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Poor Baby !!

Walk-up music is BS anyway. When did this become part of baseball? Did they copy Wrestling?


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Inbox: Will Arias get to play every day?

Mandy Bell

3/3/23 3:54 PM CST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

It’s been too long since we’ve opened the Guardians Inbox. Now that Cactus League games have been underway for a week, let’s take a look at questions fans have:

What are the paths/likelihood for Gabriel Arias playing every day?
football70

It’s hard to envision the end of this path right now. The Guardians have everyday infielders at each position, all of whom rarely take a day off. There’s a reason the team is having both Arias and Tyler Freeman see time in the outfield this spring to try to find a way for them to get more playing time with such a crowded infield.

An everyday role isn’t in the immediate future for Arias, unless an injury to one of the starters pops up. Determining what his role could look like in the distant future will depend on what the Guardians do with Amed Rosario. If they extend his contract, the middle-infield depth the team has in its farm system doesn’t make as much sense to hold on to. José Ramírez will remain at third. Rosario would stay at short if he’s extended. Andrés Giménez would be stuck at second. That leaves no room for Arias to have an everyday role, unless he finds a home in the outfield.

The short answer: So much depends on Rosario’s future.

For now, Arias will serve as a utility guy, proving he deserves to be the next man up should an opportunity arise.

What will they do with all the extra infielders? Freeman and Arias to just sit around?
Figger Show

This is what we alluded to in the first answer. There are Arias and Freeman, who are Major League ready. There are Angel Martinez, Juan Brito, Brayan Rocchio and Jose Tena all on the 40-man roster. It’s getting hard to figure out where they all will play now and in the future. For Freeman and Arias, the Guardians will need to determine if they want to carry two extra infielders and one extra outfielder on the Opening Day roster or two outfielders and just one infielder. Trying to find playing time for both Arias and Freeman could be difficult, and Cleveland may want Freeman to play every day in Triple-A. All of that needs to be worked out over the next few weeks.

Chances we see a pitching prospect break camp as a starter?
MichaelHook CLE

The smallest chance possible. The Guardians seem locked in on keeping the usual Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Cal Quantrill, Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac rotation to start the year.

First starter you expect to get used if Civale or Plesac struggle?
SaberTJ

This is the bigger question to answer in camp. Cleveland will get looks at guys like Konnor Pilkington, Xzavion Curry, Hunter Gaddis, Joey Cantillo and Logan Allen all spring. Cody Morris would have been a top choice heading into camp, but now he’s dealing with shoulder/back soreness that knocks him lower on the list. One of these names will try to separate themselves this spring to be the next man up.

How is Morris doing and is there any ETA?
twcunningham

No ETA yet, but he’s throwing out to 105 feet and seems to be progressing well.

Why hasn’t Clase pitched yet?
PatrickSnyder7

The Guardians didn’t feel the need to rush Emmanuel Clase into games. Here was manager Terry Francona’s explanation:

“Clase hasn’t pitched yet, but he’s slated to pitch in nine games. That includes a back to back. That was our goal for him. [Pitching coach] Carl [Willis] maps out the entire spring for everybody -- at least the guys we can. They’re not trying to get out of work. They’re trying to get ready for a season. As you get to know them, you can partner with them, and it works really well.”

Barring an injury or trade, who is the current top candidate to back up Mike Zunino?
kenwoodstory

Right now, it seems like Cam Gallagher is, although David Fry is really interesting. We’ll stick with Gallagher at this point, though.

With no shift, do you think Tito will elect to play a shallow RF and have CF and LF shift to right-center and left-center?
davpatterso

I’ll let him answer for himself:

“I don’t think so. I mean, one of our baseball ops guys asked me that. He was like, ‘Have you thought about that?’ And I was like, ‘Do you want to see [Steven] Kwan in short right?’ And he said, ‘Not really.’ I said, ‘How about Oscar [Gonzalez]? Do you want to move Straw out of center?’ And he said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘You just answered the question.'"

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The Guardians Will Try To Repeat A Fundamental Feat

By Andres Chavez

March 3, 2023

When every MLB team was trying to hit the ball out of the park, the Cleveland Guardians tried a different approach.

Their power numbers were somewhat disappointing, as they finished nowhere near the leaders in homers.

But they employed contact, defense, and aggressive baserunning to reach the Division Series in the American League, winning a postseason series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

They played to their strengths (contact, defense, and pitching) to go all the way to the AL Central title and 92 wins.

Yes, their offseason additions were focused on adding a couple of power hitters, but they remain one of the most athletic, fastest, and exciting teams in the league as we approach the 2023 campaign.

In fact, they led MLB in a telling category in 2022.

