Join cleveland.com's pregame coverage online, starting at 11 a.m., as they preview the Browns-Vikings matchup and talk fantasy football.
The surprising Indians and their shockingly effective lefty cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night at Progressive Field. Scott Kazmir struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer and Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-4 as the Tribe won for the eighth time in 10 games. Watch video
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Indians, in pursuit of a playoff spot, helped themselves with another dominant performance by Scott Kazmir.
Nod if you saw that coming in spring training. Now feel free to take a lie-detector test.
The surprising Indians and their shockingly effective lefty cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night at Progressive Field. Kazmir struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer and Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-4 as the Tribe won for the eighth time in 10 games.
The Indians (85-70) remain in the second wild-card slot, percentage points ahead of Texas. They trail wild-card leader Tampa Bay by percentage points; the Rays defeated Baltimore earlier in the day.
The DisAstros (51-104) have lost eight in a row and 104 of their last 154.
In the opener of the four-game series Thursday, the Indians needed a Matt Carson walkoff single to prevail, 2-1, in 11 innings. On Friday, they managed three singles and one double but escaped, 2-1, in a game called after 6 ½ innings because of rain. In both instances, Houston's bad offense and defense assisted the hosts.
On Saturday, the Indians had notched four hits by the sixth batter of the first inning and four runs by the second batter of the fourth. The remainder of the game was a formality.
• Box score | Scoreboard | Standings
The Tribe's only legitimate concerns were bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. avoiding a flying bat in the second; Kazmir working off a grounder to the right arm in the fifth; and catcher Yan Gomes working off a hit-by-pitch on the right arm in the fifth. Gomes wore a sleeve in the next inning.
The Indians fed off the mega-watt electricity generated by a paid attendance of 26,611. The crowd was into it from before first pitch.
"It was so great to be in that atmosphere,'' said Nick Swisher, who experienced the buzz from right field and first base. "This is such an amazing place to play. When you have fan support like that, it's so easy to get up for games.''
Swisher financed the postgame fireworks.
"We had a good crowd behind us,'' center fielder Michael Bourn said. "We enjoyed it. Of course it's going to bring extra energy to the players in the dugout. When you see that kind of energy coming from the crowd, it's only a plus. It gets us going, gets our blood moving.''
It is easy for the home fans to get loud and stay loud when their club takes a three-run lead in the first inning and the starting pitcher flexes.
Kazmir gave up four hits and walked one. He threw 71 of 97 pitches for strikes. He handled an all-right-handed lineup with fastballs on the edges, some cut-pieces and a nasty changeup away.
Kazmir posted double-digit strikeouts for the third time this season and 20th time in his career. The Indians' rotation has 11 double-digit strikeouts games, which, according to researcher John Krepop, ranked third in the majors as of Saturday night.
"The fastball command was great,'' Kazmir said. "Getting first-pitch strikes was always the key. Once I got those, I was able to expand the strike zone and work my changeup a lot late in the count for strikeouts.''
The Astros singled in the first, fifth and seventh. After L.J. Hoes doubled leading off the eighth, Tribe manager Terry Francona signaled for righty Cody Allen. Kazmir exited to a standing ovation. Allen stranded Hoes by recording a groundout and two strikeouts.
Kazmir improved to 9-9 with a 4.14 ERA and 151 strikeouts. That the Indians have gotten 28 starts and 152 innings from the Kazmanian Devil is remarkable. Last season, he pitched in the Atlantic League and Puerto Rican Winter League but not the major leagues. Cleveland signed him to a minor-league contract in January.
Francona recalled watching with pitching coach Mickey Callaway as Kazmir threw a side session on the first day of spring training.
"In the back of your head you're thinking, 'Wow. If this works, what a find,''' Francona said. "Now we're in the middle of September -- it's getting late in September -- and he's pitching as well as he is. It's exciting.''
Bourn led off the first with a double to left-center against righty Paul Clemens (no relation to Roger). Swisher singled to right, Bourn stopping at third. Jason Kipnis hit a sacrifice fly to left to become the first Indian to 80 RBI. After Carlos Santana flied out, Brantley homered to right.
"When Bourny gets on base, we're a whole different team,'' Francona said. "He's got that energy and he's out there bouncing around.''
The Tribe needed four pitches in the fourth to make it 4-0. Gomes smacked a 1-1 pitch into the left-field corner for a double and Lonnie Chisenhall delivered an RBI single.
Houston slugger Chris Carter homered in the ninth off Joe Smith.
Notable: Gomes said the arm is OK, but he went to get treatment after he said that. ... Astros leadoff man Jonathan Villar singled to left on Kazmir's second pitch of the game. Jose Altuve, Houston's best player and the MLB hits leader in September, grounded the first pitch he saw to third. Chisenhall triggered a 5-4-3 double play.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Earlier today we posted the cleveland.com high school football Top 25 heading into Week 4. You can check it out here. Each week after posting the updated Top 25, we'll post another story with talking points, including insight into why some teams moved up or down, or in or out of the rankings. We also invite...
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Earlier today we posted the cleveland.com high school football Top 25 heading into Week 4. You can check it out here.
Each week after posting the updated Top 25, we'll post another story with talking points, including insight into why some teams moved up or down, or in or out of the rankings. We also invite you to provide your input in the comments section below, a new feature added to high school stories this school year.
How does your Top 25 differ? Go to the comments section below and tell us what you agree or don't agree with. You can even post your own rankings, which we welcome.
Talking point No. 1: Why did Solon return to the Top 25 and not Westlake?
Both teams had good arguments for returning to the poll. Solon (2-2) was coming off a decisive win over Strongsville, snapping a two-game losing streak that had come to Willoughby South and Glenville. Westlake improved to 3-1 Saturday by rallying to beat North Olmsted.
In the end, the Comets got the nod in large part because their play has been more consistent, and their two losses came to legitimate Top 25 teams.
The Demons have been a model of inconsistency this season, something that was displayed in the North Olmsted game, where they scored 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win by a point.
So why drop Solon in the first place? The Comets' fall from No. 14 to unranked after two straight losses came down to bad timing. With Stow, North Olmsted and Bedford knocking on the door to the Top 25, the Comets' loss gave way to teams on the upswing last week.
We needed another week to see whether or not the Comets were in free fall, and if Willoughby South would continue to be a team on the rise.
Both answers landed in the Comets' favor.
Talking point No. 2: What about Fairview, Villa Angela-St. Joseph and Ellet?
The bottom line is we need to see more from them.
Ellet is perhaps the closest of the three to break through. The Orangemen were a playoff team last year after a few years spent hovering around .500. Coming off a close win over winless Canfield didn't seem to be enough to propel them into the Top 25 this week.
Fairview went 3-7 last year and hasn't had a winning record in more than a decade. The Warriors are off to a great start, but they probably need a good showing against Columbia in Week 6 to prove they've arrived.
Much like the Warriors, VASJ is a team that needs to show us more wins. The Vikings hovered around .500 in recent years (making the playoffs at 6-4 in 2011) before bottoming out at 1-9 last year.
Each year there are teams that shed the futility of the past and have a breakout season. We hope Fairview, VASJ and Ellet become those teams. And if they do, by the end of the season you'll likely see them in the Top 25.
Talking point No. 3: Say goodbye to Bedford.
Bedford jumped into the poll at No. 25 last week. And after a loss to Cleveland Heights, the Bearcats became the third team in four weeks to drop from the spot.
Talking point No. 4: What games will shape next week's Top 25?
No. 6 Avon vs. No. 16 Midview: Can the Middies be the first team to seriously shake up the top seven teams in the poll?
No. 9 Shaker Heights at No. 20 Stow: The big gap between them in the Top 25 could shrink considerably with a win by the Bulldogs.
No. 23 Brecksville-Broadview Heights at No. 25 North Olmsted: This game may determine who stays and who goes in next week's poll.
Chicago and the Indians open a two-game series Tuesday night at Progressive Field. The Indians hold a 15-2 advantage over the White Sox this season.
Where: Progressive Field.
When: Tuesday and Wednesday.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM 1100-AM and WMMS.
Pitching matchups: LHP Hector Santiago (4-9, 3.53) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 3.39) Tuesday 7:05 p.m.; undecided vs. RHP Danny Salazar (1-3, 3.09) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
Season Series: The Indians are 15-2 against the White Sox. Overall, the White Sox lead, 1048-1015.
White Sox update: They entered Monday's game against Toronto having lost 18 of their last 23 games. Jeff Keppinger is hitting .404 (19-for-47) against the Indians this season, but overall the Indians have outscored the White Sox, 106-51. Santiago is 0-1 in two starts against the Tribe.
Indians update: They've won 15 of their last 21 games to move into the AL's second wild card spot. They've beaten Chicago 12 straight times and have swept three four-game series from them. Jimenez is 1-0 in two starts and Ryan Raburn is hitting .381 (16-for-42) against Chicago this year.
Injuries: White Sox -- C Tyler Flowers (right shoulder), RHP Gavin Floyd (right elbow) and RHP Brian Omogrosso (right elbow) are on the disabled list. RHP Andre Rienzo (blister right ring finger) is day to day. Indians -- C Lou Marson (right shoulder), RHP Frank Herrmann (right elbow), INF Cord Phelps (right wrist), LHP Scott Barnes (left wrist) are on the DL. Justin Masterson (left oblique) is day to day.
Next: Indians travel open four game series against the Twins at Target Field on Wednesday night.
Indians' "Goon Squad" will be featured on the show, which will air tonight at 7:30 on Fox Sports 1. Reairings are tonight at 11 p.m. on Fox Sports 2; and twice on Fox Sports 1, Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.and Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Indians will be featured on tonight's episode of "Mission October" series, which will air at 7:30 EDT on Fox Sports 1.
The show will re-air tonight at 11 p.m. on Fox Sports 2; and twice on Fox Sports 1, Tuesday at 8:30 p.m.and Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
The show takes an inside look at the Tribe as it competes for AL Wild Card berth. MLB Productions crews were embedded with the team throughout this past weekend as they swept the Astros to take a 1 1/2-game lead for the second AL Wild Card spot.
Highlighted in the episode are the four members of the self-proclaimed “Goon Squad” (Mike Aviles, Jason Giambi, Yan Gomes and Ryan Raburn). The players talk about their penchant for heroics off the bench, with Nick Swisher making an appearance during the shoot.
