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2013 NBA Draft Preview: Top 5 power forwards (video)

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The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore break down the top power forwards in the 2013 NBA Draft.

This is the third video in a series of position previews in advance of the June 27 NBA Draft. Previously, small forwards, shooting guards and centers were highlighted.


The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer (@PDcavsinsider) and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (@GlennMooreCLE) break down the top power forwards in the 2013 NBA Draft.


Is it fair to compare UNLV's Anthony Bennett to the Cavaliers' Tristan Thompson?


The Cavs need bulk and size upfront, but will they address that need in the draft?


Mary's top 5 power forwards in this draft:

1. UNLV's Anthony Bennett (6-8, 240): Averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds in 35 games for the Runnin' Rebels. Long, athletic scorer and rebounder with great hands. Coming off rotator cuff surgery.


2. Indiana's Cody Zeller (7-0, 230): Averaged 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 56 percent in 36 games for the Hoosiers. A great athlete who runs the floor extremely well and is polished offensively. Will need to add weight and strength and extend his range if he's the face-up shooter he's being billed as now.


3. Illinois State's Jackie Carmichael (6-9, 241): Averaged 17.4 points and 9.3 rebounds in 33 games. A good post scorer and rebounder who can absorb contact. Played with his back to the basket in college but won't be big enough to do that in the NBA.


4. N.C. State's Richard Howell (6-7 1/2, 250): Averaged 12.7 points and 10.9 rebounds in 35 games for the Wolfpack. Good rebounder and low-post player. A bit undersized and has had conditioning issues - but was improved this year.


5. Croatia's Dario Saric (6-10, 223): Averaged 7.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in 15 games in the Adriatic League. A versatile athlete who can handle and see the whole court. Weak defensively and shooting just 50 percent from the free-throw line.


There will be no excuses for Brandon Weeden if he doesn't play well: Browns Comment of the Day

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"Weeden is in a system geared for him, so there will be no excuses this year when he is still not able to read defenses and continues to throw the ball everywhere but to the WR. When balls are still batted down at the line for Weeden stairing down one WR, while still holding on to the ball and unable to avoid the rush." - dawg69

AX153_68FE_9.JPGOne cleveland.com reader says Brandon Weeden won't have any excuses if he doesn't play well. (Joshua Gunter/ The Plain Dealer) 
In response to the story Brandon Weeden can be the answer, end of Scott Kazmir and Cavs free agent targets: Blog Roundup, cleveland.com reader dawg69 says Brandon Weeden will have no excuses if he doesn't play well.

"Weeden is in a system geared for him, so there will be no excuses this year when he is still not able to read defenses and continues to throw the ball everywhere but to the WR. When balls are still batted down at the line for Weeden stairing down one WR, while still holding on to the ball and unable to avoid the rush. Yea, Weeden he is the man until the bye week and he is replaced."

To respond to dawg69's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day

LeBron James could return some day, but Cavs fans shouldn't hold their breath: Terry Pluto

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Another title for LeBron James doesn't mean much to those fans hoping he'll return to Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Let's start with the truth: In perhaps the biggest game of his career, LeBron James was at his best.

The San Antonio Spurs dared him to take wide-open jumpers, and James swished five from 3-point range. He put 37 points and 12 rebounds next to his name in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against a veteran team coached by the legendary Gregg Popovich and featuring three future Hall of Famers.

The Miami Heat and James were the superior team entering the series, but they were nearly upset.

James saved his team when he took over Game 6 in the fourth quarter and overtime Then he delivered a performances for the ages in Game 7.

Three years since leaving the Cavs, James has been to the Finals three times.

Two titles.

So what does this mean for Cavs fans?

Absolutely nothing.

OK, you can find another reason to be annoyed. Down deep, Cavs fans wished he had stayed so something like this could have happened here.

At least once.

But James left.

Anyone who counts on James returning when he can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2014 will probably be disappointed.

Yes, Miami will be old and strangled by the salary cap. The heat for Miami as a destination for James will have cooled. But look for James to end up with the Lakers ... or Boston ... or New York.

Yes, it's possible James can sign with the Cavs.

The NBA has a way of having its stars showing up in major markets. Notice the recent moves by Dwight Howard (Lakers), Chris Paul (Clippers) and Carmelo Anthony (New York).

Or how about Boston adding Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Paul Pierce a few years ago via trades.

If James wants to break that trend and return, the vast majority of fans will welcome him back. But dreaming of him in a Cavs' jersey -- it's probably yet another recipe for fan frustration.

And the Cavs would be totally insane to structure their salary cap and pass up making positive moves just to make sure everything on the roster is just right to entice James.

Remember this about James ... often, he's not sure what he'll do next.

Think back to the summer of 2009 when the Cavs and James had just lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals. He was a year away from free agency.

Yes, some people thought he'd leave -- but for Miami?

Remember, we're talking about the summer of 2009, not 2010 when the rumors began.

So it seems impossible to even guess about his destination for the 2014-15 season in the summer of 2013.

OK, I'll guess -- the Lakers.

But I don't know what he'll do, and neither do you.

Even if James has a clue right now, it's all subject to change.

In the meantime, the Cavs have the top pick in this draft. It's a rather pedestrian collection of talent, but somewhere is a good player. In 2010, Indiana unearthed All-Star Paul George with the No. 10 pick.

General Manager Chris Grant has to find that guy, and he has four picks in the top 32 to do it.

Grant also must use his salary cap space wisely to secure two veterans who can pump some playoff life into this franchise. The Cavs have been blessed with far more love and patience from this fan base than anyone would expect since James left and the losses have been like an avalanche.

Yes, the Cavs must improve and do it soon -- but they better not rely on James to make it happen.

This year's Cleveland Indians showing resilience: Terry Pluto

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Can the Cleveland Indians stay in contention all season? The answer, so far, is a definite maybe, Terry Pluto writes.

Cleveland Indians defeat Washington Nationals, 2-1 on June 14, 2013View full sizeThere have been more highlights than lowlights for the Cleveland Indians, and one reason os the addition of veteran utility man Ryan Raburn, here slapping hands with third-base coach Brad Mills after hitting a home run. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When it comes to the Tribe and their 38-35 record, consider a few things:

1. Asdrubal Cabrera was an All-Star last season. He has been on the disabled list for three weeks, and was hitting only .254 with five homers when he suffered a quad injury.

2. Chris Perez was an All-Star last year. He also is on the disabled list, and had a 2-1 record with a 4.32 ERA when pitching. He was 6-of-8 in save attempts. And he's also facing a marijuana possession charge.

3. Nick Swisher was the biggest free agent investment ($56 million over four years), and he's hitting only .237 (.739 OPS) with seven homers while battling a sore shoulder.

4. The Tribe signed free agent Brett Myers to start, and he's on the disabled list with an 0-3 record and 8.32 ERA.

If you knew those four facts at the start of the season, what would you have thought the Tribe's record would be after 72 games?

I doubt anyone would have thought they'd be above .500.

Or that the Tribe would be 38-35 and carrying a streak of eight victories in their past 10 games after Saturday's win over the Twins.

Part of the credit has to go to Terry Francona, as the veteran manager doesn't talk about injuries other than to give updates. And he absolutely, positively refuses to allow the injuries to be used as an excuse.

The front office did its part, adding veterans Mike Aviles, Ryan Raburn and Mark Reynolds to supply depth because they play several positions.

Remember when Reynolds was concerned about being relegated to DH and not seeing regular at-bats?

Guess who leads the Tribe in games played?

It's Reynolds, who also leads the team in homers (14) and RBI (44).

Aviles has done a terrific job filling in at shortstop, reminding everyone that he's been an every-day infielder before. Raburn has been a huge asset, hitting lefties and playing a strong right field.

Understand, this is far from an ideal team. That explains why it's so streaky.

But there have been at least two points this season where it seemed headed for a long sad summer, yet both times the Tribe has climbed back over .500.

On April 28, the Tribe was 8-13. The starting rotation was a mess. Two home games against the Yankees were rained out. Justin Masterson had just been shelled, as the Tribe lost, 9-0, at Kansas City.

Then the Tribe won 18 of 22 games.

At that point, they were 26-17, in first place by 2 1/2 games. They played well and they also had some luck.

But in the next 22 games, they won only six times.

So we have the Tribe winning 18-of-22.

And then 6-of-22.

Much of this was a product of the schedule, as the Tribe was on the road for 15 of 22 games, and virtually all the games were against contenders.

That streak ended with a 4-1 loss in Detroit, the Tigers sweeping a three-game series.

From Comerica Park, I wrote a column saying I knew this wasn't the same Tribe team that collapsed last year, but the previous few weeks of baseball sure felt like an awful rerun. That was especially true with a trip to Texas up next.

But the Tribe won two of three in Texas. Then won two of three at home against Washington. And two of three against Kansas City.

So they have crawled back from the dark side of the baseball moon twice this season.

They are three games behind the Tigers in the Central Division. Detroit has a closer crisis, having just designated Jose Valverde (six homers allowed in his past 7 1/3 innings) for assignment.

Is Detroit the superior team?

Of course.

But can the Tribe stay close all summer?

Right now, I'm willing to say ... maybe.

And that's a big improvement from what I wrote in Detroit only two weeks ago.

Cleveland Indians' closer for rest of season in flux right now: MLB Insider

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If the AL Central comes down to the Tigers and Indians, the division champion could be decided on who solves its closer's crisis first.

The Tigers aren't the only team in the AL Central with a closer's crisis. If the Indians haven't totally stepped into that ring of fire, they're only inches away from getting toasted.

Detroit reached the World Series last season despite closer Jose Valverde blowing a tire in the postseason. San Francisco easily swept the Tigers in the World Series, making Valverde's struggles meaningless.

Entering the 2013 season it seemed clear the only thing keeping the Tigers from winning it all was a closer. Valverde left through free agency, but Detroit's usually aggressive front office made no move to replace him. GM Dave Dombrowski talked about rookie Bruce Rondon. Manager Jim Leyland seemed less than enthusiastic about having his season rest on a rookie's shoulders.

On April 4, the Tigers re-signed Valverde and the rest has been a nightly fire dance. The Tigers entered the weekend with a comfortable four-game lead over the Indians, but that has a lot to do with a great starting rotation led by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, and an offense powered by Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder and a healthy Victor Martinez.

Valverde, who the Tigers designated for assignment Friday, was 9-for-12 in save opportunities, but allowed six homers and 12 earned runs in 19-1/3 innings. Late last week, before Valverde was designated, Leyland told Detroit reporters that Joaquin Benoit would close for the time being.

In Cleveland, manager Terry Francona has one closer, Chris Perez, on the disabled list with a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder and drug charges hanging over his head. Backup closer Vinnie Pestano is 2-for-2 since replacing Perez, but his velocity is down because of a stay on the DL due to a sore right elbow.

