Columbus - Braxton Miller, the quarterback Ohio State has targeted to follow Terrelle Pryor, will announce his college choice Thursday at noon, according to several recruiting outlets. The Buckeyes offered Miller a scholarship -- telling him he was the player they wanted to succeed Pryor -- when he was a sophomore at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, which...

Columbus - Braxton Miller, the quarterback Ohio State has targeted to follow Terrelle Pryor, will announce his college choice Thursday at noon, according to several recruiting outlets.

The Buckeyes offered Miller a scholarship -- telling him he was the player they wanted to succeed Pryor -- when he was a sophomore at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, which is outside of Dayton.

Now Miller, finishing his junior year, is ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the Class of 2011 by Scout.com and No. 2 by Rivals.com, and he has offers from Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and Southern Cal.

At 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, with a 40 time in the 4.45 range, Miller is generally considered to be a step below Pryor in terms of athleticism as a high school prospect but more advanced as a thrower and overall quarterback.

Pryor was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2008 and took over the starting job in the fourth game of his freshman season with the Buckeyes.

Miller could be a candidate to start as a freshman if Pryor leaves for the NFL after his junior season, or Miller could wait under Pryor for a year and then be expected to take the job.

The other quarterbacks on the Ohio State roster, who weren't nearly as highly recruited, are redshirt junior Joe Bauserman, redshirt freshman Kenny Guiton and incoming freshman Taylor Graham.

Here are some highlights from LeBron James' interview with CNN's Larry King.

View full sizeLorenzo Bevilaqua / CNN via APCNN's Larry King interviews LeBron James: "It's going to be a very interesting summer, and I'm looking forward to it," James says.

The complete transcript of the interview was sent to a local television station. The entire interview was posted online and obtained by The Plain Dealer, which independently verified the accuracy of the transcript.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / PDWhile James says Cleveland has an edge in the competition to sign him, he also is still planning to meet with several other high-profile free agents like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.Larry King: OK. You are at a, you're at a point I don't think any basketball player in recent memory has ever been at. You're the, arguably, the most famous player in the game, you and Kobe [Bryant]. But you are a free agent, and that's exactly what it means . . . you're totally free. They can't make you an offer until July 1st. But you can think about it now, because the money is going to be, all things equal, it's going to be about the same. So in your head, [are] there places you'd like to go? I'm not going to ask you to commit.

James: Well, I mean, to me, I think my ultimate, my ultimate goal is winning championships, and I understand that me going down as one of the greats will not happen until I, you know, win a championship. So for me, the team that I decided to go toward (inaudible) in Cleveland, that ultimately has -- has the best chance for me to win a championship not one year, but multiple years. But for me to continue to get better and help that team win, I think, ultimately, would be my decision. I'm going to do what's best for me and my family.

King: So can we say it will not be a poor team, a team of players who you do not calculate would be there to win championships, because you can't play forever?

James: No, I cannot play forever. And that is absolutely right. But the team that I go to or -- or, you know, whatever the case may be, will have an opportunity to win championships in multiple years and not just because of LeBron James.

King: All right. Do you lean at all toward the place you know the best? I mean do they have an edge going in . . .

James: Oh, absolutely.

King: Your home team?

James: Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it's comfortable. So I've got a lot of memories here. And -- and so it does have an edge. But it's a -- it's a very -- it's going to be a very interesting summer, and I'm looking forward to it.

View full sizeMark J. Terrill / APPhoenix Suns forward Amare Stoudemire. King: You can tell me that you're going to get together, you, with [Chris] Bosh and [Dwyane] Wade and [Amar'e] Stoudemire and [Joe] Johnson and [Ray] Allen and . . .

James: We can be like a little committee?

King: Yes.

James: A little free-agent committee.

King: No one can stop you. You're all free agents. The league can't tell you not to do this.

James: Right.

King: "What if you go there and I go here and we go here?" Is that possible?

James: I don't know to that extent, but it will be fun. It will be fun to get all the free agents together and, you know, figure out a way how we can make the league better.

King: But you can get together and discuss for the better of the league . . .

James: No, we can . . .

King: "If I went here and you played there," right, you . . .

James: Oh, I mean, and in certain situations where you may be able to pair with a -- with a group or one or two guys and -- and better that franchise and guys better these franchises. But I think this is the most -- this is the most sought out summer in -- in basketball history, because of all the free agents.

King: Are you the ringleader of the group?

James: I am the ringleader.

King: Do you want a say in who the coach is?

James: That's not -- no, not really. . . . You know, a lot of great coaches have been part of this league for years. But I'm not one to go into the off year and say this is who I want my coach to be. Now, there are some coaches, that, you know, if I had an opportunity to play for, I would be delighted. But I'm not as far as -- as picking a coach.

King: Were you sad that your coach here was fired?

