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Cleveland Guardians sending infamous Oscar Gonzalez-Sandy Alomar Jr. belt to Cooperstown

By Steve DiMatteo |
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 08: Oscar Gonzalez #39 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run to end the game in the fifteenth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of the Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on October 08, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 08: Oscar Gonzalez #39 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a walk-off home run to end the game in the fifteenth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game two of the Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on October 08, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Even though the Cleveland Guardians were eliminated in the ALDS by the New York Yankees, there were plenty of great highlights from the team’s run this postseason.

One fun nugget is that rookie Oscar Gonzalez had to borrow first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr.’s belt during Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Tampa Bay Rays. As we all know, Gonzalez would go on to hit the game-winning – and series-clinching – home run in the 15th inning of that game, still wearing Alomar’s belt.

The belt would, of course, become a good-luck charm for Gonzalez, which served him well in the ALDS when he also hit the game-winning two-run single in Game 3 to put the Guardians up 2-1 in the series.

And while the belt’s magic worked well for Gonzalez this postseason, it is finding a new home – but not with Alomar. No, the belt is heading to Cooperstown, where it will be immortalized in the Hall of Fame alongside some of the most notable mementos from baseball’s storied history.

Not a bad run, belt. Not a bad run at all.

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