Perez threw a bullpen session Friday and could be activated this week. Just what Perez the Indians will be getting back could be the key to the season. Will he be the closer who converted 90 percent (75-for-83) of his save opportunities in 2011 and 2012? Or will it be the sore-shouldered, mostly ineffective closer of 2013, who has converted six of eight save chances, while allowing eight runs on 15 hits, including four homers, and 10 walks in 16 innings?

As for the drug charges being a distraction, Perez showed last year that the hotter it gets, the better he pitches. Still, a sore shoulder is a sore shoulder.

Should Perez fail to regain his form, and Pestano struggle with his command and velocity, what then? Francona has shown he is not afraid to mix and match when it comes to how he uses his relievers. Part of it is due to the dramatic change in the offensive ability of this year's team, but the regimented, and quite successful, use of the pen under Manny Acta is gone. The injuries to Pestano and Perez limited Francona's options in that regard, but he has said that he likes his relievers to be versatile and ready to pitch in any situation.

In Francona's eight years managing the Red Sox, he usually had a dominant closer. Keith Foulke saved 32 games in 2004 and Jonathan Papelbon saved 37 in 2007 as the Red Sox won the World Series each year. In 2005, Francona used the dreaded closer-by-committee to win 95 games as Foulke saved 15, Mike Timlin 13 and Curt Schilling nine.

Francona's options with the Indians, besides Perez and Smith, include Cody Allen, Joe Smith and Brian Shaw. Allen has a great arm, but on his rapid ascent through the minor-league system he saved only three games, just two more than he has in the big leagues. Smith has one big-league save and Shaw two.

Lefty Nick Hagadone has the arm to close, but his current control problems would make that a risky proposition. Preston Guilmet, a 2009 draft pick, has 16 saves at Class AAA Columbus this year, and 86 overall in the minors for the Tribe, but he'd have to wait in line while Francona looked at his big-league options.

Former GM John Hart was inducted into the Indians' Hall of Fame on Saturday. Hart hated to overpay for a closer, believing that "closers fall out of trees." As proof, the conversion of Jose Mesa from a so-so starter to a closer who delivered more pleasure and pain to Indians' fans than any player who has ever worn Chief Wahoo, took place on his watch.

How soon before the Indians start shaking more trees?

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 from last week in baseball. All stats are through Friday.

THREE UP

patrick-corbin.JPGArizona starter Patrick Corbin has been stellar in his second season in the big leagues.  

1. Patrick Corbin is 9-0 this season and Arizona is 13-1 in his 14 starts.

2. Philadelphia's Domonic Brown has 31 RBI in his past 33 games.

3. Toronto's Mark Buehrle, after going 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA in his first 13 starts, won his second straight start Wednesday with a five-and-fly over the Rockies.

THREE DOWN

1. San Diego's Edinson Volquez won the bad look of the week award Monday when he scored from second base against the Giants while wearing a hoodie. Didn't the Padres pack their warmup jackets?

2. Josh Hamilton, a .295 career hitter, hit .204 in April, .237 in May and .171 (12-for-70) so far in June for the Angels. 

3. In his previous two seasons, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels made 63 starts and lost 15 times. This year he's made 16 starts and lost 11 times, including seven straight. 

1B Nick Swisher in line to rejoin Cleveland Indians' starting lineup Sunday or Monday

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Nick Swisher is expected to return to the Indians lineup on Sunday or Monday as he recovers from a sore left shoulder.

Nick SwisherNick Swisher had another good workout on Saturday and expects to rejoin the Indians' starting lineup on Sunday or Monday. 

CLEVELAND,Ohio -- Nick Swisher was still breathing hard as he sat in front of his locker Saturday afternoon after working out on the field at Progressive Field.

"I did everything, hit, run, throw, take ground balls," said Swisher. "It's hot out there."

The one thing Swisher didn't do was make the Indians' starting lineup for Saturday night's game against the Twins. He is expected back Sunday or Monday.

"I felt great again," said Swisher. "I had a super great time out there. Now I'll sit down and talk to Tito (manager Terry Francona) and shoot for playing Sunday. If not Sunday, Monday. Either one, it's up to them to decide."

Swisher hasn't played since June 15 when he aggravated a left shoulder that has bothered him since spring training. He received a cortisone shot last week and has been working toward returning to the lineup ever since.

"Cabbie (Asdrubal Cabrera) and me were out there doing our thing," said Swisher. "We went out early because we don't want to take up the regular's time. I felt good."

Cabrera, the Indians starting shortstop, is on the disabled list with a strained right quadriceps muscle.

"I talked to Swish on Friday night," said Francona. "I told him, "I'm not going to play you Saturday night and then bring you back for Sunday's day game.' So why wouldn't we just push him back one more day so he could take batting practice on Saturday? I watched him hit and he did fine.

"So I told him, "Let's play this by ear. If you're raring to go Sunday, good. If you think one more day puts more gas in the tank, let me know.' I don't want him down for five or six days and not have it be productive. The good news is he's coming. It will probably be Sunday, if not, it will be the next day."

The Indians open an 11-game, 12-day trip Monday in Baltimore for a four-game series against the Orioles.

Swisher and Cabrera will go on the trip with the team.

"It's tough being out, but it's fun watching what the guys are doing," said Swisher. "Our three and four hitters are out, but they're still get the job done. I know Cabbie and I can't wait to get back."

Saturday night's lineups:

Twins (33-37): CF Thomas, C Mauer, DH doumit, 1B Morneau, 3B Plouffe, LF Arcia, RF Parmelee, 2B Dozier, SS Florimon, P Walters (2-2, 3.22).

Indians (37-35): CF Bourn, SS Aviles, 2B Kipnis, LF Brantley, C Santana, 1B Reynolds, DH Giambi, 3B Chisenhall, RF Stubbs, P Kluber (5-4, 3.58).

Umpires: H Hirschbeck, 1B Cooper, 2B Fairchild, 3B Kellogg.

NBA Draft 2013 will have a decidedly European flavor: Scouting the international players

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International players will make an impact in the 2013 NBA Draft, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have a long history of taking such players.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just like any other aspect of the NBA draft, there are good years and bad years as far as international players are concerned.

Last year, for instance, no international players were selected in the lottery. But in 2011, there were four international players who didn’t play for a U.S. college selected in the lottery – Enes Kanter of Turkey (No. 3 to Utah), Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania (No. 5 to Toronto), Jan Vesely of the Czech Republic (No. 6 to Washington) and Bismack Biyombo of Congo (No. 7 to Sacramento.

This year likely will be more like 2011 as at least a couple of international players could be picked in the top 14, including Russian swingman Sergey Karasev, French center Rudy Gobert, and German point guard Dennis Schroeder. The international class did lose a bit of its luster when Croatian forward Dario Saric withdrew. He likely would have been the first European player taken.

(For our purposes, the term "international'' refers to players who did not play in U.S. colleges, which excludes players such as UNLV's Anthony Bennett or Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk, who are both Canadians, or Maryland's Alex Len, a Ukrainian, or Pittsburgh's Steven Adams, who is from New Zealand.)

"I would say it's a good year for foreign players to be in this draft,'' ESPN's Fran Fraschilla said in a conference call last month. "I could look at my list right now and see the potential for nine different players going in the first round.

"I see nine guys, and I also think this is a year where you can draft some of these guys and leave them right where they are in Europe and let them marinate a little bit more and not have to add them to your roster.''

Fraschilla likens Schroeder to Rajon Rondo, Brazilian center Lucas Nogueira to JaVale McGee, and Spanish guard Alex Abrines to Rudy Fernandez.

But the biggest international man of mystery is Greece's Giannis Adetokunbo, a 19-year-old, 6-9, 210-pound swingman. His parents are Nigerians who immigrated to Greece.

"He's very, very raw,'' Fraschilla said. "He's played basically high school basketball this year in a very poor Greek league. Some people have compared him to Nic Batum, that's not fair, because he dribbles the ball better than Nic, but he's nowhere near as experienced.

"Everybody's intrigued, comparing him (to everyone) from Scottie Pippen to Kevin Durant to Nic Batum. This kid is in the infancy stage of his career, but people are really intrigued by his upside.''

Added ESPN's Chad Ford, "What the NBA scouts are saying is … 'Who knows?' He does fit the physical profile of an NBA player and he is quite skilled. But when you talk about the Greek second division of the league, you're talking about high school level, maybe [NCAA] DIII and college level, and even then [he was] not necessarily dominant in that league. Playing well but not necessarily dominating.

"He truly is the mystery player in the draft. I wish he was at the combine because I think that would have helped solve some of the questions for the NBA teams. He truly is the biggest enigma of anybody in the draft.''

Top international players in NBA Draft 2013

The Cavaliers have a long history of drafting international players, and this year could be more of the same. With four picks (Nos. 1, 19, 31 and 33) it's almost certain they will be looking to add a player who may remain overseas for a year or two. The more picks they make, the more likely that scenario. Lots of pre-draft chatter has them interested in Russian swingman Sergey Karasev.

1. Russia's guard/forward Sergey Karasev (6-7, 203): Averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 45 percent in 12 games for BC Triumph in the Russian PBL last season.

2. France's center Rudy Gobert (7-2, 238): Averaged 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds, plus 2 blocks, in 27 games in the French League, where he shot 72 percent from the field. He's as raw as they come, but he's so long that scouts can't help but be intrigued. With a 9-7 standing reach, he basically can touch the rim without jumping and also has a 7-8 1/2 wingspan. Put on a shot-blocking clinic during the NBA combine, but that's not the same as doing it in a game.

3. Germany's point guard Dennis Schroeder (6-2, 165): Averaged 11.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 31 games in the German Pro B league. Didn't compete in the NBA combine because of a toothache, but had a strong showing, offensively and defensively, at the Nike Hoop Summit in April, fueling a rise up the charts.

4. Brazil's center Lucas Nogueira (7-0, 225): Averaged 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 32 games for Asefa Estudiantes Madrid. He shot 66 percent from the field. Nicknamed ''Bebe Gigant'' meaning "Baby Giant'' or "Bebe'' for short. Long and athletic, he runs well and is active near the basket, getting rebounds, tips and blocks.

5. Greece's forward Giannis Adetokunbo (6-10, 196): Averaged 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds in the Greek second division. Nicknamed The Greek Freak, he was born in Greece of Nigerian parents. Has all the physical attributes that could make him a success eventually but hard to judge because the level of competition he faced was so weak -- more like high school competition in the U.S.

