May I add he has also come up big when needed.
So has Gimenez, Naylor, Gonzales, Rosario and Straw.
Re: Articles
8867I just reviewed this folder from the past few weeks while I was away; and saw a Q&A about whether Mercardo's on big year and subsequent decline could be mirrored by Kwan; which was one i thought about too when I was "forecasting the future" of the G's. We all know that current success does not guarantee the same in the future. But Kwan's whole approach to the game and the developments he's already made suggest this is no one year wonder.
To go beyond that to the extreme: I have been looking for the Player Manager who will mimic our only 2 successful World Series championships led by CF Tris Speaker in 1920 and SS Lou Boudreau in 1948. I nominate Steven to follow in their footsteps.
To go beyond that to the extreme: I have been looking for the Player Manager who will mimic our only 2 successful World Series championships led by CF Tris Speaker in 1920 and SS Lou Boudreau in 1948. I nominate Steven to follow in their footsteps.
Re: Articles
8870Zero. Julio Rodriguez will run away with it and he has gaudy stats.
Bobby Witt Jr likely second.
After that, Kwan is in play.
Amazing crop of young players these days.
Bobby Witt Jr likely second.
After that, Kwan is in play.
Amazing crop of young players these days.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8871Meisel: How the Cleveland Guardians seized control of the AL Central
Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona, left, and left fielder Steven Kwan celebrate the team's win against the Chicago White Sox in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
By Zack Meisel
Sep 23, 2022
11
Save Article
CHICAGO — There’s an alternate reality, one members of the Guardians’ front office have pondered periodically this season, in which José Ramírez never requests an emergency gathering in a cramped manager’s office at Chase Field and signs a long-term, team-friendly contract extension.
In that parallel universe, Ramírez likely winds up in a different uniform. Both the Padres and Blue Jays were hopeful they could land him, according to several sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations those teams were having with Cleveland’s brass. If he wound up in San Diego, the Padres might have unloaded so much prospect capital they wouldn’t have had enough remaining to trade for Juan Soto, perhaps resulting in him winding up with the already-stacked Dodgers or the first-place Cardinals or, even, sticking with the Nationals.
Ramírez’s insistence on staying with the franchise that signed him more than a decade ago had a ripple effect across the league, but it made the most profound impact, of course, in Cleveland.
The Guardians missed out on Matt Olson and Jesse Winker. Carlos Rodón rejected their three-year offer. And so, they settled on Plan B, a commitment to the unknown, a pledge to toss unproven players into the water and see who could swim.
And yet, here they are, tearing the soul out of the Twins and blowing through the Windy City like an F5 tornado, charging toward a division title in a relentless manner few outside their clubhouse forecast.
Now that they have dispensed of their American League Central foes in convincing fashion — they just ripped off 10 wins in 12 games against Minnesota and Chicago — a number of Guardians players acknowledged Thursday night after their 4-2 win over the White Sox that they can spot the division crown awaiting them at the finish line.
They’ve derived leadership from Steven Kwan, a guy with five months’ worth of major-league service time. They’ve watched a couple of players who debuted in 2020, Triston McKenzie and Andrés Giménez, blossom into core pieces. One of their key contributors, Oscar Gonzalez, was exposed nine months ago to a Rule 5 draft that never occurred. One of the unsung heroes of their pitching staff, Trevor Stephan, is a product of the Rule 5 draft. They’ve leaned on their hobbled 63-year-old manager, Terry Francona, to shepherd a classroom of kids through a demanding, doubleheader-dotted 162-game schedule.
“He’s as energized, engaged and enthused as he’s ever been,” team president Chris Antonetti told The Athletic.
Guardians players celebrate their win over the White Sox on Thursday. (Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today)
They had to determine their offensive identity, the formula that would equip them with the best chance of winning each night. They arrived at an approach that emphasized contact and speed. New hitting coach Chris Valaika stressed traditional tenets such as using the whole field and working counts. The Guardians never miss a chance to dash from first to third or advance 90 feet on a wild pitch or passed ball or deliberate route to a hit to the gap or a poorly timed sneeze from the pitcher. To promote that style of play among a cast of inexperienced players, Francona spoke with Ramírez and Amed Rosario during the early days of spring training. He told them they needed to set a precedent for how to operate, otherwise Francona’s words would ring hollow.
The Guardians rank third in the majors in stolen bases and third in success rate. They have a massive lead over the rest of the league in infield hits. Ramírez, Rosario, Myles Straw, Giménez and Kwan all rank in the top 25 in the AL in extra-base-taken percentage, too. They place unrelenting pressure on opposing defenses, as evidenced by their third-place ranking in number of times they’ve reached on an error.
Stephan said he can sympathize with opposing pitchers, constantly pestered by Cleveland’s attack.
“It weighs you down,” he said.
The pitching staff has surged through the summer, with the bullpen logging the best ERA in baseball since the All-Star break and McKenzie, Shane Bieber and Cal Quantrill rescuing the rotation. Bieber leads the AL in innings pitched; McKenzie and Quantrill rank sixth and 11th.
