There hasn’t been an official announcement.

Yet, everybody in baseball, not just the Cleveland Guardians, knows it at this point: manager Terry Francona will retire after the season ends.

We all know it because all the signs are there.

One of the most evident signs is the fact the Guardians are going to be handing out “Thank you, Tito” shirts for Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, his last at home.

Francona joked about it when asked by the media about his retirement plans.

“Terry Francona said that despite the fact that neither he nor the Guardians have officially announced his retirement, he did address the players today to tell them it has been an ‘honor of the lifetime’ to manage them through good and bad,” MLB insider Chelsea Janes tweeted.

There you have another sign: he is already saying goodbye to his beloved players.

Now, about those T-shirts…

“On if tomorrow is his last home game ‘it has to be,’ Francona joked. ‘Once you give out t-shirts you can’t go back,’” Janes wrote.

On if tomorrow is his last home game “it has to be,” Francona joked. “Once you give out t-shirts you can’t go back.” https://t.co/q65QzFliOJ

— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) September 26, 2023

Tito has a great point there.

Can you imagine giving out farewell T-shirts only for him to return for one more year?

It doesn’t make sense.

It would be incredibly good, but it doesn’t make sense.

Instead, Francona will be putting an end to a brilliant career as a baseball manager that started in 1997 with the Philadelphia Phillies and ends here, 26 years later, in Cleveland.

One of the most respected and talented skippers in today’s game gets to say goodbye in front of his home fans.

It’s a perfect way to end a beautiful, successful chapter of his life.

The post Terry Francona Shares Hilarious Take On His Farewell Game appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

Historically, the New York Yankees, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Boston Red Sox have had long periods of dominance in MLB.

In fact, those are the teams with the most World Series victories.

The Yanks have 27 (the last one coming in 2009), the Cardinals are second with 11 (the most recent one being in 2011), and the Red Sox are tied with the Oakland Athletics (previously Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics) with nine.

Since 1993 and up until 2022, a span covering 30 seasons, at least one of those teams was in the playoffs, often all three and sometimes two of them.

However, all good things (and bad, too) come to an end.

2023 will be the first season in 30 years in which none of those three historically relevant franchises will be in the postseason, according to ESPN.

For the first time in 30 years, the MLB postseason will not include the Yankees, Red Sox or Cardinals pic.twitter.com/yXEKYCFHV5

— ESPN (@espn) September 27, 2023

Advertisement

The Yankees are the only team of the bunch with a positive record, but things went south almost from the beginning.

Aaron Judge had two long stints on the injured list, Giancarlo Stanton regressed, and Carlos Rodon was either injured or inconsistent, not to mention a myriad of injuries to starters, relievers, and lineup regulars.

The Red Sox made huge strides with their farm system, but even though they stayed relevant and competitive for most of the year, couldn’t get key wins and all their AL East foes are just better.

The Cardinals’ pitching was never good enough for the team to contend.

With demanding fanbases and a sense of urgency, all three teams will likely find a way to contend soon enough.

For now, though, they will have to watch the postseason on TV.

The post MLB Postseason Is Featuring A Rare Absence In 2023 appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link

Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera made his MLB debut in 2003 with the Miami Marlins (then Florida Marlins).

Among active players, he is the longest-tenured in MLB, with 2023 being his 21st season.

He is, however, about to relinquish his throne, because he is set to retire after the weekend.

MLB on FOX shows us the list of the longest-tenured players in MLB, and there will be some changes next year.

20 years of Miggy @MiguelCabrera | @tigers pic.twitter.com/F0Mv3l2NID

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 27, 2023

With Cabrera retiring, Zack Greinke will be the leader of the list if he decides to keep pitching.

He is 39 and will hit free agency after 2023 so there is a chance he retires, too.

Next up is Rich Hill, and he has stated that he intends to keep pitching in 2024.

He is also a free agent and will be 44, so he might have a hard time finding a team, much like Greinke.

After Hill, we have Justin Verlander, who made his MLB debut (with the Tigers) in July of 2005.

Verlander, unlike all the names mentioned to this point, is under contract with the Houston Astros and will be returning for another year, at the very least.

It’s fascinating to see all these veterans completing amazing careers.

In the specific case of Cabrera, it became evident that he could no longer hang with the young guys.

Retirement is the wisest choice, and Tigers fans get to celebrate a colorful, successful, and brilliant career that includes a World Series triumph in 2003 and lots of individual accolades.

Not many players can say they can retire with 3,000+ hits, 500+ home runs, and 600+ doubles.

The post Miguel Cabrera Set To Lose An Elite Mark Upon Retirement appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source link