About the Cavs having an edge in signing him, James said, "Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years."

Lorenzo Bevilaqua, Associated PressLeBron James being interviewed by Larry King at the Cavaliers' star's home in Bath, just west of Akron.If LeBron James doesn't give another interview before the NBA free agent period that opens on July 1, these are the words that Cavaliers fans will cling to, hoping that the two-time NBA MVP from Akron continues his career in Cleveland:

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.

That was James' response when asked by CNN's Larry King if James' "home team," the Cavaliers, have "an edge" over other suitors in trying to sign him to a new contract.

King interviewed the Cavaliers forward at James' Bath home on Tuesday. The segment, which is set to air Friday night at 9 p.m. on CNN's "Larry King Live," is part of a weeklong series of shows commemorating King's 25th year at CNN. 

The transcript has created a buzz in the basketball world and among the media that cover it, with fans of not only the Cavaliers - but of teams like the Bulls, Knicks, Heat, Clippers, Mavericks and Nets, too - looking for any clue to James' eventual decision.

Plain Dealer Cavaliers coverage includes beat writer Brian Windhorst's highlights from LeBron James' interview with Larry King, and a full transcript of the interview. 

Some think this . . .

There are analysts who believe the interview with King indicates it's a slam dunk that James will remain a Cavalier. For instance, Jeff Seeman of FoxSports.com details reasons that James will stay, including:

LeBron's mother lives here.  His family lives here.  His friends live here.  Everyone in the cast of "More Than A Game" lives here, and if you saw that movie, you know why he's staying here.

Northeast Ohio is his home.  LeBron has built a winner in the Cleveland Cavaliers and his work is not finished with that team.  Over the next 30 days, there will be a lot of stories thrust into the news about him, but the bottom line is simple.  He's staying with the Cavs and all the rumors are mere drama to raise the stakes.

As this news begins to push over the airwaves until Friday's taped CNN appearance, expect the pro-Cleveland storylines to re-emerge.

...and some think that

Well, what would you expect from someone writing for ESPNNewYork.com? Rob Parker gives his opinions on what James had to say to King, including:

If someone can read into that quote and determine that James is staying in Cleveland, they're just engaging in wishful thinking, at best.

If anything -- sorry, Cavaliers fans -- it shows that James is searching for the best way to let everyone down easy when he finally decides to leave the comforts of the Midwest for the bright lights and a new challenge in the big city.

Ex-star says...Maybe

Former NBA All-Star Chris Webber, now an analyst for NBA TV, feels there's a decent chance that James will remain a Cavalier, as Marc Berman writes for the New York Post:

Yesterday, on a conference call to promote the NBA Finals that begin tomorrow, NBA TV's Chris Webber said he felt the Knicks have an "uphill climb" in free agency and felt the Bulls might not be a good fit for James because of Derrick Rose's need for the ball. Webber indicated he felt James would stay in Cleveland.

"I had the feeling if he won one, he'd definitely leave," Webber said. "He didn't, so I don't know."

Simply stealing spotlight

The Celtics and Lakers begin the NBA Finals on Thursday night. The New York Daily News' Frank Isola writes that the reason for James' interview with King was simple: Make the league's showcase event a sideshow, with James drawing much of the attention away from it. Isola writes:

In James' world, Lakers-Celtics represents the warmup act to his free agency. In his mind, if you can't make the big game, you attempt to upstage the league's marquee event. That's clearly the motive behind James' decision to speak to the legendary talk show host Tuesday for an interview that will air Friday, the day after Game 1.

As usual, James is coy about his free agent plans, saying only that Cleveland has an "edge" over other clubs. That's akin to reporting that there is an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

The bottom line?

Zac Jackson of FoxSportsOhio.com breaks down James' interview with King, making five points, including:

5. Later in the interview he speaks in detail about the L.A. Clippers and calls Los Angeles "a great city." He also makes mention of Chicago and New York. But then he says this: "But at the same time, like I said, it's not always about the city. It's about winning. And I mean if you put me and (Chris) Bosh on the same team, if you put me and Dwyane Wade on the same team or a lot of these ... guys, a lot of teams would be much better." And, that is what you make of it. He's definitely saying a little. If you really dig deep, maybe he is saying a lot. But when you look at the whole picture, he has so much here, has so much invested (in people and in years) here, can do so many things on and off the court here that he probably couldn't do in other places, that Cleveland has an edge. Maybe just a slight one, but an edge nonetheless. And on June 2, Cleveland will take it.

 

 

 

Browns rookie Montario Hardesty is raising eyebrows and hopes at OTAs.

Associated PressRookie Montario Hardesty is getting a lot of approving glances from the coaches on the sidelines during OTAs. But what will happen when the hitting starts during camp?

Cleveland, Ohio -- Rookie Montario Hardesty is raising some eyebrows on the coaching staff of the Cleveland Browns. But in a good way, honest!

Daniel Wolf, writing for bleacherreport.com, said the rookie's quick grasp of the playbook and the speed of the game has earned him some -- pardon the pun – Brownie points with the guys in coaching shorts and whistles.

But Wolf also knows, correctly, that Hardesty is performing sans pads and hitting. An onrushing 270-pound linebacker in full gear can influence anyone to zag when he should have zigged. The rookie should be aware, however, that he's going to find himself saying, "Feet, don't fail me now" a lot.

Browns head coach Eric Mangini has already informed the media that the 2010 Browns will continue the trend they started using to win their last four games of the 2009 season.

And that is to run, and run some more.

Oh, lord. Did someone just say, "Metcalf up the middle?"

Browns President Mike Holmgren said his boss, owner Randy Lerner, is another of those getting a raw deal. In a nice, inclusive piece in USA Today, which talks about everything from the need to cultivate an attitude where winning isn't something the other guy does to instilling a belief in the fan base that this team really can put together the W's, Holmgren comes to his boss's defense.

"I think Randy gets a bit of a bum rap," Holmgren says. "His father (Al Lerner) was kind of larger than life, and the (Browns) were given to Randy overnight. Quite the contrary -- he is interested. When he sat in my living room in Arizona (while courting Holmgren), he said, 'Maybe I want this too much for Cleveland, the fans and my family.'

"He really cares."

The lengthy story ends with a prediction for the season:

Outlook: Since returning to the NFL in 1999, this franchise has mostly stumbled about with poor decisions made at the top regarding players and coaches. But the hiring of Holmgren and (General Manager Tom) Heckert is a strong indication ownership is serious about restoring pride and tradition. Strides were made in the offseason, but Holmgren tempers 2010 expectations: "You can't fix everything in one year."

He's right, of course. But the question is how much can you expect to fix in one year. Will loss-weary Browns fans accept a .500 team in the first year (really, a realistic goal)? Or is more expected, given the near reverence with which Holmgren's every move has been met?

"In four of the five cases, the substitute offers would be more than $1 million less than the ones currently only the table," according to Grossi's story.

New Cincy-based website has some unusual picks for top sporting events and venues in the world.

AP FileTyler Nicole Shoff, of Akron crosses the finish line, winning the Stock Division championship at the 70th annual All-American Soap Box Derby on Saturday, July 21, 2007, in Akron. The All-American Soapbox Derby has been named one of the top sporting events in Ohio by one website.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Do what Starting Blocks did:

Upon hearing of www.tusl.com - Tom Walsh's site devoted to the sports fan's passion for lists - and its quest to figure out the top 150 sporting events and venues IN THE WORLD, we tried to figure out Ohio's role and what we would include.

Venues? Easy. The Horseshoe in Columbus, right? Progressive Field or Cleveland Browns Stadium for sure.

Nope. Wrong. Nyet.

Try again with events: Ohio State vs. Michigan? Massillon vs. McKinley? Ohio high school wrestling finals?

Au contraire, mon frere. As a matter of fact, you're not even close.

The venue -- and apparently there is only one venue in the state of Ohio that makes the list Walsh has been doling out 25 items at a time since his website debuted yesterday -- is the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

The three Ohio events on the list are the Soap Box Derby, a Browns vs. Steelers game and ... the Cincinnati-Xavier crosstown rivalry basketball game.

Well, 'scuse us, but Starting Blocks would have more interest in a St. Ignatius vs. St. Ed's chess tournament than something in Cincinnati, so we got to wondering what the heck was in the water being drunk by the 20,000 voters who reportedly chose these places and events.

So, being diligent, professional journalists, we closely read the release announcing the creation of tusl.com one more time. And that's when we saw it:

The debate about who's the better player - James or Bryant - rages, with the Lakers' Bryant earning another appearance on the NBA Finals stage.

Scott Shaw, The Plain Dealer LeBron James (left) and Kobe Bryant (right) during the Cavaliers' 93-87 win over the Lakers in Cleveland on Jan. 21.The NBA Finals begin Thursday night, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics competing for the title for the 12th time in their storied histories.

The Celtics hold a 9-2 edge in the rivalry, including a 1959 conquest of the Minneapolis Lakers, followed by six straight Boston title series wins during the 1960s after the Lakers had moved to LA.

Kobe Bryant is, of course, the face of the current Lakers, as he chases his fifth championship. Bryant's excellence during the playoffs, plus LeBron James' and the Cavaliers' conference semifinal loss to Boston, has reversed some observers' opinions in the great LeBron-Kobe debate.

One observer back in Kobe's camp is Gregg Doyel. He writes about James and Bryant for CBSSports.com:

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

Whether he's right or wrong about James vs. Bryant, Doyel does come off as a bit presumptuous in referring to James' "final playoff series as a Cavalier." We'll see. We do know James' free agency status will be resolved before it becomes clear who is the better player: James or Bryant.

Plain Dealer Cavaliers coverage includes beat writer Brian Windhorst's highlights from LeBron James' interview with Larry King, and a full transcript of the interview; and an earlier Starting Blocks entry on various analyses' of James' interview with King.

Abdul-Jabbar's opinion

With the pending free agency of James and other NBA stars, Chris Tomasson of nba.fanhouse.com writes about the historical impact of major stars switching teams.

After playing in two Finals series for Milwaukee - and winning one - center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forced Bucks personnel boss Wayne Embry (later the Cavaliers general manager) to trade him. On June 16, 1975, the Bucks sent Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers, who didn't win a title with him until Magic Johnson joined them for the 1979-80 season. Los Angeles won the championship that season and four more times with Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson and a bevy of other standouts. 

Chris Tomasson writes Jabbar's take on James' situation.

If LeBron James changes teams in his prime and with two MVP trophies already on his mantle, it has a chance to end up as the most seismic move the NBA ever has seen. James could leave the Cavaliers as a free agent this summer or a sign-and-trade may be worked out.

"It's all going to depend on where he goes and what the management of the team that he goes to wants to do in terms of getting the right people to play with him,'' said Abdul-Jabbar, when asked if James' exit could end up competing with his move for the biggest team change in NBA history. "People that he played with in Cleveland, it was kind of like Frankenstein's monster. A lot of attractive parts, but they didn't work well together.

"They didn't have time really to build it with a good team with the whole family thing going, where you put the pieces together and they mold. But that didn't happen. LeBron's an extraordinary talent. But unless you put it together with compatible talent, it's not going to work.''