“The Cleveland Guardians got more runners from first base to third base with singles last season than any other MLB team because of course they did,” Codify Baseball tweeted.

That kind of aggressive baserunning can backfire on occasion, but the Guardians have quick, intelligent players who know when to take risks.

Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Myles Straw, Jose Ramirez…all of them are fast and aggressive.

They are all willing to take the extra base, and that is not going to change in 2023.

They may show a bit more slugging this year now that they added Josh Bell and Mike Zunino, but make no mistake: the essence of this Guardians team is exactly the same as it was last season.

With the bigger bases, they will probably be even more aggressive: they will steal bases, they will go for two bases, and they will try to stretch singles into doubles and doubles into triples.

It will be thrilling to see.

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Division Outlook: AL Central
Sam Holstine
By Sam Holstine


Regardless of how much offseason hype they get, both the AL and NL Central tend to never live up to those expectations. Ever since the 2016 clash in the World Series between the then Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs, it feels like both central divisions have never had a serious competitor to add to the postseason mix. For a lack of a better word, both divisions always seem to just be average and can't get over that hump. Hopefully this year there can be an end to that trend, and as we take a look at the American League Central today.
Chicago White Sox


The White Sox were the definition of average last season, finishing the season with a 81-81 record. Projections aren't that kind on them going into this season either, as FanGraphs projects them to finish one game worse this year, at 80-82. Aligning with their record, the Chicago had an average offseason. They added outfielder Andrew Benintendi and starting pticher Mike Clevinger, but Clevinger's playing status is up in the air due to some off the field legal issues. Despite solid additions, they lost first baseman Jose Abreu in free agency, a guy who has been a key cog in this lineup for years. Heading into 2023, there are far too many question marks when looking at this White Sox roster to announce them as serious contenders this season. A big reason is the fact that health is the name of the game for this White Sox offense. An offensive core of Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, and Luis Robert is no joke, but all three of their playing times have been limited by unfortunate injury histories. Combine that with Yasmani Grandal and Yoan Moncada scuffling offensively, this offense can be either really good or really average, even with the Benintendi signing. The White Sox pitching staff is led by ace Dylan Cease, who has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball with a wicked slider. Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito are two excellent supplements to Cease, but they also scuffled throughout last season. The general theme of this White Sox team is they have a group of talented guys, but the combination of injuries and mediocre performances have limited them. Think of them as a team with a high ceiling that could win the division if they stay healthy and perform to the level they can, but at the same time, they have a floor that could easily see them finishing third in the division again.

Team MVP: Luis Robert

Team Cy Young: Dylan Cease

Team X-Factor: Eloy Jimenez
The Nationals will host the White Sox for three games from September 18-20.
Kansas City Royals



The Kansas City Royals will be young and fun, but not very good in 2023. The development of the offensive trio of Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and MJ Melendez are key for the Royals franchise. Those same three could end up molding into a formidable 1-2-3 start of the lineup for years to come. They still have slugger Salvador Perez, but other than that, this lineup is a mix of young guys still attempting to prove themselves as big league caliber players. On the pitching side, Brady Singer showed some great signs of development last year for KC, finishing with a 3.23 ERA and 1.141 WHIP.

Other than that, their pitching mix is full of young guys still looking to develop as Singer did, such as Kris Bubic, Daniel Lynch, and Brad Keller. The rest of the pitching is veteran holdovers including Zack Greinke, Jordan Lyles, and Ryan Yarbrough. There isn't too much more to say about the Royals, as they won't be too good, but could end up playing spoiler towards the end of the year against the teams at the top of their division.

Team MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.

Team Cy Young: Brady Singer

Team X-Factor: Drew Waters

Detroit Tigers
Willi Castro, Spencer Torkelson, Akil Baddoo
Kansas City Royals v Detroit Tigers / Duane Burleson/GettyImages

Similar to the Royals, the Detroit Tigers will be a rough team in 2023. The first year of the Javier Baez contract did not work out so well, as Baez finished with a .671 OPS. What the Tigers do have though is a couple of young guys with former top prospect status that hope to be the core of the future in Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene. Torkelson was a first overall pick back in the 2020 draft, and made his debut last year, appearing in 110 games. It did not go too well. He hit to a .203/.285./319 slash line, finishing with a -1.3 WAR. The Tigers are changing the dimensions of Comerica Park, a change that will hopefully allow Torkelson to reach his max potential. Riley Greene showed more success than Torkelson, but will still look to improve upon his 2022 season and become the franchise center fielder. Other than those two, names like Kerry Carpenter, Matt Manning, and Alex Lange will be names to keep an eye out for this season. The Tigers look like they are in for another rough season.

