Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro Gets No Respect From Indians Fans

I get it:  you're frustrated, angry, tired of losing, and even more tired of almost winning.  To quote the Teflon President, "I feel your pain."  I'm a Cleveland sports fan, too.

After all, the current incarnation of the Cleveland Indians has been as much of a disappointment as any Cleveland team in recent memory (or is it "...as EVERY Cleveland team in recent memory"?).  The starters pitch, but little else seems to go right.  The bullpen has been atrocious, and the offense might be worse.

Despite the fact that I'm a Cleveland fan, I've always fancied myself to be a bit of an optimist, however.  So, I went looking for the positives that I could take from the season so far and I found several.  Each of them could be traced back to the fine work done by Indians GM Mark Shapiro.

Depth.  How many teams could weather the storm of losing Fausto Carmona and Travis Hafner for a month or more and Jake Westbrook for the season?  Not many.  The Indians had Aaron Laffey and Jeremy Sowers waiting at Buffalo.  Michaels, Dellucci, and Gutierrez were struggling, so up came Shin-Soo Choo and Ben Francisco.  Last season, when Josh Barfield struggled, Asdrubal Cabrera came up to provide some timely hitting and slick defense.  Barfield may have his chance to supplant Cabrera if the offensive woes continue.

Starting Pitching.  Our starters have been really, really good.  Cliff Lee should start the All-Star Game.  Byrd, Laffey, and Sowers have consistently given the team a chance to win.  C.C. Sabathia worked through a very poor start and has been strong for a month or so.  Let's face it:  the reason we didn't win it all last year was the fact that C.C., Fausto, and Jake went 0-3 in Games 5-7 of the ALCS against Boston.  Starting pitching wins championships.

Quality of personnel.  Do any of you really believe that this team is a bunch of stiffs?  Are there any Junior Noboas, John Butchers, or Tommy Hinzos playing significant innings right now?  No, they're just a bunch of quality ballplayers who are inconveniently going through a collective slump.  They've got to turn it around at some point, don't they?  And if they don't, it ain't the general manager's fault.

Mr. Shapiro's mistakes are few and far between.  Admittedly, if he had waited on Brandon Phillips just a bit longer, he may have starred in Cleveland instead of four hours south on I-71.  (Kevin Kouzmanoff would likely still be an Indian as well, as there would've been no need to acquire Josh Barfield.)  But he did wait on Phillips for two years; a change of scenery may have been just what the Cincinnati slugger needed in order to blossom.  Who's to say that day would've ever come in Cleveland?

All in all, Mr. Shapiro has done a fantastic job of assembling this club.  He has made solid draft choices and smart trades.  For every Brandon Phillips, there is a Grady Sizemore, a Cliff Lee, and an Asdrubal Cabrera. Cleveland fans need to give this man credit for developing a contending team on a shoestring budget with a VERY small margin for error.