Here's a look at a clip from the show:
Akron head basketball coach Keith Dambrot gets a one year contract extension which extends current deal to the end of the 2023 season.
AKRON, Ohio -- There is nothing like success for the Akron Zips, and basketball coach Keith Dambrot has been the main reason. Once again he is being rewarded. The 10-year contract he signed prior to last season has gotten an extra year.
Dambrot's new deal runs through the 2022-23 season as reward for a stellar 2013 campaign that included a 26 wins, a share of the Mid-American Conference regular season title, a MAC Tournament crown and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
In his nine seasons as head coach at his alma mater, where his mother taught and his children attend, he has compiled an impressive 210-94 record. Dambrot's Zips won an outright regular season MAC title in 2011-12 to go with the shared crown last season with Ohio University.
The 2012-13 Zips were 26-7, including a 19-game winning streak that was tops in the nation. It matched the school mark for wins, while the NCAA berth was the third in five seasons.
The Zips, with 22 or more victories for eight straight seasons, had one week in the coaches Top 25 poll. Only five other programs have won 22 or more games per season for the last eight years: Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Pitt and Ohio State.
In a Zips release, Dambrot said: "The progress we have made as a program and the commitment from The University and the community make this one of the premier jobs in the nation. I want to thank Dr. (Luis) Proenza, the Board of Trustees and (AD) Tom (Wistrcill) for all they have done for us."
Perhaps no Browns player elicits more contrasting opinions than Skrine.
BEREA, Ohio – In the victorious visiting locker room Sunday, safety T.J. Ward reviewed a catalog of talking points from the Browns’ 31-27 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
He spoke of the team’s character in wake of the Trent Richardson trade, of the defensive effort against All-Pro back Adrian Peterson and of his interception, one of three turnovers forced by the Browns.
But Ward reserved his most praise for maligned cornerback Buster Skrine, who broke up two potential touchdown passes and played his best game of the young season.
“I’m proud of Buster, I’m proud of the way he competes,” Ward said. “Buster gets singled out some times, but he is the epitome of scrappy.”
Perhaps, no Brown elicits more contrasting opinions than the 5-9 Skrine. Teammates laud his tenacity in the face of repeated challenges from opponents who look to avoid opposite corner Joe Haden. But many fans and media members see him as a liability, a defensive back who often gets beat and flagged for interference.
In the past two seasons, Skrine has become an inviting target for quarterbacks and critics alike. The third-year pro said he doesn’t pay attention to external commentary.
“If you are losing, of course, everyone is pointing fingers,” Skrine said. “If you win, everyone is happy. I don’t listen to all of that. We’re all a team and we’re working to do something great here and all the outside stuff doesn’t bother me.”
While the front seven continues to gain respect, the secondary remains a concern, especially at cornerback. Free agent Chris Owens has not been an upgrade from Sheldon Brown and coaches don’t trust third-round pick Leon McFadden enough to play him.
If fans thought they would see less of Skrine a season after committing a team-high 12 penalties, they were mistaken. He’s played on all but 27 defensive snaps and barely left the field Sunday in the Metrodome. Beyond the two pass break-ups against the Vikings, Skrine contributed four tackles including a critical fourth-quarter stop on Kyle Rudolph, denying him a first down on a third-and-10 from the Minnesota 21.
“Our (position) coach preaches tackling,” said Skrine, the team’s second-leading tackler with 20 behind only linebacker D’Qwell Jackson. “A lot of DBs in the league don’t tackle, especially corners. We walk into the game with a chip on our shoulder because we are a tackling secondary.”
Skrine played through a shoulder injury in the first week, but refused to use it as an excuse for his performance. He was victimized by Miami’s Brian Hartline on a 34-yard touchdown and also drew a pass interference penalty. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill went after Skrine and Owens in the opener as the defense wore down in the fourth quarter.
Curbing unnecessary penalties – Skrine often was too aggressive with his hands last year -- was an off-season emphasis. He’s been flagged just once in three games.
“I worked on my technique ... so I wouldn’t grab and things like that and it’s been paying off,” he said.
A year ago, opponents completed 73.1 percent of passes thrown in Skrine’s coverage area, according to ProFootballFocus.com – the seventh-highest rate among NFL cornerbacks. This season, he's trimmed that total to 65.4 percent (17 receptions on 26 targets). Haden tops the team at 42.9, while Owens sits at 86.7 – a percentage among the league’s five worst for corners.
Skrine’s competitiveness has been cited by the current and previous coaching staffs. Kind words aren’t going to stop quarterbacks from going after him, however. The Vikings’ second touchdown was set up by a 37-yard pass from Christian Ponder to Cordarrelle Patterson with Skrine in single coverage.
But the cornerback made a huge play to deny Greg Jennings a TD on a first-and-goal from the Browns 10 in the final seconds of the half before Jabaal Sheard ended the threat with a strip sack.
“They targeted me a lot yesterday,” Skrine said. “I felt like I held my own and made some big plays and I’m trying to get better every week.”
On Sunday, his effort helped the Browns win over Minnesota, if not his detractors.
The successful partnership between pitcher and pitching coach has helped the Tribe stay in the thick of the playoff hunt entering the final week of the regular season.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- All Ubaldo Jimenez wanted to do was forget. When he went home to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic after last season, he unplugged for a month. No pitching, no running, no thoughts of his 9-17 season.
"The main thing on my mind was just forget, relax and start fresh," said Jimenez. "I wanted to forget. It was just a nightmare."
The Indians had acquired him on July 31, 2011 from Colorado to lead their rotation, and a year later he was one of the American League's worst pitchers. In going 9-17 with a 5.40 ERA in 31 starts, Jimenez led the league in losses and added a AL-high 16 wild pitches.
In Cleveland, after manager Terry Francona was hired following a 94-loss season, he and GM Chris Antonetti started hiring a coaching staff. Mickey Callaway, the Indians' minor-league pitching coordinator, was named pitching coach.
It was a tough decision because Francona liked Kirk Champion, minor-league pitching coordinator for the White Sox. What swung the job in Callaway's favor was his plan to salvage Jimenez's career. He'd put it together by watching hours of video.
Not only did the plan help earn Callaway the job, it earned him two trips to the Dominican last winter to get to know Jimenez, who was greeting his fourth pitching coach since the trade. That does not always make for great beginnings.
But in this case, the relationship that formed is one of the reasons the Indians hold one of the two AL wild-card spots and could make the postseason for the first time since 2007.
"The thing about Mickey is that he doesn't only have good advice to give you, he's also a good listener," said Jimenez. "That's a huge thing.
"When you have a pitching coach that is only telling you what to do and isn't listening, it's hard. Mickey has a lot of knowledge, but he also listens. He's always trying to find out what you think and how you feel you need to improve."
What Callaway found in Jimenez was a pitcher with a sharp mind for his craft, but who was still trying to figure out how to pitch and win without a 98 mph fastball. At that moment, Callaway's plan turned from video to real life.
"The plan changed when I started talking to him," said Callaway. "I let him have a lot of input on how we'd approach it and what he felt comfortable doing and we went from there. We had a plan going into spring training and adjusted to what he wanted to do and how he felt."
Here's how they decided to attack the problem of Jimenez's 2012 nightmare:
To shine a light on the darkness, Callaway said there would be no big changes in Jimenez's delivery, which at times can resemble one of those elaborate mousetraps from a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
"When Mickey came to the Dominican, he told me he just wanted to be there for me," said Jimenez. "But he wasn't going to change anything. He just wanted to make me better. If I have bad mechanics, just try to be good with my bad mechanics."
Then came the all-out blitz to convince Jimenez that he could still win without short-circuiting the radar gun at Progressive Field. Jimenez regularly hit 98 mph with the Rockies in 2010, the year he won 19 games and started the All-Star game for the National League. The velocity was slipping when the Indians acquired him in 2011 for four players, including No.1 picks Drew Pomeranz and Alex White. It slipped even more in 2012.
"Since I got here, everyone was talking to me about velocity and trying to get back to who I was velocity-wise," said Jimenez.
Callaway had a different message: Don't sweat the velocity; with your movement and deception, 91-94 is plenty fast enough.
"I thought if we could just get Ubaldo in the strike zone and attacking hitters with the stuff he already had, that he would be good to go," said Callaway. "Watching his video during the off-season, I was saying, 'Man, his stuff is so good, all he has to do is get it over the plate.' "
From a standpoint of pure heat, Callaway says Jimenez is a long way from a junk-baller.
"As far as (velocity) he's ranked (in the top five) over the last couple of years in the American League, but I don't think he looked at it quite that way," said Callaway. "He just looked at it like, 'I can't do what I used to do, so now I can't have the intent of throwing the fastball for a strike.' "
In spring training, they worked on speeding up Jimenez's delivery, standing taller and striding directly to the plate. It was a gradual process, something Callaway calls a "stair-step" approach.
Indians starter Justin Masterson, who struggled as well last year, watched Jimenez's progress.
"I know Mickey talked to a lot of the pitching coaches who had been here before him," said Masterson. "The sense was that there had been a lot of coaching going on here, especially with Ubaldo and myself, and I think he wanted to get to know the guys, build some trust and respect and work from there.
"With Ubaldo they were working, working and working. Then it was like, 'Let's take your hands off and let Ubaldo be Ubaldo.' You've seen him slowly work into being where he is now. That's a pretty thing to see."
Callaway said his goal is to get every pitcher to be his own coach. It's something he came to appreciate at the end of his 14-year career that included pitching 40 games in the big leagues with Tampa Bay, the Angels and Texas.
From 2005-07, Callaway pitched in Korea. In 2009, he pitched in Taiwan.
"I had to coach myself all those years," said Callaway, 38. "I had an interpreter, but I didn't really work with the pitching coaches. It was a good time for me to make my mechanical adjustments and do my prep work on how to approach hitters. I did that all on my own."
Callaway still might be pitching in the Far East, but he needed Tommy John surgery in 2008, and took a job as the head coach at Texas A&M International in Laredo, Texas, so he could complete his rehab, only to injure his right shoulder in Taiwan in 2009.
"It was time to be a coach," said Callaway, who worked his way up through the Indians' minor league system with stops at Class A Lake County in 2010 and Class A Kinston in 2011. Last year he was the minor-league pitching coordinator.
