Dario Franchitti conserves enough fuel to take the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500.

Mike Groll / Associated PressDario Franchitti, his wife, Ashley Judd and car owner Chip Ganassi celebrate at the start-finish line after Franchitt's victory in Sunday's Indianapolis 500. Indianapolis -- Dario Franchitti dominated the 94th Indianapolis 500, leading 155 of 200 laps, but during the final 25 miles there was a real question whether he had enough fuel to make it to the finish.

"Up until 10 laps to go I was pretty relaxed," Franchitti, 37, said. "Then all hell broke loose."

Thanks to some gas-saving fuel strategy and a dramatic car-shattering crash in his mirrors, Franchitti made it to the finish Sunday with his wife, actress Ashley Judd, alternately holding her hand over her mouth in amazement and waving to the Scotsman as he drove by.

Franchitti won his first Indy 500 in 2007 in the rain, and this one under a caution that came out on lap 199, but they both count. The native of Edinburgh, Scotland started on the outside of the front row beside Will Power and pole-sitter Helio Castroneves. Franchitti showed his stuff right from the start, letting team owner Chip Ganassi know his goal of becoming the first owner to win NASCAR's Daytona 500 and the Indy 500 in the same season was within reach.

"The good thing was, at the start of the race Dario asserted himself," Ganassi said. "He got by Will going into [turn] one, and then he passed Helio coming off [turn] two before it went yellow. That kind of set the stage, pounding his fist and staking his claim."

In the end he was never challenged on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"What an awesome car he had," Castroneves said. "It was the car to beat today."

Yet Franchitti knew there would be at least one challenge, and where it would likely come from.

"I had a dream last night that TK and I were going to fight to the finish," Franchitti said. Chris Howell / Associated PressIndy 500 winner Dario Franchitti feared Tony Kanaan would rally from his last-place starting spot to battle for the win. Instead, Franchitti, rear, ended up getting a congratulatory hug from Kanaan, who had to make a late stop for fuel.

TK would be Tony Kanaan, who would, indeed, have an impact on the race.

From the start almost all the drama was behind Franchitti, most of it provided by his former teammate, Kanaan. The popular Brazilian, racing for Andretti Autosports, started last but didn't stay there long as Kanaan was a master moving through traffic. While Franchitti was jumping from third to first on the first lap, Kanaan was jumping eight cars at the same time, moving up to 25th before a first-lap yellow flag came out.

The track went green again on lap five, and inside three laps Kanaan was up to 19th. By lap 35 he was up to 11th. The yellows continued to drop and Kanaan continued on the hunt. Meanwhile, through the first 150 laps, Franchitti was on a relative Sunday drive.

But the last 25 miles gave Franchitti more excitement than he wanted.

Ragged pit stops by the Roger Penske race team put his hopes for a 16th Indy 500 win in jeopardy. But there was one last chance as Castroneves was one of four drivers -- Mike Conway, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal were the others -- who skipped a late-race pit stop to rotate into the top four spots. All four were hoping for a caution to come out, which would allow them to zip into the pits for a splash of fuel and hold on to their positions on the track..

Conway was followed by Wilson, Castroneves and Rahal when the green flag dropped on lap 166. All had last pitted on lap 154 or earlier. Franchitti was right behind them, but now Franchitt was being hounded by his dream. Kanaan was the first car in his mirrors.

And everybody was hoping for a caution, a pit stop, and a dash to the finish.

It didn't come in time for most of them. First Conway went into the pits on lap 178, giving the lead to Wilson. In an effort to conserve fuel, drivers throttled back and speeds dropped. Wilson had to pit on lap 190, giving the lead to Castroneves. But on lap 192 Castroneves and Rahal had to stop, giving the lead back to Franchitti . . . with Kanaan still trailing.

"I wanted to get away from TK so he couldn't draft [off] me and save more fuel," Franchitti said. "But I kept looking and he was still at a similar distance. I thought, 'Man, if he's saving as much fuel as me he's going to make this a difficult last five laps.' Then he pitted."

Kurt Bauer / Associated PressMike Conway's car gets airborne on lap 199, bringing out a yellow flag that clinched Dario Franchitti's victory in the Indianapolis 500. Conway, who led 15 laps, suffered only leg injuries in the spectacular crash.So with four laps remaining, Franchitti was cruising, even as Dan Wheldon rotated into contention. But Wheldon's threat was halted by a spectacular crash on lap 199 when Conway touched wheels with Ryan Hunter-Reay, hit the wall and went airborne before landing and splintering his car into pieces. He only suffered leg injuries.

Wheldon would finish second and Marco Andretti third. Andretti was initially listed as finishing sixth, but he filed a protest and a review showed Alex Lloyd, Scott Dixon and Danica Patrick had passed Andretti under caution, allowing him to move up three spots.

But none of that mattered to Franchitti. He was on the gas all day and still had more when it counted.

"There was 1.6 gallons left," he said.

"I'm friends with LeBron, Dwyane, Chris . . . so I'm pretty sure they'll call me and we'll talk about a few things," said Suns free-agent to be Amar'e Stoudemire.

Chasing down rumors about LeBron James' basketball future could be a full-time job. Now it's my full-time job. Just call me The Rumor Monger. Every day we'll compile a list of the rumors we're hearing about James and his next contract. Just remember these are just rumors, not necessarily facts.

Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesAmar'e Stoudemire invited himself to the free-agent summit with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson.

