Final-round 66 lifted Walt Robertson to the championship for players 60-and-over.

View full sizeRobertsonSpecial to The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Walt Robertson, 60, shot a 4-under 66 in the final round to win the Super Seniors portion of last week's Ohio Senior Open at Firestone with a 36-hole total of even-par 140.

Robertson, who lives in Walton Hills, has been a professional since 1995 and said he has won 13 times in various satellite tours across the country. A native of Alabama, he came to the Cleveland area about 1980. He played in the 2008 U.S. Senior Open at Broadmoor Golf Club, in Colorado Springs, missing the cut with rounds of 75-77.

1. You grew up in Alabama. Is that where you learned to play golf?

A: No, all I did was caddy. I caddied at Demopolis Country Club with my two cousins. I really didn't start playing until I moved to Chicago in the late 1970s at Columbus Park Golf Course in Chicago. It was a little 9-holer. It's still there.

2. You look like you are in marvelous physical shape for a Super Senior. What's your secret?

A: No secret. I work out for two or three hours, three days a week. I stretch. I use weights. I walk a lot. I'll stretch and work out while I'm watching a football game or a basketball game. I think I'm in pretty good shape. I think I've got 10 to 15 more years of competitive golf ahead of me, providing I stay healthy.

3. That 66 in the final round was pretty impressive, even for a Super Senior playing from the forward tees. What did you do well?

A: I struck the ball real well from tee to green. I can still get it out there about 300 off the tee. My playing partners told me it could have been a 62 or 63. I had two bogeys and missed three or four birdie putts from inside eight feet.

4. What is in the competitive future for you?

A: I'll play in the Tiger Town in Massillon, the Toledo Open and the Ohio Open and my goal is to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open again. The qualifier is in Flint, Mich.

Holy Name rallied from a 4-0 deficit after one inning to beat Benedictine, 8-6, and earn a Division II baseball district title in Lorain. Green Wave sophomore pitcher Chris Follina went four innings and helped his cause with three hits, driving in a run and scoring one. NDCL 5, Chagrin Falls 0: Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin scored four runs in...

Holy Name rallied from a 4-0 deficit after one inning to beat Benedictine, 8-6, and earn a Division II baseball district title in Lorain. Green Wave sophomore pitcher Chris Follina went four innings and helped his cause with three hits, driving in a run and scoring one.

NDCL 5, Chagrin Falls 0: Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin scored four runs in the first two innings and rode the pitching of sophomore Ryan Falls for the Division II district final win at Jefferson. Junior designated hitter Steve Virost had two hits, driving in one run, and Ryan Proud had a triple, driving in one run and scoring twice.

Garrettsville Garfield 7, Gilmour Academy 6: The Lancers (17-5) rallied for five runs in the last two innings, but left the tying run on third base as the G-Men (15-13) advanced to a Division III district final against Wickliffe. Garfield pitcher Tim Schwan got the final out of the game on his 11th strikeout. Chase Chapman drove in three runs with a home run and two-run single for the winners.

Mentor 7, Hudson 4: Corry Plavcan drove in three runs as the host Cardinals (20-5) won the Northeast Ohio Conference Valley Division game. Junior pitcher Kade McClure improved to 8-1 on the season.

Aurora 8, Mayfield 5: Paul Pistone drove in four runs as the host Greenmen improved to 24-4.

Softball

Solon 10, Garfield Heights 3: The Comets broke open the game with seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to win the Division I district semifinal. Kristen Confroy had two doubles and a home run to back the complete-game pitching of Sarah Maxson.

Medina 5, Barberton 2 The Bees (20-7) got all their runs in the second inning to win the Division I district semifinal at Barberton. Megan Paradise improved to 17-5 on the season.

Riverside 1, Madison 0: Senior Kayla Lynch pitched a complete game, striking out 13, as the Beavers (22-4) won the Division I district semifinal at Mentor. The lone run scored on a throwing error in the fifth inning.

Girls lacrosse

Chagrin Falls 15, Rocky River 9: Shannon Fung and Lily Manchester each scored four goals for the Tigers. Maddie Russell had five scores for the Pirates.

Carlos Carrasco pitches six shutout innings as Columbus beats Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 5-1.

Class AAA: Columbus 5, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1 Carlos Carrasco (2-0, 1.36) threw six shutout innings, 1B Chun-Hsiu Chen (.500) had three hits and SS Ryan Rohlinger (.284) knocked in two runs to lead the Clippers over the visiting RailRiders.

Class AA: Bowie 13, Akron 2 The Baysox scored five runs off Akron starter Jordan Cooper (1-2, 5.11) and five off Rob Bryson (15.00) and crushed the Aeros at Canal Park. Akron LF Cedric Hunter (.250) hit his first home run of the season.

Class A Advanced: Myrtle Beach 3, Carolina 2 (11) Mudcats RF Jordan Smith (.277) and C Tony Wolters (.227) each had two hits in the extra-innings loss to the host Pelicans.

Class A: Lansing 8, Lake County 5 The Lugnuts scored four runs off Josh Martin (2-3, 5.23) in the eighth inning and beat the visiting Captains. Lake County DH Richard Stock (.409) went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Independent: Lake Erie at Southern Illinois, ppd. The game will made up today as part of a doubleheader beginning at 7:05 p.m.

Indians play at home against the Tigers. NHL and NBA playoffs continue.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

BASEBALL

10:35 a.m. LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS at Lansing, AM/1330

1 p.m. Cincinnati at N.Y. Mets, MLB Network

7 p.m. Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, WGN

7 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at Baltimore, ESPN

7:05 p.m. Bowie at AKRON AEROS, AM/1350

7:05 p.m. Detroit at CLEVELAND INDIANS, SportsTime Ohio; AM/1100, FM/100.7

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Noon Big Ten Tournament game, Big Ten Network

3:30 p.m. Big Ten Tournament game, Big Ten Network

NBA CONFERENCE FINALS

8:30 p.m. East, Game 1, Indiana at Miami, TNT

NHL CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

7:30 p.m. East, Game 4, Pittsburgh at Ottawa, NBCSN

The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer was at the NBA Draft Lottery in New York as one of the handful of media representatives inside the room to observe the process. She joined CineSport's Brian Clark after it revealed the Cavaliers had in fact won the lottery and the No. 1 pick the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27.