More in this series:

Power forward: UNLV's Anthony Bennett draws comparisons to Tristan Thompson

Shooting guard: Ben McLemore is only a few steps from realizing his dream

Center: Nerlens Noel working overtime to regain health

Point guard: Trey Burke has the look of a winner

Small forward: Otto Porter Jr. was born to play basketball



Rumored deal sending Shawn Marion to Cleveland Cavaliers is just that -- a rumor (for now)

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A published report has the Dallas Mavericks in talks with the Cleveland Cavaliers concerning a deal that would send Marion to Cleveland, but an NBA source said the forward is not part of the discussions.

Jason Kidd,Mark Cuban,Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki,Brian Cardinal, J.J. BareaShawn Marion (left), shown here with his Dallas Mavericks in 2011, is the subject of trade rumors between the Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Rumors of trade talks between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks might be somewhat exaggerated.

At least when it comes to the details of any potential deals before Thursday's NBA Draft.

According to a report in SheridanHoops.com, the Cavaliers have been discussing a trade with the Mavericks that would send Shawn Marion to Cleveland, while the Cavaliers would also swap their No. 19 pick for Dallas' No. 13 pick.

Not so, said an NBA source with knowledge of the trade talks. At least for now, Marion has not been a part of the discussion.

All that could change in the next few days leading up to the draft, of course, according to the source.

Even so, the Mavericks are a team that hopes to shed salaries from their payroll to have more salary-cap flexibility, which might help them in the pursuit of free agent center Dwight Howard.

Moving Marion's $9.3 million expiring contract would be an easy opportunity for Dallas to gain salary-cap space.

The Cavaliers still are believed to be listening to "dozens" of offers for the No. 1 pick and other trade scenarios, according to an NBA source.


Tribe under budget in signing draft picks: Cleveland Indians Chatter

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The Cleveland Indians have just under $500,000 to sign the one unsigned player they took in the first 10 rounds.

Clubhouse confidential: The Indians were allotted $6,188,800 million to sign their selections in the first 10 rounds of the June draft. So far, they have spent $5.718 million on eight players. (Numbers in parentheses represent MLB's assigned slotting bonuses for each pick.): No. 1 Clint Frazier $3.5 million ($3.787 million); No. 3 Dace Kime $525,000 ($692,200); No. 4 Kyle Crockett $463,000 ($463,600); No. 5 Sean Brady $800,000 ($347,100); No. 6 Casey Shane $150,000 ($259,900); No. 7 Kenny Mathews $150,000 ($194,800); No. 8 Trevor Frank $10,000 ($158,300); No. 9 Thomas Pannone $120,000 ($147,800).

The Tribe has $470,800 left to sign No. 10 pick INF Ross Kivett from Kansas State and St. Edward High School. Kivett's slotting bonus is $130,100. The signing deadline is July 12.

The Indians had only nine picks in the first 10 rounds because they lost their second-round pick as compensation for Nick Swisher. They lost their third-round pick for signing Michael Bourn, but acquired an extra third-round pick in the competitive balance lottery.

Stat of the day: After 36 home dates, the Indians have drawn 652,239 fans. After 36 home dates last year, they drew 658,759.

Indians vs. Twins: Get updates and post your comments

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The Indians look to keep the momentum going tonight in Game 2 of their series with the Minnesota Twins on Hall of Fame Induction -- and Bon Jovi-themed Fireworks night down at Progressive Field.

The Indians look to keep the momentum going tonight in Game 2 of their series with the Minnesota Twins on Hall of Fame Induction and Bon Jovi-themed Fireworks night down at Progressive Field.

Get game updates and post your comments in this post.

Game 73: Indians (37-35) vs. Twins (33-37)

First pitch: 7:15 p.m. at Progressive Field.

TV/radio: TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WMMS FM/100.7, WTAM AM/ 1100

Starting pitchers: RHP Corey Kluber (5-4, 3.58 ERA) vs. RHP P.J. Walters (2-2, 3.23).

Weather: Partly sunny, 81 degrees.

» Box score | MLB scoreboard

» Get updates from the pressbox here

» You can also follow Tweets about the game and post your comments below.

Terry Pluto's Talkin' . . . about the youthful Browns, the Cavs' draft options, Michael Bourn and the Tribe

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A look at the Browns' roster reveals there may have only one player over 30 on the team when the season starts.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Take a break from the heat, we're talkin' ...

About the young Browns . . .

Question: Who is the Browns' oldest player guaranteed to make the roster?

Answer: Backup quarterback Jason Campbell at 31.

Question: Any other Browns players at least 30?

Answer: Kicker Shayne Graham (35), but he's not promised a job. Veteran offensive tackle Rashad Butler is 30, but he's missed 30 of 32 games the past two seasons and may not make the team.

It's possible the Browns will have only one player at least 30 when the season opens -- Campbell.

Starting quarterback Brandon Weeden turns 30 on Oct. 14. The old man of the defense is D'Qwell Jackson, who will be 30 on Sept. 23.

Last season, the Browns led all teams with 87 starts by 10 rookies. That probably won't happen this year.

Top pick Barkevious Mingo may not start every game because the Browns have several outside linebackers. Third-rounder Leon McFadden has a chance to start at cornerback.

But with no picks in the second, fourth and fifth rounds -- there won't be many starts from rookies.

The Browns had the NFL's third youngest Week 1 roster with an average age of 26 years, 40 days. They probably will be among the NFL's youngest teams once again.

From the end of the season, the message of the new front office -- at least in terms of the big picture -- has remained much the same. The Browns will be young, and they will build through the draft and with selective veteran free agents.

The faces of the front office and coaching staff have changed. The approaches to offense and defense have been dramatically revamped.

A glance reveals a more experienced and intriguing coaching staff. Rob Chudzinski is a rookie head coach, but he's surrounded by veteran coordinators Norv Turner (offense), Ray Horton (defense) and Chris Tabor (special teams). So I'm not saying it will just be more of the same with a record of 5-11 or 4-12 , along with yet another pitiful offense.

But keeping the roster young remains a huge goal.

Last year, only St. Louis and Seattle were younger than the Browns.

About the Browns . . .

1. I like how Rob Chudzinski and his coaching staff handled Brandon Weeden in the minicamps. They didn't officially name him the starter, but put him in the best position to win the job. They know quarterback competitions where no one is consistently working with the starters is destructive.

2. Baltimore had Barkevious Mingo "high" on its draft board, according to a top executive who'd know. The Ravens really like Mingo's speed and considered the Browns' top pick the type of player who would fit in well with their aggressive defense. That's promising, because the aggressive Ravens/Steelers style is what defensive coordinator Ray Horton wants to play here.

3. Colt McCoy seems secure as San Francisco's backup quarterback behind Colin Kaepernick. Coach Jim Harbaugh told the media: "He has been in that role since he got here. He's doing very well, picking up the system. And a guy that is really serious and focused on being good and doing a good job. He's got a lot of things that motivate him to work hard."

4. Players often talk about respect. And players can cheer for any team or player, especially in another sport. And young players who have been handed millions of dollars aren't the maturest folks on the planet. But Josh Gordon needs to remember he was suspended for two games for flunking an NFL drug test. Why rub it into the faces of the Cleveland fans who were rooting for LeBron James to lose to San Antonio Spurs? It's just a dumb thing to do.

5. I'm not going to dwell on some of the silly Tweets from Gordon and Phil Taylor. But I will say that more and more, I understand why some top Browns operatives told me that they were concerned about the "entitlement mentality" of some of the players. Gordon can be a terrific player if he takes his job seriously. If not, he should remember this front office and coaching staff didn't draft him.

About the Cavs . . .

1. For weeks, I have been writing that the Cavs are looking hard at other players besides Nerlens Noel at No. 1, and nothing has changed on that front. Noel scares them because of the knee issues, along with concerns about his absolute lack of offense. Two knee surgeries in four years for a player who is only 18 should be a major warning siren. It would be a shock if they made him their No. 1 pick.

2. If the Cavs draft a big man, it will be Maryland center Alex Len. He's 7-1, 255 pounds and looks and moves like an NBA center. He's 21, but has a stress fracture in his foot. Maybe he'll be fine, but big men with stress fractures in their feet are a worry. Cavs fans remember the ordeal of Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

3. At Maryland, Len led the Atlantic Coast Conference in blocks (2.2 per game), but only averaged 7.8 rebounds and 11.9 points as a sophomore. He had some big games against Kentucky (23 points, 12 rebounds vs. Noel) and North Carolina (20 points), but will he become more than just a decent NBA big guy? Noel fans can say their man averaged 10.5 points, and Len was at 11.9. Neither played for teams with strong guards. But most NBA teams believe Len has more potential to become a low-post scorer because of his size.

4. The Cavs like the idea of four big men: Anderson Varejao, Tyler Zeller, Tristan Thompson and possibly Len. Obviously, Varejao playing only 81 games over the past three seasons underlines the need for a center. Zeller is best suited as a backup. But Zeller and Varejao can also play power forward, where Thompson is the starter.

5. They are intrigued with the idea of Varejao and Thompson starting, Zeller and Len coming off the bench. Keep in mind that almost anyone the Cavs pick at No. 1 will probably open the season as a backup because of the lack of impact players.

6. The only player the Cavs could take at No. 1 and start immediately would be Otto Porter Jr., the small forward from Georgetown. That's because the Cavs have no real small forward other than Alonzo Gee, and he's viewed as a backup. The question on the 6-8 Porter is if he will be anything beyond an average starter. The Cavs don't want to draft simply from need to fill a position. They can do that via free agency or a trade for a small forward.

7. In terms of raw basketball skills, the most talented player in this draft may be Anthony Bennett. I reported a few months ago that they had scouted the 6-7, 240-pounder from UNLV at least eight times. He played some center for the Runnin' Rebels, who didn't have much size. He also is a power forward, and a bit small for NBA standards at that spot. But the league is going smaller in terms of playing guys in the 6-8 range at power forward -- if they can score.

8. Bennett averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and shot 53 percent for UNLV. He handles the ball well and can drive to the basket. His shooting from the outside is not bad. His defense is awful, but that was the case on the entire UNLV team. Will Bennett adapt to a defensive coach such as Mike Brown? Hard to know. If the Cavs were picking third or fourth, he'd definitely be in play. Not sure at No. 1.

9. Once the Cavs cooled on Noel, they spent a lot of time looking at Ben McLemore because he's a shooting guard who can actually shoot from the outside. He was .495 from the field, .420 on 3-pointers, .870 from the foul line. He's 6-5 and averaged 5.2 rebounds, so he shows some athleticism. He has faded in some games. They idea of a three-guard rotation with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters staring and McLemore coming off the bench (at least to open the season) is attractive to the team.

10. It's doubtful the Cavs would start McLemore over Waiters, even though Waiters was a sixth man in college and came off the bench for a few games last season. The Cavs think Waiters can develop into a significant scorer at shooting guard, yet his point-guard skills help when Irving rests or is hurt. McLemore is more of a pure outside shooter, 43 percent of his field-goal attempts were 3-pointers.