Who will sway LeBron? The New York Post is trying to figure out just who will help LeBron James decide where to play next season. Will it be his inner circle of Akron guys, including Randy Mims, Maverick Carter and Rich Paul? Or guys such as agent Leon Rose, associate William Wesley and Nike executive Lynn Merritt? Maybe it's Jay-Z. Then again, there are also those reports of summits with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson. Amar'e Stoudemire invited himself along after Phoenix was eliminated by the Lakers on Saturday.

•James isn't talking, although he did appear at the postgame news conference after the Cavs' Game 6 loss in Boston with Rose, Wesley and Carter.

Author Buzz Bissinger, who co-wrote "Shooting Stars" with James last year, has said he thinks James is too coddled in Ohio and needs to leave Akron to grow. He thinks he needs to listen to another voice, too.

"I think LeBron would benefit from an older, experienced associate, who will give him dispassionate advice," Bissinger told the Post. "Maybe there are too many yes men -- afraid of being dumped. I think he's led a very insulated life, too protected."

The Knicks are trying to determine how much influence Wesley and the others have on James. But Bissinger offered a tip.

"LeBron does listen to Maverick, but does listen to others," Bissinger said. "But LeBron will ultimately listen to himself."

•Stoudemire has a player option for the final year of his contract, so it's possible he'll join the free-agent party this summer, although he said the ultimate goal would be to return to Phoenix.

After the Suns lost Game 6 on Saturday, AOL FanHouse reported that he said of his future: "It's going to take a lot of research. It's going to take a lot of studying. It's almost like fantasy basketball -- trying to build a team and figure out: How can we win a championship, and with what team?

"I'm friends with LeBron, Dwyane, Chris . . . so I'm pretty sure they'll call me and we'll talk about a few things."

Just wondering: How many of these guys have to band together before the players are accused of collusion?

•Crain's Chicago Business has tried to quantify the financial impact James would have should he sign with the Bulls.

One University of Illinois-Chicago economist says signing James in and of itself is not enough. While he predicts a $450 million-per-year boost for six seasons, that is based in part on extended playoff runs in each of those seasons -- with the corresponding ticket sales, concessions, parking, TV ads and consumer spending.

"Returning to an NBA championship could boost the Bulls' value by 20 percent to 50 percent, history suggests, to between $613 million and $760 million, according to Forbes magazine's estimate of the franchise's worth," Crain's reports. "The value of the Miami Heat shot up more than 45 percent from 2004 to 2006 thanks to an NBA title. Even storied franchises get a big lift. The Celtics' value rose 22 percent in two years with their 2008 championship; the 2004 league title pushed the Detroit Pistons' value up 41 percent in two years."

A year ago, Tiger Woods completed his comeback at the Memorial. Now he needs another one.

Andrew Brownbill, The Associated Press/fileA year ago, Tiger Woods completed his comeback at the Memorial. Now he needs another one.

Columbus -- A year ago, Tiger Woods completed his comeback at the Memorial. Now he needs another one.

In 2009, Woods was only returning to health, winning his second event since his 2008 season was cut short by a knee injury that required surgery. After winning with less-than-his-best at Arnold Palmer's tournament last March, he found his form at Muirfield Village with a blistering final-round 65 that reaffirmed the old Tiger was back, his place atop the golf world was safe and Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors was back under attack.

That's not quite the Woods that will return to the Columbus suburbs this week.

Woods ended last season without a major for the first time in five years, missing the cut at the British Open and blowing a final-round lead at the PGA Championship. And those were the least of his worries. As the world knows, a sex scandal rocked Woods' marriage and reputation and put his game on a five-month hiatus. He's back on the PGA Tour now but has finished only one of the three events he entered in 2010, his past two tournaments ending with an ugly missed cut and a withdrawal caused by a neck injury. Phil Mickelson, who will return to Dublin, Ohio, this week after a year away, is in hot pursuit of Woods' No. 1 ranking. Oh, and don't forget Woods' swing coach quit.

So now, Woods is looking to return again. He remains stuck at 14 majors, four behind the record held by the Memorial host. Before his entrance into the tabloids, Woods was best defined by his historical duel with the Golden Bear. To find his game in the presence of Nicklaus, and once again take aim at his first major since winning the 2008 U.S. Open on one leg, is the sort of reset Woods is seeking.

When he accepted his Memorial trophy from Nicklaus on June 7, 2009, Woods was back on top. No one knew then how low he could go. Here's how that happened.

•June 22, 2009 -- After a first-round 74, Woods struggles with his putter and finishes tied for sixth at the U.S. Open.

•July 19, 2009 -- For the second time in his career, Woods misses the cut at a major after shooting a second-round 74 at the British Open.

•Aug. 9, 2009 – Shooting back-to-back 65s on the weekend, Woods wins the Bridgestone Invitational, his second straight PGA Tour victory.

•Aug. 16, 2009 -- For the first time, Woods takes a lead into the final round of a major and doesn't win, blowing the PGA Championship with a 75, finishing second to Y.E. Yang. For the first time in five years, Woods goes a calendar year without a victory in a major.

•Sept. 13, 2009 -- Woods wins his sixth and final tournament of 2009, taking the BMW Championship.

•Oct. 11, 2009 -- At the Presidents Cup, Woods goes 5-0 in his matches and makes the clinching putt on Sunday to lead the United States to victory.

•Nov. 27, 2009 -- Leaving the driveway of his home in Florida, Woods is injured in a car accident after crashing into a fire hydrant and a tree.

•Dec. 2, 2009 -- On his website, Woods apologizes for unexplained "transgressions."

•Dec. 7, 2009 -- After weeks of various reports of infidelity, ABC News reports Woods has had at least nine mistresses.

•Dec. 8, 2009 -- Gatorade becomes the first of four companies to either eliminate or limit its sponsorship deal with Woods.