To reach this point, Cleveland’s front office had to abandon any desire to manipulate the service time of its prospects. The Guardians have kept an I-71 shuttle running at all hours, both summoning deserving players at Triple-A Columbus and parting with those who haven’t produced. They’ve moved on swiftly from those who haven’t fit the puzzle. The club’s Opening Day lineup, which featured Bobby Bradley and Yu Chang batting fifth and sixth, is an unrecognizable relic at this point.
As a result of that approach, 16 players have made their big-league debut this season. As each rookie achieves some milestone, there’s a postgame bath, with the guest of honor often riding in a laundry cart through a waterfall of beer or any other handy liquid. Will Brennan received one after his two-hit debut Wednesday and said it’s a moment he’ll never forget.
“They couldn’t wait to come up here and douse him,” Francona said. “That makes everybody feel younger.”
Times have changed since Francona was a rookie in 1981.
“Rookies back then, you were barely able to talk,” he said. “You didn’t go in the training room. It was different. Dick Williams just said, ‘You’re leading off next inning. Get a f—ing bat.”
It’s chic to say the Guardians have arrived early. With such a young team, though, there’s so much unknown. Those in the front office will admit they were hopeful but found it unfair to anticipate this. So though nothing is guaranteed — cough, cough, World Series-contending White Sox — it’s worth noting that despite all of those debuts this season, Cleveland’s top prospects have yet to break into the big leagues. George Valera, Daniel Espino, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio could all join the fray next season. The future for the franchise is the shade of a blinding yellow highlighter.
The Guardians aren’t directly responsible for the Tigers dismissing general manager Al Avila or for the Royals severing ties with president Dayton Moore. But it’s worth considering whether they consciously or subconsciously factored into that decision-making. Cleveland has proved that, even for a club with rigid spending habits, it’s not a requirement to abandon all hope of winning for five or six years to piece together the next iteration of a contender. It’s imperative to have the proper scouting and player development pillars in place, however.
Detroit and Kansas City tore their rosters down to the studs and they’re still waiting for an upturn. Royals owner John Sherman, Paul Dolan’s former sidekick in Cleveland, has discussed wanting to emulate the Guardians’ pitching factory. Kansas City drafted a slew of well-regarded arms in 2018, but they haven’t panned out. Meanwhile, though it can be argued Cleveland didn’t treat the end of its previous contention cycle with enough urgency, the team suffered through only one down season and is already back atop the division and outfitted with one of the league’s healthiest farm systems.
But this group isn’t concerned with the future. The build toward what looks like an inevitable champagne celebration started with a different sort of triumph in that crowded office in Arizona on the final day of spring training, with the team’s star player pleading for an extension.
The alternate realities might be tempting to think about, but reality itself has exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona, left, and left fielder Steven Kwan celebrate the team's win against the Chicago White Sox in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
By Zack Meisel
Sep 23, 2022
11
Save Article
CHICAGO — There’s an alternate reality, one members of the Guardians’ front office have pondered periodically this season, in which José Ramírez never requests an emergency gathering in a cramped manager’s office at Chase Field and signs a long-term, team-friendly contract extension.
In that parallel universe, Ramírez likely winds up in a different uniform. Both the Padres and Blue Jays were hopeful they could land him, according to several sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations those teams were having with Cleveland’s brass. If he wound up in San Diego, the Padres might have unloaded so much prospect capital they wouldn’t have had enough remaining to trade for Juan Soto, perhaps resulting in him winding up with the already-stacked Dodgers or the first-place Cardinals or, even, sticking with the Nationals.
Ramírez’s insistence on staying with the franchise that signed him more than a decade ago had a ripple effect across the league, but it made the most profound impact, of course, in Cleveland.
The Guardians missed out on Matt Olson and Jesse Winker. Carlos Rodón rejected their three-year offer. And so, they settled on Plan B, a commitment to the unknown, a pledge to toss unproven players into the water and see who could swim.
And yet, here they are, tearing the soul out of the Twins and blowing through the Windy City like an F5 tornado, charging toward a division title in a relentless manner few outside their clubhouse forecast.
Now that they have dispensed of their American League Central foes in convincing fashion — they just ripped off 10 wins in 12 games against Minnesota and Chicago — a number of Guardians players acknowledged Thursday night after their 4-2 win over the White Sox that they can spot the division crown awaiting them at the finish line.
They’ve derived leadership from Steven Kwan, a guy with five months’ worth of major-league service time. They’ve watched a couple of players who debuted in 2020, Triston McKenzie and Andrés Giménez, blossom into core pieces. One of their key contributors, Oscar Gonzalez, was exposed nine months ago to a Rule 5 draft that never occurred. One of the unsung heroes of their pitching staff, Trevor Stephan, is a product of the Rule 5 draft. They’ve leaned on their hobbled 63-year-old manager, Terry Francona, to shepherd a classroom of kids through a demanding, doubleheader-dotted 162-game schedule.
