Mark Shapiro will be moving up to assume the role of club president after the 2010 campaign. Chris Antonetti is rumored to be the replacement for Shapiro. Currently Antonetti is Shapiro’s assistant.
Shapiro has had the role of general manager for the Indians going on nine seasons. He started with the Indians back in 1992 and has worked his way up to the top. Shapiro earn the “Executive of the Year” award in 2005 and 2007. Bud Selig also named him to the recently established “On-Field Matters” committee.
Antonetti first job in major league baseball was with the Montreal Expos. As assistant to Shapiro, Antonetti has worked very closely with the contract negotiations and he also oversees the farm system, professional scouting department, and statistical analysis systems.
The Indians are coming off a horrendous season in which they lost 97 games and tied the Kansas City Royals for last place in the AL Central division. Shapiro’s hand-picked manager Eric Wedge lost his job due to the poor performance of this team. However, there are some bright spots for the club. Grady Sizemore is a potential Comeback Player of the Year for the Indians after missing a large portion of the season due to injury. Shin-Soo Choo established himself as a very well-rounded outfielder hitting .300 with 20 home runs, 86 RBI, and 21 stolen bases.
Antonetti will definitely have his work cut out for him next off season.
Maybe i want to apply for the Shapiro job. Actually, i nominate chez. He could turn around that abysmal franchise. I got connections with the Decatur Dirty Birds, thats all my experience, but im pretty sure Chez could turn them around!