About Michael Bourn . . .

Former Tribe General Manager John Hart loved the signing of Michael Bourn.

"I'm not saying that he's another Kenny [Lofton], but he can do a lot of what Kenny did for us," said Hart, the Tribe's general manager from 1991 to 2001.

Hart said the Indians really needed speed and athleticism at the top of the order, and Bourn is supplying that.

Lofton had an amazing career, especially with the Tribe. In 10 seasons here, he batted .300, averaging 45 stolen bases, nine homers and 52 RBI per season. He was with the team from 1992 to '96, 1998 to 2001 and 2007.

Like Lofton, Bourn plays center field. Many scouts rate Bourn over Lofton defensively. But they both are fast and bring an element of taking away extra-base hits with long, running catches, Bourn has had a couple of defensive mistakes this season, but he still is well above average.

At the plate, Bourn is batting .289 (compared with .273 for his career) with a .341 on-base percentage (.339 career). Bourn has 11 steals and 14 infield hits. He seems to be in the middle of late-game rallies and is a smart base runner.

"Guys like that leading off put pressure on the other team and they bring excitement," said Hart. "I give [GM] Chris [Antonetti] credit for getting that signing done. It was one of the best moves of the off-season."

The Dolans gave Antonetti the green light to sign Bourn to a four-year, $48 million deal as spring training opened. His agent was looking for $60-$80 million during the off-season.

About the Tribe . . .

1. The Indians were concerned with how Carlos Carrasco would pitch against Kansas City on Monday. It was in 2011 when Carrasco threw over the head of the Royals' Billy Butler, which led to his first suspension. Then Carrasco missed 2012 because of elbow surgery. Carrasco hit Kevin Youkilis in his first Tribe start this season -- leading to another suspension.

2. But Carrasco had his emotions under control. He threw to the inside corner, but didn't deck any batter with a head-high fastball. Nor did he react when Butler stared hard at him a few times. The result was one run in 71/3 innings, four hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

3. Carrasco's average fastball in that game was 95 mph, and he lighted up the radar gun at 98 mph. His curveball was in the 80s. He threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 27 hitters. This is the Carrasco the Tribe is hoping to see this season, the one projected to be in the rotation at the start of spring training.

4. If the Indians stay in contention this season, they will need starters such as Corey Kluber (who has been a huge happy surprise) along with Scott Kazmir (showing promise, needs consistency) to be joined by Carrasco. Justin Masterson (9-5, 3.48) is a candidate for the All-Star team. Ubaldo Jimenez (5-4, 4.66) has pitched well enough to remain in the rotation. They also have Zach McAllister (4-5, 3.43) on the disabled list with a finger injury.

5. Lonnie Chisenhall made a slight adjustment during his time at Class AAA, where he batted .390. He has lowered his hands on the bat. It's the same thing Michael Brantley did at Columbus in 2010, helping his swing become more big-league ready.

6. Former Indian Carlos Baerga was talking about how the 1995 team was "so cocky." He mentioned a game where they were preparing to face Roger Clemens, and Albert Belle raised his right arm and made a muscle (like his bobblehead). Then Belle yelled at Clemens, "We're going to kill you!"

7. John Hart talked about a trade that he didn't regret passing up. Right after the 1997 World Series, he was offered a chance to get Pedro Martinez from Montreal. The price was Jaret Wright, Bartolo Colon and some others. At the time, Wright was a rookie and the hero of the 1997 season. Colon was one of the top pitching prospects in the minors.

8. But Hart still regrets coming within a few minutes of adding Randy Johnson in 1998 in a deal with Seattle. He had an offer of at least five players on the table, including Dave Burba, Brian Giles and Richie Sexson. "I thought we had a deal," said Hart. "But two minutes left before the trade deadline, [Seattle General Manager] Woody Woodward called back and said they were trading him to Houston."

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant likes to keep people guessing: Hey, Mary!

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The Cavaliers pride themselves on the fact that they don't advertise their plans for the NBA draft, trades or free agency.

chris-grant.JPGView full sizeCavs GM Chris Grant. 

Hey, Mary: Do you think given the history of Chris Grant, it's safe to assume that nobody can really speculate what's going to be done via the draft and trade? When he does make a move it's always one that nobody saw coming. Your thoughts? -- Shawn Frisky, Dublin, OH

Hey, Shawn:  You can go to the head of the class. Grant enjoys the fact that he has pulled off some surprise picks in the draft (Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters at No. 4 the past two years) and builds in unusual terms and/or protections in his trades. He likes to keep people guessing, which is not necessarily a bad thing for a general manager. He doesn't often make the obvious move, but that doesn't mean he might not this year when no one expects him to do so. The only question is: In this draft, what is the obvious move? I'd have to say Otto Porter Jr. but I wouldn't bet on the Cavs taking him.

Hey, Mary: How high do you think we can realistically trade up in this draft with our remaining picks after No. 1? I have read that Dallas may already have a deal in place for the 13 but cannot say anything until after they pick someone. Any insight on if it may be with the Cavs? -- Dan, Seattle

Hey, Dan: There is just no telling about this draft. There are too many question marks. I've heard the same thing about Dallas. I'm sure the fact that the two teams made a successful deal in last year's draft adds to the speculation they've been at it again. The fact that the Mavericks do not want to take on salary would seem to indicate they might be interested in multiple picks like the Cavs have. But I'm afraid we're just going to have to wait and see.

Hey, Mary: Do you believe that if the Cavs can sign Iguodala and draft McLemore with the first pick and combine the 19th and both second round picks to get Alex Len they would make the playoffs with a possible first-round victory? Making this the Cavaliers best rebuilding deals with the seal of approval by the fans of Cleveland? -- James Williams, Cleveland

Hey, James: Wow. That's a lot of hypotheticals. I'm afraid I''m going to shoot them down one by one. I think Iguodala will want more money than the Cavs are willing to pay. I'm not sure they're sold on McLemore. I don't think Nos. 19, 31 and 33 will be enough to get Len. Even if they somehow managed to do all that, I don't think adding that combination gets them to the playoffs next season, much less into the second round.

Glen Rice JrView full sizeGlen Rice Jr.  

Hey, Mary: Not exactly a Cavs question, but regarding Glen  Rice Jr and him coming out of the DLeague, is it common that D-Leaguers enter the draft? Does their game in that league translate well to the next level? Some examples? -- Lee Lontoc, Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Hey, Mary: Have the Cavs shown any interest in Glen Rice Jr.? Proved himself offensive and athletic.  Kentavious Caldwell-Pope very similar,  perfect fit for Cavs,  do you agree?  -- Mike Dough, Cleveland

Hey, Lee and Mike: Traditionally players who are not drafted go to the DLeague in hopes of being called up, like the Cavs Alonzo Gee. Rice is taking an unorthodox path, but I think his game will translate to the NBA. He has not worked out for the Cavs.

Hey, Mary: Besides injuries with both players, what exactly is the upside of taking a 6-11, 212-pound Nerlands Noel ahead of a 7-1, 255-pound Alex Len, who has a 7-3 wingspan? Centers with Len's frame and a lot of skill don't come around often. -- Walt Darocha, Long Beach, Calif.

Hey, Mary: I am a 48-year-old born and til-death-due-us-part Cleveland fan. I am very worried the Cavs will take Noel if they keep the No. 1 pick. Taking big men with no offensive game and injury history is historically bad, plus he is way too thin. I wonder if Portland wishes the would have taken Jordan over Bowie, another thin Kentucky center, or Durant over Oden. My point is take the best scoring threat. What are the chances that they take the kid from Kansas? -- Mark Wiseman, Richmond, Va.

Hey, Mary: Alex Len No. 1? Come on. Do you remember Chris Mihm? The Cavs need a young athletic center. Noel will add weight and develop an offensive game. Most of the so-called top picks have had some kind of injury. Noel is a shot blocker, rebounder and runs like a deer. Draft this kid and go get a small forward who can score through free agency. At 19, since it sounds like Shaun Livingston is leaving, draft Dennis Schroeder, the kid from Germany. Cavs can defend and run team out the gym. -- Darryl Holmes, Houston

Hey, Walt, Mark and Darryl: Your questions sort of balance each other out, and represent the exact sort of dilemma facing teams. Kansas guard Ben McLemore's stock seems to be falling, so I would be surprised if he was the Cavs pick at No. 1, but I'm not sure they're set on Noel either, for some of the reasons you mention. I think Alex Len and Anthony Bennett are in the mix at No. 1.

Hey, Mary: A major trade was said the be discussed regarding the Cavs,. Any insight of who the possible target(s) are?  In today's big three days, we have one, need another this year, and hope to lure another next. year. Thoughts? -- Bill Czech, Phoenix Hey, Mary: Are there any specific players that the Cavs may be pursuing in a trade for their Nos. 1, 19, 31 and 33 picks? And are there any teams that would like to trade a key bench member for Anderson Varejao? -- Matt Mitchell, Southington, OH

Hey, Bill and Matt: Honestly, I believe Cavs general manager Chris Grant has contacted nearly every team to discuss almost every All-Star forward and/or center. He is determined to make a significant addition, but I just don't know who it might be. I'd like to see him take a run at Al Horford. I know he will not be able to lure Kevin Love away from Minnesota. That leaves a lot of possibilities. I agree that the Cavs need another couple of stars, but they're not going to get immediate help from this draft. Trades are their most likely option, followed by free agency either this year or next. 

Hey, Mary: To me, Otto Porter is the obvious choice for the No. 1 pick but his name hasn't come up much lately. Why is that? _ Angelo Costanzo, Cleveland

Hey, Angelo: He's certainly in the mix and worked out for the Cavs this week. But, as you know, the Cavs don't always do what seems to be obvious.

Hey, Mary: I know this is a long shot, but how bout trading No. 1 to Philadelphia for Evan Turner? Fills a need and may be good for Turner. I know that might be a little much to give up, but weak draft and could get another draft pick in return. -- Todd O'Brien, Denver

Hey, Todd: I've never sensed that Turner was on the Cavs radar.

Hey, Mary: Come on Mary, tell the truth, isn't the NBA fixed?  They are clearly stretching the Finals to seven games for more money.  Heat could beat the Spurs in four or five games easy.  NBA Ref Tim Donahue's book outlines the fraud and the FBI said the book was very accurate! -- Dan, Kinsman, OH

Hey, Dan: Sound like you've already made up your mind. I don't happen to agree. 

Hey, Mary: Just heard that the Cavs are working out Jamaal Franklin. Any chance that the Cavs consider this very athletic wing that is a product of the same school as Kwahi Leonard of the Spurs at No. 19 because I believe that the Cavs will go big (Noel or Len ) at No. 1? -- Andy Polander, North Olmsted

Hey, Andy: I agree that the Cavs likely will go big with the No. 1 pick if they keep it, which means they must be considering Franklin at No. 19.