This and that or that

Brian Dulik writes about James' interview with Larry King for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. He also explains James' options:

* Until June 30, he can pick up the $17.2 million, one-season option on his current contract with the Cavaliers, or let it lapse and become a free agent. James could have activated that option last summer, but has shown no desire to do so.

* On July 8, James could resign with Cleveland for up to six years and $125.5 million, or ink a deal elsewhere for up to five years and $96.1 million. There is a seven-day signing moratorium at the start of free agency on July 1, theoretically giving all teams an equal chance to negotiate with top players.

* Or he can verbally agree to join another team, but allow the Cavaliers to negotiate a sign-and-trade agreement. That would enable Cleveland to obtain some compensation for James, who could earn the larger, six-year, $125.5 million pact as part of the deal.

On, off, who knows?

The status of the supposed free agent "summit" that would include potential free agents James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Amare' Stoudemire seems to depend on who is quoted.

Kurt Helin writes for ProBasketballTalk.com that an overlooked tidbit from James' interview with King is James' feeling that a semblance of such an event could occur. Helin writes:

But not having everyone sit down in one place for a meeting and not having everyone share information as would happen at a summit are two different things. In our modern world of communications, meetings like this are often not face-to-face.

Wade, James and Bosh all share CAA as an agent firm. If you don't think they are all sharing information, you are a fool. They admit as much, saying they are doing it just to get the best deal for their clients. But when those clients leak that "LeBron is going to X, Bosh is going to Y" info to others, it will change the landscape. Others will try to get in with them. If LeBron really wants to play with a particular player, they will talk. If Wade really wants Stoudemire in Miami, they will talk. And so on, and so on, and so on. Everyone will share the information.

"I just don't see how they pull anything off for a player like Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh. These are all star free agents, not aging guys with bad contracts." - hdawg

APCleveland was not on Chris Bosh's reported list of teams he'd accept a trade to, but what if LeBron James re-signed with the Cavs? LeBron James' statements to Larry King and upticks in the LeBron-O-Meter seem to have lifted Cavaliers fans' spirits about his chances of staying in Cleveland.

In fact, fans are now talking about possible sign-and-trade deals involving the Cavaliers and some of the other big name free agents that could help entice LeBron to stay.

However, cleveland.com reader hdawg says adding players like Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson is easier said than done.

I just don't see how they pull anything off for a player like Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh. These are all star free agents, not aging guys with bad contracts. Do you really think Toronto is going to accept Mo Williams, Boobie Gibson, and JJ Hickson for Chris Bosh? Or Andy Varejao and Jamison? It's just not going to happen. If Toronto really wants Bosh to have a max contract for leaving them, you can bet they're going to get some serious value, Cleveland doesn't have it.

Do you think LeBron James and Danny Ferry could sway a big-name free agent to Cleveland? Get in on the debate below.

Don't be surprised if the Indians don't trade Jake Westbrook this season.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerIndians general manager Mark ShapiroDETROIT, Mich. -- This is a daily review of the Indians 2010 season. They play the Tigers tonight in the second game of a three-game series at Comerica Park. The dimensions at Comerica are 345 feet to left field, 347 to left center, 420 to center, 365 to right center and 330 to right.

Game 51: The Indians enter tonight's game against the Tigers with the fourth worst winning percentage in the big leagues. They are 19-31 for a winning percentage of .380. Baltimore .288 (15-37), Houston .346 (18-34) and Arizona .377 (20-33) are the only three teams worse off than the Tribe.

"When you break camp with a young team, your expectations have to encompass a wide range of outcomes," said GM Mark Shapiro. "Yet it's still disappointing to be where we are at this point in time."

Shapiro added that the serious injuries to Grady Sizemore (left knee) and Asdrubal Cabrera (left forearm) haven't helped the Tribe in its effort to be competitive in the AL Central.

Asked if it was time to bring up Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley and any other prospects worthy of a big-league look, Shapiro said, "We're already one of the youngest teams in the big leagues."

He said he expected that Santana and Brantley would be promoted at some point this season, but gave no time table.

Regarding Santana, Shapiro said, "While he continues to flourish offensively, defensively he continues to be a work in progress. His offensive ability is so strong that we feel it's important to utilize every day possible in the minor leagues to develop his defense.

"His game calling and leadership have made strides, but his throwing has to improve."

Santana, according to baseball-reference.com, has thrown out 19 percent (7-for-29) of the baserunners he's faced.

The Indians, it appears, are trying to make a point with Santana. While he maybe ready offensively, they are trying to stress to him the importance of defense. They went through this  with Manny Ramirez. Once they brought Ramirez to the big leagues, he became a Hall of Fame caliber hitter, but a defensive liability.

A team can get away with that with an outfielder. Not at catcher.

As for rookie position players Jason Donald and Lou Marson and near rookies Trevor Crowe, Matt LaPorta and Luis Valbuena, Shapiro said, "Our young guys have to get better or they're going to have to go out (to the minors) again."

Shapiro said he's under no orders from CEO Paul Dolan to make trades and cut payroll as the he has the last two years. That does not mean he won't explore trades involving "anyone in the last year of their contracts.' That would include Jake Westbrook, Russell Branyan, Austin Kearns, Mark Grudzielanek, Jhonny Peralta, Mike Redmond and Jamey Wright.

"We are not actively engaged in talks about anyone right now," he said. "The season's natural cycle will dictate when we consider some alternatives. We're not mandated to make any trades for monetary reasons.

"We'll look at each trade (possibility) as an opportunity to acquire talent and it's budgetary impact. But the acquisition of talent will be the primary driver."

Trade talks begin with vigor in July with the approach of the July 31 trading deadline.

Westbrook, out of the Tribe's available veterans, could be the most attractive if he continues to pitch like he did in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over Detroit. He is also one of the least likely to be moved.

The Indians have a good relationship with Westbrook. They feel they may have a chance to re-sign him this winter and don't have a suitable replacement if they move him at midseason. 

Lineups: Indians (19-31): CF Trevor Crowe (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), LF Austin Kearns (R), DH Travis Hafner (L), 3B Jhonny Peralta (R), 1B Russell Branyan (L), 2B Mark Grudzielanek (R), C Mike Redmond (R), SS Jason Donald (R) and RHP Fausto Carmona (4-3, 3.69).

Tigers (26-25): CF Austin Jackson (R), LF Johnny Damon (L), RF Magglio Ordonez (R), 1B Miguel Cabrera (R), DH Brennan Boesch (L), 2B Carlos Guillen (S), 3B Brandon Inge (R), C Alex Avila (L), SS Ramon Santiago (S) and RHP Armando Galarraga (1-1, 4.50).

Umpires: H Marvin Hudson, 1B Jim Joyce, 2B Jim Wolf, 3B Derry Cousins.

Quote of the day: "In no game of ours is failure so omnipresent as it is for the batter who would be the runner," former Commissioner Barlett A. Giamatti from Take Time for Paradise: Americans and Their Games, as it appeared in Baseball's Greatest Quotations by Paul Dickson.

Next: LHP David Huff (2-6, 5.54) vs. RHP Rick Porcello (4-4, 5.58) at 1:05 p.m. Thursday at Comerica Park.

LeBron James grabs the spotlight, but sheds little light in Larry King interview.

Lorenzo Bevilaqua, CNN via APCNN's Larry King interviews LeBron James at James' home near Akron during a taping of "Larry King Live."

The Larry King interview is part of "the plan" that LeBron James said his team planned to "execute" this summer. He meant his advisors and marketing types, not the Cavaliers.

James wisely used the interview to reduce some of the heat that he may be feeling at home, as speculation has been insisting the free agent would not re-sign with the Cavs.

Of course, the speculation comes from the national media, or from places such as New York or Chicago. Why would they claim James was leaning in the direction of the Cavaliers? That's a boring story.

But James to the Knicks? The Bulls? The Nets? Even the Clippers?

Now that has juice for an audience everywhere but here. And let's face it, the national networks think Cleveland is about as important as Cheyenne, Wyoming.

James said the Cavs have a true homecourt advantage because the Akron native does have a real comfort level here. He also has a tremendous owner in Dan Gilbert, who is willing to spend to reach James' stated goal of "multiple" championships.

Does this mean he will sign with the Cavs?

Who knows?

We probably will hear from James a few more times before July 1, when free agents can begin to sign with new teams. The interviews will be with the members of the national media such as Larry King, where James can be engaging and not be expected to be pressed too hard about his intentions.

Part of "the plan" seems designed to keep James in the news, to make this "The Summer of LeBron." It's a great way to sell shoes and other products endorsed by the two-time Most Valuable Player.

So what should be made of the King Interview?

For Cavs fans, the good news was the kind things he said about his home. But he still left the door wide open to leave, so we're not even close to a definitive answer.

Right now, all we can be sure of is James will continue to market his brand name in the media, fueling the speculation and the headlines.

Iowa writer picks Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi as the best in the Big Ten.

AP FileThe strength of his fourth-quarter numbers has prompted one preseason prognosticator to name Iowa's Ricky Stanzi the top quarterback in the Big Ten.Cleveland, Ohio -- The only thing less useful than a cork on the Titanic is a preseason football poll. But that doesn't mean all us sports fans don't eat, drink, breathe and sleep 'em.

So comes a fellow named Bret Feddern, a featured columnist for bleacherreport.com, opining about the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten. His No. 1? Rick Stanzi of Iowa - and Lake Catholic High School - over Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State.

Not to worry, Buckeye fans. Feddern insists that his residence in Iowa, his allegiance to the Hawkeyes and his faux-hawk (get it?) are totally irrelevant in his rankings:

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi completed 56 percent of his throws last year for 2,417 yards and 17 touchdowns. Solid, but nothing too lavish. He also threw 15 interceptions, four of which were returned for a touchdown.

So why is he No. 1?

As Phil Steele points out, Stanzi has an outstanding 67 percent passing completion in the fourth quarter of play. That equates to a pass efficiency rating of 200.2 in arguably the most important quarter of football. His fourth quarter statistics are a huge reason for his 19-4 record as a starter. Two of those wins were back-to-back bowl victories (Outback 2008, Orange 2010).

Before the "homer" label flies in the comments, think about this: if Terrelle Pryor threw five interceptions in a game, would he still be able to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter?

Maybe, maybe not. But the other thing to consider is how many times Pryor will A) throw five picks and B) whether the Bucks will even have to come from behind this season, since other prognosticators have picked 'em No. 2 in the nation, behind only defending national champion Alabama.

Whom they -- and not the Hawkeyes -- likely will meet in the BCS title game.

Moeller had brain surgery after the punch, suffered stroke-like symptoms and is still recuperating, but he has been cleared to return to practice, the paper reported.

Ralph Gray Decker did not speak at a court hearing Wednesday, but afterward apologized to Moeller's mother, Amy, for the attack, and hugged her in a courthouse hallway. Tyler Moeller was not present — his mother said he is preparing for final exams.

