The programs still alive for Hines are Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU and UCLA.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Maybe linebacker Anthony Hines of Plano (Texas) East deserves a fifth star. 

The 6-foot-3, 222-pound Hines earned 90 scholarship offers during his recruiting process, so maybe it's time to bump him up from a four-star prospect.

His rating is clearly irrelevant, though. All you need to do is take a look at the programs that are still alive in his recruitment after he trimmed his list from 90 to 10 late this week. 

Those programs are Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M, TCU and UCLA. 

Rated the No. 1 inside linebacker in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Hines is one of Ohio State's top remaining targets.

Hines is currently competing at Nike's The Opening main event in Oregon, a camp reserved for only the most elite high school prospects where he's surrounded by other top Buckeye targets. 

It's certainly going to be a battle for Ohio State to pull Hines out of Texas, especially considering every other school remaining on his list is located closer than the Buckeyes. But Hines unofficially visited Ohio State in June, which is a good sign for Urban Meyer's program. 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians are having a great year with a record (51-34) putting them at 1st in the ALC. It feels as if the Cavs winning Cleveland's first title in 52 years added some magic back to the city and the Indians are trying to continue this trend.  People lately have been making comparisons to how good the...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians are having a great year with a record (51-34) putting them at 1st in the ALC. It feels as if the Cavs winning Cleveland's first title in 52 years added some magic back to the city and the Indians are trying to continue this trend. 

People lately have been making comparisons to how good the Indians were in the 90s and you can actually feel the energy in the stadium when you are at these games. 

So we decided to make a video to give you a little taste of the fan experience at Progressive Field. 

How to watch Sunday's UEFA Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Portugal and France will play in Sunday's UEFA Euro 2016 final at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France.

The two countries will cap off the 15^th edition of the European soccer championship, which began June 10 with 24 teams divided into six groups. France reached the final after defeating defending world-champion Germany 2-0 in the semifinals. Portugal defeated Wales 2-0 in the other semifinal.

Here's how to watch Sunday's final:

What: Portugal vs. France in the UEFA Euro 2016 final.

When: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET.

Where: Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France.

TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes.

Online: Live stream on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

LeBron James' new Verizon commercial promotes a better data plan, while a day earlier Dwyane Wade said James was cheap for refusing to use data where wireless service is not available. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Hanging with some students who apparently attend his alma mater, LeBron James professes to have taken 15 shots with crumpled paper at a wastebasket, and missed them all.

James' poor shooting was in the process of filming an ad for Verizon, one of his marketing partners, at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

The footage, included above, is labeled a "behind the scenes" look at James' latest commercial, "Not Studying with LeBron James" -- promoting Verizon's cell plan for 30 percent more data. 

Rather than studying physics, the student in the ad is watching footage of James dunk for the Cavs on his Samsung phone during class.

On Thursday, James' friends Dwyane Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union said on "Live" with Kelly Ripa that James, like most Americans, loathed using data on his phone where wireless service isn't available.

The 50-second "behind the scenes" spot could stand as an advertisement itself for Verizon, and is in line with James' many ads depicting his Akron and northeast Ohio roots.

What was Elliott's sales pitch to these prospects before taking pictures? Probably something like this: "If you're a five-star prospect and you want to win a national championship, be a Heisman contender and get rich, go to Ohio State."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- If Ohio State has 15 players remaining on its recruiting board to fill out the final spots in its 2017 recruiting class, they're all at Nike's The Opening camp in Oregon this week. 

So maybe that's why Ezekiel Elliott decided he should head up, too. 

Though Elliott is only a few months removed by being selected at No. 4 overall in the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, the former Buckeyes running back and Opening alum shook up the camp and may have influenced some of Ohio State's targets. 

Elliott took pictures with five-star linebacker Dylan Moses of Bradenton (Fla.) IMG, five-star wide receiver Trevon Grimes of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas and five-star safety Jeffrey Okudah of Grand Prairie (Texas) South. 

Imagine those three prospects in Ohio State's class. Urban Meyer probably has dreamt about it. 

What was Elliott's sales pitch to these prospects before taking pictures? Probably something like this: "If you're a five-star prospect and you want to win a national championship, be a Heisman contender and get rich, go to Ohio State." 

Five-star prospects attract five-star prospects. 

Here are the pictures: 

Ohio State fans where you at????[?] [?] [?] CANT WAIT TO TAKE MY OFFICIAL VISIT [?] [?][?] [?][?] [?]@EzekielElliott pic.twitter.com/2SalvLmyTJ

-- King [?]oses (@Dylan1Moses_) July 7, 2016

#Buckeynation Guess who I just ran into [?] #Zekee #HeroInTheHalfShirt[?] pic.twitter.com/9gOAzD6wpq

-- GrimeTime (@TrevonGrimes7) July 7, 2016

Positive Vibes Only! #PVO [?] pic.twitter.com/4AqrARxRwy

-- Jeffrey Okudah III (@TheJeffOkudah) July 8, 2016

* Cam Akers repping Ohio State at The Opening: There weren't any pictures of Elliott with Akers, a five-star running back and top Ohio State target from Clinton, Miss. Akers is the person who probably could have benefitted the most from hearing an Elliott sales pitch. 

But judging by Akers' outfit selection when he arrived at The Opening, he is already pretty high on Ohio State. He wore a Buckeyes hat, and the picture has been floating around Twitter. 

Five-star RB Cam Akers here at @TheOpening wearing #Buckeyes gear: https://t.co/C04EyrAu8P pic.twitter.com/xL5urLpsZc

-- Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) July 7, 2016

Don't take too big of a leap when it comes to what prospects wear. They have gear from everywhere and wear different stuff all the time.

This is a little different, though, because it's always interesting to see what a prospect wears when he knows he's going to be photographed. Clearly Akers knew he was going to be around reporters at The Opening.

Rated the No. 2 running back in the 2017 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Akers unofficially visited Ohio State in the spring and is expected back in Columbus for the Buckeyes' Friday Night Lights camp on July 22. 

Lake Erie's popular yellow perch have been in short supply so far this summer and Ohio anglers are looking for it to improve.

SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Lake Erie fishermen must be happy to see June in the rear view mirror.

It has been a difficult month, with trophy walleye in short supply, although swarms of hungry undersized walleye are chasing lures. Even more distressing has been the scarcity of yellow perch from the Ohio shoreline.

Lake Erie is not a watery wasteland, to be sure. This summer, however, it has been far from a piscatorial playground.

Catching so many small walleye from the good to excellent 2014 and 2015 hatches is gratifying. They bode well for the future of fishing around the Walleye Capital of the World.

So where are the yellow perch? Fisheries biologists aren't sure why there has been a perilously short supply of the green-and-gold fish this season. The Ohio Division of Wildlife doesn't track yellow perch as they do walleye, Lake Erie's premier game fish.

Larry Davis of Marblehead, Ohio has been chasing yellow perch all of his life as a commercial fisherman, fishing guide and sport angler. At 78, he's got some clues about the perch fishing. But even Davis is surprised perch fillets were selling for $20.99 per pound last week at Bassett's, a large grocery store in Port Clinton, Ohio.

"I fish for perch about every day, and we did fairly well earlier in the year," said Davis by phone this week, taking a short break from setting turtle traps in a lake near Akron. "Last Sunday we got a few, about 32 of them, but the perch fishing has been very slow."

Davis is not surprised Lake Erie sport and commercial perch fishermen are struggling.

"We've got a huge hatch of June bugs and the little black flies right now and the perch have a lot to eat. We're marking perch (on sonar) all over and not getting the bites. July and August are always the slowest months for catching perch as Lake Erie water temperatures warm up.

"I believe many schools of perch and baitfish have moved to the cooler water on the Canadian side, as they often do in summer. The perch fishing hasn't been a total bust, and I expect it to start getting good again in late July."

Chris Vandergoot, fisheries biologist supervisor at the Ohio Division of Wildlife's Sandusky Research Center, also believes the yellow perch fishing will get better later in the summer.

"I feel very strongly our trawl surveys last fall were correct," he said. "They had shown a strong yellow perch hatch coming into the system this year. We don't know if the big schools have moved or if they migrate more than we think they do. We have not done migration studies with perch as we have with walleye to be sure of their movements throughout the year."

Vandergoot was perch fishing recently off Kelleys Island and knows how tough it is right now. And how many little walleye are swimming in Lake Erie.