James: Oh, absolutely. I mean -- I mean, he was a great coach, five -- five great years we had together, and we turned a franchise that hadn't seen a lot of things in a lot of years. We won, you know, the Eastern Conference championship. We [had], you know, the [most] regular-season wins two years in a row. We did a -- I mean, a lot of great things. But ultimately, we both, myself and Mike Brown, didn't accomplish what we wanted to, and that was the NBA championship. And I think we wanted it more than anybody else. So it's unfortunate. I wish him the best, and I think he's going to have a great coaching career.

King: Have any of your Cavalier teammates asked you to stay?

James: Of course.

King: How about this city? You know the -- listen, listen, these are economic times, and you are in the unique position of being very economically important to Cleveland. You sell tickets. You do more than that. You support people in this city. You're very generous in getting involved with kids. Do you take that into consideration? You've got a lot on your shoulders.

James: Well, I think as far as saving the city economically, I can't get too involved in that. I can't let that be a decision of mine or what I do with my future.

But as far as what I do in the community, that has a lot to do with it, because what I do in the city of Akron and what I do in the city of Cleveland means a lot to myself. And, you know, if our -- if I don't do these things that I do on the community, locally, I will feel -- I will feel bad because I feel like, you know, any time when I was growing up, if I had ever got an opportunity to make it, I will always give back.

King: OK. So I'm not going to put words in your mouth. All things being equal, is Cleveland sort of sentimentally the favorite?

James: Oh, absolutely. And it's a -- it's a Cleveland-Akron team, because I grew up in Akron. I mean Akron is less than 30 miles south of Cleveland. So, absolutely. My whole family is here. You know, when I played high school basketball, where I grew up, in the projects, a lot of -- a lot of things mean home for me here. And -- and it's not just about the basketball court.

King: How about [girlfriend] Savannah [Brinson] and the kids? What say do they have -- well, the kids don't have a say in that.

James: Well, the kids got all the say. I mean, I think they -- they're going to support what decision I make. You know, of course, they have a say, but, you know, they feel like, to this point, I've been able to might -- make the right decision in my career, and they're going to support whatever I do.

King: You haven't made a decision yet, is that correct?

James: Correct.

King: OK. Would you say, all things being equal, you're close?

James: I'm far from close. I don't -- I don't -- honestly, I haven't -- because July is still a month away, less than a month away. So I haven't -- I haven't began to, you know -- I've thought about it, but I haven't began to strategize exactly.

The question is can the Indians win more than once every seven to 10 days? Can they get on an actual run? It may sound like madness, but could they even sneak back into the AL Central race?

View full sizePaul Sancya / Associated PressIndians closer Kerry Wood got two quick outs in the ninth inning and then had some struggles before saving the game against the Tigers on Tuesday at Detroit.

So Tuesday night's 3-2 victory over the Tigers was a rare thing. Of course, it almost didn't happen. Kerry Wood recorded two quick outs in the ninth, but Russell Branyan made an error at first base, Brandon Inge walked and pinch hitter Alex Avila engaged in a steel-cage match with Wood before lining an RBI single to right to cut the Tribe's lead to one.

Wood, however, retired No. 9 hitter Ramon Santiago for his third save and ensured victory for Jake Westbrook. Manager Manny Acta felt Westbrook's 7 -inning performance was his best of the year.

The question is can the Indians do this more than once every seven to 10 days? Can they get on an actual run? It may sound like madness, but could they even sneak back into the AL Central race? They started Tuesday's game last in the division and 12 games behind front-running Minnesota.

Is it nonsense to even mention this? Mark Grudzielanek says no.

Grudzielanek, who turns 40 on June 30, was still spry enough Tuesday night to drive home what proved to be the winning run with a two-out single in the eighth inning off Jeremy Bonderman (2-3, 3.72).

"You want to think so," said Grudzielanek, when asked if he believed they could still get back in the race. "We're just starting June. If we're here and we think we don't have a shot, we might as well bring the kids up right now and forfeit the year. I hope we're not there yet."

Grudzielanek knows the Indians are far from perfect.

"I know we have a lot of problems going on here," he said. "We've got to situate the bullpen and be a little more consistent at the plate and with our starting pitching. Those three things have to come together for us.

View full sizePaul Sancya / APJake Westbrook pitched eight solid innings on Tuesday to get the win. But is he the next Indians pitcher to end up on the trading block? "We have talent here but it has to come together. If the young kids start going a little bit and we start playing as a team. . . . It's a division that I don't think is going to get too far away from us, but if we keep pulling what we have the last week and a half, it's going to get way out of our hands."

The Indians certainly didn't look like the team the Yankees battered in four games over the weekend in the Bronx. That was mostly because Westbrook (3-3, 4.36) controlled things for almost eight innings. He gave up a run on Carlos Guillen's single in the second, but Branyan tied the score, 1-1, with a leadoff homer in the fifth. It was Branyan's seventh homer and third in his past four games.

Shin-Soo Choo made it 2-1 with a homer off Bonderman in the sixth. It ended Choo's 0-for-19 skid.

