From: ecaxron@ariel.lerc.nasa.gov (Ron Graham)
Subject: RG's 1992 Tribe Front Office Report Card
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date:  5 Oct 1992 15:34 EST  

TRIBE FRONT OFFICE 1992 REPORT CARD

o	Hiring of Rick Bay as President and CEO - A

Bay immediately set off on a positive PR campaign, correcting the
abomination of last year's "get your tickets before something comes up"
(such as the grass) campaign.

o	Hiring of Mickey White as director of scouting - A

White found Barry Larkin and others for the Reds.

o	Allowing RP Doug Jones to leave as a free agent - D

I thought this was bad when it happened.  The Astros were smart to 
sign him - it probably took some of the sting out of losing Kenny
Lofton ;-).

o	Working out a deal to make 1220 WKNR-AM their flagship station - A

The Tribe games have fit in well with commentators Geoff Sindelar, Greg
Brinda and Peter Brown right there before and after games.

o	Allowing IF Jerry Browne to leave as a free agent - C-

o	Bringing in SSs Tony Perezchica, Alvaro Espinoza and Jose
	Hernandez as free agents - C

So far, all we can tell is that this move gave the Tribe a bunch of
minor-league shortstops.  Some speculate that Espinoza and Hernandez
are bait to protect SSs Felix Fermin and Mark Lewis from expansion.

o	Projecting Mark Lewis as starting SS at beginning of Spring
	Training - D

When you don't know what you have, you always take time to find out.
Fermin got very little playing time in the Spring, and many of us
thought he'd be traded, but he just hung in there and waited for Lewis
to flop.  Which Lewis ultimately did.

o	Aftermath of Swindell trade, year one - C-

This would've been a lower grade, if not for two effects: (1) Swindell
will leave Cincinnati, as I predicted last year, so the Reds only get 
one year's service.  (2) Jack Armstrong, who was bloddy horrible in two
stints as a starter, was *dominating* in middle relief.  If they keep 
Armstrong in a long relief role, this may work out somewhat better.  But
there is talk of making Jack a closer - I don't think this is a good idea.

Scott Scudder must also (a) heal, (b) not be drafted in expansion, and (c)
get better for this deal to work out favorably for the Tribe.  I freely
admit I was wrong - at least for year one - to back this deal.

o	Trade of SP Willie Blair and C Eddie Taubensee to Houston for
	OF Kenny Lofton and IF Dave Rohde - A

One commentator in this area, Professor Geoff Sindelar, thinks the Astros
will never trade with the Indians again.  That's a little premature.  But
if the Astros make out, it won't be because of Blair.

o	Trade of minor-league IF Jason Hardtke to San Diego for OF Thomas
	Howard - B+

Howard was very good as a fourth OF for the Indians this year.  So good,
in fact, that Alex Cole became expendable.

o	Trade of minor-league pitchers Oscar Munoz and Curtis Leskanic
	to Minnesota for 1B Paul Sorrento - A

This trade receives the highest grade available, for the following reasons:

(1) Kent Hrbek went on the DL within *hours* after the deal.
(2) The Tribe was looking at Brook Jacoby at 1B the entire season otherwise.
(3) Hrbek was injured much of the season and had one long slump.  The Twins,
    you can be sure, wished they had kept Sorrento more than once.  At one
    point, when the Indians approached Minnesota to inquire about SP David
    West, Sorrento's name was immediately brought up - which is why West is
    not on the Tribe now.

o	Trade of RP Rudy Seanez to Los Angeles for SP Dennis Cook and RP
	Mike Christopher - C+

Cook was better as a starter than in the bullpen, as the Tribe went 15-10
in games he started.  The jury is actually still out, as Seanez was injured
all season.  And Cook still gives up the long tater.

o	Signing of RPs Derek Lilliquist, Eric Plunk, and Ted Power - A

Who could predict how well these three guys would do this season?  And 
having them made Steve Olin more effective.  I Predict [tm] that Lilliquist
will be protected in the Expansion Draft.

o	Signing of 1B/3B Brook Jacoby as a free agent - B+

Jacoby had a decent year in a relief role, pressed into service by nagging
injuries to 1B Reggie Jefferson and 3B Jim Thome.

o	Bringing 3B Jim Thome back from the DL too soon - F

o	Response to devastation of Homestead, FL by Hurricane Andrew - A-

They did give $50K to the city, and they did pledge to return to Homestead
for Spring Training in 1994, and they did help the rest of Cleveland to get
behind relief efforts.  I want to see what they do in the long term.

o	Long-term signings of several players, including SP Charles Nagy,
	2B Carlos Baerga, and C Sandy Alomar - A

o	Trade of minor-league OF Kyle Washington to Baltimore for SP
	Jose Mesa - C+

Mesa was terrible in Baltimore, and he still maintains that the Orioles
got the bullpen up every time he threw two balls in a row, which must have
exhausted the bullpen ;-).  But he had several decent starts in Cleveland
after the trade, falling back to his Baltimore level late in the season.
We thought around here that he might be protected until his last three 
starts.  Not much chance of that now.

o	Offer of free tickets to local Little Leaguers - C+

This offer got them into more trouble than it may have been worth, as
women's groups petitioned for free passes for softballers.  There was talk
of tickets for good students as well, but some elements in town considered
this an anti-inner-city policy, and I don't know if it ever took off.

o	Trade of OF Alex Cole to Pittsburgh for minor-league OF Antonio
	Mitchell and SP John Carter - C-

o	Draft (and subsequent signing) of RP Paul Shuey - A

The signing is the important part, after the 1990 Calvin Murray fiasco.
They also got OF Derek Hacopian in a late round.  Interesting.

o	Response to charges of institutionalized racism by Native 
	American groups because of Chief Wahoo - A

They said nothing.  Instead, they allowed protests at the Stadium gates.

o	Adoption of Winter Haven, FL as their 1993 Spring Training site - A

o	Farming of SP Dave Otto all the way down to Class A Kinston - A

o	Bringing SPs Dave Mlicki and Alan Embree up from AA Canton-Akron
	and putting them in the rotation immediately for a few starts - B

o	Setting fourth place as a goal after mathematical elimination - A

Well, what else should a team do?  :-)

o	Extending the contract of manager Mike Hargrove through 1994 - A

o	OVERALL FRONT OFFICE GRADE - A-

The Tribe came up smelling like roses on many important points, in a year
when they were supposed to stink like guano - again.  Even the front office
urged us not to expect too much too soon.  So you can guess that many fans
are in a somewhat euphoric state.  This can be measured by the 30000+ at
the Stadium for the finale yesterday - the largest season finale crowd in
Cleveland since the championship year of 1948.

Let me know if I missed anything.

RG

"Mumble mumble fans in Cleveland mumble mumble baseball mumble 200 hits."
 -  Carlos Baerga, in a radio interview
Newsgroups: rec.sport.baseball