“He’s as energized, engaged and enthused as he’s ever been,” team president Chris Antonetti told The Athletic.
Guardians players celebrate their win over the White Sox on Thursday. (Kamil Krzaczynski / USA Today)
They had to determine their offensive identity, the formula that would equip them with the best chance of winning each night. They arrived at an approach that emphasized contact and speed. New hitting coach Chris Valaika stressed traditional tenets such as using the whole field and working counts. The Guardians never miss a chance to dash from first to third or advance 90 feet on a wild pitch or passed ball or deliberate route to a hit to the gap or a poorly timed sneeze from the pitcher. To promote that style of play among a cast of inexperienced players, Francona spoke with Ramírez and Amed Rosario during the early days of spring training. He told them they needed to set a precedent for how to operate, otherwise Francona’s words would ring hollow.
The Guardians rank third in the majors in stolen bases and third in success rate. They have a massive lead over the rest of the league in infield hits. Ramírez, Rosario, Myles Straw, Giménez and Kwan all rank in the top 25 in the AL in extra-base-taken percentage, too. They place unrelenting pressure on opposing defenses, as evidenced by their third-place ranking in number of times they’ve reached on an error.
Stephan said he can sympathize with opposing pitchers, constantly pestered by Cleveland’s attack.
“It weighs you down,” he said.
The pitching staff has surged through the summer, with the bullpen logging the best ERA in baseball since the All-Star break and McKenzie, Shane Bieber and Cal Quantrill rescuing the rotation. Bieber leads the AL in innings pitched; McKenzie and Quantrill rank sixth and 11th.
To reach this point, Cleveland’s front office had to abandon any desire to manipulate the service time of its prospects. The Guardians have kept an I-71 shuttle running at all hours, both summoning deserving players at Triple-A Columbus and parting with those who haven’t produced. They’ve moved on swiftly from those who haven’t fit the puzzle. The club’s Opening Day lineup, which featured Bobby Bradley and Yu Chang batting fifth and sixth, is an unrecognizable relic at this point.
As a result of that approach, 16 players have made their big-league debut this season. As each rookie achieves some milestone, there’s a postgame bath, with the guest of honor often riding in a laundry cart through a waterfall of beer or any other handy liquid. Will Brennan received one after his two-hit debut Wednesday and said it’s a moment he’ll never forget.
“They couldn’t wait to come up here and douse him,” Francona said. “That makes everybody feel younger.”
Times have changed since Francona was a rookie in 1981.
“Rookies back then, you were barely able to talk,” he said. “You didn’t go in the training room. It was different. Dick Williams just said, ‘You’re leading off next inning. Get a f—ing bat.”
It’s chic to say the Guardians have arrived early. With such a young team, though, there’s so much unknown. Those in the front office will admit they were hopeful but found it unfair to anticipate this. So though nothing is guaranteed — cough, cough, World Series-contending White Sox — it’s worth noting that despite all of those debuts this season, Cleveland’s top prospects have yet to break into the big leagues. George Valera, Daniel Espino, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio could all join the fray next season. The future for the franchise is the shade of a blinding yellow highlighter.
The Guardians aren’t directly responsible for the Tigers dismissing general manager Al Avila or for the Royals severing ties with president Dayton Moore. But it’s worth considering whether they consciously or subconsciously factored into that decision-making. Cleveland has proved that, even for a club with rigid spending habits, it’s not a requirement to abandon all hope of winning for five or six years to piece together the next iteration of a contender. It’s imperative to have the proper scouting and player development pillars in place, however.
Detroit and Kansas City tore their rosters down to the studs and they’re still waiting for an upturn. Royals owner John Sherman, Paul Dolan’s former sidekick in Cleveland, has discussed wanting to emulate the Guardians’ pitching factory. Kansas City drafted a slew of well-regarded arms in 2018, but they haven’t panned out. Meanwhile, though it can be argued Cleveland didn’t treat the end of its previous contention cycle with enough urgency, the team suffered through only one down season and is already back atop the division and outfitted with one of the league’s healthiest farm systems.
But this group isn’t concerned with the future. The build toward what looks like an inevitable champagne celebration started with a different sort of triumph in that crowded office in Arizona on the final day of spring training, with the team’s star player pleading for an extension.
The alternate realities might be tempting to think about, but reality itself has exceeded everyone’s expectations.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8872 Carlos Rodón rejected their three-year offer.
That's a new one for me??
But that just goes to show they ARE open to free agents. This offseason may be very interesting.
Add in Will Brennan and we REALLY know who the keepers are. Package a bunch of kids for a star like a Matt Olson type to hit cleanup and knock in all those baserunners they accumulated this season.
OR a stud pitcher like a Carlos Rodon (he will be a free agent again) to join Triston and Bieber.
And sign Bieber long term.
That's a new one for me??
But that just goes to show they ARE open to free agents. This offseason may be very interesting.
