Tribe players pleased that Wedge will remain

By PAUL HOYNES

The Cleveland manager will remain in the dugout through the end of the season.

CLEVELAND —The fate of Indians manager Eric Wedge and his coaching staff will be determined at the end of the season. GM Mark Shapiro told reporters Sunday to end speculation that Wedge could be fired and replaced by an interim manager.

Shapiro wanted to send a message to the fans, the players, the coaches and, perhaps, to Wedge.

The news was well-received in the locker room. No surprise there. That it will not be so well-received in chat rooms, e-mails and sports talk radio is no surprise either.

The line in the sand between the Indians’ decision-makers and their most vocal critics was drawn long before Sunday. It will stay that way until the season ends Oct. 4 and decisions start being made.

“If we feel there’s a way to improve the team in any capacity, we won’t be afraid to make changes,” said Shapiro. “Just as we felt if those changes would impact things now, we’d make them now. But we don’t.”

One of the reasons Shapiro made the announcement was to let the players know they could no longer use Wedge’s uncertain future as an excuse. Before they beat Oakland on Friday and Saturday, the Indians had lost 14 of 17 games.

Said Shapiro, “I want people to be accountable.”

“I think this is good for the players,’ said left-hander Aaron Laffey. “We’re not coming in every day wondering what’s going on. I think it will lighten up the clubhouse a little bit.”

Said Victor Martinez: “For me, it’s great news, and I think I can talk for the rest of my teammates. Wedgie always worries about us. He lets you play, he makes you play the game the right way.

“Wedgie is a great manager. He can’t play for us. It’s easier to blame one guy than 25 guys. He’s always been there for us as a team, and he deserves to be the manager.”

Cliff Lee, with one more start before the All-Star Game, lost for the eighth time Sunday. Lee (4-8, 3.45) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. It’s the 10th time he has pitched at least six innings while allowing three or fewer runs this season only to come away with a loss (four times) or no decision (six times).

“There was never a distraction for me,” said Lee. “It’s out of my hands. It has nothing to do with what I do. Wedge has been the manager ever since I’ve been here. It’s all I know. Until somebody tells me differently, he’s going to be our manager.”

Wedge preaches that exact approach.

“I appreciate the fact that Mark said what he did,” said Wedge. “I just want to make sure the players stay focused on what they can control. There are going to be distractions regardless of where you are in the standings. It’s just a different type of distraction.”