Chappie's Grave

So the sojourn down south turned sour for the Guardians. They lost two straight to wrap up the six-game trip to Atlanta and St. Louis, including the April 15 Tax Day matinee to the Cards, 5-3. The Guardians ended up going 2-4 on the trip. The loss dropped the Guardians to 10-9 on the young campaign. St. Louis is 10-8. The good news is the Guardians come home to take on Baltimore beginning April 16. They need some home cooking. They lost 6-5 in 10 innings on April 14 and then followed that up with this disappointing defeat. Cleveland generated eight hits and scored a single run in the first and two in the seventh inning. St. Louis used a big three-run sixth inning to fuel its win. Nathan Church powered the St. Louis offense with three hits, two runs, and an RBI. The afternoon start drew 22,642 to Busch Stadium. Overcast skies and temperatures in the 70s supplied the playing conditions. Is there anything better than watching an MLB game during the work day? Daniel Schneeman and Kyle Manz...

 The Guardians lost a heartbreaker in St. Louis. St. Louis came from behind to beat Cleveland 6-5 in 10 innings. The Guards looked on the road to a win. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Juan Brito booted an easy ground ball on what should have been the third out. The boot extended the inning, allowing St. Louis to eventually tie the game at 5. Jose Ramirez continued his hot hitting with two hits and his third home run of the season to lead the Cleveland offense. Daniel Schneeman also homered for Cleveland, which fell to 10-8 on the season. Joey Cantillo started for Cleveland but did not register a decision. Steven Kwan made a sensational diving catch in center field, but that great defense was undone by Brito’s boot. We must not be too hard on Brito. He is a rookie. It was just last week that he was rushed up to the Majors after Gabe Arias blew out his hamstring. The great thing about baseball is that there is another game tonight. Game 3 of the series is in St. Lou...

 The Guardians bounced back with a big offensive night to knock off the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-3, on April 13. Gavin Williams started and picked up the win. He had a rough first inning. He steadied himself going forward and ended up pitching well enough to earn the win. He ended up working five innings and giving up two earned runs while striking out four. Angel Martinez and Brayan Rocchio homered for Cleveland, which improved to an American League best 10-7. Cleveland is tied with division-rival Minnesota for the best record in the AL. Daniel Schneeman drove in a pair of runs with a single to shallow right field in the top of the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie. Steven Kwan put the icing on the win with a two-run single in the top of the 8th inning to increase the  Guardians lead to 9-2. Not much to add to this. The Guardians controlled the game early and poured it on offensively. Williams had to fire 36 pitches in the first frame. St. Louis loaded the bases but scored just ...

 April 13. Just filed my taxes. At the public library. Owe the fed nearly a grand, get money back from the state. know for certain that I owe those blood suckers at RITA. That’s for damn sure. But I turn my attention to tonight’s game in St. Louis. Let’s see how Gavin Williams does on the hill  this evening. He is the Guard's best starting pitcher, in my humble opinion. It’s one based on three seasons of direct observation. So let’s see how he does against the National League’s St. Louis Cardinals  down below the Mason-Dixon line where the Guards have struggled. They just lost 2-out-of-3 over the weekend to the Hotanta Braves. Lay off the sweet tea, fellas. Back to this evening, another thing  to watch is how  Williams fares while facing a hostile crowd. Will he freeze up and fail miserably? Or come out firing strikes and dispatching hitters with ease? I don't think it will mess with him, but you never know. On the young campaign, Williams is 1-1 with an ERA of...

The Guardians did not present themselves in the best light in front of a national television audience as they were pasted by the Atlanta Braves, 13-1,  on Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock on April 12. Tanner Bibee was roughed on the mound, and Cleveland’s scoring was limited to a home run by Rhys Hoskins. Bibee was tattooed for eight earned runs and 11 hits. Cleveland is 9-7 and continues its southern state sojourn with a trip to St. Louis. The first of the three games against the Cardinals is tonight.  Gavin Williams takes the hill. He’s our true No. 1 pitcher, not Bibee. Old friend CC Sabathia was on the national TV announcing crew. He pitched for Cleveland in the early 2000s and went on to a Hall-of-Fame career. I still remember listening to a portion of his first career win on the radio. It came in his second career start on the road in Detroit. I had just moved home from Minnesota. It was thrilling to hear Tom Hamilton call the games on the radio again. Even more thrillin...