Hey, Mary: As the draft approaches, I know that the Cavs have been willing to listen to offer for their draft picks. Would a potential trade acquiring Tobias Harris from Orlando be considered for picks 19 and 31? Harris is only 20, and done well in his short time with the Magic. He is a SF who can score and rebound at the SF position, given the opportunity. Your thoughts? -- Armand Rivers, South Euclid

Hey, Armand: I'm not as high on Harris as you are.

Hey, Mary: I'm starting to hear more and more that the Cavs are going after some player other than Noel. I just do not understand, nor do any of my listeners from my college radio show, why the Cavs blows smoke. Is it to keep other teams on their feet? Did they do that the year they drafted LeBron James? -- Lshawn Rhodes, Cleveland

Hey, Lshawn: LeBron James was the obvious choice at No. 1. This year, there is no obvious choice, which is why the Cavs want to keep everyone guessing. Perhaps another team that loves a certain player would be willing to trade for the No. 1 pick, so the Cavs want everybody to think several players are under consideration and, at this point, that's true.

Hey, Mary: Would Ben McLemore be able to start as the SF position for the Cavs while Waiters and Irving are also on the court, or would Waiters be forced to move to a sixth-man role? -- Kyle Porter, Hillard

Hey, Kyle: The Cavs would be awfully small with that lineup. They might be able to get away with it for short stretches of time, but I think taking McLemore likely would mean Waiters would come off the bench.

Hey, Mary: Could Z's influence in the front office, along with the recent assistant coach hirings, mean that Len is their guy? -- Michael Singer, Cleveland

Hey, Michael: Not necessarily, which doesn't mean Len isn't their guy. I think it would be more of a coincidence.

Hey, Mary:  What is the possibility of the Cavs trading the two second-round picks and getting a third first-round pick ? -- Joe Mcglynn, Willoughby

Hey, Joe: I don't think that will do it, unless they're looking at the bottom of the first round, which may not be worth it anyway. I think it will take all three picks -- Nos. 19, 31 and 33 to move up or perhaps the two second rounders and a player.

Hey, Mary: Are the Cavs focusing on a backup point guard for Kyrie? Seems like Livingston is leaving, and with Kyrie's injury history this would be an important position to address. Though Dion can handle spot point-guard duties, I think a young scoring combo guard would be good to provide our bench with scoring. -- Jared Butts, South Euclid

Hey, Jared: I'm sure they are looking to add a backup point guard, whether in the draft or through free agency or a trade.

Hey, Mary: Does Alex Len make this team any better? I see his highest ceiling as Andrew Bogut. Is that worth the No. 1 pick? -- Clay Malinovsky

Hey, Clay: Frankly, Clay, that's the question with all the players who could go No. 1 in this draft. It's an especially troubling question for the Cavs, who are trying to make the playoffs next year.

Hey, Mary: I know the Cavaliers don't officially release the names of players they've brought in for pre-draft workouts, but could you try to list them for us?  Thanks! -- Tyler, Athens

Hey, Tyler: I have written that the Cavs hosted UNLV's Anthony Bennett, Kansas' Ben McLemore, Georgetown's Otto Porter Jr., Indiana's Victor Oladipo, San Diego State's Jamaal Franklin, Kentucky's Nerlens Noel and Maryland's Alex Len. Those are the only ones I know.

Hey, Mary: Bill Simmons mentioned that there were big red flags going up about Nerlans Noel's "handlers" as well as the medical issues.  Did you run into any problems when you interviewed him?  He also mentioned the possibility of trading the two second round picks for Paul Pierce. Thoughts on that? -- Hal Wolfe, Cincinnati

Hey, Hal: I wrote a blog item last week saying that I had no problem with Noel's handlers and that he was punctual and professional when I talked to him. I also wrote a story quoting a Cleveland Clinic doctor saying that the growth plate issue Noel suffered in high school is relatively common in youngsters and likely did not lead to the torn ligament he suffered last season. I can't see the Celtics letting Paul Pierce go for two second-round picks, and I don't think the Cavs are interested in a veteran so close to the end of his career.

Hey, Mary: Any chance the Cavs get involved with LA and offer the No. 1 pick for Blake Griffin? In return the Clippers could package that for Dwight Howard. -- Steve Stosak, Simpsonville, S.C.

Hey, Steve: There is no way the Clippers are giving up Blake Griffin for the No. 1 pick in this draft. Dwight Howard is a free agent. He can sign wherever he wants. Even if the Lakers agreed to some sort of sign-and-trade, there's no way the No. 1 pick in this draft would factor into that deal.

Hey, Mary: How do you feel about Gorgui Dieng at No. 19? This would obviously not be taken in tandem with Nerlens at No. 1, but I see Dieng being a very good NBA player before too long. -- Alex Lust, Newark, OH

Hey, Alex: A lot of people have suggested that Dieng could be a mid- to late-first-round alternative to Nerlens Noel, but I think, in general, Noel has a higher upside. Should the Cavs opt not to take Noel or Alex Len at No. 1, perhaps Dieng could be an option at No. 19.

Hey, Mary: Who would you like to see the Cavs acquire in this year's draft? Do you think the Cavs should go after Monta Ellis to pair up with Irving and have Waiters come off the bench? -- Chris Wolfe, Akron

Hey, Chris: I think the most obvious choice is still Otto Porter Jr. Monta Ellis apparently has indicated he'd like to join Memphis, so I don't think he's interested in Cleveland.

Hey, Mary: Isn't Noel essentially DeAndre Jordan: an athletic shot blocker/rebounder who is very limited offensively? I can't see him propelling the Cavs to the heights that they aspire to, but it seems that the month-wide window of pre-draft trading is limiting the deal that the organization is hoping to get in exchange for the No. 1 pick. So, would the Cavs draft Noel with an eye toward trading him when the market is potentially more advantageous? -- Aaron Fink, Boulder, Colo.

Hey, Aaron: What is limiting the Cavs trading options is the fact that there's no consensus No. 1 pick, and all teams are trying to gauge the ceilings of the half a dozen players who could go No. 1. If the Cavs can find a team that absolutely loves a certain player in this draft, they have a chance to make a deal. But with so many chances to be wrong, most teams are content to let the Cavs keep the top pick and take their chances after that. It would seem to me that it would be foolish to take Noel with the idea of trading him. He's not going to be ready to play until Christmas. If he develops, the Cavs will want to keep him. If he doesn't, they'll have a tough time moving him.

Hey, Mary:  What's the latest from the grapevine on Greg Oden?  Seems that, if there's a real chance the Cavs could obtain his services, it would have a significant bearing on the first draft selection. -- Earl Maag, Orrville

Hey, Mary:  How serious is the Cavaliers interest in Greg Oden? -- Bob Cauley, Henderson, NV

Hey, Earl and Bob: I have written several times that the Cavs have interest in Oden, but only for the right price. I think if they take Noel, that interest wanes considerably. Despite encouraging reports, I'm not 100 percent convinced Oden will be able to resume his career. From what I hear, Miami is very interested.

Hey, Mary: I've heard rumors about the Lakers potentially trying to dump Pau's salary one someone, perhaps the Cavs for a couple picks.  I am usually against renting a player, especially one whose career is winding down, but if the name of the game this year is to get playoff experience for the youngbloods and all we have to give up is our second rounders and some cash, I might support it.  Even if it's not a Pau specific discussion, what do you think about a move like that? Is that something the Cavs brass would like to do? Do you personally approve? -- Damen Camin, Beachwood

Hey, Damen: It's going to take more than a couple of second round draft picks to lure Gasol, or any of the significant players the Cavs are targeting. It could take all four picks and a player or two, but if the Cavs have a chance to obtain an All-Star caliber player, I'm all for it. But I do not think they should mortgage the farm for a player with a year or two left -- like Paul Pierce.

Hey, Mary: I haven't been hearing a lot of concerns about Alex Len's injury and to me a stress fracture in the lower leg scares me just as much as an ACL injury on a freak play. -- Danny DePalma, Hiram

Hey, Danny: I'm not a doctor. Are you? I'm willing to leave such determinations up to the Cavs medical staff.

Hey, Mary: Would the 19th pick and the future No. 1 owed to them by the Kings be enough for them to move into the Kings seventh spot? -- Justin Luby, Tampa, FL

Hey, Justin: I would doubt that..

Hey, Mary: Mike Brown was never an offensive-minded coach during his stints with Cleveland and Los Angeles. He gave the ball to LeBron and Kobe and they scored all the points.  Do you think we will get that formula again? Also, he didn't do well developing any of the rookies Cleveland ever drafted.  Do you think he will be different this time? -- Irv Johnson, Cincinnati

Hey, Irv: Mike Brown is stronger defensively than he is offensively, but the fact that LeBron James often broke off plays, causing the offense to stall, was not Brown's fault. I think hiring well-respected Igor Kokoskov will help significantly on the offensive side of the ball. When Brown was here the first time, the Cavs were trying to win now, so grooming young players was not really their focus. However, James and Anderson Varejao were youngsters when Brown started coaching them and he groomed them both to be outstanding defensive players.

Hey, Mary: Giannis Adetokunbo has been called "The International Man of Mystery" because nobody was sure of his game.  I know he wasn't at the Adidas camp, but I understand that he was playing not far away and was scouted heavily during those games.  What is the prevailing opinion in the NBA of him, now that he's been seen competing against better talent? -- J. Smith, Rocky River

Hey, J: Teams are intrigued by his size and skills. You are right that he has played better recently against better competition, but there still are many questions. I see an established team taking a chance on him and leaving him overseas to develop for a couple of years.

Hey, Mary: One of the stories from last year's draft was that a mystery team convinced Dion Waiters to not work out for any NBA team. Any idea who that mystery team was? I just wonder because could they still be interested in him? The next question would be where does that team draft this year. -- Chris Stevens, Concord Township

Hey, Chris: Despite repeated attempts to find out, that team has never been identified. Many thought it was Phoenix. The Suns are making a lot of changes, and perhaps they'd still have interest. But I wouldn't stay up nights worrying about it.

Hey, Mary: What is the current outlook on the Cavs draft? Will they end up keeping the No. 1 pick or will they be able to trade it? -- Ari Ross, Shaker Heights

Hey, Ari: I'm hoping you've read through all the above questions and answers to see that the current outlook is murky at best. I've said all along that I think the Cavs would prefer to trade the pick, but it's looking more and more unlikely.

