9 unsolicited observations from 1st week of Cleveland Guardians baseball

Eight Unsolicited observations from the first week of Cleveland Guardians’ baseball…

1. Just as you knew the Guardians were going to disappoint on Opening Day in Kansas City, I had the same feeling we were in store for a re-run in the home opener, Friday night.

This assumption was correct, as the Guards plated one measly run off three hits off forever nemesis Carlos Rodon. They gave their fans little to cheer in Game 2, scoring just two more on a cold night in The Land.

2. “I don’t know what he was thinking.” What the Giants broadcast said when Owen Miller forgot to cover first base on a Wilmer Flores grounder to second that should’ve resulted in a double play.

It happed in the top of the eighth of a 2-2 ballgame. Miller was probably asking? Why am I playing first when I’m pretty inexperienced at the position?”

It reminds me of a similar play from last season. I believe it was in Chicago when Yu Chang, playing first, made an errant throw to second after taking a grounder, which ultimately cost the Indians the game.

The Guardians overall lineup is pretty thin, so one might think the team might try and excel in every other facet of the game, such as pitching and defense. Well, they refuse to put a first baseman out there and it hurt the club tonight.

3. Amed Rosario was catching some Twitter heat for hesitating on the throw, but the Giants broadcast made it very clear, there was no one at first.

Cleveland Guardians must put Miller somewhere, though!

4. Fortunately, for Miller, he’s hitting, so you can’t take him out of the lineup. He should probably be at second base. Andres Gimenez started there tonight and went 0-2 with two strikeouts. He was replaced by Ernie Clement.

Gimenez’s best position is short. That’s where he should be. He may not hit immediately, but he’ll make up for it defensively.

That leaves Amed Rosario. He can hit, but he’s got to be in left. Yes, they’re still sacrificing defense with him in the lineup, but you’ve got to stick him somewhere. But what about contact savant Steven Kwan? Can he play right? Hard to say. Professionally, he’s spent just 11 games there, all last season while playing with Akron.

Woof, I need a beer after that breakdown.

5. I think I’d rather have the pitchers hit than watch Cleveland’s catchers enter the box. They’ve yet to collect a hit all season, going 0-for-26.

Starter Austin Hedges is 0-19, while Brian Lavastida is 0-7. Hedges used to be able to run into one now and then. Maybe he’s due.

The organization that produced some pretty, pretty good hitting catchers in Sandy Alomar, Victor Martinez and Carlos Santana is at an all-time low at the position right now.

6. Speaking of Kwan, he’s 0-7 in the first two games of the Giants’ series.

7. So far, so good for reliever Trevor Stephan this season. In five appearances, he’s logged five innings while striking out four and issuing no walks along thew way.

8. It’s been a memorable week, for the Guards, and a lot of of the celebration has focused on Jose Ramirez and his contract extension. It’s a good bet he’s going to do something memorable every day, whether at the plate, in the field or on the base paths. That, friends, is worth the price of admission.

9. At this point, we’d settle for a lukewarm Franmil Reyes, because any kind of power from the Guards’ clean-up hitter would be a welcomed addition, especially in these colder games where the team has struggled to score runs. Reyes doesn’t have an extra-base this season in 36 at-bats entering April 17. He’s batting .188 and leads the team with 14 strikeouts.