•Dec. 11, 2009 -- Woods admits to infidelity and announces he is taking an indefinite leave from golf to "focus my attention on being a better, husband, father and person."

•Dec. 16, 2009 -- Dr. Anthony Galea, who has treated Woods and other athletes, is charged in Canada with selling an unapproved drug.

•Jan. 21, 2010 -- There are reports that Woods is undergoing sex rehab at a clinic in Mississippi.

•Feb. 19, 2010 -- In a 13-minute news conference at PGA Tour headquarters in which he takes no questions, Woods says he is undergoing therapy for an undisclosed issue. He doesn't mention when he will return to the golf. He asks the media to leave his family alone.

•March 16, 2010 -- Woods announces he will return to competition at the Masters.

•April 5, 2010 -- In his first full televised interview, at the start of Masters week, Woods says what he did was wrong and says he was in denial and lied to himself while cheating on his wife.

•April 11, 2010 -- Playing his first tournament in five months, Woods finishes tied for fourth at the Masters, five shots behind Phil Mickelson, whose emotional victory after his wife's battle with breast cancer is couched as a sharp contrast to Woods' return from scandal.

•May 2, 2010 -- Back from a three-week break, Woods misses the cut by eight shots at Quail Hollow with a second-round 79, the second-highest round of his career. It is only the sixth missed cut of his career.

•May 9, 2010 -- For only the second time in his career, Woods withdraws from an event, dropping out of the final round at the Players Championship with a neck injury.

•May 10, 2010 -- Hank Haney resigns as Woods' swing coach. At a news conference, Woods says his neck injury is frustrating and he's unsure how long it will sideline him.

•May 12, 2010 -- Woods announces on his website that an MRI exam on his neck revealed inflammation that can be treated with rest, massage and medicine, and no surgery is required.

•May 26, 2010 -- Woods announces he will return to the Memorial in Dublin to defend his 2009 title.

When asked if Sizemore could have microfracture surgery, which could end Sizemore's season, the Indians trainer said: "We'll have a specific update after the surgery. We're not ruling out anything. It will be an intra-operative decision."

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerGrady Sizemore will have surgery on his knee and be out 6-8 weeks.

New York -- The Indians were a busy team Sunday, and it had nothing to do with the way they played in a 7-3 loss to the Yankees.

Before the game, it was announced former Gold Glove center fielder Grady Sizemore will have surgery on his left knee this week in Vail, Colo. Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, said he'll miss at least six to eight weeks. A date for the surgery has not been set.

Left-hander David Huff was at the park in good spirits after getting hit above the left ear in the third inning Saturday by an Alex Rodriguez line drive that knocked him out of the game and sent him for a CAT scan.

Manager Manny Acta said the Indians are hopeful Huff could make his next start Thursday in Detroit.

There was also a roster move. Right-hander Jensen Lewis was recalled from Class AAA Columbus, and left-hander Aaron Laffey was optioned to clear space. Laffey, who started the year as a reliever, will start in Columbus and could soon be challenging for job in the Indians' rotation.

More Sizemore: The exact nature of Sizemore's surgery, or the length of time he'll need to recover, is still unknown. Soloff said Dr. Richard Steadman, who will perform the surgery, won't know until he begins the operation.

Soloff said the type of surgery Steadman does will depend on the stability of the cartilage in the knee. When asked if Sizemore could have microfracture surgery, which could end Sizemore's season, he said: "We'll have a specific update after the surgery. We're not ruling out anything. It will be an intra-operative decision."

"It's a big blow," Acta said. "I did not anticipate this coming out of spring training. Even though Grady was struggling, his speed never goes into a slump, he plays great defense and he has a presence on our club."

Trevor Crowe will continue to play center field and hit leadoff. Acta said Michael Brantley, who batted leadoff and played center field in September when Sizemore had surgery on his left elbow and left groin, will be called up later this year. Brantley is at Columbus.

Sizemore visited doctors in New York and Vail last week to get opinions on the knee. Soloff said the Indians consulted with doctors nationally and internationally to determine the best course of action for Sizemore's knee.

More Huff: Huff talked to reporters before Sunday's game. He said when Rodriguez called him after the game, he tried to put A-Rod at ease. Rodriguez was visibly upset after he doubled off Huff's head in the third inning.

"It was a good conversation," said Huff. "I was trying to get him to laugh because I knew it was an emotional situation for him. We had a couple of laughs over it."

Soloff said Huff took neuropsychological tests at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. It's an MLB mandate that all players take the same tests in spring training so comparisons can be made during the season in case of injury.

"We haven't gotten the results of those tests back yet," Soloff said.

Soloff said there has been no indication Huff suffered a concussion. He said Huff will be checked every six to eight hours for the next four to six days.

After hitting Huff, the ball went into right field like a line drive. Soloff said, in a way, that was a good thing.

"A lot of it has to do with physics and the angle of impact," said Soloff. "If the ball had dropped a few feet from David, it would have meant the ball was deadened from the blow."

Huff said he never saw the ball.

"If I did, I would have caught it," he said.

Huff's parents, Tom and Pat, and his older brother, Tim, were at Yankee Stadium when he was hit. When Tribe trainer Rick Jameyson reached Huff on the mound, the first thing Huff told him was to call his brother.

"One of my first concerns when I went down was reaching my brother," Huff said. "I told the trainer: 'Hey, this is my brother's cell phone number. Call him. I know he's freaking out right now. I didn't say the area code and I said, 'Oh, yeah, here's the area code.' "

Tim Huff, a former college pitcher, taught David how to pitch. On Friday, they played catch at Yankee Stadium and collected dirt from the infield. When they were growing up, they talked about pitching at Yankee Stadium.

