CLEVELAND — After a 4-2 start to the season on the road, the Cleveland Guardians are set to make their 2022 home debut on Friday night with a game against the San Francisco Giants. It will make the first time that the Cleveland Guardians ever play at Progressive Field under the new name, but that won’t be the only first to happen at the ballpark during the big game, which airs on WKYC. Our expanded coverage begins at 3 p.m. with first pitch at 7:10 p.m.
Here are three things to keep in mind ahead of Friday night’s home opener...
José Ramírez’s ovation
Just as the regular season arrived, the Cleveland Guardians and All-Star third baseman José Ramírez reportedly reached a deal on a massive contract extension that promises to keep him in Cleveland for the foreseeable future. The deal was made official on Thursday by the team with a number of posts on social media after the ink was dry on the contract. By all accounts, Ramírez wanted to stay in Cleveland, and now is under contract with the team until at least the end of the 2028 season. The contract is more than double in guaranteed money than the team’s history. It’s unprecedented for Cleveland’s baseball franchise to keep a superstar around for as long as Ramírez will be.
So, what does all of this mean? Aside from the Guardians keeping one of the game’s best players in the lineup for a long time, it means the franchise is deserving of praise for getting the deal done. That praise toward the organization, and more importantly Ramírez, should be felt on Friday night when Ramírez is introduced as part of the starting lineups prior to first pitch. It’s fair to expect that Ramírez receives a standing ovation when the lineups are announced – that’s set to happen at 6:52 p.m. so arrive at your seat early – and when Ramírez steps to the plate for the first time.
Can the offense keep it up?
The Guardians have been a pleasant surprise of the (very) young baseball season, particularly thanks to all the fireworks their offense has provided during the last four games. After beginning the season with two straight losses in Kansas City in which the lineup combined to score one run in 19 innings, the Guardians scored a whopping 44 runs in their next four games. Cleveland has outscored its opponents by a league-leading 23 runs on the season because of baseball’s highest-scoring offense.
The team has been led by outstanding rookie Steven Kwan, who went a ridiculous 116 pitches before his first swing-and-miss of his Major League career. Kwan has been a social media sensation thanks to his ability to simply put the bat on the ball at a ridiculous level and get on base like no one ever has done to open up a career.
The Guardians have also gotten great offensive performances from Ramírez (in related news, water is wet), Oscar Mercado, Owen Miller, Myles Straw and Amed Rosario. Of course, there’s no telling how long the lineup will stay as good as it has been, but it’s hard to envision the season starting much better than it has.
A Friday night to remember
When first pitch is thrown at Progressive Field by Guardians pitcher Zach Plesac, all eyes in Cleveland will certainly be focused on the center of the diamond. With that in mind, focus will also be big about 1,500 feet away just 20 minutes later when the Cleveland Cavaliers put their season on the line against the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
This isn’t the biggest sports night that Cleveland has ever had -- and doesn’t even begin to compare to Oct. 26, 2016 – the night of Game 1 of the World Series between Cleveland and Chicago AND the night the Cavs received their championship rings against the New York Knicks – but it may be the biggest night that Cleveland has hosted since then. The atmosphere downtown on Friday will be one that those in attendance for either game won’t soon forget.
Bonus facts
Friday night will mark just the second night game to open the home portion of the schedule for Cleveland since 1995, and it will be the first one with fans in the stands, as the other came in July of 2020. Since Progressive Field opened in 1994, all three night home openers have come during seasons that have not been normal. The 1995 season was shortened by the 1994 player strike, the 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this season was altered by the owner’s lockout that lasted until March.
- Cleveland has won four of its last five home openers, winning each year from 2017 through 2020, but lost last season to Kansas City.
- Team name history: While the Guardians name is new, it’s actually the fifth in the franchise. The other four are Blues, Bronchos, Naps and of course, Indians.
- Two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks is set to throw out the night’s ceremonial first pitch prior to the game. If you’d like to see that, be sure to be in your seat by 7:03 p.m. Who knows, maybe there will even be a special appearance by his friend Wilson.