On Sept. 2, Masterson, the Indians' 14-game winner, went down with a strained left oblique. Since then Jimenez, who starts Tuesday against Chicago, is 3-0 with a 31 strikeouts, three walks and two earned runs allowed in 28 1/3 innings.
Jimenez (12-9, 3.39) is 5-5 since the All-Star break with a 1.77 ERA, 80 strikeouts and 23 walks in 11 starts covering 71 innings.
"Whether we have Masterson sidelined or not," said Francona, "when Ubaldo takes the ball right now, he has legitimate, top-of-the-league stuff."
Early in the season, at Callaway's suggestion, Jimenez threw two bullpen sessions between starts to help stabilize his delivery. He's no longer doing that, but in his last six or seven starts, Jimenez has been throwing nothing but fastballs in his bullpen sessions, and his velocity is increasing.
It has made Jimenez, in Francona's words, "a tough pitcher to draw a bead on."
Over the last couple of years, with Jimenez doubting his fastball, he wasn't throwing it for strikes because it was getting hit. It made him rely more and more on his breaking pitches, which in turn made it easier for hitters because they could ignore the fastball.
Now he's throwing his fastball and off-speed pitches for strikes.
In a twist of baseball economics -- some would call it Cleveland luck -- Jimenez is pitching his best just when it is getting time to leave. He can be a free agent at the end of the season with a $8 million mutual option for 2014. What that means is that either side can walk away from the deal.
Jimenez says he's not thinking about free agency. He's concentrating only on helping the Indians reach the postseason. So if this is his best and only shot as an Indian, what other choice is there but to sit back and enjoy?
As for the elusive 98 mph, Jimenez, 29, says it may not be lost forever.
"Right now I don't have the same velocity that I had in 2010," he said, "but I know once I rest and start over again, I'll probably have it again because my mechanics are pretty much the same and my arm feels really good."
If that should happen, a lot of it will be due to Jimenez and more than a little to Callaway.
"What I said about Andrew Luck, I say about Brian Hoyer," says Simms of the Browns QB. "He's got chutzpah."
BEREA, Ohio -- CBS analyst Phil Simms, a former Super Bowl MVP quarterback, thinks the Browns have a starter in Brian Hoyer and compared his moxie to Andrew Luck of the Colts.
"I think it was really a disgrace (Hoyer) wasn’t in the NFL once the New England Patriots let him go (in the final cuts last year)," Simms said on CBS Sports Network's NFL Monday QB show. "Why wasn’t he in the league? Well, because he didn’t have the name. He wasn’t a high draft pick. All the political stuff that is wrong.
"But he can play. He has good presence on the field. (When he) played in preseason games for the Patriots, most of the time he was spectacular. I’ve watched him practice probably 50 times over the years. I’ve always been impressed."
Simms was equally impressed with Hoyer's game-winning 11-play drive that ended with a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Jordan Cameron with 51 seconds left Sunday in the deafening Metrodome. In just his second career start, Hoyer completed six of 11 attempts for 55 yards. It overcame three interceptions, including two in a shaky third quarter.
"When you watch him on the field, yeah he made some mistakes, but he’s not afraid to take chances," said Simms. "That’s one thing I like about him. And he just has a presence. What I said about Andrew Luck, I say about Brian Hoyer… He's got chutzpah. It’s a great trait that he has and he brought some personality to that football team yesterday.''
Hoyer, who threw for 321 yards with three touchdowns, also made former Browns quarterback Trent Dilfer's "Dime of the Day'' on ESPN with his game-winning score, was featured on ESPN's biggest moments from Sunday.
"I thought it was a gutsy performance," coach Rob Chudzinski said. "He had some turnovers in the second half and made some throws I know that he'd like to have back, but that didn't faze him, and when we needed to rise up to the occasion on the last drive, he was able to do that and make the play ultimately that helped us win the game."
Despite that, Chudzinski wasn't ready Monday to name Hoyer the starter for Sunday's home game against the Bengals, saying he'll wait to find out about Brandon Weeden's sprained right thumb assess the challenges the 2-1 Bengals present. He said Weeden's thumb is better but he hasn't thrown. He stressed that he'll play whoever gives the best chance to win.
Chudzinski said he could tell in his players' eyes on the sidelines that he was onto something special with Hoyer, originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots out of Michigan State.
"All of them, the whole offense and the group, they believed,'' said Chudzinski. "I looked at them and talked to them about how much we would enjoy this after the series was over. When we scored the touchdown, the looks I got back from those guys, I knew we had a great shot at doing that."
Cameron, who caught three touchdown passes, marveled at his QB's demeanor.
"He was very poised,'' said Cameron. "That’s a great word to describe the way he played. He had a rough third quarter but he bounced back and led our team to a touchdown winning drive and it shows a lot about him and the opportunities he had and he took advantage of them.”
What's more, Hoyer displayed an impressive accuracy despite only one week of work with the starters.
"Guys being accurate is one thing," said Chudzinski. "Putting the ball in a place where receivers can catch it and be able to do things with it after the catch is another. I think all of the guys have grown and gotten better in that area. When you get a quarterback to the elite level, that’s the thing that they’re able to do better than the guys who are just good guys.”
Cameron experienced that pinpoint precision firsthand.
“Definitely," Cameron said. "Both the touchdowns he threw to me were in perfect spots, right over my shoulder where no one else could get it in an area that it’s hard to throw those balls -- right on the sideline. He put it in the right spot. He definitely showed his accuracy.”
Hoyer lamented the three picks, even though the last one came when his arm was hit.
"They were just decisions that I know he'd like to have back,'' said Chudzinski. "From a coverage standpoint, he would want to be somewhere else on one of them. Then the other one, he was just thinking the guy was going to be open and he wasn’t, and just being able to see that and get to a secondary option.”
On the third one, "he knew right coming off of the field what happened and understood it. You move on and Brian did a great job overall of moving on, and that’s how you have to handle it at the time.”
Chudzinski said he expects Hoyer to correct those mistakes.
"We'll coach him a little harder,'' he said. "He’ll see it and that’s where you expect guys to grow and get better.”
Hoyer admitted the mistakes were hard to shake off.
"You get angry at yourself,'' he said. "It is not like it was a bad throw, but it was just two bad decisions and that's what gets me angry. If you get hit while you're throwing, there's only so much you can do. But when they're bad decisions, that's not my game, and that really gets me going.''
The Vikings scored only seven points off the interceptions.
"The defense did a great job of bailing me out,'' he said. "The Vikings didn't score off two of the picks, and that's huge. If they scored off of those, that probably would've been a different ball game.''
Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson stressed that Hoyer's interceptions "didn't deflate the defense at all because we knew we could move the ball. It was up to us to give them more attempts.''
Linebacker Craig Robertson couldn't help but peek at the Hoyer show from the sidelines.
“He gets the ball out quick,'' said Robertson. "And when you get the ball out quick, you give the guys a chance to make plays. He definitely does that.”
Barring some unforeseen circumstance, he'll get a chance to keep on doing it.
Indians tickets for a possible wild card game and AL Division Series games are still available after going on sale Monday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Indians spokesman Curtis Danburg said online sales of Indians' wild-card and AL Division Series tickets were strong Monday and that tickets will be available Tuesday at the Progressive Field Box Office, team stores and online.
"The sale of tickets has been strong, but there will be tickets remaining on Tuesday," said Danburg, Indians senior director of communications.
Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. They were available only at Indians.com/2013Postseason.
"The strongest sales were for the wild card game and the first two games in the division series," said Danburg.
The Indians, who open a two-game series against the White Sox on Tuesday night at Progressive Field, currently occupy the AL's second wild card spot behind Tampa Bay. If the postseason began today, the Indians would play Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field in an elimination game Oct. 2.
The best-of-five AL Division series begins Oct. 4.
To get home-field advantage for the wild-card game, the Indians must finish in the first spot. If the Rays and Indians finish tied, the Rays hold the tiebreaker because they went 4-2 against the Tribe in the regular season.
Tampa Bay increased its lead over the Indians to one game with Monday's win over Baltimore. The Indians have a 1 1/2 game lead over Texas for the second wild card. The Rangers play Houston on Monday night.
The Indians have six games left in the regular season, their final two home games against Chicago and a four-game series against the Twins at Target Field starting Thursday.
If the Indians are involved in a wild-card tie, a tiebreaker game would be played Sept. 30. Tickets for that game would not go on sale until Sunday.
Time change: Fox Sports will air Saturday's game between the Indians and Twins. The game time will change to 1 p.m. from 4:10 p.m.ET. The game will not been seen on SportsTime Ohio.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The second weekly Associated Press high school football poll of 2013 was released earlier tonight. Below you'll find the top 10 for each division along with the cleveland.com ballot and some insight on the selections that were made. If this is your first time reading a post like this, perhaps you have the same questions Ron Farinacci...
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The second weekly Associated Press high school football poll of 2013 was released earlier tonight. Below you'll find the top 10 for each division along with the cleveland.com ballot and some insight on the selections that were made.
If this is your first time reading a post like this, perhaps you have the same questions Ron Farinacci had last week when he emailed to ask why teams in the cleveland.com Top 25 were ranked much higher in the state poll. I seem to remember words like "Never Never Land" and "insane" being used.
Anyway, that created a great opportunity for me to explain how the state poll is compiled. So, thanks to Ron, I'll now share it with you.
The Associated Press state poll is compiled from the voting of a state-wide panel of sports writers and broadcasters who cover high school football. Each week, I fill out the ballot for cleveland.com, which is one of 27 media outlets across the state with a vote.
It's hard to say how each of the other media outlets approaches the voting, but in past years it was not uncommon for a media outlet to use the poll as a way to promote their local teams, whether they were the best in the state or not. I suspect this has continued this year. For example, take a look at last week's Division V poll. Every team in the top 10 received at least one first-place vote. It dropped to eight this week, but you get picture. Other divisions have had similar sprinklings of first-place votes.
Keep in mind that those voting on the state poll, including me, do not see many teams outside their region. The reporters in Cincinnati don't see Aurora or North Olmsted or Glenville. And we don't see Colerain, Moeller or Winton Woods.