Huff said he slept fine Saturday night.

"But my brother didn't sleep too well," said Huff. "He was up all night."

Problems in the pits derailed Roger Penske's hopes of winning a 16th Indianapolis 500.

Chris Howell / Associated PressPole-sitter Helio Castroneves and the rest of the Penske Racing Team had a rough day at the Indianapolis 500. Here pit workers re-start his car after it stalled during a pit stop. Castroneves finished ninth.Indianapolis -- What a down day for Roger Penske's race team.

A series of pit-stop miscues Sunday spoiled whatever chances the team owner and Shaker Heights native had of gaining his 16th Indianapolis 500 victory.

Pole winner Helio Castroneves, looking for his fourth Indy victory, stalled his car in the pits, costing himself critical positions on the track, and teammate Ryan Briscoe had a solid day ruined when he hit the wall shortly after a restart.

Darron Cummings / Associated PressMore problems in the Penske pits: Will Power pulls away from his pit stall with the fueling hose still attached.Another Penske driver, Will Power, was black-flagged for pulling out of the pits with a fuel hose still attached to the car.

In the end, Power finished eighth, Castroneves ninth and Briscoe 24th.

"Silly mistakes put us in the back," Castroneves said.

"As a team, we made too many mistakes today," Power said. "You can't win this race when you keep dropping to the back. We had a bloody fast car. [But] it's the lesson of this place. You have to nail everything on a day like today, and that's how you win this thing. I was just glad to get out of the car at the end."

Andretti redemption: The Andretti Autosports team took its lumps leading up to the race, with no car qualifying better than 16th. But by the end, Tony Kanaan had moved from last to second before finishing 11th, Marco Andretti finished third and Danica Patrick sixth.

Tom Strattman / Associated PressDanica Patrick had a rough two weeks at Indianapolis leading up to the race, getting booed after qualifying and during introductions, but a sixth-place finish Sunday turned the jeers to cheers. "I'm very happy with the result," said Patrick, who was booed during qualifying and driver introductions but cheered at the end. "And the reasons that we got it were that our pit stops rocked, and we had perfect strategy. I'm really glad that yellow came out at the end because we were cutting it real close on fuel."

Rahal finishes, but miffed: Graham Rahal finished 12th in his third Indianapolis 500, and completed all 200 laps for the first time. But a black flag for blocking Dan Wheldon on lap 82 cost him positions that he never recouped.

Rahal said he was blocked by Patrick, but it was not called. His father, team owner Bobby Rahal, called the penalty "bogus." But Wheldon made it clear he thought Graham Rahal was guilty.

"It was totally out of order," Wheldon said. "He put me in the grass at over 220 mph. He totally deserved, I think, that penalty."

By the numbers: Dario Franchitti is the 17th driver with at least two Indy 500 wins. . . . There were 13 lead changes among eight drivers. Franchitti led the pack for 155 laps, the ninth most in Indy history. Also leading were Mike Conway (15), Justin Wilson (11), Tomas Scheckter (5), Briscoe (5), Power (5), Castroneves (3) and Marco Andretti (1). . . . There were nine cautions: seven of them one-car mishaps and an eighth for debris. The only multicar crash, on lap 199, involved the most serious injury. Conway broke his left leg and was taken to the hospital. . . . There also were five black flags. Three of them -- given to John Andretti, Townsend Bell and Rahal -- were for blocking.

Pinch hitter Brian Buscher (.270 average) singled in pinch runner Jose Constanza (.348) with two outs in the bottom of the 11th to beat Lehigh Valley (Pa.) in an International League game Sunday.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 4, IronPigs 3 Pinch hitter Brian Buscher (.270 average) singled in pinch runner Jose Constanza (.348) with two outs in the bottom of the 11th to beat Lehigh Valley (Pa.) in an International League game Sunday.

Constanza was running for Jordan Brown (.333), who led off the inning with a double. Brown finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk.

Right-handed starter Johan Pino (4.63 ERA) allowed three earned runs in 6 innings on six hits and four walks while striking out five. He served up one home run. RHP Frank Herrmann (0.34), RHP Joe Smith (2.63), RHP Jess Todd (3.33) and RHP Josh Judy (1-0, 6.43) shut out the IronPigs over the final 41/3 innings.

AA Akron Aeros

Mets 5, Aeros 2 Akron 3B Jared Goedert (.345) hit his sixth homer of the season, but the Aeros' offense did little else in losing an Eastern League game in Binghamton, N.Y.

Lefty Eric Berger (1-4, 7.67) started and gave up two runs (both earned) on seven hits and four walks in five innings.

Righty Bryan Price (4.71) relieved Berger and allowed three earned runs on three hits, including two home runs.

Notes: The Aeros play in Binghamton again today and will return to Canal Park on Tuesday to host the Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves for the start of a three-game series.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 5, Dash 2 Right-hander Joseph Gardner (3-0, 1.95) pitched six strong innings, 2B Jason Kipnis (.298) and DH Abner Abreu (.252) each drove in two runs, and the K-Tribe beat Winston-Salem in a Carolina League game in Kinston, N.C.

Gardner allowed two earned runs on seven hits and one walk.

A Lake County Captains

Loons 6, Captains 0 Lake County managed just four hits in dropping the Midwest League game in Midland, Mich.

LF Bo Greenwell (.328) had two of the Captains' hits.

Right-hander Trey Haley (4-1, 3.65) started for Lake County and pitched five innings. He allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits and five walks. He fanned three and gave up one home run.

