There wasn’t a bigger surprise during the 2024 MLB season than the Detroit Tigers.

Not much was expected from the team, especially after they made it clear they were selling ahead of the deadline. Even ace Tarik Skubal was involved in some rumors, but they opted to hold onto him.

It proved to be the right decision.

What unfolded over the final two months of the regular season was unprecedented. Despite being double-digit games out of a playoff spot, the Tigers got scorched Earth levels hot and made a run to the postseason.

Detroit would defeat the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Round before being defeated by their American League Central rivals Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.

It was an incredible run that assuredly has the front office and ownership rethinking their offseason plans. They are no longer sellers; this is a team that will be looking to make some moves to improve their outlook even more.

As a result, MLB insider Jesse Rogers will be keeping a close eye on the franchise. He made a bold prediction about the Tigers, as he believes they will dominate headlines this offseason.

“Detroit won’t rest on its laurels after a surprising postseason run. The Tigers have money to spend and a good farm system to trade from if necessary. By the end of the season, their rotation consisted of Tarik Skubal and not a whole lot else. It shouldn’t be hard to attract an arm or two considering Detroit’s spacious ballpark,” he wrote in a piece for ESPN.

Manager A.J. Hinch pushed all of the right buttons with his pitching staff down the stretch. They were winning playoff games using entirely bullpen options.

While success was found in spurts, it isn’t a sustainable strategy to win games. Detroit needs some reinforcements behind Skubal and better injury luck for players such as Reese Olson, Casey Mize and Matt Manning.

While that is the most pressing need, the lineup has some issues to address as well. Expect some punch to be added to the mix as well this winter.

“The Tigers were a bottom-third team in OPS, so in addition to allowing their young hitters to grow, there’s room to add a bat as well. Detroit probably won’t do anything too drastic, but arriving to the postseason a year early should push the front office, perhaps leading to a surprise signing that no one saw coming,” Rogers added.

The arrow is certainly pointed up in the Motor City. With a little postseason experience under their belts this year, expect October baseball in Detroit for years to come.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Election Day is just around the corner, so make sure you are prepared before casting your vote.

Here is what you need to know about the local school levies you could see on your ballot:

Cleveland Metropolitan School District – Issue 49

The purpose of this issue bond/tax levy for $249 million is for the construction, remodeling, enlarging, furnishing, equipping, and improving district facilities.

Mayfield City School District – Issue 51

This tax levy for $7.743 million is for the purpose of current expenses.

Richmond Heights Local School District – Issue 52

This tax and bond issue for $15.445 million is for the purpose of renovating and expanding existing school buildings.

Strongsville City School District – Issue 53

This tax levy for $9 million is for the purpose of current expenses.

Avon Lake City School District – Issue 16

This levy for $4.22 million is for emergency requirements.

Lorain City School District – Issue 21

This levy for $4.97 million is for general permanent improvements.

Brunswick City School District – Issue 14

This is an emergency tax levy.

Aurora City School District – Issue 32

This bond issue for $136 million is for school improvements.

Ravenna City School District – Issue 33

This $8.310 million levy is for emergency improvements.

Akron City School District – Issue 27

This bond and tax issue for $85 million is to construct and furnish a new high school to replace North High School

Stow-Munroe Falls City School District – Issue 34

This bond issue for $238 million is for the purpose of constructing, improving, and refurnishing four new K-5 elementary buildings.

Twinsburg City School District – Issue 33

This bond issue for $107 million is for the purpose of constructing and improving school facilities.

19 News will be live bringing you the latest headlines all Election Day. Coverage will be available TV and online as results come in.

Click here for the latest election results.

Copyright 2024 WOIO. All rights reserved.

CLEVELAND – Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown hasn’t leaned much on heavy hitters to boost his campaign for reelection, but on Monday he brought one to Cleveland – former President Bill Clinton – to remind party faithful to get out the vote.

The message to several hundred party activists, elected Democrats and organized labor gathered at Cleveland States’ Wolstein Center was clear: Don’t let up now.