"I've worried a little about it," Choo said. "But I've been hitting the ball hard. A lot of line drives, a lot of deep fly balls. If I was striking out and hitting a lot of groundballs I'd worry more."

Westbrook allowed one run on five hits. He struck out one and walked one in 106 pitches.

The speculation has already started that Westbrook, a free agent at the end of the year, will be traded to a contender if he keeps pitching like this for the next several weeks. Hate to break it to anyone, but Westbrook has been on the trading block since he proved in winter ball that he was finally on his way back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow that idled him all last season.

"I learned a long time ago that if you worry about the things you can't control, it will eat you up," Westbrook said. "I don't even think about that."

Realistically, the chances of the Indians reaching the outskirts of contention are slim. Manager Manny Acta is starting three and sometimes four rookies (or near rookies) almost every night. Two of his top position players, Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera, are out with season-threatening injuries.

"Our offense is nowhere near where everybody thought it would be," Acta said. "That's been our main problem here."

The Captains, Aeros, Clippers and Lake Erie Crushers all win on Tuesday night.

Clippers 4, Bats 3 -- Columbus rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Tuesday to win the International League game over Louisville, Ky.

C Carlos Santana (.318) led off the ninth with his 11th double of the season. One batter later, RF Chris Gimenez (.289) singled in Santana to tie the game at 3-3. Gimenez was thrown out at second on the play.

LF Nick Weglarz (.200) walked and pinch hitter Jordan Brown (.333) scored him with a double to left field.

Righty Josh Tomlin (2.45) started for Columbus and pitched seven innings. He allowed three earned run on five hits and one walk. Frank Herrmann (3-0, 0.31) pitched two hitless innings, striking out three, to earn the win.

Notes: Tuesday's starter for the Bats, Aroldis Chapman, 22, defected from Cuba last July and signed a six-year, $30.25 million free-agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds . . . . LF Jordan Brown, who has had two stays on the disabled list (knee, back), went into Tuesday night's game batting .322 (19-for-59) this season, with seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 19 RBI. The left-handed hitting Brown, who led the IL with a .336 average last season, was 10-for-17 (.588) against left-handed pitchers, with four doubles, a triple, three walks and no strikeouts. . . . OF Jose Constanza was batting .347 (41-for-118) with five doubles, two triples, one home run and 25 runs, but did not have enough plate appearances to qualify among the International League's batting leaders. . . . Catcher Carlos Santana was leading the league in walks (40) and on-base percentage (.450), third in RBI (43), fourth in slugging percentage (.565) and sixth in homers (10) and batting average (.315). . . . IF Brian Buscher was batting .367 (11-for-30) with three doubles and a homer in his past 10 games. . . . LHP Francisco Jimenez was transferred to Columbus from Lake County on Sunday after going 5-1 with a 3.90 ERA as a reliever for the Captains, fanning 27 in 30 innings. Jimenez gave up six runs (five earned) in 1 2/3 innings as the Clippers lost to Louisville, 16-2, on Monday. . . . In that seven-inning game that concluded a doubleheader, Buscher pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning. . . . LHP Aaron Laffey, sent by the Indians to Columbus on Sunday, is scheduled to start for the Clippers at Indianapolis on Friday night.

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 5, SeaWolves 3 -- Nick Hagadone, who the Indians acquired from the Boston Red Sox last year in the Victor Martinez trade, made his Aeros debut but did not earn the win in Eastern League game against visiting Erie, Pa.

Hagadone started and pitched four innings. The left-hander allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks while striking out five. RHP Paolo Espino (6-2, 3.45) earned the win with five shutout innings. He allowed one hit and one walk and fanned seven.

Aeros 3B Jared Goedert singled to extend his hitting streak to 21 games.

Notes: Hagadone was 1-3 with a 2.39 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings at Advanced A Kinston. . . . Going into Tuesday night's game 2B Cord Phelps (.303) was 16-for-41 (.390) with runners in scoring position. . . . IF Lonnie Chisenhall (.278) was 6-for-12 with one homer, six runs and three RBI in his last three games...RHP Paolo Espino (5-2, 3.78) is 4-1 with a 2.48 ERA in his last five starts, striking out 21 and allowing 21 hits in 36 1/3 innings. . . . RHP Alex White is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts for Akron since being promoted from Advanced A Kinston. White, the Indians' first-round draft pick last June, has struck out four, walked three and given up nine hits in 13 innings.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Blue Rocks 3, Indians 2 -- Kinston 2B Karexon Sanchez (.269) hit his fourth homer of the season but the K-Tribe dropped the Carolina League game to Wilmington, Del., in Kinston, N.C.