So how do we form opinions on teams we don't see? Research certainly helps. I respect the opinion of jjhuddle.com, which does a great job reporting on the state football scene. They also do weekly state rankings for all divisions. I took their rankings into account while filling out my ballot.
I also used the information provided by JoeEitel.com, which ranks teams by the same computer point system used to determine playoff seedings in Ohio.
However, I also added in my own knowledge of the cleveland.com region, and took the time to look deeper into the outside information I was using.
In analyzing the first two state polls, it's evident that many voters used the rankings on JoeEitel.com a little more than they probably should have. A team's computer points ranking after just a few weeks can be misleading. (The computer-rating system takes into account a team's number of wins, and the number of its opponents' wins. The larger the school you beat, the more points you get.)
For example, look at Hudson, a good program that is off to another good start this season. It is currently second in the Div. I, Region I computer rankings on JoeEitel.com, ahead of teams like St. Edward (3), St. Ignatius (7) and Canton McKinley (8). Hudson would be a huge underdog against all three of those teams, but they currently have more computer points.
Many voters, it seems, ranked teams like Hudson, Fairview, Willoughby South and Villa Angela-St. Joseph because of their computer points on JoeEitel.com.
Look at Fairview, a team that went 3-7 last year and hasn't had a winning record in more than a decade. Should they be considered the eighth best team in Div. IV after beating Rocky River, Vermilion, Bay and Wellington? A lot of voters saw the Warriors' computer points and thought so.
There are more examples, but the point is, the state poll has its flaws.
Like I told Ron, we at cleveland.com feel we know more about our local schools than anybody else in the state. I suspect media outlets in Cincinnati, Columbus and elsewhere feel the same way about their areas. At least, they should.
So that's why state voters might consider Willoughby South the fourth best team in Div. II this week, but I don't.
Below you'll find my ballot, along with some insight into the picks that were made:
(State poll is listed first, followed by cleveland.com's ballot)
Division I
State poll
1, Lakewood St. Edward (13) 4-0 253
2, Cincinnati Colerain (10) 4-0 248
3, Cincinnati Moeller (3) 4-0 194
4, Austintown-Fitch 4-0 156
5, Canton McKinley (1) 4-0 149
6, Cleveland St. Ignatius 3-1 108
7, Hilliard Davidson 4-0 103
8, Hudson 4-0 95
9, Centerville 4-0 94
10, Cincinnati St. Xavier 3-1 39
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Mentor 22. 12, Cincinnati Elder 16. 13, Pickerington North 14. 14, Marysville (1) 13.
cleveland.com ballot
1. Lakewood St. Edward
2. Cincinnati Colerain
3. Cincinnati Moeller
4. Cleveland St. Ignatius
5. Canton McKinley
6. Cincinnati St. Xavier
7. Hilliard Davidson
8. Centerville
9. Mentor
10. Austintown-Fitch
Notable: St. Edward's win over Cincinnati Elder seemed to be enough to push them into the top spot, although I had them there last week. Hudson dropped a spot and Mentor inched closer to the top 10, but state voters are still more impressed with the Explorers. We'll all find out who is better in Week 9 when they play.
Division II
State poll
1, Massillon Washington (18) 4-0 258
2, New Albany (5) 4-0 220
3, Cincinnati Winton Woods (2) 4-0 199
4, Willoughby South 4-0 168
5, Zanesville (2) 4-0 150
6, Avon 4-0 135
7, Loveland 4-0 105
(tie) Cleveland Glenville (1) 3-1 105
9, Mansfield 4-0 40
10, Cincinnati La Salle 3-1 38
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Lewis Center Olentangy 26. 12, Medina Highland 19. 13, North Olmsted 15. 13, Madison 15. 15, Macedonia Nordonia 14.
cleveland.com ballot
1. Massillon Washington
2. Cleveland Glenville
3. Cincinnati Winton Woods
4. Zanesville
5. Avon
6. New Albany
7. Lewis Center Olentangy
8. Cincinnati LaSalle
9. Medina Highland
10. Loveland
Notable: I kept Glenville at No. 2. I realize they don't play the toughest conference schedule, but as long as they have lopsided victories, I'll assume they're still the team that impressed in the first three weeks. Willoughby South remains at No. 4, although I have yet to put them on my ballot.
Division III
State poll
1, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (18) 4-0 257
2, Toledo Central Catholic (6) 4-0 231
3, Aurora (2) 4-0 142
4, Athens (1) 4-0 135
5, Clyde 4-0 129
6, Day. Thurgood Marshall 2-1 125
7, Poland Seminary 4-0 121
8, Hubbard 4-0 92
9, New Philadelphia 4-0 79
10, Chillicothe (1) 4-0 42
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Dover 37. 12, Sandusky Perkins 32. 13, Trotwood-Madison 17. 13, Mount Orab Western Brown 17. 15, Springfield Shawnee 16.
cleveland.com ballot
1. Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
2. Toledo Central Catholic
3. Hubbard
4. Athens
5. Dayton Thurgood Marshall
6. New Philadelphia
7. Tipp City Tippecanoe
8. Trotwood-Madison
9. Columbus Marion-Franklin
10. Aurora
Notable: It's interesting that Aurora moved up two spots and gained another first-place vote after almost losing to a smaller school (Chagrin Falls) that hasn't been ranked. I dropped the Greenmen from No. 8 to No. 10.
Division IV
State poll
1, Clarksville Clinton-Massie (13) 4-0 233
2, Kenton (5) 4-0 230
3, Bryan (3) 4-0 182
4, Steubenville (3) 4-0 159
5, Bloom-Carroll 4-0 132
6, Genoa Area (2) 4-0 121
7, Caledonia River Valley (2) 4-0 96
8, Fairview Park 4-0 47
9, Wauseon 4-0 39
10, Middletown Bishop Fenwick 3-1 36
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Washington C.H. Miami Trace 25. 12, Perry 24. 13, Zanesville Maysville 23. 13, Germantown Valley View 23. 15, Kettering Archbishop Alter 21. 16, Struthers 20. 17, Galion 18. 17, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 18. 19, Minford 15. 20, Upper Sandusky 12.
Cleveland.com ballot
1. Clarksville Clinton-Massie
2. Kenton
3. Bryan
4. Genoa
5. Steubenville
6. Gnadenhutten Indian Valley
7. Caledonia River Valley
8. Bishop Fenwick
9. Galion
10. Kettering Archbishop Alter
Notable: Fairview, No. 10 last week, moved up a spot in the poll after beating 0-4 Wellington 21-0. I believe covered that subject above.
Division V
State poll
1, Wheelersburg (8) 4-0 217
2, Coldwater (4) 4-0 216
3, St. Clairsville (6) 4-0 86
4, Findlay Liberty-Benton (2) 4-0 166
5, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (2) 4-0 144
6, Orrville (1) 4-0 125
7, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne (1) 3-1 95
8, Hamilton Badin (3) 4-0 87
9, Columbiana Crestview 3-1 34
10, Martins Ferry 3-1 33
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Youngstown Ursuline 30. 12, Navarre Fairless 28. 13, Loudonville 27. 14, Columbia Station Columbia 24. 15, Baltimore Liberty Union 22. 16, Richwood North Union (1) 20. 17, Columbus Bishop Hartley 18.
cleveland.com ballot
1. Wheelersburg
2. Cincinnati Hills Christian
3. St. Clairsville
4. Dayton Chaminade-Julienne
5. Coldwater
6. Columbia Station Columbia
7. Baltimore Liberty Union
8. Youngstown Ursuline
9. Columbus Hartley
10. Cincinnati Purcell Marian
Notable: Columbia inched a couple spots closer to the top 10, but I still had them in there, at No. 6. I dropped Akron Manchester from the 10th spot on my ballot after their loss to Fairless. Last week, state voters didn't put Manchester in the top 10, but they still managed to get two first-place votes. Hmmm.
Division VI
State poll
1, Kirtland (22) 4-0 259
2, Mogadore (1) 4-0 212
3, Columbus Bishop Ready (2) 4-0 209
4, Haviland Wayne Trace (1) 4-0 181
5, Cincinnati Summit Country Day (1) 4-0 127
6, Lewisburg Tri-County North 4-0 111
7, Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph 4-0 76
8, Lima Central Catholic 3-1 55
9, Canfield S. Range (1) 4-0 47
10, North Robinson Colonel Crawford 3-1 31
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Cincinnati Country Day 27. 12, Casstown Miami East 26. 13, Centerburg 22. 14, Hamler Patrick Henry 20. 15, Delphos Jefferson 15. 16, Oak Hill 14. 17, Lucasville Valley 13. 17, West Liberty-Salem 13. 17, Newark Catholic 13.
cleveland.com ballot
1. Kirtland
2. Columbus Ready
3. Cincinnati Summit Country Day
4. Haviland Wayne Trace
5. Mogadore
6. Newark Catholic
7. Lewisburg Tri-County North
8. Lima Central Catholic
9. Cuyahoga Heights
10. Centerburg
Notable: Not much changed on my Div. VI ballot this week, although I put Cuyahoga Heights in at No. 9. The Redskins' only loss this season is to Berlin Center Western Reserve, which is second in Div. VII. Villa Angela-St. Joseph moved up three spots to No. 7 after beating winless Lutheran East. I believe I covered that subject above.
Division VII
State poll
1, Maria Stein Marion Local (21) 4-0 253
2, Berlin Center Western Reserve (1) 4-0 198
3, Shadyside (1) 4-0 179
4, North Lewisburg Triad (1) 4-0 156
5, Glouster Trimble (1) 4-0 131
6, Arlington 4-0 130
7, Steubenville Catholic Central 4-0 129
8, Covington 4-0 91
9, Wellsville (1) 4-0 87
10, Cedarville 4-0 21
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Ft. Loramie 20. 12, Leipsic 19. 13, Norwalk St. Paul 15.
cleveland.com ballot
1. Maria Stein Marion Local
2. North Lewisburg Triad
3. Covington
4. Glouster Trimble
5. Berlin Center Western Reserve
6. Steubenville Central Catholic
7. Fort Loramie
8. Arlington
9. Shadyside
10. Wellsville
Notable: Again, not much changed on my ballot from last week in Div. VII, and no local teams to speak of.
Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving has taken ownership of the team throughout the course of the summer.
AKRON, Ohio -- Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has taken to calling globe-trotting All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving "The Pied Piper'' of Cleveland basketball.
