Join our live chat and get updates as the Indians take on the Rangers.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Indians wrap up their four-game series in Texas tonight looking to take three out of four from the Rangers. T.J. House will pitch for the Indians against Nick Martinez.

Join cleveland.com's Dan Labbe in the comments below for live updates and chat during the game. The chat will run from first pitch until the final out.

Get complete coverage of the game from Paul Hoynes at cleveland.com/tribe.

Scoring summary:

1st inning: For the Indians: Michael Bourn scored on an RBI groundout by Jason Kipnis. Asdrubal Cabrera scored on an RBI single by Lonnie Chisenhall. Michael Brantley scored on a fielder's choice by Carlos Santana. For the Rangers: Daniel Robertson scored an an RBI groundout by Adrian Beltre. Indians 3, Rangers 1. 

2nd inning: For the Indians: George Kottaras hit a solo home run. Cabrera and Brantley scored on an RBI single by Jason Kipnis. Kipnis scored on a two-run home run by Chisenhall. Indians 8, Rangers 1.

3rd inning: For the Indians: David Murphy scored on a sacrifice fly by Kottaras. For the Rangers: Luis Sardinis scores on a wild pitch. Elvis Andrus scores on a groundout by Shin-Soo Choo. Beltre scores on an RBI triple by Alex Rios. Indians 9, Rangers 4.

4th inning: For the Indians: Brantley homered. Kipnis scored on a two-run home run by Chisenhall. For the Rangers: Michael Choice homered. Sardinas scored on an RBI double by Robertson. Indians 12, Rangers 6.

6th inning: For the Indians: Brantley scored on an RBI double by Chisenhall. Indians 13, Rangers 6.

Watch videos from the first day of a three-day Mandatory minicamp for the Cleveland Browns, including a recap with Mary Kay Cabot and Glenn Moore plus Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel on the practice field. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore recap what happened during the first day of the three-day mandatory minicamp.

Topics include: The continuing battle between quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer.  Manziel's latest weekend trip, this one in Texas, that featured a picture of him in an  inflatable white swan while drinking champagne in a pool.  A look at the wide receiver group with the looming suspension of Josh Gordon.  Jabaal sheard playing more at defensive end this year.   

Twitter: @CLEvideos

The Browns held their first day of mandatory minicamp in Berea Tuesday. Here are Glenn Moore's 5 Moore Observations. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns conducted their first day of mandatory minicamp Tuesday afternoon in Berea. 

Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer continued to share first-team reps, with Hoyer only taking shotgun snaps. Both quarterbacks were able to complete deep passes during 11-on-11s, but Hoyer seems to be more decisive with his throws. 

Here are 5 Moore Observations from today's minicamp practice:

1. Manziel and Hoyer take first-team reps

The Browns continued to have Hoyer take only shotgun snaps during team drills, protecting his ACL, which was torn last season. Manziel did take snaps with the first team, mixing in deep passes with short, sideline throws. While he didn't have the best day throwing the ball, he did connect deep for a 55-yard toss.

Hoyer does look more polished than Manziel with decisive throws that are more crisp than the rookie. Then again, Hoyer has only taken shotgun snaps.

The last pass of the day by Manziel: interception, picked off by Buster Skrine. Head coach Mike Pettine did state that Hoyer is ahead of Manziel because he had a head start on the playbook before the draft.

Cleveland Browns' head coach Mike Pettine heads off the field after the first day of Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp Tuesday, June 10, 2014, in Berea. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer,

2. No questions, please

Speaking of Manziel and Hoyer, they will not be available to the media this week during mandatory minicamp in Berea.

"I don't think the message will be that different than before," said Pettine after practice.

Manziel has attracted attention the past few weekends in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Texas. Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot describes Manziel's past weekend:

The fun-filled days leading up to this week's mandatory minicamp began with Manziel floating around on a inflatable swan Friday night while drinking a big bottle of something at Club Rio in Austin, Texas, where the X Games were taking place. But at least Manziel floated with care. A man in a suit at the side of the pool held the back of the swan so Manziel didn't float away.

While Pettine and the Browns won't let Hoyer or Manziel speak the media, Pettine did say he doesn't want to micromanage his players when it comes to their off-the-field entertainment.

"If you followed other guys, you'd get some pictures," said Pettine. "Maybe not an inflatable swan, but you'd get some pictures."

Cleveland Browns' Josh Gordon takes a break from drills during the first day of Cleveland Browns mandatory minicamp Tuesday, June 10, 2014, in Berea. Joshua Gunter, PD

3. Josh Gordon practices...kind of

Whether or not Gordon will play in the 2014 season remains to be seen. No word has come down from the NFL and Gordon continues to practice.

Today was different. Gordon did participate in individual drills, but was not active in 11-on-11 team drills. Pettine did not say why after practice.

