CLEVELAND, Ohio — Do you have a Guardians question that you’d like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? You can subscribe to Subtext here, text Hoynsie at 216-208-4346 for a two-week free trial or email him at [email protected].
Hey, Hoynsie: I’ve noticed Steven Kwan is upper cutting the ball a lot more since the All-Star break. Is he trying to drive more balls instead of hitting the crisp line drive that had him hitting .350 for so long? – David Rich.
Hey, David: I think Kwan is just searching for a way to help the Guardians.
A few weeks ago manager Stephen Vogt said Kwan was dealing with a few injuries. On Friday, he was scratched from the lineup with “general body fatigue.” Vogt said later that Kwan was getting his back examined.
I give Kwan credit from trying to grind through the second half despite being limited physically. He was hitting .352 (99 for 281) at the All-Star break. He’s hitting .201 (39 for 194) since the break and on occasion seems to be struggling defensively.
Kwan looks like he could use some time off. The problem is there are only 14 games left in the season and the AL Central race is tightening.
Rookie Jhonkensy Noel.AP
Hey, Hoynsie: Big Christmas, aka Jhonkensy Noel, needs to change his batting stance so he can cover outside pitches. – Roger Amoroso, Macedonia.
Hey, Roger: This is Noel’s first slump. I don’t think it’s the time to overreact. He had a couple of hits Friday night.
I think part of his problem is a lack of consistent playing time in the Guardians rotating outfield. If changes are made, they’ll probably be done in the offseason.
Hey, Hoynsie: I was wrong about Lane Thomas. I did not realize the toll it takes on a player and his family when he does get traded. As fans, we forget the human side of baseball. – Virgil Houser, Gustavus, Ohio.
Hey, Virgil: You’re not alone. Ballplayers are human, just like all of us. I also think you have to be patient with players, especially those with experience. If they’ve hit or pitched well in the past, and they’re healthy, they’ll do it again.
Hey, Hoynsie: The key to the Guards’ season was getting off to a good start. Terry Francona’s teams usually started slowly. What was the key to their good start this year? – Julianne, Reading, Pennsylvania.
Hey, Julianne: The offense definitely helped the Guardians in the first half of the season. They were 58-37 at the break, while ranked fifth in the AL with 454 runs (4.79 runs per game) scored. They’re 26-27 through Friday since the All-Star break with 26 runs (3.9 rpg) scored since the break.
As a team they hit ranked seventh in the AL with a .243 batting average at the break. They’re hitting just .228 since the break.
Hey, Hoynsie: How do postseason teams divide playoff shares? – Brent, Hunting Valley.
Hey, Brent: Are you looking for a cut?
Teams headed for the postseason are required to meet before the start of the playoffs to determine the distribution of playoff shares – full shares, half shares, cash rewards and so on.
Players (injured and healthy) and managers who are with the team from June 1 through the end of the season, according to MLB rules, automatically get full shares. Those are the players who vote on how the pot is shared with others.
The money comes from postseason gate receipts. Last year the Texas Rangers, the World Series champions, handed out 64 full shares at $506,263 a pop along with 12.56 partial shares and $48,000 in cash awards.
I remember talking to Orel Hershiser about the process when he played for the Indians. He said the players paid special attention the club employees who worked closely with them during the season because a postseason share can be “life changing’ to them.
The Guardians designated right-hander Scott Barlow for assignment on Sept. 8.Getty Images
Hey, Hoynsie: I was shocked that veteran reliever Scott Barlow was released so late in the season after carrying such a big workload all year. Was there something beyond performance behind this move? – Mark Scott, Malvern.
Hey, Mark: You’re not the only one who was surprised. Barlow was the senior member of the Guardians’ young and successful bullpen. From what I know there was nothing behind the move besides performance and a roster crunch.
He, Hoynsie: Is there a place for Carlos Carrasco on the roster when he completes his rehab? – Steve Buzon, Alexandria, Virginia.
Hey, Steve: I hope so. I’d like to see Carrasco finish the year on the 28-man roster. But it’s going to be a tight fit.
Hey, Hoynsie: Did Dennis Eckersley ever have a lower ERA than Emmanuel Clase’s ERA this year? – Ralph Fuller.
Hey, Ralph: In 1990 Eckersley, a Hall of Famer, went 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA with 48 saves in 73 1/3 innings for the A’s. Clase, through Friday, is 4-2 with a 0.67 ERA with 44 saves in 67 1.3 innings.
If you want to get deep into the weeds, Clase’s career ERA of 1.71 (minimum of 200 innings) is the lowest MLB history.
Hey, Hoynsie: From watching the games on TV, I saw that Guardians reliever Pedro Avila has writing on his baseball cap. I’ve never noticed another player doing that. I know that MLB has strict rules about uniforms. What’s the story? – Bill Cook.
Hey, Bill: I was told that Avila and the other Venezuelan players on the Guardians have written their country’s name on their caps to show support for the opposition government in Venezuela. Despite the disputed results of the election, Nicholas Maduro has stayed in power and his challenger, Edmundo Gonzalez, fled to Spain.
The United States recognizes Gonzalez as the winner of the election.