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game OF Jordan Henry was leading the Carolina League with a .476 on-base percentage and was third with a .342 batting average. He had six multi-hit games among his past eight games and had 12 stolen bases in 13 tries. . . . IF Kyle Bellows (.279) was hitting .349 (15-for-43) with three doubles, two triples, one homer and 10 RBI over his past 10 games. . . . RHP Rob Bryson (2-0, 1.69) had struck out 20 batters and allowed one hit -- a home run -- and two walks in his first six games with Kinston, spanning 10 2/3 innings. . . . LHP T.J. McFarland has pitched at least five innings in each of his past eight appearances -- the first three of them in relief and the last five as a starter -- and allowed two or fewer runs in seven of them. He was leading the Carolina League with a 1.78 ERA, fanning 34 and allowing 46 hits and 10 walks in 55 2/3 innings. His six wins were tied for the league lead. . . . RHP Cory Burns had five saves in five opportunities with the Indians, making him 17-of-17 including his time at Lake County. Burns had pitched 5 2/3 innings for Kinston, allowing no runs on two hits and no walks, with nine strikeouts. Including his time at Lake County, Burns was 0-0 with a 1.73 ERA, striking out 34 in 21 1/3 innings while yielding 15 hits, no homers and five walks.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 3, Snappers 2 -- Lake County C Chun-Hsiu Chen (.323) homered and three Captains pitchers held Beloit, Wis., to five hits in earning the Midwest League win in Eastlake.

Chen's homer in the first inning was his fourth of the season.

Right-handed starter Brett Brach (4.30) allowed two earned runs on five hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out five. RHP Nickolas Sarianides (4-1, 3.72) got the win with three hitless innings of relief. Righty Preston Guilmet (0.00) pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, OF Bo Greenwell was tied for fifth in the Midwest League with a .328 batting average and catcher Chun-Hsiu Chen was seventh at .323. . . . Chen was tied for third in slugging percentage (.546). He hit .400 (32-for-80) with eleven doubles, three triples, two homers and 15 RBI in 23 games in May. . . . 3B Jeremie Tice (.271) was tied for second in the league with 37 RBI. . . . RHP Trey Haley (4-1, 3.65) is 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA in his past seven starts, striking out 31 and yielding 26 hits in 38 2/3 innings. . . . RHP Austin Adams (2-2, one save, 2.90) is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last five games, including three starts. In 21 innings, he struck out 27, gave up 12 hits and walked four.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers 5, Rascals 4 -- Lake Erie 3B Andrew Davis homered and SS Jodam Rivera knocked in two runs to help the Crushers beat River City, Mo., in Avon.

Notes: The Crushers defeated the Rascals, 3 games to 2, to win the 2009 Frontier League Championship Series in their first season. . . . Going into Tuesday night's game, catcher Joel Collins was batting .348 (8-for-23); 3B Lee Huggins was batting .333 (8-for-24) with six runs, two doubles, one homer and four RBI; SS Andrew Davis was batting .290 (9-for-31) with two homers, 10 RBI and eight walks; 2B Andrew Saylor was batting .257 (9-for-35) with eight runs, one double, one triple, two homers and three RBI.

Sister Mary Assumpta, the habit-wearing, cookie-baking Tribe fan who always includes the Indians in her prayers, will be honored by a group called the Baseball Reliquary with this year's national Hilda Award "to recognize distinguished service to the game by a baseball fan."

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerSister Mary Assumpta has been a faithful fan of the Indians over the years at Progressive Field, and she remains faithful even though the team has struggled this season..

They have loyal fans.

Chris Stephens,
The PDSister Mary Assumpta, cheering on a Jim Thome home run in this photograph taken on July 19, 1994.

The Baseball Reliquary Inc., a nonprofit, educational organization in California that fosters an appreciation for baseball as a part of American culture, bestowed the same award in 2008 upon dedicated bleachers drummer John Adams.

"And they say Boston has the best baseball fans. Not true," said Sister Assumpta.

The award, named in honor of legendary cow-bell ringing New York Mets fan Hilda Chester, was established in 2001. A Tribe fan has won twice in nine years (which would be a terrific ratio for, say, World Series victories.)

Sister Assumpta had a cameo in the Tribe fans' cult-favorite film "Major League," has her own baseball card, and used to bake cookies back in the 1990s heyday for Manager Mike Hargrove and the players, eventually turning it into a business -- Nun Better Cookies -- made by her religious order, Sisters of the Holy Spirit, to support their ministry at the Jennings Center for Older Adults in Garfield Heights.

As proof that she's still a faithful fan, she brought trays of cookies to Progressive Field this year for the home opener, claiming that strikeouts were baked into the cookies that went to the pitchers, hits into the cookies that went to batters.

"They must have eaten the wrong ones," she said, displaying the cutting edge all true Indians fans have.

"This year, it has been especially challenging to be a fan. I'm sorry, but when they are playing like minor leaguers," she said.

Sister Assumpta will receive her award in Pasadena, Calif., July 18, two days before her 65th birthday.

It's a fine present. What would be even better?

