N&N: Spring training only counts when Cal Quantrill throws a partial no-hitter

Mar 24, 2023 - 1:18 PM

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I don’t care what you think about MLB’s new rules, this is a great commercial.

This, along several other commercials, are part of MLB’s push to promote the new series of rules implemented for the 2023 season meant to increase the pace of play and bring in a wider audience. While none of them reach the height of seeing Daniel Vogelbach think he has the speed of Amed Rosario, they’re all a pretty fun, light-hearted way to introduce some wrinkles to the game. I’ve already said before that I think the new rules are great, and I guess in liking these commercials I have ascended to the next level of shill-ititude.

Hear me out, though: Not every ad has to be a super serious highlight of a slider or clips of people obsessing a little too much over Shohei Ohtani’s greatness. In fact, I would argue those ads do nothing for people who are already convinced baseball is too slow to enjoy. Watching Mike Trout hit a home run without context isn’t going to convert anyone who didn’t like “all the standing around” of the sport. That’s just hyping people up who already love your sport — which is also important and we will also see plenty of — but it doesn’t need to be the only thing.

The new rules aren’t going to suddenly blast baseball’s popularity past the NBA, but at least it’s an attempt without completely ruining the game. These ads are a way to show that, and most importantly, show some players and managers in a fun light.

Regardless, on the back of the WBC — which was basically one big ad for how much fun meaningful baseball can be — baseball has people talking, which is exactly what it needs heading into a new season.

Guardians 10, Giants 0

Box Score | MLB Recap
Good morning. Cal Quantrill threw 5.2 no-hittings last night. After Cal held the Giants hitless, Guardians pitching the rest of the way allowed only one hit and finished off the domination that he started. Amed Rosario, Steven Kwan, José Ramírez, and Oscar Gonzalez all had two hits each in the win as well.

Cleveland Guardians

What it would take for the Cleveland Guardians to actually get Shohei Ohtani? | Away Back Gone
Oh hell yeah, let’s get wild. If any team has the prospect capital to get Shohei Ohtani from the Angels it’s the Guardians, but of course they wouldn’t do it. And they probably shouldn’t — not for just half a season. But it’s fun to think about.

The top 3 factors to determine whether Cleveland Guardians win or lose AL Central in 2023 | Akron Beacon Journal
The Guardians are in a unique position of being extremely young and division favorites. Whether or not they can repeat their success of last year depends on a few key factors.

Baseball’s Most Valuable Teams 2023: Price Tags Are Up 12% Despite Regional TV Woes | Forbes
Forbes ranked the Guardians as the 25th most valuable MLB franchise with a $1.3 billion valuation.

Job Posting: Cleveland Guardians – Director, Baseball Software Engineering | FanGraphs

This job might be for you if you have a passion for leading teams that work with ever-expanding data sets, build high-leverage data visuals, and witness the impact of their work while watching baseball games. The position offers the unique opportunity to work with a variety of emerging technologies that span the entire applications stack. From data warehousing to web design, you will have the opportunity to craft innovative solutions to challenging problems.

Around the league

• The Braves optioned Mike Soroka.
• Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in a non-contact injury.
• This could be a big year for stolen bases.
• Aaron Judge, big WBC fan.