Notes: The Captains close out a four-game series with the Loons today before returning home for a six-game home stand beginning Tuesday with a three-game set against the Beloit (Wis.) Snappers.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers 7, Kings 5 Lee Huggins hit a two-run double, and Dom Duggan knocked in a run with a triple during a three-run seventh inning that broke a 4-4 tie, and Lake Erie got the win at Kalamazoo, Mich.

Notes: The Crushers are off today before welcoming the River City (Mo.) Rascals to Avon on Tuesday for the start of a three-game series.

Babe Ruth got his 500th home run at League Park on Aug. 11, 1929, and a local boy got $20 and the Bambino's autograph for returning the ball that was hit out of the park and onto Lexington Ave. Read our game day story.

View full sizeCleveland Press/www.ClevelandMemory.orgLou Gehrig and Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees at League Park in 1927.

(Last in a series of three stories)

CLEVELAND, Ohio--Babe Ruth hit his 500th homer at League Park on Aug. 11, 1929. Below is the story of the historic home run by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Read the rest of the story by clicking on the link below:

69 percent of employees who say they'd be willing to sacrifice their comfort in the office and work in colder temperatures to help their company save money.

Associated PressThe German soccer team training for the World Cup. 51 percent of soccer fans said they'd sacrifice food for a week if it meant their nation would win the World Cup.

51 -- Percent of soccer fans who say they'd sacrifice food for a week if it meant their nation would win the World Cup.

70 -- Percent of Italian soccer fans who say they'd sacrifice their jobs if it meant victory for their nation in the World Cup.

4 -- Percent of soccer fans who say they'd sacrifice a body part if it meant their nation would win the World Cup.

90 -- Percent of dog owners who say they'd be willing to sacrifice luxuries such as gourmet coffee to provide for the needs of their pets.

69 -- Percent of employees who say they'd be willing to sacrifice their comfort in the office and work in colder temperatures to help their company save money.

27 -- Percent of baby boomers who say they'd sacrifice eating chocolate to get a good night's sleep every night.

22 -- Percent of baby boomers who say they'd sacrifice their cell phones to get a good night's sleep every night.

4 -- Percent of female baby boomers who say they'd sacrifice sex to get a good night's sleep every night.

82 -- Percent of women who say they'd sacrifice the health of their feet in the name of fashion.

41 -- Percent of lawyers who say they'd sacrifice time with their children if it meant realizing their dreams.

17 -- Percent of adults who say they'd sacrifice their marriage if it meant realizing their dreams.

3 -- Percent of company CEOs who say they'd sacrifice vacation time to realize their dreams.

Sources: Chicago Weekend, State News Service, Better Sleep Council, American Podiatric Medical Association, Umbershoot, Reuters.

-- Compiled by John Campanelli, Plain Dealer Reporter

Indians will evaluate David Huff's bullpen to see if he's ready to start Thursday against Detroit.

View full sizeFrank Franklin II, Associated PressCleveland Indians' Mitch Talbot delivers a pitch during the first inning of today's game against the New York Yankees in New York.

UPDATED: 4:21 p.m.

NEW YORK -- The Yankees scored nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings today to humble the Indians, 11-2, at Yankee Stadium.

The Indians lost three games in the four-game set. Their only victory came on the wings a miraculous seven-run seventh innings on Saturday.

The Yankees finished with a season high 18 hits today.

Slammed again: Alex Rodriguez hit a grand slam as the Yankees scored six runs in the seventh to take a 8-1 lead. Robinson Cano followed Rodriguez with a solo homer. It was Rodriguez's 20th career slam. He trails Manny Ramirez with 28 and Lou Gehrig with 23 on the all-time list.

It was the second slam the Yankees hit against the Indians in this series. Cano slammed Tony Sipp on Friday.

Rafael Perez and Chris Perez combined to give up five runs in the seventh without recording a out. That's a hard thing to do, but the Perez boys made it look easy. 

The line: Mitch Talbot, trailing 2-1 at the start of the seventh, allowed three runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. Andy Pettitte allowed one run on four hits in seven innings. He struck out five.  

Tiebreaker: Brett Gardner gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead with a with a two-out single in the fourth. Nick Swisher opened with a double, but Mitch Talbot retired the next two batters.

Gardner, hitting ninth, lined a 3-2 pitch into center. He was then erased on an attempted steal of second as catcher Lou Marson threw a strike to second.  Marson has thrown out 33 percent  (11-for-33) of the runners to challenge him.    

Strike early: The Yankees took a 1-0 lead in the first on Alex Rodriguez's RBI single off Talbot in the first. Curtis Granderson, who reachd on a double, scored.

Century mark: Jhonny Peralta tied the score, 1-1, with a leadoff homer to right off Andy Pettitte. It was the 100th of Peralta's career, but onl his fourth this year. It was Peralta's third career homer off Pettitte.

Game 49: David Huff threw a bullpen before today’s game in anticipation of starting Thursda y against Detroit at Comerica Park.

“The bullpen is the first step in determining if David will start,” said manager Mann Acta, who had not received a report on Huff’s pen.

On Saturday Huff was hit above the left ear by an Alex Rodriguez line drive in the third inning. He was strapped to a stretcher, carted off the field and taken to a nearb y hospital for a CAT-scan. So far Huff, with the exception of a bump on his head, has shown no ill effects. According to head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff, Huff has been monitored every six or eight hours since the incident for signs of a concussion.

It appeared Huff went through his full bullpen. Pitching coach Tim Belcher and Soloff watched.

“If we know the day before he’s scheduled to pitch, we’ll have enough time to put him out there,” said Acta.