Add in Will Brennan and we REALLY know who the keepers are. Package a bunch of kids for a star like a Matt Olson type to hit cleanup and knock in all those baserunners they accumulated this season.
OR a stud pitcher like a Carlos Rodon (he will be a free agent again) to join Triston and Bieber.
And sign Bieber long term.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8873“He’s as energized, engaged and enthused as he’s ever been,” team president Chris Antonetti told The Athletic.
Ok none of that crap that other organizations have with friction between front office and manager. These people are family. A team that works together to get the best out of the organization on all levels.
And to all the Dolan bashers. He did one thing right. Keep that front office and let them go. And stay out of it.
Ok none of that crap that other organizations have with friction between front office and manager. These people are family. A team that works together to get the best out of the organization on all levels.
And to all the Dolan bashers. He did one thing right. Keep that front office and let them go. And stay out of it.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8875Love articles by Zack Meisel. He always gives you something you haven't heard before.
Re: Articles
8876The Cleveland Guardians’ mad dashes from first to third have them in first
Sep 23, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) hits Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Oscar Gonzalez (39) in the face with his glove while trying to field a throw during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Sep 24, 2022
25
Save Article
ARLINGTON, Texas — Alex Eckelman leaned against the green padded railing in the visitors dugout at Globe Life Field on Friday afternoon as Guardians players filtered onto the field for their pregame routines.
Before each position player spilled onto the turf, he paused to pat Eckelman on the shoulder, shake his hand or exchange a few words. Eckelman, the organization’s director of hitting development, couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he marveled at the cast of young hitters stretching, jogging and tossing baseballs in a big-league ballpark.
Eckelman refuses to take credit, but he and the organization’s coaches, coordinators and front-office members feel they have started to break through on the hitting side of the operation in their bid to ultimately craft something that resembles the renowned pitching factory that is the envy of most teams across the sport.
The club has witnessed significant steps forward from young major leaguers such as Andrés Giménez and Josh Naylor, and it has benefited from a tidal wave of productive rookies, including Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez. Will Brennan, Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias and Will Benson — all hitters Eckelman can recall working with during the infancy of their professional careers — have reached the majors and are gaining valuable experience during the team’s charge toward the postseason.
The Guardians’ newfound offensive identity has fueled their surge toward a division crown. They thrive by making a ton of contact, avoiding strikeouts and deploying an unrelenting approach to base running. It’s breathtaking. (No, literally — how are they not constantly short-winded after every stolen base or every desperate dash on a pitch in the dirt?)
The 2022 Guardians documentary will simply be an hour-long loop of players sprinting from first to third on a single. They pester and pressure opposing pitchers and fielders with their nonstop havoc-wreaking.
“I would assume pitchers probably get pretty frustrated,” reliever Sam Hentges said.
The top of the sixth inning of the Guardians’ 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday perfectly encapsulated their style.
• Kwan singled.
• Amed Rosario popped out.
• José Ramírez singled up the middle. Kwan advanced from first to third.
• Naylor smacked a double off the top of the right-field wall. Kwan scored. Ramírez stopped at third because Naylor pummeled the pitch at a game-high 106.3 mph.
• Gonzalez singled up the middle. Ramírez scored. Naylor advanced to third.
• Giménez singled to right. Naylor scored. Gonzalez advanced from first to third, which drew a throw and allowed Giménez to advance to second.
• Brennan singled up the middle. Gonzalez and Giménez scored. Brennan then stole second.
• Luke Maile flied out.
• Myles Straw grounded out.
Five runs. Six hits. A stolen base. Two instances of a runner darting from first to third. And a game completely flipped on its head.
“It just happened so fast,” Maile said. “We have to lead the league with first to third.”
(They do.)
“That makes me feel better about myself,” he continued. “Line drives. Situational hitting. Everybody’s been a part of it. They’re starting to fire on all cylinders.”
As for the dugout atmosphere during one of those patented Guardians avalanches?
“It’s vibing,” Brennan said. “It’s going. It’s contagious.”
Straw, Ramírez, Kwan, Giménez and Rosario all rank in the top 50 in the league in FanGraphs’ base-running metric. All five boast a sprint speed that ranks in at least the 77th percentile, according to Statcast, with Straw, Giménez and Rosario ranking in at least the 94th percentile. All five of those players have tallied between 17 and 19 stolen bases; Giménez took the team lead with his 19th on Friday.
Brennan has fit right in, too. He swiped two bases in the series opener in Texas.
“It’s actually perfect for my game,” he said. “What I lack in the home run department and extra bases, I’m going to have to make up (for) on the basepaths.”
Even Naylor joined the base-stealing action Friday. He stole second in the fourth inning and, in doing so, drew a throw from the catcher, which allowed Rosario to score from third. Naylor has six stolen bases in seven attempts this season.
“No way,” he said. “That’s sick. Good for me, I guess.”
Who knew the burly first baseman could be so opportunistic?
“There are a lot of things people don’t know about me,” he said. “I just try to create a little bit of chaos on the bases because people don’t expect it.”