"A team that's in first place at the All-Star break," she said. "But that would take not only ultimate faith, it would take several miracles. I do have the faith. I don't have the power of miracles."

Grey Hawk golf pro Darren Butler warns "don't get greedy" on this difficult dogleg left.

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The soon-to-be-graduate of Medina High shot a 5-under 66 to win a Northern Ohio Junior PGA qualifier at Astorhurst Country Club in Walton Hills on Saturday.

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Age: 18. Residence: Medina.

1. Great round. Ever have a competitive round like that before?

"The best round I had before that was a 68 at Big Met during a Kenny Novak event. I've been in the 60s before, but never shot 66."

2. A lot has to go right in order to shoot 66. But anything work extraordinarily well?

"My driver and 3-wood off the tee were probably the strongest they've ever been. I think I drove three of the par-4s and had eagle putts. I could have putted a little better."

3. If you could have one shot back from that round, which one would it be?

"My tee ball on 15. I hooked it OB [out of bounds]."

4. When you got to 7 under (possible 64), what were you thinking?

"I was thinking I had a chance at the course record [62] because my playing partners were telling me I could do it. Briefly, I thought about getting into the 50s, but that was before the 15th."

5. We hear of athletes getting into a "zone" during achievements such as yours. Were you in that "zone"?

"Actually, I didn't feel like I was in any kind of a zone. I just felt good and knew I was playing well. I was talking and joking around with my playing partners the whole time, which is what I normally do. We were just out there having fun."

6. Where did you learn to play?

"My dad taught me the basics when I was about 8 years old. The rest I learned by myself. I've never had a real lesson. When I was 12 or 13, I would tape Tiger Woods' swing off television and then play it back in slow-motion and watch it over and over. Then I taped my swing and played it back in slow-motion. I would compare the two. I think I learned a lot from doing that, and I think I saved my parents a lot of money."

7. After making another double bogey on 17, you came back with a birdie on 18 and almost made eagle.

"Somebody told me that if I took the ball down the first fairway, I could cut some yards off the hole [the out-of-bounds markers are not in effect for junior tournaments]. So that's what I did. I went down the first fairway and had about 155 yards to the hole. I hit a pitching wedge to about 12 feet and lipped out. It was a good birdie."

8. What is your schedule for the rest of the year?

"I want to qualify for the Optimist International at PGA National again. I made it last year. I'll probably do a few more Kenny Novak/PGA events and the Junior PGA Sectional. I am planning on playing in the U.S. Amateur qualifier in July. And I would love to play in the Hudson Junior."

9. Art and golf is a nice mix. What kind of art do you like to do?

"I had this [art] teacher when I was a freshman, and she almost flunked me because I didn't do things exactly like she wanted us to do them. She wanted everyone in the class to do things the same way. That took all the creativity out of it for me, so I quit. I didn't take any more classes until my senior year and just did stuff on my own. I really like drawing portraits and sketching with pencil and pen. I'm not that good at painting, but I can do it. I really don't have a specific style."

-- Tim Rogers

A writer is trying to make sense of what is going on at Seneca Golf Course in Broadview Heights.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerSeneca Golf Course in Broadview Heights.

Q: Hey, T.R.: Since last year, it appears the Cleveland Metroparks and/or Department of Recreation has taken over Seneca Golf Course in Broadview Heights, and their first official act was to close down one of the two 18-hole courses. The only "explanation" I can get is they hope to use the old B course as "wetlands." I can't make sense of this, and I'm already feeling the pinch of all the golfers who used to play there now being squeezed into half the space. Can you offer any additional information? And to whom do I write/e-mail to express my dissatisfaction with this decision? -- John Bertschler

A: Hey, John: No one has taken over Seneca. Yet. Michael E. Cox, director of Parking, Recreation and Properties for the city of Cleveland, said he is hoping legislation will be passed on Monday for the city to begin leasing Seneca to the Cleveland Metroparks. He said a lack of play and a lack of staffing prevented the city from properly maintaining the 18 holes that have been closed. Cox can be reached at 216-664-2485.

Q: Hey, T.R.: I am going to buy tickets to the Bridgestone Invitational, but I sure would like to see Tiger Woods play. Considering the events over the last couple of months, do you know if he has entered the tournament? -- Mark Wilson, Akron

A: Hey, Mark: Don Padgett III, executive director of the Bridgestone Invitational, to be held at Firestone Country Club in Akron on Aug. 5-8, said Woods has not yet entered to defend the title he won last year by four shots when he overtook Padraig Harrington, who led after each of the first three rounds.

The deadline to enter a tournament is the Friday prior to the event at 5 p.m. It is not uncommon for a player of the stature of Woods or Phil Mickelson to wait until the last minute to enter a tournament. The last minute in the case of the Bridgestone would be July 30. Padgett said to the best of his recollection Woods has never entered the Firestone event any earlier than necessary. I think you can take his playing at Muirfield this week as a positive sign for Firestone.