The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer was at the NBA Draft Lottery in New York as one of the handful of media representatives inside the room to observe the process.

She joined CineSport's Brian Clark after it revealed the Cavaliers had in fact won the lottery and the No. 1 pick the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27. Who will the Cavs consider at No. 1 and what will having the pick mean in trying to allure a free agent like LeBron James in 2014?

Click on the video to watch.

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Organization's roots date to 1890; first team event at Avon Oaks on Thursday

Cleveland Women's Golf Association first team play event is ThursdayCWGA 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The first leg of a women's tournament with one of the longest histories in Northeast Ohio takes place Thursday.

The Cleveland Women's Golf Association will hold the first of five team events at Avon Oaks Country Club.

The team series, with origins dating to 1890 when the women from the Cleveland Golf Club challenged the Cleveland Cricket Club, pits the five players with the lowest handicaps from each club in match play format with one point being awarded for each hole won and one-half point for each hole tied. The shotgun start begins at 8:30 a.m.

Westwood Country Club, captained by Katy Kahler, will open defense of its title by playing Lakewood and Mayfield Sand Ridge. Last year's runner-up, The Country Club, plays Beechmont and Barrington and Kirtland, the third-place finisher from 2012, will play Shaker, Canterbury and Columbia Hills, while Lake Forest takes on Chagrin Valley, Elyria and Avon Oaks.

Westwood and Kirtland have each won two of the last four titles, with Westwood adding the 2009 title to its list of five titles and Kirtland winning in 2010 and 2011. Prior to 2006 Mayfield dominated the event, winning seven consecutive championships 1999-2005 as well as consecutive titles from 1988-92, 1979-82 and 1974-77. In all, Mayfield won 22 titles before merging with Sand Ridge several years ago.

The other team matches will be held at Chagrin Valley on June 6, Beechmont on June 13, Lakewood on July 11, with the finals at Shaker on July 25. The CWGA's next event is its two-player best ball at Columbia Hills on May 30th.

New site, different champ: The Minute Men Ohio Open has a new venue and will have a different champion as well.

The 90th annual event will be played July 1-3 at Westfield Group Country Club for the first time and reigning champion Justin Lower said he will not return to defend the title he won last year at the Weymouth and Fox Meadow.

The Northern Ohio PGA is accepting applications, as well as accepting teams for the Ohio Open Sponsor Recognition Pro-Am on June 30. The tournament, won by such names as Jack Nicklaus (1956), Byron Nelson (1940-41-42) and Tom Weiskopf (1965), is open to all golfers who have been Ohio residents for at least 120 days prior to the tournament, or any PGA Section member in good standing and employed for no less than 120 days at a recognized golf facility.

Amateurs must show proof of a USGA index of 4.0 or less to be eligible. Entry fee is 225 for amateurs, $255 for PGA professionals and $395 for non-PGA professionals. Go to TheNorthernOhioPGA.com to download an entry form or call 216-765-1214. Deadline is June 25 at 11:59 p.m.

Lessons to be learned: He is a sports psychologist, an author and a caddy and Dr. Robert Bell will conduct a Mental Toughness Clinic at Fox Meadow Country Club on June 8 to benefit the Medina High golf team. Bell, who has worked with numerous professional and athletes since 2006 and is the author of "Mental Toughness Training for Golf" and has published more than one dozen journal articles on the yips, has caddied in more than 20 PGA events. Cost is $60 per person.

Moving up: Former Hudson resident and Firestone assistant pro Greg Boyette has been named director of golf at Bull's Bay in Awendar, S.C., just outside Charleston. Boyette, a member of the University of Akron Hall of Fame, had been the club's director of instruction for several years.

Ken Porter, who trains his undefeated Cleveland welterweight son, liked what he saw Saturday in Atlantic City, N.J., as Shawn Porter upped his record to 21-0-1, with 14 KOs, as he dominated previously unbeaten Phil Lo Greco.

Calling out another fighter is nothing new. Calling out a television network is a new approach.

Ken Porter, who trains his undefeated Cleveland welterweight son, liked what he saw Saturday in Atlantic City, N.J., as Shawn Porter upped his record to 21-0-1, with 14 KOs, as he dominated previously unbeaten Phil Lo Greco. Dropping Lo Greco in the ninth and 10th rounds, Porter was in front by scores of 99-89 and 100-88 twice.

It was on the undercard of two nationally televised bouts on Showtime and therein lies the trainer’s complaint. The father feels his son is more than ready for primetime.

“We wanted to fight [IBF 147-pound champ] Devon Alexander and it didn’t come together,” Ken Porter said. “We told the network we were willing to fight anyone. It’s up to them to put together the best fights. Let’s see what they do.”

Shawn Porter has been groomed through the amateur ranks and at 25 it is time he gets his shot. Ken Porter is hoping that shot comes sooner, like September, rather than later.

Because substitute Lee Purdy (20-4-1, 13 KOs) could not make the 147-pound limit, Alexander’s seventh-round TKO was a non-title bout in the AC co-feature. Alexander stands 25-1, with 14 KOs.

Also on that card, WBC interim super lightweight champion Lucas Matthysse (34-2, 32 KOs) was in complete control in stopping IBF champion Lamont Peterson (31-2-1, 16 KOs) in another non-title fight.

Not so golden: Heavyweight DeMarkus Minter from Akron’s Good Shepherd Boxing Club reached the semifinals of the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Salt Lake City. However, Minter dropped a decision to eventual national champion Earl Newman of New York.