"It's ridiculous, just how many sub-legal walleye there are out there right now," Vandergoot said. "We're catching them on perch rigs. They grow quickly, though."

Members of the 2014 class of walleye, which was rated as good, should begin to reach the legal size limit of 15 inches late this year. About half that size are the "little cigars" from last year's excellent 2015 class.

A few 30-fish limits of perch were being caught just east of Fairport Harbor in 38 to 48 feet of water earlier this week, reported Don Moore at Harbor Bait & Tackle after a long dry spell.

The emerald shiner minnows netted in the Lake Erie harbor areas and sold as prime perch bait are also in short supply, said Mike Fedorka, the long-time perch guru at Shine's Live Bait in Cleveland.

"Minnows are playing hide and seek, just like the perch," said Fedorka. "There's something wrong with the Lake Erie food chain. It seems we're running out of the plankton the minnows and small perch feed on. I work hard every night trying to gather minnows, and all I can seem to catch are the little shiners.

"I've worked the bait shop here for 57 years, and the perch fishing is getting worse every year, not better. We used to catch buckets of perch in five or six feet of water off Cleveland's coal-fired power plant discharges, where the bait would gather in the warm current. Now those plants (along the Lake Erie shoreline) are all shut down."

Fedorka said the perch slump began around Memorial Day this year and has not improved.

"Lake Erie has changed so much over the last 10 years. My phone rings constantly, with fishermen wanting to know where to catch a few perch," Fedora said. "I won't sugar coat it if the perch aren't biting, and that's been the bad news for weeks."

(D'Arcy Egan, the long-time Plain Dealer outdoors writer who retired in 2015, will occasionally write columns to appear in The Plain Dealer and on cleveland.com. He can be reached at darcyegan@roadrunner.com)

"22 Minute Hard Corps," the latest video exercise series with P90X inventor Tony Horton, strikes me as just about perfect. It's challenging, but not ridiculous, and doable by real people with actual busy schedules.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - First it was 90. Then came 60, and 30. Now it's 22. At this rate, we'll soon be down to eight or 10.

Not that he needs to go any lower. "22 Minute Hard Corps," the latest video exercise series by Beachbody with P90X inventor Tony Horton, strikes me as just about perfect. It's challenging, but not ridiculous, and doable by real people with actual busy schedules.

The change of theme is also welcome. No longer, in "Hard Corps," is Horton cooped up in a faux studio with his superhuman pals. He's outdoors, leading workouts with real recruits from all branches of the U.S. military, whose efforts are automatically more inspiring. Humvees, flags, and training obstacles serve as rousing scenery.

It's also more practical. So far in my survey of the series ($40, beachbody.com), I've needed only a few dumbbells and a chin-up bar. Nothing more than one might use in basic training. What's more, since the workouts max out at 22 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down, I'm finding it easy to find the time.

Even the schedule is more user-friendly. Instead of 12 or 15 workouts spread out over a complex, 90-day calendar, as in P90X, "Hard Corps" entails just eight weeks and three categories of exercise (not counting two "Cold Start" warm-up routines and a sample from P90X3): Cardio, Core, and Resistance.

Within each category are up to three workouts, graded 1, 2, and 3 by difficulty. There's also a surprisingly straightforward "Nutrition Field Guide," complete with recipes and portion-control advice broken down by gender, body size, and activity level. If, by some miracle, I could actually follow Horton's guidelines, I'd be in good shape indeed.

But it's the exercise you're paying for, and it's solid exercise you get. Where, in his other series, Horton eats up time chatting, cracking lame jokes, and explaining the obvious, here he gets right down to business with good old-fashioned calisthenics. The worst he does is briefly play drill sergeant.

Nothing so far in my encounter with "Hard Corps" has struck me as foreign or newfangled. "Cardio" has kept me sweating, and my hamstrings aching, with three brisk rounds of fast-paced burpees, lunges, squats, and bear crawls. "Core," by contrast, continues busting my gut with a wide variety of crunches and stability exercises. The latter in fact is only 11 minutes long, and it's all I need or can bear.

