Sacrificesworth it for G.M.

He had to dismantle the Indians before rebuilding them.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Smack in the middle of Mark Shapiro's crowded desk sits a copy of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," required reading for businessmen, politicians -- anyone seeking an edge.
And there's little doubt that Shapiro, general manager of the Cleveland Indians, can always use one.
"There's some great stuff in here," Shapiro said, holding up the shiny, hardcover edition, a gift he received recently that will replace his worn paperback. "You can always go back and find something."
Included in the noted military work's 13 chapters are: Laying Plans, Waging War, Tactical Dispositions and Maneuvering.
Not one of them is entitled: Dismantling A Major League Organization And Rebuilding It On a Tight Budget.
Shapiro learned how to do that on his own.
Back in playoff picture
More quickly than anyone could have imagined, Shapiro disassembled the Indians, rebuilt them and their minor league system and brought mid-market Cleveland, a franchise which hasn't won the World Series since 1948 but twice came close in the 1990s, back into the AL playoff picture -- possibly for years.
After the Indians went 93-69 last season, narrowly missing the postseason, the 38-year-old Shapiro was named baseball's top executive, an award one of his more high-profile peers said was well deserved.
"He's a special person, very organized and detail oriented," New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. "He surrounds himself with quality people, people who build quality programs, and when you do stuff like that, nothing but good can happen. He's going to max out on everything he does."
Shapiro's workload isn't much different from what it was when he took over as Cleveland's GM in 2001, replacing John Hart, who guided the club to six AL Central titles and two Series appearances. What has changed for Shapiro are his priorities.
Now just tweaking roster
He's no longer turning over the Indians' roster. These days, he's simply tweaking it.
"A year ago, two years ago, three years ago," Shapiro said, "we were making decisions on everyday roles for star players and trying to decide among minor league free agents, who was going to play for us? Who was going to be in the rotation? Who was going to fill a core spot in the bullpen?
"Now it's, who is going to be the fourth outfielder, the backup catcher and get one spot in the bullpen out of 12? That's a good sign. Now, it's more preparing for the season and staying healthy. That's a big difference, and a good sign."
Shapiro's plan to rebuild the Indians began to unfold in June 2002 when he traded ace Bartolo Colon to the Montreal Expos for three players, including outfielder Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee -- two budding stars the club hopes to sign to long-term deals soon.
The deal signaled the end of Cleveland's championship run, a tough swallow for the club's loyal fans, who sold out Jacobs Field 445 straight times and had become spoiled by the Indians' success.
Sacrifices made
For Shapiro, there was no other way. To get the Indians back among the league's elite there would have to be sacrifices. There would be lean years for sure, but in the end, the rewards would be great.
He was right. The Indians won 68 games in 2003, 80 in 2004, and 93 last season. They're now on the cusp of another World Series push.
"Mark made the smart play," said Cashman, whose $207 million payroll dwarfs the $42 million Shapiro had to work with last season. "He didn't do anything halfway, where it was, 'We're going to slowly rebuild.' He didn't have one foot in the door and one foot out.
"He made the decision to take one giant step backward to take quantum leaps forward, and the Indians benefited, no doubt about it. They've got tremendous young players that the rest of our league are going to have to contend with for years to come."
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.