Minter’s effort was the best from Team Cleveland’s eight-boxer contingent. Super heavyweight Marlon Steen from the Untouchable B.C. made it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated.

Junior tournament: The Great Lakes Region 5 Junior Olympic tournament will be held Saturday through Monday at the Euclid Sports Plant, 20001 Euclid Ave., in Euclid. Six associations from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and the host Lake Erie Association will be competing in three divisions, junior (11-12), intermediate (13-14) and senior (15-16).

Senior division winners advance to the national Junior Olympic tournament in Mobile, Ala., June 25-29. Saturday’s bouts begin at 3 p.m., Sunday’s at 1 p.m., with Monday’s to be determined. Contact Gene Glen at 216-721-1674.

Around the ring: Cleveland’s Willie Nelson (20-1-1, 12 KOs) has an HBO television date against junior middleweight Luciano Cuello (32-2, 16 KOs) on June 29 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. . . . IBF light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins (56-3-2, 32 KOs) will get back in the ring July 13 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., to take on mandatory challenger Karo Murat (25-1-1, 15 KOs) of Germany. . . . Former welterweight champ Andre Berto (28-2, 22 KOs) will meet Mexican veteran Jesus Soto Karass (27-8-3, 17 KOs) in San Antonio on July 27. It’s on Showtime.

Famers: The Ohio State Former Boxers and Associates will have its annual hall of fame induction banquet at Carrie Cerino’s Ristorante and Party Center, 8922 Ridge Road, in North Royalton, on June 2 at 3 p.m. Joe Santamaria, Eli Dixon, Leonard Church and Paul Buckner make up the induction class, with Ken Hill receiving the Man of the Year award and Marty Healy the Lifetime Achievement award.

Tickets are $40. Call Mike Galassi at 216-276-0123 or Gene Glen at 216-721-1674.

History: Bob Montgomery decisioned Beau Jack over 15 rounds in New York to win the lightweight title in 1943.

Friday: ESPN2’s “Friday Night Fights” are at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, where junior middleweight Delvin Rodriguez (27-6-3, 15 KOs) meets Freddy Hernandez (30-4, 20 KOs) at 10.

Saturday: HBO has a late afternoon bout as Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KOs) defends his IBF super middleweight title against WBA champ Mikkel Kessler (46-2, 35 KOs) in London at 6 p.m. It will be replayed at 10 p.m.

Read what sports personalities and fans alike are saying on social media about the Cavs' draft fortunes below, plus watch a video with reaction from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Timberwovles forward Kevin Love.

CLEVELAND -- "With the first pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select..."

Those words -- barring a trade -- will tip off the NBA Draft on June 27 after the Cavs won the lottery for the second time in three years on Tuesday night.

Read what sports personalities and fans alike are saying on social media about the Cavs' draft fortunes below, plus watch a video with reaction from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Timberwovles forward Kevin Love -- a player many fans would like to see the Cavs pursue in a trade.

Video: Dan Gilbert and Kevin Love react to the lottery

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam took it upon himself to stand up in front of his fellow NFL owners at a league meeting in Boston on Tuesday and apologize for the mess caused by some members of Pilot Flying J, which is under federal investigation.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stood in front of his fellow NFL owners at a league meeting in Boston on Tuesday and apologized for the mess caused by some employees of Pilot Flying J, which is under federal investigation.

"I thought it was important," Haslam told USA TODAY Sports after the meetings ended. "We're partners in the NFL. I wanted to address them face-to-face."

Haslam addressed his new colleagues -- who unanimously approved his ownership in October -- for about five minutes after a lunch break, according to USA Today Sports' Jarrett Bell. It wasn't on the agenda, but Haslam asked league Commissioner Roger Goodell if he could take the floor. Haslam reiterated what he told the trucking industry last week in Indianapolis -- that he had no knowledge of the rebate fraud that was occurring at his company. He also apologized for any damage it has caused to the NFL brand, Bell reported.

Steelers President Art Rooney II told Bell he "was shocked" about the probe, in which the FBI contends in a 120-page affidavit that Haslam had some knowledge of his company defrauding truckers. Haslam owned a minority stake in the Steelers before purchasing the Browns.

"I felt like it's nothing Jimmy would become involved in," Rooney said. "I feel like I know Jimmy.

"He's not someone who'd be breaking the law."

Rooney said he felt Haslam's remarks were appropriate.

"He doesn't want to bring any embarrassment on to fellow owners," Rooney said.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who spent time with Haslam before the purchase was final to help him learn the business, felt better about the situation after Haslam's address.

"I know he feels a sense of embarrassment," Kraft said. "He said they're going to do everything they can to get it under control and put it behind them, and that he felt bad for the attention that it brought to the Cleveland franchise and the NFL, and he was going to make it right."

Haslam, who outlined his five-pronged attack for correcting the internal problems at Pilot Flying J and for making restitution, also offered to meet privately with any owner who wants to know more about the investigation.

"Personally, hearing Mr. Haslam explain his full situation, I was very touched by it," New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch said. "The complexity of the situation, I don't fully understand. But he was open. I admire him for taking a very proactive position."

Added Tisch, "He is the new kid in town in terms of NFL ownership," Tisch said. "And to sort of deal with an issue like this in the first quarter is impressive."

Kraft, who wholeheartedly endorsed Haslam in an interview with The Plain Dealer last Fall, think Haslam helped himself with the presentation.

"He handled himself in a very professional way and spoke about what the NFL and the Cleveland market means to him, how important it is that he make both parties proud," Kraft said. "They have a huge company. Maybe they didn't have all the controls that they wanted. He was very impressive in explaining that. I thought it was classy."

Haslam also told the trucking industry last week that he didn't feel the probe would affect his ownership of the Browns.

Talk Tribe with Paul Hoynes live today at noon.

Paul Hoynes answers your Indians questions today at noon.

Get your questions ready and join Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes today at noon as he talks Tribe baseball.

