UNSUNG HEROES are helping the Cleveland Guardians stay atop the standings

Speaking of managers, Steven Vogue, I killed the guy on opening day on opening day just because I didn't like that. Austin Hedges was in the lineup on opening day. And then there was the weird thing with the bunt. I can't remember the whole situation, but I gotta say that Stephen Vogue has done an excellent job, 16 games and the Guardians have their best record to start a season through 16 games since 2011. And of course, 2011, the season went down the tubes in a heart. Remember that team Matt Law? Now this team is much more talented. Uh Zach and I was the Matt Lawton team. Yes, Zach and I were talking about the team. You mentioned Shelley Duncan, oh God, which was a good poll and Ezekiel Carrera, maybe they were, they were trying to rebuild. They got off to a hot start. They were like 35 and 15 or some some crazy. And then that was because that was the year I moved here and I moved here in, in August but or no, I moved here in July but we went on the air in August. Um But uh I remember, we knew we were going to start the radio station when baseball season started. So I was following the Indians closely that year and when they got, and I thought they were gonna suck like everybody else did in the beginning of the year, they got off to this great start. And then of course, the whole summer they were terrible, but this team is more talented than that. And, uh, but first of all kudos to Stephen Vogt who so far in his rookie season as manager, I think he's done a heck of a job lineups, bullpens. It's been, he's been guys fresh, the bullpen. He's done a really nice job, right buttons and I can up, I was not a David Fry fan, but he's done a nice job and play. He can play, he can mash lefties man, he can play and he has positioned you, you know, they have some guys with position versatility. He moved him around a bunch, he moved Arias and listen, it's only been a couple of days, I'm not, but a signs of life from Arias these last couple of days off. They did fal had too. I thought Floral. I said before, I thought him starting both games of that double header was like, this is your chance. I thought he was with days away from getting too. He may still be because Van Zard is coming sooner than later, man is not off to a particularly good but the, a thing they tried for years to hand him the star shortstop job, not years. I shouldn't say that for years. He was considered the heir apparent at that spot and they tried last year to give it to him and he just couldn't do it and, and Roos done. Ok. Uh, but, you know, I've always been a big a fan. He's got a cannon for an arm and there's a lot of juice in the bat if he can make enough contact. His show was a spark yesterday because that game for the first four innings, it was just, it was great outfield play. I love the guy robbed Jose. I was mad at that, but it was the outfielders did what they were supposed to do infielders based. Some really good plays pitching was kind of curry reminded me a little bit of a Kinsey in his second start. It wasn't a lot of strikeouts, a lot of hits, but al Fields did a really good job. The Guardians have a good defensive team. So he, he put the ball in play. I don't think he's going to overpower a lot of lineups, but they're going to need him. By the way, the Guardians have to call it Ben lively tomorrow because because of the rain out and the double header we were saying, would it be curry or lively? But now they got to call them both up. The question is, and Zach and I were talking about it this morning and we weren't sure what the answer was is who's getting off the roster? I don't know. He said maybe Eli Morgan, I thought maybe they'd send curry back down to bring up lively. I think that's it. And I told Zach that, like, you've already burned the option on here. So just send it back down, Mackenzie is floating around out there. You could come up with something and I owe him and give him some time because he has not pitched. Well, I'll be interested to see what they do. Guardians have the second best record in the American League right now. I think a half game or a game back of the Yankees for the best record in the American League. The doubleheader Saturday was ugly. It was awful but a nice bounce back win on Sunday and then to win the day game yesterday, the Patriots Day game and great pitching across the board for the Guardians. The bullpen did a heck of a job. Um, what's stunning is Jason, if I would have said to you, um, when the season started, I wouldn't tell you anything else but this, nothing else about the, I think I know where you're going, Shane Bieber's done for the season. And Logan Allen, uh, Tanner by and Tristan Kenzie all have, er, a s of five or higher. You would have said the Guardian's record would be two or 43 right. Now, it's amazing. The bullpen has been for the most part, great and the lineup has been really good and the Guardians I believe are still fifth in baseball and second in the American League in runs per game. Uh, yes, it runs per game and the defense has been very good for the moment. Was it windy there yesterday? Does it really get windy and Fenway t because the green monster, the left field bleachers so high because they was hitting it. But it was the first time I was like, man, they really don't have a lot of power. They hitting the ball, but it ain't going where it's supposed to go out the park. So I was like, maybe it's the wind or something. I had to go, I was with my wife at the hospital yesterday. She's ok. So I didn't get home until the game was almost over. So I watched the end of the game and then I went back and did like the rapid fire through the first two innings. I'm skipping all the commercials. Yeah, I was doing, I was here, I was doing so I didn't get to, you know, I didn't watch it as closely as I normally do the first bunch of innings, but I didn't notice