Guardians fans turned a division-clinching home run into a flood of generosity for a Denver-area charity.
Since Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman launched the three-run shot that helped Cleveland lock up the American League Central title Saturday night, Clothes to Kids of Denver has been overwhelmed with donations from Guardians supporters. The charity said Monday that it had received more than $7,000, with contributions still coming in, and more than 300 donations arrived from Cleveland fans in the first 24 hours.
Goodman’s blast came in the ninth inning against the White Sox and helped Colorado finish off a 9-6 win at Rate Field. The result knocked Chicago out of the AL Central race and gave Cleveland its fourth division championship in five years, along with its third straight under manager Stephen Vogt.
The Rockies quickly opened the door for a thank-you campaign. After the game, Colorado’s social media account told Guardians fans they could send their thank-you notes to Coors Field at 2001 Blake Street in Denver.
A Guardians fan account, @GuardsJoey, took the idea further and suggested that Cleveland fans direct donations to a Colorado-area charity in Goodman’s name. From there, the Guardians’ social media team contacted the Rockies to find a cause tied to Goodman, and Colorado pointed them to Clothes to Kids.
That set off the surge. Donations started rolling in, including one from Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski.
Clothes to Kids later acknowledged the unexpected support on X, thanking @GuardsJoey, the Guardians and Cleveland fans for turning Goodman’s home run into more than just a division-clinching moment.
The nonprofit gives new and quality used clothing free of charge to school-age students from low-income or in-crisis families across the Denver area.
For Guardians fans, it became a way to salute an unlikely helper in Cleveland’s latest division title.
In Other News...
Guardians Final Roster Move Just Clarified A Key Postseason Battle
The Guardians have started to sort out their postseason pitching picture, and the latest move points to how they want to cover the middle innings if games get hectic. Austin Peterson was added to the pitching staff for the playoffs, giving Cleveland another bulk relief option after he handled that role behind starter Parker Messick in the season finale.
The corresponding roster change came with Craig Yoho coming off the postseason roster, a shift that underscores how fluid the back end of October pitching plans can be. Clevelands current setup appears to center on Parker Messick and Gavin Williams in the rotation, with Daniel Espino and Joey Cantillo lined up to bridge the game behind them, while Tanner Bibee and Foster Griffin remain possibilities to work out of the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Playoff Path Is Set And One ALDS Question Looms
The postseason picture is now clear, and Cleveland has landed in a favorable spot as the No. 2 seed in the American League with a first-round bye. Instead of jumping straight into the Wild Card round, the Guardians can wait and see which club emerges from the Houston Astros-Chicago White Sox series before opening their AL Division Series on Oct. 3.
For Cleveland, the setup offers both rest and a little uncertainty, since the next opponent will be determined by a series that could play out a few different ways. The broader October schedule is already in place from the Wild Card Series through the World Series, but the immediate focus for the Guardians is on preparing for either Houstons experience or Chicagos path as they get ready for the first real test of their playoff run. [Read more 🡒]
A Tragic Indians Game Still Carries One Haunting Irony
Griffith Stadium was the setting for a grim moment on Sept. 29, 1943, when a game between the Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators was interrupted by tragedy in the stands. A wild throw sent a ball sailing into the crowd and struck fan Clarence Stagemyer in the head, leaving him with a concussion and a fractured skull.
Stagemyer died the following day, and the incident is believed to be the first case of a fan dying as a direct result of a ball-related injury at a Major League Baseball game. For a game that would otherwise have faded into the long blur of wartime baseball, the memory lingers because of the terrible irony at its center. [Read more 🡒]