New hats: Indians will wear white baseball caps with a red, white and blue C on the front in honor of Memorial Day. They’ll wear the same hats on July 4 and Sept. 11.

Lineups: Indians (18-30): CF Trevor Crowe (L), 2B Mark Grudzielanek (R), LF Austin Kearns (R), DH Travis Hafner (L), 3B Jhonny Peralta (R), RF Shelley Duncan (R), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), C Lou Marson (R), SS Jason Donald (R) and RHP Mitch Talbot (6-3, 3.73).

Yankees (30-20): SS Derek Jeter (R), CF Curtis Granderson (L), 1B Mark Teixeira (S), 3B Alex Rodriguez (R), 2B Robinson Cano (L), RF Nick Swisher (S), DH Juan Miranda (L), C Francisco Cervlli (R), LF Brett Gardner (L) and Andy Pettitte (6-1, 2.63).

Umpires: H Dana DeMuth, 1B Kerwin Danley, 2B C.B.Bucknor, 3B Doug Eddings. DeMuth, crew chief.

Next: RHP Jake Westbrook (2-3, 4.78) vs. RHP Jeremy Bonderman (2-2, 3.78) Tuesday at Comerica Park at 7:05 p.m.

"Congratulations should be given to Mr. Dolan and Mr. Shapiro. In just three short years since we were one game away from the World Series, you have managed to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a run for their money as the worst organization in baseball. Dare I say the Indians are the Pirates of the A.L.?" - strsnstrps4evr

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerMark Shapiro's Indians teams have had just two winning seasons since 2002.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians have columnist babbling to himself: Terry Pluto, cleveland.com reader strsnstrps4evr can't believe how quickly the Indians have fallen since their ALCS appearance in 2007. This reader writes,

Congratulations should be given to Mr. Dolan and Mr. Shapiro. In just three short years since we were one game away from the World Series, you have managed to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a run for their money as the worst organization in baseball. Dare I say the Indians are the Pirates of the A.L.?

"I think the James, Wade and Bosh summit is a good idea. Their careers and legacies are on the line and they want to plan wisely. I don't see anything wrong with them making decisions based on what one or more are saying. I think that it's a little naive to think that players, regardless of the sport, haven't always talked about this kind of stuff all the time with one another." - Basketball_Fan

View full sizeNathan Denette | Canadian PressWhat impact will LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have on Chris Bosh's free agency decision.

In response to the story LeBron, Wade, Bosh -- the ultimate NBA powerbrokers: Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin, cleveland.com reader Basketball_Fan doesn't have a problem with NBA stars meeting to discuss free agency. This reader writes,

I think the James, Wade and Bosh summit is a good idea. Their careers and legacies are on the line and they want to plan wisely. I don't see anything wrong with them making decisions based on what one or more are saying. I think that it's a little naive to think that players, regardless of the sport, haven't always talked about this kind of stuff all the time with one another.

Made popular by the MVPuppets, there has been a debate on which player is better between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Sure, LeBron has won back-to-back MVPs but the Kobe continues to prove he is the best closer in the game. But CBSSports.com reporter Gregg Doyel, once a huge supporter of LeBron, is changing his mind. Ignoring Kobe has four...

APKobe Bryant and LeBron James

Made popular by the MVPuppets, there has been a debate on which player is better between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Sure, LeBron has won back-to-back MVPs but the Kobe continues to prove he is the best closer in the game. But CBSSports.com reporter Gregg Doyel, once a huge supporter of LeBron, is changing his mind.

Ignoring Kobe has four rings to LeBron's none, Bryant's ability to makes big shots separates them. And I'm inching over to the Kobe camp.

Some of you will say I'm an idiot for switching. The rest of you will wonder what took me so long. And all of you are right. I am an idiot for switching, because switching is a sign of weakness. Everyone says so.

Doyel also writes he became convinced Kobe was No. 1 after watching the series between the Suns and Lakers.

If this were a mathematical equation, there would be one answer, and only one answer: Kobe is greater than LeBron. James single-handedly beat the Pistons in Game 5 of those 2007 playoffs, yes, but Kobe single-handedly beat Phoenix for most of a six-game series over the past two weeks. And he did it after James slunk through his final playoff series as a Cavalier, LeBron playing with no direction or zeal, no heart at all.

Doyel writes that he made the switch because Kobe is about the postseason and LeBron is all about the regular season.

When someone needs to make a big shot, he makes it. LeBron James has been the MVP the past two seasons, and deservedly so, but that's November. That's December. And January and February and March. That's a regular-season award, and LeBron James is a regular-season superstar.

The QB, suspended for violating NFL personal conduct policy after sexual assault allegations, wasn't allowed to practice until he had a behavioral evaluation as part of the suspension that will sideline him for four to six regular season games.

Gene J. Puskar, Associated PressBen Roethlisberger in the Steelers' locker room on April 12, preparing to read a statement about not being criminally charged for sexual assault allegations.Pittsburgh -- Ben Roethlisberger returned to the practice field Tuesday for the first time since the Steelers' two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback was suspended six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Roethlisberger is taking part in the fourth week of the Steelers' five weeks of voluntary practices. He last practiced on April 20, the day before he was disciplined by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. A 20-year-old college student accused him of sexual assault in Milledgeville, Ga., but no charges were filed.

Roethlisberger wasn't allowed to practice again until he underwent a behavioral evaluation as part of the suspension, which could be reduced to four games. He can take part in training camp and play in exhibition games, but will be barred from all team activities once his suspension begins.

A Steelers spokesman said neither Roethlisberger nor Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will talk to reporters following the practice.