The Browns and Gordon are awaiting word on how long he'll be suspended for testing positive for marijuana, as reported by ESPN. Gordon's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is in the process of appealing the suspension, which could be an indefinite ban. If Gordon is suspended indefinitely, he'll have to apply for re-instatement with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

4. Anthony Armstrong turning heads

With Gordon facing a possible suspension, the Browns have turned to a few veterans to fill a possible void. One who stood out today was Anthony Armstrong.

Armstrong was the receiver Manziel connected with in a 55-yard pass play during team drills. The 31-year-old receiver seemed to catch everything thrown his way. If Gordon is suspended, he could supply the Browns with a deep-ball threat.

"Anthony Armstrong is the ultimate professional," Pettine said. "He has some juice left in him. He's a good example for the young wide receivers."

Other notable receivers on the field today were Nate Burleson, Andrew Hawkins and Miles Austin. While Hawkins was active during practice, Austin only caught a few balls in individual drills. Burleson also only participated in group drills, sitting out 11-on-11s.

Austin caught 24 balls for 244 yards last season in Dallas while missing five games due to hamstring problems. Burleson is coming off an injury as well, signing with the Browns after being released by the Lions.

Burleson has already stated he's looking forward to his return trip to Ford Field, planning a celebration that will get him fined.

If Gordon somehow avoids suspension or has it reduced, the Browns would have a deep group and a significant upgrade from last season.

5. If Manziel was the Steelers' quarterback...

Interesting response to a post-practice question for linebacker Paul Kruger after practice Tuesday. When asked if he would be licking his chops if Manziel was the Steelers' quarterback, Kruger answered "yes."

The outside linebacker had 4.5 sacks last season after signing a big contract with Cleveland. This was following a nine-sack season with the Baltimore Ravens.

Be sure to follow on Twitter: @GlennMooreCLE.

Trimming 8 1/2 games off the Tigers' division lead should make for a fun summer at Progressive Field -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – What this town needs – and, no, it's not a permanent TMZ presence in Berea -- is a summer-long pennant race.

The talk of Cleveland enjoying sports "relevance" based on the drafting of a rookie quarterback who hasn't taken his first hard fall on a non-inflatable object is laughable. Real relevance is found in the standings, not in hashtags and Twitpics. That's fun (which, granted, this city also needs).

But winning is more than that. Winning is the real show. Everything else is the side show.

The Indians have taken a Joey Chestnut-size bite out of the Detroit Tigers' lead in the Central Division. Once 10½ games in front, the Tigers had just a two-game cushion after Lonnie Chisenhall's muscle flex Monday produced three home runs and nine RBI in a 17-7 win over the Texas Rangers.

OK, maybe it's not quite like that. But last season it felt inevitable that Detroit's reign in the Central would continue uninterrupted even as the Tribe made its push. Not so this time.

Last season, the Indians were better in July (15-10), worse in August (12-16), great in September (20-6) and amazing in the final 10 days of the season.

A single game over .500 for July and August wasn't much of a drum beat -- all due respect to John Adams.

There's different ways of finishing one game back. There's finishing one game back after a summer of trading leads. And there's finishing one game out when the other team cools its jets.

Last season was the latter.

There are enough promising signs for the Indians and ample concern about the Tigers to predict the Indians may even become the pursued instead of the pursuer.

(This isn't a prediction you'd back financially – also known as a bet – until catching the baseball without the Yakety Sax background music happens on a more regular basis.)

But where the Indians stand today given the defensive blunders and other major challenges is reason to believe that a second season of impressive stretch-run baseball is possible.

The other factors:

• Jason Kipnis missed 24 of the first 62 games, was batting .250 and had 17 RBI.

• The Indians had to replace two starters who broke camp: Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco.

• Two more: Zach McAllister (3-4, 5.89) and Justin Masterson (4-4, 4.61) have underachieved.

• Two middle-of-the-order hitters – Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana – have accounted for 10 homers and 41 RBI.

• Michael Brantley has as many homers as those two combined. Chisenhall is hitting five points higher (.385) than Swisher (.211) and Santana (.169) added together.

• Michael Bourn missed 18 of the first 62 games.

• Cody Allen was called to replace John Axford as closer.

Chisenhall's big Monday in Texas helped the Indians to their ninth win in 10 games while the Tigers dropped seven of 10.

You can't overreact to hot streaks and cold spells. The promise for the Indians is they're following the same basic path as a year ago when they were still one game under .500 on June 17.

Even if you don't believe – TV ratings are up 16 percent suggesting you do, if only from afar – the Indians do. That's the signature of Terry Francona teams.

The Indians represent the closest thing to "relevance" in  Cleveland, coming off a playoff berth and with a two-time World Series champion manager holding the riding crop. Last season's closing sprint was impressive. The next step: get chased. Turn the postseason into a series, not a one-game elimination.

The last two weeks don't guarantee that will be the case. But it should mean we're a long way from where practice football is more relevant, or where it makes sense to attach more tangible hope to the 2015 basketball plans of a player who already left Cleveland hanging once.

For more Bud Shaw, read "Spinoffs" and "You Said It."