My favorite thus far, however, is "Resistance." Rather than sore quads and stiff hamstrings, its three rounds of upper-body strength exercises leave me with that feeling of having truly gone all-out, with a pleasant burn in my shoulders, biceps, and middle. I may have to bail early on the push-ups and pull-ups, but I bust right through all three sets of shoulder presses, sit-up punches, and weight swings.

What other joys lie ahead in the next levels of "Core," "Cardio," and "Resistance" remain to be seen. I expect more of the same, but with greater intensity, higher rep counts, and exercises fundamentally more difficult.

One thing, though, is certain: I will complete them. I'm hooked, you see. And motivated. The wonderful thing about Horton's workouts is that as they get shorter, they're also getting better.

Aroldis Chapman threw 19 fastballs in the ninth inning. Here is how they measured on the radar gun, by mph: 99, 100, 99, 99, 101, 100, 102, 103, 103, 103, 101, 101, 102, 102, 101, 101, 103, 102, 102.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Abraham Almonte uncoiled his bat, he lunged toward Dellin Betances' breaking ball.

Almonte's momentum yanked him toward the edge of the batter's box, so he didn't see the ball skip past Yankees catcher Brian McCann. Had he noticed the baseball's extracurricular path, he would've been safe at first. Tyler Naquin might have scored. The Indians might have tied the game.

Instead, Almonte -- who struck out on three pitches -- got a late start toward first. McCann's throw beat him to the bag to end the seventh inning. The Yankees maintained their 5-4 advantage, a lead they would not relinquish, despite Cleveland's persistence against their vaunted bullpen.

"When I swung, I was a little bit up the line," Almonte said. "I didn't figure out right away that he dropped the ball, so I picked it up a little bit late."

Here are a few thoughts on the Tribe.

1. Throwing heat: Aroldis Chapman threw 19 fastballs in the ninth inning. Here is how they measured on the radar gun, by mph: 99, 100, 99, 99, 101, 100, 102, 103, 103, 103, 101, 101, 102, 102, 101, 101, 103, 102, 102.

The Indians managed a hit and a walk off of the southpaw, but they couldn't scratch across the tying run.

2. Lights out: It's imperative to grab a lead against the Yankees before the game reaches the late innings.

Consider the Yankees' record in 2015:

When leading after six: 66-3

When leading after seven: 73-2

When leading after eight: 81-0

And in 2016:

When leading after six: 28-3

When leading after seven: 35-2

When leading after eight: 37-1

"You know going in that they're some of the best in the league," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "That doesn't mean you're not going to win. I thought we had some really good at-bats, but it's certainly challenging."

Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances each rack up strikeouts at an astronomical rate and they rarely beat themselves.

Chapman: 23 innings, five walks, 34 strikeouts

Miller: 37 2/3 innings, five walks, 67 strikeouts

Betances: 42 2/3 innings, nine walks, 76 strikeouts

Combined, that's 19 walks and 177 strikeouts in a mere 103 1/3 innings.

3. Power hour: Tyler Naquin never hit for much power in the minors. In his last 88 at-bats, however, he has slugged eight home runs. In fact, since he returned to the active roster following Marlon Byrd's dismissal, the rookie is batting .330 with a .727 slugging percentage.

Naquin is averaging one home run for every 18.9 at-bats this season (eight homers in 151 at-bats). During his minor league career, Naquin averaged one home run for every 62.1 at-bats (22 homers in 1,366 at-bats).

Francisco Lindor has had a similar, albeit less defined, change in home-run rate. Lindor averaged one home run for every 78.5 at-bats in the minors. The shortstop has averaged one home run for every 32.5 at-bats since his promotion to the big leagues.

Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis (2), Lonnie Chisenhall and Mike Napoli homered as the Cleveland Indians defeated the New York Yankees, 10-2, Friday night in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jason Kipnis went 3-for-4 with two homers and Mike Napoli was 2-for-3 with a majestic blast as the Cleveland Indians pounded the New York Yankees, 10-2, Friday night in front of a sellout at Progressive Field. The Tribe totaled five homers in support of All-Star right-hander Corey Kluber, who allowed one run on five hits in eight innings.

Here is a capsule look at the key aspect(s) of the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Time Ohio:

Nick Camino Scoreboard Watch: The first-place Indians (52-34) lead the AL Central by 7.5 games over Detroit (45-42) and by 8.0 over the White Sox (44-42) and Kansas City (44-42).