Team MVP: Riley Greene

Team Cy Young: Tarik Skubal

Team X-Factor: Spencer Torkelson
The Nationals host Detroit in May for three games from May 19-21.
Minnesota Twins
Carlos Correa
Chicago White Sox v Minnesota Twins / Brace Hemmelgarn/GettyImages

The Twins are the kind of team that always has playoff expectations placed on them pre-season, and by the time August comes and you look at the standings they start to fall out of the picture. I want to place them in the playoffs this year, especially with the talent on their roster, but the American League might just too competitive for them to handle this year. They brought back Carlos Correa and added an All Star arm in Pablo Lopez, but sold high and shipped Luis Arraez away. Minnesota is similar to their division foe White Sox in the fact that both teams could find themselves at the top of their division if things go their way. If Byron Buxton is healthy and someone like Kenta Maeda can return to his former self, this team is a well built team all around.

Team MVP: Carlos Correa

Team Cy Young: Pablo Lopez

Team X-Factor: Byron Buxton
The Nationals visit the Twin Cities and play the Twins in a three game set from April 21-23.
Cleveland Guardians
Wild Card Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Cleveland Guardians - Game One
Wild Card Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Cleveland Guardians - Game One / Patrick Smith/GettyImages

The Guardians are going to be much better than people expect this year. They have one of the best in business at the hot corner in Jose Ramirez, saw Steven Kwan and Andres Gimenez break out in a big way last year, and added Josh Bell, who already introduced himself with a bang.

Cleveland is more known for their pitching, which leads to their lineup becoming a little under the radar. Regardless, they have contributors from top to bottom. Oscar Gonzalez became an immediate fan favorite when he made the Spongebob theme his walk up song, and backed it up with strong rookie season. They also have brothers Josh and Bo Naylor, where the former has solidified himself as an electric power bat. Like I just mentioned, their pitching tends to get most of the attention, and for good reason. Shane Bieber continues to pitch like an ace and Triston McKenzie is blossoming into a second ace behind him. The Guardian's relief group might just be the best in baseball, headlined by Emmanuel Clase, who puts up a competition against Edwin Diaz for best closer in baseball. Cleveland returned to the playoffs last year with a 92-70 record, and only got better this offseason. They won't get the attention they deserve, but tune into what should be another solid year for Cleveland.

Team MVP: Jose Ramirez

Team Cy Young: Shane Bieber

Team X-Factor: Oscar Gonzalez
The Nationals will host Cleveland for three games from April 14-16.

The American League Central looks like it could easily be headed for another year of mediocrity, but it could also surprise everyone and be full of three worthy division champions. In other words, this division will be very top heavy, or average all around minus the division champion. To wrap it up, here are my division predictions for 2023:

1. Cleveland Guardians (94-68)
2. Minnesota Twins (86-76)
3. Chicago White Sox (78-84)
4. Kansas City Royals (72-90)
5. Detroit Tigers (68-94)

Guardians

Will playing in the WBC help or hurt Guardians’ Bo Naylor? Hey, Hoynsie

By Paul Hoynes

Updated: Mar. 04, 2023, 11:13 a.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --

Do you have a question that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here. You can also subscribe to Subtext here or text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is Bo Naylor making a mistake by playing in the World Baseball Classic? Has any MLB team stopped its players from participating in the WBC? -- John Kyle, Westfield Center.

Hey, John: I don’t think Bo has hurt himself. At the winter meetings the Guardians talked as if Naylor might need more experience at Class AAA Columbus. If they felt he was going to be the starting catcher coming out of spring training, I think they would have insisted that he spend all spring with the big league club.

As it is, he’ll join Team Canada on Monday for pool play that starts at Chase Field in Phoenix on March 11. I think the experience will help Naylor.

Teams usually stop players from participating in the WBC if they’re rehabbing from injuries. Truth be told, no big league club wants to release its best players in the middle of spring training to go play for someone else. The smile and say the right things and hope their guys return healthy.

Hey Hoynsie: With the new rules is there anything to stop a pitcher from loitering around the mound for 60 or 80 seconds to trigger an intentional walk? It would be a good way to slow things down in key situations. --Jim B, Independence.

Hey, Jim: A pitcher cannot loiter behind the mound. But a pitcher can stand on the mound and let the clock expire four times to walk a batter if he needs a moment to gather himself or catch his second wind.

Hey, Hoynsie: What minor-league player this year will have the biggest impact on the Guardians? -- Mitch Radosky, Poulsbo, Washington.

Hey, Mitch: I would be hard to top the impact of the 17 players who made their big league debuts with the Guardians last year. Is there another Steven Kwan or Oscar Gonzalez lurking in the minors?