-- T.R.

Barnes, 55, was a golfing great because he was great for the game of golf.

And, yes, David Keith Barnes was a golfing great because he was great for the game of golf.

He was taken from us way too early one week ago today at the age of 55, a victim of pancreatic cancer.

Many people knew "Barnsey" as the guy in the ever-present Titleist hat standing behind the counter or running golf carts or marshalling the course at either Mud Run or J. Edward Good Park, the two popular municipally run courses where he spent much of his time for the past 44 years. He began playing at Good Park around the age of 10 and became the general manager at both courses. He was much more than that.

Foremost, he was a husband and a father. He was a youth basketball coach who taught kids that sportsmanship and playing with dignity were just as important as winning. He was the vice president of the Akron District Golf Association for 17 years. He was a fine cook, a great storyteller and a guy who knew how to host a party. He had a great sense of humor, an ever-present twinkle in his eye and a smile that could charm a junkyard dog.

Barnes played basketball and golf at Buchtel and to this day remains the only University of Akron golfer to be named a first-team All-American. He finished fifth in the 1976 Division II national championship. He was inducted into the university's hall of fame in 1992 and into the Summit County Hall of Fame in 1995.

If there were a hall of fame for human beings, he'd be in there, too. I will miss Dave Barnes. So, too, will golf.

Sign in: The Northern Ohio PGA is accepting applications for the 87th annual Ohio Open, to be played July 19-21 at Quail Hollow Country Club. The event, sponsored by Minute Men Staffing, is open to all who have been Ohio residents for at least 120 days prior to the tournament, any NOPGA Section member in good standing and amateurs who can show proof of a USGA index of 4.0 or lower. Massillon's Vaughn Snyder is the defending champion, and Walden pro Mitch Camp is the reigning senior champ. Past champions include Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson, Herman Keiser, Tom Weiskopf and Denny Shute.

She's got spirit: Kent State junior Sarah Bradley was named recipient of the Kim Moore Spirit Award by the National Golf Coaches Association last month. Bradley, from Cambridge, New Zealand, was involved in a serious automobile accident in 2008 while attending Oklahoma State. After 18 months away from the game, she transferred to KSU and played in all 12 tournaments this past season. She helped the Golden Flashes advance to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time. Her 77.6 scoring average was third best on the team.

Westwood wins: Westwood won the first of five rounds of team play conducted by the Cleveland Women's Golf Association on May 26 with a score of 217 1/2 at Chagrin Valley in Chagrin Falls. Canterbury was second (193.5) and Kirtland was third (183) in the match-play competition. The second round will be Thursday at the Country Club in Pepper Pike.

A mess: The owners and operators of Thunder Hill Golf Club and the adjoining Little Thunder Golf Club are at odds, and their disagreement will be settled in court. The course is owned by Fore D's Golf. It is leased by TK Golf. Each side has filed a lawsuit against the other over the status of the club and how it is run. Lake County Common Pleas Judge Vincent Culotta has scheduled a hearing on June 10. In the meantime, TK Golf General Manager Kevin Leymaster said the club will remain open.

"We have no plans of going anywhere," he said. "The course is in as good a shape as ever."

Brent Silverman, attorney for Fore D's, declined comment.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169

You're managing the Indians, up 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth. Who do you call out of the bullpen to close the game, when your choices are all the Tribe closers since 1988?

AP FileJose Mesa had 103 saves for the Indians during his career in Cleveland.Detroit -- Pitcher Kerry Wood entered the ninth at Comerica Park in Detroit last night, trying to preserve a victory for starter Jake Westbrook. He got two quick outs, then surrendered an RBI single that cut the Tribe's lead over the Tigers to 3-2.

But he managed to retire the No. 9 hitter for the final out and collect his third save of the season, and the 57th of his career.

Such is the life of a closer in the big leagues.

Since the advent of the position, the Indians have had some good ones, some bad ones and some mediocre ones. It's not a job for the faint of heart, and sometimes, even watching a closer is no job for the faint of heart.

Going back to the opening of Jacobs/Progressive Field, who do you think is the best of the Indians' closers?

cleveland.com reader moscow44 thinks LeBron James' let it slip that he's leaving Cleveland in an interview with Larry King. What do you think?

CNNLarry King's interview with LeBron James airs Friday night at 9 p.m. on CNN.Cavaliers fans as well as fans in Chicago, New York, New Jersey, etc., are undoubtedly analyzing every word LeBron James said in his extensive interview with Larry King.

Does James say anything to indicate what his plans are?

cleveland.com reader moscow44 tried reading between the lines and thinks LeBron is gone.

Try to honestly read ALL his words and then determine what exactly really behind his words, such as... "No, I cannot play forever. And that is absolutely right. But the team that I go to or -- or, you know, whatever the case may be."