The Guardians have operated in this fashion for much of the season, but they have toggled a turbo setting in September in their drive toward an AL Central title. With Cleveland’s win and Chicago’s loss Friday night, the Guardians trimmed their magic number to three. They could clinch the division title as soon as Sunday.
“If we play hard,” Naylor said, “anything can happen.”
Sep 23, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) hits Cleveland Guardians designated hitter Oscar Gonzalez (39) in the face with his glove while trying to field a throw during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Sep 24, 2022
25
Save Article
ARLINGTON, Texas — Alex Eckelman leaned against the green padded railing in the visitors dugout at Globe Life Field on Friday afternoon as Guardians players filtered onto the field for their pregame routines.
Before each position player spilled onto the turf, he paused to pat Eckelman on the shoulder, shake his hand or exchange a few words. Eckelman, the organization’s director of hitting development, couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he marveled at the cast of young hitters stretching, jogging and tossing baseballs in a big-league ballpark.
Eckelman refuses to take credit, but he and the organization’s coaches, coordinators and front-office members feel they have started to break through on the hitting side of the operation in their bid to ultimately craft something that resembles the renowned pitching factory that is the envy of most teams across the sport.
The club has witnessed significant steps forward from young major leaguers such as Andrés Giménez and Josh Naylor, and it has benefited from a tidal wave of productive rookies, including Steven Kwan and Oscar Gonzalez. Will Brennan, Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias and Will Benson — all hitters Eckelman can recall working with during the infancy of their professional careers — have reached the majors and are gaining valuable experience during the team’s charge toward the postseason.
The Guardians’ newfound offensive identity has fueled their surge toward a division crown. They thrive by making a ton of contact, avoiding strikeouts and deploying an unrelenting approach to base running. It’s breathtaking. (No, literally — how are they not constantly short-winded after every stolen base or every desperate dash on a pitch in the dirt?)
The 2022 Guardians documentary will simply be an hour-long loop of players sprinting from first to third on a single. They pester and pressure opposing pitchers and fielders with their nonstop havoc-wreaking.
“I would assume pitchers probably get pretty frustrated,” reliever Sam Hentges said.
The top of the sixth inning of the Guardians’ 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday perfectly encapsulated their style.
• Kwan singled.
• Amed Rosario popped out.
• José Ramírez singled up the middle. Kwan advanced from first to third.
• Naylor smacked a double off the top of the right-field wall. Kwan scored. Ramírez stopped at third because Naylor pummeled the pitch at a game-high 106.3 mph.
• Gonzalez singled up the middle. Ramírez scored. Naylor advanced to third.
• Giménez singled to right. Naylor scored. Gonzalez advanced from first to third, which drew a throw and allowed Giménez to advance to second.
• Brennan singled up the middle. Gonzalez and Giménez scored. Brennan then stole second.
• Luke Maile flied out.
• Myles Straw grounded out.
Five runs. Six hits. A stolen base. Two instances of a runner darting from first to third. And a game completely flipped on its head.
“It just happened so fast,” Maile said. “We have to lead the league with first to third.”
(They do.)
“That makes me feel better about myself,” he continued. “Line drives. Situational hitting. Everybody’s been a part of it. They’re starting to fire on all cylinders.”
As for the dugout atmosphere during one of those patented Guardians avalanches?
“It’s vibing,” Brennan said. “It’s going. It’s contagious.”
Straw, Ramírez, Kwan, Giménez and Rosario all rank in the top 50 in the league in FanGraphs’ base-running metric. All five boast a sprint speed that ranks in at least the 77th percentile, according to Statcast, with Straw, Giménez and Rosario ranking in at least the 94th percentile. All five of those players have tallied between 17 and 19 stolen bases; Giménez took the team lead with his 19th on Friday.
Brennan has fit right in, too. He swiped two bases in the series opener in Texas.
“It’s actually perfect for my game,” he said. “What I lack in the home run department and extra bases, I’m going to have to make up (for) on the basepaths.”
Even Naylor joined the base-stealing action Friday. He stole second in the fourth inning and, in doing so, drew a throw from the catcher, which allowed Rosario to score from third. Naylor has six stolen bases in seven attempts this season.
“No way,” he said. “That’s sick. Good for me, I guess.”
Who knew the burly first baseman could be so opportunistic?
“There are a lot of things people don’t know about me,” he said. “I just try to create a little bit of chaos on the bases because people don’t expect it.”
The Guardians have operated in this fashion for much of the season, but they have toggled a turbo setting in September in their drive toward an AL Central title. With Cleveland’s win and Chicago’s loss Friday night, the Guardians trimmed their magic number to three. They could clinch the division title as soon as Sunday.
“If we play hard,” Naylor said, “anything can happen.”
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8877I saw a couple of Texas guys go half speed down the line after they hit a ground ball. White Sox too.
After all this time watching the Guards play this year I noticed it. Thought to myself "that wouldn't happen with the Guardians".