Decker will be sentenced in August, and his attorney, Sean McQuaid, said until then he will work to pay $11,000 in restitution for Moeller's medical bills. He pleaded guilty Wednesday without making a plea bargain, meaning the judge could sentence him to as much as five years in prison.

Moeller, who fell after the punch and hit his head, required two dime-sized holes to be drilled into his skull to relieve pressure. His progress has been gradual, but the family is thrilled that the linebacker was cleared for spring practice at Ohio State, although not allowed to participate in on-field hitting.

The Moellers were visiting Pinellas County last year to celebrate a family wedding anniversary when the attack took place. It's not clear exactly what prompted Decker to punch Moeller, although Amy Moeller  (the player's mother) denied that it had anything to do with any Florida vs. Ohio State rivalry.

 

Moeller is considering asking the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility because of the time he lost to the injury.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be battling at the Memorial this week for the first time since 2002, and the No. 1 ranking in the world is on the line.

UPDATED: 9:24 p.m.

Jay LaPrete / Associated PressAs is typical for him before a tournament begins, Phil Mickelson spent a fair amount of time accommodating autograph seekers before Wednesday's skins game at the Memorial.

• There's plenty of work awaiting Tiger Woods: Bill Livingston | Tee timesDUBLIN, Ohio -- Before they teed off together Wednesday in a friendly fivesome as part of a pre-tournament Skins Game at the Memorial, Phil Mickelson told Jack Nicklaus that he would love to finally win this tournament.

"I'd dearly love to have you win it," Nicklaus said.

Then Nicklaus told Mickelson what golfing legend Bobby Jones had said about St. Andrews, that a champion's resume wasn't complete until you won there. So, Nicklaus said with a smile, Mickelson's resume won't be complete until he wins this event that Nicklaus created at Muirfield Village Golf Club.

Then Mickelson went out and torched the back nine, taking all nine skins and $50,000 in a group that included Nicklaus, Sean O'Hair, Kenny Perry and Ernie Els and playing exactly like a guy ready to claim the Memorial for the first time in 10 attempts.

"He just killed us," Els said. "He played unbelievably."

Jay LaPrete / Associated Press“It would be cool," Phil Mickelson said about taking over the No. 1 world ranking, "I don’t want to discount it. Right now my goal is to play well here and get ready for the (U.S.) Open.” If Mickelson maintains that level of play over the next four days, beginning when he tees off on No. 10 at 8:04 a.m. Thursday morning, he could also depart as the No. 1 golfer in the world.

Tiger Woods has held that ranking for more than 11 years in his career, and for 260 consecutive weeks since winning the 2005 Masters. Mickelson had the chance to pass Woods in the rankings the last two tournaments and finished 17th The Players Championship and missed the cut at the Colonial last week.

"I played poorly last week," Mickelson said after Wednesday's skins game, but he said he had a great weekend with swing coach Butch Harmon and putting guru Dave Stockton. "Usually it's just little tweaks here and there. I think that's all it was."

Now, according to the complicated world rankings formula, Mickelson needs to win and have Woods probably finish somewhere outside the top five in order to ascend to the top.

Rankings aside, the recent head-to-head competition between a streaking Mickelson and wobbly Woods hasn't been close. In the last five tournaments they both played, two last year and three this year, Mickelson has come out on top each time, winning three and finishing second once.

Asked if it was a coincidence that he often plays his best golf with Woods in the field, Mickelson said, "I don't know, but probably not."

His best Memorial finish is a tie for fourth in 2006, but he has finished the event only four times in the previous 10 years, withdrawing with a wrist injury during the first round in 2007. Woods has been a Memorial regular, but missed it in 2006 after the death of his father and in 2008 while recovering from knee surgery.

As a result, if neither withdraws, they'll attack Muirfield at the same time for the first time since 2002. If Mickelson seems to have his game back, the question becomes whether Woods, coming off a neck injury that forced his withdrawal from The Players Championship on May 9, will find his form.

"He's ready to compete," said Zach Johnson, who played in the other Skins Game fivesome Wednesday with Woods, Rory McIlroy, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk. Woods won six skins and Johnson the other three.

"We want our marquee players, especially our best player, to be playing healthy," Johnson said, "and to my eyes it doesn't look like there are any issues."

A year ago, in winning his record fourth Memorial, Woods played what Nicklaus described Wednesday as the best tournament he'd ever seen played at Muirfield Village. It's hard to imagine Woods is ready to play that well again, but even if he is, it might not be enough if Mickelson is right.

"I've been able to win some important events, but this is one of the best tour events we have," Mickelson said. "It's Jack's tournament. I would love to receive the trophy from him. I feel like my game is sharp and I love the golf course."

After witnessing Mickelson up close Wednesday, Nicklaus had little doubt that he could be present for a presentation on the 18th green late Sunday afternoon.

"Those nine holes, he looked like he should be No. 1," Nicklaus said.

Mickelson said of the ranking, "It would be cool, I don't want to discount it. Right now my goal is to play well here and get ready for the Open."

But no one understands better than Nicklaus what it's like to be acknowledged as the best.

"If I were Phil, [the No. 1 ranking] would mean a lot to me," Nicklaus said. "He's been No. 2 for a long time. Of course it means a lot to him."

Presidents Cup to Muirfield: The Presidents Cup was officially announced Wednesday as coming to Muirfield Village from Oct. 3-6, 2013.

Ohio State football is scheduled to host Illinois that Saturday, and OSU president Dr. E. Gordon Gee was asked by Nicklaus whether that game would be played at night to avoid a conflict.

"The event is already moved," Gee said with a grin. "It just happened."

Nicklaus has been a Presidents Cup captain four times in the past but said he can't imagine serving as captain while also serving as host at age 73. He does plan to redo the 16th hole over the next few years before the Presidents Cup.

"[It will] probably be my last involvement in anything significant in the game of golf," Nicklaus said. "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."

Mike Krzyzewski says he's out, but could Byron Scott be in?

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

It's going to be a long and rough ride, Cavs fans. Buckle up. -- Mary Schmitt Boyer)

Kin Cheung / Associated PressDuke's Mike Krzyzewski has made it clear that he doesn't envision coaching LeBron James in any scenario other than with the U.S. national team.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is on the Cavaliers' wish list, owner Dan Gilbert is going to have to pull out all the stops if he's going to persuade the coach to leave the college ranks.

Speaking at his annual fantasy camp in Durham, N.C., Krzyzewski said it was flattering to hear his name mentioned in connection with several openings in the NBA, but he's not planning on going anywhere.

"My position hasn't changed," he told reporters. "I hope Duke's position hasn't changed."

Meanwhile, ESPN and the New Orleans Times Picayune reported the Cavs have done background research on former Hornets coach Byron Scott, who took the New Jersey Nets to The Finals twice.

Food Network photoIf LeBron stays, Michael Symon says he'll be happy to be engaged in Bath putting together some impressive menus for the James family.• Iron Chef Michael Symon wrote an open letter to James on his Facebook page, thanking him for what he has done for the city and asking him to stay.

"You have created a energy downtown that has not been seen in years and have allowed businesses to thrive beyond their wildest dreams," said Symon, whose Lola restaurant is located two blocks from The Q. "I know the decisions you have to make in the upcoming weeks will be difficult and I hope you follow your heart. I truly believe regardless of where you go championships will follow because you are just that damn good and that each city will embrace you (although not as much as Ctown ... lol)."

Symon notes that legends Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Derek Jeter have all played with just one team, but he says he'll remain a fan no matter what James decides.

"That being said I hope you choose to stay in Ctown with the Cavs so I can watch you finish what you started which is something not many people get to do."

Symon also offers James another incentive.

"If you do choose to stay I'll come over once a month to cook up a Iron Chef-style dinner for your family and friends!!"

• Boy, Adrian Wojnarowski doesn't care for LeBron James.

The Yahoo Sports columnist who blistered James earlier this season wrote on Wednesday, "Free agency was forever LeBron James' chase, the Championship of Me, and how fitting that he uses the most vacuous vehicle of our time -- the 'Larry King Show' -- to upstage an NBA Finals rich with such history and substance. As the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers gather for a championship series to remind us of what built the league, what made it great, here's LeBron James with a public ode on LeBron James.

"'I'm the ringleader,' he told King.

"Only, he has no rings.

"No judgment.

"No shame.

"He was talking about the free-agent crop of stars, because that's mostly what James has cared about for two years now. He tried to win a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has surrounded himself with a collection of sycophants and incompetents, sneaker reps and childhood buddies and middlemen whom he calls his team. Somehow, they couldn't let him stay quiet until the playoffs were over, until everyone had pushed past the way he disappeared in the conference semifinals. He did a vapid sit-down with King to air on Friday night, and they made sure to leak out a transcript that drones out the start of the NBA Finals.

"In so many ways, he's a young Alex Rodriguez, so insecure with himself and his MVP awards, so desperate to find validation in the courtship of free agency.

"He seems more enthusiastic about this than he did trying to beat the Celtics," said one Western Conference GM. "I mean, who goes on Larry King to talk about 'When I become a free agent?'"

• Michael Jordan's agent, David Falk, told the Chicago Sun-Times James shouldn't go to Chicago or Los Angeles.

"He should not play in Chicago," Falk said. "He will always compete with Michael Jordan. He should not play in L.A. He will always compete with Kobe Bryant. LeBron needs his own identity."

• Former Celtic Kevin McHale disagrees.

"You make new history all the time," McHale said during an NBA TV conference call with the media on Tuesday. "I don't think it matters what Michael did. We looked up to Bill Russell. But you were excited to make your own history. I think there's something to be said to adding on to a legendary franchise."

• Chris Webber said he thought if the Cavs won a championship this year, James would leave. Now he's not sure what James will do.

But he did offer this unusual take on James going to the Knicks.

"I do think it would take more than one superstar to agree [to go] there," Webber said in the NBA TV conference call. "I don't know if I could see one superstar free agent going there by himself and taking it on. ... The worst thing as a free agent is to go to a team and just start over. Most free agents have had to earn their spot as far as being sought after ... just to have that go right back down the drain and lose ... losing is so exhausting in the NBA.

"New York is a great place, but it's going to take more than two stars going there. I think they're going to have to do a great PR job, a great selling job that they can win. That's really all, I believe, these guys want to hear now is about winning because the money is pretty much even unless you want to stay in the same place or (do a) sign-and-trade. I think it will be difficult with all the suitors out there, but you never know what can happen."

Webber also doesn't think James should go to Chicago, but for a different reason than Falk.

"I think great players need a point guard that can shoot, i.e. Michael Jordan/Steve Kerr/B.J. Armstrong/John Paxson," Webber said. "There should not have to be a decision made whose hands the ball is in late in the game. To me, Derrick Rose is such a great player, like, say, Isiah Thomas, that he needs the ball in his hands in the fourth quarter. You saw what he did to LeBron in the playoffs. You saw how he got to the hole and how he made some aggressive moves. I just feel for a player like that who had the ball in his hands all the time, it's a waste to have a point guard who needs the ball in his hands. You need other shooters."