BUT, THE TEAM THAT I GO TO....people, when caught off guard, always begin a sentence from the heart rather than the head, and here it started with the heart-meaning, he sees himself leaving. Once he caught himself, the head took over and corrected the heart so that the viewers would think he really is considering Cleveland.

What do you make of the Larry King interview? Post your comments below.

"I always root for the Tribe. But it's tough watching them fall into the abyss. Westbrook is gone and I wish him luck where ever he goes." - Buckman

Associated PressJake Westbrook earned his third victory of the season with a strong outing against the Tigers on Tuesday. The Indians won for just the fourth time in their last 15 games last night.

Instead of taking the win as a positive sign, many fans think the victory is just another step towards the inevitable trade of Jake Westbrook.

cleveland.com reader Buckman writes,

I always root for the Tribe. But it's tough watching them fall into the abyss. Westbrook is gone and I wish him luck where ever he goes. Always seemed like a class act. Wood goes only if they are willing make the same kind of deal the Tigers made with Willis. It's just frustrating. It takes out any desire to go to the ballpark and watch.

Do you think the Indians will trade Jake Westbrook and, if so, what could they get for him? Get in on the discussion below.

"No way do you sign these guys to long term deals when they have no leverage. They are one play away from retirement and haven't played at a high enough level for long enough to warrant a long term deal when no one else is rushing to sign them." - ecbeastor

Tracy Boulian / The Plain DealerHe finished the season strong, but Jerome Harrison deserve a multi-year contract?

As the Browns continue OTAs for the third week, four of the team's five restricted free agents continue to stay away from the practice field. While the Browns have extended the deadline for the players to sign their one-year tenders to June 15, a debate of sorts has sparked among Browns fans.

Should the Browns sign one or two of their restricted free agents to a long-term deal?

cleveland.com reader ecbeastor says, absolutely not.

No way do you sign these guys to long term deals when they have no leverage. They are one play away from retirement and haven't played at a high enough level for long enough to warrant a long term deal when no one else is rushing to sign them.

Meanwhile, Browns fan rhbole thinks Jerome Harrison, who actually showed up for practice last week, might deserve a multi-year deal.

I would consider giving Harrison and maybe the linebackers conservative deals in the $5-6M over 3 years range with 1/2 guaranteed (although I think Roth has some downside and D'Qwell's tackle numbers were inflated by the lack of production around him).

Where do you stand in this debate? Post your comments below.

Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes says Santana and Marson give Tribe reason for hope behind the plate.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerLou Marson, left, and Kerry Wood.Welcome 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 Mike Peticca and Chuck Yarborough:

• Talk about how the best closers in the era of Indians baseball at Jacobs/Progressive Field. Which pitcher would you want on the mound in the ninth inning of a tight game? Chuck, Mike and Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes all vote for Jose Mesa. Whom would you pick? Take the poll now posted on the Starting Blocks blog.

• Talk with Plain Dealer Indians beat reporter Paul Hoynes about the team's future behind the plate with Carlos Santana and Lou Marson; and about why Jake Westbrook is pitching so well and what his outlook is for the rest of the season.

SBTV will return Thursday with PD reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer, who compiles the daily LeBron James Rumor Mill about what people are saying about the impending free-agency period. Have a question about LeBron that you'd like to ask? Post it in the comments and we'll include the best ones in Thursday's show.

Top-ranked Williams failed to convert a match point and lost, 6-2, 6-7 (2), 8-6. No. 7-seed Stosur had ended four-time champion Justine Henin's Roland Garros winning streak at 24 matches in the fourth round.

Michel Spingler, Associated PressAustralia's Samantha Stosur celebrates her win over Serena Williams in a quarterfinal match at the French Open. Paris -- Top-ranked Serena Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the French Open, failing to convert a match point and losing to Australian Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 6-7 (2), 8-6.

The upset Wednesday was the second in a row for the No. 7-seeded Stosur. She ended four-time champion Justine Henin's Roland Garros winning streak at 24 matches in the fourth round.

Against Williams, Stosur used her forceful forehand to build a lead, winning 17 consecutive points during one stretch. Williams rallied and needed only one point for a win in the 10th game of the final set, but her forehand sailed an inch long.

Stosur hit consecutive cross-court winners to break for a 7-6 lead, then served out the victory, hitting service winners on the final three points.

The course Nicklaus built in Dublin, Ohio, will host the international golf event in three years.

Associated PressJack NicklausDUBLIN, Ohio - Jack Nicklaus will be 73 years old in the fall of 2013, and he's viewing the appearance of the Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village, the course he created, in three years as part of his farewell to golf. Those who awarded the biennial event to Nicklaus' golfing home view it as something of a thank you.

"Hopefully I'll be kicking pretty well then still," Nicklaus said during today's official announcement before Thursday's start of The Memorial Tournament, the PGA Tour event he hosts every year in Dublin. "[It will] probably be my last involvement in anything significant in the game of golf. So I'm looking forward to it and I hope that you all think it's something that's really going to be very, very special."

