Champagne was waiting in Cleveland’s home clubhouse Saturday night, but first Austin Hedges had one more piece of business after the Guardians’ 2-0 win over the White Sox sealed a trip to the American League Championship Series.
The veteran catcher gathered the club, recapped the winning plays, dropped to one knee and lifted a sword over his head. Then came the announcement that set off the room: Gavin Williams had been chosen as the Guardians’ latest Knight of the Day.
Quick facts
- Cleveland beat Chicago, 2-0, on Saturday to advance to the ALCS.
- Guardians-Rays ALCS Game 1 is Monday at 8 p.m. ET on TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max.
- Williams received the clubhouse sword after his work in the clincher.
- Reliever Sabrowski struck out Munetaka Murakami with the bases loaded to finish a major threat.
- The Guardians need four more victories to reach the World Series.
The sword has become part of Cleveland’s daily rhythm, a clubhouse tradition that traces back to a Spring Training trip to Medieval Times in Scottsdale, Arizona. Players dressed up as knights and wizards during the outing, and the theme stuck long after camp broke.
Tanner Bibee supplied the helmet used for home-run celebrations. Kyle Manzardo bought the sword, which has taken on a more private but central role after victories.
Hedges opens the postgame moment by recognizing the plays that shaped a win before naming a recipient. The choice is not automatically reserved for the player with the loudest box score. At times Hedges makes the call himself; at others he checks with nearby teammates Patrick Bailey and David Fry.
That flexibility is the point. A player who delivered in a high-leverage spot can get the honor, as can someone whose work might otherwise disappear beneath the final score. Hedges said Sabrowski would have been a strong candidate after escaping Saturday’s bases-loaded jam.
There is room, too, for a player who needs a lift. The ritual gives the club a pause before everyone scatters, a chance to recognize that even one Major League victory is difficult to earn.
“It is a little moment for everybody to get together,” Hedges said. “Rather than winning and going straight to your phone, we can recognize what we did. Winning a big league game is hard, and I think it reinforces that.”
The Guardians have made the tradition visible in another way. Rolls of parchment hang in the clubhouse, recording each Knight of the Day and the game tied to the selection. The clubhouse staff updates the list throughout the season.
The names run across the roster and beyond it. Chase DeLauter, Williams, José Ramírez and Steven Kwan have appeared often, while CJ Kayfus made the parchment despite playing only three big league games this season.
Young players Travis Bazzana, Parker Messick, Angel Martínez, Brayan Rocchio and Petey Halpin are included, along with established hands such as Fry, Hedges and Rhys Hoskins. The record has become a season-long reminder of how many players have carried a piece of the load.
“You start Spring Training with 26 guys, but you know it is going to take 50 or 60,” Hedges said. “There are more than 26 names on that list, and that is pretty cool.”
DeLauter said the sword ceremony felt established almost immediately. Hedges brought it out during the season’s opening weekend, and it quickly became a familiar ending to a win.
“It is tradition now,” DeLauter said. “Different guys contribute every night. It helps us celebrate the win together and keep the momentum going.”
The sword itself is dull, and the club decided to present it rather than attempt a full knighting gesture. But the message is sharp enough: the Guardians’ October push will not be carried by one player.
“These are the toughest games in the world to win,” Hedges said. “When you win one, a lot of players did good things and somebody probably did something special. In such an individual sport, doing things together makes it easier to believe in the team. It takes ego out of it and makes it about the boys.”
