After AL Central title, Guards relishing each celebration along the way

There are brave souls like Vogt, who are always in the middle of the action without the eye protection, unafraid of fighting through the red eyes. There are guys who quietly take in the moment, like Josh Naylor, who remained on the outskirts, enjoying a cigar. There are others who want to share the experience with the world, racing to be the first to show the action on their Instagram stories. There are a few who dance to whatever music is blasting at a decibel that requires everyone in the room to scream if they’re going to be heard.

“It’s the best thing in the world,” Guardians rookie starter Joey Cantillo (No. 15 prospect) said of his first clinch celebration. “It’s pretty damn cool.”

They didn’t want the party to stop. They knew they had a chance to clinch the division as early as Saturday, just 48 hours after they got a taste of what postseason celebrations would be like.

Each player packed their champagne-scented ski goggles from Thursday night and brought them to St. Louis. There was no chance to clinch on Friday, but the goggles hung in each locker, ready to be broken out once again.

The Guardians helped their chances of popping bottles even sooner with a 5-1 win over the Cardinals on Friday. They hustled back into the visitors’ clubhouse at Busch Stadium and gathered around the TV. They watched as the Royals failed to complete a comeback against the Giants, and when the last out was made, Cleveland’s clubhouse erupted.