I could say outfielder Will Brennan, but he has a chance to make the 26-man roster. If he doesn’t, he could play a big role if there is an injury in the big league outfield or someone is not playing well. I think lefty Tim Herrin could help if relievers Sam Hentges (Ieft shoulder), Enyel De Los Santos (hamstring) and Nick Sandlin (right shoulder) aren’t ready by opening day.

Starters Xzavion Curry or Hunter Gaddis could help in the pen as well. Pitching coach Carl Willis said because of the pitch clock, they may need more length out of their relievers.

Hey, Hoynsie: Who would be your favorite to fill the last bullpen role if Sam Hentges starts on the year on the injured list? -- Tom, Apple Valley, California.

Hey, Tom: Right now I’d say it’s Tim Herrin. He’s left-handed like Hentges and he’s already made three appearances this spring. If Hentges isn’t ready for opening day -- or even if he is -- Herrin could win a spot in the pen.

Hey Hoynsie: Who is Zack Collins, one of seven catchers at camp with the Guardians? -- Mike, Avon.

Hey, Mike: The White Sox selected Collins with the 10th overall pick in 2016. He made his big league debut with Chicago in 2019. He’s shown power in the minors, but has never played more than 78 games in a big league season.

The White Sox drafted him out of the University of Miami as a bat-first first catcher. He showed power and patience at the plate, but that hasn’t really translated to the big leagues. Has thrown out only 19% (13 for 57) of the baserunners who have tried to steal on him.

Hey, Hoynsie: I applaud Sam Hentges for telling the Guardians his left shoulder was hurting. I understand players wanting to play and not lose their job, but it drives me crazy when they admit a month later that they’d been playing in pain. -- Ed Lukan.

Hey, Ed: I remember when John McNamara managed the Indians. He’d tell the players, “I don’t want heroes. I want healthy ballplayers.”

Hey, Hoynsie: How do you score a clock violation strikeout? Is it VK? How about a clock violation base on balls? -- Kent Kahn, Fishers, Indiana.

Hey, Kent: I like the VK symbol. I guess we’re going to have to make it up as we go along. As you probably know, scoring a game is an individual undertaking.

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Cleveland Guardians News

Why the Cleveland Guardians shouldn't trade Amed Rosario

By Anthony Alandt

3/4/23 7:24 AM EST

He’s 27, is a career .274 hitter who had a 4.2 WAR last season. He’s a reliable piece of a Cleveland Guardians 40-man roster filled with inexperience and rookies who’s played 294 games over the last two seasons with the Guardians and is entering the prime of his career. He even has a 97.2% fielding percentage during his six-year major-league career at shortstop, left field and center field. He’s the type of dependable, talented major leaguer, acquired through the Francisco Lindor trade, that you yearn for on your roster.

Can we please stop talking about trading him? Please? Look, I get it. Amed Rosario is one of the highest-paid players in Cleveland. After avoiding arbitration, the Guardians will pay Rosario $7.8 million in his final year under contract. That would mean he’d hit the market after this season and likely sign elsewhere, leading to this - one way or another - likely being Rosario’s last season in Cleveland. I get the push to trade Rosario prior to the start of the season, especially to the Los Angeles Dodgers after the season-ending injury to Gavin Lux.

Rosario provides teams with an extremely reliable, dynamic stopgap or long-term option if they’d want to extend him. He can consistently collect hits and is a vacuum at shortstop with a terrific arm. And teams can most likely be able to acquire him without parting ways with a top-tier prospect or current major-league talent.

I also understand why it seems favorable to the Guardians to part ways with him and add a promising prospect that is in the lower levels of the minor-league system to free up a spot on the 40-man roster and make way for the talented group of middle infielders quickly banging down the door to Cleveland. Thirty percent of the 40-man roster right now is infielders, though some of them are corner infielders and others, like Gabriel Arias, are fairly versatile and can be moved elsewhere. Rosario is the oldest man in that group, and the highest paid, so it makes sense to see him as the odd man out.

Why not part ways with him, acquire a talented prospect with tons of upside for 2025-26, and let the younger kids play? It’s a tempting idea, especially if there really is no plan to even try and keep Rosario past this season, but one that is fairly short-sighted. The Guardians are a bargain-bag team that has shown a willingness to trade key talent to extend a championship window. A Rosario trade wouldn’t be out of nowhere for this front office. I just don’t think it’s the right move right now.

Cleveland is a defending division champion and wild-card winner. It has a real chance to win another AL Central championship in a division that is still home to two rebuilding teams and two teams just trying to fight to a .500 record. The crown, and an improvement on the 92-win season from last year, is well within reach, and the addition of Josh Bell shows the front office feels like they are just a few pieces away from a team that can seriously compete for a World Series. Trading Rosario is the old thinking that got Cleveland to the point it is at right now, one chock-full of top prospects and bursting with talent.

