Cleveland Sports - Connections 12.2

Guardians
After winning the AL Central last season, expectations were high for the team going into the 2023 season. Currently, the Guardians record is 34 wins – 38 losses, good for second in the division behind the Minnesota Twins. The team’s starting pitchers are not performing as well as typical and that fact, compounded with a struggling offense, has the team fighting for every win. The All-Star game takes place on July 11th in Seattle and this game usually serves as a barometer for teams and their roster plans for the balance of the season. Fans eagerly wait to see if the Guardians will be buyers or sellers as the August 1st trade deadline gets closer. Last year, the team stayed the course and rallied to make the playouts. What will happen this year?!

Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers completed the 2022-23 season with a record of 51 wins – 31 losses and a 2nd place finish in Central Division. As the 4th seed in the playoffs, the team faced the New York Knicks and lost the series in 5 games. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the rest of the Denver Nuggets won this season’s NBA Championship. The Nuggets’ team featured a team-oriented style of play that was key to their success. They are the early favorites to repeat as champions and establish a dynasty. Our Cavs “core 4” players of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are all returning for next season. The CAVS are looking to bolster their roster in the draft, which takes place on June 22nd, and in free agency before next season as the Eastern Conference will be extremely competitive again.

Browns
Jim Brown, the legendary Browns Hall of Fame running back, passed away on May 18th. He was one of the NFL's most prolific players and a civil rights icon. "Jim Brown is a true icon of not just the Cleveland Browns but the entire NFL," team owners, Jimmy & Dee Haslam said. "He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history".

The team is preparing to start training camp on July 30th and will be featured in this year’s pre-season “Hall of Fame” game against the New York Jets on August 3rd in Canton, Ohio. Another Browns legend, Joe Thomas, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during this celebration event.