Cleveland Guardians manager reacts to late season loss

After an incredible and unprecedented year, the Cleveland Guardians’ 2024 season ended when the New York Yankees beat them in Game 5 of the ALCS.

So many fans, analysts and people around baseball never thought that a team led by a rookie coach would be one of the bottom four teams in the MLB playoffs like the Guardians were. However, all that magic had to run out at some point, and that happened on Saturday night.

Stephen Vogt offered his initial reaction to Cleveland’s Game 5 loss and his first season and Cleveland manager moments after Juan Soto recorded the final out.

“It’s hard to say (what I’m most proud of). I’m very proud,” Vogt said. “Obviously we’re hurting. What a game to end it. This group of guys worked really hard from day one. We believed, and we still believe, that we can be better. We can be more. But I couldn’t be more. Proud of what this group has accomplished.”

“There’s only one team that’s going to win the last game of the year, and unfortunately it’s not going to be us. But we’ve achieved a lot as a group. We’ve improved. We’ve worked really hard. I can’t thank the boys enough. their hard work and the coaching staff and support staff for all the work they’ve done. I couldn’t be more proud of this group. We haven’t gone as far as we wanted to.”

There is no doubt about the fight of this team. Even in the games they lost, Cleveland consistently battled the Yankees and made it an exciting game until the end.

Getting back to the postseason, let alone the ALCS, won’t be easy, but Vogt knows this team will put in all the work necessary in the offseason to contend in 2025.