• Although it may be foolhardy to try and put a price on what James means to any given community, New York is going to try anyway. The New York Daily News reports that a secret study by the city's Economic Development Corporation concludes that James would be worth $57.8 million to the city if the Knicks got to the NBA Finals with the homecourt advantage and won the championship in Game 7.

Is that all?

The story by Adam Lisberg and Jose Martinez takes a couple shots at Cleveland, calling it an '"off-Broadway outpost." They refer to James interview with Larry King, which will be shown Friday night on CNN, saying that James told King that Cleveland "of all places" is his kind of kingdom.

• Free agent Carlos Boozer admits he's waiting to see what James will do.

"Now, obviously, LeBron is a stud," Boozer on WQAM in Miami with Sid Rosenberg. "He is either the best basketball player right or behind Kobe Bryant and obviously where he goes and that will determine where everybody else goes and what happens next with the rest of our free agent class this summer, but it is going to be interesting to see what happens.

"Just like you, I am looking forward to seeing what is going to happen as well."

• Michael Abramowitz, a former Washington Post reporter and editor known for his commentary on politics and policy, recently gave up his Wizards season tickets but is willing to reconsider ... if James signs with Washington. In Sunday's Outlook section, he offered these reasons why he thinks it's a good idea -- forgetting, of course, that until now Wizards fans hated James in all those previous playoff matchups.

Writes Abramowitz, "The most talented player on the planet should come to the most powerful city in the world. Washington, the town named for our first president, is ready for its first King...

"Washington is clearly the place to be for any global icon, which is what LeBron aspires to become. Bono, Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie have all trekked to the capital to make their mark as truly international figures."

Abramowitz admits there's a strong pull for James to stay home. But if he decides to leave, Abramowitz says James will never live up to Michael Jordan's legacy in Chicago and would be just one star among many in New York. But in Washington he could hang with chief executive basketball fan President Obama and play hoops at the White House.

• Even if it doesn't take place, for an absolutely hilarious take on the rumored free-agent summit by Bruce Arthur in the National Post, check out this column.

When: Today through Saturday. Where: Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, Columbus. Call 614-462-2757.

St. Edward catcher Alex Lavisky.



-

(Lynn Ischay / PD)

When: Today through Saturday.

Where: Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, Columbus. Call 614-462-2757.

Admission: $8 per person, per day.

Audio webcasts: Audio from all semifinals and finals is available at ohsaa.org.

Division I

Cincinnati Elder (27-4) vs. Cincinnati Moeller (29-1), Friday at 10 a.m.

About Elder: Ranked second in the state, the school has won 12 state championships, more than any school in Ohio, with the most recent coming in 2005 when it beat Mentor in the semifinals and Cincinnati Princeton in the final. This will be its state-record 20th appearance in the semifinals. Second to Moeller in the rugged Greater Catholic League South, the Panthers are riding an 11-game winning streak behind the play of pitcher Brian Korte (8-0, 1.43 ERA, 75 strikeouts, 49 innings), Tim O'Conner (.427, 46 RBI), Selby Chademo (.455, 26 stolen bases) and Jeremy White (.451, 30 RBI).

About Moeller: The state's top-ranked team is seeking its second state title in a row and the sixth in school history. Only Newark Catholic, Cincinnati Reading and Elder have won more. Moeller, led by Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year David Whitehead, won the two regular-season meetings with Elder. Whitehead, an Elon recruit, is 9-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 52 innings. Rob Sunderman is a strong second guy with a 9-0 record, 1.81 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. The Crusaders have scored 325 runs while winning 27 games in a row. The top hitters are Alex Barlow (.533, 32 RBI), Jake Madsen (.510, 25 RBI) and Max Belza (.465).

St. Edward (27-3) vs. Olmsted Falls (16-17), Friday at 1 p.m.

About St. Edward: The Eagles are making their third appearance in the state semifinals and are seeking the school's third state title since 1998. Led by the battery of pitcher Stetson Allie and catcher Alex Lavisky, center fielder Ross Kivett and a group of talented sophomores and juniors, the Eagles have won 25 straight games. Allie and Lavisky have been formidable. Allie, regarded as a first-round pick in next week's draft and a North Carolina recruit, is batting .507 with 27 RBI and 13 doubles. He also is 8-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 54 innings. Lavisky, a Georgia Tech recruit and also regarded as an early-round pick, is batting .450 with a team-leading 13 home runs and 40 RBI. Kivett is a Kansas State recruit and is batting .465 with a team-leading 41 base hits. Sophomore Tommy Mirabelli (.500), junior Cody Cooper (.439) and senior Andrew Busser (.358) also are key figures.

About Olmsted Falls: The Bulldogs are decided underdogs. They have the worst record of any of the Division I semifinalists and the second-worst record of any of the other 12 semifinalists. The school has never reached the final four. As a team, they have hit two fewer homers (11) than St. Edward's Lavisky. That matters little to the Bulldogs, who defeated two teams that were ranked in the state at one time or another in St. Ignatius in the district finals and third-ranked Perrysburg in the regional finals. Falls will rely on junior second baseman Zack Ferster (.394 and a team-leading 37 base hits), senior infielder Erik Kolar (.316, team-leading six homers and 26 RBI), senior pitcher/shortstop Cam Trefny (.288, 22 RBI) and senior outfielder Kurt Carlisle (.359). Junior Denton Sagerman (6-2, 3.92 ERA) and Trefny (4-3, 1.81 ERA) have been the top pitchers.

Final: Saturday, 4 p.m.

Division II

Plain City Jonathan Alder (31-0) vs. Defiance (28-1), Friday at 4 p.m.

Jonathan Alder: The only undefeated team in the tournament, the Pioneers knocked Walsh Jesuit out of the top spot in the state coaches rankings during the fourth week of the five-week poll. Their best player is senior right-hander Tyler Miller, who has thrown three no-hitters this season and is 10-0 with a 1.34 ERA and is batting .469 with 41 RBI. Catcher/pitcher Jacob Mahon is 7-0 and is batting .463 with a team-leading 44 RBI. Sean Fleming leads the team with a .500 average. Plans call for Alder to throw Miller against Defiance star Dace Kime in the semifinals.

About Defiance: Everything starts with Dace Kime, who is 7-0, with a 1.21 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Kime, a Louisville recruit, is backed by Eric Stapleton (8-1, 1.15 ERA) and Steve Hammersmith (7-0, 1.14 ERA). Kime also is batting .420 with a team-leading 37 RBI. Aaron Helland leads the team with a .443 batting average and three others are over .350. The Bulldogs have won 24 games in a row. The team is making its third appearance in the state semifinals, winning the Division I state title in 1992.

Walsh Jesuit (29-1) vs. Hebron Lakewood (27-4), Friday at 7 p.m.

About Walsh Jesuit: The Warriors, ranked second in the state, are making the school's seventh appearance in the semifinals and are seeking the school's fifth state title. Its four titles are more than any school in Northeast Ohio. Only five others throughout the state have won more. Its galaxy of stars includes pitcher Tyler Skulina (6-0, 0.94 ERA), pitcher/third baseman Greg Greve (8-0, 2.67 ERA, .415), shortstop Johnny Fasola (.570, 49 hits, 43 RBI) and first baseman Ryan Berry (.476, 10 homers, 50 RBI). The Warriors are batting .433 and the pitching staff has a 1.94 ERA, with 257 strikeouts against 80 walks.

About Hebron Lakewood: The Lancers are in the state semifinals for the ninth time and have won three titles under veteran coach Don Thorp, the most recent coming in 2005. The team's star is senior pitcher/shortstop Bryan Large, who is being recruited by Cincinnati and Ohio. He is 12-2 on the mound and is batting .406 with a team-leading five home runs. Senior Justin White (13-2) is the other starter.

Final: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Division III

Hamilton Badin (22-9) vs. Wheelersburg (30-1), today at 4 p.m.

About Hamilton Badin: Another program with a storied state tournament history, the Rams are in the semifinals for the second year in a row and for the 10th time overall. Its two starters are senior right-hander John Gattermeyer (9-0, 2.50 ERA, 42 strikeouts) and Nick Burros (4-2, 4.23 ERA, 32 strikeouts). Juniors Jeff Smith (.402, 39 RBI), Alex Rieman (.379, 38 RBI) and Nate Snellgrove (.391, 23 RBI) supply the offense.

About Wheelersburg: The school is making its third trip to the state semifinals. It lost to Badin at this stage of the tournament in 2008 and beat Cardinal for the Division III state title in 1996. Wright State recruit Andrew Elliott is key, batting .509 and owning a 13-1 record as the ace of the pitching staff.

Independence (28-3) vs. Bellville Clear Fork (30-2), today at 7 p.m.

About Independence: The Blue Devils have been one of the most consistent teams in the area all season and will be making the school's first appearance in Columbus in 78 years with the best record in school history. Pitchers Josh Suvak (9-0, 2.25 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 20 career wins) and junior Travis Teare (school record 10 wins against no losses, 1.08 ERA, 50 strikeouts) have been solid when it counted the most and have a combined 17 complete games. Senior second baseman Anthony Siciliano has set a school record for most hits in a season (46) and has scored 33 runs and stole 13 bases. Catcher John Bugaj is batting .383 and has thrown out 14 base runners.

About Clear Fork: Clear Fork has never reached the final four before. The Colts sport two undefeated pitchers in Travis Hissong (7-0, 2.08 ERA, 51 strikeouts in 37 innings) and Brendan Liberti (9-0, 1.03 ERA, 45 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings). Hissong and Liberti can hit as well, with Liberti carrying a .510 average and 43 RBI and Hissong batting .391 with 56 RBI. Jordan McCune (.448) and Justin Blake (.423, 25 stolen bases) also can swing the bat.

Final: Saturday, 1 p.m.

-- Tim Rogers

Division IV

Toledo Ottawa Hills (19-10) vs. Fort Loramie (28-3), today at 10 a.m.

About Ottawa Hills: The unranked Green Bears are vying for their second state title and head into their eighth final four appearance with a .353 batting average. Junior J.J. Buckey owns a sparkling .483 average with 24 RBI and sports an 8-1 pitching record with a team-best 1.99 ERA. Kyle Jarecki's four home runs and 36 RBI leads the team.

About Fort Loramie: The Redskins were ranked No. 9 in the final coaches state poll. The 2007 state champs have qualified for their fifth final four thanks to a .348 team batting average. Justin Hoying (12-0, 0.70 ERA) is the ace and also swings a potent bat (.365 average, 31 RBI).

Columbiana (21-10) vs. Newark Catholic (14-19), today at 1 p.m.

About Columbiana: The unranked Clippers enter their second state appearance since 1981 with 13 wins in their past 15 games thanks to the consistent pitching of Josh Saverko (6-2, 2.98 ERA), Hank Schlueter (4-3, 1.97 ERA) and Jeff Davidson (5-0, 1.52 ERA). Right fielder Tyler Denmeade (.516, 40 runs scored, 26 RBI), center fielder Kyle Shaffer (.389, 41 runs scored) and shortstop Andrew Burdick (.364, 34 runs scored) lead an offense that boasts a .314 team batting average.