The Presidents Cup matches a team of 12 players from the United States against team of 12 players from the rest of the world, excluding Europe. An answer to the Ryder Cup, which pits the United States against Europe, the growth of the event has been tied to Nicklaus, according to PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem. The event was first played in 1994, and Nicklaus has served as the U.S. captain in 1998, 2003, 2005 and 20007, four of the eight times it has been played.

"After the first 16 years of the Presidents Cup, Jack Nicklaus has been instrumental in bringing it to the worldwide recognition that it enjoys today," Finchem said. "When you look back on the history of the Presidents Cup, you will be able to point to Jack's involvement early on as a real impetus to bringing it the world-class attention that it gets today."

The United States holds a 6-1-1 edge over the rest of the world, most recently winning in San Francisco in 2009 with Fred Couples as the U.S. captain. The other four times it has been held in the United States it has been contested in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Muirfield Village will be become the first course to host all three major international golf competitions, after hosting the Ryder Cup in 1987 and the women's Solheim Cup in 1998. Nicklaus said he plans a renovation to the course before 2013 that will include rebuilding the entire 16th hole. Finchem also said the idea was to bring the event closer to other golf fans in the United States, and the upper Midwest holds more intense golf fans than any part of the country.

The matches are tentatively scheduled to be played Oct. 3-6, 2013. Ohio State is scheduled to host Illinois in football on Saturday, Oct. 5. Ohio State president Dr. E. Gordon Gee was at the news conference today and said the plan is for that game to be played at night to stay clear of the golf event.

"The event is already moved," Gee joked to Nicklaus. "It just happened."

The world's No. 1 golfer is looking for his first win of the year while working to prepare for the U.S. Open in two weeks.

Joshua Gunter/ The Plain DealerTiger WoodsDUBLIN, Ohio -- Tiger Woods said today he has been back practicing seriously for five or six days and his neck is feeling better but isn't 100 percent healthy. Woods, the defending champion at the Memorial Tournament, spoke before returning to play Thursday at Muirfield Village for the first time since withdrawing from The Players Championship with a neck injury on May 9.

"The swelling has gone down," Woods said. "I've got range of motion. I'm just a little bit sore at the end of the day after good practice sessions. But I've been able to recover for the next day, which I wasn't able to do prior to this. That's a good sign."

Woods will play in a nine-hole Skins Game with Memorial host Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and seven other golfers this afternoon. Thursday, he'll tee off in only his fourth tournament this season. With his withdrawal and by missing the cut at Quail Hollow, he has played in only nine full competitive rounds this season, with inflammation in a neck joint bothering him "quite a bit" the entire time.

"I had a hard time turning back. I had a hard time turning through. And the headaches were just unreal at times. That was the hard part," Woods said.

He said the injury came when he rushed to get himself ready for the Masters in April after taking a five-month break from golf after admitting to infidelity and dealing with his crumbling reputation.

"It wasn't one moment, it was a cumulative," Woods said. "Because I'd taken so much time off and was away from the game and didn't do anything that physically resembled the game of golf, then to come back and try and hit the same amount of golf balls that I was hitting, I wasn't physically ready for it.

"And the body started breaking down then, and I just kept playing through it. Oh, it will get better. It will get better. (It) just never got better. It just kept getting worse."

This will also be his first event since splitting with swing coach Hank Haney. Woods said he has "no plans" to hire a new coach and has been coaching himself by looking at video.

"That's the great thing about technology. We can use video. That's what I've been doing and been working on it that way," Woods said.

He will pay $11,000 in restitution for Moeller's medical bills.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerTyler Moeller LARGO, Fla. -- A Largo man has pleaded guilty to felony battery for assaulting Ohio State football linebacker Tyler Moeller at a bar last summer.

Ralph Gray Decker did not speak at a court hearing today. His attorney, Sean McQuaid, says Decker has always expressed "a sincere level of regret and concern" for Moeller and apologized to Moeller's mother.

The 28-year-old Decker will be sentenced in August. He will pay $11,000 in restitution for Moeller's medical bills.

Moeller, who will play his senior season this fall, was attacked while on vacation with his family. He suffered a fractured skull and a serious brain injury. Moeller, who missed all of last season, has been held out of contact drills but has been participating.

A spokeswoman for Ohio State declined to comment.

In the absence of actual post-Larry King news, the 'Meter goes unchanged.

See a feature video with Independence's baseball team, which plays in a Division III state semifinal on Thursday night for the first time in 78 years. Featured are coach Mark Echstenkamper, first baseman/pitcher Marc Ineman, pitcher/outfielder Josh Suvak and catcher John Bugaj.

See a feature video with Independence's baseball team, which plays in a Division III state semifinal on Thursday night for the first time in 78 years.

Featured are coach Mark Echstenkamper, first baseman/pitcher Marc Ineman, pitcher/outfielder Josh Suvak and catcher John Bugaj.