Indians Decade in Review: 2010 and the start of the Manny Acta era

The Cleveland Indians had a rough start to the decade in 2010 with a new manager at the helm and a team in a transitional phase.

The Cleveland Indians entered the 2010 season seeking a fresh start as a new decade got underway.

The team moved on from Eric Wedge at the end of the 2009 season after two disappointing years following a near trip to the World Series in 2007. His replacement? That would be Manny Acta, who came to Cleveland after a disastrous tenure with the Washington Nationals.

A fresh start for both sides.

Jake Westbrook got the start on Opening Day and the rest of the lineup looked like this:

1. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
2. Grady Sizemore, CF
3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
4. Travis Hafner, DH
5. Jhonny Peralta, 3B
6. Matt LaPorta, 1B
7. Mark Grudzielanek, 2B
8. Lou Marson, C
9. Michael Brantley, LF

Of those starters, only three ended up appearing in over 100 games. Injuries and a lost year led to plenty of guys getting a chance to show their talents on the field.

This team featured both young players and those with experience and some fans may have been holding out hope for a return to the postseason. Big seasons from the likes of Sizemore, Hafner, and Cabrera could bring back some of that 2007 magic.

Only that was not the case. Let’s take a closer look back at how the decade started. While the results weren’t all that great, some great careers got started back in that 2010 season some fans choose to forget.