Which might mean more if Irving had any idea who The Pied Piper was.
"Can you guys tell me what that means?" Irving asked reporters at the 28th annual Cavaliers Youth Fund Golf Classic at Firestone Country Club. "I know it's a fairy tale, but I've never read it.''
Irving smiled as reporters told him about the piper who rid Hamelin of rats and then, after the townspeople refused to pay him for that service, children. Acknowledging that it might not be the best analogy, Irving laughed and said of Brown, ''He made it, so I guess I'm The Pied Piper of the team.''
What Brown meant was teammates have been following Irving all over the country to work out -- from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to Miami and New York.
"I've been forcing everybody to meet me in different places and work out,'' Irving admitted. "That was fun.
"We're all getting accustomed to one another and looking forward to starting training camp. We have a great leader in Mike Brown and our coaching staff. They've done a hell of a job this summer just getting all of us together, including myself, and just working out and getting better.
"I'm feeling good. I've been ready for training camp for a while now. I'm looking forward to getting started. We have the pieces to do something special this season, and I know we can.''
Brown loves how Irving has taken ownership of the team.
"I'm very impressed,'' he said. "We've had an opportunity to interact quite a bit this summer. I don't want to smother him, so I give him his space. He's going to hear enough from me come Oct. 1. But he's been great in terms of some of the things we've talked about.
"A. He's a natural leader. B. He's expected to lead because of who he is. When you are a leader, you have to get other guys involved. That was one of the things that we talked about in one of our initial meetings. He's done that from Day One. He wants it to happen. He wants to be great. He wants the organization to be great.''
Though he has traveled from his native Australia to South Africa this summer, Irving has made sure to get his workouts in. Still, he enjoyed the travel -- especially working with the children in South Africa.
"Being around the kids, that's what it was about,'' Irving said. "That was the main reason I went. My first time there. I can finally say I did it. The special thing for me was going with my father, and experiencing it with him.''
A reporter asked what else was on his bucket list.
"Playoffs,'' he said without hesitation. "That's it. That's the main goal and I'm looking forward to it.''
Health updates: Andrew Bynum continues to progress after his two knee surgeries in March, but the Cavs have no timetable for his return.
"He's doing well,'' said General Manager Chris Grant, adding that Bynum has made significant progress. "Two days after we signed him he was working in the Cleveland Clinic Courts. He's been more committed than most players I've seen in 20 years. He's not there yet where he's playing, but he's cautiously optimistic. It's a day-to-day, week-to-week process.''
Asked if he would be worried if Bynum missed the preseason, Grant said, "Not really. when we signed him to the contract, we certainly knew there was some risk from an injury standpoint. I'm fairly positive and excited about the possibilities just because of the way the kid works. He's going to turn over every stone to be as healthy as possible. If his body allows it, I think he'll do well.''
Rookie Anthony Bennett, who had shoulder surgery after his one season at UNLV, said he will be ready to go when training camp opens Oct. 1. Bennett, who said he has been dunking in five-on-five pickup games at the practice facility, said he weighs 255 pounds and wants to weigh 248.
Daddy Dion: Dion Waiters became the proud father of Dion Rhamik Waiters on June 7. The baby, whose middle name is in honor of Waiters' childhood friend who died, was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. His picture is Waiters' new avatar on Twitter.
Military salute: The Cavs have announced that the annual Wine & Gold Scrimmage at 1 p.m. on Oct. 5 at Baldwin Wallace will be a private event for current military members and their families. The Cavs are working with the USO of Northern Ohio to coordinate ticket distribution. Fans who want to watch the intrasquad scrimmage can watch the event streamed live on www.cavs.com.
Bickerstaff honored: Cavs assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will be inducted into the University of Rio Grande Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 16. Bickerstaff began his playing career at Rio Grande in 1961-62, averaging 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals per game as the starting point guard.
New deal: The Cavs have signed a multi-year agreement with Discount Drug Mart. Customers who use their Courtesy Plus cards while purchasing two 8-pack 12-oz. bottles of Pepsi products will receive four free tickets to one of the Cavs three preseason games at The Q -- Oct. 8 against Milwaukee, Oct. 17 against Detroit or Oct. 19 against Indiana.
The last word: From Irving, on the Indians' playoff chances, "I want to go to a playoff game. I know everybody else does. I'm looking forward to it.''
Lanning became the first player since 1968 with a punt, an extra point and touchdown pass.
BEREA, Ohio – Spencer Lanning made some modern football history Sunday, but it didn’t stop the man with the strong right leg from poking fun at his weak right arm.
The NFL confirmed that Lanning became the first player since Sam Baker in 1968 with a punt, extra point and touchdown pass in the same game. It was all part of the Browns’ 31-27 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Pretty rare stuff, yet the Browns’ versatile special-teams contributor said critiques on his 11-yard TD pass to Jordan Cameron off a fake field goal were not flattering.
“First of all, I wasn’t very excited about how it came out, it had a little duck-tail to it,” said Lanning, who threw the ball to an uncovered Cameron along the right sideline and watched him run the final eight yards to the end zone.
“I’ve (had) some guys around the league texting me saying I threw it like a girl. No offense to all the women out there. As soon as I threw it, it did seem like the ball hung up. ... I just didn't want to overthrow (Cameron).”
.@Browns Spencer Lanning is 1st player in @nfl w/ punt, PAT & TD pass in same game since Oct 13, 1968 (Sam Baker)
— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) September 22, 2013
The trick play, called on a fourth-and-4, gave the Browns a 24-14 lead in the second quarter. Lanning added to his heroics by kicking the last extra point with 51 seconds remaining after Billy Cundiff was sidelined with a quad injury. Lanning is the normal holder, so quarterback Brian Hoyer took his place while the South Carolina product booted the ball through the uprights. The conversion proved crucial as it extended the lead to four points and forced the Vikings to drive the length of the field for a TD.
In Monday’s team meeting, coach Rob Chudzinski posted a picture of the kick taken from the end zone, spotlighting the contributions of Lanning and Hoyer.
“I put the caption underneath it to show the team, we talked about the theme of the week was, ’Do a little bit more,’” Chudzinski said. “That’s really what it ended up being at the end of the game, for those guys especially.”
The coach joked that Lanning might have been a former “punt, pass and kick” champion. Not the case, said the 25-year-old, who also kicked a game-winning field goal in the final exhibition against Chicago.
“The most training I’ve had throwing a ball is with my dad out in the yard,” Lanning said. “As kickers and punters, we have a lot of time on our hands. In college especially we got some passes in and whatnot. But I have no background playing quarterback, never played pee-wee football or anything like that. Coaches just drew up a play and we went out there and executed it.”
Cundiff said he’s optimistic about playing against Cincinnati while Chudzinski added that any decision on signing another kicker won’t be made until later in the week.
What about “Slash” Lanning, who punted and kicked for the Gamecocks like so many old-time NFL specialists such as Don Cockroft and Baker?
“If I had to I think I could,” Lanning said. “It would come down trying to figure out how to split the reps (during practice). I’m here as a punter. I’m trying to help my team win some ballgames.”
Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said today he hasn't had to talk to receiver Josh Gordon about trade rumors because "we have no plan on doing that.''
BEREA, Ohio -- Rob Chudzinski didn't feel compelled to address trade rumors with receiver Josh Gordon on Monday because "we have no plan on doing that."
The Browns head coach said if there was a trade issue to discuss with Gordon, he'd do it.
"Otherwise, I’ve talked to these guys in general,'' he said. "The rumors, the things that swirl around, are just all noise. The reality is what’s in that team meeting room.”
He also lumped receiver Greg Little into that group. On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Browns were fielding offers for both receivers, and that they had a significant offer for Gordon.
“We have no plans on any other trades," Chudzinski said. "I think (CEO) Joe (Banner) addressed that the other day (after the Trent Richardson trade).”
A league source also told cleveland.com it's doubtful Gordon will be dealt.
Gordon, who heard the trade rumors before the game, admitted it helped fuel his performance against the Vikings. Turning in a performance worthy of a Pro Bowler, he caught a career-high 10 passes for 146 yards, including a 47-yard TD on the second drive of the game. He rumbled 22 yards on an end around, and stiff-armed a defender on the way to a 30-yard gain on a short screen pass.
It was Gordon's first game back after a two-game drug suspension for what he said was testing positive for codeine in his prescribed cough syrup.
"From the start of the suspension, I knew I wanted to come out and have a big game,'' he said.
If the Browns did decide to move Gordon, it would most likely only be due to his off-field issues. Gordon confirmed last week a cleveland.com report that he's only one failed drug test away from a year's suspension.
"I've always want to stay here and be a Cleveland Brown and help this organization as much as possible,'' Gordon said. "I love the offense, love Norv (Turner) and coach Chud. I'm learning a lot. From a wide receiver standpoint, it's the best offense to be in and I can't complain at all.''
Tight end Jordan Cameron acknowledged that Gordon's presence opened up the offense.
“People have to watch him, obviously,'' Cameron said. "You can’t help but notice him on the field. He stretches the field. You have to know where he is at all times. That helps other players like Davone (Bess) and Greg (Little) and I. We’ll see how that goes the rest of the season.”
Under terms of his suspension, Gordon was docked four games checks even though he was only suspended for two, meaning he didn't get paid for the best game of his career.
Sheard, Winn injuries: Outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard left Sunday on crutches with a sprained left knee, and underwent further exams on Monday. Based on the crutches, Sheard is likely to miss some time, but more will be known later in the week. … Defensive tackle Billy Winn left with a quad injury. More will be known Wednesday.
Cundiff optimistic: Chudzinski said kicker Billy Cundiff suffered "just a quad strain, so we’ll see where he’s at in the next couple of days and how that responds.” Cundiff said Monday he's "very optimistic'' he'll be able to kick against the Bengals.
"I just got tight on the fourth kickoff and then it progressively got just tighter and tighter and tighter,'' he said. "I could’ve shot it up and gone out there and done something, then sacrificed this week and probably many more weeks, or we could’ve just done the smart thing and lay off of it, knowing we had Spencer (Lanning) and the way the offense was going.
"Let’s be honest, we showed a lot of confidence, which is a great thing. We knew that as we were driving down, we don’t need a field goal, we might as well get a touchdown and win the thing.''