About Newark Catholic: The six-time champion Green Wave, tied for 13th in the state poll, earned their second straight tournament berth. They have just four seniors, including third baseman Nate Adams, who is out with a torn meniscus. They played a brutal schedule with a young team that includes junior Micheal Lewis and sophomore Jim Lough, who share time at third base and on the mound.

Final: Saturday, 10 a.m.

-- Bob Fortuna

The Indians lost to Detroit, 3-0, Wednesday night, but they probably don't feel as bad as Jim Joyce, who was working first base. Joyce's two-out call in the ninth inning cost Detroit's Armando Galarraga a perfect game.

Paul Sancya / Associated PressDetroit's Armando Galarraga kept a smile on his face, but his teammates were furious when umpire Jim Joyce (right) incorrectly called Jason Donald safe at first base and denied Galarraga a perfect game Wednesday night at Comerica Park. "If I had been Galarraga, I would have been the first person in my face," said a dismayed Joyce after the game, "and he never said a word to me.”
• Umpire Jim Joyce could have used expanded instant replay
• GM Mark Shapiro says 'young' Tribe won't promote more kids soon: Indians Insider
• See earlier story and reader comments Box score | Photo gallery

"No, I did not get the call right," said Joyce.

When Joyce called shortstop Jason Donald safe at first base with two out in the ninth inning, he cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game in Detroit's 3-0 victory over the Indians at Comerica Park. It would have been the third perfect game and the fourth no-hitter thrown this season.

"It was the biggest call of my career," said Joyce, "and I kicked it."

It was 24 Indians up and 24 down as Galarraga cruised through eight innings with a 3-0 lead. Mark Grudzielanek, who has 30 hits this season, all singles, tried to change that leading off the ninth. Grudzielanek sent a bolt to deep left center. Not only was he going to get his first extra-base hit of the season, but Galarraga's perfecto was about to say oh no.

Then rookie center fielder Austin Jackson caught the ball over his shoulder near the warning track. Galarraga smiled the smile of a man who knew immortality was close at hand. There have only been 20 perfect games thrown in history.

When Mike Redmond grounded out weakly to short, the crowd of 17,7389 sounded like 40,000. Donald sent a 1-1 pitch between first and second base. First baseman Miguel Cabrera probably should have gone back to first. Instead he chased the ball, grabbed it right in front of second baseman Carlos Guillen, turned and threw to Galarraga at the bag.

Cabrera pumped his fist in celebration after watching Galarraga catch the ball and step on first before Donald reached the bag, but Joyce emphatically called him safe. Goodbye perfect game. Goodbye no-hitter.

"It was so bang-bang that I thought for sure I'd get called out because of everything at stake," said Donald. "When I saw Cabrera go for the ball, I knew it would be a foot race with the pitcher. As soon as I hit it, I knew it would be one of those tricky plays."

Donald took second and third on defensive indifference. After Trevor Crowe grounded out to third for the final out, the Tigers rushed onto the field to congratulate Galarraga (2-1, 2.57) and confront Joyce.

It was a dangerous scene, especially with the Tigers playing in front of their home crowd.

"I don't blame them a bit for anything that was said," said Joyce. "I would have said it myself. If I had been Galarraga, I would have been the first person in my face ... and he never said a word to me."

Said Galarraga, who started the season at Class AAA Toledo, "[I feel] happy and sad. I was so nervous, I was smiling. I don't know what to say. For sure that kind of call doesn't happen every day. We're human. Nobody is perfect. He'll [Joyce] probably feel bad after he sees the replay."

Joyce said he thought he made the right call until after he saw the play on replay.

The game was played at hyper-speed. It lasted 1 hour and 44 minutes. It was the fastest game by the Indians since they lost to Toronto, 5-1, on June 6, 1982 in the same 1:44.

Galarraga, who struck out three, threw 86 pitches, 67 for strikes. He threw first pitch strikes to 24 of the 28 batters he faced. He entered the ninth inning with 77 pitches.

The Tigers called up Galarraga from Toledo on May 16. Before he arrived, he faced Columbus, the Indians' Class AAA team, twice and beat them both times. Donald and Shelley Duncan started this year at Columbus.

"He did the same thing to us in Columbus," said Donald. "I think he was perfect through seven. I told Shelley on the bench, 'We've seen this before.'"

"His slider just kept getting better and better."

Fausto Carmona (4-4, 3.53) went the distance in defeat. He struck out three and allowed two earned runs in eight innings. Carmona threw 96 pitches, 66 for strikes. He gave up a leadoff homer to Cabrera in the second. The Tigers added two more runs in the eighth with two out.

"I think that was my best game of the season," Carmona said.

Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a perfect game Saturday night at Florida. Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics did it against Tampa Bay on May 9. Until then, there had never been two perfect games in the same season in the modern era.

Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, too, at Atlanta on April 17.

The Indians' best chance at a hit before Grudzielanek's drive came in the fifth when Russell Branyan bounced a ball off Galarraga's foot. But the ball deflected to third baseman Brandon Inge, who threw out Branyan by a step.

Not only Santana and Gimenez, but Wes Hodges, Brian Bixler and Jordan Brown are among other Clippers who are hitting the baseball with authority.

Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer Chris Gimenez, here with the Indians last season, has been a productive hitter this spring at Columbus.FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 10, Bats 7: Regular catcher Carlos Santana (.316) was used at DH and Chris Gimenez (.295) was behind the plate. Both slugged solo home runs -- Santana's 11th and Gimenez's seventh – as the Clippers (35-20) closed a 7-1 homestand. 1B Wes Hodges (.294) drilled his 14th double, singled twice and had two runs and two RBI, and SS Brian Bixler (.285) doubled twice, singled and scored two runs. RH starter Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 4.68) got the win despite yielding five runs on eight hits in six innings, with five strikeouts.

Notes: RH reliever Joe Smith pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to get his second save. Smith is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings spanning 13 appearances since the Indians sent him to Columbus. He has struck out 11 while yielding 11 hits and six walks....CF Jose Constanza (.344) stole his ninth base in nine attempts....RH reliever Frank Herrmann, who got the day off, has pitched 28 scoreless innings since yielding one run in his first appearance of the season. Herrmann is 3-0 with two saves and an 0.31 ERA, fanning 22 while allowing 15 hits, no home runs and eight walks in 28 2/3 innings over 19 games.

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 5, SeaWolves 1: Alex White, the Indians’ first pick in the 2009 draft, improved his record to 2-1 with an Eastern League victory over visiting Erie (Pa.). White struck out seven in 6.2 innings, giving up two hits and one earned run.

Notes: White, the Indians first pick in the 2009 draft, went into Wednesday night's game having made two starts at Akron, allowing nine hits and three walks while striking out four in 13 innings. Combined with his six starts at Advanced A Kinston, White was 2-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 44 innings, fanning 41 while allowing 32 hits and 19 walks....3B Jared Goedert took a 21-game hitting streak into the game. Among Eastern League leaders, he was second in batting (.342), third in slugging (.568), seventh in doubles (14), eighth in on-base percentage (.399), tied for 11th in RBI (32) and tied for 13th in homers (seven)....RH Paolo Espino (6-2, 3.45) is fourth in the league in wins, sixth in strikeouts (48) and 10th in fewest walks and hits allowed per inning (1.20)....The Aeros' team ERA of 4.89 was tied for last, but a solid improvement over the 5.66 team ERA in early May.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 2, Blue Rocks 0: A two-run home run by Jason Kipnis in the bottom of the first inning held up, as Kinston blanked Wilmington (Del.) in Kinston, N.C

Notes: CF Jordan Henry went into Wednesday night's game leading the Carolina League in walks (29) and on-base percentage (.480), third in batting (.353) and sixth in stolen bases (12 in 13 tries). Henry missed most of April with a finger injury and had played in just 32 games....2B Jason Kipnis has had the Indians' most productive overall season at the plate, going into Wednesday batting .299 with eight doubles, three triples, five home runs, 28 RBI and 28 runs....2B Karexon Sanchez (.269) was 6-for-12 in the last three games, with a double and homer....LH reliever Chris Jones was 1-0 with an 0.56 ERA and one save in six games spanning 16 innings. Counting his time at Lake County, James was 3-2 with a 1.89 ERA and two saves in 13 games (one start), pitching 38 innings with 34 strikeouts, and allowing 26 hits and six walks....Kinston's team ERA of 2.75 led the league, well ahead of second-place Frederick's 3.44.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 6, Snappers 1: Matt Packer (3-3) registered his first professional win as a starting pitcher and Greg Folgia hit his second bases-loaded triple of the year as Lake County defeated Beloit (Wis.) in Eastlake. The Captains have four bases-loaded triples this season.

Notes: Wednesday night's start was the third of the season for Packer, who has made 11 relief appearances. Overall, he had pitched 27 innings, striking out 24 while allowing 20 hits and three walks....RH reliever Preston Guilmet had allowed no runs in eight games, earning four saves while fanning 15 and walking none in 10 2/3 innings....3B Jeremie Tice (.272) was tied for second in the Midwest League in RBI (37) and LF Bo Greenwell was seventh (33); Greenwell was fifth in batting (.326) and catcher Chun Chen was seventh (.323); Greenwell was tied for fourth in runs (33) and 2B Casey Frawley (.264) was tied for eighth (32).

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Rascals 2, Crushers 1: Crushers RHP Travis Risser (0-2) pitched five solid innings but was saddled with the loss against River City (Mo.) in Avon. Risser walked three and struck out five.

Notes: Crushers 3B Andrew Davis went into Wednesday night's game batting .286 (10-for-35) with three homers and 11 RBI.

GM Mark Shapiro says the young Indians, for the time being, won't be getting any younger. That means catcher Carlos Santana is going to stay at Class AAA Columbus a while longer.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCarlos Santana will remain in Columbus for now to continue working on his defensive skills. “Remember, he converted to catcher,” said coach Sandy Alomar Jr. (right). “His transfer is too long. He’s got a strong arm and the faster he gets the ball in the air, the better he’ll be. It just takes time."

INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: Wonder how shocked Miguel Cabrera was Tuesday after getting thrown out at second base trying to stretch a leadoff single to center into a double? Trevor Crowe made a strong throw to the bag and Mark Grudzielanek made the tag.
In the last three years, starting center fielder Grady Sizemore has three assists in 275 games. Sizemore had none this year, one last year and two in 2008.
It was Crowe's first assist this year. He had four in 32 games last year from left field.

Ticket to ride: Manager Manny Acta promised Frank Herrmann a trip to the Indians' bullpen sometime this season. It has nothing to do with Herrmann's degree in economics from Yale and everything to do with his 3-0 record and 0.31 ERA (one runs in 28 2/3 innings) at Class AAA Columbus.
"Frankie will get a shot this year," said Acta. "He's earned it. A 0.31 ERA, even in Little League, is a pretty good number."
Acta recently called Columbus catcher Carlos Santana to check on the progress of the Clippers' pitchers. Santana knew Herrmann well because he caught him at Class AA Akron last year.

