By Lynn Saternow

Herald Sports Editor

EVEN THOUGH THE Cleveland Indians are off to a somewhat slow start this season, I don’t think there’s any doubt that they have the ability to make another run at the World Series.

But can Manager Eric Wedge, whom I’ve never been impressed by, and the other coaches bring out that talent?

As I sat in the stands at Progressive Field Thursday night watching the Cleveland Indians and Seattle Mariners, my seat neighbor Tony Zucco of Penn Power fame and I shook our heads as we looked at the Indians lineup on the big scoreboard. Only Victor Martinez was batting over .300 and many were in the low .200s.

By the way, Tony is on the DL after rotator cuff surgery, but should have the sling off in a couple of weeks and be ready to help the Indians make a midseason run. It’s just not the same doing “the wave” with one-arm!

A team that is supposed to be loaded with hitters is feeble at the plate. So you have to wonder, is hitting coach Derek Shelton doing his job? The starting pitching over the last dozen games has been phenomenal. Yet the team suffered several losses because of pathetic offense.

Then again, there is the managing of Wedge. I wasn’t happy when he pulled starter Paul Byrd with two outs in the 8th inning Thursday and leading 1-0, but there’s always that logic of going lefty-vs.-lefty against Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki. So Wedge brought in lefty Rafael Perez.

But when the baserunner was thrown out at second, that meant Suzuki would lead off the 9th. So naturally, every good manager would leave Perez in the game for the lefty-lefty scenario. Right?

What does the 2007 AL Manager of the Year do? Wedge takes Perez out and brings in righty Rafael Betancourt. Suzuki naturally gets a hit, steal second, steals third and scores on an error to tie the game.

Luckily, the Indians won in 11 innings. But luck wouldn’t have to come into play if the Tribe had better managing.

ä Speaking of “getting lucky,” how about that Roger Clemens? He has gone from a “Mr. Clean” image to one that is extremely tarnished.

First their was the link to steroid use, which he denied. Then there is the link to several women “friends” that he denies having affairs with.

Sorry Rocket, but how many things can you deny before people stop believing you?