He's on the lam...

Angels trounce the Rockies 25-1!

I'll be at Monday's game in Cleveland as the Guardians host the Motor City Kitties.

Looking forward to a day in the sun with my two boys and hopefully watch the Guards roll to a 2-0 series lead.

Speaking of Cleveland, the Cincinnati's hiring of their former manager, Terry Francona, is very good news to me and other long suffering fans. However, the team needs much more: better hitters, a new coaching staff (hopefully Francona will be given free reign to choose his own staff), and a shakeup in the front office, which has made too many boneheaded decisions and bad trades. And why acquire a guy like Rosario if they weren't going to play him?!?! And while all teams suffer from injuries, the Reds have had way more than their share the last few years. I mean, it makes one wonder about their coaching and conditioning regimen. The Reds have a lot more to do this off season if the team is going to compete in '25.

Terry (Tito) Francona is on a short list of the best coaches/managers in Cleveland sports history, I say that with no reservation.

Unfortunately, Tito has been plagued in recent years with multiple health issues that more or less forced him to step down at the end of the 2023 season. The sad thing was all the fans knew about mid-season he was going to step aside but Terry would not make any announcement due to not wanting any fanfare.

I can't say at this point if Terry leaving was necessarily a bad thing. Rookie manager Steven Vogt brought in a different energy which led the Guardians to a Central Division title.

Similar but different. Both managers manage from the gut and don't rely on analytics. The biggest difference is hitting strategy, Terry believes in his batters taking pitches to drive up a pitch count and Steven is OK with, 'swing early and swing often'.

I only watch the Reds play a few times a year and that's when they battle their in-state rival Guardians for the coveted Ohio Cup. I can say with certainty that when 2025 single game tix go on sale in February, I'll get a pair of tix so Mrs. Buckeye and I see Tito's return to The Land.