The Guardians got back on the right foot in Atlanta on April 11th, thanks to the pitching of Parker Messick and the hitting of Jose Ramirez. Messick pitched 6 2/3 innings of shutout baseball and struck out five to earn the win. Ramirez homered in the third inning to give Cleveland an early 1-0 lead.  His first home run of the campaign, Ramirez, according to MLB.com, “got an 0-2 change up from Martin Perez over the heart of the plate, belted it 408 feet out to left field according to Statcast. Rookie sensation Chase DeLauter’s RBI double gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Daniel Schneeman added a two-run single in the 8th inning. Used to be let’s play two I remember growing up when all the teams in the MLB played doubleheaders on Sundays. That’s right. You’d pay for one ticket and get to see two nine-inning games. In 1975, the then-Indian team played 12 home dates on Sundays. On six of those Sundays, the Indians played doubleheaders. I vividly remember attending the July 6, 1975, double di...

 So much for Southern Hospitality. The Atlanta Braves smacked up Cleveland pitchers for three home runs in a six-run sixth inning as they bested the Guardians 11-6 on April 10. Cleveland led 2-1 heading into the faithful bottom of the sixth. Matt Olson, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Michael Harris II all homered for Atlanta. The loss dropped Cleveland to 8-6. Slade Cecconi took the loss as he fell to 0-2. He allowed five runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking one. The Guardians' bullpen arms of Matt Festa, Peyton Pallette, and Kolby Allard were lit up for six runs. Good news for Cleveland came in the form of Kyle Manzardo, who hit his first home run of the season in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 1. Steve Kwan’s RBI single in the fifth inning gave Cleveland a brief 2-1 lead. Guards need to get back on track tonight. Detroit won last night 2-0,  so you don’t want them to get hot. Kansas City downed the Chicago White Sox 2-0, and Toronto thrashed Minnesota, 1...

The Guardians open a two-city trip to a pair of National League locals tonight when they take on the Atlanta Braves on April 10 at Truist Park.. The set continues in St. Louis with games set for April 13-15. Cleveland (8-5) has a history with the Braves. Atlanta beat Cleveland in the 1995 World Series 4-2. I sent to three of those games. The first two in Atlanta and then Gave 4 in Cleveland.Those were some good times. Got the tickets from good old Roger Stewart. I remember walking home from a World Series game and walking through the campus of Emory.That was a long time ago. 32 years ago. Seems like it was just yesterday. The Braves have a lot of history. They started out in Boston, moved to Milwaukee and were the first southern team in the MLB. They are best known for producing a power-hitting outfielde named Hank Aaron. Aaron would become the sports all-time home run king in 1975 when he hit career homer No. 715 and surpassed baseball immortal Babe Ruth, who for many years held the c...

  The Guardians picked up their second win in a row as Angel Martinez banged out four hits including a grand slam home run in Cleveland’s 10-2 romp over the Royals on April 8. Martinez’s grand slam in the bottom of the 8th inning punctuated a 5-run frame. Cleveland improved to 8-5 with the win.Jose Ramirez had a pair of hits and Rhys Hoskins collected three hits, including a pair of doubles, and an RBI.  The rookies Chase DeLauter and Juan Brito continued to make their mark. DeLauter’s two-run double in the bottom of the first inning gave Cleveland an early 2-0 lead. Brito, making just his second big league start, had two hits. Brito’s RBI double in the fifth inning increased Cleveland’s lead to 5-2. Joey Cantillo started and got the win for Cleveland. He struck out nine in 5 ⅔ innings of work while allowing just one run. Cleveland outhit Kansas City 16-5. The crowd on the chilly but cool day was 14,734. April 8 marked the anniversary of Frank Robinson becoming the first Blac...

  The Guardians walked off the KC Royals 2-1 on a Brayan Rocchio’s single in the bottom of the ninth inning on April 7. The game was played on a frigid afternoon with temps well below freezing. Gavin Williams started for Cleveland and allowed just one hit, a homer to rookie Carter Jensen. Williams struck out eight and walked five. Cleveland rookie second baseman Juan Brito had a pair of hits, including a double in his first at bat in the big league. Brito started at second base after being called up from Triple A Columbus. Brito took the place on the Cleveland roster of shortstop Gabe Arias, who was put on the injured list after suffering a hamstring injury in Monday’s loss to Kansas City. Steven Kwan’s RBI single tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Only 10,328 attended the game that was moved to a 1:10 p.m. start time from 6:10 p.m. so as to be played in warmer temps. Brito’s performance was a long-time coming. He’s been considered one of Cleveland’s top prosp...