Pretty amazing the dramatic swing this year with this team. Then Brennan jumps in and steals two bases after guiding a beautiful line drive earlier to drive in runs.
With these rule changes next season (just posted another article on it in the other folder) this team already has the jump on those. They are playing that way already.
Don't get me wrong they still could use another power hitter - not a Franmil type but someone who hits for power AND for average...a REAL hitter.
After all this time watching the Guards play this year I noticed it. Thought to myself "that wouldn't happen with the Guardians".
Pretty amazing the dramatic swing this year with this team. Then Brennan jumps in and steals two bases after guiding a beautiful line drive earlier to drive in runs.
With these rule changes next season (just posted another article on it in the other folder) this team already has the jump on those. They are playing that way already.
Don't get me wrong they still could use another power hitter - not a Franmil type but someone who hits for power AND for average...a REAL hitter.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8878• Kwan singled.
• Amed Rosario popped out.
• José Ramírez singled up the middle. Kwan advanced from first to third.
• Naylor smacked a double off the top of the right-field wall. Kwan scored. Ramírez stopped at third because Naylor pummeled the pitch at a game-high 106.3 mph.
• Gonzalez singled up the middle. Ramírez scored. Naylor advanced to third.
• Giménez singled to right. Naylor scored. Gonzalez advanced from first to third, which drew a throw and allowed Giménez to advance to second.
• Brennan singled up the middle. Gonzalez and Giménez scored. Brennan then stole second.
• Luke Maile flied out.
• Myles Straw grounded out.
I got so sick of the prevailing "wisdom" that it was too hard to string hits together to get runs so swing for the fences or strike out. WHAT BULL!
You CAN string hits, steals, errors, extra bases on baserunning for all kinds of runs. Experiment successful.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
8879Inside the clubhouse as Cleveland Guardians celebrate ‘fairy-tale’ season, size up playoffs
Cleveland Guardians players celebrate winning the American League Central in the locker room after defeating the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
By Zack Meisel
Sep 26, 2022
ARLINGTON, Texas — As the party peaked, with Austin Hedges spraying champagne while spinning like a tornado, with manager Terry Francona buzzing the hair of unsuspecting replay coordinator Mike Barnett and with cigar smoke filling the room, team president Chris Antonetti approached José Ramírez off to the side of the visitors clubhouse at Globe Life Field.
As the Guardians, equipped with green-strapped New Era goggles, flip-flops and enough beer to fuel fraternity row, celebrated their improbable march to the American League Central title, the architect of the league’s youngest roster placed his arm around the team’s perennial All-Star. Ramírez jump-started the charge toward October by insisting on a long-term contract extension nearly six months ago.
“This all started with his decision to want to be here,” Antonetti told The Athletic. “That set the tone for our season.”
On this chaotic day, with the scent of stale beer spreading throughout the clubhouse, Antonetti reflected on the pandemonium of that final day of spring training, when the third baseman and club executives gathered in a cramped manager’s office in Arizona to hash out whether an extension was possible. Could Antonetti have envisioned a division title at that moment?
“In what fairy tale?’ he said. “The fact he committed and wanted to be here for the long term gave us a great foundation to build upon.”
The construction came from within, and it took time and patience for it to take shape.
This saga starts with a crashing team shop sign, a rebranding project marked by merchandise delays and an underwhelming, apathy-inducing rollout and a harsh winter lockout. The front office whiffed on its top offseason targets (which might have wound up being a blessing in disguise, though Carlos Rodón certainly would have helped), and had Ramírez not volunteered to accept a below-market deal, he might now be a Blue Jay or a Padre.
But on Sunday afternoon, with plastic draping the lockers and covering the floor to simplify the cleanup process, none of that mattered — not the name change nor the meager payroll nor the lackluster attendance nor the fact that most of the roster has yet to reach the age required to rent a car without a surcharge.
They’re barely old enough to drink, but here they go pic.twitter.com/mZj7PxiSsJ
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 25, 2022
As they popped champagne bottles, chugged Bud Lights and polished off one box of pizza after another, no one was thinking about the quiet offseason, the silent trade deadline or the sluggish April and May. No one was thinking about the farm system, ready to explode with blue-chip prospects, or how the Guardians were deemed Opening Day long shots to win the AL Central.
The Guardians have excelled at remaining in the moment, a core tenet Francona annually preaches from the first day of spring camp. So, they brushed off that few outside of their clubhouse never took them seriously until September, when they stomped on their opponents en route to sprinting away with the division crown.
“When people count you out,” Josh Naylor said, “it’s great to shove it back in their face. Those who have nothing to lose in life, those are the most dangerous people or teams.”
Naylor would know better than anyone. He didn’t know if he’d ever set foot on a diamond again after suffering a gruesome leg injury last summer in Minnesota. Now, he’s hitting behind Ramírez and serving as one of Cleveland’s primary power sources.
“We enjoy every moment we have on the field,” he said, “because you never know when it’s your last day.”
