates should look at to fill the position.

"What took so long?"

"About time!"

"Good, now Shapiro must go!"

"Not shocked at all."

All common responses from Cleveland Indians fans at the news that Eric Wedge has been let go as the manager.

After seven seasons as the skipper for the Tribe, Wedge departs with the club that gave him his first managerial job back in 1998 with Low-A Columbus.

He takes with him good memories, such as the success of a 2007 ALCS run and the rough and many lessons learned.

With another disappointing season under his command, the Cleveland Indians have finally decided to release Manager Eric Wedge.  With a current record of 64-92, what else can they do?  This is the second year in a row that the very talented Tribe have been a disappointment.

How do you go from 96-66, one win away from a trip to the World Series, to becoming the bottom-dweller in your division?  The Tribe haven't finished last in their division since 1991, when they drug up the rear in the AL East, and they have never finished last since joining the AL Central.

Eric Wedge inherited a young and talented baseball team seven years ago when he took over as manger of the Tribe.

After a season of massive underachieving and general hopelessness, the Cleveland Indians have fired manager Eric Wedge.

Wedge, who came to helm of the Tribe in 2003, led the team to within one win of a World Series appearance in 2007.

That year's squad held a three games to one lead over the eventual world champion Boston Red Sox before collapsing and losing three in a row (a meltdown that, to this writer, is strangely not grouped with the other infamous Cleveland sports disasters), ending Wedge's most successful year as manager of the Indians.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Eric Wedge will reportedly be fired as the manager of the Cleveland Indians today.

There are few who would dispute that Wedge needed to go, but just how much of what went so wrong for the 2009 Indians was his fault? Perhaps not as much as he has been blamed for, but certainly enough to merit his dismissal.  

Cleveland Indians mascot Slider has done a lot for his favorite team over the years. 

He's boogied to the radio hits of the day on the roof of the team's bullpen while wearing crutches.

He's sent foil-wrapped hot-dogs from slingshots into the stands.

He's cheered through unbearable heat, torrential rain, and yes, in this Rustbelt town, even swirling snow.

But one thing he hasn't done for this proud franchise is bring home a winner. And some of the teams' players and management are starting to take notice.

Welcome to Tribe Talk, where Bleacher Report's Tribe fans weigh in on the ups and downs of the Indians each week throughout the season.

This week we revisit our past discussion on the fate of manager Eric Wedge, ponder the value of a manager calling out a player in a public forum, and address a few more of the Tribe’s many pitching woes.  

I would like to thank this week's participants Nino Colla, Dave Wiley, and The Coop for their contributions.