  Jose Ramirez became the team’s all-team leader in games played, but that was one of the few highlights as the Guardians fell to the Kansas City Royals, 4-2 on April 6 on a frigid night at Progressive Field. Steve Kwan hit a homer in the first inning and Bryan Rocchio a homer in the 8th inning to lead the Cleveland offense. Ramirez has now played in 1,620 games. They stopped the game after the fifth inning and recognized the achievement. They even gave Ramirez third base to commemorate the moment. The record, previously held by a gent named Terry Turner, stood since 1918. Some rookie named Carter Jensen for Kansas City hit a homer off Guardians reliever Peyton Pallette in the sixth inning to give the Royals a 2-1 lead and ruin the night for Jose and the Guardians fans. Jonathan India’s two-run homer for KC in the 8th inning gave the Royals insurance runs. Cleveland, which dropped to 6-5 with the loss, is averaging just 3.1 runs a game in the early going. Tanner Bibee started and a...

The Guardians had their own little resurrection story on Easter Sunday. Down 3-0 in Game 2 of a doubleheader vs. the Cubs, Cleveland rallied for a 6-5 win. CJ Kayfus came off the bench and supplied a game-tying homer in the 8th inning and as well as a pinch hit RBI single  in the sixth inning that started the comeback. Cleveland's offense had been in hibernation until Kayfus came up with his pinch hit in the sixth inning. The game was played in chilly conditions that included temperatures in the 40s. It was the second game of a doubleheader. Who goes to a game on Easter, let alone a doubleheader. Although the listed attendance was 19,791, there were probably only 1,000 fans left at the end of the second game. Gabe Arias collected two hits and drove in two runs for the Guardians, who host Kansas City tonight in the first of a three-game series. Cade Smith allowed the winning run to come to the plate, but was able to close out the game for the save. The Guardians are 6-4. Smith made ...

 The Guardians fell with a thud in the first game loss to the Chicago Cubs in the April 5 Sunday doubleheader. Cleveland could get no offense going and fell 1-0 to the Cubs in game 1 of the traditional doubleheader. The game time temp was 44 degree and the radio announcer on WTAM noted it would not be going up. The crowd sported winter attire. Lots of winter hats and parkas in the Easter Day crowd. Winds blowing 15 mph kept players jerseys ruffling during pauses in play. Not many Easter Bonnets, that is for sure. Chicago catcher Miguel Amaya drove in the lone Cubs run. I listened to the game on the car radio as I drove CB to-and-from-the-cemetery and then caught the last few innings on the television. Hammy was great as per usual on the radio. His discussion of what the members of the 2016 Cubs and then Indians teams that tangled in that year's World Series are up to these days was an enjoyable listen. He pointed out Jose Ramirez of the then-Indians and now Guardians is the only pl...

 Ernie Banks, the Chicago Cubs Hall-of-Famer, famously loved to play baseball so much that he would say 'Let's play two," as in lets play a doubleheader. The Guardians get their chance today on Easter 2026 when they entertain the Chicago Cubs in a doubleheader. Predicted storms for Saturday washed on their game with the Chicago Cubs on April 4 and the teams will play two today on Easter Sunday. The weather is more like early November. The temps dropped from the 70s yesterday to the 40s today after a storm rolled through. Cade Cecconi takes the hill for the Guardians in the first game and Parker Messick will take the bump for game 2. The Guardians are 5-3.  It is going to be cold and gray at those games. The Yankees are off to an impressive start at 7-1. They have a plus 26 run differential (meaning they've outscored their opponents by 26 runs) while Cleveland is -4 run diff. New York nipped the Marlins on a raw, rainy night at Yankee Stadium, 9-7 on April 4, Jazz Chish...