 


Josh Gordon feeling the Heat after late-night Tweet: Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

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After spending almost a year as a member of the Cleveland Browns, Josh Gordon apparently has yet to figure out that people in Northeast Ohio don't exactly love the Miami Heat.

gordon-prac-2013-cc.jpgView full sizeDear Josh Gordon: Tweeting from the Miami Heat's victory party is not the best way to win fans in Northeast Ohio. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Gordon needs to catch more than a risen star . . .

"Follower" isn't the best look for a player with Josh Gordon's track record. "Celebrity hanger-on?" Not so much, either.

Throw in "LeBron James groupie" and you have to know how that's going to play to a bitter fan base.

Top if off with "late-night reveler" and you have the kind of package that might make a dubious new regime in Berea even more skeptical of Tom Heckert's decision in the supplemental draft.

Gordon's Instagram post of himself and teammate Greg Little riding LeBron James' championship wave in South Beach came off like a teenager posting from a Bieber concert.

Josh Cribbs felt a similar backlash when he posted an All-Star Game picture of James titled "My boy," while using Dan Gilbert's seats. Cribbs had established his own identity as a Pro Bowl special teamplayer and had endeared himself to his team's fan base. Gordon has done neither.

You don't have to be James' bitter ex to take Gordon to task, though it comes in handy for some people and won't really go out of style until the Cavs find their way out of the lottery and deep into the playoffs.

The point (to me at least) isn't so much that Gordon was celebrating with a Cleveland public enemy, than posting it for Browns fans to see. Though what would he expect the reaction to be?

That simply made him look tone deaf to a city that wants to cheer him despite his recent two-game suspension for yet another positive drug test.

"Ya'll can find me at the champions parade on the #winners float. . . sorry," Gordon Tweeted.

Immaturity is the bigger concern for Gordon because he's even given team management -- and at least one former player -- reason to question that.

Doubtful he cares what media or fans say? How about a retired All-Pro?

"Riding shotgun with champions when your team (stinks) makes you a scrub," LeCharles Bentley Tweeted. "I'm done. "DamnKids."

And:

"YOU'RE suspended. YOU let YOUR team down but it's a priority to party with guys WAY out of your tax bracket. . . #Choices."

Pride drives the best players. Gordon's shown a lack of it dating to his college days where he failed three drug tests for marijuana use. Given his history, it's perfectly fair to question his explanation about testing positive for codeine prescribed for strep throat this time.

That he has a chance to be such a huge contributor in the Rob Chudzinski-Norv Turner offense isn't the backdrop for the criticism he's taking, but it plays a role. Does he look the part? Does he come off as a player who wants to be great?

None of this means he can't come back from his suspension and establish himself as a serious weapon at wide receiver, but the NFL isn't lacking guys with skills. The separator isn't talent.

If you were him, and you already knew the team president and GM thought you were overvalued in the supplemental draft -- in part for character issues -- here's a thought:

You'd be better off posting Instagram pictures of yourself studying the playbook in bed.

Best yet if the clock in the picture reads, "10:00."

Spinoffs

Another Pilot Flying J employee reached a plea agreement and is cooperating with the FBI's investigation into an alleged rebate fraud program.

Cleveland Browns: Jimmy Haslam watches the activity at Browns minicamp FridayView full sizeFor Jimmy Haslam, the number five has a doubly special meaning these days.  

Jay Stinnett, a senior sales manager in Knoxville, told investigators that "senior management" was aware of the scheme, according to The Tennessean.

You can't get any more "senior" or "management" than Jimmy Haslam. Investigators still must prove Haslam knew about the program. He says he did not.

The plea agreement says Stinnett had been promoted in 2011 to a position in which he advised senior management on operations of the direct sales division.

If you're counting, that's five Pilot Flying J employees to reach plea agreements.

Five plea agreements.

Five wins in 2012.

Symmetry, Browns style.

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A clarification: When Patriots owner Bob Kraft recently said, "We like to collect people of good character," he was talking about Tim Tebow and not Aaron Hernandez.

Or those involved in the spy scandal.

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Aaron Hernandez is part of a homicide investigation. After police found the body of Odin Lloyd near Hernandez's house, the Patriots tight end allegedly destroyed his cell phone, erased footage from his home security cameras and had a cleaning crew scrub down his house.

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, he had that appointment with Merry Maids booked for weeks or maybe days or probably minutes.

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Calling Miami a Big Three given how Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh contributed in the playoffs is an overstatement by one-and-a-half.

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Two of John Hart's signature trades were Kenny Lofton (coming) and Carlos Baerga (going). So many GMs don't come to terms with a significant downturn in a player's career until it's too late.

If only Hart would evaluate "You said it" contributors.

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John Hart's most uncomfortable moment on a big stage came during the 1995 postseason after the Albert Belle-Hannah Storm dustup when Hart had to face the media. Put in a position where he had to answer for Belle, Hart announced that Belle had apologized to the NBC reporter for his actions.

"John, is he going to apologize to everyone he's dropped the F-bomb on, or do you have to be a rights holder," asked Buffalo News columnist Jerry Sullivan.

Having to speak for Belle was tougher than hitting Braves pitching with a strike zone as wide as the state of Georgia.

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Niners' quarterback Colin Kaepernick threw out the first pitch at a Giants game and clocked 87 miles an hour.

Brandon Weeden, you're on the clock in more ways than one.

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The same company that bottled and sold a New York Yankees' scent, which presumably smells better than the ashes of Alex Rodriguez's contract, will market a Notre Dame cologne and perfume.

Sure to attract imaginary mates?

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Vladmir Putin is offering to buy Bob Kraft a replacement Super Bowl ring after the Pats' owner spoke publicly of Putin keeping the ring he showed the Russian leader several years ago.

Putin told reporters he has no recollection of meeting Kraft and remembers nothing about the ring.

Talk about the ultimate putdown. Putin might as well be saying, "And you are? And you're with?"

If it is "such a big treasure," Putin said, letting him buy a new ring would be the perfect solution for "tackling such a complicated international problem."

Kraft said Putin looked at the size of the ring and said, "I could kill somebody with this."

I think he just did.

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Christina Torre, daughter of former Yankees manager Joe Torre, caught a child falling off a fire escape in Brooklyn. She chalked it up to inheriting her father's "hand-eye coordinaton."

Talk about luck of the draw. That same toddler might've bounced off Jose Canseco's daughter's head.

He said it

"I'm LeBron James from Akron, Ohio, from the inner city. I'm not even supposed to be here."

Shocked, shocked is the guy who got a "Chosen 1" tattoo on his back in high school.

You said it

(The Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Hey, Bud: Can we take it as a positive that when Chris Perez gave up the three home runs the other night at AA Akron it didn't happen at A Lake County?" -- Tim, Twinsburg

You know what they say about Cleveland Fan. The glass of hemlock is always half-full.

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"Bud: You think Swisher and Kipnis could learn a thing or two from Joe Torre's daughter?" -- Len B, Chesterland

Yes. Next time, call that baby.

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"Bud: Hope for the Cavs, Indians and Browns? The Queen of England's horse just won at Ascot. First time winner for a royal horse in 207 years." -- George III

A Cleveland team winning a title at this point would be like the Queen's horse winning at Ascot with her in the saddle.

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"Bud: If Tim Tebow shows up to practice wearing clothes from the Hefty Bag Steel Can Collection, would Belichick be flattered enough to consider Tebow for the freshly vacated tight end position?" -- Michael Sarro

Wearing anything resembling a body bag is not a good look in Foxboro these days.

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"Bud: Now I understand what Aaron Hernandez meant when he said he wanted to fill the void left by Ray Lewis' retirement." -- Wayne Kuznar

Allegedly.

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"Bud: Has the PD moved the Jumble to the sports page, or did the Indians really sign their 13th round draft pick: SICNARF LOOPSTOK?" -- Jim Lefkowitz

My book of Original and Fresh Comedic Retorts informs me I'm supposed to say, "Gesundheit."

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"Hey Bud: I think LeBron should go out of his way to show his two rings to Putin." -- Patrick McGinty, Bay Village

First-time "You said it" winners receive a T-shirt from the mental_floss collection.

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"Hey, Bud: The Senior Games are in town for folks 50 to 101 years old. What are your chances in the 100-meter shuffle? The 800-meter lope? The 3,000-meter saunter?" -- Keith Jameson

Repeat winners finish last.

What are the Browns doing to reduce Brandon Weeden's batted passes: Hey, Mary Kay!

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Hey, Mary Kay: Brandon Weeden had more than his fair share of passes batted down last season, especially for a QB his size. What are the coaches doing to address that problem? -- Paul Keller, South Euclid Hey, Paul: Weeden led the NFL with 21 batted passes, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Some of it had to do with all the...

Hey, Mary Kay: Brandon Weeden had more than his fair share of passes batted down last season, especially for a QB his size. What are the coaches doing to address that problem? -- Paul Keller, South Euclid

Hey, Paul: Weeden led the NFL with 21 batted passes, according to ProFootballFocus.com. Some of it had to do with all the short, three-step drops, and some of it with him not releasing the ball quickly enough. The new vertical scheme will feature more five- and seven-step drops, and the coaches have been working with Weeden on his footwork and speeding up his release. And fellow first-round pick Barkevious Mingo has shown a knack for batting down balls in practice, so when he works more with the first team, he'll give Weeden a good look in that department.

Hey, Mary Kay: Doesn't this seem like the smartest Browns reboot yet? This front office recognized that there was lots of young talent on this team. Instead of cleaning house, they thought, 'Let's see what we have,' and stockpiled picks for what they might need to replace next year. I think we are in the best position a first-year staff in Cleveland has seen in a decade. What do you think? -- L. Smiles, Canton

Hey, L.: The jury is still out on what kind of reboot this will prove to be. A reboot should result in a perennial contender within three years. I think that's what these guys are aiming for. It depends, in large part, on finding a franchise quarterback, and they're not certain they have their man yet. Previous reboots have shown some promise, and then they get blown up. If this regime remains intact, they must be in the playoffs by 2015 for them to be on the right track.

Hey, Mary Kay: I'm a little confused. I know Josh Gordon failed three drug tests in college. Has he failed one or two drug tests in the NFL? I know about the positive for codeine, but I've read a few articles that vaguely imply there was another in the NFL. If so, why didn't we hear about it before? -- Mark Miller, Independence, Ky.

Hey, Mark: According to the NFL's substance-abuse policy, Gordon had to have violated the policy at least one other time for him to be suspended with the latest failed codeine test. The reason you don't hear about it is because it's confidential and doesn't become public unless a player is suspended. The exact nature of Gordon's first strike against the policy is unknown, but the Browns had a right to have him tested before they took him in the supplemental draft. Because Gordon had no idea he was entering the supplemental draft until a few days beforehand, he might not have had a chance to get clean if he was still using at that time.

