Wedge out as Indians' manager

CLEVELAND, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Cleveland Indians Manager Eric Wedge was told he won't be leading the team in 2010, the Indians announced Wednesday.

The Indians said Wedge and his coaching staff would be replaced after this season. They will, however, finish out the 2009 season. The Indians are 64-92, one game ahead of last-place Kansas City in the AL Central. They have six games remaining on their schedule.

"I have consistently communicated that accountability is the most important thing throughout this organization," Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said at a news conference. "Often the blame occurs in one place (and) in this case as we examined, we felt it was the right time to make a change with Eric.

"He wanted to finish the job at hand and we agreed that was the best decision going forward."

Cleveland is assured its worst season since Wedge's first season when the Indians were 68-94 in 2003. Cleveland is 560-568 over Wedge's seven seasons.

The Indians won the AL Central in 2007, going 96-66 but slipped to 81-81 and a third-place finish last year. They are trying to avoid the team's first last-place divisional finish since 1991 when the team was in the AL East.