On Friday, the Tigers lost in Toronto; the Royals lost at home to Seattle; and the White Sox lost at home to Atlanta. 

Back on track: The Indians snapped a two-game skid. They lost the opener of the four-game series, 5-4, Thursday night.

Early fireworks: The Tribe belted three homers in the first inning to build a 4-0 lead against righty Chad Green. Here are its plate appearances in the first:

(L) Carlos Santana -- homer (3-1 fastball/94).

Skinny: El Oso devoured a cookie. His fourth leadoff homer, and 20th overall, this season.

(L) Jason Kipnis -- homer (1-1 fastball/94).

Skinny: Pitch supposed to be on outside edge; was inner third at knees.

(L) Francisco Lindor -- walk (3-1 fastball/95).

Skinny: Lindor showed patience after 1-1 as Green missed inside, outside and outside.

Mike Napoli -- swinging strikeout (2-2 fastball/95).

Skinny: Outside edge above knees.

(L) Jose Ramirez -- pop to left (0-0 fastball/94).

Skinny: Ramirez's attempt to ambush failed.

(L) Lonnie Chisenhall -- homer to right (2-1 changeup/85).

Skinny: Chisenhall pounced on what amounted to a BP fastball, in middle of zone.

Juan Uribe -- grounder to third (2-2 breaking pitch/85).

Skinny: Uribe reached for it.

Naptastic: With Lindor on first and one out in the third inning, Napoli stepped in against Green. Here are the pitches:

1. 91 fastball, ripped foul deep left side.

2. 95 fastball, outside.

3. 92 fastball, called strike (inside edge above knees).

4. 85 slider, outside (Napoli almost chased).

5. 94 fastball, foul.

Fox Sports Time Ohio analyst Rick Manning said: "He got the fastball here, right down the middle. That's one you want to put in play -- hit it hard somewhere. He's had a couple of good pitches to hit in this at-bat but hasn't been able to put them in play.''

Fox Sports Time Ohio play-by-play voice Matt Underwood said: "I don't think you'll see another fastball.''

6. 92 fastball, inside (belt).

Underwood: "Oh, Green did. But he ran it in off the plate.''

Manning: "I think now you'll see a breaking ball away. A cutter maybe. Something off the dish, trying to get him to pull.''

7. 95 fastball (over plate, belt), blast to left.

Napoli went hunting for drummer John Adams, the ball and its passengers traveling an estimated 467 feet to the high end of the bleachers. The Tribe led, 6-0.

Underwood: "Napoli absolutely teed off! A two-run homer makes it 6-0! Oh, my.''

Manning: "There is a party at Nap's tonight. Green threw him the 3-2 fastball, and boy, did he demolish it. He didn't miss that one....I'm a little surprised Green came back with a heater.''

Goodness, Napster. #indians @SportsTimeOhio pic.twitter.com/SwoSMooLhe

-- Dennis Manoloff (@dmansworld474) July 9, 2016

Yankees catcher Brian McCann set up on outside edge. McCann and Green tempted fate by throwing another heater, even as Napoli had struck out swinging in the first inning on a fastball.

Fab Four: Santana, Kipnis, Lindor and Napoli finished a combined 7-for-13 with three walks, five extra-base hits, seven RBI and eight runs. 

Klubotic: Kluber (9-8, 3.61 ERA) walked none and struck out eight. He threw 68 of 96 pitches for strikes.

Here is the outcome of each plate appearance against Kluber:

1st inning

(L) Brett Gardner -- single to left (2-1 fastball/93 mph).

(L) Jacoby Ellsbury -- grounder/fielder's choice 4-6 (1-0 fastball/92).

Skinny: Good play by second baseman Kipnis ranging into hole.

(L) Carlos Beltran -- GIDP 3-6-3 (0-1 cutter/88).

Skinny: Good play by first baseman Napoli, who jumped to grab one-hopper and made accurate throw to shortstop Lindor.

2nd inning

(L) Brian McCann -- single to left (1-2 fastball/93).

Skinny: McCann jammed and blooped it. Bad break for Kluber.

(L) Mark Teixeira -- swinging strikeout (1-2 slider/84).

Skinny: Over plate and dived to feet.

