Cleveland Indians Losing Fans as Big Players Like Prince Fielder Sign Elsewhere

I've written this a couple times, but I'll say it again. I wasn't born a Cleveland Indians fan. I was born in Connecticut as a Red Sox fan.

But after living my formative years in the Cleveland area and since moving away, I yearn to cheer for all things Cleveland.

Rooting for the Browns and Cavs is easy because you never get the sense that those franchises aren't doing everything in their power to win. And even in spite of their futility at times, there's always hope.

I don't know where the hope can be found with the Indians. And that's what makes it so hard for me to become invested in this team. What's the point?

The owners either don't have enough money to compete or simply aren't willing to fork over the cash to make it happen.

What we're always left to hope for is that several prospects will all hit their primes at just the right time before they become free agents. Because we know there's no way the Dolans are paying anybody that's actually good.

This all came to a head when free-agent slugger Prince Fielder signed a ridiculous nine-year, $214 million deal with the Indians' division rivals the Detroit Tigers.

Now, I'll say right up front that I never expected the Indians to pay that much to get Fielder. In fact, I don't think any player is ever worth that much money. Fielder's average yearly salary would make up about half of the Indians payroll.

But the root of the problem is that this team is never actually going to spend to get players. And even worse, they aren't going to spend to keep the players they already have.

Why would fans want to spend their hard-earned money to go and see a team that isn't competitive? In the late '90s, the team was always in the playoffs and made two World Series appearances and they sold out every game.

That's just not going to happen anymore as long as the owners aren't willing to invest money in the team.

And don't forget that in the late '90s that's all that Cleveland had to offer for sports. There were no Browns. And the Cavs were running a team out there with a fat Shawn Kemp and Bobby Sura.

What else were people going to spend their money on?

Now the Browns are back and they have some nice pieces and could be adding a top QB in the draft. The Cavs are playing exciting basketball again with Kyrie Irving after seven years of LeBron.

And for the next decade the Indians will be looking up at the Tigers and Fielder and Justin Verlander.

And if Twitter is a judge at all of the fans' feelings, they were pretty turned off when the news broke on Tuesday afternoon.

The Indians are going to have a hard time keeping their fans if they don't give them a reason to come out and support the team. And a news flash for the front office: re-signing Grady Sizemore isn't getting anyone excited.

And don't give us the bad economy crap excuse. Because if the people in Detroit can find the money then Cleveland should as well.

I'm done.

Show me the money!

You can follow Benjamin Flack on Twitter @ClevelandFlack.