Speaker after speaker, including Brown and Clinton, urged supporters to call or text five people to encourage them to vote.

“You’ve got one more day,” Clinton said. “There’s a lot of people who haven’t voted yet. There’s a lot of people who don’t know who they’re going to vote for yet. You’ve got a lot of people who haven’t decided if they’re going to vote.”

Election 2024: An Ohio guide to the November election

Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, was making his closing argument in a race that has been the most closely watched — and expensive — U.S. Senate election in the country this year. His race against Republican businessman Bernie Moreno could decide which party controls the Senate.

Moreno brought in his own closers over the weekend, campaigning with conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, and Republican Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama. Last week, Donald Trump Jr. and a revolving door of Republican senators joined Moreno on the campaign trail.

An appearance by a former president, however, has been a rarity in Ohio this campaign cycle. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, endorsed Moreno and has appeared in his campaign ads but hasn’t been to Ohio to provide ground-level support since March, when Moreno was still locked in a primary fight.

Bringing Clinton to Cleveland on the eve of the election is no accident. Cleveland would be a key piece for a Brown election win. Cuyahoga County is reliably Democratic and the second largest county in the state.

Clinton carried Ohio in both the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections. At the time, Ohio was a battleground state that demanded attention from the presidential candidates, but both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, have largely been absent from the Buckeye State this cycle. Trump has won Ohio by 8 percentage points in both his presidential runs and is expected to win again this year.

Clinton’s appeal for Brown and other Democrats on the Ohio ballot was made to party faithful that will be helping mobilize voters to turn out on Tuesday. One thing about the “hard right” that Clinton said he admired is that they never give up.

“You should never give up,” Clinton said.

Brown is the only Ohio Democrat still holding a non-judicial statewide office in Ohio. He has been preaching a message of the dignity of work and connecting with key groups of voters, such as blue-collar Ohioans.

That was a message he reiterated Monday.

“For me, everything comes down to the dignity of work. If you work hard, you should get ahead,” he told the crowd. “For me, it’s all about whose side you’re on” — working class people or big business and Wall Street.

Turnout could be key for Brown on Tuesday.

His last election was in 2018, when he defeated Republican Jim Renacci while a slate of Republicans swept other state offices.

But this election, one with a presidential race on the ballot, is expected to have greater turnout. The challenge for Brown is to collect enough votes to top Moreno, even as Trump is expected to carry the state. Brown has collected some Republican endorsements to help bolster his case, including that of former Gov. Bob Taft, so far, the only Republican to beat Brown in a race.

And toward that goal, strong turnout in Cleveland, Brown’s home, and Cuyahoga County can offset a lot of Republican votes from other parts of the state.

Joining Brown and Clinton were a host of elected leaders and candidates – members of Cleveland City Council, Democratic state legislators, Supreme Court candidates, including two sitting justices, and U.S. Reps. Joyce Beatty of Columbus and Shontel Brown of Warrensville Heights.

They also made the same kind of plea: Call five people. Text five people. Help get people to vote.

Shontel Brown, who jokingly talked about support for her “cousin Sherrod,” said fate of the Senate hangs in the balance – not just because Sherrod Brown winning could be key to Democrats retaining control, but also because without him, working Ohioans will have no voice in the Senate.

That’s why turning out the vote is important, she said.

Getting that kind of turnout, though, requires a lot of boots on the ground, and that’s something Brown made clear he is grateful for – people to make phone calls to voters and people to visit households.

“With this race, and all the work door to door, I so appreciate the support of the labor movement,” Brown said. That support was evident at Monday’s event, as people repeatedly called out responses and cheers to his message.

Clinton told the crowd he always felt a sense of kinship with Brown because of his efforts to promote dignity for all workers.

“I’m probably the last president who will have lived in a house with no indoor plumbing. We were working people with dignity,” he said. “Sherrod keeps score the old-fashioned way. Are people better off than they were before?”