As the Browns enter the third week of OTAs, they seem to be overhyping their intent of featuring the Wildcat formation in their offense. There could be a logical reason why.

Thomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerJosh Cribbs is hoping Wildcat plays like this one against Pittsburgh become the norm in 2010.

It sounds more sensible that if they truly intended to incorporate the pair of all-purpose players into the mainstream of their offense, they would keep the plays under wraps and downplay them when asked.

Instead, coach Eric Mangini has talked them up enthusiastically and displayed the Wildcat in front of the media in organized team activities practices. He's never that open about strategies.

So what's going on?

My guess is that Mangini wants opponents to think the Browns can hurt them with the Wildcat just so that they devote a portion of their practice time preparing for a Cribbs-Wallace offense.

Mangini believes that attention will detract his opponents -- if only for five minutes, or so -- from preparing for what the Browns really intend to do. I would expect to see the Wildcat featured prominently in training camp and the preseason games. But when the real season starts, it will be mothballed and saved for only rare occasions.

Think about this: If Wallace is the No. 2 quarterback on game days, exposing him to a lot of Wildcat plays -- especially with him catching passes -- exposes him to the risk of injury. If a team's No. 2 quarterback is injured in a game, it puts the team in a precarious position. The No. 3 QB then would be one bad hit to the No. 1 QB from entering.

According to the NFL third quarterback rule, if the No. 3 quarterback is inserted before the fourth quarter -- even for a single play -- the team's first two quarterbacks cannot be used in the game at any position.

Now, Cribbs' experience at QB lessens the risk if the starter needs a play or two on the sideline. Instead of bringing in the No. 3 quarterback, Cribbs could line up behind center.

Still, I imagine there is more hype than substance to the alleged claims of increased Wildcat -- or Flash, or Cyclone -- plays. Cribbs lined up at QB approximately 59 times last year. I can remember only a handful of plays of note -- and one of them was an interception inside the 20 at Pittsburgh.

• The Ravens confirmed that George Kokinis has returned to the organization as "senior personnel assistant."

This was almost a done deal the day Kokinis was fired as Browns general manager in November. It played into why the Browns reached a financial settlement with Kokinis in February rather than attempt to withhold the remainder of his four-year contract with the Browns.

The terms of that settlement remain undisclosed by NFL decree. The details of Kokinis' original grievance against the Browns may never come out, but it's fair to say they were embarrassing to both Kokinis and the Browns.

Kokinis, of course, followed Phil Savage as a former Ozzie Newsome lieutenant who came to Cleveland amid great fanfare and left in bad circumstances. The moral of this story is this: Don't expect another Baltimore Raven to join the Browns any time soon.

Some fans will just about anything to convince LeBron James to remain with the Cavs.

Joshua Gunter,
The Plain DealerBrandon George is a devoted Cavs fan who's just slap-happy over the idea of keeping LeBron James in a Cavaliers uniform.Cleveland, Ohio -- Brandon George is a Cavs fan in Atlanta who runs the website InLeBronWeTrust.com.

He has some pretty interesting ideas on just how to keep King James in a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. The latest idea pretty much would appeal only to the Marquis de Sade.

I was crushed when I watched our beloved Cavs lose to the Celtics
in six games.

I was so disenchanted, I had no inspiration whatsoever to do any videos for
InLeBronWeTrust.com. The site was languishing, just like our team's
chemistry and moxie.

Then, LeBron and Co. were ousted from this supposed dream season. Our hope
for a championship all but vanished.

But then I realized it doesn't have to be that way. LeBron can stay. He WILL
stay. And to help, InLeBronWeTrust needs to finish what it started.

That's why I recently posted the video to challenge #4 @
InLeBronWeTrust.com. Lots of people here in Atlanta were asking what it felt
like to watch the Cavs lose. I told them it felt like getting slapped in the
face.

Then it hit me. Literally. I needed to get slapped in the face by 23
different girls in one day. So I did, and the sense got slapped right into
me.

West Coast offensive influence will be felt in due time, she says; Browns continue OTAs on Thursday.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerPeyton HillisWelcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports.

On today's show, hosts Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright:

• Talk about how the Florida Marlins are selling the unused tickets for the 1-0 perfect game tossed against them last Tuesday by the Phillies' Roy Halladay. About 25,000 people were at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, 11,000 fewer than the park's capacity. If you could pick, what unused ticket would you like to have as a souvenir from a Cleveland sports event? Something from the 1964 Browns? Take the poll now posted on the Starting Blocks blog.

• Talk with Plain Dealer Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot about new running back Peyton Hillis, whom she wrote about today. She says Hillis' physical running style will bring an added dimension to the Browns backfield; and says that the West Coast influence of Mike Holmgren will be felt in the Browns' offense soon enough.

SBTV will return Wednesday.

How have the Indians' bad drafts contribute to their struggles? What can LeBron James learn from Kobe Bryant? Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto was online, tackling those questions and more in his weekly chat.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

- And much more!

Click on the play button below to listen or download the MP3 podcast here to listen on the go.

Some time before they decide what they are going to do with their individual careers, potential free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Amare' Stoudemire are supposed to get together and talk about it.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer LeBron James watches the Cleveland Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown on Saturday at the Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City.Cleveland, Ohio -- Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat said last week that he, the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Atlanta Hawks' Joe Johnson would gather some time soon to discuss their potential free agencies.

Within a day or two, news broke that the Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh was to be included, and not to be left out of things, the Suns' Amare' Stoudemire chirped "Me, too," after Phoenix was vanquished from the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Summit" is the operative word for the event that maybe, just maybe, falls a tad short in magnitude of the FDR-Churchill-Stalin Yalta meeting that would divvy up the post-World War II map.