Keith Olbermann, the sometimes sportscaster, sometimes liberal political commentator last week named Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson "The Worst Person in Sports" over Jackson's opposition to County Executive Ed FitzGerald's new 'win tax' proposal.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- We're not sure how we missed this one.

Keith Olbermann, the sometimes sportscaster, sometimes liberal political commentator last week named Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson "The Worst Person in the Sports World" over Jackson's opposition to County Executive Ed FitzGerald's new 'win tax' proposal.

(Yes, Olbermann still has his own show. It's called Olbermann and it appears weeknights at 11 p.m. on ESPN2, apparently.)

"Incentivizing the three Cleveland teams to stink less than one another using the public thievery that is ballpark financing, that's pretty weak sauce, all things considered," Olbermann said. "But it's the first sauce any politician has ever seriously proposed other than 'here, here's more public money. Just eat it 'til it blows out your ears.'"

Here's the segment. The Jackson stuff begins around the 1:30 mark.

In case you weren't listening to sports radio last week, FitzGerald's plan would award 20 percent of the county's sin tax for improvements at Cleveland's three pro sports stadiums based on, in part, how well the teams who use the facilities play.

Jackson opposes the plan, favoring an approach that would split the sin tax money evenly between the three stadiums, a spokeswoman told the Northeast Ohio Media Group last week.

Jackson's position, which is shared by the local chamber of commerce, is likely informed at least in part by his desire to see sin tax money flowing to the city-owned FirstEnergy stadium.

Jackson isn't alone in his opposition -- while not necessarily supporting an event split of the sin tax money, four members of County Council told the Northeast Ohio Media Group they don't support awarding tax money for stadium upkeep based on on-the-field performance.

Wide receiver Anthony Armstrong tries to crack the Browns' roster as an undrafted free agent.

BEREA, Ohio -- Anthony Armstrong was so far at the end of his football rope that he was only a few steps away from his post-NFL career -- in a classroom.

But he ran into an issue.

"[Last year] after having no workouts during the off-season, I was trying to pursue some type of post-football career," said Armstrong, a free-agent wide receiver. "I looked into teaching and getting a match certificate then I realized I never took calculus or trigonometry, so that was going to be a problem."

Armstrong's shortcomings in high-level mathematics and patience could mean a permanent return to the NFL after so many short stints over his career.

Armstrong signed with the Browns in May after a year out of football. He will try to recapture the spark he created as a 27-year-old rookie in 2010 with 44 receptions for 871 yards and three touchdowns for Washington. Armstrong has struggled since then and he has bounced around the league with three teams, never being able to stick.

Now thanks to a call by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, Armstrong is back with hopes of providing the Browns with another deep threat. That was certainly on display during Tuesday's mini camp. Armstrong was open deep during several drills, including one particular play when he caught a long pass between two defenders.

Not bad for an old man.

"Even though I'm 31, I can still run like I'm 21," Armstrong said. "I'm blessed in that way."

It also helps that Armstrong is familiar with the system.

"There's a comfort level with this system because I ran it for two and half seasons in Washington," said Armstrong, who played under Shanahan. "Everything they're doing right now is knocking off the rust, digging back into the vault, remembering how it was done and finding a way to do it better."

Armstrong remained focused on something better throughout a career that began at little West Texas A&M. He came out in 2005 and went undrafted. His pro journey started with the Odessa Roughnecks in something called the Intense Football League. And there was time in the Arena Football League where the salary was so low that Armstrong worked nights at a jewelry store.

His speed drew the NFL's attention and he played on the practice squads of Miami and Washington. He got his real shot in 2010 and had an outstanding rookie season. Armstrong finished third with 19.8 yards per catch among receivers with at least 20 receptions that year. He also had a touchdown reception for 76 yards.

It's likely this tryout of sorts could become Armstrong's final chance at regaining and maintaining the glory he once had and dreamed about. This is the opportunity he craved.

"Giving up is not in my vocabulary," Armstrong said. "I've always wanted to be in a situation where I could walk away when I wanted to. I don't like the way the last two years went by not playing and bouncing around with teams. I want to be able to have a foothold and put a good season out there, and then I can be like Robert Smith and say I'm done, and leave people out there grasping for more."

Columbus Kilbourne longsnapper Liam McCullough became Ohio State's third oral commitment in as many days.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Make it three days in a row. 

Ohio State picked up its third oral commitment in three days when Columbus Kilbourne long snapper Liam McCullough made his college decision Tuesday while attending a special teams camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. 

Though McCullough isn't hasn't been rated by Rivals.com, he's considered one of the best longsnappers in the 2015 recruiting class. 

Ohio State's recent commitments run started on Sunday when three-star safety Green immediately accepted his Buckeyes offer after receiving it during their one-day instructional camp. 

Monday Ohio State earned a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Grant Schmidt of Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt. Schmidt also attended the camp Sunday, but didn't commit until taking a tour of the campus the following day. 

McCullough became Ohio State's sixth oral commitment in the 2015 recruiting class, joining Green, Schmidt, Canton McKinley's Eric Glover-Williams, Florida defensive back Jamel Dean and Athens, Ohio, quarterback Joe Burrow.

