A brief recap of the last 72 hours on a variety of topics including sports, news and personal events.

Goodbye Guardians … And Thank-You

Five days ago the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians in a decisive Game Five of the American League Divisional Series.  The loss ended the Guardians season, one that very few predicted would have made it all the way until October 19th.  

The season started ominously enough when the newly minted Guardians sign came crashing down outside of the team shop.  But players like Steven Kwan, Oscar Gonzalez, Triston McKenzie, Emmanuel Clase, Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor made for an enjoyable and entertaining summer.  Winning 22 of their last 27 games left the rest of the American League Central in their dust.

This Cleveland Guardians team was so much fun to watch as they battled all year long until the final out.  I had been clamoring for the front office to finally buy in to the youth movement and while it may have been realized out of simple necessity, we all reaped the benefits.  

As we head into 2023, the Guardians only have a few questions to answer but they are very important ones.

1.  Will Amed Rosario play out his final year of his contract?
2. Will Bo Naylor be their opening day starter at catcher?
3. Will the Guardians look to add a 1B/DH or look to fill that position internally?
4. Will the Guardians look to add another quality starting pitcher?

Depending on how they answer those questions will go a long way towards dictating their direction next year in which expectations will have been rightfully raised.  Personally, I’d answer those questions as follows:

1. No.  His trade value will never be higher and the Guardians have a plethora of depth in the middle infield. 
2. Unquestionably yes.  The fact he made the playoff roster and never made an appearance didn’t make sense.
3. Look to fill internally.  Jose Abreu looks good on paper, but the Guardians have some of their highest rated players on the cusp of the big leagues.  Give George Valera and Bo Naylor the opportunity to add more power.
4. They should.  Carlos Rodon would have looked great in a Guardians uniform this past year.  While I think Cody Morris has potential to be a solid #4/#5 starter, I’d be surprised if Zach Plesac is on the Opening Day roster.   

Baseball was fun again and for that, I am grateful.  October baseball was nerve-wracking and often times unbearable, but those pressure-packed feelings can be precious and I am extremely thankful for getting the opportunity.  While I doubt the Dolans had any of this planned, a strong-youthful – and now experienced – roster is at their disposal.  

Don’t screw it up.  Which reminds me … 

Can the Browns just skip straight to 2023?

When the final ruling in the Deshaun Watson case determined he would miss the first 11 games of the season it was a devastating blow.  Jacoby Brissett – while a fine and reliable backup QB – was going to have a difficult time navigating 2/3 of the year on his own. 

The hope was that the Browns defense would help him out.  The hope was that Nick Chubb and a strong offensive line would carry the majority of the offense.  The hope was that a revitalization of the special teams would provide a value add.  The hope was that a strong and unified coaching staff, now intact for the third consecutive year, would provide stability and be able to effectively manage both the game and the roster.

After falling short to the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 and falling to 2-5 on the season, it’s official.

All hope is gone.  This season is over.  And it’s not because of Brissett – at all.

Under a different regime Nick Chubb would be discussed as a MVP candidate.  On this team, he can go nearly 20 minutes of game-time without a carry (which he did last Sunday).  The defense has been a hindrance all season and has directly cost the team at least one win (New York Jets).  The coaching staff has made questionable decisions every game and resembles one that has zero in-game experience.  The special teams unit – outside of Cade York’s game-winner against the Panthers – have been absolutely dreadful.  

Deshaun Watson is not going to fix anything in that previous paragraph.  Yes, he is a dynamic athlete who can use his legs and his arm strength to escape and create in ways Brissett can’t.  But he has absolutely zero to do with all of the rest … or does he?

When you give someone in the NFL an unprecedented $230 million dollar contract, fully guaranteed, it gives that player power that has never been seen in that league.  He has become, not just the face of that franchise, but the one in control of it as well.  

Let’s say Watson doesn’t gel with Kevin Stefanski.  Who do you think is leaving?  Bye-bye Kevin.  Let’s say Watson gets into a disagreement with John Johnson during practice and they end up in a fist-fight.  Pack your bags Johnny.  If Watson doesn’t like the direction Andrew Berry is going from a front-office perspective, then Mr. Berry will be shown the door. 

So yes, Watson may not be able to directly fix any of the major issues that plague this team, but he certainly can make things interesting if he so chooses.  There’s no playbook for this kind of contract in the NFL.  Everyone will be watching.

I’m just going to leave this picture of an unhappy Nick Chubb up until I feel Stefanski understands what he’s doing wrong.   Last week I talked about some questionable decision making by Kevin Stefanski, and yesterday he did it again – this time coming on a crucial 4th down decision in the 2nd half.  

For the Browns to hit the 5-6 mark needed to make Watson’s reappearance interesting, they need to win three of their next four against the following:

1. Home vs. Bengals
2. Away vs. Dolphins
3. Away vs. Bills
4. Home vs. Buccaneers

Barring a Josh Allen injury, there’s absolutely no way they beat the Buffalo Bills on the road.  So, can they sweep the Bengals, Dolphins and Bucs?  If you feel they can, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell to you. 

Odds and Ends

Notre Dame rebounded from their staggeringly disappointing loss to Stanford with a pretty ordinary victory against UNLV.  They are now 4-3 on the season with five games remaining (at Syracuse, vs Clemson, at Navy, vs Boston College, at USC). 

While nothing has been automatic with the Irish, it appears they are headed towards a 6-6 season.  That kind of record will have them headed to the Pinstripe Bowl against a team like Iowa.  And while I like to think myself a pretty strong and loyal fan, there’s no way I’m watching Iowa try to play football for four quarters.  

Finished Stephen King’s Fairy Tale this past week and will be recapping that at the end of my Stephen King book rankings.  My latest reading comes from Neil deGrasse Tyson and his new book, “Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspective on Civilization.”  It’s a tremendous read and highly recommended.   

Watched Jordan Peele’s Nope the other night and while it certainly has some memorable moments and dialogue it did not resonate with me like his previous two films (Get Out, Us).  Don’t get me wrong, it was enjoyable and kept me engaged, but it definitely ranks third in my Jordan Peele rankings.

Until next time, peace be the journey.