CLEVELAND, Ohio – Do you have a Guardians question you’d like answered with “Hey, Hoynsie?” You can subscribe to Subtext here, text Hoynsie a two-week free trial at 216-208-4346, or email him at phoynes@cleveland.com.
Hey, Hoynsie: Who is the diamond in the rough that the Guardians are eyeing this offseason? There must be a few Ben Livelys out there that the front office is evaluating? —Jay Judge, Baltimore.
Hey, Jay: The guards are good at this. Since the days of Scott Kazmir, Ryan Raburn, Rich Hill and Jeff Manship, they always seem to find a hidden/forgotten gem. I’m not sure who it will be this year, but Lively certainly did his job last season.
Hey, Hoynsie: I get through the winter watching the TV broadcasts of last season’s Guardians games. When do they start this winter? Or are they gone? —Arnie Berger, Shaker Square.
Hello Arnie: We’re in trouble. As the Guardians’ contract with Diamond Sports Group and Bally Sports ended at the end of last season, there will be no replays of last season’s games.
Like you, it helped me get through the winter. But at least I won’t get the fisheye from my wife anymore. She saw me watching old Guardians games and said, “You’re crazy.” You covered that game. You wrote about it. You know how it ends. Why are you watching it again?”
Some things just can’t be explained.
Hey, Hoynsie: With the hay in the barn and the table set, how did you start Thanksgiving dinner? Was it the mashed potatoes or the stuffing? Or do you resort to treating yourself a little more and go straight to the cake table? — Bruce Tate, Shreve Ohio. (A guy who actually has a barn full of hay).
Hello, Bruce: I chose the turkey first, followed by mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberry sauce and gravy. After I went into a food coma, I woke up and ate the pumpkin pie. I hope you had a great Turkey Day.
Hey, Hoynsie: Bob Feller retired at age 37 after a Hall of Fame career as the greatest starting pitcher in Cleveland history. I’m wondering if you ever talked to him about moving to the bullpen. I think he could have been devastating for an inning or two. – Michael Hoffmann.
Hello, Michael: Every Cleveland baseball writer talked to Feller a lot because he was always near the team during spring training and had a special spot in the press box at Progressive Field. I never asked him about it. I have no doubt he could have done it, but pitchers were treated differently back then. The starters ruled and the status of the substitutes was not what it is today.
Looking at Feller’s stats from 1955 and 1956, he was more of a reserve player than a starter, so perhaps he knew it was time to retire.
Former Guardians right-hander Cal Quantrill was non-tendered by the Guardians, becoming a free agent for the second straight season.AP
Hey, Hoynsie: Do you see the Guardians kicking the tires on someone non-tendered, perhaps another closer to bolster the bullpen even more, like Jordan Romano or Kyle Finnegan? —Kyle Knowles.
Hello Kyle: 62 players became free agents after not being selected on November 22nd. I would imagine the Guardians have kicked the tires on a few of them, including Cal Quantrill and Griffin Channing, because there are a lot of question marks about their rotation. Outfielder Austin Hays, who played for the Orioles from 2021-23, could also be of interest.
Romano has had elbow surgery. Finnegan, 33, is coming off a 38-save season with the Nationals. The guards have plenty of depth in the bullpen, but you never know how arms like Hunter Gaddis, Cade Smith, Nick Sandlin, Tim Herrin and Emmanuel Clase will respond after being used frequently in 2024.
Hey, Hoynsie: How have the rule changes affected the game in 2024? I’m talking bigger bases, a wider runner’s lane, anti-shift rules and the pitch clock, just to name a few? What was the average playing time in 2024? — Kevin, Chardon.
Hello, Kevin: The new rules have been introduced for the 2023 season to increase the pace of play. The average playing time in 2024 was 2 hours and 36 minutes thanks to the pitch clock. It was 25 minutes shorter than the average game in 2022.
From 2022 to 2023, average runs per team per game increased from 4.28 to 4.62. Average runs per game per team fell from 4.62 to 4.39 from 2023 to 2024. However, the total number of runs per game scored by both teams in 2024 was still higher than in 2022 – 8.79 to 8.6.
The number of stolen bases has skyrocketed because of the changes, particularly because pitchers are limited to two pickoff throws per player. There were 2,486 stolen bases in 2022, increasing to 3,503 in 2023 and 3,617 in 2024. The 3,617 steals in 2024 are the most in the major leagues in 109 years.