The Guardians held a team meeting about 90 minutes before first pitch Sunday. Francona told the group: “When this happens, you guys have earned the right to blow it out.”
“The way they had to work,” a drenched Francona said from his office after completing his participation in the hoopla, “the way they played to get here, they can yell all night. I’ll sit here and let them yell all night. I don’t care what time we get home.”
Francona, 63, said he’s “too old for other things, but not this.”
Terry Francona and the team wore shirts that read “The Central is Ours” as they celebrated. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)
It’s the club’s fourth division title in Francona’s 10 seasons at the helm in Cleveland. The team secured its sixth playoff berth with him as manager. The Guardians will host the No. 6 seed in the AL for a best-of-three duel in the Wild Card Series beginning Oct. 7.
Francona deflected credit for this latest accomplishment, instead directing praise to his coaching staff and the scouting and player development departments. It’s a sensible response, given the youth on the roster. The Guardians may employ the league’s youngest group — with an average age of 26.3, according to Baseball Reference — but that hasn’t slowed them down.
“What’s wrong with being young?” Shane Bieber asked.
Hedges approached Steven Kwan and Will Benson in the hallway outside the clubhouse during the beer bash.
“You’re all underage,” the boisterous catcher quipped. “No more alcohol.”
“Underage?” Kwan countered. “I’m 25.”
Hedges said the club has “just enough” veteran leadership to steer the rookies — 16 of them have debuted this season, the franchise’s most in 100 years — in the proper direction during the downward swings of the grueling schedule. But some of the youngest players haven’t performed like newcomers.
Kwan, who has guided many of his fellow rookies, blasted a grand slam to punctuate the team’s 10-4 win and series sweep of the Rangers on Sunday. He said he blacked out once the ball sailed over the right-field fence, then reality set in that the bubbly would be flowing in a couple of innings.
Steven Kwan rounds the bases after hitting an eighth-inning grand slam. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)
“You know it’s your goal, but you still have those doubts in your head,” Hedges said. “Like, is it an actual reality? Is it actually going to happen?”
Sixteen days ago, the Guardians clutched a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins and the White Sox as they stared at a daunting stretch that included 12 games against Minnesota and Chicago. They steamrolled through it all and now hold a double-digit lead over those teams, despite the infamous proclamation from Chicago shortstop Elvis Andrus that Cleveland would “crumble.”
Your 2022 AL Central champions. pic.twitter.com/PvB4N5yt8p
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 25, 2022
As they gathered for a team photo in the center of the clubhouse, several players, in so many words, shouted about their satisfaction to dismiss the White Sox — the heavy preseason favorites to capture the division title — from the postseason chase.
Antonetti hinted that he had a particular comment to make about the three-team race but preferred to not supply any other teams “with fodder.”
“Our guys, they embraced the moment,” he said.
Trevor Stephan lay down in the middle of the room and invited teammates to shower him with beer. A few players treated the puddle-filled plastic floor as a Slip ’N Slide. Coaches hugged. Clubhouse attendants posed for photos with players. Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff shared a hug and took a selfie. A throng of front office members flew to Dallas on Sunday morning just in case the Guardians clinched.
They did just that, winning for the 18th time in their past 21 games.
“We don’t look at ourselves as underdogs,” Hedges said, “but I know everybody else thought we were. And I don’t blame them. We’re young. Who would have thought? But we believed in ourselves, and we’re going to continue to shock the world.”
Cleveland Guardians players celebrate winning the American League Central in the locker room after defeating the Texas Rangers in a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
By Zack Meisel
Sep 26, 2022
ARLINGTON, Texas — As the party peaked, with Austin Hedges spraying champagne while spinning like a tornado, with manager Terry Francona buzzing the hair of unsuspecting replay coordinator Mike Barnett and with cigar smoke filling the room, team president Chris Antonetti approached José Ramírez off to the side of the visitors clubhouse at Globe Life Field.
As the Guardians, equipped with green-strapped New Era goggles, flip-flops and enough beer to fuel fraternity row, celebrated their improbable march to the American League Central title, the architect of the league’s youngest roster placed his arm around the team’s perennial All-Star. Ramírez jump-started the charge toward October by insisting on a long-term contract extension nearly six months ago.
“This all started with his decision to want to be here,” Antonetti told The Athletic. “That set the tone for our season.”
On this chaotic day, with the scent of stale beer spreading throughout the clubhouse, Antonetti reflected on the pandemonium of that final day of spring training, when the third baseman and club executives gathered in a cramped manager’s office in Arizona to hash out whether an extension was possible. Could Antonetti have envisioned a division title at that moment?
“In what fairy tale?’ he said. “The fact he committed and wanted to be here for the long term gave us a great foundation to build upon.”
The construction came from within, and it took time and patience for it to take shape.
This saga starts with a crashing team shop sign, a rebranding project marked by merchandise delays and an underwhelming, apathy-inducing rollout and a harsh winter lockout. The front office whiffed on its top offseason targets (which might have wound up being a blessing in disguise, though Carlos Rodón certainly would have helped), and had Ramírez not volunteered to accept a below-market deal, he might now be a Blue Jay or a Padre.