Starlin Castro -- swinging strikeout (0-2 slider/83).

Skinny: Castro chased pitch in dirt.

(L) Didi Gregorius -- single to center (2-2 fastball/92).

Skinny: Kluber just missed with previous pitch, a fastball near inside edge.

(L) Chase Headley -- pop to short (1-1 cutter/89).

Skinny: Excellent pitch jammed Headley.

3rd inning

Rob Refsnyder -- grounder to third (0-1 fastball/93).

Skinny: Excellent pitch jammed Refsnyder.

(L) Brett Gardner -- grounder to second (3-2 fastball/93).

Skinny: Kluber recovered from 3-1 count. Outer half led to chopper.

(L) Jacoby Ellsbury -- fly to left (0-2 slider/84).

Skinny: Kluber controlled at-bat by opening with fastball for called strike and slider foul.

4th inning

(L) Carlos Beltran -- liner to left (2-0 fastball/92).

(L) Brian McCann -- called strikeout (2-2 slider/84).

Skinny: McCan gave up on pitch on outer third.

(L) Mark Teixeira -- grounder to second (0-0 fastball/92).

Skinny: Shifted Kipnis fielded in shallow right.

5th inning

Starlin Castro -- fly to right (0-1 cutter/88).

Skinny: Chisenhall, already pinched in, read it well and made sliding catch to deny Castro a bloop hit.

(L) Didi Gregorius -- double into right-field corner (1-2 fastball/93).

Skinny: Off inside edge at knees.

(L) Chase Headley -- swinging strikeout (0-2 slider/83).

Skinny: Nasty tilt.

Rob Refsnyder -- grounder to third (0-0 cutter/88).

Skinny: Refsnyder ripped a hanger but Uribe made terrific pick of short hop.

6th inning

(L) Brett Gardner -- swinging strikeout (2-2 fastball/92).

(L) Jacoby Ellsbury -- fly to left (2-0 fastball/92).

Skinny: Ramirez made catch on track.

(L) Carlos Beltran -- called strikeout (1-2 fastball/93).

Skinny: Comeback action to inside edge at knees.

7th inning

(L) Brian McCann -- homer to left (0-1 fastball/92).

Skinny: McCann went with pitch on outside edge for rare Jensen Lewis Oppo Taco.

Austin Romine -- liner to left (1-0 cutter/88).

Skinny: Romine put a good swing on a hanger.

Starlin Castro -- fly to left (1-0 slider/82).

(L) Didi Gregorius -- fly to right (0-1 changeup).

Skinny: Location (outer half) took sting out of bat.

8th inning

Ronald Torreyes -- grounder to third (3-2 fastball/91).

Skinny: Ramirez, who had moved from left field, made play seamlessly.

Rob Refsnyder -- swinging strikeout (0-2 fastball/92).

(L) Aaron Hicks -- swinging strikeout (2-2 slider/84).

LeBron James has yet to notify the Cleveland Cavaliers of when he intends to re-sign, league sources informed cleveland.com.

LAS VEGAS - LeBron James has yet to notify the Cleveland Cavaliers when he intends to re-sign, league sources informed cleveland.com during NBA Summer League.

July 7 was the day free agents were officially able to sign contracts.

Team officials have reached out to the camp of James for an answer to no avail, sources say. However, there are some officials within the organization who don't view the situation as a concern.

James will eventually put the pen to the paper, but his hesitancy is unclear at the moment. The day of the championship parade, James told cleveland.com he was returning to defend the city's first professional title in 52 years.

Rich Paul, James' agent, has received phone calls inquiring about his client's availability and they have been told he's going back to Cleveland. Miami wasn't one of the teams who called, I'm told.

James is currently in Los Angeles at his new home.

J.R. Smith, another client of Paul, is also still out on the market, but he is also expected to re-sign with the club.

Napoli struck the right-hander's high fastball with the proper part of the bat and sent the baseball into orbit. After it flirted with the moon, gravity yanked it back toward Earth, where it bounced a few feet from John Adams' famous drum at the top of the left-field bleachers. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Mike Napoli could hardly utter a word before Francisco Lindor shouted from the other side of the Indians' clubhouse.

Tell them the truth!, Lindor yelled.