Paul will chat with cleveland.com's Dan Labbe about the Indians play of late and what's ahead.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Hoynsie's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

The Ohio teenagers loses to the Czech Republic's Lucie Hradecka, 6-2, 6-2.

Lauren Davis, of the United States, in action at the Sony Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla., on March 24. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)Alan Diaz | Associated Press 

STRASBOURG, France -- Gates Mills' Lauren Davis lost her second-round match at the Strasbourg International tennis tournament on Wednesday.

Davis, ranked No. 67 in the world, fell 6-2, 6-2 to Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic.

The Strasbourg tournament is a tune-up for the French Open, which begins next week in Paris. Both tournaments are played on red clay.

In other matches, fifth-seed Monica Niculescu of Romania was upset in her second-round match by Anna Tatishvili of Georgia. Seventh-seed Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating American Shelby Rogers.

We are looking for four golfers from Northeast Ohio to join four Plain Dealer staffers next month in the Summer Solstice Golf Challenge, which returns with a twist.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Are you up for golfing from sunup to sundown and trying to set the record for most holes played in The Plain Dealer’s third annual Summer Solstice Golf Challenge?

>> Click here to enter the contest.

We are looking for four golfers from Northeast Ohio to join four Plain Dealer staffers next month in the 16-hour challenge, which returns with a twist and a sponsor, Hickory Nut Golf Course in Columbia Station.

View full sizeHickory Nut Golf Course in Columbia Station is sponsoring The Plain Dealer's third annual Summer Solstice Golf Challenge and will be the site for several dozen memorable - not to mention the dozens of more forgettable - shots next month. 

After last year’s crew reached the goal of 72 holes completed, the mission this year will be to see which foursome can play more holes on the longest day of the year. Each foursome will feature two contest winners and two PD staffers.

Details: Four contest winners and The Plain Dealer’s Kristen Davis, Doug Lesmerises, Cliff Pinckard and Tim Rogers will golf from sunup to sundown — roughly 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. — on June 21, the summer solstice, at Hickory Nut. All greens fees will be covered, in addition to food, drinks and a gift bag.

How to enter contest: Fill out this short contest entry form. The most important factor is telling us why we should select you to participate. The deadline to apply is May 22 at 5 p.m. The four winners will be chosen in early June.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest starts 6 a.m. EDT May 1, 2013 and ends 11:59 p.m. EDT May 22, 2013. Open to legal residents of Ohio 18 or older, who have a golf handicap of under 30 and have not completed an all-day golf event, except employees of Sponsor, their immediate families and those living in the same household. Void outside Ohio and where prohibited. A.R.V. of the prize (4) $200 each. Sponsors: The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. and Cleveland Live LLC. Click here for the full rules. 

Art Modell's chances of getting inducted into the Hall could increase if this change is made.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The attempt to put Art Modell into Pro Football Hall of Fame continues to fall short, but that might change.

An article in The Baltimore Sun reports that Modell might face an easier path to the Hall of Fame if the museum follows through on discussions of putting "contributors" in a different voting pool than players.

Modell, who broke the heart of Cleveland Browns fans when he moved the team to Baltimore, made a list of 15 finalists for the 2013 class, the first time he had gotten that far in the voting since 2001. From the Sun:

He ultimately fell short in the vote, held by 46 media members in a closed-door session the day before the Super Bowl. Voters sympathetic to Modell's case have said he will face an uphill battle as long as he's competing with former players for one of the five annual modern-era slots.

The Browns sign Notre Dame's Jamoris Slaughter and release Eric Hagg (Cleveland.com).

Jimmy Haslam apologized to NFL owners on Tuesday for Pilot Flying J probe (Cleveland.com)

Browns sign running back Miguel Maysonet (Cleveland.com).

Josh Cribbs not happy he couldn't finish his career with the Cleveland Browns (Ohio.com).

This is where all of the former Browns have gone (CantonRep.com).

Bengals' Andy Dalton is ranked as one of the top QBs under 25 (NFL.com).

QB Sam Bradford reflects on tornado that hit home (NFL.com).

San Francisco will host Super Bowl 50 and Houston will host Super Bowl 51 (CBSSports).

Last year's record is motivation for the Steelers (Post-Gazette).

Cleveland native Darryl Talley and other former players talk about the game's pain (Washington Post).

Jordan Cameron is a good find when it comes to fantasy football (dynastyleaguefootball.com).

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery for the second time in three years.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers win. The Cleveland Cavaliers win.

For the second time in three years, the Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery, which means the Cavaliers will have the first pick in June's draft.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is out, Michigan's Charles Woodson is a Raider again, and Josh Portis' DUI cost him.

NBA's version of Mega Millions: The Cavaliers won the draft lottery and owner Dan Gilbert's son, Nick, was the star again like he was two years ago when the Cavs won the lottery and eventually selected Kyrie Irving. There is no clear-cut No. 1 pick this year, but Kentucky's Nerlens Noel is the favorite.

No Tony Romo, for now: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will be held out of organized team activities the next three weeks as he recovers from a minor procedure to remove a cyst from his back. Romo, however, is optimistic he will be cleared to take part in the Cowboys mini-camp next month.

Back in black, again: Former Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson is a member of the Raiders again. Woodson signed a one-year deal with the Raiders, bringing him back to where he started his career in 1997. Woodson joined the Green Bay Packers in 2006 and in seven seasons twice led the NFL in interceptions (2009, 2011). Woodson was named to four Pro Bowl squads and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2009.

QB Josh Portis waived: The Seattle Seahawks waived backup quarterback Josh Portis. This came a day after it was revealed he had been arrested on suspicion of DUI on May 5. Portis was one of four quarterbacks on Seattle's roster. Now it's down to Russell Wilson, Brady Quinn and Jerrod Johnson.

Prep pitcher is perfect: California high school pitcher Michael Strem threw a 66-pitch  perfect game in state playoffs. Strem struck out eight while throwing 66 pitches, 48 for strikes.

