Guardians fan behind viral Cleveland Plain Dealer ad explains why he called out Paul Dolan

The baseball world in Northeast Ohio has been buzzing with one simple question: Who was behind the Cleveland Guardians Plain Dealer advertisement?

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, "Jose Deserves Better. The Fans Deserve Better. Cleveland Deserves Better," was displayed on a full-page advertisement in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Many questions were raised on who was responsible for the ad.

Now, we know who was behind the viral ad.

Tim Rogers, a Guardians fan based in Phoenix, is the culprit underneath the headlines that took Cleveland by storm this week. His name was revealed on the BIGPLAY Sports Network's "The Big Factor," with the show hosts interviewing Rogers about the now viral incident.

"This team defined my childhood," he said. "Watching those games is the best part of my day. I heard a lot of takes on the ad, but it's just a message I stand by. I love the team. I love those boys."

"I just don't necessarily appreciate what's happening at the top."

Rogers' frustrations that were displayed in the ad were beliefs of many Clevelanders; however, he says he acted alone and was not influenced by Jose Ramirez's team.

"It would have been awesome if it came from Jose Ramirez' camp, if they reached out to me," he said. "... but that wasn't the case. It was just me. It wasn't a reaction to the Wild Card series, but it has been something I have been working on and planning for the better part of a year."

Full page Plain Dealer ad to Dolans:

“JOSE DESERVES BETTER
THE FANS DESERVE BETTER
CLEVELAND DESERVES BETTER” pic.twitter.com/41QGOPlgMX
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) October 8, 2025

The Guardians ended the 2025 campaign with an 88-74 overall record, winning the American League Central before bowing out in the Wild Card round against the Detroit Tigers. Despite exceeding many expectations, the team's stagnant and rocky offense left fans frustrated.

"If there's one part about the ad I don't love, it's the comment about no vision," Rogers said. "Because Paul Dolan does have a vision and its to have a bottom five payroll but a great front office, win 88 games, scrape into the Wild Card and pray for a Cinderella run."

"If you want to think about it as a percentage of net worth, I spent more on that ad than Paul Dolan did on Paul Sewald." #GuardsBall

Tim Rogers, who took out an ad in yesterday's Plain Dealer speaks!

Presented by @drinkgaragebeer https://t.co/mPSzr3rHMX pic.twitter.com/eCPjCvsj55
— The BIG Factor (@TheBIGFactor) October 9, 2025

The team also opted to move on from many perceieved franchise cornerstones over the last 365 days, sending first baseman Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks and starter Shane Bieber to the Toronto Blue Jays.

While these trades certainly help build for the future, the front office isn't actively building to win a World Series with future Hall of Famer Ramirez still in his prime.

Earlier in March, Ramirez appeared in an interview where he criticized the organization for failing to capitalize on the discounted contract he signed. He is currently on a team-friendly, 7-year $141 million deal that runs until the end of the 2028 season. He is still one of the most consistent players in the league, slashing .353/.504/.857 across 13 years in The Land.

At the start of the next season, his cap hit looks to be around $21 million, a low amount for such a polarizing and dominant player.

The words from Rogers, the man behind the Plain Dealer ad, echo frustrations of Guardians fans that have been built over the past few seaons. A city can only stand for mediocrity and weak playoff pushes for so long.

"Are we winning because of Paul Dolan? Rogers questioned. "Or in spite of Paul Dolan. If we are doing this with $100 million a year, what could we do with $120 [million] like Kansas City has or $130 [million] like Minnesota has? We clearly have the people in the front office to make shrewd moves."

At some point, the front office has to know what they have in Ramirez, and they better hope its not too late.

As of Thursday, the Cleveland Guardians themselves have not responded, but the message has already resonated. If the front office does not invest into the prime of Ramirez, they risk more than just losing games. They risk losing Cleveland's faith.

Jose Knows It. The Fans Know It. Cleveland Knows It.

And now, everyone knows the name of the man who said it first.