Other important recruiting links: 

• 'It's always just been a dream school': South Dakota OT Grant Schmidt realizes dream with commitment to Ohio State

• Vonn Bell says he's 100 percent, Joey Burrow has busy day: Five things to know from Ohio State's one-day instructional camp

• 'This is the one I was waiting for - I am a Buckeye': Maryland safety Tyler Green earns his spot at Ohio State

• Five-star RB Damien Harris, once a Michigan commit, releases his top eight, Ohio State makes cut

Watch veteran free agents Andrew Hawkins and Anthony Armstrong talk about coming in and competing for a spot as a wide receiver on the Cleveland Browns roster.

BEREA, Ohio --  The Cleveland Browns have 14 wide receivers at their three-day mandatory minicamp in Berea.  Only one, Josh Gordon, saw any playing time last year with the Browns.

Travis Benjamin and Charles Johnson were also with the team, but lost the entire 2013 season to torn ACLs.

Veteran free agents Andrew Hawkins and Anthony Armstrong talked after practice Tuesday about the competition for a roster spot and the play of quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Johnny Manziel.

Miles Austin, Earl Bennett, Nate Burleson joined Hawkins and Armstrong as experienced free agent to sign on.

The Browns brought in five undrafted free agents to see what the could bring on the field.  They include: Taylor Gabriel, Chandler Jones, Jonathan Krause, Kenny Shaw, and Willie Snead.  Conner Vernon, who has one-year in the league, but no game experience, was also brought in.

Twitter: @CLEvideos

American Lauren Davis continues her strong play at the Aegon Classic in England, with a ought three-set victory over fellow American Victoria Duval.

Lauren Davis, shown last year at Wimbledon, has won two tough three set matches on the grass courts in Birmingham, England. AP file 

Birmingham, England -- Lauren Davis edged fellow American Victoria Duval, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, on Tuesday to advance to the third round on the grass courts at the Aegon Classic, a Wimbledon tune-up tournament.

It was her second straight three-set match. She beat Austrian qualifier Tamira Paszek in the first round, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, in Monday's first round.

Davis now faces top-seeded Ana Ivanovic, ranked No. 13 in the world, who advanced by beating German Mona Barthel, 6-4, 6-1, at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham.

In other action Tuesday, Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Christina McHale also advanced, as did last year's champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.

The Baseball Hall of Fame asked for the bat the 25-year-old used during his five at-bats. Chisenhall happily obliged.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As Lonnie Chisenhall stood in the Indians clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon and reflected with reporters about his storied game from the night before, he was summoned to do a radio interview.

The world wants to hear from the Tribe third baseman after his five-hit, three-homer, nine-RBI display on Monday night in Texas. He said he is "getting pulled a lot of different directions."

"I'm not used to the amount of text messages and interview requests and things like that," Chisenhall said.

One request piqued his interest. The Baseball Hall of Fame asked for the bat the 25 year old used during his five trips to the plate. Chisenhall happily obliged.

"Sometimes you have to give up a piece that maybe means something to you to give it to the game. I'm all for it," Chisenhall said. "I've been to the Hall of Fame once in the minor leagues. Walking through there, just to have any piece of equipment that I own or used in there is a huge honor, a huge accomplishment."

Chisenhall hopes to take his wife and two sons, Cutter and Cannon, to Cooperstown one day.

"At first, I just wanted them to believe that I did play," Chisenhall said. "Now there's a little more proof. It's a great thing."

Chisenhall only brought two of his preferred bats on the Indians' 10-game road trip. With the Hall claiming one, he is down to one bat for the second half of the trip.

He said he won't use the Hall-bound lumber, as he doesn't want to nick it or break it. That bat helped push Chisenhall's batting average to .385. His nine RBIs gave him a franchise record-tying 22 over his last 10 games.

"Never in my career did I ever think the Hall of Fame would call and ask for anything," Chisenhall said. "To play in a game and then have something that I used go into the Hall of Fame, it's just icing on the cake. Things just keep getting better and better. I can't imagine things going up from here."

Return of the Mac: Zach McAllister pitched six innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday afternoon. He allowed two runs -- on back-to-back homers -- and three hits. He walked two and struck out six.

Should the Indians opt to employ McAllister on regular rest, the right-hander could be activated from the disabled list and pitch on Sunday. T.J. House, perhaps the hurler McAllister is destined to replace in the rotation, is slated to pitch on Saturday.

"We'll sit with him," Francona said. "We want to work through where to insert him where it best suits us." McAllister was scheduled to fly on Tuesday evening to Boston, where the team will join him on Wednesday night.

Testing, testing: Nick Swisher went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a lineout in his first rehab outing for Double-A Akron on Tuesday. He started at first base and batted third for the RubberDucks. He played five innings. He is expected to start for Akron on Wednesday. Then, the Indians will determine whether he is ready to rejoin the club in Boston this weekend.

