theathleticuk
CLEVELAND — A light-blue note card rests in the upper right corner of Austin Hedges' locker, a constant reminder of a promise made earlier this year. A fan handed it to him and asked him to place it where he'd see it daily, so he could manifest the message written in marker: "World Series 2026!" At a season-ticket holder event in late May, the fan inquired about the note, and Hedges assured her he looked at it every day. Even when the team struggled to reach .500 this summer, the message kept him motivated.
On Monday night, Hedges packed his belongings in front of that note for a trip to Chicago, where his Guardians trailed the White Sox 2-0 in the AL Division Series. He briefly wondered if the dream was over and if he was about to play his final game with the franchise that had revitalized his career. The odds were stacked against Cleveland: only 10 teams had ever erased a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series, while 85 had failed. The White Sox, one win away from an improbable ALCS berth, even taunted the Guardians during Tuesday's batting practice with a playlist of sad, slow songs like Boyz II Men's "End of the Road."
But four days and three wins later, the Guardians were celebrating a 2-0 clincher on Saturday night, dousing each other with La Marca Prosecco and Budweiser while a different playlist blared through the home clubhouse at Progressive Field. That playlist—11 songs and 38 minutes of upbeat, party-sparking jams—was the antithesis of the White Sox's taunt. "Everyone knows every word to every one of those songs," Hedges said. "And we're going to play it eight more times."
Toward the end of spring training, Hedges solicited recommendations for a postgame-victory playlist. Rhys Hoskins contributed the leadoff song, "Grove St. Party" by Waka Flocka Flame. The mix includes Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life," a few EDM tracks, and Hedges' pick, "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas. "It's, like, my favorite song ever," Hedges said. "It doesn't get old."
That subjective claim held true late Saturday night after José Ramírez delivered another signature moment, Gavin Williams turned in an ace-like performance, and Cleveland's staff set a Division Series strikeout record. Travis Kelce and Donovan Mitchell wore Ramírez jerseys, and Cade Smith closed the door to seal the comeback. Hedges awarded Williams the team's Medieval Times sword and honored Ramírez for his heroics—a half-swing on a curveball that plunged far below the strike zone. When team president Chris Antonetti asked how he hit it out, Ramírez replied, "Home run pitch. I was looking for it." Antonetti noted the pitch was six inches off the ground; officially, it was 0.74 inches, the lowest pitch hit for a home run in the postseason since tracking began in 2008, per Sarah Langs.
"That's what guys going to Cooperstown do," manager Stephen Vogt said. Reliever Erik Sabrowski, his voice hoarse from a primal scream after striking out Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded in the sixth, added, "Build a f---ing statue." Antonetti assured, "He's closer to that every day. He's Cleveland." Vogt echoed, "I mean, he's Cleveland baseball. He chose multiple times throughout his career to stay here. He loves this city, this franchise, his teammates. José means everything to this city."
Usually, Cleveland is on the wrong side of such comebacks. The last team to erase a 2-0 Division Series deficit, the 2017 New York Yankees, did so against a powerhouse Cleveland squad that was the odds-on favorite to win the World Series. This time, the Guardians scored 18 runs in two wins in Chicago, with Ramírez as the catalyst, and leaned on dominant pitching from Williams, Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Smith to secure Game 5.
"This is what we do," Hedges said. "I don't know how we do it. I literally have no idea. Well, today I know how: We have the best pitching in the world and we have José Ramírez. That's usually enough." For much of the season, the formula wasn't so clear. The Guardians limped through early August at 61-66, trailing the White Sox in the AL Central. They then went 24-11, transformed into the AL's most potent offense over the final six weeks, and snatched their third straight division title and a first-round bye from Chicago.
They followed a similar script in this series: looking lifeless before turning it on and blitzing past the White Sox. They popped bottles, played "End of the Road" on the ballpark speakers, and watched Antonetti slide through a tarp covered in rain, beer, and sweat. They moved one step closer to manifesting the goal on the note card atop Hedges' locker. "It's the only reason we're all here," he said.
Originally reported by theathleticuk.