But this isn’t a team trying to extend a closing championship window, nor is it one kicking the can down the road and loading its war chest for later. This team, despite its youth and obvious holes, is in win-now mode. Trading Rosario for someone that can help the Guardians in three or four years is a nice idea, but it doesn’t demonstrate that they are willing to go all-in for a championship. Rosario won’t win you anything on his own, but placing the shortstop or second base position in the hands of rookies who still need to work out the kinks of being a major leaguer will prove disastrous for Cleveland.

If the July 31 trade deadline comes around and Cleveland is well out of contention, then by all means, trade away. It’s just not the right move right now.

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MLB TRADE RUMORS

The Guardians’ Former Rule 5 Breakout Reliever

By Anthony Franco | March 3, 2023 at 10:10pm CDT

The Guardians surprised a number of onlookers with their run to an AL Central title last season. Among the reasons for that success: a bullpen that was one of the league’s most effective. Cleveland relievers finished fifth in ERA (3.05), sixth in strikeout percentage (26.4%) and fourth in ground-ball rate (46.4%).

Some of that excellent rate production was a byproduct of a strong rotation that consistently worked deeper into games than most. Cleveland relievers finished just 26th in innings pitched. A reliable starting staff no doubt took some of the pressure off manager Terry Francona and the top late-game weapons at his disposal.

That’s not to take anything away from the coaching staff or the relievers overall, however. Cleveland had eight relievers who threw 35+ innings last season; seven of them finished with an ERA of 3.25 or better. Five allowed fewer than three earned runs per nine innings, with the bulk of that group consisting of generally lower-profile hurlers who were acquired without much fanfare.

That’s perhaps best personified by 27-year-old righty Trevor Stephan, who broke out with an All-Star caliber showing in his second big league season. The 6’5″ hurler pitched in 66 games and tallied 63 2/3 innings. He posted a 2.69 ERA while striking out an excellent 30.7% of opposing hitters with a solid 48.1% ground-ball rate. Stephan picked up swinging strikes on 16.2% of his total offerings, a top 25 rate among relievers with 30+ innings.

There was very little to nitpick in Stephan’s performance. He missed bats, kept the ball on the ground when he did surrender contact, and limited walks to a tiny 6.7% clip. Stephan overwhelmed right-handed opponents, surrendering just a .207/.263/.293 line in 153 plate appearances. Lefty batters hit .280 against him but without significant impact, reaching base at a .348 clip while slugging .380. Stephan mixes three pitches in a power arsenal, backing up a 96-97 MPH fastball with a wipeout splitter and a quality slider.



While that production didn’t come entirely out of nowhere, it was a huge development for a pitcher who could have found himself on the roster bubble not that long ago. Originally selected in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Yankees, the University of Arkansas product spent four years in the New York farm system but didn’t secure a 40-man roster spot. He’d posted fine but unexceptional numbers as a starting pitcher between High-A and Double-A in 2019. Like every other minor leaguer, he wasn’t able to log any game action in 2020.

The Yankees opted not to protect him from the Rule 5 draft during the 2020-21 offseason. Cleveland nabbed him with the 24th selection and kept him on the MLB roster the entire following year. Stephan had an inconsistent rookie year working mostly in low-leverage innings. He posted a 4.41 ERA through 63 1/3 frames, striking out an impressive 26.6% of opponents but surrendering far too many walks and home runs. That changed in 2022, a season in which Stephan dramatically increased the use of his split to great success.

Stephan now looks like a key-high leverage bridge to star closer Emmanuel Clase. He joins hard-throwing James Karinchak as the top righty Cleveland setup arms heading into 2023. Southpaw Sam Hentges — a former fourth-round pick who had a breakout ’22 season of his own — would have a key role if healthy, though he’s battling a shoulder issue with an uncertain recovery timetable.

Controllable through 2026 and not eligible for arbitration until next offseason, Stephan would be an incredibly valuable piece for the foreseeable future if he’s able to replicate most of last year’s success. He already looks like one of the better Rule 5 selections in recent memory, posting the caliber of season rarely seen from players available via that process. The 2020 Rule 5 draft generally turned out far better than most, with the biggest successes coming at the Yankees’ expense. In addition to Stephan, New York lost right-hander Garrett Whitlock to their archrivals in Boston that year.

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Guardians starter Aaron Civale, left, walks in from the bullpen with catcher Mike Zunino after warming up before facing the White Sox on March 1. (Ross D. Franklin – The Associated Press)

Guardians adjusting well to pitch clock, pitching coach Carl Willis says

The Morning Journal

By JEFF SCHUDEL

UPDATED: March 4, 2023 at 2:00 p.m.

Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis is confident his pitchers will adjust to the pitch clock smoothly. Under rules enacted this year, a pitcher must begin his pitching motion toward home plate within 15 seconds of getting the ball when the bases are empty or 20 seconds if the bases are occupied. The pitcher will be charged with a ball if the pitch clock expires before he begins his pitching motion.

“One thing we have in our advantage is we’re a relatively young pitching staff. So I think we’ll be able to adapt quicker,” Willis told reporters covering spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. “My fear is not necessarily how it will affect the performance. I worry about the starters as they get deeper in games.

“All of a sudden you have to back up a base or cover first and you’re still on the clock. Typically in a long inning you’re going to tire more quickly. When that happens you’re at more risk of injuries, and that’s what we’re always trying to avoid. That’s my concern about it, but the rule is the rule.”

The pitch clock reduced length of games by an average of 25 minutes in the minor leagues last year, according to MLB.com.

The other part of the rule change affecting pitchers is the one that limits them to two pickoff attempts between pitches. The rule was used in the minors last year and resulted in 26 percent more stolen base attempts, according to MLB.com.

Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s set the modern-day stolen bases record in a season with 130 (172 attempts) in 1982. The last player with 100 or more stolen bases in a season was Vince Coleman of the St. Louis Cardinals with 109 steals (131 attempts) in 1987.

Jon Berti of the Miami Marlins led the Majors with 41 steals last season. Jose Ramirez and Andres Gimenez led the Guardians with 20 steals apiece.

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Bieber's 4th straight Opening Day nod 'probably a given'

3/4/2023 6:07 PM CST

MESA, Ariz. --

As if there was any doubt, Shane Bieber is slated to be on the rubber on Opening Day.

Guardians manager Terry Francona said after Saturday’s 4-4 tie with the A’s at Hohokam Stadium that the 27-year-old is on pace to make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start.

“I think that’s probably a given that he’s working towards that,” Francona said. “He knows that, but we kind of reserve the right [to change things], one, if weather ever got in the way or something else.”

Should he indeed take the ball on March 30 in Seattle, Bieber’s four straight Opening Day starts would be just one shy of tying the longest such streak by a pitcher in Cleveland history, which is held by Corey Kluber (2015-19) and Stan Coveleski (1917-21). After Kluber was traded at the end of the ’19 season to the Rangers, Bieber began his reign as Opening Day starter in ’20 at age 25, becoming the youngest to do so for Cleveland since a 23-year-old CC Sabathia in 2004.

After the way Bieber pitched on Saturday, there was no better time to clarify what everyone was already assuming. The Guardians’ ace cruised through three scoreless innings at a rapid pace, giving up just one hit with two strikeouts.

“He looks more like himself,” Francona said. “He just knows what he’s doing. I thought he was crisp.”

It took Bieber some time to fully look like himself last season. He was coming back from a year full of rehab in ’21 after a shoulder injury, battled decreased velocity and yet still found ways to be extremely successful, pitching to a 2.88 ERA in 200 innings with 198 strikeouts and 36 walks. He was a rock for Cleveland in the postseason, proving himself to be the ace of the staff once again.

“He’s such a perfectionist, but it was probably later in the year [when] he was really feeling where he wasn’t thinking through things,” Francona said. “He’s never gonna make an excuse, but there was a lot going on there.”

Now, Bieber can put that all behind him. His velocity has already been up from what it was last spring in just two Cactus League starts. Between those outings, he’s given up just one hit and one walk in five scoreless frames. The pitch timer hasn’t rattled him (considering he worked quickly to begin with) and he’s raved about his quick connection with new backstop Mike Zunino in just a short time of working together.

And, it's worth pointing out, his history of pitching on Opening Day has been nothing but positive:

2020: Six innings, four hits, zero earned runs, one walk, 14 strikeouts against the Royals after the delayed start to the season
2021: Six innings, five hits, three earned runs, three walks, 12 strikeouts in snow against the Tigers
2022: 4 2/3 innings (after a shortened spring), two hits, zero earned runs, four strikeouts against the Royals

If Bieber’s back on the right track going into ‘23, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic this trend will continue.

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Oscar Gonzalez is the Cleveland Guardians’ biggest wild card in 2023

Sep 7, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Oscar Gonzalez (39) doubles during the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Mar 3, 2023


GOODYEAR, Ariz. — He is perhaps the Guardians’ biggest wild card, in terms of both stature and importance to manager Terry Francona’s lineup. He’s a mammoth-sized slugger, a power threat who torments pitchers by flicking their carefully placed pitches over the outfield fence with a bat that looks like a toothpick in his hands.

In some ways, he reminds his hitting coach of Vladimir Guerrero Sr., a fearless hitter who considered no pitch off-limits or out of reach. And in his sophomore season, his development could prove pivotal to Cleveland’s chances.