Toe to toe: Francona held Mike Aviles out of the lineup the last three days after the infielder stubbed his toe prior to Friday's loss to Texas. Aviles didn't mention the injury to his manager and played through it on Friday. Francona said Aviles is better and available to play.

"I think he was hurting a little more than he let on," Francona said. "I told him, 'I wish you would've told me. I could've protected you a little bit.'"

Finally: Jesus Aguilar belted two home runs and had six RBIs for Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. ... Chisenhall had 22 RBIs in his last 10 games prior to Tuesday's tilt. The only other player in franchise history with that many RBIs over a 10-game stretch was Juan Gonzalez in 2001.

Zach McAllister threw six innings Tuesday for Class AAA Columbus. He will meet with manager Terry Frabncona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway on Thursday to see where he fits in the starting rotation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Quick hits from manager Terry Francona's pre-game press conference Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium.

Z-Mac Attack: Zach McAllister threw six innings for Class AAA Columbus against Charlotte on Tuesday in what should be his final rehab start before being activated.

McAllister allowed two runs, both on homers, in six innings. He struck out six, walked two and allowed three hits.

Francona said McAllister flew to Boston after Tuesday's game and will meet with the coaching staff on Thursday to see where he'll pitch in the rotation.

Right now it looks like T.J. House will probably get one more start, facing the Red Sox on Saturday. McAllister's scheduled day to pitch would be Sunday.

"The reports said he got better the deeper into the game he got," said Francona.

McAllister has been on the DL with a strained lower back.

Swisher update: Nick Swisher went 0-for-2 with a strikeout Tuesday for Class AA Akron. Swisher, recovering from a hyper-extended left knee, played five innings.

He'll play for Akron again on Wednesday and will join the Indians on Thursday in Boston.

"Obviously, we've got a few things to look at," said Francona, referring to upcoming roster moves to get Swisher and McAllister back on the roster.

Run the bases: Yes, Francona was excited about watching Lonnie Chisenhall go 5-for-5 with three homers and nine RBI on Monday night against Texas. But that wasn't the first thing that made him smile in Monday's 17-7 victory.

In the first inning, Michael Bourn drew a leadoff walk. Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a single to left that Shin-Soo Choo lost in the setting sun.

Bourn seized the opportunity by sprinting to third and Cabrera hustled to second. After Michael Brantley walked to load the bases, all three runs scored.

"It wasn't just speed, it was effort," Francona. "Cabbie hit the ball to left. We could all tell Choo couldn't see it. Bournie went to third and Cabbie followed him into second. That makes me excited. It gets me all revved up.

"We did some things afterward that were fun to watch, but I love when we play the game like that. It's guys not only seeing the game, but hustling to the point that when something opens up, they're ready to move up."

Change in philosophy: Maybe this will change when Swisher is activated, but since Jason Kipnis returned from the disabled list on May 28, he's been hitting fourth and Michael Brantley third.

Early in the season, Francona didn't like hitting Brantley and Kipnis consecutively because he felt it made it too easy for the opposing manager to bring in a lefty against them late in games since Brantley and Kipnis both are left-handed hitters.

"I think sometimes you can worry so much about the opposing bullpen that you don't put your best guys together to beat the starter," said Francona.

Browns' Mike Pettine isn't worried about Johnny Manziel's wet-n-wild adventures and won't get involved unless it's affecting his play.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Not even Johnny Football on an inflatable swan with another big bottle of alcohol -- his third straight weekend of wet-n-wild adventures -- is enough to rattle Browns coach Mike Pettine.

"I'm not concerned,'' said Pettine. "I would become concerned if there was something criminal, and I'd be concerned if it affected his job. I think there's a lot of our guys when they leave here, that if they were followed around, you'd get some very similar pictures. I don't know about an inflatable swan, but I think you'd still get some pictures."

Manziel must have taken it to heart when Pettine told him to go "have fun'' in Vegas over Memorial Day Weekend, because he's been on a roll ever since.

The week after his champagne-fueled Vegas escapades, he partied with good pal Drake in Los Angeles during the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, and last weekend, he floated around on the swan at Club Rio in Austin, Texas.

The next day, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 28th round, and the day after that, he  was courtside in San Antonio for game two of the NBA Finals, where he cheered on his good friend LeBron James and wore a Cavs cap.

On Tuesday, he was back on the field for Browns mandatory minicamp, where he's duking it out with Brian Hoyer for the starting job and taking first-team reps in 11-on-11s while Hoyer continues his comeback from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

It was a typical minicamp day for a rookie quarterback: some ragged passes and a few nice ones, including a 50-yarder to Anthony Armstrong in team drills.
And as long as Manziel is still getting to practice and meetings on time and not showing up in the police blotter, Pettine isn't worried.
 

"I told him I didn't feel like he had to come to me every time he was going to leave town,'' said Pettine. "The philosophy here is we're not going to micromanage the guys. I was involved in an event this weekend (in his hometown of Doylestow, Pa.) that if there were some cameras at certain times, it probably wouldn't have been the most flattering. It was a group of coaches out. We had a good time, but we were responsible. When it becomes irresponsible or becomes part of something that involves breaking the law or something that we feel is a potential problem, we'll step in.''