Stat of the day: Tuesday's 3-2 victory over Detroit was just the third time in 25 games that the Indians have won while scoring three or fewer runs.
-- Paul HoynesDETROIT, Mich. -- Mark Shapiro is disappointed at how the Indians have performed in the first two months of the season. It's certainly not the start he envisioned in his last year as general manager, but he's not ready to begin trading veterans and go with as young as a roster as possible.

As Shapiro said, "We're already one of the youngest teams in the big leagues," said Shapiro.

The Indians have four rookies on the 25-man roster in shortstop Jason Donald, catcher Lou Marson and right-handers Mitch Talbot and Hector Ambriz. Trevor Crowe, Shelley Duncan, David Huff, Matt LaPorta and Tony Sipp have less than one year's service time. Justin Masterson, Chris Perez and Luis Valbuena have just over one year's time, while Shin-Soo Choo, Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez have more than two years, but fewer than three.

Shapiro said he's not trying to trade his veterans at the moment, even though the Indians went into Wednesday's game against the Tigers with the fourth-worst winning percentage in the big leagues. With Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera dealing with potentially season-ending injuries, things aren't likely to get much better.

"The season's natural cycle will dictate when we consider some alternatives [trades]," said Shapiro. "We're not mandated to make any trades for monetary reasons.

"We'll look at each trade [possibility] as an opportunity to acquire talent and it's budgetary impact. But the acquisition of talent will be the primary driver."

The people available for trade, as in the last two fire sales, will be those in the final year of their contracts or approaching that status. Jhonny Peralta, Austin Kearns, Mark Grudzielanek, Russell Branyan, Mike Redmond, Kerry Wood and Jamey Wright fit the bill.

Jake Westbrook, eligible for free agency at the end of the season, would probably be the most attractive of the group if he continues to pitch as he did in Tuesday night's 3-2 victory over the Tigers. Still, there's a good possibility that the Indians will keep Westbrook and try to re-sign him at the end of the year.

Since the decks aren't being cleared just yet, catcher Carlos Santana will stay at Class AAA Columbus despite his .318 (54-for-170) batting average with 11 doubles, 10 homers and 43 RBI. Shapiro said he should get to Cleveland sometime this year.

Shapiro said Santana still has to improve defensively, especially when it comes to throwing out runners. He's throwing out 19 percent (7-for-29) of the runners he's faced. Sandy Alomar Jr., the Indians' first base coach and catching instructor, says Santana has to work on his transfer, getting the ball from the glove to his throwing hand.

"Remember, he converted to catcher," said Alomar. "His transfer is too long. He's got a strong arm and the faster he gets the ball in the air, the better he'll be. It just takes time.

"Lou [Marson] does it very well. He has a real quick transfer. But he's been catching since he was in high school."

Marson has thrown out 35.2 percent (12-for-24) of the runners he's faced. It's the best mark for a catcher in the AL.

Back on the mound: Huff will start against the Tigers Thursday. It will be his first game since he was hit above the left ear Saturday at Yankee Stadium by an Alex Rodriguez line drive.

"We're all human," said pitching coach Tim Belcher. "You still have to wait and see if a guy is a little apprehensive. But it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't. David is a professional athlete and he's a competitor.

"It's no different than being a race car driven who flips his car. They get back in the car the next day. It's not fun when it happens, but you can't do your job if you don't go back out there."

Finally: If manager Manny Acta doesn't find one or two pitchers to bridge the gap between his starters and late-inning relievers, look for Joe Smith, Frank Herrmann or Jess Todd to get the call from Columbus.

When: Friday and Saturday. Where: Ohio State University, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus.

Glenville sprinter Latwan Anderson.



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(Gus Chan / PD)

When: Friday and Saturday.

Where: Ohio State University, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, Fred Taylor Drive, Columbus.

Admission: $10 per day.

Parking: Free for passenger cars using general parking near Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Schedule of events

Friday: Division II field events, 9 a.m.; Division III running preliminaries and 4x800-meter finals, 9:30 a.m.; Division III field events, noon; Division II running preliminaries and 4x800 finals, 1:30 p.m.; Division III field events, 3 p.m.; Division I running preliminaries and 4x800 finals, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday: Division II field events, 9 a.m.; Division III running finals, 9:30 a.m.; Division I field events, noon; Division II running finals, 1 p.m.; Division I field events, 3 p.m.; Division I running finals, 4:30 p.m.

What to watch

Division I boys: Glenville's chances of winning the team title suffered a blow when an injured hamstring forced Latwan Anderson to withdraw last week from the 200 meters. He is still in the 400 and could run on any of the three relays Glenville qualified. Juniors Shane Wynn (100) and Quincy Downing (800) should place. If Anderson is healthy, the Tarblooders can score more than 45 points, which will put them in the hunt. Glenville rival Trotwood-Madison will be in the thick of it with sprinter William Henry. Sprinter Blake Heriot leads defending champion Gahanna Lincoln. A telling race will be the 400 showdown between Anderson (Miami of Florida), Heriot (Florida) and Henry (Arizona State). Heriot and Henry also are in the 100 and 200, but they will have their hands full with Wynn, St. Edward's Seth Cunningham, defending 100 champ DeAver Williamson of Warren Harding and the surprise Austintown regional 100 champ, John Spooney of Nordonia. Gahanna Lincoln also is less than 100 percent with injured hurdler Herman Washington. Keep an eye on Solon and Strongsville for top-five team finishes. Solon's four-man squad could score in five events. Both have high jumpers good enough to win: Solon's Caden Johnson and Strongsville's Deverin Muff. Strongsville 1,600 standout Colby Alexander (Oregon) ran a 4:11.99 at the regional and is set to challenge Bob Kennedy's hallowed 1988 record of 4:05.13. Alexander will be pushed by Solon's Conner Paez and Revere's Josh Sabo, who also will challenge 800 favorite Jake Hiltner of Wadsworth. Shaker Heights' Elijha Owens, Berea's Donovan Robertson, North Olmsted's Josh Prince and Twinsburg's Waquiem Comar should collect hurdles medals. The last Southview boy still competing before the school closes is long jumper Christian Nogueras, who will be the No. 1 seed. Midpark's Conner Neu can be a factor in a very deep discus field.

Division I girls: The field has a new look after eight-time champion Collinwood dropped to Division II this year. Magnificat comes in off district and regional championships, with nine athletes in seven events. The Blue Streaks, fourth a year ago, send out defending champion Madeline Chambers in the 1,600 and the 4x800 relay. Both are top times in the state this year. Sprinter Rachel Hlatky (100, 200) and twin sisters Abby and Clare Fischer (3,200) will challenge as well for the Blue Streaks. North Royalton's Hannah Neczypor will be the favorite to win again in the 3,200. Midpark junior Kaila Barber has nation's top time in 300 hurdles (40.88) and is in the 100 dash, long jump and 4x400. Medina junior Taylor Burke won the high jump last year and will be challenged again by Westlake junior Kalpana Beach, second a year ago. Stow junior Katie Betts has the top time in the 800. Buchtel senior Kachay Hullum tops the state in the 400 and will also run the 200 and two relays. Euclid qualified in three relays, with senior Kayla Whitlow and sophomore Emily Sweet in the 1,600. Cincinnati Walnut Hills brings 10 individuals, but strength is in relays with top times in 4x200 and 4x400. Defending champion Reynoldsburg won four events last year and will challenge in three relays with solid returnees. Sophomores Destinee Gause (100, 200) and Faith Washington (both hurdles) are in four events.

Division II boys: No Northeast Ohio team finished in the top 10 last year, but that should change thanks to Woodridge, Buchtel and St. Vincent-St. Mary. Woodridge features good depth with a powerful 4x800 and five individuals in six events, including distance standouts Kyle Cochrun (1,600, 3,200) and Jimmy Charles (3,200). The Bulldogs also have Justin Fawley in both hurdles and the high jump, and Vibushan Sivakumaran in the 800. The 800 will be a Northeast Ohio highlight as CVCA's Brad Adams, Sivakumaran and SVSM's Jacob Swords attempt to finish 1-2-3 for the third straight week. Buchtel sprinter Nathaniel Harris won the 100 and 200 at the Lexington regional, but his 100 time would have placed fifth at the Dayton regional. St. Vincent-St. Mary qualified three relays, and Doran Grant can place in the 110 hurdles. Buchtel and SVSM should do well in the 4x200. Elyria Catholic's Marty Coolidge and Bay's Michael Brajdic were 20 seconds faster than the other regionals in last week's 3,200. Crestwood's Brandan McGee and Orange's Michael Martin will be factors in the 1,600. Orange's Fred Roberts is peaking at the right time in both hurdles. Benedictine's Adam Patterson can place in the shot put and discus. Patriot Athletic Conference foes Corry Sprouse of Keystone and Jake Boettner of Buckeye are the top seeds in the long jump. Chagrin Falls' Ryan Kohert (pole vault) and Independence's Ryan Lest (high jump) are high seeds.

Division II girls: After winning eight Division I titles, Collinwood goes for its first Division II championship as coach Lou Slapnik heads into retirement. The district and regional champion Railroaders bring seven athletes in nine events, with seniors Erin Busbee and Amber Smith in four events. Busbee tops state in long jump at 19-113/4, but has been hampered with a slight back injury. Hurdles promise to be dynamic as Smith goes against defending 100 champ JeRica Sanders from Lake Catholic and defending 300 champ Bridget Doughty of Bay in both events. Sophomore Emily Cunningham of Vermilion is in the 100 and 200. Warrensville Heights brings eight athletes in seven events, with defending 400 champ Daianna Barron entered in four. The Tigers finished third last year after winning 4x200 and 4x400, and with a second in 4x800. Defending co-champion Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy brings 12 individuals in 10 events, with senior Taylor James entered in four, and four others entered in three. Juniors Christina Blair and Irene Frangos will go in the 1,600 and 3,200. St. Vincent-St. Mary qualified eight girls in seven events, with senior Erica Hutson going in four. The 2009 co-champion, Columbus Bishop Hartley, has top state times in three events -- defending champion Chesna Sykes in 100, Chelsea Scott in 100 hurdles and the 4x100 relay. Seven athletes are in 11 events. Things have to break right for Collinwood to best Hartley.

Division III boys: Trinity won't repeat as team champion, but the Trojans can defend in one event -- the 3,200. Junior Nick Gliha won it last year and is coming off a third-place finish at regionals. His main competitor will be Hawken senior Bart Merkel, who beat Gliha at the regional and district meets. Others to watch include Berkshire's Thomas Hess (pole vault) and Matt Pelletier (1,600); St. Peter Chanel's Isaiah Chambers (100), Ryan Jordan (110 hurdles) and Austin Kirkland (200); Cuyahoga Heights' Brandon Eddy (high jump, pole vault); and Lutheran West's Brad Watson (800).