Oscar Gonzalez could blossom into the home run-smashing outfielder the Guardians have sought for years, an imposing slugger bearing at least a little resemblance to Manny Ramirez, his childhood idol who also played right field in Cleveland.

Or, Gonzalez could go down swinging.

“He’s the hardest guy to evaluate,” Francona said.

Gonzalez is ultra-aggressive at the plate. He’ll regularly chase pitches out of the zone. The temptation to hack away exists 1) because it’s how he’s wired as a hitter and 2) because he makes a decent amount of contact. So, the challenge for the 25-year-old and his hitting coaches is to determine how to properly harness his swing tendencies.

Gonzalez ranked in the lowest percentile in the majors last year in chase rate. He ranked in the fourth percentile in walk rate. As he becomes less anonymous throughout the league, it would stand to reason that pitchers will refuse to throw him anything in the strike zone.

“If you show that you’re going to follow them out of the zone,” said hitting coach Chris Valaika, “they’re going to keep exploiting it until you stop.”

Valaika added, though, that the Guardians don’t want Gonzalez to morph into a passive hitter. That’s not his personality at the plate, and his aggressiveness contributes to his imposing presence in the batter’s box.

As the Guardians lined up outside of the dugout Thursday afternoon for the national anthem, Gonzalez towered over assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, who was standing beside him. Gonzalez is listed at 6-foot-4 — if that’s the case, then Rodriguez can’t be taller than 5-foot-4 — and he added muscle over the winter.

The question is, what are realistic expectations for Gonzalez in 2023? Can he hit 30 home runs? Can he post an .800 OPS? Can he keep his strikeout rate at a reasonable percentage? Part of what makes him a mystery is the leap he made last season. In a matter of months, he bloomed from a player exposed to the Rule 5 draft to the club’s cleanup hitter, a desperate maneuver by the Guardians to cover for Franmil Reyes fizzling at the plate.

Gonzalez fared better as the season unfolded.

June: .696 OPS
July: Missed with an injury
August: .766 OPS
September/October: .840 OPS

Guardians coaches rave about how he battles when confronted with a two-strike count. That’s a credit to his contact ability, especially as pitchers feed him sliders and curveballs out of the zone. Francona refers to it as “survival instincts.”

For example, this is supposed to be a slider outside of the zone that Gonzalez chases for strike three. Instead, he clobbers it for a go-ahead homer.

Where the aggressiveness can hurt him is when he chases early in a count. Valaika noted a critical step in a hitter’s development is to learn which pitches are worth attacking. The only way to grasp that, he said, is to swing.

During that learning process, there can be wasted at-bats. Those are the ones Valaika hopes don’t surface regularly, the instances in which Gonzalez lunges at a first-pitch breaking ball that doesn’t sniff the strike zone and results in a popup or a lazy roller to the shortstop.

“It’s like, ‘You gave the at-bat away early by being overaggressive,’” Valaika said. “You don’t necessarily want to take that aggressiveness away, but those are the learning moments, not the nasty slider that you swing at.”

The average hitter swung at 32.6 percent of pitches out of the zone last season.

Gonzalez swung at 48.3 percent of pitches out of the zone last season.

The average hitter swung at 47.7 percent of all pitches last season.

Gonzalez swung at 59.3 percent of all pitches last season.

The average hitter swung at the first pitch 29.5 percent of the time last season.

Gonzalez swung at the first pitch 43.8 percent of the time last season.

The average hitter chased 28.4 percent of pitches out of the zone.

Gonzalez chased 46.6 percent of pitches out of the zone.

His contact rate was a little better than average, impressive given how often he swings at pitches his bat has no business touching.

It’s a balance of contact versus plate discipline. If Gonzalez can demonstrate a knack for resisting pitches out of the zone that he has only a small chance of turning into a hit, pitchers won’t have a choice but to offer him something in the zone. And that’s when he can flex his muscles. He racked up 27 doubles in only 91 games last season, and he hit eight of his 11 home runs in his final 42 games.

The other side of the equation is someone such as Tigers shortstop Javier Báez, a hitter with a similar chase rate who, in his sleep, swings at sliders in the dirt. Báez recorded a .238/.278/.393 slash line last season, his first after signing a six-year, $140 million deal with Detroit. Báez has also finished runner-up in the MVP balloting earlier in his career.

There’s a wide range of outcomes for such a profile. And until we have more evidence on how pitchers approach Gonzalez and how he adjusts to their plans of attack, he’ll remain the Guardians’ biggest wild card.

