The wall experiment didn’t work as the Indians finished a dismal 57-105 and John McNamara was fired in the middle of the

The wall experiment didn’t work, as the Indians finished a dismal 57-105, and John McNamara was fired in the middle of the season.Murray Chass wrote about Cole’s struggles in the New York Times on July 28, 1991. Here is what he said.It was the beginning of the end for Alex Cole in a Tribe uniform, as he was traded on July 4, 1992 to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor-league prospect Tony Mitchell. This gave way to former University of Arizona point guard Kenny Lofton.Cole bounced around the majors the next four-and-a-half years with the Pirates, expansion Rockies, Twins, and Red Sox. He was out of the league after 1996, while bouncing around the minors a few years after that. Unfortunately, this is not where the Alex Cole story ends.In 2002, he plead guilty to possession of heroin, with the intent to distribute, and served 18 months in jail.

Four years later, a judgment in excess of $30,000.00 was entered against him for running up credit-card bills under a friend’s name and then not repaying them.I prefer to remember Alex Cole as I did 18 years ago, as a speedy center fielder with the cool goggles. There wasn’t much to root for with the Wahoos back then, and he provided hope for a prosperous future.Hopefully, the current Indians regime can find a spark plug that they can stick at the top of the order to set the table, so we don’t have to suffer through anymore disappointing summers. This article is also featured on Tribe Times. * Cemex says extends most short-term debt maturities Stocks  |  Bonds  |  France  |  Mexico * CEO says debt deal could be reached soon * Sees U.S. market recovery by 2010 (Adds analyst comment) By Robin Emmott and Gabriela Lopez MONTERREY, Mexico, April 23 (Reuters) – Cemex said onThursday it has agreed with creditors to extend the majority ofits short-term maturities, a sign that the world’s No. 3 cementmaker is advancing in its difficult debt renegotiation.

Cemex, which bought Australia’s Rinker in 2007, has beenstruggling to refinance $14.5 billion in bank debt due over thenext three years, $4.1 billion of which is matures this year. Some investors worry Cemex could default on its debt as itsU.S, and European cement sales volumes plummet, a bond saleflopped this year and planned asset sales have notmaterialized. Chief Executive Lorenzo Zambrano, who said he wasn’t losingany sleep over the company’s debt load, told Cemex’s (CX.N)(CMXCPO.MX) annual shareholders meeting the company was meetingits debt payments and saw an improvement in U.S sales nextyear. “We started a new series of talks with our main banks inMarch….We managed to defer most of the short-term debt,”Zambrano said during the meeting in the northern city ofMonterrey.

“We expect to reach a final agreement soon.” But some analysts played down Zambrano’s announcement. “The short-term extension is part of the process….Theimportant thing is the final agreement,” said Vanessa Quiroga,an analyst at Credit Suisse in Mexico City Zambrano forecast the U.S. market would pick up from thefirst quarter of 2010 for Cemex, the top cement maker in theUnited States. “Yes, 2010 will be better than 2009 in the United Statesfor us,” Zambrano told a news conference.