"Much of the fan mail to players on the last Indians team to reach the playoffs went to the one who was hardest to reach. Grady Sizemore's locker at Progressive Field was in front of a huge pillar. Baskets of bubble gum, sunflower seeds, and, back in the day, chewing tobacco, were perched on the top of a large counter next to the pillar. The fan letters went there.

That mail will be delivered to a different address as of Monday, when the Indians declined to exercise their option on the injury-plagued outfielder's contract. What will remain are memories of a proud, private man who always gave his best and who, by so doing, was not built to last.

To speak to Sizemore in the Indians clubhouse, you had to squeeze past the counter and the pillar, stepping carefully over the feet of the players sitting on stools near him, and lean into the crowd of reporters customarily sardined into the space. You had to listen closely, for he spoke in a whispery rush of words.

Sometimes, you can learn a lot about a person from his lair. Not from Sizemore. "