N&N: Shohei Ohtani achieves great honor of meeting José Ramírez

Cleveland Guardians news and notes for Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Major League Baseball got a bunch of really good players together last night to play an All-Star Game. But before the game began, Shohei Ohtani, perhaps the Allest Star of them all, was asked to name the player he’s most excited to meet. He answered the same way Covering the Corner would, saying “José Ramírez ...He’s a really funny guy, a really nice guy.”

SO LET THE TRADE AND FREE AGENT SPECULATION BEGIN.

Then a game was played, and Yandy Diaz started off the scoring by hitting a solo home run in the second inning while Terry Francona hid under his desk, stuck to the sides of it due to the box of popsicles that had started to melt. Shohei would eventually walk, and José would eventually double, but Yandy was the only AL All-Star to homer Tuesday night.

The AL led 2-1 after 7, but as one does when facing an NL team full of MVPs and Almost MVPs, the AL surrendered a 2-run home run to Elias Diaz and lost 3-2. The latter Diaz (wrong one, for us who like reminding people of LGFT successes) was named MVP for his efforts.

Other things

• One man’s stats make the argument that Aaron Civale has had the best curveball in baseball this season. Our next meeting is Friday at 8, Civale Sect.
• José Ramírez impressed all of his teammates when he stole home in Kansas City late last month.
• Rob Manfred took some time to make up some stories.
• Players want more time to concentrate in the 2023 postseason.