New York Yankees and soccer: The Yankees and Manchester City will partner to buy a Major League Soccer franchise in New York. Manchester City will be the majority owner the Yankees will have a stake in the team -- which will be named New York City FC (NYCFC). The MLS currently has 19 clubs -- including the New York Bulls -- with NYCFC looking to join the league for the 2015 season.

Now, the question is what will the Cavs do with the top pick? Trade talks are certain.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Yes, the Cavs grabbed the No. 1 pick in the NBA lottery, but it's a lousy draft.

OK, it is a lousy draft ... so would you rather have the No. 6 pick in a bad draft? That was the worst the Cavs could have finished in this lottery. Nope, if you're a fan, you should be thrilled that your team has the top pick.

Maybe they will end up taking Nerlens Noel, the 6-11 shot-blocking machine from Kentucky. Noel also is a thin 206 pounds, coming off knee surgery that may keep him out of action until Christmas.

His offense is so raw, some scouts would say, "He could spend an hour in the gym by himself and he lucky to score 20 points ... if he wasn't allowed to dunk."

The player best suited in terms of need is Georgetown small forward Otto Porter. He's projected as a top three pick. Is there a way the Cavs can trade with No. 2 Orlando, and still grab Porter while adding a future first rounder? You can be sure that will be discussed.

Or perhaps the Cavs will think big. Real big. Huge as in the No. 1 pick and a player on the roster for a veteran forward who can score. They have the salary cap room to make that kind of move.

At this point, I'm not sure what the Cavs should do.

There is a certain appeal to Noel because he won't be 20 until next April. He can gain weight and strength and may keep growing. New coach Mike Brown wants defense, and Noel can deliver that because of his shot-blocking and leaping ability.

But I'm positive the Cavs also are thinking trade. They have long liked Minnesota's Kevin Love. Golden State may have David Lee available, although his defense is "challenged," to be nice about it. Nonetheless, he can score.

Even in a supposed bad draft, there are good players available. Remember, the Cavs also have the 19th, 31st and 33rd picks.

Owner Dan Gilbert is proud of his son, Nick, but he wants this to be the last year that the young man in the bow tie is a lottery star. Maybe he can rent Nick to another lottery team next season after snaring the top pick in two of the last three years.

Now, the pressure is on Chris Grant. The GM has the top pick, more than $20 million in salary cap room and the coach he wanted in Brown. After three of the most dismal seasons in franchise history, it's time to win some games.

Yes, Noel can help them do that, although probably not immediately. In 31 minutes a game, he averaged 9.5 rebounds and 4.4 blocks. Check his tape on draftexpress.com. You can see the raw athleticism, along with all the issues on offense.

There is a certain appeal to a front line of Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller and Noel. That would give the Cavs three big men under the age of 25, along with Varejao. The fact Varejao has played only 81 games in the last three seasons puts the exclamation point on adding another big man, someone with far more upside than Mo Speights, who has a player option for next season.

But I sense the Cavs are going to aggressively market the top pick, that they know the opportunity to add immediate help doesn't come along that often. So yes, if I had to guess what the Cavs will do -- I'd bet on a trade.

Just as I wrote last week that they had the picks to trade up, the top pick now allows them to bring in talent that will finally allow them to put these lottery days in the rear-view mirror for a few years.

For the second time in four years, but just the third since 1964, the Indians have the fifth overall pick in the June 6 MLB draft. They need to make it count.

View full sizeIndians director of amateur scouting Brad Grant is in his busy season.Chuck Crow, PD 

BOSTON -- Baseball's June draft has been in existence since 1965 and the Indians have never had the No.1 pick.

They've had the second pick five times, the latest being Paul Shuey in 1992. They've selected fourth twice, with Cory Snyder the most recent in 1984. This year they have the fifth pick, which has happened only twice before with the selection of Drew Pomeranz in 2010 and Glenn Tufts in 1973.

Pomeranz was traded to Colorado in the 2011 Ubaldo Jimenez deal. Tufts' career was stunted when he was seriously injured in an accident shortly after he signed with the Indians. There's a punchline in there somewhere.

Still, having such a high pick when the draft begins on June 6 is a big deal for the Indians because they won't pick again until the third round. They lost their second-round pick as compensation for free agent Nick Swisher and their competitive balance pick between the second and third rounds as compensation for free agent Michael Bourn.

"You always prefer to have more picks than less, but when we made our moves during the off-season, we felt that cost was worth paying," said GM Chris Antonetti. Swisher and Bourn have played big roles in the Indians' strong start this year.

The top three players in this year's draft are believed to be Stanford right-hander Mark Appel, Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray and San Diego outfielder Kris Bryant. The Pirates drafted Appel in the first round last year, but couldn't sign him. If either of the three slip to the fifth spot, the Indians would seriously consider them, but with Houston, the Cubs, Colorado and Minnesota ahead of them, that's unlikely.

Brad Grant, director of amateur scouting, runs the draft for the Indians. He's seen 125 of the top players in the country this year.

"We feel fortunate to have the fifth pick," said Grant. "The top tier of players this year is very good."

After that the talent thins.

This will be the second year that the draft is run under rules of the new basic agreement. A salary figure has been given to the first 10 picks of each team. The teams can spend that money as they like, but the penalties are severe for over spending. The Indians' bonus pool for their nine picks in the first 10 rounds is $6,188,800, up from $4.6 million last year. The slotted price for the fifth overall pick is $3,787,000.

The Tribe can spend that on the fifth pick or spread the wealth. Last year they signed Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin with their first-round pick. He was slotted at $2.25 million, but the Indians signed him for $1.75 million. They used the extra cash to help sign No. 2 pick Mitch Brown for $800,000, when he was slotted at $639,700.

"We look at it as a bonus pool, not a slotting number," said Grant. "We will stay within our pool."

If teams stay within their bonus pool, any player they sign for $100,000 or less after the 10th round does not count against the pool.

