Plenty of blame to go around

Tribe fans, read this slowly.
Third-base coach Joel Skinner did not cost the Indians the ALCS.
Did he make a mistake in not waving Kenny Lofton home in Game 7?
Absolutely.
But go back a few games if you want the reason why the Tribe lost the series.
Ace C.C. Sabathia had a 10.55 ERA in two ALCS starts.
Fausto Cabrera had a 16.50 ERA in the ALCS, including getting blown off the mound in Game 6.
The bullpen, which was the cornerstone to this team, took a few hits, as well. Rafael Perez's ERA was 45.00 in three ALCS appearances. And we all know what happened to team MVP Rafael Betancourt in his Game 7 meltdown.
Then, there's Travis Hafner, who hit .148 with 12 strikeouts in 27 at-bats. Grady Sizemore hit .222 for the series.
And let's give the Red Sox credit. Their pitching was better, especially with Josh Beckett and closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Forget Skinner.
There are plenty of others who came up short when the series was there for the taking.