Tribe skipper gets back to business north of Fenway,
too
By Matt Jenkins
, Staff Writer
Salem News
But, for the moment his thoughts had little to do with the Boston Red Sox,
which his team will face in the American League Championship Series, beginning
tomorrow night at 7. He knew he had to take care of business a bit north of
Fenway Park, too.
Wedge, a former Major League catcher who broke in with the Sox, has been
co-owner of Danvers' Strike One Indoor Sports Complex since 1997, and his
thoughts never stray very far from his sideline.
Just hours after slaying the hated Yankees three games to one, Wedge was on the
phone with Strike One co-owner Mark Lombardi.
"He called to say the team was coming in (Wednesday) night, and he wanted
to spend a few hours with us on Thursday," Lombardi said. "I could
hear his wife in the background saying, 'No, you're not going there. We've got
a lot to do.' He likes to see what's going on. He wouldn't come up (to Boston)
and not visit."
The 39-year-old skipper has won over 400 games in five years at the Indians'
helm, and he drew effusive praise from legendary Yankees' manager Joe Torre
after closing out the series in the Bronx.
He draws similar praise from the people he works with at Strike One.
"When he comes you don't even know he's a (Major League) manager,"
baseball instructor Mike Costantino said. "He's only here a couple weeks a
year, and he'll be here doing lessons and working with little kids. He gets all
excited about the college kids. He'll make calls for them," if they're
looking to continue playing after leaving school.
Wedge lives in Cleveland now, but he always returns to run a yearly hitting
clinic in mid-January, and he makes time to remain a hands-on owner throughout
the offseason.
"It's a very rare day when you don't hear from him. He'll shoot an e-mail
late at night after a game and I usually get it about 6 a.m. We're on different
schedules, but he definitely wants to know what's going on. He feels out of the
loop," Lombardi said. "He's been saying ever since he started
managing that when he gets laid off - because we know it's not the most secure
profession - that he'll just come back and do something else that he really
enjoys. That's not really working out for me though. He's going to be a manager
for a while."
The Indians locked up Wedge until 2010 earlier this year, but even though his
success has impressed the Cleveland fans, players and front office, his
employees at Strike One don't feel completely obliged to root for the Tribe in
the playoffs.
"I always root for Eric until he plays the Sox," hitting instructor
Dave Babiarz said. "Really, it's a win-win situation. If Eric wins the
American League series, then we get to root for him in the World Series. If he
doesn't, the Red Sox will be playing."
Lombardi grew up in Winchester, constantly rooting for the Red Sox, but the friendship
he built with Wedge nearly 15 years ago has him thinking a little differently
about this playoff matchup.
In 1992, Lombardi founded the Strike One batting cage facility in Woburn and
began working with Wedge through various baseball clinics. At the time, Wedge
was running a baseball company called Motivated Sports. After working together
quite a bit over the years, Wedge and Lombardi merged Motivated Sports and
Strike One in 1997.
The way Lombardi sees it, the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, and he'd
like Wedge to get the opportunity this year.
"I'm pulling for Cleveland," Lombardi said. "When the Sox got to
the World Series, it was huge. I'd love to see the Indians do the same, and
it's not just because of him. I've met a few guys on the team."
"If this team was in Boston, everyone around here would love them. They
have a great group of young players. They're a group that you'd love to cheer
for."
It seems Wedge is the perfect leader for such a group.
"It's a cool experience, getting to know him on a personal level, and he's
a Major League Baseball manager. There are only 30 managers," Babiarz
said. "We get to see him out of uniform and he's a very down-to-earth guy.
He's very easygoing. Then, you watch him on TV and he carries himself the same
way."
Strike One staff picks
Mark Lombardi, Strike One co-owner - "I think it's going to be a
great series, but I really do believe Cleveland is going to win. Boston's
pitching is not the same that started the season, and Cleveland's pitching is very,
very good. After I saw how they handled the Yankees, it was very encouraging.
C.C. Sabathia wasn't his normal self in Game 1 (against New York) and if
(Fausto) Carmona pitches the way he has, they're going to be a very tough team
to beat."
Dave Babiarz, Strike One instructor - "The Sox will win in six
(games). The Indians are going to have their best chance with Carmona and
Sabathia, but I have a feeling the Sox will get to them. They are the two
studs, and if the Sox can take one of those two (opening) games, then they'll
be in good shape."
Mike Costantino, Strike One instructor - "I like the Red Sox in
six. I think they're going to split the first two, and then I think the Sox
have the experience. I don't think the Indians played that well the last
series. It was just the Yankees didn't do much. Carmona and C.C., those two
guys are tough, but it's going to be tough for them to win in Boston."