“It’s volatile, because he’s so ultra-aggressive,” Francona said. “We haven’t seen him get through an April and May when the ball’s not carrying. Not that we don’t love him. We do. But we want to pump the brakes a little and let him get his 550 at-bats. I think we really feel like if he swings at strikes, he’s going to be just fine.”

such a shame they can't shave a minute off the between
inning commercials.

Maybe they should try a split screen like golf. Play in one screen, commercial in the other.

If something happens, they can replay it with commentary.

That sounds like a good idea, Sea.

I hate commercials.

I bought a firestick years ago. Upgraded to the 4k.
I watch all my favorite TV series (mostly old, some current, and a few new ones) from start to finish and in sequence.

I'm hooked on British detective series.
Some of my favorites are Luther, Inspector Gently, Vera, Mid Sommer Murders, Endeavor, the Fall and others.

I only watch commercial TV when I have to.
Ordinarily, my news programs or some sporting events on a need to see basis.

Gave up watching/listening to the Guards, Cavs, and Browns.
Only on rare occasions will I do so.
I couldn't take the stress.

I do watch/listen to the winter ball games.
No stress. Just a fun thing to do. Something like a hobby.

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Get to know new Guardians 1B Josh Bell

Mandy Bell

3/5/23 4:16 PM CST

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

The Guardians never had a concern about how Josh Bell would mesh with the rest of the clubhouse.

The moment the signing was announced over the winter, Guardians manager Terry Francona’s phone started blowing up with positive reviews about Bell from his colleagues.

“I told him I was sick of it,” Francona joked. “I just had too many people that I know that I respect that reached out and said, ‘This guy is what you’re looking for.’ That’s a good feeling.”

So far, it’s been a perfect fit. Since Spring Training began, he’s been reserved, yet seamlessly involved in clubhouse conversations as if he’s known his teammates for more than this three-week span. In batting practice, he’s extremely focused on his mechanics, often spending his time off to the side, against the backstop, going through drills to practice keeping his hands inside the ball.

Those around him often note that he’s quiet, but then layer on compliments. As Cleveland fans start to get to know him, MLB.com tried to make that introduction a little easier by asking him a few get-to-know-you questions before Sunday's 6-4 loss to the D-backs at Goodyear Ballpark:

MLB.com: What’s your favorite road ballpark?

Bell: “I always like going to Wrigley. I always like going to Fenway. [Oracle Park] is pretty cool. The Athletics Stadium -- the Coliseum -- is the only one I haven’t played in. I’ve heard like not the best things about it, but I’m actually really pumped to start the season there. I can’t pinpoint one, though.”

MLB.com: You’re known for your involvement in the community. Where does that come from?

Bell: “I think it started in high school. I went to a private Catholic school and we had to get so many [community service] hours every year. ... I remember there was a private school in the middle of South Dallas, and I would go every Wednesday and help out this second grade teacher with the class. That was empowering to me. It kind of put everything in perspective, just giving back to the youth, pouring into the younger generations and stuff like that. I kind of took that into pro ball and always had opportunities with the Pirates to give back to the community with [Roberto] Clemente and all that history. So, it started there and kind of kept up with it.”

MLB.com: Do you have a favorite moment from your charitable experiences?

Bell: “If I had to pinpoint one, there was a point in Altoona, Double-A, there was a special needs horseback riding event. It was the first time I’d ever been close to a horse. I had been around special needs kids, but I was terrified during the whole thing. I was like, 'All of this could go so wrong so quickly.' And it was the most beautiful experience that I’ve ever been a part of. The kids had an absolute blast. They had done it before, so they were teaching us. The whole time we were panicking and they were like, 'No, calm down, we got this.' … I remember driving back to the field afterwards like, 'Wow, that was super empowering.'”

MLB.com: What’s your favorite baseball memory?

Bell: “My callup weekend was pretty sick. My first couple at-bats in the big leagues [a single and grand slam in his first two at-bats], I’ll never forget. The ball looked like a beach ball for whatever reason. I wish I could go back to that.”

MLB.com: What would you say is the biggest strength of your game?

Bell: “I feel like my resiliency. My ability to be in the lineup, I feel like that’s probably the most important thing at this level, to be in the lineup every day. I’ve heard pretty cool stories about [José] Ramírez about last season [playing through a thumb injury]. Saw [Manny] Machado last year play through an ankle [injury]. As you get older and the team needs you, it’s really important to be out there, and I feel like I’ve done a good job with that in my career.”

MLB.com: What are you most looking forward to about Cleveland?

Bell: “Free babysitting from my wife’s family [who live nearby]. It was kind of different going coast-to-coast last year, not really having family around, so definitely pumped to have her grandparents, her mother stop by, my brother-in-law stop by, watching games, having people in the stands rooting for me. And definitely pumped for the atmosphere. I heard it gets nuts over the summer. Excited to experience it.”

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