As for kicking Sunday, he said, "that's the goal.''
Mingo ready: Rookie LB Barkevious Mingo is ready for full-time duty in the event Sheard misses games. The Browns are without linebacker Quentin Groves (ankle) for 3-5 weeks. Mingo played 68 percent of the snaps against the Vikings and registered his second sack in as many games.
"Whatever the coaches ask me to do, I'm down 100 percent," Mingo said. "Don't know what the role is yet. We've got all week to prepare, but I'm ready.''
Regarding his second sack, he said. "I'm definitely feeling more comfortable. The game's coming more naturally now. I'm getting a knack for the speed of the game while we're playing.''
Defensive end Desmond Bryant has been impressed. "His job is to be ready if something like that happens,'' Bryant said. "He stepped in and did a great job yesterday. I think he’s going to continue to do so going forward."
Bryant and Thomas: Bryant was mobbed by his teammates after his victory-sealing sack, but his chest-bump with Joe Thomas stood out.
"I guess he doesn’t do that very often, so I guess I’m a lucky guy,'' said Bryant. "I really enjoyed that.''
Honorable mentions: Chudzinski complimented a number of players for having their best games of the year, including cornerback Buster Skrine and safety T.J. Ward. He also singled out Joe Haden and Tashaun Gipson.
"Let me bring up a couple other guys,'' he said. "John Hughes, I thought played outstanding, was really active, and you look at the progress he’s made from April until playing the way he did the other day. I thought Jabaal Sheard had his best game that he’s played so far. (Tight end) Gary Barnidge played well, did a great job with pass protection and some things. So I think we have some guys that are really improving.''
CLEVELAND, Ohio - In regard to St. Ignatius' difficult schedule, commenter BabyBommerJoe expressed the enormous amount of respect he has for the Wildcats for seeking out quality opponents. BabyBoomerJoe suggests the following:
CLEVELAND, Ohio - In regard to St. Ignatius' difficult schedule, commenter BabyBommerJoe expressed the enormous amount of respect he has for the Wildcats for seeking out quality opponents.
BabyBoomerJoe suggests the following:
"Give St. Ignatius a lot of credit for avoiding NO ONE when setting up their schedule each year. Paramus Catholic happens to be the #4 team in the country so I expect the 'cats will lose but there's NO shame when you're playing this kind of competition! You're already a winner in my book, Wildcats!"
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are box scores and highlights in tennis, boys golf, boys and girls soccer and volleyball from Monday, Sept. 23, 2013. GIRLS SOCCER
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Here are box scores and highlights in tennis, boys golf, boys and girls soccer and volleyball from Monday, Sept. 23, 2013.
GIRLS SOCCER
Brunswick 2, North Olmsted 1
B: Juguilon, Anderson. N: Fedor.
Goalies: B, Calhoun (2 saves); N, Patterson (5).
Buckeye 3, Cloverleaf 0
B (10-1-1): Barnes (2), Serio. C (3-6-0: None.
Goalies: B, Stacy (2 saves); C, Young (6).
Elyria 3, Toledo Central Catholic 2
E (3-6-0): Ramirez (2), Jones. TCC: Kovacs, Iannucci.
Goalies: E, Gogan (15 saves); TCC, Buchele (10).
Euclid 7, Shaw 0
E (5-4): Holzheimer 2, Clack, Moore, Milicki, Mirra, Larive; S: None.
Goalies: E, Huey (1 save), Kendel (2); S, Johnson (20).
Elyria Catholic 3, Independence 1
EC (7-1-3): Roman (2), Ellingson. I (4-5-2): Wisniewski.
Goalies: EC Gauntner (1 save); I. Spilker (10).
Euclid 7, Shaw 0
E: Holzheimer (2), Clack, Moore, Milicki, Mirra, Larive
Goalies: E: Huey (1 save), Kendel 2; S. Johnson (20)
Kirtland 3, St. Joseph Academy 1
K: Cubela, Kmentt, Zschuppe. SJA: N/A.
Goalies: K: Zuberer (12 Saves).
Highland 4, Manchester 0
H (8-2-1): Schniegenberg 2, Wiencek, Zeleznik. M (8-3-0): None.
Goalies: H, Less (6 saves); M, Kepnes (4).
Laurel 1, Solon 1
L: Mastroianni. S: Own goal.
Goalies; L, Steele (15 saves); S, Confroy (5).
Mentor 6, Cleveland Heights 3
M: Grebenc (2), Vinborg, Cassella, Rozic, Misch.
Goalies: M, Pratt (6 saves).
NDCL 4, Padua 3
NDCL: Forte 2, Vilsack 2 P: DaFonseca, Rauhe, Ford.
Goalies: NDCL, Moorman (8 saves); P: Willoughby (5), Carroll (3).
North Ridgeville 1 Avon Lake 0
NR (4-6-0): Zingale AL (0-10-1): None
Goalies: NR, Casement(17 saves) AL, Crooks (5 saves).
Notable: Kayla Zingale scored the winning goal with 6:08 left in the game.
Wickliffe 4, Parma 0
W (9-1-0): Daye (3), Molnar. P: None.
Goalies: W, Heyduck (4 saves); P, Lewis (6).
Avon 2, Amherst 1
LATE:
Amherst 7 North Ridgeville 1
A: Sands (3), Perkins (2), Champe, Lacock NR:Blagojevic.
Goalies: A. Wright (2 saves) N.R. Caseman (3).
Euclid 8, Fuchs Mizrachi 0
E: J.Hughes (2), Mirra, Jones, Moore, Holzheimer, Milicki, Bachelor.
Goalies: E, Kendel (1 saves); FM, Bibbins (7), Weiss (4).
BOYS SOCCER
Avon Lake 3, Lakewood 0
AL (3-4-3): Voloshen, Stewart, Delong; L (0-10-2): None.
Goalies: L, Fehrenbach (10); AL, Adams (6).
Columbia 2, Lake Ridge 2
C (6-4-1): Heuniche, Loos. LR: Scoffield, Bittenfield.
Goalies: C: Fess 3, LR: Emeka
Elyria Catholic 3, Western Reserve Academy 1
EC (9-1-1): Jarvis, Hallorand, Kelling. WRA (6-3): Hohaller.
Goalies: EC Conroy (7 saves) WRA: Blanba (3 saves)
Gilmour 1, Temple Christian 0
G (5-6): Tamjidi TC: None.
Goalies: G, Burlinghan (2 saves); TC, Spencer (7).
Lutheran West 1, Hearts for Jesus 2
LW: Beckman, Own Goal; H: Kasputis.
Goalies: LW, Pshock 4; H, Kluever 2.
Olmsted Falls 5, Vermillion 0
OF: Cleversy, Skutt, Klein, Klimchak, Payne. V: None.
Goalies: OF, Pawlowski (14 saves); Mitchel (4).
St. Vincent-St. Mary 2, Rocky River 1
SVSM (6-3): Kanakkanatt, Peterson. RR (9-1-1): T. Newby.
Goalies: SVSM, Ratsavomg (6 saves); RR, Liva (1).
Westlake 1, Bay 1
W: Hurst. B: Jordan, Holmes.
Goalies: W, Carpenter (6 saves); B (6).
LATE:
Lakeside 2 Berkshire 1
L: C.Hernandez 2. B: Wiley.
Goalies: L, Cimorelli (4 saves); B, Green (12).
GIRLS TENNIS
Beaumont 4, Saint Joseph 1
Singles: Barone (B) d. Rouse 6-1, 6-3; Connolly (B) d. Ruebensaal 7-6, 6-2; Leone (B) d. Powers 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles: Kahl/Waltos (SJA) d. Knezvic/Cira 6-3, 6-3; Allen/Rowane (B) d. McGlynn/Stephens 6-3, 6-3.
Elyria Catholic 3, Independence 1
EC (7-1-3): Roman (2), Ellingson. IND (4-5-2): Wisniewski.
Goalies: EC, Gauntner (1 save); IND, Spilker (11 saves).
Fairview 4, Vermillion 1
Singles: Fratzke (F) d. Wilson 6-6 (8-6), 7-5; Anglin (V) d. Popa 6-2,6-4; Vandra (F) d. Ragnoni 6-4, 7-5.
Doubles: Aguirre/Palmer-Tesema (F) d. Mello/Gibbons 6-0, 6-0; Filkill/Ford (F) d. Reutter/Adkins 6-4, 6-0.
Hudson 4, North Royalton 1
Singles: Mdzinarishvili (H) d. Muren 6-0, 6-0; Mawby (H) d. Kauppila 6-2, 6-0; Panigutti (NR) d. Ferris 6-3, 3-6 (10-1).
Doubles: Chen/Graham (H) d. Haines/Packard 6-4, 6-4; Kreiss/Dalieh (H) d. Baldari/Kostansek 6-0, 6-1.
Laurel 5, Brecksville 0
Singles: Buchinsky (L) d. Wang (B) 6-0,6-0; 2S: Feng (L) d. Olsen (B) 6-0,6-3; Hata (L) d. DeSantis (B) 6-0,6-0; 1
Doubles: Preiser/Slater (L) d. Kondanarchchi/Warwood (B) 6-3,6-0; Lauster/Moore (L) d. Knetig/Malta 6-3,6-3.
Padua 5 Brush 0
Singles: Bryk d. Kaufmann ℗ 6-1, 6-4; Wasco d. Weinstein 6-1, 6-4; Mikulasik d. Woodruff 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles: Onorato/Castrovillari d. Carter/Mancino 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; Hanna/Martella d. Anderson/Hawkins 6-4, 6-1.
Amherst Steele 4, Lakewood 1
Singles: Natalie Keron(A) d Taylor Shaw6-3,6-0; Sarah Souders(A) d Shannon Wood 6-2,7-6; Reaghn Franta(A) d May Ebner 6-0,6-2.
Doubles: Hoffer/Ritscho (L) d. Szucs/Sturges 7-6, 6-2; Lander/McDermott (A) d. Kendall King/Nelson 6-1,7-5.
Chagrin Falls 4, Gilmour 1
Singles: Althans (G) d. Mahoney (CF) 6-0, 6-0; Mazzola (CF) d. Jacobs (G) 6-1, 6-4; Manchester (CF) d. Hawkins (G) 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles: Wagner/O'Neil (CF) d. Doe/Ertz 6-0, 6-0; Kendall/Hazelton (CF) d. Lawrence/Fehn 6-2, 6-0.
Chardon 3, Lakeside 2
Singles: Cicero (C) d. Allan (L) 6-0,6-3; Johnston (L) d. Pischel (C) 6-3,6-0; Moore (C) d. Schiff (L) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-1.
Doubles: Smith/Gran (L) d. Staffileno/Kevern (C) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Poyar/Craddock (C) d. Brady/George 6-1, 7-6 (7-1).
Crestwood 3, Painesville Harvey 2
Singles: Beamer (P) d. Jenkins 6-2, 6-4; Tayerle (C) d. Slay 6-3, 6-3; Magyarics (C) d. Harness 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles: Skala/Sherry (C) d. Koren/Winters 6-0, 6-0; Cipriano/VanWinkle (P) d. Pochedly/Onders 6-3, 6-1.
Mayfield 5, Brunswick 0
Singles: Jamie Vizelman (M) d. Haley Yuhas 6-0, 6-0; Liz Rotenbert (M) d. Maria Santiago 6-0, 6-2; Kristen Hsu (M) d. Traci Spaeth 6-1, 3-6, 7-5
Doubles: Steph Schmitt/Lianne Mulvihill (M) d. Baraa Nawash/Jasmine Boyer 6-0, 6-1; Julia Caine/Katie Milenius (M) d. Kristina Stojanovic/Kayla Webb 6-1, 6-0.
Medina 4, Cuyahoga Falls 1
Singles: Deimling (M) d. Green 6-0,6-0; J. McCurdy © d. Ott 7-5,6-3; Speckman (M) d. Pearson 7-5,6-1.
Doubles: Arnold/Major(M) d. Hendren/Johnston 6-1,6-2; Greene/Liebler(M) d. Bowery/McCurdy 6-3,6-1.
Mentor 5, Valley Forge 0
Singles: Gliebe (M) d. Kugler 6-0, 6-0; Siegel (M) d. Zito 6-0, 6-1; Czyzynski (M) Pooch 6-3, 6-1.
Doubles: Gorjup/Radel (M) d. Hewston/Kaslmark 6-0, 6-0; Robertson/Stanich (M) d. Reass/Arthur 6-0, 6-0.
Wickliffe 5, Andrews Osborne 0
Singles: Szinte (W) d. Petrelli 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Popik (W) d. Du 6-2, 6-0; Hamm (W) d. Sager 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
Doubles: Freed/Nelson (W) d. McLean/Duncan 6-2, 6-1; Palumbo/Tokar (W) d. Duke/Hadzinski 6-0, 6-1.
Hoban d. St. Vincent St.Mary (25-15, 25-19, 25-15)
BOYS GOLF
Archbishop Hoban 167, Copley 172
Good Park
1. Yoak (AH) 38; 2. Forster (CO) 42; T2. Bisesi (AH) 42; T2. J Forster (CO) 42.
NOC Conference Tournament
1. Brusnwick 323; 2. Hudson 327; 3. Medina 329; 4. North Royalton 338; T4. Strongsville 338, Stow 343.
Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 166, Mentor 168.
GIRLS GOLF
Brunswick 207, Berea-Midpark 233
At Brunswick Hills
1. Angie (B) 53; 2. Hiros (BM) 56; 3. Faith (B) 58.
Northeast District Sectional Tournament
At Punderson
How they finished: 1. Hawken 337; 2. Lakeview 354; 3. Beaumont 358; 4. Hathaway Brown 364; 5. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin (385); 6. Padua 386; 7. Southeast 392; 8. Lutheran West 402; 9. Perry 426; 10. Laurel 440; 11. Orange 490; 12. Edgewood 509; 13. Conneaut 552; 14. Berkshire 554.
St. Joseph 186, Rocky River 211
At Big Met
1. Gentner (RR) 42; T1. Rose (SJA) 42; 3. Zawie (SJA) 46; 4. Abele (SJA) 48.
Suburban League Tournament
At Barberton Brookside
How they finished: 1. Highland 325; 2. Green 338; 3. Copley 376; 4. Nordonia 384; 5. Revere 386; 6. Cloverleaf 396; 7. Wadsworth 413; 8. Tallmadge 419.
Top Individuals: 1. Ho (W) 73; 2. Butler (H) 79; 3. Pearce (G) 81; T3. Horvath (H); 5. McKinzie (H) 82; T5. Babbin (G) 82; 7. Alexander (H) 83; 8. Rice (T) 87.
VOLLEYBALL
Trinity d. Lutheran West (25-13, 25-18, 16-25, 25-21)
Notable: Ciara Parasiliti led Collinwood with 19 assists and three aces.
Brunswick d. Berea (25-15, 24-26, 26-24, 25-17)
Brush d. Garfield Heights (25-14,25-19,25-21)
Cleveland Heights. d. Warrensville (25-14, 25-14, 21-25, 25-15)
East Tech d. Glenville (25-21, 27-25, 25-18)
Collinwood d. Whitney Young (25-23, 25-18, 22-25,19-25, 15-10).
John Hay d. Martin Luther King (25 - 17,21 - 25,25 -14,25 - 23)
Hoban d. St. Vincent St. Mary (25-15, 25-19, 25-14)
Sauna suits are a great way to lose water weight quickly. But they also cause the wearer to flirt closely with dehydration, and are probably best used in small doses.
NOTE TO READERS: "Stretching Out" now runs in print on Sunday, in the Sports section.
***********************************************
That joke about sweat I made three weeks ago? Yeah, I didn’t know the half of it.
The sweat I broke on that tough circuit exercise routine was just a drop in the bucket compared to what came pouring out of the sauna suit I tried last week.
When I stopped pedaling and peeled off that baggy vinyl shirt, all I could think of was the line from my infant son’s bath book, a quote from Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”: “water, water every where.”
Seriously, it was ridiculous. I’ve always been a copious, salty sweater, but on that occasion, I produced a small lake.
Simply escaping the thing with my dignity intact took several minutes, and several minutes more were required to wipe down my stationary bike, the floor, and everything in the vicinity. After that, I had no choice but to get myself immediately into a long, cool shower.
And I’d just worn the top. Had a fitness-minded thief not stolen the sauna pants out of the box at the store, I might have passed out completely, or found myself dealing with water damage in my basement.
But I guess that means it worked. After all, those who exercise in non-breathable fabric do so explicitly to sweat in abundance, and to shed what is commonly known as “water weight,” the first and easiest pounds for those commencing diets to lose. If I hadn’t made a mess, I probably would have been disappointed.
At first, I was disappointed. The early part of my stationary ride, the two fans I’d aimed directly at my head kept me cool enough to nearly forget about the garbage bag trapping heat around my torso.
Then it got ugly, real fast. Fifteen minutes into the journey, something changed, and pedaling turned from pleasant, easy exercise into a miserable, moisture-ridden slog. No amount of fanning was enough to keep me feeling cool, dry or comfortable.
Somehow, I hung on for another 30 minutes, distracting myself with television and obsessive checking of e-mail. All the while, it was all I could do to ignore the puddle growing ever larger at the elastic band around my waist.
How I had that much water to spare, I’m not sure. I am indeed a little stouter these days, but I still exercise and sweat profusely, and would not have guessed I had so much fluid in reserve.
Maybe I was just lucky. Who knows what might have happened had I hung in there longer. I did take care to drink a lot of water while riding, but it’s not as if I’d consumed extra liquids in preparation.
Which brings me to my main concern about sauna suits: how closely they flirt with dehydration. The extensive warnings on the box are there for a reason. No amount of weight-loss justifies permanent damage to your kidneys.
After 45 minutes of cycling, I felt basically fine aside from damp, clammy skin. Then again, my gauge in this area is faulty. I’ve been known to run myself almost literally into the ground, feeling fine right up to the end. Take it from me. It’s all too easy to go too far.
And so I have mixed feelings about sauna suits. Like specialized tools at the hardware store, they’re useful for one particular purpose. In this case, that’s to enjoy the occasional – and brief – prolific sweat. Beyond that, I’d say stick to shorts and T-shirts.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here is how a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the second Associated Press poll of the season. Who is overrated and which teams did pollsters overlook? Sound off below in the comments section. Registering for an account is easy and free (click here to get an account)....
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here is how a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the second Associated Press poll of the season.
Who is overrated and which teams did pollsters overlook? Sound off below in the comments section. Registering for an account is easy and free (click here to get an account).
Teams are listed by Ohio High School Athletic Association divisions, with won-lost record and total points. First-place votes are denoted in parentheses.
Check out an additional post later Monday night listing cleveland.com’s ballot and some explanations on our picks.
The state poll is released every Monday at 6:30 p.m.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — How a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the second weekly Associated Press poll of 2013, by OHSAA divisions, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses):
DIVISION I
1, St. Edward (13) 4-0 253
2, Cincinnati Colerain (10) 4-0 248
3, Cincinnati Moeller (3) 4-0 194
4, Austintown-Fitch 4-0 156
5, Canton McKinley (1) 4-0 149
6, St. Ignatius 3-1 108
7, Hilliard Davidson 4-0 103
8, Hudson 4-0 95
9, Centerville 4-0 94
10, Cincinnati St. Xavier 3-1 39
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Mentor 22. 12, Cincinnati Elder 16. 13, Pickerington North 14. 14, Marysville (1) 13.
DIVISION II
1, Massillon Washington (18) 4-0 258
2, New Albany (5) 4-0 220
3, Cincinnati Winton Woods (2) 4-0 199
4, Willoughby South 4-0 168
5, Zanesville (2) 4-0 150
6, Avon 4-0 135
7, Loveland 4-0 105
(tie) Glenville (1) 3-1 105
9, Mansfield 4-0 40
10, Cincinnati La Salle 3-1 38
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Lewis Center Olentangy 26. 12, Highland 19. 13, North Olmsted 15. 13, Madison 15. 15, Macedonia Nordonia 14.
DIVISION III
1, St. Vincent-St. Mary (18) 4-0 257
2, Toledo Central Catholic (6) 4-0 231
3, Aurora (2) 4-0 142
4, Athens (1) 4-0 135
5, Clyde 4-0 129
6, Day. Thurgood Marshall 2-1 125
7, Poland Seminary 4-0 121
8, Hubbard 4-0 92
9, New Philadelphia 4-0 79
10, Chillicothe (1) 4-0 42
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Dover 37. 12, Sandusky Perkins 32. 13, Trotwood-Madison 17. 13, Mount Orab Western Brown 17. 15, Springfield Shawnee 16.
DIVISION IV
1, Clarksville Clinton-Massie (13) 4-0 233
2, Kenton (5) 4-0 230
3, Bryan (3) 4-0 182
4, Steubenville (3) 4-0 159
5, Bloom-Carroll 4-0 132
6, Genoa Area (2) 4-0 121
7, Caledonia River Valley (2) 4-0 96
8, Fairview 4-0 47
9, Wauseon 4-0 39
10, Middletown Bishop Fenwick 3-1 36
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Washington C.H. Miami Trace 25. 12, Perry 24. 13, Zanesville Maysville 23. 13, Germantown Valley View 23. 15, Kettering Archbishop Alter 21. 16, Struthers 20. 17, Galion 18. 17, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley 18. 19, Minford 15. 20, Upper Sandusky 12.
DIVISION V
1, Wheelersburg (8) 4-0 217
2, Coldwater (4) 4-0 216
3, St. Clairsville (6) 4-0 86
4, Findlay Liberty-Benton (2) 4-0 166
5, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (2) 4-0 144
6, Orrville (1) 4-0 125
7, Dayton Chaminade-Julienne (1) 3-1 95
8, Hamilton Badin (3) 4-0 87
9, Columbiana Crestview 3-1 34
10, Martins Ferry 3-1 33
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Youngstown Ursuline 30. 12, Navarre Fairless 28. 13, Loudonville 27. 14, Columbia 24. 15, Baltimore Liberty Union 22. 16, Richwood North Union (1) 20. 17, Columbus Bishop Hartley 18.
DIVISION VI
1, Kirtland (22) 4-0 259
2, Mogadore (1) 4-0 212
3, Columbus Bishop Ready (2) 4-0 209
4, Haviland Wayne Trace (1) 4-0 181
5, Cincinnati Summit Country Day (1) 4-0 127
6, Lewisburg Tri-County North 4-0 111
7, Villa Angela-St. Joseph 4-0 76
8, Lima Central Catholic 3-1 55
9, Canfield S. Range (1) 4-0 47
10, North Robinson Colonel Crawford 3-1 31
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Cincinnati Country Day 27. 12, Casstown Miami East 26. 13, Centerburg 22. 14, Hamler Patrick Henry 20. 15, Delphos Jefferson 15. 16, Oak Hill 14. 17, Lucasville Valley 13. 17, West Liberty-Salem 13. 17, Newark Catholic 13.
DIVISION VII
1, Maria Stein Marion Local (21) 4-0 253
2, Berlin Center Western Reserve (1) 4-0 198
3, Shadyside (1) 4-0 179
4, North Lewisburg Triad (1) 4-0 156
5, Glouster Trimble (1) 4-0 131
6, Arlington 4-0 130
7, Steubenville Catholic Central 4-0 129
8, Covington 4-0 91
9, Wellsville (1) 4-0 87
10, Cedarville 4-0 21
Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Ft. Loramie 20. 12, Leipsic 19. 13, Norwalk St. Paul 15.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - St. Vincent-St. Mary is installing a new gym, thanks to its most famous alumnus. The new arena, which is made possible by the $1 million budget given the school by NBA star LeBron James, includes new bleachers, a new court, lighting, locker room and restrooms and an upgrade to the training room. Cleveland.com reporter Stephanie Kuzydym...
CLEVELAND, Ohio - St. Vincent-St. Mary is installing a new gym, thanks to its most famous alumnus. The new arena, which is made possible by the $1 million budget given the school by NBA star LeBron James, includes new bleachers, a new court, lighting, locker room and restrooms and an upgrade to the training room.
Cleveland.com reporter Stephanie Kuzydym stopped by the gym last week to see how construction is going. Her video on the project drew an interesting response from one reader today about what to call the gym instead of the LeBron James Arena.
Claudius I quips:
How about we all pitch in and purchase the naming rights. Then we christen it "Quitness Arena".
At least one commenter in the post disagreed with Claudius. How do you feel? Will you be upset to see James' name on the gym after he left via free agency? Or does the good of him donating the money to build the gym offset any negative feelings his name might bring up?
Tell us how you feel in the comments below this post or on the post itself, complete with video of how the renovations are going so far.
New this school year: Readers can now comment on all cleveland.com high school sports stories — and we encourage it. The comments section allows you to interact with other fans, sound off on the latest polls, share your Top 25, give your take on games, news — the possibilities are endless.
Look for the comments section at the bottom of every post. Registering for an account is free and takes just a few minutes (click here to get your account). Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.
There are so many candidates for Tribe MVP because it's played like a true team -- but best of all, fans seem to appreciate the spirit of the players.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians MVP for this season is …
I'm not sure. That says so much about this team, which was 68-94 a year ago and is knocking on the door of the playoffs with an 87-70.
Usually, when a team makes a high jump like that, a couple of players are having great years. Not good years … great. But the Indians are different. Very, very different.
"We have eight different guys with at least 10 homers," said General Manager Chris Antonetti. "We have 10 different guys with at least 40 RBI."
But only one player has 20 homers -- Nick Swisher, who has exactly 20. Only one player as at least 80 RBI -- Jason Kipnis, who has 81.
But who is the MVP?
"It's really hard to identify," said Antonetti. "You could say that Mark Reynolds was our MVP in April." Signed as a free agent, Reynolds hit .301 with eight homers and 22 RBI in the first month of the season.
After that … well … just know he was waived in August. Reynolds signed with the Yankees, had a few good games … but is batting .133 in his last 10 games.
"For most of the summer, you'd probably say Kipnis," said Antonetti. The second baseman was batting .301 with 13 homers, 21 steals and 57 RBI at the All-Star break. You certainly can say Kipnis was Mr. June, as he was the American League Player of the Month. He also made the AL All-Stars. But after that, Kipnis is batting .243 with four homers, 24 RBI and seven steals.
"After the All-Star Game, you could make a strong case for Ubaldo," said Antonetti, referring to Ubaldo Jimenez, who is 6-5 record and the best ERA (1.83) of any American League starter after the All-Star break.
"It's really so hard to pick one guy," said Antonetti. "Ryan Raburn has been super. Our whole bench has been great. Justin Masterson (14-10, 3.52 ERA) was an All-Star. Nick Swisher may be the MVP in September (five homers, 14 RBI). It really has been a team effort."
You also can say that Antonetti and his front office deserve some consideration for a strong off-season adding talent.
Fans weigh in
I asked fans on my Facebook page the Tribe MVP question. I gave them 45 minutes to respond, and there were more than 160 comments.
David Martin posted, "It's Kipnis, not even close."
When a second baseman has an OPS of .803 and leads your team in RBI and stolen bases, it's impressive.
Steve Podsedly should be hired as an agent for Kipnis, writing how he leads the team in everything from bunt singles to extra-base hits to sacrifice flies to runs scored to seeing the most pitches -- 2,654.
Alex Goodlive simply insisted Kipnis "is the heart of the team."
Bob Rosen and Lin McDowell voted for Jimenez. As McDowell posted, "He's pitched like a man possessed in the second half."
Jimenez received a lot of votes from the likes of Vashon Keith McGlothlin, Ryan Sweeney and Jeffrey Coy -- several admitting they couldn't believe they'd ever find themselves voting for Jimenez. But his 3.38 ERA is the lowest of any Tribe starter.
There were several votes for the entire rotation -- Scott Kazmir, Zach McAllister, Corey Kluber, Jimenez and Masterson. Only Kazmir (9-9, 4.14 ERA) has an ERA higher than 4.00. The overall team ERA is 3.13 after the All-Star break.
That led to votes for Mickey Callaway, the rookie pitching coach. "No If's or But's about it," wrote Victor Cooke III.
After all, the rotation was supposed to be the weakest part of the team. Jimenez led all American League pitchers with 17 losses last season. Masterson was 11-15 with a 4.93 ERA. Kazmir was pitching independent ball in Sugar Land, Texas. McAllister and Kluber were prospects still trying to establish themselves.
Now, it may be the strength of the team.
How about most consistent?
Antonetti nominated Michael Brantley for that, at least among the non-pitchers.
Brantley is batting .283 (.730 OPS) with 10 homers, 70 RBI and 16 steals. He batted .279 before the All-Star break, .285 after. There is little change in his batting average vs. lefties or righties.
"He comes through in the clutch, he's great in (left) field and he's a quiet leader," wrote Donna Hein Hess.
Michael Gardner and Jerry Kendig supported Brantley because he doesn't complain about where he bats in the order, or when asked to switch between center and left field.
Brantley is batting .363 with runners in scoring position. The only others above .300 are Michael Bourn (.307) and Ryan Raburn (.303).
Raburn received the backing from several fans. Chris Dougherty wrote: "He has provided much-needed depth and a ton of production! Could hit 35-38 home runs if he played everyday!"
Yan Gomes has impressed many fans. Jim Grosser wrote that Gomes is the best Tribe defensive catcher since Sandy Alomar. Evan Shanley and Patrick Fulton praised the clutch hitting of Gomez. Fans such as Nick Kellogg wanted to nominate the entire Goon Squad, as the bench calls itself: Mike Aviles, Drew Stubbs, Jason Giambi, Raburn and Gomes.
The big picture
Fans love the spirit of the team. Lisa Reschke wrote that "Jason Giambi and Nick Swisher changed the dynamic of the locker room."
Tim Evans believes relievers Joe Smith and Cody Allen have done a wonderful job and received little attention.
Mark Zimmer suggested Tito Francona, because the manager was "the first piece" of building the team.
Francona also received a lot of votes and praise for his handling the bench and guiding the team through slumps.
Ali Asad said the team's surprising success has caused him to rethink "my position on the whole organization … From top to bottom ... owner, front office, manager, coaches and players."
An excited Jim Evans wrote, "Can we just pick everyone?" That's exactly what Francona would do, especially after their 11th walk-off victory Tuesday night.
Finally, Shamus MeGraw wrote, "The team's MVP is that there is no quit in them."
And that may be what fans like best about this year's Tribe.
