Wedge will have made impact no matter what

Wedge will have made impact no matter what
By Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Thursday, Sep 24, 2009

CLEVELAND: Managers are made, not born, but who makes them?

In just 10 days, Eric Wedge will complete his seventh season as manager of the Indians. Even though he has a contract for 2010, Wedge might not be back. More than likely, we will learn Wedge's fate one or two days after the schedule has been played out on Oct. 4.
Regardless of whether Wedge returns next year, he will have made an impact in Cleveland. Only four managers have guided the Tribe longer than Wedge, who is fifth in wins (557) and is one of only four Cleveland skippers to win a postseason series.

Two distinctive Wedge traits: He always is prepared, and he is consistent in the way he treats his players, whether things are going well on the field or not. Wedge's standards seem so ingrained in his personality, one would think he grew up with the goal of becoming a manager.
''I paid attention to being a catcher when I was a kid,'' Wedge said Wednesday. ''I did like Sparky Anderson, because I was a fan of the Big Red Machine. Those were pretty good teams in Cincinnati.''

Wedge grew up in Indiana and longed to be in the big leagues as a player. He made it with the Red Sox, but injuries prevented him from having a lengthy career. But he stayed in the game, managing in the Indians' farm system for five years before being elevated to the job in Cleveland.

Wedge can't point to a particular mentor along the way.
''I don't think there was one person,'' he said. ''I've taken things from a lot of managers. I've done and learned things from seeing other people do them and from talking to people.
''I will say that [Atlanta manager] Bobby Cox is a guy I have the utmost respect for. But I only know him from conversations when we've played each other.''
Wedge firmly believes that when a team is winning, the manager should do less. And he always has maintained — like most skippers — that the most effective leadership comes not from the manager but from the players.

''When a team is going good, that's when you have to try and stay out of the way,'' he said. ''And more times than not, you need to have guys in the clubhouse to take care of things. Like in '07, it was Trot Nixon or Casey Blake or C.C. [Sabathia]. Guys like that.''
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters. Follow the Indians on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Indians.

CLEVELAND: Managers are made, not born, but who makes them?
In just 10 days, Eric Wedge will complete his seventh season as manager of the Indians. Even though he has a contract for 2010, Wedge might not be back. More than likely, we will learn Wedge's fate one or two days after the schedule has been played out on Oct. 4.
Regardless of whether Wedge returns next year, he will have made an impact in Cleveland. Only four managers have guided the Tribe longer than Wedge, who is fifth in wins (557) and is one of only four Cleveland skippers to win a postseason series.

Two distinctive Wedge traits: He always is prepared, and he is consistent in the way he treats his players, whether things are going well on the field or not. Wedge's standards seem so ingrained in his personality, one would think he grew up with the goal of becoming a manager.
''I paid attention to being a catcher when I was a kid,'' Wedge said Wednesday. ''I did like Sparky Anderson, because I was a fan of the Big Red Machine. Those were pretty good teams in Cincinnati.''

Wedge grew up in Indiana and longed to be in the big leagues as a player. He made it with the Red Sox, but injuries prevented him from having a lengthy career. But he stayed in the game, managing in the Indians' farm system for five years before being elevated to the job in Cleveland.

Wedge can't point to a particular mentor along the way.
''I don't think there was one person,'' he said. ''I've taken things from a lot of managers. I've done and learned things from seeing other people do them and from talking to people.
''I will say that [Atlanta manager] Bobby Cox is a guy I have the utmost respect for. But I only know him from conversations when we've played each other.''

Wedge firmly believes that when a team is winning, the manager should do less. And he always has maintained — like most skippers — that the most effective leadership comes not from the manager but from the players.

''When a team is going good, that's when you have to try and stay out of the way,'' he said. ''And more times than not, you need to have guys in the clubhouse to take care of things. Like in '07, it was Trot Nixon or Casey Blake or C.C. [Sabathia]. Guys like that.''