BROOK PARK, Ohio – What’s happening in that old Burger King on Snow Road in Brook Park? A Great Lakes-based microchain making its way into Ohio with delicious sliders (burgers, chicken, fish, ribeye steak, falafel) as well as chicken fingers and custard shakes, that’s what.

Savvy Sliders, the fast-growing restaurant brand based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, is quickly gaining a national presence. If the old adage “As Ohio goes, so goes the nation” holds, they’ll soon be everywhere and in very short order.

A former member of the Cleveland Cavaliers announced their retirement from basketball on Wednesday. Joe Harris’ NBA career has come to an end after a 10-year run, with Shams Charania announcing the news on X (formally Twitter).

Fans may remember Harris most for his time with the Brooklyn Nets, but he started his career with the Wine and Gold.

Harris was originally drafted by the Cavaliers in the second round of the 2014 Draft and spent the first two seasons of his career in Cleveland. However, as a 23-year-old rookie, Harris never got a true opportunity with the Cavs, which was in win-now mode and contending for championships with LeBron James at the helm.

Cleveland then traded Harris to the Brooklyn Nets in January of 2016 in exchange for the Portland Trail Blazers’ protected 2020 second-round pick.

At the end of his time in Cleveland, Harris played in 56 games over two years, averaging just 2.6 points while shooting 44 percent from behind the arc in 10.6 minutes a game. 

During this time in Brooklyn, Harris became one of the best three-point shooters in the league. He averaged 11.6 points while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 43 percent from behind the arc during his seven-year tenure with the Nets.

Harris played his final NBA season with the Detroit Pistons and only appeared in 16 games.

One of Harris’ most memorable career moments was winning the 2019 Three-Point Contest during All-Star Weekend. The field included some of the best shooters of all time, even to this in the game, such as Steph Curry, Danny Green, Damian Lillard, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Harris will always have the reputation as being one to the top three-point shooters of the late 2020s.

They call him “Big Christmas.”

Someone, somewhere, at some time, started calling Cleveland Guardians slugger, Jhonkensy Noel, “Big Christmas.”

Noel, 6-3, 250 pounds, has immense power from the right side of the plate.

Promoted by the Guardians in late June, Noel, 23, has already had a tremendous impact on the outcome of Guardians games.

Maybe Noel’s nickname should be “Big Santa.” He has delivered plenty of gifts to Cleveland, in the way of timely home runs and very, very good defense in right field, and first base.

Noel has hit nine home runs in 94 plate appearances.

Noel hit two crucial home runs August 12 against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Noel’s first homer in that Cleveland victory gave his team the lead. His second home run gave them a bit of breathing room. As it turns out, they won the game by a score of 9-8.

Noel hit another homer August 13. It put his team ahead of the Cubs in the 6th inning. That shot went 430 feet.

It turned out Noel’s home run won the game for Cleveland.

Noel is what the Guardians need right now.

He is in the right place.

He is producing at the right time.

Flashing Several Tools:

Noel has responded to Cleveland’s need for a booming bat in the lineup.

In the last five years, the team has tried to find power from the bats of Bobby Bradley, Oscar Gonzalez, Franmil Reyes, Estevan Florial, and Josh Bell.

None contributed much to a Cleveland offense that has needed power for years.

The most potent bat among them currently belongs to Josh Bell, who the Guardians signed as a free agent in 2022.

Bell was traded by Cleveland to Miami, and has since been traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he is flourishing.

Maybe Cleveland pulled the plug too soon on Bell. But to this old scout, clearly not on Bradley, Gonzalez, Reyes, or Florial.

Noel may stick around for a while.

To be sure, some swing and miss remains in Noel’s game. But he’s young, and still learning to hit big league pitching.

Noel seems susceptible to breaking balls down and away from right-handed pitchers.

Noel also has a tendency to chase high fastballs in his eyes.

But time and hard work can correct those holes in his swing.

This old scout has seen Noel scorch pitches thrown down in the zone.

He still needs more patience at the plate. He needs to recognize pitches out of the hand more quickly.

To his credit, Noel works very hard to improve his game. He is out on the field early, working on his defense.

For a big man, Noel is lithe, and nimble in the field.

Noel is much quicker on his feet than one might expect. His coordination and mobility have been on display, as he has made game-changing plays that required a complete combination of skills and confidence.

Noel is getting great “reads” on balls, and his routes have led to some outstanding defensive plays, saving runs for his team.

Playing Time:

For this old scout, Noel should be playing every day, regardless of who is on the mound.

To date, Guardians manager Steven Vogt has mainly platooned Noel, choosing to play him against left-handed pitchers.

Things may be changing.

Noel started all three games against the Cubs, facing a left-handed starter in game one, and then two right-handers.

The Guards won all three games.

To this writer, Noel is one of the few loud bats in the Cleveland lineup capable of changing the outcome of a game with one swing of the bat.

A lineup with Jose Ramirez, Josh Naylor, and Jhonkensy Noel will add more pressure to the opposing pitcher.

There is a concern that pitchers will pitch around him, and not give him anything to drive. However, if he hits higher in the order, that scenario is less likely.

Noel probably has to fill some holes in his swing to earn a higher slot in the batting order.

Here is what Steven Vogt told MLB.com about Noel after the first Cubs victory: “For Big Christmas to go two times and for us to keep adding on was huge.”

Cleveland baseball fans can be thankful “Big Christmas” has arrived in Cleveland this summer.