Pettine stressed that the Browns are addressing off-the-field concerns with all of their players, and haven't felt the need to single out Manziel.

"(Browns player engagement director) Jamil Northcutt does a great job and (Browns player engagement assistant) Russell Maryland with the rookie programs educating those guys,'' said Pettine. "We're going to bring in speakers for those, not just the rookies, but the whole team just to kind of talk about all the potential issues off the field – everything from financial issues to drugs to alcohol to try to do our best to educate those guys so they make great choices when they're out of the building."

Likewise, Pettine doesn't worry about Manziel putting himself in a bad situation out in public.

"I don't because I think it's something that he's used to,'' Pettine said. "I think he understands that it comes with the territory, but I also think he's a young man that he doesn't want his lifestyle or how he lives it to be affected by social media. He's not going to say, 'Hey, I'm not leaving my house.' I don't he wants to be that way. It just goes back to we're not going to micromanage him until we feel it is an issue, and if it's not affecting him on the field, then I don't think it's anything that we need to address at this point."

Still, the Browns made the curious -- and unprecedented -- decision not to let Manziel or Hoyer talk to the media during this three-day mandatory minicamp -- despite the presence of ESPN, NFL Network and USA Today. Hoyer was available twice during organized team activities and Manziel was available once during rookie minicamp and once during organized team activities.

The quarterbacks won't be available until the start of training camp at the end of July, but Pettine defended the club's decision to shut them down.

"They had been made available,'' Pettine said. "I don't think the message will be that different than it was before. It was something that was just in our rotation of things that we just didn't feel that it needed to be done."

Pettine said he'll always put the team's best interests ahead of the fans' desire to hear from the quarterbacks.

"I understand the balance, but personally my feeling on that is I'm going to err towards the side of the team if it's close or even to the middle,'' he said. "That's the approach that we discussed as a staff, and that's the way we decided to go."
Meanwhile, Pettine has been please with Manziel's progress.

"I think he's getting better,'' Pettine said. "I think he's getting more comfortable in the huddle calling the plays. I think he has a very nice touch with the deep ball, and he shows that we've added some of the zone-read stuff that Kyle had run with RG3 (Redskins QB Robert Griffin III) in Washington. He's done a nice job handling that.He makes improvements every day, and that's all that we ask of him."

He acknowledged that Hoyer is getting rid of the ball quicker than Manziel despite the fact Hoyer is still limited in 11-on-11s.

"I think Brian anticipates very well, and I think that's one of the bigger differences between college football and the NFL,'' said Pettine. "College quarterbacks, at times, sometimes based on their system, too, they wait until guys get open to throw the ball. That's a very common thing.

"It's rare to have a guy coming out of college who can anticipate the break, whereas Brian understands the windows are a lot smaller in the NFL. I think the younger quarterbacks are kind of finding out how tight the windows are in the NFL. Anytime you can throw it before a receiver's open and have it arrive as he's getting open, that's the way to go for sure."

Meanwhile, Manziel's teammates are cool with him living it up on his weekends off.

 "Johnny's the man,'' said receiver Andrew Hawkins. "I like Johnny. Johnny's a cool guy, but most importantly he comes out here and works hard. Whenever you have a guy like that, that's always fun to be around."

Browns coach Mike Pettine told 92.3 The Fan that Josh Gordon's looming suspension "is difficult because it will really affect our preparations for the season.''

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine said Tuesday that Josh Gordon's looming suspension is impacting the club's preparations for the season.

"There's certainly a level of frustration because we've known the news for so long," Pettine told the Bull and Fox on radio partner 92.3 The Fan. "It's just a holding pattern and I understand that the league has a process that they have to go through and there's other things that they're dealing with and we respect that. But at the same time it is difficult because it really will affect our preparation for the season.''

He said the club has met about it and "we're prepared for all of the eventualities, but the waiting is difficult."

Gordon, who's facing an indefinite ban for at least his third violation of the league's substance abuse policy, participated in individual drills Tuesday but was held out of 11-on-11s.

Pettine acknowledged that Gordon sometimes doesn't hustle as much as he should in practice. Sports Illustrated's Greg Bedard made the same observation when he visited camp last summer, but then-offensive coordinator Norv Turner disagreed.

"It is something we've talked about and from what I understand he's made some improvement, but it is a work in progress," Pettine said. "I'm a big believer in quality of reps versus quantity of reps. If I'm a player and I know that I'm going to be out there for 40 full-speed team snaps I may have a tendency to pace myself.

"There still needs to be improvement there but we're aware of it."

"I don't know the specifics of it,'' said Pettine. "I just know it's enough to hold it out of this camp, and I know that he'll be ready to go day one of training camp.''
Pettine said the only player who might not be ready for the start of camp is Travis Benjamin, who's coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He might start the season on the physically unable to perform list.

