Cleveland Guardians fans noticed something a little different over the weekend. And no, you weren't imagining it.
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Longtime Cleveland broadcast duo Matt Underwood and Rick Manning were not on the call for the series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Turns out, that wasn't just a random schedule quirk. The league had a hand in it.
According to a report from Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, MLB Local Media is nudging the Guardians to mix up their broadcast booth a bit this season. The idea is not to replace anyone. It is more about rotating voices and giving the regular crew some time off over a long 162-game grind.
Underwood and Manning are still very much the primary team. Manning is in his 37th season as an analyst, Underwood in his 20th as play-by-play. But now you will see others slide in more often. Over the weekend, it was Al Pawlowski and former catcher Chris Gimenez handling duties.
The explanation from those familiar with the situation is pretty simple: Keep everyone fresh, spread out the workload, and maybe bring in some new energy along the way.
Still, it is a little unusual. MLB stepping in and influencing a local broadcast, even one it helps produce, is not something fans are used to seeing. And naturally, opinions are mixed.
Some viewers have liked the change of pace with Pawlowski and Gimenez getting more reps. Others just want their familiar voices back every night.
Either way, this looks like something that is not going away anytime soon.
