Wedge met with his team shortly before the ball club scheduled a news conference to make the announcement public. Immediately afterwards, players said while he is taking responsibility for the team's failures, there is plenty of blame to share.
Wedge has been the only big league manager Catcher Kelly Shoppach has had in his four years in the majors. Wedge called the announcement "disappointing" but admitted he understands.
"Everyone was convinced for so long that this was going to happen and it's like he said, like a big elephant in the room you got it done with," Shoppach told Fox 8.
Few of the players in the locker room have known Wedge for as long.
Outfielder Grady Sizemore, who has been with the team for the last five years says the entire team let the fans down, "You can't put the blame on Eric or anyone else. Collectively as a team we struggled and like I said, when you don't play up to expectations, these are the kind of things that happen."
The announcement came just before the teams final home stand of the season, a season in which fans have seen the team part with familiar players, and collapse into a frustrating stretch of losses.
Many fans believe it was time for a change, "The players got to play, they are the ones that end up doing the job but you have got to blame somebody so I think it's the right call," said Mike Mastrangelo.
Some others say they believe it has not been about one particular season, but about a cumulative career as manager here.
"I wouldn't blame him for this year, but its all predicated on the last several seasons, he's got seven seasons he's not judged by one," Eric Ryan said.
Inside the locker room some of the players have not been around to know their manager that well. One of the younger players greeted Fox 8 after Wedge's announcement by saying, "You don't want to talk with me, I have only been here about a month."
Grady Sizemore acknowledged that didn't make the manager's job any easier. "I think it's the kind of thing you can't expect too much out of the young players especially when you have veterans that are injured it's going to make it tough."
And while some question whether any manager could have done well with what Wedge had to work with, Pitcher Jenson Lewis was among the players who say that is no excuse.
"Regardless of who we had in the room i think everybody is equally responsible you cant point the finger at one person" Lewis said
For the fans, however, the question of whether or not it is time for Wedge to go is not as difficult a question as whether that is going to make a difference.
Unless the club starts to do better, General Manager Mark Shapiro is next on the fan's hot seat.
"Somebody has got to be held accountable," said one fan. The fan continues, "And like I said, you cant fire the owner."
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