Ins and outs: Receive Nate Burleson had his cast removed and returned to practice Tuesday wearing a sleeve on his forearm...Guard Jason Pinkston left the field shaking his hand and did not return....Receiver Mile Austin watched most of practice from the sidelines in a ball cap. ...Offensive lineman Chris Faulk was not at practice.

See the latest list of local aces and eagles.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is the list of holes-in-one and double eagles as reported by golf courses for the week of June 10, 2014.

View full sizeSee the latest list of local golfers who scored a hole-in-one.Dale Omori, Plain Dealer file 

Vito Carlo of North Olmsted aced the 142-yard second hole at Briardale Greens G.C. using an 8-iron.

Tom Hunter aced the 146-yard 15^th hole at Wicked Woods G.C. using a 7-iron.

Jerry Leak aced the 145-yard third hole at Lost Nation G.C. using a 7-iron.

Ron Nowak of Hinckley aced the 169-yard eighth hole at Red Tail G.C. using a 6-hybrid.

Stan Reimer aced the 155-yard eighth hole at Windmill Lakes G.C. using a 5-iron.

Darron Riggs of Sheffield Lake aced the 140-yard sixth hole at Bob-O-Links G.C. (Blue Course) using an 8-iron.

Pat Woodside of Cleveland aced the 191-yard eighth hole at The Links G.C. using a 4-iron.

The Browns have engaged in extension talks with defensive end/linebacker Jabaal Sheard.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Browns defensive lineman Jabaal Sheard is in the last year of a deal that pays him $550,500, but the team has had extension talks with Sheard's agent Drew Rosenhaus.

"Hopefully it works out,'' Sheard said. "I'm just going to take it one step at a time. I can only worry about this year. I love it here, I love the fans here, I love the support I've been getting, the teammates. The locker room is growing on me. I feel more comfortable now than I did when I first got here."

"I can't wait,'' he said.  "I want to be here when this city erupts. I just know it's coming. Hopefully this year is the year."

Pettine has been impressed with Sheard, who's role here will most closely resemble that of Bills' edge-rusheriMario Williams, who finished fourth in the NFL with 13 sacks in Pettine's defense last year.

"(Sheard) was a guy that we liked coming out of Pitt,'' said Pettine.  "I was very encouraged from watching the film from last year. We talk about the 'Play like a Brown' attributes, and we want a guy that plays like his hair is on fire. If I had to pick one guy that fits that, the first name I would come up with is Jabaal.

"He's versatile. I think we can move him around. He can play with his hand down. He can play up. His drop skills are more than adequate, and he plays violent. It's tough for him in this arena when it's no pads. I think he'll show up even better when we have the pads on and his physicality will be much better used."

Manager Terry Francona said Mike Aviles' stubbed toe could keep him out of the linup until Thursday in Boston.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Seen and heard Monday at Kauffman Stadium.

Clubhouse confidential: The stubbed toe that turned infielder Mike Aviles' last game into a soap opera was apparently worse than your run-of-the-mill stubbed toe.

Aviles hasn't played since Friday when a stubbed big toe on his right foot prevented him from running out a double-play grounder in the eighth inning of a 6-4 loss to Texas. Aviles was criticized on social media for not hustling, but told reporters that he couldn't run hard because he'd stubbed his toe the night before in his hotel room.

"The injury was a little more serious than Mike let on," said manager Terry Francona, who didn't know about the injury until meeting with Aviles after Friday's game.

Francona said Aviles was available off the bench for Tuesday night's game against the Royals, but might not start until Thursday against Boston's Jon Lester at Fenway Park.

Signing season: The Indians won't say anything until right-hander Grant Hockin passes a physical in the next few days, but it appears they've come to terms on a $1.6 million signing bonus with their second-round pick, their fourth player selected in the June draft.

Hockin, the godson of Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew, was scheduled to attend UCLA after finishing his senior year at Damien High School in LaVerne, Calif. The slotting price for Hockin, according to Baseball America, is $928,700.

Stat of the day: The Indians did announce the signing of two of their picks in the first 10 rounds: right-hander Julian Merryweather, Oklahoma Baptist, fifth round and infielder Steven Patterson, Cal Davis, 10^th round. The two college seniors signed for $20,000 and $10,000, respectively, which will allow the Indians to use more of their $8 million bonus pool on some of their priority picks.

Join cleveland.com's Zack Meisel for a live in-game chat as the Indians take on the Royals at Progressive Field.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Royals at Kauffman Stadium and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

Game 65: Indians (33-31) vs. Royals (31-32)

First pitch: 8:10 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium

TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7

The Browns held their second day of mandatory minicamp in Berea Wednesday. Here are Glenn Moore's 5 Moore Observations.

BEREA, Ohio -- Intensity. There was plenty of it during the second day of Browns minicamp Wednesday in Berea.

While Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer were the focus of Tuesday's practice, what was happening on the sidelines Wednesday afternoon grabbed the attention of onlookers.