A team that exceeds its bonus pool up to five percent will pay a 75 percent tax on the overage. If a team exceeds its bonus by five to 10 percent, it will pay a 75 percent tax and lose its first- and second-round pick the following year. Teams over spending by 10 to 15 percent will pay a 100 percent tax and lose first-round picks in the next two drafts.

In the last two drafts, the Indians have taken position players with their first-round pick -- Naquin and high school shortstop Francisco Lindor in 2011. The previous two years they took college pitchers -- Pomeranz and Alex White.

"We'll take the best available player," said Grant. "Every draft is different and when you draft for need, you can go against the strength of that particular draft."

The Indians' top scouts arrive in Cleveland on Monday. From Tuesday through Sunday, they will formulate a list of the top 200 available players. A week from now the area scouts will come to Progressive Field and create another list of close to 750 second-tier players.

Then all Grant has to do is pick the right guy at No.5. Nothing to it.

This week in baseball

Baseball is a game of threes. Three strikes and you're out and three outs in each half of an inning. Here are two more sets of threes to consider. All stats are through Friday.

Three up

1. Travis Hafner, after missing five games with a sore right shoulder, has six hits in his last 19 at-bats with two homers and six RBI for the Yankees.

2. Rookie pitchers Shelby Miller (five), Seth Maness (three), John Gast (two) and Tyler Lyons (one) have won 11 games for the Cardinals this season.

3. Arizona's Trevor Cahill has allowed four or fewer runs in 28 straight starts, which is the longest streak in the big leagues.

Three down

1. Milwaukee has lost 16 of 21 in May, going from 14-11 to 19-27.

2. Baltimore closer Jim Johnson, after converting 35 straight saves, blew three straight, allowing eight earned runs in 2.1 innings from May 14 through Monday.

3. Rays closer Fernando Rodney, who allowed five earned runs in 74.2 innings last season, has allowed 11 earned runs in 18.1 innings.

Stat-o-matic

Me first: The Yankees were 19-0 when they scored first this season until Tuesday, when the Orioles ended the streak with a 3-2 victory in 16 innings.

All alone: The A's beat Texas, 1-0, Tuesday on a Yoenis Cespedes homer. It was the 14th straight solo homer hit by the A's, a club record.

Clang: Last year the White Sox led the big leagues with a .9883 fielding percentage, but this year they have the most errors in the AL with 33.

  PERRY, Ohio -- The boys Division II district track meet here is so large, it's split into two district meets. On Saturday, there was an additional division: The Will Carter Division. The Orange senior was in a class by himself.

PERRY, Ohio -- The boys Division II district track meet here is so large, it's split into two district meets. On Saturday, there was an additional division: The Will Carter Division. The Orange senior was in a class by himself.

Carter won the 100, 200 and 400 meters, adding to the long jump title he captured Tuesday. He didn't just win. He dominated the meet in a way that would make him a contender to win any of the events at any district in any division.

"[Winning four events] is on my coaches for getting me in shape to where I can do four events and be a factor in each one of them," he said. "I'm still improving. I'm ready to make a move."

Carter's 40 team points helped Orange score 100.6 points, but that wasn't enough to push the runner-up Lions ahead of District B champion Edgewood (120.6 points).

Led by sprinter-jumper Bradley Munday, Chagrin Falls won its first boys district title since 1984, scoring 107 points in District A, 30 more than second-place Perry.

The girls teams competed in one district, and Orange edged Lake Catholic, 85-83.5, for the Lions' first championship in nine years, thanks in part to 1,600 and 3,200 double-winner Clare Ubersax.

Carter, a Bucknell football and track recruit, won the 100 in 11.28, a modest time on a cool, blustery day, but his Tuesday prelim time of 10.28 puts him among the state leaders. The same was true in the 200, which he won in 22.76, after a 21.67 on Tuesday.

What caught Carter by surprise was his winning 400 time of 49.06, which was .93 seconds below his personal-best and was better than the state's top Division II time last week. He had a 30-meter lead at 200 meters and stayed strong to the finish. Carter had been considering dropping the 400 next week and joining the 4x100, which placed second without him.

"After a time like that in the 400, I don't know what to do," he said.

Then there's the long jump, which he won Tuesday in 21-111/2 despite fouling on four of six attempts. Meet officials reported that on Carter's final attempt, he fouled by two inches. They measured it anyway and it was just over 26 feet. The Ohio all-time record is 25-91/2.

"I've got to fix my steps," he said.

Central Catholic senior Darrius DeMoss also was a four-event winner. A second-year hurdler, he swept the District A 110 and 300 hurdles and anchored the winning 4x200 and 4x400. Central Catholic finished about three seconds behind Warrensville Heights in the 4x400, but the Tigers were disqualified because a runner took three steps outside the lane.

For Chagrin Falls, Munday won the District A 200 and anchored the winning 4x100, and he earned Bedford regional berths in the 4x400 and long jump. The Tigers also received key performances from shot put and district regional qualifier Alex Goebel and 800 qualifiers Nate Stapulionis and Tyler Bryant, who also ran on the runner-up 4x800.

"We told the kids they were in a position Chagrin hasn't been in for a very long time, but you have to make it happen, and they did," coach David Kirk said. "They were solid across the board."

Orange clinched the girls title with a fifth-place finish in the 4x400, which Ubersax led off. In addition to Ubersax, the Lions received a boost from senior Brianna Johnson, who won the 100, placed second in the 200 and ran on the runner-up 4x200.

"We knew we had sprinters, but we never usually have distance runners. Having Clare Ubersax makes a big difference," Orange assistant coach Gary Gallupe said. "She has really come a long way."

Padua's Vinnie Minosky had one of the best individual event performances of the day, winning the District B 300 hurdles in 38.25.

Hawken senior Adam Berry won the District A 3,200 and advanced in the 1,600, 4x800 and, strangely, the pole vault (11-0).