Michael Ventre writes on, fittingly, the "Trash Talk" blog for NBCSports.com that the superstar lovefest is unlikely to alter the course of world history:

What, no Matt Barnes?

Here is what I think will happen:

They’ll meet. They’ll ask for a show of hands as to which player among them would be willing to give up an extra $30 million in order to go play on a team where one of the others will indeed have signed a contract for that extra $30 million. Nobody will raise his hand. Everybody will stay put.

Cavs coverage

Plain Dealer Cavaliers and LeBron James coverage includes "LeBron Rumors" by Mary Schmitt Boyer. Keep track of the Cavaliers on The Plain Dealer's cleveland.com/cavs pages.

Gone international

Even Merinews.com in India has its thoughts about LeBron James and his potential free agency:

Greatness isn't measured by numbers alone. If that was the case, Wilt and not Jordan would have been the greatest.

Someone who has a legit claim to being the best player of all time and is given a free hand to pick his team and his coach has absolutley no ground to justify moving to a new team. Except that he just isn't good enough to deliver a championship on his own. And if he can't do that, then it's time to stop making the Jordan comparisons.

LeBron James can take the easy way out or he can stay at Cleveland and continue to chase Jordan. If he is not doing that, then I am not interested anymore. We were interested in seeing (possibly) the greatest player ever. Not another wannabe Jordan who couldn't stay the course.

Never boring

Bob Finnan writes for the News Herald and Lorain Morning Journal that whether James stays in Cleveland or not, covering James and the Cavs has been fun for Finnan:

I'm not going to sit here and tell you where he'll land. It could be in Cleveland. Heck, he could sign with the Los Angeles Clippers for all I know.

Anyone that tells you they know where he'll sign is lying.

I don't think James knows right now.

But if he decides he wants to play elsewhere next year, I'll tell you it's not going to be the same for me, either.

I don't want to sound like a homer here, but it was an unbelievable ride.

Kind of there

Kenny Roda wrote in his blog for ESPNCleveland.com about the mood on Saturday night when James judged the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest at the Rib Cook Off.

He was almost an hour late.  Looked like he didn’t want to be there. Didn’t do much, but then again, he really didn’t try.

When it was over, he exited and left you asking yourself, what was that?  Tom Withers from the Associated Press and Marla Ridenour from the Akron Beacon Journal and I talked about the best way to describe LeBron’s first public appearance, since the series ending, game #6 loss to the Celtics.  We decided that the two best words to describe it were, “Awkward Reunion”!  Nobody quite knew what to do or say, especially since LeBron wouldn’t answer any questions from us or anybody.

Mavs strategy?

Dirk Nowitzki has said that he intends to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Dallas Mavericks and become a free agent. Observers believe, though, that Nowitzki will stay in Dallas, and that his opt-out might be a way for Dallas to land a major free agent and still keep him.

Writes Marc Stein for ESPN.com:

LeBron James, the NBA's two-time MVP on the cusp of free agency, taped a sit-down interview at his home near Akron on Tuesday with Larry King.

The Associated Press

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerLeBron James leaves after a short appearance at the Cleveland Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown on Saturday at Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City in Cleveland.

LeBron James, the NBA's two-time MVP on the cusp of free agency, taped a sit-down interview at his home near Akron on Tuesday with King. The segment will air Friday on CNN's “Larry King Live,” capping the program's 25th anniversary celebration on the network.

Other than his postgame interview, James has not talked to the media since the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, who then knocked off Orlando and will meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals.

It was not immediately known what James discussed with King.

The 25-year-old James heads a star-studded free agency summer class featuring Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and others. James has not given any hints about his plans, saying only that he and his “team” of advisers will weigh all their options.

The New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets are among a group of teams expected to make a strong push for James when free agency opens July 1.

James has spent all seven seasons as a pro with the Cavs, who offered him a contract extension last year and can give him $30 million more than any other team in a maximum-length deal. Cleveland recently fired coach Mike Brown, who led the team to 143 wins the past two seasons but couldn't get them to the finals either year.

Vancouver Sun and Canwest News Services report that the International Olympic Committee tries to make safety improvements after Georgia luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed instantly in a crash during a Vancouver Games training run on Feb. 12.

Boris Minkevich, Associated PressThe luge track in Whistler, British Columbia, used for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. By Jeff Lee

Vancouver Sun

In the wake of the fatal luge accident at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the International Olympic Committee will ask for a "neutral expert" to review the construction of the luge track being built for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

Georgia luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed instantly in a crash during a training run on Feb. 12, just before the opening of the Vancouver Games. Lugers had expressed safety concerns about the speed of the track before the accident. After investigations into the tragedy, the International Luge Federation ordered the Sochi Organizing Committee to reduce the speed on the proposed Russian track.

Jeff Lee writes for the Vancouver Sun and Canwest News Service:

Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director of Olympic Games, said Monday the IOC will appoint someone next week to examine the Sochi track and verify engineering calculations used in its construction are within acceptable tolerances.

And he suggested that the IOC will also ask other international sports federations to further review the design and certification processes used for other sports venues as well.

"We are now talking with each international federation to review the process first of all on design and homologation (certification) of the different venues," Felli said.

"Following what did happen in Vancouver, we are trying to understand with the international federations how they could verify all the calculations of the engineers and then we are in the process with them to see how this design can be reviewed, probably by a neutral expert."

Felli was speaking to reporters in advance of a conference the Vancouver Organizing Committee will give in Sochi next week on lessons learned from the Vancouver Games.