Hey, Mary Kay: I've been thinking about stats for this coming season. With this new system the Browns have put in place, I see Weeden throwing over 3,700 yards and Richardson running over 1,100 yards. Have you given much thought as to what kind of year the duo will have? -- Tyler Starling, Nasport, Ohio

Hey, Tyler: Considering Weeden threw for 3,385 yards last season and Richardson ran for 950 with a shaky knee in the beginning and broken ribs, I think those numbers are realistic. Of course, Richardson will have to stay healthy to reach the 1,000-yard milestone this season, and Weeden will have to stave off challenges to his starting job from Jason Campbell and Brian Hoyer to surpass his rookie totals.

Hey, Mary Kay: The Browns are under the salary cap by about $31 million. The roster also has some young talent set to become free agents soon: Alex Mack and T.J. Ward in 2014, and Joe Haden and Phil Taylor in 2015.

If Banner is such a salary-cap guru, why isn't he using the extra cap space this year to front-load these pricey extensions? Is there a deeper problem regarding a lack of revenue and profitability? -- Mike Puthoff, Chicago

Hey, Mike: In some of these cases, the Browns might want to wait and see how the players perform before they commit multimillions. I anticipate they'll extend Mack, but they might want to see that Ward can stay healthy before lengthening his deal. I don't think there's a sense of urgency yet on Haden or Taylor.

Hey, Mary Kay: How and why is the Browns' coaching staff putting so much confidence in Jordan Cameron? He hardly played last season due to injury, or he was such a nonfactor, I didn't notice him on the field. And if Trent Richardson isn't 100 percent, Gordon is out two games, Brandon Weeden and Greg Little are still a big question mark, what are their big plans with an offense that really doesn't have many, or any, skilled players? -- Joe Penewit, Bellbrook, Ohio

Hey, Joe: The coaching staff saw enough of Cameron on film to think he could be a viable starting tight end in the their scheme, and Rob Chudzinski, a former tight end, knows the position. So does Norv Turner, who coached Antonio Gates in San Diego. The key for Cameron is to stay away from the nagging injuries that plagued him this off-season (groin and hamstring). You're right, there is a lot of uncertainty now with Gordon being out two games and Richardson suffering a strained leg muscle. But the skill players all look better with a year under their belts and have great potential if Weeden can get them the ball consistently.

Hey, Mary Kay: The No. 1 receiver won't play for two games. How do the other receivers look that were brought in by Rob Chudzinski and Norv Turner? Any diamonds out there? -- Melvin Davis, Cleveland

Hey, Melvin: Davone Bess, acquired in a draft-day trade with the Dolphins, will provide a real boost to the offense. He has experience and is a sure-handed receiver who excels on third down. We haven't seen David Nelson (ACL) on the field yet, but he'll provide another big target who can play inside or out.

Hey, Mary Kay: I am very excited about how the defense is coming together, especially excited about the scheme. However, I fear [Ray] Horton may get offers for a head-coaching gig if the defense does improve. Am I right to be worried? -- Tyler D., Lorain

Hey, Tyler: Horton was interviewed for head-coaching jobs by a number of teams this year, including the Browns and Cardinals, and was convinced he'd land one. So, yes, he's getting close, and if the Browns are good this year, he'll draw interest. But, hopefully, for the Browns, he can lay the foundation for a good, attacking defense before he leaves.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think Jamoris Slaughter has a legit chance to beat out Tashaun Gipson for the starting job at free safety, or is there too little time? Also, are we completely done in free agency? If not, what position do you see the Browns [needing] to address? -- Paul Vocca, Cottonwood, Ariz.

Hey, Paul: Slaughter said this week he'll be ready for training camp, but he has a lot of catching up to do to surpass Gipson, who played in games last year and started. Slaughter is coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon and will need some time to get back into game shape. But he's determined to win the job, so that'll help bring out the best in all the safeties.

-- Mary Kay

Mike Aviles a capable replacement for Asdrubal Cabrera: Cleveland Indians Insider

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Last year, the Cleveland Indians hard a hard time finding anyone who could even give Asdrubal Cabrera a day off. This year, Mike Aviles is filling in well while Cabrera is on the DL.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Last year the Indians had a hard time finding someone to replace Asdrubal Cabrera when the All-Star shortstop needed a break because of fatigue or injury. It's not like they didn't try.

Juan Diaz, Jason Donald, Brent Lillibridge, Jack Hannahan and Cord Phelps all took a crack at the job, but none were considered the solution.

This season Mike Aviles has turned the lottery into a one-man show. When Cabrera tore his right quadriceps muscle running to first base at Yankee Stadium on June 3, Aviles moved from third to shortstop and hasn't left.

"I was ecstatic when (General Manager Chris Antonetti) traded for him and I'm just as happy today," manager Terry Francona said when asked about Aviles.

The Indians acquired Aviles and catcher Yan Gomes from Toronto for right-hander Esmil Rogers on Nov. 3.

Aviles is hitting .200 (11-for-55) with one homer and five RBI in 15 games since replacing Cabrera. Overall, he's hitting .273 (44-for-161) with eight doubles, four homers and 23 RBI.

"I've always prepared myself like I'm going to play every day and adjust from there," said Aviles, who started the season as a utility player. "It makes it easier in the event you do have to play every day.

"If you do it the other way ... prepare to be a utility guy and then have to play every day, you can get tired really quick."

After Sunday, the Indians start an 11-game, 12-day trip. Cabrera will travel with the team and could be activated at some point during the journey.

"I know Tito (Francona) likes the fact that he can throw me in there and we can still compete," said Aviles. "My biggest thing is when Cabbie went down, no one wants to lose a guy like that. He's a two-time All-Star and you can't replace a two-time All-Star.

"My thing was not to try and be Cabbie, or play like Cabbie, but to play my game and help the team win. I just want to try and keep the chains moving."

The Indians, entering Saturday night's game against the Twins, were 7-8 since Aviles replaced Cabrera.

Take it easy: There's already speculation about what starting pitcher will go when Zach McAllister comes off the disabled list. McAllister, however, still isn't close to being activated as he recovers from a sprained right middle finger.

He's playing catch at 105 feet wearing a protective device on his finger. He'll get stretched out to 120 feet and then restart the throwing program without protection on the finger.

"I'm just throwing fastballs right now," said McAllister.

Said Francona: "This is not something to mess around with. He has to be symptom-free when he starts to throw without the tape on his finger."

Before McAllister went on the DL on June 8, he was feeling pain in the finger when he threw his curveball. The curve is his second-best pitch.

"I guarantee you that when he starts throwing curveballs, he won't be feeling (pain) in that finger," said Francona.

Regarding a logjam of starters, Francona said, "If we ever get to a point where we feel we have too much pitching, good for us."

Swisher update: Look for Nick Swisher (left shoulder) to return to the starting lineup Sunday or Monday.

Francona didn't want to play Swisher on Saturday night and bring him back for Sunday's day game against the Twins.

Hall of Famers: Congratulations to Carlos Baerga and John Hart who were inducted into the Indians Hall of Fame before Saturday night's game.

"Carlos didn't really look like a player," said Francona, "but boy could he hit. And he loved playing the game. I don't think that will ever change. My dad (Tito) was at a function with him over the winter and wants to adopt him. He just loves him."

Finally: Drew Stubbs has scored from third base twice this year on pop-ups to second basemen. He did it against the Twins on Friday and the Yankees on June 3.

"A lot of times they don't anticipate people going," said Stubbs. "You just try to get a feel for a situation."

It doesn't hurt to be fast as well.


Cleveland Indians' minor-league report

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Class AAA: Columbus 6, Lehigh Valley 2 The Clippers started fast, dropping five runs on the IronPigs in the bottom of the first inning. Jeremy Hermida and Juan Diaz hit two-run homers, while Tim Fedroff had an RBI single. Columbus starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-3, 3.86 ERA) went 5 innings for the win, giving up one run, striking out six...

Class AAA: Columbus 6, Lehigh Valley 2 The Clippers started fast, dropping five runs on the IronPigs in the bottom of the first inning. Jeremy Hermida and Juan Diaz hit two-run homers, while Tim Fedroff had an RBI single. Columbus starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-3, 3.86 ERA) went 5 innings for the win, giving up one run, striking out six and walking two.

Class AA: New Britain 12, Akron 7 (11) The Rock Cats scored four runs in the top of the ninth to go up, 7-6, but the Aeros scored a run in the bottom half of the frame to take it into extra innings.

New Britain then scored five times off Rob Bryson (0-1, 9.49) in the 11th to put away Akron.

2B Ronny Rodriguez (.293) had three hits for the Aeros.

Class A Advanced: Potomac 7, Carolina 5 Mudcats starter Michael Peoples (0-3, 6.41) was shelled for six runs in the first two innings against the Nationals. 2B Joe Wendle hit a home run and had two RBI for Carolina.

Class A: Dayton 6, Lake County 5 (10) Captains closer Louis Head (0-2, 1.95) blew the save by giving up a leadoff triple in the bottom of the ninth to Brent Peterson, who ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly, then gave up a bases-loaded RBI single to Tanner Rahier in the bottom of the 10th to take the loss.

Class A Short Season: Batavia 2, Mahoning Valley 1 (10) Scrappers pitcher Ben Heller (0-1, 3.86) gave up a run in the bottom of the 10th in the loss to the Muckdogs. Juan Romero scored Mahoning Valley's lone run in the sixth inning.

Independent: Schaumburg 11, Lake Erie 4 The Crushers' five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt as the Boomers scored 11 runs on 14 hits. In his professional debut, Lake Erie pitcher Kyle Shaw (0-1) went 4 innings, giving up six runs on nine hits and striking out four.

Cleveland Gladiators fall in Jacksonville for sixth straight loss

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Jacksonville scores twice in the final minutes to drop the Cleveland Gladiators to 2-11 on the season.

gladiators logo.jpgView full size 

By Ken Hornack

Jacksonville, Fla. -- Not even a homecoming to remember for defensive back LaRoche Jackson was enough to bring about a change in fortunes for the Cleveland Gladiators.

The Gladiators lost their sixth game in a row Saturday night as the Jacksonville Sharks scored two touchdowns in the closing minutes to pull out a 43-41 victory in a contest filled with turnovers, penalties and sloppiness.

Jackson, who spent the previous two seasons with the Sharks, came up with three interceptions and a fumble recovery. The first of his picks he returned 32 yards for a touchdown to give the Gladiators (2-11) a 14-7 lead after one quarter.

But the Sharks (9-5) came up with the biggest takeaway of the night when Micheaux Robinson intercepted a Chris Dieker pass and returned it for a score moments after Jacksonville had taken the lead with 2:04 remaining.

"We were on the 2-yard line. So we can't drop back into the end zone, especially since they're leading the league in sacks," said Gladiators coach Steve Thonn. "We had to try to throw something quick to get it going. And he [Dieker] just didn't see the guy [Robinson]."