the wind being a big game. I was just because I, like they was hitting it like bam, but it just did not travel all the way out. And I was just like, man, maybe we don't got no power like that. Well, Tvi, I want to let you know that right now. The Guardians are tied for 12th in Major league baseball. Yes, per game. Bold prediction. But Titus's bold prediction was they finish in the top 15 if you get that right. I'm going to be pretty impressed, you know, I said the top five but I toned it back. So here we go. They got to get the starting rotation going because the offense, there's still holes there and they're going to go, threw some ups and downs. Bobby, it's Bobby's got going and it's only, it's only a couple of starts. I'm not worried about him. He's been hit around the race. I, I still think he's gonna be ok. I thought Devin Williams would be a little bit closer than what he is. He's just now started throwing. He's probably not back till May at this point. I thought he'd been back by now. Frankly, the way they were talking. So a little bit of concern there, but if he's throwing then he's progressed, he's progressing in the right direction. They got, they really need those two guys more than I even thought that they were going to. Yeah, big time because Mackenzie you can. Mackenzie situation is a huge concern. He should have had the surgery last year. Probably it's easy for me to say it's not my arm, but the guys that try to rehab it just doesn't work. Well. It's Zach. We mentioned this yesterday, Zach and I are working on a Trista story. It'll be out, I think Thursday it's gonna run. And Aaron Noel is a guy who did pitcher for the Phillies. He's been pitching with a torn ligament for years. Never had the surgery. He had it in a, it worked for him, he had it, they found it in August. He shut himself down that whole year. He came back the next year throwing it harder and all these tears are different. It depends on the location and all that. But Tristan's velocity is down. His fastball is getting absolutely hammered and it's a big part of his problem and, and his whiff rate is down and opponents are not chasing hitters just aren't chasing out of the zone on him and until that comes back he's gonna struggle, he's gonna struggle. Yeah, no doubt. So, it's a, it's, it's a concerning situation the next week you're playing teams that are not very good offensively. Boston shockingly has their pitching has been great. Boston. Boston's gonna be better than people thought. I don't want their lineup. I like Kansas City better than people thought and I like Boston better. Kansas City is the one Kansas City has won. What, 11 out of 13 or something they're playing. I mean, they'll regress the meat a little bit. They're not good, but those veteran starters they got are helping with stabilize. The Reagans started last year with him, but Lugo's been really good. He pitched a good game. Where's the twins that they're not playing well? They're like six out. They're so the top three is us Detroit and Kansas City. But the Minnesota will be better. The White Sox, they might be the worst team in baseball, man. I should have put that money down before, for the Guardians to win. I forgot what the money was for conclusion, but still not going to win. I have been feeling good right about now. Minnesota figured out they're not this bad overall. You got to be happy with how the Guardians are playing and they, you know, Zach made the point on the ultimate Cleveland Guardian show this morning. He's 100% right. They're winning games, unlike the way they've, they've won them in recent years. Like they've been, they've got a lot of clutch hits late. Um, they've gotten, you know, what I noticed is they'll blow a big opportunity where it looks like they missed a chance to win the game and then the next inning they'll come through. I feel like they, they, they haven't really done that. They, they have, they have been very feisty. They play with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Seems like Stephen votes a great fit right now again, a long way to go. But, uh, so far so good. I mean, they're fun and they're fun to watch. They're a fun baseball team right now. They're eight and two on the road too, which I know is partially who they've played, but still 10 games, eight and two on the road. It's the best road record in baseball, which for, and maybe it's not as big of a deal, but for a rookie manager that feels to me a little extra impressive. They're coming right back home. Right. No, they got three more. Yes, they've got three more. They come home for Oakland and I don't remember. Is it the Astros after Oakland? No, it's a, it's a team better than the Astros who do they play after Oakland Mike. They play somebody good and then the Astros who are struggling but we know they're good. They play after the Red Sox. No, they play Oakland. And then who do they play after Oakland? Oh, they play Boston again. ESPN is a wonky schedule. They go Boston, Oakland, Boston, Atlanta, Houston, Atlanta. That's what I was thinking of. Yeah. So you've got now a stretch Boston Oakland, Boston where you're not facing good lineups. Boston can pitch Oakland can't do anything. Uh, but then after that, obviously, the Braves are as good as anybody, even though they're best starters out for the year, like the Guardians and then the Astros who were scuffling, but we know they're, they can pick it up at any time. Astros pitching is a mess kid. Hunter Brown. He's been awful, didn't they have somebody throw a no hitter who was Ronell Blanco and then he pitched like five, no hit innings. His next start, he's young. Right. He's like a journeyman. He's kind of been floating around. I shouldn't be, but he came out of nowhere. He wasn't, he's not a prospect. Verlander comes back for them this week. So that might stabilize. We'll see. I mean, he got hit around, he got hit around in the rehab big time. He's old.