Harvey senior Chelsea Rice swept the girls 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, and she advanced in the 4x100 and 4x200.

Lake Catholic senior Joanna Hallisy won the shot put and discus. Sophomore Frances Bull led off the runner-up 4x800, placed second in the 400 and anchored the winning 4x400 with a great final leg.

Notre Dame Cathedral Latin sophomore Erin Stewart won the 200 and 400 and advanced in the 4x200.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakeCLE

Mark Reynolds the most valuable new Indian 50 games into the season? Hard to believe, but Terry Pluto thinks so.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbling about baseball during a sunny Memorial Day weekend with the Tribe in contention:

1. The one thing that can sink the Tribe is the bullpen, something I never thought I'd write. After the Tribe's 7-4 loss in Boston Saturday, Vinnie Pestano told reporters, "I'm throwing 87-mph fastballs right now...I don't feel my elbow at all." He was on the disabled list with arm troubles early this season. Closer Chris Perez has had some shoulder issues. He says he's healthy, but has allowed three homers in his last two outings. If Perez is just in a mini-slump, the Tribe will probably be OK in relief.

2. But if they are without Pestano and Perez continues to struggle, it's hard to replace the eighth- and ninth-inning relievers -- especially when they have been the backbone of the bullpen. Joe Smith, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen have been excellent, and they may be needed to do more now.

3. Never expected that be the end of May, Lonnie Chisenhall would be back in the minors and Mark Reynolds would be the Tribe's starting third baseman -- and it may stay that way for a while. The Indians do need to straighten out Chisenhall, because they don't have any other third-base prospects at the top levels of the minors.

4. Nor did I expect Reynolds to be the best free-agent signing of the early season, and that's not because big names Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn have faltered. It's no criticism of their performance. But Reynolds being able to play first, third and help out at designated hitter -- while be among the home run leaders has been a huge reason the Tribe has had a strong start.

5. I still hear people say, "The Indians didn't get much of anything for their two Cy Young winners." That's true of the Cliff Lee deal, where no one is on the current roster. Lou Marson (disabled list) and Carlos Carrasco (the best hope, now at Class AAA Columbus) are all that remain.

6. But Michael Brantley is a significant Indian. Coming in the CC Sabathia deal, Brantley's batting average has risen from .266 to .288 to .312 in three years. He plays all three outfield spots, never complains and is one of the most respected players among his peers.

7. This is not to say these are great trades, but simply to give Brantley his due. He is willing to bat anywhere in the order. This season, the only spot he has not hit is ninth. When Terry Francona made out his lineup Saturday against Boston lefty Jon Lester, he started only one left-handed hitter: Brantley. That's because he's hitting .290 against lefties.

8. A year ago, the Tribe was 18-35 vs. lefties, hitting .232. They carried a 9-7 record into Saturday's game, batting .280. It's a revamped roster. Saturday, the only players in the lineup with the team in 2012 were Carlos Santana, Asdrubal Cabrera and Brantley.

9. Never thought that heading into Memorial Day, the one Tribe starter with an ERA under 3.00 would be Zach McAllister. He is 4-3 with a 2.89 mark. Yes, the Tribe picked him up for Austin Kearns. Thank you, New York Yankees. Did you notice the Yankees claimed David Huff on waivers?

10. Former Indian Travis Hafner entered the weekend hitting .270 with eight homers and 24 RBI for the Yankees. He batted .318 with six homers in April, .204 with two homers in May. In his final two years with the Tribe, he had strong Aprils (.295 and .284) after leaving training camp healthy. The battle is to stay that way during the long season.

11. Jason Giambi is hitless in his last 24 at-bats, batting .150 with two homers and 12 RBI. Keeping Giambi on the roster is a luxury. The Tribe can afford it because Ryan Raburn and Mike Aviles can play so many different positions. Carlos Santana, Nick Swisher and Reynolds play multiple positions. If the Tribe didn't have that versatility, Giambi would be a bigger issue. For now, Francona wants him on the team. Other players say he's an asset. The bench is strong, so there is no reason to mess with excellent team chemistry.

12. Found myself looking at Tampa Bay's roster for Fausto Carmona. Forgot he's now Roberto Hernandez. But the numbers are familiar: 2-5, 5.73 ERA. Also with Tampa Bay is old friend Shelley Duncan, batting .186 with two homers and six RBI.

In 2012, Allmendinger's career splintered with a divorce, a NASCAR suspension for drug use and ouster from a prime seat with the Roger Penske team.

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INDIANAPOLIS -- Sunday, A.J. Allmendinger gets a chance at public redemption as one of the favorites to win the 97th Indianapolis 500. That's a long way from six years ago when his career was flourishing, and less than a year from when his career looked over.

Allmendinger left a successful open wheel career in 2007 to join NASCAR, and effectively became one of many drivers in that series who spun their wheels without success. In one trade magazine, Allmendinger began 2012 under the headline, "Last best chance."

Then he blew that.

But instead, Allmendinger's career splintered with a divorce from his Playboy model wife, a NASCAR suspension for drug use and ouster from a prime seat with the Roger Penske team.

Yet here is, 200 laps from victory.

Allmendinger will start fifth on the 33-car grid, the middle of the second row. He has a favored Chevrolet engine and is back in the womb of Team Penske, which has more Indy 500 wins (15) than any other team in the field. He will start ahead of teammate Helio Castroneves and defending winner Dario Franchitti, both chasing a rare fourth Indy 500 crown.

"It's a chance I feel like I worked hard to get, but I feel I really didn't deserve," Allmendinger, 32, said. "It's like a second coming of a dream come true, especially at Indy. I try to keep myself in the moment and things I need to focus on. But I know once I walk to Gasoline Alley on race day, with 250,000 people in the stands, that's when the emotions will hit."

At the start of 2012, Allmendinger won the Rolex 24 Hours endurance race, a triumph of lasting for the long haul. Little did he know how long last season would be. He had set his sights on a strong first season with Penske's NASCAR team. Before the year was up, Allmendinger's entire career was in doubt.