Division III girls: Defending champion Gilmour Academy will be out to win its fifth title in six years, but the Lancers will be up against it after losing four-event winner Candace-Longino Thomas to a hamstring injury at last week's regional. They will get their points from senior Bekka Simko, although not defending in the 400, in the 800, 1,600, 4x800 and as part of the 2009 winning 4x400. Seniors Grace Brennan and Kathryn Drew will need help from freshmen Alexis Anton and Meghan Pryatel. Berkshire senior Alexsandra Bowers (1,600, 3,200, 4x800), Trinity junior Claire Lucas (pole vault, 400, 4x200) and St. Peter Chanel sophomore Chelsi Collins (100, 200, 4x200) will have busy days. Versailles, last year's runner-up, brings eight athletes in nine events, with strength in all four relays and top returnee Tammy Berger in the 1,600 and 3,200, where she was the runner-up in both races a year ago. Third place Steubenville Central Catholic enters four in four events, with junior Teddi Jo Maslowski defending in the 100 hurdles.

-- Joe Maxse, Tim Warsinskey

Browns fans are being invited to slip into a stadium seat, check out the views and buy into the hope that the losing will finally stop.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerThe Browns are hoping the team's four-game win streak at the end of the 2009 season will prompt fans to come out for a ticket "open house" on June 12 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns fans are being invited to slip into a stadium seat, check out the views and buy into the hope that the losing will finally stop.

Browns Stadium becomes an open house Saturday, June 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a "select-a-seat" event. Fans can choose seats for full or partial season ticket packages for the 2010 season. The best available seats will be tagged.

Admission and parking, in the North Port Authority lot, are free. Fans should enter through BrownsTown on the north side of the stadium.

Of the stadium's 72,300 seats, the number of season tickets held slipped to about 55,000 last season from 60,000 the year before. When the Browns started 1-11 before winning their last four games in 2009, the team played under the threat of having home games blacked out on local television.

Still, said Jim Ross, the Browns' new senior vice president of business development, many fans are surprised to learn that season tickets are even available. The impression has been that the stadium is sold out, because when the Browns returned in 1999, it was.

Season tickets range from $32 to $85 per seat in the general seating area, and $126 to $280 on the club seat level. Season tickets also require the one-time purchase of a permanent seat license, which ranges from $250 to $1,500 per seat, based on location.

Three-game season ticket plans -- in which fans can choose menu-style from three different groupings of opponents -- and season tickets in the Dawg Pound don't require PSLs.

The Browns didn't raise season ticket prices this season, although whether to raise ticket prices for individual games is still being weighed, Ross said.

In 2009, the average NFL ticket cost $75, according to Team Marketing Report in Chicago, which tracks fan costs. The Browns had the NFL's second-lowest average ticket price ($54.65), next to Buffalo ($51.24).

Jim Joyce blew the call that cost Tigers righty Armando Galarraga a perfect game against the Indians. MLB should learn from this mistake and expand instant replay.

Associated PressUmpire Jim Joyce calls the Indians' Jason Donald safe at first base to break up Detroit's Armando Galarraga's perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning. Replays showed him out. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The knee-jerk reaction to Wednesday night's debacle in Detroit is that baseball needs to expand instant replay.

The knee-jerk reaction, in this case, is warranted. The only question is, how much replay would be too much?

More on that in a bit. For now, I'm still trying to digest what I watched on SportsTime Ohio oh, I don't know....75 times.

When Indians shortstop Jason Donald rolled a two-out grounder to the right side, I figured Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga had secured the majors' third perfect game in 2010.

Then I saw first baseman Miguel Cabrera make a backhand play and set himself, which made me wonder if Donald could beat it. But Cabrera made a strong throw on target to Galarraga, whose foot was on the bag before Donald hit it.

In real time, I thought it was an out. Close, but an out. So did Galarraga, Cabrera, the rest of the Tigers, no doubt some of the Indians, plenty of fans at Comerica Park and TV viewers.

First-base umpire Jim Joyce, the only one that mattered, disagreed. He seemed to hesitate for a split-second before signaling safe.

End of perfect game, beginning of firestorm.

(Oh, by the way: Ken Griffey Jr., clean slugger in the Steroid Era and future Hall of Famer, retired Wednesday.)

The next batter, Trevor Crowe, made the 27th out. Galarraga pitched a one-hitter and beat the Tribe, 3-0.

Yippee.

What should have been cause for celebration turned understandably nasty as Tiger after Tiger unloaded on Joyce, who needed an escort to the umpires' room. Tigers players and manager Jim Leyland had seen the replays, knew Donald was out and wanted Joyce to hear about it.

I don't blame the Tigers for blowing gaskets -- and, later that night, neither did Joyce. He saw the replay and knew he spit the bit. He said he would have yelled at himself if he were Galarraga. Galarraga showed incredible class on the field and in the clubhouse, declining to hammer Joyce.

I watched "Chuck's Last Call'' on STO after the game in order to continue viewing the replay and to hear what the fans said. As I suspected, several callers defended Joyce, saying the ball had jiggled in Galarraga's glove and that he had not demonstrated complete control until after Donald hit the bag. In the word of Bob Feller: horsemuffins. I did not need Joyce's admission to know those callers were wrong.

One caller said that if the blunder had occurred in the earlier innings, it would not have been a big deal. More silliness. Walk-off homers are walk-off homers for a reason: They end games. This blunder happened with two outs in the ninth inning of a potential perfect game, so it will -- it must -- go down as one of the most infamous calls in regular-season history.   

No amount of creative viewing or rationalizing is going to change the reality.

Joyce is a veteran umpire with a good reputation. He has worked plenty of big games and come through relatively unscathed. By all accounts, he is a nice man.

That being said, I don't necessarily feel sorry for Joyce, as I would for the youngster who drops a double-decker ice cream on the floor in 95-degree heat. Joyce gets paid good money to get calls correct -- and this was a basic call. He flat missed it. When a fielder misplays a grounder to end a World Series game, he's not pitied. He's fixed with goat horns.

Joyce knew something like this could happen when he set out to be a major-league umpire. (OK, maybe he didn't envision something quite this big.) Umpires know the oven can get really hot if a call is blown for all the world to see. It is why some of us never pursued umpiring beyond Pony League; we don't have the stomach for the intense backlash.

Galarraga, of course, is the guy who deserves the sympathy. He should be in the books for the perfect game he threw on June 2, 2010.

Major League Baseball can't do anything to change that outcome, but it can use what happened to improve the game going forward.

Hopefully, the "Galarraga Rule'' will be enacted ASAP to ensure something along this line   doesn't occur again. At the very least, the postseason needs to be better protected from the obvious, game-altering blown call. Let the imperfect Joyce be the catalyst to build on replay already in place.

Please, purists, spare me the "human element'' argument so often advanced in baseball. Are mistakes going to be made by all parties in all sports? Yes. But they don't need to be accepted blindly, as "part of the game.'' Not in the 21st century. If the technology is there to fix mistakes, give it a chance.

Put it this way: Do you think Joyce wishes replay were allowed to reverse his call?

The only question is, how much replay would be too much?

From where I sit, the only things off-limits for review are ball/strike calls. Not that umpires never miss them; ask Eddie Murray about Joe Brinkman in the 1995 World Series. The QuesTec/laser technology is there to give it a shot, but the games would last forever based on all the borderline pitches thrown in a few hours.

My knee-jerk suggestion is, MLB needs to swallow its pride, take a page from the NFL and give the managers challenge flags. Each manager gets two per game to challenge any combination of out/safe calls at the bases and plate; players touching bases and tag-ups; shoestring catches; and fair/foul calls.

On-field umpires huddle in front of the TV, as they do now for boundary calls. They consult with a booth umpire, who makes the final decision.

Addendum: If all challenge flags are used up by the time there are two outs in the ninth of a perfect game, and the umpire blows the call on what should be the 27th out, the pitcher gets to challenge.

I welcome your input. So, too, should MLB. Because perfect games should not be permitted  to go poof like this one did.

The former Knicks and Rockets coach is on the Cavaliers' short list to replace Mike Brown. He may or may not be interested, but he is impressed with the organization.

Eric Gay / Associated PressESPN/ABC NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy makes it clear that the Cavaliers should be considered a good location for any prospective coaching candidate. “Danny Ferry and their ownership have proven they care deeply about winning and about people,” Van Gundy said. “That is a winning combination to sell.”CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jeff Van Gundy has a job and it's a good one. Starting Thursday, he'll be an analyst for ABC's coverage of the NBA Finals.

For the last three years, teams needing coaches have knocked on Van Gundy's door. They've hoped he'd give up the broadcast table and return to the bench, where he was successful with both the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.

The latest was the New Jersey Nets, who interviewed Van Gundy last month. They were interested until Van Gundy expressed a desire to stay in his current position, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.

However, Van Gundy is on the Cavaliers' short list to replace Mike Brown, as well. He might end up giving the Cavs the same brush-off treatment. At least, for now.

"I enjoy what I do right now," Van Gundy said in a telephone interview. "In the future I do want to coach at some point."

Van Gundy has a history of positive relationships with his stars from Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson in New York to Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady in Houston. That and his reputation as a good defensive coach are believed to intrigue the Cavs.

Several sources close to Van Gundy insist he's not planning on coaching this year. Could that change if LeBron James re-signs with the Cavs? It is isn't clear at this point.

One thing is certain, Van Gundy said the Cavs offer a desirable position, not just because of James but because of the ownership and management that is in place and stable.

Making sure to qualify his comments that he was speaking in generalities and not as a potential candidate, Van Gundy praised both owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager Danny Ferry.

"Danny Ferry and their ownership have proven they care deeply about winning and about people," Van Gundy said. "That is a winning combination to sell."

Van Gundy's point is salient, even if he is quick to emphasize he's not out for a job. His thoughts are likely to mirror those of candidates the Cavs are hoping to attract, men with a history of success in the league.

Most other current job openings don't have the stability the Cavs have at the top. In New Orleans there is an ownership change coming, one just happened in New Jersey, management is in flux and uncertain with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Atlanta Hawks ownership group has been in court fighting each other for the better part of four years.

Van Gundy passed on the Cavs and coaching James once before, in 2003, when he could have had the job but instead accepted the Rockets' offer. It was, in part, because of the potentially unstable ownership in Cleveland at the time.

"At that point, [former owner] Mr. [Gordon] Gund was looking to sell," Van Gundy said. "I liked him when I spoke with him and I like [former GM] Jim Paxson; he was a straight shooter. But it was an uncertain time for the team."

Now, though, the Cavs have stable ownership and management even if they are in an uncertain time again. Chicago Bulls, another job seen as highly attractive at the moment, also has such stability.

While the uncertainty surrounding James may be a major issue in the Cavs' search, Van Gundy downplayed it to a degree.

"For some people not knowing what LeBron's going to do would be problematic; I can understand why people would want to wait and see," he said. "You just want to know who the owner and GM are and be aligned with their vision."

In his interview with Larry King on Tuesday, James said he didn't want to have a direct say on whom the Cavs or any other team would hire as a coach.

"I'm not one to go into the off year and say this is who I want my coach to be," James told King. "Now, there are some coaches, that, you know, if I had an opportunity to play for, I would be delighted."