But on Sunday afternoon, with plastic draping the lockers and covering the floor to simplify the cleanup process, none of that mattered — not the name change nor the meager payroll nor the lackluster attendance nor the fact that most of the roster has yet to reach the age required to rent a car without a surcharge.
They’re barely old enough to drink, but here they go pic.twitter.com/mZj7PxiSsJ
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 25, 2022
As they popped champagne bottles, chugged Bud Lights and polished off one box of pizza after another, no one was thinking about the quiet offseason, the silent trade deadline or the sluggish April and May. No one was thinking about the farm system, ready to explode with blue-chip prospects, or how the Guardians were deemed Opening Day long shots to win the AL Central.
The Guardians have excelled at remaining in the moment, a core tenet Francona annually preaches from the first day of spring camp. So, they brushed off that few outside of their clubhouse never took them seriously until September, when they stomped on their opponents en route to sprinting away with the division crown.
“When people count you out,” Josh Naylor said, “it’s great to shove it back in their face. Those who have nothing to lose in life, those are the most dangerous people or teams.”
Naylor would know better than anyone. He didn’t know if he’d ever set foot on a diamond again after suffering a gruesome leg injury last summer in Minnesota. Now, he’s hitting behind Ramírez and serving as one of Cleveland’s primary power sources.
“We enjoy every moment we have on the field,” he said, “because you never know when it’s your last day.”
The Guardians held a team meeting about 90 minutes before first pitch Sunday. Francona told the group: “When this happens, you guys have earned the right to blow it out.”
“The way they had to work,” a drenched Francona said from his office after completing his participation in the hoopla, “the way they played to get here, they can yell all night. I’ll sit here and let them yell all night. I don’t care what time we get home.”
Francona, 63, said he’s “too old for other things, but not this.”
Terry Francona and the team wore shirts that read “The Central is Ours” as they celebrated. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)
It’s the club’s fourth division title in Francona’s 10 seasons at the helm in Cleveland. The team secured its sixth playoff berth with him as manager. The Guardians will host the No. 6 seed in the AL for a best-of-three duel in the Wild Card Series beginning Oct. 7.
Francona deflected credit for this latest accomplishment, instead directing praise to his coaching staff and the scouting and player development departments. It’s a sensible response, given the youth on the roster. The Guardians may employ the league’s youngest group — with an average age of 26.3, according to Baseball Reference — but that hasn’t slowed them down.
“What’s wrong with being young?” Shane Bieber asked.
Hedges approached Steven Kwan and Will Benson in the hallway outside the clubhouse during the beer bash.
“You’re all underage,” the boisterous catcher quipped. “No more alcohol.”
“Underage?” Kwan countered. “I’m 25.”
Hedges said the club has “just enough” veteran leadership to steer the rookies — 16 of them have debuted this season, the franchise’s most in 100 years — in the proper direction during the downward swings of the grueling schedule. But some of the youngest players haven’t performed like newcomers.
Kwan, who has guided many of his fellow rookies, blasted a grand slam to punctuate the team’s 10-4 win and series sweep of the Rangers on Sunday. He said he blacked out once the ball sailed over the right-field fence, then reality set in that the bubbly would be flowing in a couple of innings.
Steven Kwan rounds the bases after hitting an eighth-inning grand slam. (Jerome Miron / USA Today)
“You know it’s your goal, but you still have those doubts in your head,” Hedges said. “Like, is it an actual reality? Is it actually going to happen?”
Sixteen days ago, the Guardians clutched a 1 1/2-game lead over the Twins and the White Sox as they stared at a daunting stretch that included 12 games against Minnesota and Chicago. They steamrolled through it all and now hold a double-digit lead over those teams, despite the infamous proclamation from Chicago shortstop Elvis Andrus that Cleveland would “crumble.”
Your 2022 AL Central champions. pic.twitter.com/PvB4N5yt8p
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 25, 2022
As they gathered for a team photo in the center of the clubhouse, several players, in so many words, shouted about their satisfaction to dismiss the White Sox — the heavy preseason favorites to capture the division title — from the postseason chase.
Antonetti hinted that he had a particular comment to make about the three-team race but preferred to not supply any other teams “with fodder.”
“Our guys, they embraced the moment,” he said.
Trevor Stephan lay down in the middle of the room and invited teammates to shower him with beer. A few players treated the puddle-filled plastic floor as a Slip ’N Slide. Coaches hugged. Clubhouse attendants posed for photos with players. Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff shared a hug and took a selfie. A throng of front office members flew to Dallas on Sunday morning just in case the Guardians clinched.
They did just that, winning for the 18th time in their past 21 games.
“We don’t look at ourselves as underdogs,” Hedges said, “but I know everybody else thought we were. And I don’t blame them. We’re young. Who would have thought? But we believed in ourselves, and we’re going to continue to shock the world.”
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain