Get the latest from Zack Meisel, Paul Hoynes, Terry Pluto and Chuck Crow in Goodyear as the Indians continue spring training workouts.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians' game against the White Sox was rained out yesterday, but the Tribe hopes to return to the field this afternoon at 3:05 p.m. against the Seattle Mariners. 

Check out Paul Hoynes' Spring Training notes from yesterday as well as a report from Zack Meisel on Nyjer Morgan.

For the next two weeks, our cleveland.com/Plain Dealer team of Paul Hoynes, Terry Pluto, Chuck Crow and yours truly will be in Arizona bringing you wall-to-wall coverage. We'll have in-game blogs, live shows, videos interviews with players, photos and a few surprises.

Come back to this page throughout the day for the latest from Goodyear.

10 a.m.

Tony Plush isn't in Tribe camp, but Nyjer Morgan is. Here's a feature on how Morgan has left Plush, his alter ego, at home as he tries to impress Terry Francona and the Tribe front office:

Morgan spent last year in Japan with the Yokohama BayStars. When he signed with the Indians, he decided to ditch the gimmicks and focus on the challenge before him. Francona described him as being "on a mission," a declaration with which Morgan agreed.

Why are the Indians taking it so easy with Danny Salazar so far in camp? Hoynsie has the latest in his notebook from last night.

Kelli Stack returns from the Olympics with memories, a silver medal, and a new puppy.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ten days later, Kelli Stack still is licking her wounds from the gold medal she and her U.S. hockey teammates failed to capture at the Sochi Winter Olympics. In a few weeks, she's hoping the licks of her new “Sochi stray” puppy will speed the healing process.

Stack, a Brooklyn Heights native, is back at her Boston apartment with her yellow labrador, Bruce, who is about to get a little sister. Stack raised more than $1,800 in a few hours on an Internet crowd-funding site last week to fund the adoption and transportation of a puppy she met at an animal shelter during the Olympics.

The young Shar Pei-shepherd mix wasn't a Sochi stray roaming the streets with thousands of other of dogs that captured the hearts of Olympians, fans and animal-lovers around the world. Stack knew right away she wanted to adopt one of the dogs, but learned she couldn't just scoop one up in the Olympic village and take it home on the team plane because of customs issues and laws pertaining to the dogs being vaccinated and quarantined.

View full sizeBrooklyn Heights native Kelli Stack won her second silver medal at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.USA Hockey

After doing some research, she contacted a shelter near the Olympic village and was emailed a photo of the puppy and immediately fell in love.

“The lady who worked at the shelter found her and her five siblings in a box underneath a bridge in Sochi,'' Stack said. “I said, 'Don't send me any more pictures because I don't want to have to choose which one to bring back.'

“Her name is Kapitosha. I'm going to name her Shayba which is the name of the rink we played at. I went to the clinic on Saturday (Feb. 22) and met the puppy, and was there when she got her first round of vaccines. She should get here the first week of April. Bruce just turned 2, so he'll be excited to have a little friend to run around with.''

Stack estimates the adoption process and flight to Boston will cost between $1,000 and $1,500 and she said she will donate leftover money to the shelter.

So, Stack will have two dogs and two silver Olympic silver medals. She said she's proud of them, but isn't happy about how the last one wound up around her neck on Feb. 20. The U.S. led Canada, 2-0, with under 3:30 to play in the gold-medal game. The Canadians scored twice to tie it. In between, Stack had a chance to seal the win when she shot the puck 130 feet toward an open net, but it hit the post.

Canada won the game, and the gold medal, 3-2 in overtime.

View full sizeKelli Stack (16) said this was one of her favorite moments during the Winter Olympics, when she and teammates Meghan Duggan (10), Amanda Kessel (28) hugged after the women's hockey Olympics medal ceremony on Feb. 20.AP

“It's definitely heartbreaking,'' Stack said. “Nobody will understand what we're feeling because we had a gold medal for basically 59 minutes. We outplayed them. We were the better team and it was like the bounces didn't go our way. It definitely was a tough one to swallow.

“I don't know if I'll ever get over it, but I'm still proud of having a silver medal and proud of the way played as a team. We fought 'till the end and I thought we deserved to win, but it just didn't go our way. I think later on, I'll appreciate it more. ''

Canada also beat the U.S. in the 2010 gold-medal game. Since then, Stack's sole focus was to win the gold medal. The U.S. built some momentum before the Olympics, beating Canada in four straight games, but Team USA lost to Canada in a group-play game before the gold-medal game.

Stack, the starting center, had a goal and four assists in the tournament.

“All the training we've done, we were training to win a gold medal. We weren't putting in 50 percent or 80 percent to come in second or third,'' she said. “We worked so hard and we want to be rewarded with the ultimate prize. When that doesn't happen, we're disappointed as athletes because we're so competitive. It's not a good feeling when you train so hard and you literally have the game in your hands and it doesn't go your way.''

Stack isn't lamenting the missed open net.

“I hit the post. I wasn't even shooting the puck at the net. I was just trying to clear it out of our zone,'' she said. “A lot of people look at that play and say, 'An inch to the right and that would have put you guys up 3-1.' In the moment, you can't tell in real time I wasn't even shooting on the net, I was just trying to clear the puck.''

View full sizeKim Triscari, Kelli Stack's sister, celebrates as Team USA scores on Canada in the women's gold-medal hockey game Feb. 20 during a watch party at Tripps Bar and Grill in Broadview Heights. Stack said she was touched by the amount of support she received back home during the Winter Olympics.Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

Stack and her teammates, including Sheffield Village native Brianne McLaughlin, didn't have much time to enjoy the rest of the Olympics as they prepared for and rested between five games. They attended two U.S. men's hockey games, including a shootout win against Russia.

Before the Olympics began, Stack met Russian President Vladimir Putin as he toured the athletes village. A photo of Stack laughing with Putin appeared in newspapers around the world.

“Meeting President Putin was awesome,'' she said. “In the picture, I was just laughing so hard because I didn't think he would come over to us, and sure enough, he did. He just asked where we were from and what sport we played.''

Stack said she got to know a few members of the U.S. men's hockey team, but mostly stayed with her teammates at the athletes village.

Stack, 26, said she's uncertain about her future. She is rostered with the Boston Blades, a team in the professional Canadian Women's Hockey League, and could finish the season with them. She isn't ready to retire from the U.S. national team.

“I'm going to take it year by year,'' she said. “I'll probably play for another year and just see how my body feels. I would love to play in another Olympics. I don't know what my body is going to be like at age 30. The training is very rigorous and it's a huge commitment.''

Apart from the medal and the puppy, Stack said she came away from Sochi with strong feelings of gratitude.

“I love the moment after the game a couple of us just hugged on the ice. I'll always remember that moment,'' she said. “And, I loved all the support I got back home in Northeast Ohio and Brooklyn Heights, especially. My family was awesome and our friends were, too. It was an unbelievable amount of support and I'm so grateful for it.''

Will Jadeveon Clowney be in the mix for the Browns at No. 4? Will the Browns franchise Alex Mack or T.J. Ward? These and other questions answered in this week's edition of Hey Mary Kay!

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hey Mary Kay!

Hey Mary Kay: Do you think defensive end Jadeveon Clowney's excellent 40-time (4.53) at the Combine puts him in the mix for the Browns at No. 4?

-- Kevin Young, Sugar Hill, Ga.

Hey Kevin: I do think the Browns will strongly consider Clowney at No. 4 along with the top three quarterbacks (Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles) and receiver Sammy Watkins. Clowney has the size, freakish speed and explosiveness to take over a game, and had good production at South Carolina. But some scouts question his work ethic and self-discipline. Still, he's considered a top 10 talent, and the Browns will do their due diligence. Coach Mike Pettine coached former No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams to a 13-sack season last year with the Bills and would know exactly what to do with a Clowney.

Hey Mary Kay: Do you think the Browns will franchise Alex Mack or T.J. Ward?

-- Allen Braswell, Tampa, Fla.

Hey Allen: Heading into the offseason, the Browns had no plans to franchise Mack or Ward. But they're committed to re-signing Mack, and think T.J. Ward can help them win, which means there's a chance that either one of them could get franchised by Monday's deadline. In the event they do franchise one of them, they can continue to negotiation a long-term contract with him.

Hey Mary Kay: Do you think the Browns will sign Bills free safety Jairus Byrd?

-- Mary Beth Ganim, Columbus, Ohio

Hey Mary Beth: The Bills are still trying to sign their Pro Bowl safety to a long-term deal. If it doesn't happen, they can franchise him for the second straight season up until Monday. It looks like the Bills are committed to keeping him, but if he becomes a free agent, I'd expect coach Mike Pettine to make a strong pitch. Not only is Byrd a great player, but new head coaches often like to bring in one of their former players to help teach the scheme and set the tone.

Hey Mary Kay: What impact will D'Qwell Jackson leaving have on the team?

-- Melissa Wigginton, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Hey Melissa: The Browns might be able to replace Jackson's production on the field, but they will be hard-pressed to match his leadership ability. Jackson was the undisputed leader of the team and held the squad together in the aftermath of the Trent Richardson trade last year. He also kept the players calm in the midst of Josh Gordon trade rumors and carried the defense through a four-game suspension by Joe Haden in 2012. Haden and T.J. Ward attribute much of their growing up in recent years to the example set by Jackson. He will be missed and someone will have to fill the void.

Hey, Mary Kay:  I would like to know why the Browns can't take Derek Carr at #4. It should be the Browns decision who they take, when they want to take whatever player.

- Mike B., Pioneer, Ohio

Hey Mike: The Browns can absolutely take Carr at No. 4 if they so choose. He's not really rated to go that high, but if he's your guy and you're worried about losing him before your number is called again at No. 26, by all means, take him. I was very impressed with Carr's podium interview at the NFL Scouting Combine and with his skillset overall. Former Browns scout Daniel Jeremiah, now an NFL Network analyst, says he's been told that Carr is the Browns' target and they want to take him at No. 26. Is it a smokescreen? I can't imagine the Browns would let that slip out there now if it's true, but anything's possible.

Hey Mary Kay: Which of the Big Three quarterbacks would you draft at No. 4?

- Steve C., Cleveland, Ohio

Hey Steve: I've talked to scouts who aren't 100% sold on any of the three (Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater), but I like Bridgewater the best. He's a dual-threat quarterback with a terrific arm and an obsession for the game, which is necessary to succeed at this level. He needs to add about 10 more pounds to his 214-pound frame, but he's got the skillset, work ethic and mentality to succeed.

The Indians improved to 3-1 this spring following their 6-3 win against the Mariners on Sunday. Here are five observations from overcast Goodyear.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians improved to 3-1 this spring following their 6-3 win against the Mariners on Sunday. With the ferris wheel rotating and the yo-yo ride spinning at the carnival beyond the left-field wall, here are five observations from overcast Goodyear.

1. On Sunday morning, Terry Francona was asked about Carlos Santana's arm and if his experience firing strikes from behind the plate to second base would aid his transition to the hot corner. Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall are competing for the starting third-base gig.

The skipper lauded Santana's arm strength and accuracy, saying the 27-year-old's "arm is probably as good as anybody's in the league."

Santana made his second spring start at third base on Sunday after an uneventful debut at the position on Thursday. On the first chopper sent his direction, he made an errant throw to first base.

"I think coming out of his glove, he didn't have it and he just took another shuffle," Francona said. "And right after I was just talking about his arm."

2. Next year at this time, Francisco Lindor will be playing in innings one through five, not six through nine. He probably won't be wearing No. 67 anymore, either. Lindor socked a decisive three-run homer to right field in the seventh inning on Sunday.

Francona praised the 20-year-old shortstop for bulking up over the offseason while also mending a back injury. He also marveled at Lindor's long ball.

"It was a good swing," Francona said. "It's exciting for us to see that. We get a kick out of that every day when one of our young kids does something. It just makes the games more fun. I know we talk about it all the time, but we love when our young guys play and it's fun to watch them have some success, even if it's spring training."

In six at-bats this spring, Lindor has two hits and two strikeouts and has scored three runs.

Asdrubal Cabrera will begin the season as the Indians' shortstop, but the free-agent-to-be is keeping the seat warm for Lindor. If Lindor proves capable at Double-A Akron or Triple-A Columbus, he could arrive in Cleveland, at the latest, by the start of the 2015 campaign.

3. Francona trotted out a lineup on Sunday that could resemble the team's Opening Day order. He penciled Nick Swisher's name into the No. 2 hole for the first time this spring. As was the case for much of last season, Michael Bourn led off, Jason Kipnis batted third and Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera followed.

David Murphy, who the club inked to a two-year, $12 million deal in November, batted ninth. That speaks to the depth of the lineup, one that didn't include Jason Giambi or Ryan Raburn, who combined to slug 25 homers in 429 at-bats last year.

The Indians finished fourth in the American League in runs scored in 2013, largely because of the horde of able hitters. Twelve Tribe batters clubbed nine or more homers and 10 hitters tallied at least 45 RBIs.

The team is banking on progression by its young core, including Kipnis, Santana, Brantley, Chisenhall and Yan Gomes. That, coupled with rebound years from Swisher or Cabrera or Bourn could equip the Indians with one of baseball's most potent offensive attacks.

4. It's easy to get a sense of which players serve as the true professionals on a team during spring training. Midway through Sunday's tilt, as a small cluster of Indians starters departed the dugout and headed toward the right-field tunnel that leads to the exit, Michael Brantley remained near the green-padded railing to high five every young fielder before leaving.

Early in spring, starters often leave the ballpark shortly after being pulled. After the players filed into the dugout, Brantley jogged off to catch up to his teammates.

Brantley fared well on the field as well, collecting three singles in three at-bats.

"Hitting is hard, but his mechanics are so simple that I think he probably gets ready quicker than other guys because he can repeat his swing so often," Francona said. "There are not a lot of moving parts. He did the same thing last year."

5. Trevor Bauer surrendered a two-run homer to Seattle's Dustin Ackley, but Francona was simply pleased that the 23-year-old threw the ball accurately enough so that a hitter would be enticed to swing. Bauer walked 29 batters in 33 1/3 innings with the Tribe last season, and he issued free passes to the first two batters he faced in the spring opener on Wednesday.

"That's where spring training is wonderful," Francona said. "He fell behind and he paid for it, but in spring training, that's by far the best he's thrown. He looked like he had conviction with his fastball. He worked ahead. He threw some fastballs down. Then he spun his breaking ball off of it. That was really exciting."

The Cleveland Indians won another spring training game Sunday. See a Chuck Crow photo gallery for all the action.

The Cleveland Indians won another spring training game Sunday. See a Chuck Crow photo gallery for all the action.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Sunday was 10th anniversary of the death of Marge Schott, the eccentric owner of the Reds. While manager Terry Francona was talking to reporters Sunday morning, a story on Schott was playing on the TV behind him. Francona played for the Reds in 1987 and remembered Schott’s annual team party at her home. One of the...

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Sunday was 10th anniversary of the death of Marge Schott, the eccentric owner of the Reds.

While manager Terry Francona was talking to reporters Sunday morning, a story on Schott was playing on the TV behind him. Francona played for the Reds in 1987 and remembered Schott’s annual team party at her home.

One of the highlights was an elephant that Scott borrowed from the Cincinnati Zoo.

“I rode that elephant at the team party,” said Francona. “If you weren’t good enough to tell her no, you had to ride the elephant.”

Asked how he got up on the elephant, Francona laughed and said, “I can’t even remember.”

As for why the elephant was at a team party, “I don’t remember the circumstances. I know it was there. It may have been a ride for the kids, but believe it was there. “

Three-for-three: Left fielder Michael Brantley batted three times in Sunday’s 6-3 victory over Seattle and had three singles. He looked the same as he did last year when he hit .284 overall and led the Tribe going down the stretch with a .343 (34-for-98) batting average.

“Hitting is hard, but his mechanics are so simple that I think he gets ready quicker than the other guys because he can repeat his swing so often because there are bot a lot of moving parts,” said manager Terry Francona. “He did the same thing last year.”

Brantley came to terms on a four-year $25 million deal on Feb. 10.

Oops: Francona said one of the reasons the Indians acquired utility infielder Justin Sellers from the Dodgers on Sunday was because Jose Ramirez has been slow to recover from left thumb surgery in December. It also turns out that Ramirez suffered an ankle injury recently while running on a treadill.

Ramirez, who injured his thumb in winter ball while sliding into third base, is scheduled to play four innings Tuesday in a B game against the Angels.

Premature call? The White Sox may have called Saturday’s game against the Indians too early because of rain. It turned out that the only other game Cactus League game to be rained out Saturday was a night game.

Francona felt the game could have been played, but said, “The weather was changing every 20 minutes. But it was hard to go home at 1:30 p.m. with the sun shining.”

Fryman-to-Fryman: Former Tribe infielder Travis Fryman is in camp. He reports that his sons, Mason and Branden, will be the double-play combination at J.M. Tate High School in Cantonment, Fla. When Mason, a senior, pitches, he’ll vacate shortstop and be replaced by Branden, who will move over from second.

Fryman is a special assistant in baseball operations after managing three years in the minors and spending two seasons as the organization’s minor league infield coordinator.

Finally: Look for Ryan Raburn to spend sometime at first base later this spring . . .Bryan LaHair, recovering from surgery on his left wrist, is making progress and is expected to play in Cactus League games before the end of the month . . .Former Indians Rick Waits and Cory Snyder were in Seattle’s dugout Sunday. Waits is the Mariners’ new pitching coach and Snyder is their Triple-A hitting coach. .. Corey Kluber is scheduled to start against Texas’ right-hander Colby Lewis Monday at 3:05 p.m. ET in Surprise, Ariz. The game will be on Indians.com.

"This team is still capable of a lot man," LaQuinton Ross said. "With the players in this locker room, we can still make a long run in the tournament. There's a reason this team and coaching staff has been to four straight Sweet 16s."

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Lenzelle Smith Jr. and LaQuinton Ross emerged from Ohio State’s locker room with somber looks on their faces. It was the typical scene after a Big Ten road loss.

It was up to the Buckeyes' two leading scorers, each of which finished with 19 points in the No. 22 Buckeyes' 72-64 loss at Indiana, to explain what happened this time.

Let's go down the checklist. Poor shooting – the Buckeyes went without a three for the first time in 10 years – letting up after attaining a lead and giving up on the system.

We've heard all those reasons a lot this year because Ohio State (22-8, 9-8 Big Ten) has lost a lot this year. It's a down year.

But both players independently offered another take, one not often present during the sad and angry moments following a loss. Excitement for what's to come.

"We're a great team when we come to execute and when we're on top of our game," Smith said. "I said we can beat any team in the country, and I'm going to stick by that. I'm going to stay on the boat, and I should be happy with what we should produce at the end of the season.

"I'm not panicking. I'm not worried about anything."

Not worried about anything? That sounds more like denial than confidence after the Buckeyes made only one bucket outside of the paint and missed on all 13 shots from beyond the arc. 

A minute later, Ross chimed in with something similar.

"This team is still capable of a lot man," Ross said. "With the players in this locker room, we can still make a long run in the tournament. There's a reason this team and coaching staff has been to four straight Sweet 16s."

Where is all this positivity coming from? The Buckeyes just lost its second consecutive game against a team in the bottom half of the Big Ten standings. Where's the panic? Where are the comments about how this team has hit rock bottom?

Nowhere to be found. Because this isn't rock bottom. It's not even close.

This is the reality of college basketball, a world where a team like Ohio State isn't going to be on top of the Big Ten standings every year. Players come and go, injuries happen and talent on rosters fluctuate.

What is this? This is a team that can't shoot and isn't going to be able to shoot in March. This is a team that doesn't have an NBA player on its roster. This is a team that has roster gaps because of the departures of Deshaun Thomas and Jared Sullinger.

This is a flawed team. But this is normal – accept it.

"We were rolling until (the Penn State loss) Thursday night, in all seriousness," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "We're really lacking in a confidence issue and a toughness issue in terms of playing through situations. Those are things, some how, some way, that we have to get corrected."

View full sizeLaQuinton Ross and No. 20 Ohio State fell to Indiana on Sunday, but both Ross and Lenzelle Smith Jr. are excited for the Buckeyes' future in the NCAA Tournament. Associated Press

Even with all those issues, this is a team that will be fighting in the NCAA Tournament. And therefore, there's still a chance something special could happen. A fifth straight trip to the Sweet 16 would be surprising, but its not out of the question. 

Look around college basketball. Better yet, save yourself the trouble and look only at the team that beat the Buckeyes on Sunday.

Indiana was 14-4 in the Big Ten and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year before being eliminated in the Sweet 16. This year? After replacing Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller - both top five picks in the NBA Draft – Indiana (17-12, 7-9) only has slim hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament. 

Perhaps that's why Indiana coach Tom Crean began his postgame news conference by praising Matta, who has had Ohio State avoiding that fate for longer than usual.

"Thad really doesn't get the attention or the credit that he (deserves)," Crean said. "He is a great coach. That guy will be in the Hall of Fame at some point. There's absolutely no doubt about it."

OK – broaden the scope outside of Indiana a little bit. How about we use Kentucky as an example? The Wildcats won the national championship two years ago and missed the NCAA Tournament all together last year.

This happens. Ohio State, a team that hasn't finished below .500 in the Big Ten since Matta's first year in 2004-05, is taking its lumps. The Buckeyes fell to sixth in the Big Ten, and are still hoping to backdoor their way into a first round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. That's not pretty positioning. 

But in reality, as ugly as that seems, its not all that bad.

Because even with flaws that aren't going away, there's still reason to watch in March. 

Sunday was a good day for the Indians as Trevor Bauer stayed in the strike zone despite giving up a monster homer, Nick Swisher made his desert debut and Francisco Lindor hit a game-winning homer. Watch video

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Bryan Shaw walked through the door in the right field wall at Goodyear Ballpark on Sunday afternoon after the fifth inning. Several reporters waited on the concrete path that leads to the buses that would take him and his teammates back to the Indians’ training complex.

It was Shaw’s first appearance of the spring. Like several other Indians, Shaw has been on a “slow-play’ program in the early part of the Cactus League season. But Shaw knew the reporters weren’t waiting for him even though he’d pitched a scoreless fifth.

“Don’t worry, Swisher and Bauer are coming,” he said with a smile.

Shaw knew he’d make the waiting bus. Nick Swisher and Trevor Bauer might not be so lucky.

Swisher sat out the first three games of the Cactus League season because he wanted to ease into spring games. He felt he’d jumped into things too fast last year and turned cold at the plate just before the start of the regular season.

In the Tribe’s 6-3 win over Seattle, Swisher went 0-for-3 with an RBI as he ran his way out of a double play in a three-run fifth inning.

Swisher felt that too much has been made of his decision to tip toe into the Cactus League season.

“I think everyone kind of made too big of a deal out of it,” he said. “I was just like, 'Hey, I don't want to play games in February.'”

 Swisher batted second and played first base in a lineup that featured nine players who could be in the Tribe’s starting lineup in Oakland on March 31 – CF Michael Bourn, 1B Swisher, 2B Jason Kipnis, 3B Carlos Santana, LF Michael Brantley, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, DH Lonnie Chisenhall, C Yan Gomes and RF David Murphy.

“We’re still super early in spring training, but it was nice to get out there with the guys and get a few hacks in,” said Swisher.

When he was asked once again about taking the first few games off, Swisher said, “Man, I think you guys are way too into it. Go to some other clubs and see how they do it.”

Swisher was done talking and he made the bus. Bauer wasn’t so fortunate as reporters tacked him down. He laughed because he thought Swisher would talk long enough for him to escape.

Aaron Harang started the game and allowed one run in two innings. Bauer followed by retiring the side in order in the third on eight pitches. In the fourth, however, he gave up a long two-out homer to Dustin Ackley off the batter’s eye in center field far above the 410-foot mark.

Ackley hit a 3-1 pitch.

“I just tried to throw it as hard as I could, preferably over the plate since it was a 3-1 count,” said Bauer. “The only question was would it go over the batter’s eye or stay in the ballpark. I originally wasn’t going to watch it. Then I said, ‘Oh, it might go over. This might be impressive.’ So I turned around.”

What Bauer did Sunday that he’s had trouble doing in the early part of camp was throw strikes.

“That’s where spring training is wonderful,” said manager Terry Francona. “He fell behind and paid for it, but that’s by far the best he’s thrown. He looked like he had conviction with his fastball. He worked ahead. He was down in the strike zone and he spun is breaking ball off of it.

“That was really exciting. Really exciting to see.”

Bauer has a chance to make the Indians rotation, but it’s going to take more appearances like Sunday’s.

“The ball was going over the plate and that was nice,” said Bauer. “The last time out I threw 48 percent strikes. I’m not sure what I was today, but I think it was higher.”

Bauer spent last season and part of the offseason reworking his delivery. He feels comfortable with it now and logically the next step would be to get better command of the strike zone. Or maybe not.

“I’m weird, though, when I try to command the ball I don’t command it very well,” said Bauer. “I just have to go out there and let it rip and try to throw something over the plate. Which is why when I really didn’t trust my delivery it was hard to throw strikes. “

On Sunday a lot of things went right for the Tribe. Yes, Carlos Santana made an error on the first ball hit to him in his attempt to be a third baseman, but Bauer came in and threw strikes and shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Tribe’s No.1 pick in 2011, hit a game-winning three-run homer in the seventh inning.

“It was a good swing,” said Francona. “We get a kick out of that every day when we see one of our young kids do something like that. It makes the games fun.”

Axford's gimmick, however, is more cerebral, more calculated. He's laid back but meticulous, deliberate but prepared. The attributes aided his resurrection last season in St. Louis, where he went from a pitcher banished from the closer role in Milwaukee to a middle reliever tossed into the thick of a pennant race.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- At Joe's Bar in downtown Chicago stood John Axford, draped in a maroon suit jacket and gold tuxedo, his long, brown locks tucked beneath a shimmering crown.

Just two weeks after the St. Louis Cardinals dispensed of his Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, Axford claimed an award he had worked toward all season.

Yes, earlier in the month he claimed the 2011 National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year award. On this occasion, though, Axford received the Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year honor, handed out annually by the American Mustache Institute.

The plaque, which bears the caricature of Goulet, the late, mustached singer and actor, hangs front and center on a mantle in his house, intentionally situated where guests immediately notice it.

Axford, who dabs each word he speaks with a hint of dry humor, called it the greatest individual achievement of his career.

"I brought mustaches back to the forefront," he said. "I brought mustache awareness to America. That's what I try to do."

This is the Indians' eccentric new closer, the guy replacing the polarizing Chris Perez, another facial-haired jester.

Axford's gimmick, however, is more cerebral, more calculated. He's laid back but meticulous, deliberate but prepared. The attributes aided his resurrection last season in St. Louis, where he went from a pitcher banished from the closer role in Milwaukee to a middle reliever tossed into the thick of a pennant race.

He posted a 1.74 ERA in 13 appearances with the Cardinals, which prompted the Indians to approach him with a contract and an opportunity to own the ninth inning.

"When you're first a free agent, you're trying to figure it out and test the waters and see what you can do out there on the market," Axford said. "It's, 'What kind of roles are out there for you?' That was definitely one of the big things and the main reasons for coming here, so I could close again."

The ninth inning better suits Axford's appearance. He currently sports a Fu Manchu, as his brown scruff wraps around his lips and plunges toward his chin. It's a look popularized by Hall of Fame closer Goose Gossage. Axford has also previously sported a Rollie Fingers-like mustache, in which he uses wax to curl the ends.

"I think he's a blessed man, because he's fortunate enough to grow facial hair that he can mix and match with different looks," said catcher Matt Treanor. "I actually like the Rollie Fingers look, but for the intimidation factor, I'm going to have to say the Fu Manchu is a little bit better."

Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall grows a mustache each May, despite his wife's disapproval. He admitted it takes him two months to establish a full display.

Many closers, be it Axford, Perez, Brian Wilson or Jose Valverde don't mind the effort -- or the commitment to nonchalance -- it require several opinions -- it requires to sprout an atypical facial hair ensemble.

"It's another form of 'I don't care about anything except closing this game out, especially my mustache or facial hair,'" Chisenhall said. "It's definitely an intimidating look if you can pull it off. Sometimes it's a bad look and it doesn't help. In his case, it does."

Jason Giambi's locker bordered Gossage's during Giambi's first spring training in 1993. The Indians slugger has seen plenty of facial hair presentations during his two decades in baseball, especially on the mugs of those who toe the rubber in the ninth.

"They have to have their thing," Giambi said. "They're kind of like the lone wolf. They're out there by themselves a lot of times in big pressure situations and they enjoy it, too. They enjoy going out there and it's all on their shoulders. They're a special breed."

Right-hander Frank Herrmann preferred Axford's Fingers look. Herrmann, a reliever nearly a year removed from Tommy John surgery, said the intimidation factor "comes with the territory" of filling the closer role. As a middle or long reliever, Herrmann doesn't have to worry about a lack of scruff.

"Once in a while, I'll pattern it and I'll have handlebar sideburns to mess with my wife," Herrmann said, "but she makes me shave it right away. She'll say, 'N'SYNC called and they want their facial hair back.' Something to that effect that crushes me and then I shave it.

"I think it's just part of their persona. You have to have a couple screws loose to do that."

Axford's display certainly seems to fit that description, but he's remarkably even-keeled and composed. Perhaps that temperament helped him tally 46 saves in 2011 and contributed to his turnaround late last season.

"It could be what makes them good too is the creative side," Treanor said, "the right side of their brain that they really don't care what people think, that they're going to be creative and that's one way of expressing themselves."

Axford made a pact toward the end of spring training in 2010 that if the Brewers sent him to the minors, he would grow a mustache. Later that day, the Brewers did just that.

Six weeks later, Milwaukee promoted him and his mustache to the big league club. Axford hadn't seen his wife during his time at Triple-A and she was set to visit him, so he planned to shave. However, his teammates endorsed the look, so Axford suggested he could curl the ends of his mustache.

Fellow pitcher Carlos Villanueva then cautioned that if he didn't curl it, he "would lose all respect."

"I curled it the next day," Axford said, "and I curled it at times and guys just loved it and fans grabbed a hold of it, so that's why I kept it."

That year, Axford eased into the closer role, despite it being his first full big league season. He finished ninth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2011, when he posted a 1.95 ERA and racked up 86 strikeouts in 73 2/3 innings.

He regressed in 2012, as his ERA soared to 4.67. He lost his closer gig last April after a stretch of four outings during which he surrendered nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. The Brewers shipped him to St. Louis in late August.

Axford won the pennant last season with the Cardinals. It's a distinction he'd like to top this year in Cleveland.

Some World Series tokens could take precedent on that mantle in his home. For now, the mustache award remains front and center.

"As far as individual achievements go," Axford said, "that's probably the best I've ever done."

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Nearly 13,000 wrestling fans attended the Ohio High School Athletic Association's state wrestling tournament Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State. As always, the event was filled with big moments and exciting matches. Twelve Northeast Ohio wrestlers won state titles. Sixty-three others also earned a spot on the awards podium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Nearly 13,000 wrestling fans attended the Ohio High School Athletic Association's state wrestling tournament Thursday through Saturday at Ohio State.

As always, the event was filled with big moments and exciting matches. Twelve Northeast Ohio wrestlers won state titles. Sixty-three others also earned a spot on the awards podium.

So today's high school sports question of the day is: What was your favorite memory from the 2013 OHSAA state wrestling tournament? Share you thoughts in the comments section below.

New this school year: Readers can now comment on all cleveland.com high school sports stories — and we encourage it.

Look for the comments section at the bottom of every post. Registering for an account is free and quick (click here for an account). Once you register you will have the ability to comment on all posts.

Contact high school sports reporter Scott Patsko by email (spatsko@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@ScottPatsko). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Numbers Behind the News ranks cities for pro sports success over the last half-century, offers a calculator for residential sewer bill increases in Greater Cleveland, and includes some facts and figures relating to Women's History Month.

Can new Browns coach Mike Pettine and owner Jimmy Haslam deliver Cleveland a championship?Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer

1. It's been 50 years since Cleveland last won a major pro sports championship so as part of a series by reporter Zack Meisel examining the half-century without a title, we decided to take a look at regular season records as well. What we found is that among cities with NFL, NBA and MLB teams, Boston has performed the best, and Cleveland and San Diego rank at the bottom. A snapshot of these findings are included in the graphic below, and more details can be found at this link.

2. If you live in one of the cities that's part of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, you've probably noticed that your sewer bills keep going up. Check out our calculator that shows you how much extra you've been paying - and will be paying - as part of a construction project costing in the billions. The increases add up to thousands of dollars over time for individual homeowners. The calculator is part of our Money Down the Drain? series, reported by Leila Atassi and Andrew Tobias.

3. March is Women's History Month. There are 161 million American women, the Census Bureau reports. Among other Women's History Month facts and figures from the Census Bureau: women are more likely to vote than men (64 percent to 60 percent) and they earn less money (77 cents on the dollar).

Also:

• The latest from cleveland.com/datacentral
• Data Central index of archived data on a variety of topics

Cities that have had NBA, NBL and MLB teams at one time or another over the last half-century.Rich Exner, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

[View the story "Wrestling's best reflect on the 2014 OHSAA state championship weekend" on Storify]

Cleveland State is in good shape with a week to prepare for its first Horizon League tournament game in Green Bay; Kent State and Akron have a Friday showdown of major interest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Local college basketball gets really interesting now as Cleveland State gets set for a tough bracket in the Horizon League Tournament. Meanwhile, Akron and Kent State point toward an end-season clash that for the first time in years has no regular-season title implications for either team, but might have more MAC intrigue than all those past game combined.

The good news for the No. 2-seed Vikings (21-10, 12-4), after getting that bye to the HL semifinals, is the bulk of the field will be eliminated by the time CSU hits the floor Saturday at 7 p.m.

The bad news is that two of the teams in CSU's bracket, No. 3 Wright State (18-13, 10-6) and No. 7 Youngstown State (15-16, 6-10), split with CSU during the season and all four games were one-possession games.

"The two teams that caused us the most trouble are in there with us,'' CSU head coach Gary Waters said Saturday after defeating Valparaiso and dropping the Crusaders to the No. 4 seed.

WSU is arguably the top defensive team in the league while YSU is one of the best on offense. The plus is, at least one of these teams will be eliminated by the time the Vikings play. And if No. 6-seed Oakland (12-19, 7-9) can pull a double upset, perhaps CSU won't have to play either.

No matter what, the return of Sebastian Douglas (tender knees) and the late-season emergence of 6-9 Luda Ndaye bodes well for the Vikings overall chances.

Now on to the quagmire that is the Mid-American Conference. Akron (18-11, 10-6) snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with a victory over Bowling Green (12-17, 6-10), thanks to yet another big night from Demetrius Treadwell.

Jake Kretzer's return from a concussion is anticipated this week for the Akron Zips.John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer

He should expect some help this week with the potential return of 6-7 sharpshooter Jake Kretzer (concussion) along with a week of knocking off the rust by 6-8 Nick Harney, who returned to action last week.

But next up is a Tuesday TV (TWC) game against Buffalo (18-8, 12-4) that could solidify Akron's grip on No. 4 with a victory, or drop the Zips into a possible tie for that coveted spot.

Getting that bye, or not, for Akron could well come down to the final game against rival Kent. Win or lose, the tie-breaking implications from this game for several teams will be felt throughout the MAC.

Kent State (16-13, 7-9) split its two road games last week, but few expected the upset to come at Ohio University (19-10, 9-7) on Senior Day. KSU, even with senior Darren Goodson in a serious six-game slump (26 points in six games for this once double-figure scorer), is trying to at least earn a home court slot for the opening round of the MAC Tournament.

Kent will likely need at least a split this week with a Tuesday game vs. Miami (11-16, 7-9), which is also gunning for that last home court slot, then playing guest on another Senior Night on Friday at rival Akron.

With two games left in the regular season, there is a three-way tie for first place (Toledo, Western Michigan, Buffalo), Akron tenuously alone in fourth place, and a tie for fifth between OU and Eastern Michigan. However, OU and EMU are still in the mix for that No. 4 seed.

The top four seeds get MAC Tournament byes to the quarterfinals (No. 3 and No. 4) and the semifinals (No. 1 and No. 2). But the depth of the MAC goes beyond that.

"The balance in our league is deep,'' Kent coach Rob Senderoff said. "Right now it is possible that we have a No. 5 team (the Bobcats) enter the MAC Tournament with 20 regular season wins. How many leagues like ours can say that?"

While the remaining eight MAC teams without byes must play five games in six days to win the tournament, they all have legitimate upset potential to at least knock a favorite out of the field.

The two teams tied at No. 5 have combined to beat Toledo twice, plus Akron, Buffalo, and Western Michigan. No. 7 Northern Illinois has a win over Toledo; No. 8 Kent has a win over Akron; No. 10 Bowling Green has topped WMU and Buffalo, and No. 12 Ball State has a win over Buffalo.

To put it another way, only one MAC team (Central Michigan) has failed to beat a current Top 4 seed, and the Chippewas (WMU, Toledo) have two chances to get that done this week.

Women's basketball: The final week for both Horizon League and MAC action. In the HL, CSU (14-14, 9-6) picked up a victory in their lone game last week and find themselves tied for fourth. That makes Saturday's final league game at Youngstown State a big one. In the MAC, Akron continues to be boiling hot now with a 12-game win streak. If the Zips (19-8, 13-4) can get past a road game at Buffalo, the last game of the season, Saturday vs. league-leading Bowling Green, should be a sizzler. Kent State (6-21, 3-13) has lost its last two and now must find another regular season win on the road, either at OU or at Buffalo.

Division III draw: Local Division III teams will find out today if their season's will continue when the NCAA D3 tournament pairings are announced. John Carroll's men just missed an automatic bid when they fell to Wilmington in the Ohio Athletic Conference championship on Saturday, 69-63.

The Baldwin Wallace and John Carroll women's teams both could earn a spot after finishing as the top two seeds in the OAC tournament, only to lose in the semifinals.

This week's schedule:

Tuesday -- Men: Buffalo at Akron, 7, WARF AM/1350, TWC; Miami at Kent State, 7, WHLO AM/640.

Wednesday -- Women: Akron at Buffalo, 7; Kent State at Ohio University, 7.

Friday -- Men: Kent State at Akron, 7, WHLO AM/640, WARF AM/1350, ESPN2.

Saturday -- Men: Cleveland State vs. TBA at HL Tournament, 7, WHK AM/1420. Women: Cleveland State at Youngstown State, 2; Akron vs. Bowling Green, 2; Kent State at Ohio University, Noon.

The Indians look to continue their winning ways as they hit the road to face the Texas Rangers in Surprise. Get updates from our team of reporters and columnists in Arizona throughout the day.

GOODYEAR, Arizona -- The Indians look to continue their winning ways as they hit the road to face the Texas Rangers in Surprise.

The Indians are coming off a 6-3 win over the Mariners on Sunday, a game in which Nick Swisher made his spring debut.

Come back to cleveland.com/tribe throughout the week as cleveland.com/Plain Dealer team of Paul Hoynes, Terry Pluto, Chuck Crow and yours truly bring you wall-to-wall Tribe coverage. We'll have in-game blogs, live shows, videos interviews with players, photos and more.

Be sure to get live updates and chat with me during today's game here. First pitch is at 3:05 p.m. The game is being live streamed on indians.com.

6:30 a.m.

Check out my post on Indians closer John Axford, the winner of the prestigious 2011 American Mustache of the Year Award. His personality may be laid back, but he's also meticulous, deliberate and prepared. Read how those attributes aided his resurrection last season in St. Louis, where he went from a pitcher banished from the closer role in Milwaukee to a middle reliever tossed into the thick of a pennant race.

In case you missed it from Sunday:

• Chuck Crow's photo galleries from Goodyear

• Spring training notebook: Terry Francona remembers Marge Schott's elephant

• Meisel's 5 observations: Carlos Santana's misfire, Francisco Lindor's future and the Tribe's deep lineup

• Pluto: Can David Murphy find his old form with Indians?

The Browns have a decision to make, and they need to make it by 4 p.m. today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Browns have a decision to make, and they need to make it by 4 p.m. today.

They can place the franchise tag on safety T.J. Ward or center Alex Mack, but not both. They could also decide not to use the tag at all. If they do choose to use it, the player they pick will be retained for one season, avoiding free agency.

The one-year price is steep for both players coming off All-Pro seasons, but even more so for Mack. The totals are derived from averaging the five highest salaries at a player's position so Mack would earn $11.6 million with a tag because centers are lumped together with all offensive linemen, including tackles.

Ward would cost the Browns $8.4 million next season.

Hitting free agency doesn't eliminate the possibility of one of the players returning to Cleveland. The Browns could still re-sign them, but it would turn into a bidding war. Luckily for the Browns, they are $56.9 million under the cap, according to OverTheCap.com.

Which player is more important for the Browns to retain this offseason? Should Mack or Ward get the franchise tag? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

The Indians home opener is officially soldout. The Tribe will play the Twins on April 4 at Progressive Field.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians home opener against the Minnesota Twins on April 4 at Progressive Field is a sellout.

It's the 22nd consecutive home opener that the Tribe has sold out with the last 21 coming at Progressive Field.

Tickets for the home opener are still available for fans wishing to purchase season ticktes.

Sophomore Trey Johnson should start spring as the leading contender to replace Shazier at weakside linebacker, but senior linebacker Curtis Grant is another defender who needs to show he's ready starting Tuesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Two months and one day after they finished one season with a loss to Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Ohio State football will open another season Tuesday with the first of 15 practices for spring football.

The Buckeyes will get in work on Tuesday and Thursday before Ohio State goes on spring break for a week. Then they'll be back for four more weeks of practicing three times a week before the spring game in Ohio Stadium on April 12.

The Buckeyes should have 67 scholarship players on the field for the spring, though starting quarterback Braxton Miller will be limited at least a bit following recent minor shoulder surgery.

But there will be plenty of other guys to watch, with the Buckeyes losing four starters on defense and six on offense. We'll get to the offense on Tuesday morning, but on the defensive side, the Buckeyes will have two new coaches on the spot in secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator Chris Ash and defensive line coach Larry Johnson.

With replacing future high NFL Draft picks Ryan Shazier and Bradley Roby at the top of the list, the Buckeyes have other business to get down to Tuesday. Here are five defensive players on the spot for the spring.

Trey Johnson, LB, So: The former four-star recruit seems like the lead candidate to replace Ryan Shazier at linebacker, the guy with the 42-inch vertical leap who made all the Ohio State tackles the last two seasons.

The weakside linebacker is supposed to run free, with defensive linemen eating up his blocks, and chase down the ball. He should make a lot of tackles. But for a team that has dealt with fundamental issues for two seasons, Shazier made 143 tackles in 2013. That was 59 more than any other Buckeye. In 2012, he made 115 tackles, 44 more than any other Buckeye.

In 2010 and 2011, the leading OSU tacklers had 76 and 75 tackles. So no matter your position, 100 tackles is nothing to take for granted. Considering linebacker has been the Buckeyes’ most problematic position the last two seasons, thinking about it without an All-Big Ten player who will go in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft is daunting.

Johnson played briefly last season while battling some nagging injuries. He was a big get in recruiting when the Buckeyes pulled him out of Georgia as the No. 109 overall recruit, and No. 3 inside linebacker, in the Class of 2013.

But with Mike Mitchell transferring, Curtis Grant and Joshua Perry more suited as middle and strongside linebackers, and the other linebacker options consisting of true freshmen, there really is no other choice for the Buckeyes.

Johnson must be the real deal. And he should start to show it this spring

Curtis Grant, LB, Sr.: We could put the entire linebacking crew on the spot and call it a day.

Grant is back as one of three senior starters on the defense, and all anyone wants to know is how hard a true freshman enrolled early might push for his job.

Raekwon McMillan, the five-star recruit from Georgia, has everyone talking. But the best thing for the defense would be for Grant to be pushed to greater heights of playmaking and a new level of consistency. He’s a former five-star recruit as well, but his career has been filled with questions of why he hasn’t done more. Last season, battling injuries, he wasn’t even on the field that much at the end of the year.

In an ideal world for Ohio State, he wouldn’t just be leading the linebackers, but the entire defense. First, he has to make sure he stays on the field.

Cam Burrows, S, So.: The 6-foot, 205-pounder arrived in Columbus as a cornerback and saw some action there last season as the No. 4 corner. He’s sliding over and will get a look at safety or nickel this spring, and he should be right in the mix for serious playing time.

Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell look to fill two of those three starting spots at safety and nickel, but the competition for the other spot between players like Burrows, Chris Worley and Ron Tanner is wide open. Burrows was ranked as the No. 39 player in the nation in the Class of 2013 by Rivals.com and should be ready to increase his role.

Gareon Conley, CB, So.: He was used as Urban Meyer’s example of a guy who should have played and not redshirted a year ago, when the Buckeyes left too much talent on the bench. Now he’ll join fellow redshirt freshman Eli Apple in pushing junior Armani Reeves for the second cornerback spot, replacing Bradley Roby.

Roby didn’t have a great season as a junior, but he could be very much missed if someone doesn’t jump up and seize this job.

Jamal Marcus, DE, Jr.: Last we saw Marcus, he was making plays right from the first snap of the Orange Bowl, getting pressure on the quarterback while replacing Noah Spence in the starting lineup.

That will have to continue for two more games in the fall, as Spence’s suspension from the Big Ten continues through games against Navy and Virginia Tech.

Beyond that, the guess is that new defensive line coach Larry Johnson will rotate his defensive linemen more than Mike Vrabel did. With returning starters Michael Bennett, Joey Bosa, Spence and Adolphus Washington, Johnson has a solid foundation. Then players like Marcus, Tommy Schutt, Steve Miller, Chris Carter, Michael Hill and others can start in spring practice proving how much playing time they deserve.

And one of those backups, likely Marcus, will start the opener on Aug. 30.

Jimmy Haslam came close to making an intriguing move.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns were on the verge of creating enough buzz to take the NFL by storm if they could have lured San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh to Cleveland.

The buzz would have grown even louder if the team could have started the 2014 season with the combination of Harbaugh and Johnny Manziel, writes columnist Jim Ingraham on News-Herald.com.

It’s easy to take shots at Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, but I give him credit for swinging for the fences on Harbaugh. That’s the kind of out-of-the-box thinking that will eventually pay off. When? Who do I look like, Nostradamus?

For now, it’s enough that Haslam seems to be getting a better idea on the lay of the land in the NFL, writes Ingraham. He seems to be getting a better grasp on who and what kind of people are good for your organization and who and what kind are not so good.

Ingraham adds how trading for Harbaugh would have been a wonderful thing for the Browns. It would have been so good that Ingraham writes how it would have been a home run.

More Browns and NFL news

Agent says DL Ahtyba Rubin will not get cut nor will his contract get restructured (Cleveland.com).

Terry Pluto has more on linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (Cleveland.com).

Inside linebacker is now a priority for the Cleveland Browns (The News-Herald).

Only three defensive players have played more games than D'Qwell Jackson (CantonRep.com).

So-called expert says Blake Bortles is the best QB in the draft (NFL.com).

Report says Jim Harbaugh's act has worn thin in San Francisco (Yahoo Sports).

Here are the stats when it comes to the best short-yardage plays (FootballOutsiders).

Andrew Luck needs someone else besides Reggie Wayne (Fox Sports).

There is a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker debate (Post-Gazette)

The Browns might have a shot at Bills Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd. He's not expected to be franchised by the Bills today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns could have a shot at Bills Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd in free agency.

The Bills and Byrd, who played for Browns coach Mike Pettine last year in Buffalo, are far apart on a new deal. The club is not expected to franchise him by Monday's 4 p.m. deadline, according to Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 in Buffalo.

Buscaglia reported that the Bills made Byrd "a substantial offer,'' which he rejected. The Associated Press reported that the offer would've paid Byrd about $30 million over the contract's first three seasons.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Pettine acknowledged he couldn't talk about Byrd because he's still under contract, but did allow, "I had a great time with him in Buffalo. He's an outstanding player.''

Meanwhile, Browns safety T.J. Ward is set to become a free agent March 11 if the Browns don't franchise him by 4 p.m. or re-sign him before he hits the market.

Byrd is a free safety, but Pettine said the safeties in his defense are interchangeable. Ward started at strong safety last year and Tashaun Gipson at free safety.

"We don’t talk about our guys in terms of free and strong,'' said Pettine at the combine. "I think that’s key to our success, having guys who have the interchangeable skillset to do both. Teams can force safeties to change jobs anyway, because of some of the things they can do pre-snap. So we want guys who can do both.''

If the Browns feel they can sign Byrd, they could decide to let Ward hit the market.

Last season, the Bills franchised Byrd at $6.9 million, but he held out until late August in protest of the tag. He then missed the first five games of the season because of plantar fasciitis in both feet.

But he was still voted to the Pro Bowl for the third time after leading the team with four interceptions. Overall, Byrd has 22 interceptions -- including a league-leading nine as a rookie -- and 11 forced fumbles in 73 games over his five seasons.

Byrd, 27, was a second-round pick of the Bills in 2009 out of Oregon, where he played for Eagles coach Chip Kelly.

The Eagles are likely to pursue both Byrd and Ward if they hit the market.

Byrd last year reportedly expressed his desire to be the highest-paid safety in the game, which means he could be looking for upwards of $10 million a year.

Coach Mike Pettine revealed that the Browns didn't interview quarterback Johnny Manziel at the NFL Combine.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine revealed Monday that the club didn't interview quarterback Johnny Manziel at the NFL Combine last month.

Teams are allowed 60 interviews at the combine each lasting 15 minutes.

"We didn't speak to him at the combine,'' Pettine said at the Cleveland Auto Show at the I-X Center. "I didn't personally. He was not part of the formal interviews.''

Pettine stressed however, that the Browns will have plenty of time to get to know their top targets in advance of the draft, May 8-10.

"As we evaluate those positions, we'll make sure that whatever access or interaction we need with that player, we'll get that done.''

The Browns can bring players in for visits, attend Pro Days and conduct private workouts.

They have the No. 4 and No. 26 picks in the first round and identified quarterback as a priority this offseason. But general manager Ray Farmer, who said he'd use the interviews to delve into a player's character, has said he wouldn't necessarily draft a quarterback with his top pick.