Jackson's spectacular performance was perhaps why the Sharks switched quarterbacks before their go-ahead drive. R.J. Archer came in to replace Kyle Rowley, whose final pass in the Gladiators' red zone wound up in Jackson's hands. Although he ran it back for an apparent score, a holding penalty on the return negated the touchdown.

"[Rowley] had one of those games," Jackson said. "My game was on, and his game was off. And if it wasn't for our defensive line getting pressure on him and having him throwing the ball like that, I wouldn't have gotten those picks."

The Gladiators had only 12 interceptions through their first 12 games, with Jackson being one of three players with two.

"In a hostile environment like Jacksonville, you've got to make plays," he said. "I love Jacksonville. I love the city. And I loved playing here. It's like a little chip on my shoulder. I'm not here anymore, but at the same time, that team is like family to me."

The Sharks had allowed 138 points in their previous two games. But they blanked the Gladiators in the second quarter and limited them to a touchdown pass from Dieker to Dominick Goodman in the third.

"Offensively, we just struggled too much in the first half," Thonn said. "Our defense was playing great, but we were just struggling [on offense]."

Dieker's 9-yard pass to Goodman, who made the catch while falling into the stands, gave the Gladiators a 34-30 lead with 7:54 to go. Even after Robinson's pivotal play, the Gladiators bounced back and scored with less than a minute left on a 23-yard pass from Dieker to 305-pound, two-way player Derik Steiner. But the Sharks recovered Cleveland's ensuing onside kick and were able to run out the clock.

The Gladiators, who return home to face Philadelphia, have lost their past three games by a total of 13 points.

"The good thing is, we're a young team keeping these games close," Thonn said. "We weren't doing that at the beginning of the year. So now we've got find a way to finish. Is it offense? Is it defense? Is it special teams?"

Dieker was sacked three times in the first half, including the final play before halftime with the Gladiators having reached the Sharks' 5-yard line. He finished 20-of-30 passing for 222 yards and five TDs.

Chicago Blackhawks beat Boston, take 3-2 lead in Stanley Cup finals

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Patrick Kane scores twice for the Chicago Blackhawks, who can win the Stanley Cup for the fifth time with a victory in Boston on Monday.

nhl.jpgView full sizeThe Chicago Blackhawks, celebrating a third-period goal Saturday, are one win away from the Stanley Cup. 

CHICAGO -- Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks have that look again, and another Stanley Cup is within reach.

Kane scored two goals, Corey Crawford made 24 saves and the Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead in the finals.

Kane had a terrific postseason when Chicago won it all in 2010, including the winning score in a 4-3 overtime victory in Philadelphia that secured the title. Now he's picking up steam with Chicago one win away from another championship, collecting seven goals in the last seven games

Dave Bolland added an empty-net score and Jonathan Toews had two assists before leaving with an upper-body injury. The captain took a big hit from Johnny Boychuk late in the second and did not play in the final period.

The Bruins also lost one of their key players when Patrice Bergeron was injured in the second. It was unclear what happened to the star center, but the team said he was taken to a hospital for observation.

"Getting evaluated right now," coach Claude Julien said. "Not much I can say."

Toews was on the bench for the last part of the game, and coach Joel Quenneville said he hopes the center will be able to play Monday night in Boston.

Zdeno Chara scored in the third period for the Bruins, who lost consecutive games for the first time since the first round against Toronto. Tuukka Rask made 29 saves, keeping the Bruins close while they scrambled to generate quality chances.

Chara got a nice pass from David Krejci from behind the net and beat Crawford on the glove side to make it 2-1 at 3:40 in the third period. The whistling slap shot by the big defenseman came after he was on the ice for five of Chicago's goals in the Blackhawks' 6-5 overtime victory Wednesday night.

The location of Chara's third postseason goal brought to mind the glove-side difficulties for Crawford in Game 4. But he held up just fine coming off the worst postseason game of his career.

He gloved Daniel Paille's slap shot early in the third, and the Blackhawks helped their embattled goaltender by turning up the pressure on Rask after the Bruins cut it to one. Kane forced Rask to make a couple of nice stops, and Michael Frolik also made a run to the net.

The Blackhawks survived one last push by the Bruins after they pulled Rask, and the crowd of 22,274 roared when the overhead videoboard showed the No. 1 and the Stanley Cup on the screen, signifying the team is one victory away from its fifth title.

"They were able to put some pressure on us but we were able to shut the door," Crawford said.

Boston and Chicago returned to the ice three days after they played the highest-scoring game in this year's NHL playoffs. There were five goals in the second period alone, matching the total from the previous two games combined, and Brent Seabrook's overtime score lifted the Blackhawks to the series-tying victory.

It was a marked departure from the first three games of the finals, and raised questions about what the play would be like in the last part of the series. The answer, at least in Game 5, was a return to the strong team defense and disciplined play. It meant little room to maneuver in both offensive zones, especially for the series' biggest stars.

Only Kane was sure able to find enough space.

With 21/2 minutes left in the first, Johnny Oduya's long slap shot broke the stick of Boston defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and trickled to the left side of the net where Kane poked it in for eighth playoff goal.

The line of Kane, Toews and Bryan Bickell, which coach Joel Quenneville put back together before Game 4, struck again in the second. Bickell was stopped by Rask on a rush along the left side, but skated behind the net and threw it back in front.

The puck went off the right side of the goal as Rask got his blocker to the post. Kane then deftly backhanded the bouncing puck into the top of the net to make it 2-0 at 5:13.

That proved to be enough for Crawford, who has allowed one goal or less in nine games this postseason. But this one had to be particularly satisfying after facing a barrage of questions about his glove over the past two days.

Since the NHL went to a best-of-seven format for the Stanley Cup in 1939, the winner of Game 5 in a deadlocked series has gone on to win the title 15 times in 22 occasions.

Those numbers likely don't scare Boston very much. The Bruins faced the same situation against Vancouver in 2011 and came back to win the championship.

Cleveland Indians score six in first and hang on to beat Twins, 8-7

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Corey Kluber recovered from a two-run first inning homer and the Cleveland Indians scored six runs in their half of the first to beat the Twins, 8-7, to win for the eighth time in their last 10 games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians scored six runs in the first inning, two more in the fifth and barely hung on to defeat the Twins on Saturday night because the bullpen proved once again to be unstable.

"We had some highs and some lows," said Indians manager Terry Francona, when asked about the bullpen. "Fortunately, the highs won out and we went home happy."

The Indians' 8-7 victory in front of 21,417 at Progressive Field was their fourth straight and eighth in their past 10 games. But until Vinnie Pestano threw a 3-2 slider past pinch-hitter Josh Willingham to end it in the ninth inning, the outcome was in doubt.

"The season hasn't been anything but challenging for me so far," said Pestano, who earned his third save since replacing injured closer Chris Perez on May 27.

"I've taken my lumps and my bruises. It's been the most difficult that I can recall in quite some time, but with that being said, we won the game."

Pestano entered the ninth with an 8-5 lead. Justin Morneau, after a long at-bat, hit a leadoff double for the Twins. He came around to score on a fly ball and Oswaldo Arcia's RBI grounder. Pestano was one out away from ending things, but Chris Parmelee hit his second homer of the night to make it 8-7.

Brian Dozier walked to bring power-hitter Willingham off the bench. Willingham couldn't pull the trigger on Pestano's slider for the third strike.

  • Twins-Indians boxscore | Scoreboard | Standings

    "I usually throw a lot of fastballs to him," said Pestano. "I threw a good one to him Friday night. I just figured he'd be on the fastball."

    The Twins, who hit four homers in the game, started their power display early. Joe Mauer, the second batter of the game, hit a 429-foot, two-run homer to stagger Corey Kluber. The Indians came back to knock P.J. Walters out of the game by scoring six runs in their half of the first.

    "There were some of those at-bats where he threw four straight balls, but in some of them we showed good patience to extend the inning," said Francona.

    Down, 2-0, before they touched a bat, the Indians came back quickly. After Michael Bourn drew a leadoff walk and Mike Aviles was hit by a pitch, Jason Kipnis brought them home with a double to left to tie the score.

    Kipnis went double, single and triple in his first three at-bats. It was his eighth multihit game this month.

    Walters (2-3, 4.88) retired Michael Brantley on a fly ball to center, but issued walks to the next three batters: Carlos Santana, Mark Reynolds and Jason Giambi. The walk to Giambi forced home Kipnis for a lead the Indians never lost.

    After Lonnie Chisenhall flied out to right, Walters forced home another run with a walk to Drew Stubbs. The Indians had a 4-2 lead, but it appeared they were going to miss an opportunity to take control of the game when Anthony Swarzak replaced Walters.

    Bourn didn't let that happen as he blooped a single into center field to score Reynolds and Giambi for a 6-2 lead.

    Walters allowed six runs on five walks and one hit. He threw 46 pitches -- only 18 for strikes -- and didn't register a strikeout.

    Kluber (6-4, 3.68) pitched into the sixth. This wasn't the Kluber who threw seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory over Washington in his previous start, but he still got outs when he needed in his first victory over the Twins.

    "I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be," said Kluber. "Those are the games where you've got to work to get outs and give your team a chance to win."

    The Twins cut the Tribe's lead to 6-3 on Arcia's leadoff homer in the fourth. With the Twins threatening to take a bigger bite out of the Indians' lead, Kluber struck out Clete Thomas and retired Mauer on a grounder to second to end the fourth with runners on first and third.

    The Indians, looking for insurance, found some in the fifth.

    Ryan Pressly allowed the first four Indians he faced to reach base. Giambi walked, Chisenhall doubled him to third and Stubbs delivered Giambi with a single to right. Bourn made it 8-3 with his second of three hits.

    Trevor Plouffe made it 8-4 with a single off Cody Allen in the seventh. Parmelee made it 8-5 with a leadoff homer against Bryan Shaw in the eighth.

    When Shaw walked Dozier and Thomas, lefty Rich Hill relieved to face Mauer, who entered the game hitting .347 (26-for-75) against the Indians since June 2, 2012. Hill, who entered with a 7.79 ERA and a .319 batting average against, struck out Mauer and switch-hitter Ryan Doumit to end the inning.

  • Indians vs. Twins: Get updates and post your comments

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    The Indians look to close out their homestand with another victory against the Twins this afternoon at Progressive Field.

    Game 74: Indians (38-35) vs. Twins (33-38)


    First pitch:
    1:05 p.m. at Progressive Field.

    TV/radio: TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WMMS FM/100.7, WTAM AM/ 1100



    Starting pitchers: RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 8.40 ERA) vs. RHP Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 6.11).


    » Live box score | MLB scoreboard


    » Get updates from the pressbox here


    » You can also follow Tweets about the game and post your comments below.




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