By Lynn Saternow
Herald Sports Editor
ONE DAY LAST week I received a phone message from my friend Dave Grober of Thiel College, who said he knew someone who had four club-box seats for that night’s Cleveland Indians game if I wanted them.
I had a meeting in the late afternoon so I turned them down. But many times in past years I would have blown off the meeting in a second and headed for Cleveland.
That was then; this is now!
I have very little desire to watch the Indians at all. They are pretty much pathetic.
Now realize, they have been pathetic many times in the past. I used to sit in massive Municipal Stadium in my younger days when only 2,000 to 3,000 people were in the stands. But I knew that the team had only a modicum of talent, but at least they were trying.
At the start of this season the Indians were highly regarded. Yet they have sunk to the bottom of the standings in a weak division. There’s obviously something missing.
And that something is a good manager. Eric Wedge is unable to bring out anything from these players. And where are his coaches?
If a Cy Young Award winning pitcher like Cliff Lee struggles, don’t you think a good pitching coach could show him what’s wrong?
If a hitting stars are mired in season-long slumps, shouldn’t a good hitting coach be able to solve their problems?
The Indians need to clean house. If not, it’s going to be like the old days at Municipal Stadium with hardly anybody in the stands.
Even Chief Wahoo isn’t smiling! The “Mistake on the Lake” isn’t the city anymore. It’s the Indians’ coaching staff.
ä If you’re looking for some real sports action, check out the Little League All-Star Tournaments which are under way locally. Those kids will give you everything they have.
The Major Division tourney got started last week, but battled a lot of rain. This week the other age groups begin and the weatherman is predicting a great week. Of course, they’ve been wrong before.
I don’t like the Little League All-Star setup because the average kid is done play ball before July even gets here. And we wonder why Nolan Reimold is the first local athlete to reach the Major Leagues since Gary Peters decades ago.
The tournaments have come a long way. They used to be single elimination and then double elimination. Now some of the age groups use pool play.
The pool play must have been the idea of people from the larger areas because it definitely favors leagues that have more teams. Since pool play requires several games in the same week, the bigger leagues usually have more pitchers so they’ll be better off.
Or didn’t you coaches from the small areas notice that?
ä Speaking of Nolan Reimold, it was fantastic that he was named the AL Rookie of the Month for June.
But why did it take so long for the Orioles to call him up? The Tribe could use him!
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SPORTVIEW: Why would fans want to go see the Indians?
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PIAA Track: Hickory's Bell, Lubarski, Regginello grab gold
SHIPPENSBURG — There’s a big difference between being seeded 1st and finishing 1st — Matt Bell can attest to that.
After settling for silver last year, the Hickory High senior put the shot 59 feet, 6 3/4 inches Friday afternoon to garner gold at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University. -
WM to play for D-10 baseball title; GC, Sharon, Sharpsville lose
Four area baseball teams were in action on Friday in the District 10 semifinals as the squads battled to compete for District 10 championships on Monday.
West Middlesex rolled past error-prone Linesville, 8-0, in Class A action at Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park.
In Class AA, both Sharon and Sharpsville suffered 2-1 losses. The Tigers fell to Saegertown at Ainsworth Field in Erie while the Blue Devils lost to Titusville at SRU.
In Class AAA, the Grove City Eagles were denied the chance to defend their D-10 crown after suffering a 6-3 loss to Warren at SRU. -
Farrell volleyball falls in D-10 semifinals
The Farrell High boys volleyball team suffered a 2-0 (25-15, 25-12) loss to Saegertown on Thursday night in the District 10 semifinals at Meadville Area High’s “House of Thrills.”
“This was the first year we made it out of the first day (pool play) of the playoffs,” said Steelers’ coach Dan Dragicevic. “I’d like to cite my seniors (Eric Demus, Anthony Perkins, Jaylen Chambers and Lawrence Hughes). -
Locals ready to go for gold at Shippensburg
Now that Mercer County is on the map, it’s incumbent upon the area aggregation to chart a course for the ultimate destination — Seth Grove Stadium’s medals stand — during this weekend’s PIAA Track & Field Championships.
Led by West Middlesex High sprinter Clay Allen, many Mercer Countians are seeded at or near the top of their respective events for the annual 2-day marathon at Shippensburg University, which commences 9 a.m. Friday. It will continue beginning 9 a.m. Saturday. -
D-10 Playoffs: Local teams go 6-for-6
ä Grove City 1, Harbor Creek 0 — At Slippery Rock University’s Jack Critchfield Park, what the Grove City Eagles couldn’t accomplish themselves, the Harbor Creek Huskies unwittingly did for them.
Unable to plate runs themselves, Torin Smith scored the Eagles’ only run when teammate Tyler Devine’s seeming inning-ending pop-up to left field was dropped by Harbor Creek’s Chris Merritt in the bottom of the 7th inning of Tuesday’s tourney opener. -
Great year for WM track; local qualifiers listed
It’s been a big year for the Big Reds.
Though there’s no official documentation, the 2011-12 academic year may be the most successful in West Middlesex High’s athletic annals. -
SPORTVIEW: Local names Kroko, Lutz, Kareklas in news elsewhere
IT’S ALWAYS GOOD to hear of former area people who have gone on to athletic success in other areas, or the family of former area residents. Following are a few of those stories:
ä Bob and Betty Kroko of Sharon are avid followers of professional baseball. No, not necessarily the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians like many local fans.
The Krokos keep a close eye on the Austria Major League! -
Petty an all-around great athlete in track and gymnastics
When Mercer County’s contingent convenes at the annual PIAA Track & Field Championships this weekend, it will be well represented
Clay Allen, Matt Bell, John Yohman, Johnathan Jacoway, Jeremy Jansco, Nico Zahniser, DeShawn Coleman, Dan Jaskowak, et all, should haul home some hardware. But with all due respect, the aforementioned young men may or may not be best athletes in the area’s aggregation that will assemble this weekend at Shippensburg University. -
Lubarski, Richards, Petty, Allen shine at D-10 Track Championships; Hickory girls, WM boys team champs
Hickory High’s high-jump state champion Lauren Lubarski suffered a severe blow to open her competion at the annual District 10 Class AA Track & Field Championships Saturday at Hickory HIgh Stadium.
She failed to qualify for state in the event she had won the previous year. -
Baseball, softball D-10 playoff pairings
The District 10 pairings for the baseball and softball playoffs have been released. Five area baseball teams and four (possibly 5) softball squads have qualified.
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