That career looked much different just a few years earlier. Young and brash, Allmendinger set his sights on NASCAR shortly after winning the Grand Prix of Cleveland in 2006. He arrived as a new driver, with a new team, racing a first-time engine (Toyota) in a series notorious for its clans and cliques. He didn't qualify for any of the first five races in 2007, including Daytona, and 2008 wasn't any better.

He switched teams in 2009, but that didn't help much and on Oct. 29, 2009, was arrested for drunk driving and put on probation by NASCAR for the rest of the season.

His fortunes improved marginally in 2010 and 2011 racing for Richard Petty, but still no victories. Then Penske called. Even that wasn't the dream matchup it appeared to be. Allmendinger never settled in with his team or his teammates, and the pressures mounted.

"When I got to NASCAR , I just got kicked and kicked," Allmendinger said. "I was down, and they would kick me some more. It was a tough challenge."

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In one Autoweek magazine story, Allmendinger was quoted saying "There were times I wanted to slit my wrists and say, 'I'm done.'"

His NASCAR racing career slate reads 177 races, 0 wins, 2 poles. Compare that to five wins in Champ Car in 40 races with 14 podium finishes. The grind of NASCAR, without success, was wearing Allmendinger down.

"When it's good it'll take over your life," he said. "When it's bad, it piles on top of you. I got to a point where when I had a bad race, it dictated my entire week, it dictated who I was as a person. Next thing you know, two or three bad weeks and you spiral out of control real quick. I let that determine who I was.

"As bad as that sounds, it's sort of the way it was."

That culminated with the July 7, 2012 random drug test that proved positive. In short order Allmendinger was suspended, let go by Penske and put into NASCAR's drug rehab program.

The accepted story is Allmendinger was given a "vitamin" by a friend for fatigue. While never officially identified, the substance was believed to be Adderal, used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder. For uses other than ADD, Adderal is considered a stimulant.

Once Allmendinger completed his rehab, he let team owners know he was open to racing anything. He got a part-time NASCAR spot for Phoenix Racing and, surprisingly to Allmendinger, a call came from Penske. Neither Penske nor any team executives have given a reason for bringing Allmendinger back to the open wheel fold.

"It's not that I didn't deserve it, I just didn't [think] Roger had to call me," Allmendinger said. "I went through everything I had to go through to get back into racing. I got my priorities straightened out. But he didn't have to get me a second chance."

Teammates Castroneves and Will Power have embraced Allmendinger to the point where almost every sighting of the trio comes complete with quips and one-liners. When Allmendinger took his rookie test for Indy, Castroneves not only set up his car, but was on the headphones with him throughout.

So far this season he has finished 19th and 23rd at Alabama and Long Beach. He's locked in for Indy and two races in Detroit, with hints he could be offered a Penske seat for Texas. That will top the four races to date he's done this season in NASCAR. Allmendinger yearns for another full time ride, somewhere.

Of course, that future could come into clearer focus with a strong finish on Sunday.

"This is kind of a step-by-step process, day-by-day, lap-by-lap," he said. "I don't allow myself to think, you know, what it would be like when I come off the corner to win the race. I don't even want to allow myself to think like that. I want that moment, if it does happen, to just be in the moment."

HUDSON, Ohio -- When Brunswick senior pitcher Kyle Michalik took the mound for Saturday's Div. I district baseball final against Hudson, the Ohio State recruit did so with thoughts of five deceased friends in the back of his mind. Michalik honored those five friends, four of whom died in a car accident just before Brunswick's graduation last June, and...

HUDSON, Ohio -- When Brunswick senior pitcher Kyle Michalik took the mound for Saturday's Div. I district baseball final against Hudson, the Ohio State recruit did so with thoughts of five deceased friends in the back of his mind.

Michalik honored those five friends, four of whom died in a car accident just before Brunswick's graduation last June, and another, Cora Flemming, who passed away less than a month ago after a battle with bone cancer, by throwing a one-hit shutout in Brunswick's 3-0 win over the Explorers.

"We've been going at this for three straight years -- the district championship -- and to finally come out and win this game when we're playing for the friends that we've lost, it's a huge part of how hard we've been playing," Michalik said. "The emotions rose after that.

"I was close with all of our friends that we've lost over the last year. Every game that the team plays, and every game I play is for everyone. I know they're always up there watching down on us and have our backs."

The Blue Devils honored Flemming by wearing neon green T-shirts with their numbers and "Flemming" on the name plate. Across the front was the phrase "CoraStrong."

Michalik walked the leadoff hitter in each of the first two innings, but then each time retired the next three batters. Hudson junior Joey Cahill got the Explorers' only hit when he singled to the pitcher, but was later erased when catcher Brian Lees threw him out trying to steal second base.

"Hats off to Michalik," Hudson coach Buddy Dice said. "He threw a heck of a game. I think he had one hit. He pitched well, and they made plays defensively. They have a great team. I wish it would've gone the other way, but they played well today."

Michalik's five-strikeout performance came on the heels of Gerry Salsbury's four-hit outing in a 7-1 win over Twinsburg in Friday's semifinal.

"Both of those kids have been doing that all year," Brunswick coach Todd Winston said. "They command the zone, and they get everybody involved. To only give up one earned run in two games in the districts is pretty impressive, and it starts and ends on the mound."

Brunswick took the lead in the second inning after Salsbury led off with a triple to right field. Designated hitter Kyle Wheeler followed with an RBI single to left field, and later scored on Lees' suicide squeeze.

The Blue Devils added a third run in third inning when Michalik sent a pop fly to short-center field and the ball dropped between three Hudson defenders. He moved to third on a fly out to center, and scored on a throwing error by the pitcher.

"We executed when we had to," Winston said, "and we know that if we can get a couple runs with our two pitchers on the mound, we feel very confident."

Matt Florjancic is a freelance writer in Broadview Heights.