Van Gundy said having a relationship with the star is important and believes James would respect a coach who shares the same values."The most important relationships in any organization are the GM with the coach and the coach with best players," Van Gundy said.

"If there's a major stumbling block then it won't work. But there's always going to be some disagreement and that's healthy. You don't have same thoughts, but you have to share the same values from a basketball sense. It seems like LeBron shares all winning values."

Like many in the coaching profession who have spoken in the media, Van Gundy repeatedly praised the job that Mike Brown did over the last five years. But despite the message firing a coach that just had two 60-win seasons sends, Van Gundy doesn't think the Cavs should have any regrets.

If James re-signs, he thinks they could be in the same spot next year, something that would be attractive to the next coach.

"I feel for them because they've been very, very close," he said. "They've given themselves a chance to win. I think they could be in the same position next year. Any coach would like that."

Tiger Woods returns after a neck injury to the PGA Tour at Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament Thursday. Familiarity with the course and four previous victories there provide at least some basis for optimism.

Tony Dejak / Associated PressTiger Woods, left, and Steve Stricker had one last day of carefree golf on Wednesday as they participated in a celebrity skins game at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Woods will play just his 10th competitive round on the tour when he tees off Thursday at the Memorial Tournament.

• TV: The Golf Channel, Thurs.-Fri., 3 p.m.; WOIO Ch. 19, Sat.-Sun., 3 p.m. | Tee times DUBLIN, Ohio -- Wounded in more than reputation this time, Tiger Woods comes to the Memorial Tournament Thursday as the defending champion.

He doesn't sound like a player ready to contend or defend, because he has played only nine full rounds of tournament golf this season. He has no base of positive experiences on which to rely, other than familiarity with the Muirfield Village course and a personal history that includes four victories on it.

Asked if missing the cut at Quail Hollow in May after a second-round 79 was the low point, Woods said, "No, there have been a lot more low moments than that."

A neck injury caused Woods to withdraw from The Players Championship the week after Quail Hollow. He said it wasn't related to the Thanksgiving night car wreck, in which he hit a fire hydrant and a tree, and then watched a wrecker drag the esteem in which the world held him away on a hook.

"It wasn't one moment, it was a cumulative," Woods said of the stiff neck. He hit too many balls after taking time off as the sex scandal involving him erupted.

Tony Dejak / Associated PressWoods didn't have to elaborate when he answered the question of whether missing a cut earlier at Quail Hollow was the low point of the season. “No, there have been a lot more low moments than that,” he said.Woods said he was already struggling with physical ailments as early as this year's Masters. He tied for fourth place, as Phil Mickelson, the talented rival who once was engulfed by his shadow, not only won, but ratified his place in the court of public opinion as the anti-Tiger.

It was not simply the limited range of motion in Woods' neck that cut short his first return to the PGA Tour. He called the searing headaches that flared even before the Masters "just unreal at times." Those are gone now.

But much of what Woods was is gone too, the wreckage still smoldering in his rear-view mirror.

Divorce from his wife, Elin, is widely held to be a matter of when, not if. Under the right set of circumstances, Mickelson, with a victory here while Woods is fifth or lower, would become the top-ranked player in the world. Woods has ruled that roost since 2005.

Despite 40 Tour victories and four majors, Mickelson has never led the money list, never been player of the year, never won the FedEx Cup in the PGA Tour's "playoff" season, never won the Vardon Trophy for stroke average, never been No. 1 in the world.

That all used to belong to Woods. But he did not win a major last year for the first time since 2004. He failed to hold a third-round lead in a major (in the PGA Championship) for the first time ever.

Sam Snead's record of 82 PGA Tour victories (Woods has 71) and Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors (Woods has 14) no longer seem so sure to be broken.

Tiger is only 34, but he seems to have been around forever. The medical problems that began in a left knee that withstood the torque of his savage swing went on to include a tear in his Achilles tendon and the neck injury. He has never been very candid about his injuries, most famously when he stumped around Torrey Pines on one leg to win the U.S. Open in a 19-hole playoff in 2008. Asked why the secrecy, he said, coldly, "You don't need to know."

Golf is a big hitter's game now, so even though he has lost swing speed with age, he uses one of those drivers that let him just nuke the ball 20 or 30 yards father than in his past.

"But that also brings in more trouble," he said. "The game has changed so much that you just have to hit the ball out there. You can't play golf courses laying back because guys are just too aggressive. For instance, Angel [Cabrera, former Masters and U.S. Open champion]. He played every week, driver everywhere. When he gets hot, you can't beat him."

That was Tiger in his glory. At his best, everybody else was playing for second.

That held for when his late father, Earl, was his swing coach and when Butch Harmon was his swing coach and when Hank Haney was his swing coach. Haney and Woods parted ways because of the sex scandal that grew more sordid almost hourly.

"I understand it," said Woods. "I mean, there's a lot going on, as we have seen."

He is his own swing coach now, using videotape to deconstruct the swing that earned him the applause of millions and the adulation of the world.

Maybe it is like watching an old highlight reel now.

Maybe it also recalls memories that can still be revived and a reputation that can still be repaired, if not fully resurrected.

LeBron James was only stating the obvious when he told Larry King that Cleveland has "the edge" in signing him, Bud Shaw writes in his Spin column.

Lorenzo Bevilaqua / CNNSo LeBron says Cleveland has "an edge" in signing him? Other than announcing that he had already signed a contract with the Cavaliers or planned to head to Chicago or New York, this was the least he could say, says Bud Shaw. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Top story in this week's spin: You can only hope it's not the same edge the Cavs had as the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

LeBron James told Larry King that Cleveland has the edge over his other suitors because the fans have been so wonderful to him and because he enjoys such a great comfort level here.

To quote an acquaintance whose wisdom and perspective come both from her gender and from being born and raised a Cleveland sports fan:

"Sounds to me like he's saying, 'I hope we can still be friends.'"

James hasn't gone about much of this the right way. He played poorly, then told fans he'd spoiled them. He talked about his team after Game 6 in Boston but meant his handlers.

Then again, he's 25 years old. He was never recruited out of high school, so he's making up for it. Lunch is on Warren Buffett. Ohio's governor is serenading him on a video. The President of the United States is giving him career advice. It would be difficult not to let that go to your head.

(For example, if I were him, I wouldn't stop at talking to Larry King. I can assure you of that. For the next month I'd be prepping for the royal treatment awaiting me in July by speaking only to people named King. I'd do the interview with Larry, go to a horror movie with Stephen, hit the casinos with Don, hang out with B.B. Only when I'd exhausted that list would I move on to Prince.)

Because James turned eerily quiet when the season ended -- and some would say, even before that in Game 5 -- his comments to King that seemed so obvious were seen by some as encouraging.

But Cleveland has such a built-in advantage -- the Cavs can pay him as much as $30 million more than anyone else, his support network is so strong here, the team was built with his input -- it's fair to have expected him to come out even stronger by now.

Like what? Something simple like, "I want to win a title for this owner and these fans and it would take an incredible situation elsewhere for me to leave, especially the way this past season ended. I'm not closing out that possibility, but that's how I feel."

Dale Omori / The Plain DealerCareful LeBron ... do you really want to be compared in interview cageyness with this guy?Instead, his silence when he made an appearance as a slam dunk judge in town over the weekend felt a little like Art Modell's "moratorium" on speaking about stadium issues.

(James cannot possibly rank with Modell if he leaves. I've heard that comparison. But c'mon. The thing about free agency is, you know, the free part. Modell made off with the No. 1 sport in town, snapping in two a sports tradition that tied generations. James would be leaving behind a basketball franchise that was No. 3 before he arrived.)

Whatever encouragement one took from James admitting Cleveland's obvious edge is just as easily mitigated by his talk of wanting a situation where his team can help him win "multiple championships." And he wants a team that can do so "not just because of LeBron James."

That was not the Cavaliers at the end of the season. You could just as easily conclude he's looking to team up with another headline act.

Whether that's Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade or Derrick Rose, I don't know. But I'm going way out on the limb, and say after the past two postseasons it's first and foremost not Mo Williams.

You didn't hear this from me, but...

My contribution to the LeBron James Daily rumor mill -- and by "rumor" I mean I just made this up:

Seems that after a friendly post-interview game of H-O-R-S-E turned ultra competitive, a Nike rep confiscated the CNN tape of Larry King going baseline, dunking on James and screaming "Boom goes the dynamite fella."

If only Elin were so lucky.

Tiger Woods, who defends his title at the Memorial starting Thursday, reports he is no longer suffering from the pain in his neck.

SPINOFFS

Phoenix Suns star Amar'e Stoudemire says top free agents could decide to take less money in order to play together but that most of the players "want to secure their future." And, everybody knows, you need at least $17 million a year to do that...

Former Browns' GM George Kokinis is returning to the Baltimore Ravens front office. Or so he would have them believe...

King asked James if he were "the ringleader" of the free agent cartel. To which a smiling James said, "I'm the ringleader." OK, but shouldn't a ringleader have, I don't know, a ring?...

NBA Finals predictions: Phil Jackson will doze off at least once during a 13-0 Boston run. Ron Artest will make Rasheed Wallace look calm and well-grounded. The Celtics will win in six...

The Angels' Kendry Morales broke his ankle in a celebration at home plate with his teammates. In consultations with the American Medical Association concerning injury prevention, the Indians decided to cut down on that risk by scoring as few walk-off runs as possible...

A Yahoo.com column accuses James of trying to upstage the NBA playoffs by doing an interview with King. I think the NBA already did that by dragging out the playoffs to the point where everyone outside of Boston and Los Angeles already thought they were over...

YOU SAID IT

"Bud:

"Put Kobe in Cleveland and LeBron in L.A. and tell me who wins a title." -- Chris

That's easy. Whichever team I pick against.

"Bud:

"Why don't LeBron, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and those other guys just form their own league and be done with it?" -- Tom H.

Athletes are notoriously tight with their money. Sources tell me negotiations for a league of their own ended at their first summit -- in Geneva I believe -- when they could not agree on who would pay for the T-shirt cannons and LeBron's talcum powder.

"Bud:

"Will 'The Choosing One' be able to pick up a pen to sign a contract with anyone with that bum elbow of his?" -- Chas

Every year, LeBron adds something new to his game. Signing lefty while wincing is the focus of this off-season.

"Bud:

"I believe this year marks the 30-year anniversary of the disco albums being destroyed in Chicago. Should LeBron defect there, any chance the PD sponsors a LeBron 'jersey burn' affectionately dubbed 'The Passing of LeTorch?'" -- Mike

The only plan I've heard in the event James leaves is not PD-sponsored. It's Mike Polk's next video, "Please Stay, Jawad."

"Bud:

"Before they start a ballgame in Arizona do the managers meet at home plate and exchange green cards?" -- M. Meteer

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Dear Bud:

"I can't recall which Celebration Camp Kendry Morales attended. Was it Bill Gramatica's or Ted Ginn Jr.'s?" -- Michael, Put-in-Bay

Repeat winners receive a coupon for $2 off any surgery of their choice.