Here are 5 Moore Observations from Wednesday's minicamp practice:

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Phil Taylor yells out during stretching before organized team activities May 21, 2014 at the Browns' practice facility in Berea. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

1. Hug it out

As training camp creeps closer, the intensity on the field has been picking up. Players are tired of going against each other and want someone new to face. That was evident during Wednesday's practice.

Garrett Gilkey, who has been playing right guard, and Phil Taylor exchanged haymakers following a play during 11-on-11 drills. Gilkey was able to throw the first few punches, but Taylor made sure he got a couple of his own in.

The two trench dwellers were broken up by teammates, but not before Taylor got the last punch in after shoving Miles Austin out of the way.

"That one tested the limits," head coach Mike Pettine said after practice.

Cornerback Justin Gilbert and veteran wide receiver Nate Burleson went back and forth vocally during team drills. Burleson has been limited recovering from an injury, but promises to be on the field soon full-time.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon, left, rides a stationary bike during a mandatory minicamp practice in June. Mark Duncan, Associated Press

2. Josh Gordon sits out practice

With a possible suspension on the way for Josh Gordon, the All-Pro receiver was inactive during Wednesday's practice. He did ride the stationary bike. Pettine said Gordon suffered a "minor ding" and will sit out Thursday, the last day of minicamp. NFL Network reported the injury was to Gordon's hamstring and it occurred during Tuesday's practice.

The Browns and Gordon are awaiting word on how long he'll be suspended for testing positive for marijuana, as reported by ESPN.

3. Bernie Kosar helping the Bears

Bernie Kosar was helping an old friend Wednesday. The Browns fan favorite was in Chicago helping the Bears' quarterbacks. Chicago's head coach Marc Trestman coached Kosar at the University of Miami in 1983 and with the Browns in 1988.

Bernie Kosar at Bears practice today pic.twitter.com/cfvVt9vVdD

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) June 11, 2014

The most famous quarterbacks Trestman worked with as an NFL coordinator were Kosar, Steve Young, Scott Mitchell, Jake Plummer and Rich Gannon. 

Jordan Cameron laughs with teammates during the first day of Browns mandatory minicamp Tuesday. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

4. Jordan Cameron banged up

As the Browns wait for the word on Gordon, expectations for Jordan Cameron will be high if the team is without its All-Pro receiver. Wednesday, the Pro Bowl tight end was banged up during 11-on-11 drills after colliding with linebacker Barkevious Mingo.

Cameron was limping, favoring his left knee on the sidelines, but when it was his turn to get in the huddle, he no problems getting downfield and did not miss any action during practice.

Terrance West (20) and Ben Tate wait for their turn on offense Wednesday. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

5. Running back situation

Running back Ben Tate has been participating in individual drills during the first two days of minicamp, but when it comes to 11-on-11 drills, Terrance West has been getting reps with the first team.

Last season, Tate battled through four cracked ribs much of the season to rush for 771 yards and four TDs in 14 games, including seven starts.

West has shown power through the first level and quickness when eluding defenders. The Townson product is expected to play a major role for the Browns offensively.

Chris Ogbonnaya has also taken reps with the first team.

Be sure to follow on Twitter: @GlennMooreCLE.

The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer tells CineSport's Brian Clark how Mark Price fits into the Cavs' coaching search, and whether the team could trade the top pick in the NBA Draft to Philadelphia.

 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer tells CineSport's Brian Clark how Mark Price fits into the Cavs' coaching search, and whether the team could trade the top pick in the NBA Draft to Philadelphia.

CB Leon McFadden hopes his improved technique will make a difference.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns chose cornerback Leon McFadden in the third round of the 2013 draft with the intention that McFadden would eventually become the starter opposite Joe Haden.

McFadden, however, did not uphold his end of the bargain. Buster Skrine became the starter, overcoming a dismal 2012 season and McFadden began as the fourth cornerback. He did slide into the nickel package when Chris Owens was hurt later in the season.

McFadden had nowhere to hide in that package. As is the case with most rookies, he became the favorite target of opposing quarterbacks. McFadden had 10 tackles, no interceptions, and one pass defensed in 233 plays over 16 games.

The new regime under GM Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine made depth in the defensive backfield an off-season emphasis. As a result, the stakes are higher for McFadden. Besides Skrine, he'll have to battle with first-round pick Justin Gilbert, fourth-round pick Pierre Desir and free agent Aaron Berry. The message is clear.

"I don't believe I've been forgotten, but I have to step it up," said McFadden, out of San Diego State. "The bar has been raised when it comes to the competitive level on the field. Competition is what you love about the game. There's a lot of DBs out there competing for those roster spots."

McFadden prepared with off-season extra work. He spent days at his alma mater working with the school's defensive backs coach on improving his technique.

Repetition became priority one.

"After watching film, I learned that I was opening up too late or too early," McFadden said. "You have to find a happy medium, and I've made that adjustment during camp. I'm still hungry. I'm out here working hard. I'm trying to find a spot on the field."