Opening day magic was in the house at Progressive Field. Rookie slugging sensation Chase DeLauter  hit a two-run homer and went 3 for 4 and drove in 3 runs as the Guardians knocked off the Cubs,4-1  Before a sellout crowd.  That crowd saw Laila Edwards throw out the first ball.  DeLauter hit a two-run home run in the seventh to give the Guardians a 4-1 lead. It was a magic blow that went soaring into the right field seats. I could see its arc as I stood on the mezzanine along the first base line. Gabriel Arias hit a go-ahead homer earlier in the inning. The day had all the pomp and circumstance of a home opener for baseball. It’s a symbolic day in Cleveland. It marks the end of the winter and the unofficial start of spring/summer. Everybody is in a great mood at the ballpark. DeLauter going deep and the Guards getting the win made it all the better. DeLauter had an RBI hit early in the game to tie the affair at 1-1 Cleveland is 5-3 on the year. Joey Cantillo started ...

  It’s Opening Day. No game last night so no update on how Guardians are doing record-wise. They are still 4-3 as we head into the home opener. The fuirst pitch slated for 4:10 p.m. on this April 3, 2026, The weather is mild this morning, gentle breeze and warm. It’s dang near humid.  Opening Day is like a holiday for your dear old pops. When I was young, I used to take off from school to attend the home opener. I took a lot of days off from school, hahaha. One of those excused absences came on April 8, 1975 when CB, Tommy and I went to see the then Indians take on the Yankees at the old Municipal Stadium. It was a historic day as Frank Robinson was the first Black to ever manage a Major League Baseball franchise. On a frigid but sunny day, Robinson made history when he homered in his first at bat as the Indians beat the Yankees, 5-3. I didn’t even get to see the home run. We were running late and were stuck in traffic on Carnegie right in front of where the old Peterson Nut s...

It’s Opening Day. No game last night so no update on how Guardians are doing record-wise. They are still 4-3 as we head into the home opener. The fuirst pitch slated for 4:10 p.m. on this April 3, 2026, The weather is mild this morning, gentle breeze and warm. It’s dang near humid.  Opening Day is like a holiday for your dear old pops. When I was young, I used to take off from school to attend the home opener. I took a lot of days off from school, hahaha. One of those excused absences came on April 8, 1975 when CB, Tommy and I went to see the then Indians take on the Yankees at the old Municipal Stadium. It was a historic day as Frank Robinson was the first Black to ever manage a Major League Baseball franchise. On a frigid but sunny day, Robinson made history when he homered in his first at bat as the Indians beat the Yankees, 5-3. I didn’t even get to see the home run. We were running late and were stuck in traffic on Carnegie right in front of where the old Peterson Nut store wa...

 The Guardians win 2 out of 3 in LaLa land. Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer to lead the Guardians to a 4-1 win. They won 2 of three from the DEFENDING WORLD CHAMPS. World chumps is more like it. The Guards are now 4-3 as they head into the home opener on Friday.  Pitcher Gavin Williams struck out 10 for Cleveland and walking three. He only allowed two hits. There were only three hard-hit balls of 85 pitches. Batters whiffed on 16 of the pitches. "That's about as good as it gets from Gavin," Guardians manager Steven Vogt said. Gabriel Arias blasted a home run to center field that Plain Dealer writer Paul Hoynes said got so high in the sky it must have got into the jet stream. Tom Hamilton went crazy when Josie hit his home down the left field line. A home that Hammy described as majestic. "Down the line it goes..." It's so fun to be over .500. It's even more fun to write these blogs for a fellow baseball fan. Opening Day is tomorrow. When you are a 61-ye...

 They say it never rains in Southern California. It did last night. And on a wet sloppy night the Guardians went down to defeat to the Dodgers in Los Angeles, 4-1. They also lost their rookie sensation. When it rains it pours. Dodgers do-it-all superstar Shoei Ohtani shutout the Guardians offense in six innings on the mound while striking out six, walking three and allowing just one hit. Los Angeles used four pitchers in all. Cleveland scored its run in the ninth inning on an RBI base hit by Bryan Rocchio. The rain was still falling when the Guardians finally scored.  Dodger third baseman Max Muncy had a big night at the plate collecting two hits. He blasted a home run to right field, a towering shot, that gave the Dodgers a 2-0. Guardians reliever Kolby Allard was touched up for the home run, which was crushed. There was more bad news than just the loss. The Guardians rookie sensation Chase DeLauter was hurt. In his first plate appearance in the first inning he fouled a ball ...