"I'm going to tell them the truth," Napoli said, referencing the throng of reporters standing before him after the Tribe's 10-2 win against the Yankees on Friday night.

You got jammed a little bit!

"It rattled in my hand a little bit," Napoli joked.

It didn't rattle in his hand. He wasn't jammed or fooled or outfoxed by New York hurler Chad Green.

Napoli struck the right-hander's high fastball with the proper part of the bat and sent the baseball into orbit. After it flirted with the moon, gravity yanked it back toward Earth, where it bounced a few feet from John Adams' famous drum at the top of the left-field bleachers.

Sometimes you surprise yourself!

.@MikeNapoli25, a 460-foot homer, Hammy and @statcast make for a really fun combination.https://t.co/s27OkXpNjhhttps://t.co/tfh2ZfUyQ0

-- Cleveland Indians (@Indians) July 9, 2016

"I got a pitch up in the zone and I swung hard," Napoli said. "I just caught it perfect."

Napoli nearly went where only Mark McGwire has gone before. McGwire struck the scoreboard with a home run in 1997.

It doesn't take a sabermatrician or a mad scientist to know that Napoli's two-run shot traveled a long way. The league's Statcast data measured the blast at 460 feet. It left Napoli's bat at 107 mph.

"I don't know how you hit a ball that far," said Tribe manager Terry Francona.

Napoli didn't really notice the distance on the home run, since he put his head down and initiated his trot. He did, however, head down the tunnel and into the Indians' video room to watch a replay later in the game.

"We haven't even seen one go there in [batting practice]," said Jason Kipnis, who clubbed a pair of home runs himself. "That was a fun one to watch."

The Indians ambushed Green for three home runs in the first inning. Then, Napoli overshadowed his teammates' power displays with a blast for the ages.

Don't lie, Nap! You got beat!

"To be honest, you really don't feel it off the bat," Napoli said. "I don't know. I can't really explain it."

Tell them you hate it when you miss it!

"Hey!" Napoli shouted at Lindor. "You come do this!"

Lindor didn't nearly dent the scoreboard, though. Only Napoli invaded the drummer's personal space, with his 18th homer of the season. He hit 18 all of last season and 17 in 2014.

"I hit it well," Napoli said. "I don't really know what else to say about it. I caught it flush and it traveled well."

Cleveland.com’s high school football coverage is expanding in 2016, and a centerpiece of that expansion will be a weekly statewide Top 25 ranking. Here's a look at Midview and Massillon Perry.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland.com’s high school football coverage is expanding in 2016, and a highlight of that expansion will be a weekly statewide Top 25 ranking.

The preseason countdown to the Ohio Super 25 will begin Aug. 1, with a new team profiled each day through Aug. 25. To get you ready, we’re presenting 50 contenders for the Top 25 throughout July. Each day through July 29 we will provide a brief look at two of the 50 contenders. Today’s teams: Midview and Massillon Perry.

Midview

2015 record: 11-1 (Division II, Region 4 semifinalist)

About the Middies: Senior QB Dustin Crum has led the Middies to a pair of undefeated regular seasons and could have his name all over Midview's record books. Despite injuries, Crum was a second team All-Ohioan in 2015 after he threw for 2,642 yards and 32 touchdowns, and rushed for 697 yards and six touchdowns. But he lost his top three receivers from 2015, including Logan Bolin. Alec Forrer returns to provide some help in the backfield. Defensively, look for junior Jake Snider to be the anchor after recording a team-high 143 tackles last year. Midview has not lost a regular season game since Oct. 18, 2013.

Massillon Perry

2015 record: 12-3 (Division II state runner-up)

About the Panthers: Massillon Perry had a spectacular 2015 season led by Mr. Football Keishaun Sims' 3,224 yards rushing and 43 touchdowns. He may be gone, but the Panthers and coach Keith Wakefield have seven starters returning on both sides of the football including Tevion Cleveland at running back/safety (963 yards, seven touchdowns, 4 interceptions on defense), senior offensive lineman and Michigan State commit Matt Carrick and junior QB Max Baker, who will be a three-year starter. Only Massillon and Cincinnati La Salle scored more than 17 points against the Panthers.

Cleveland.com Ohio Super 25 contenders thus far

Hudson, Worthington Kilbourne

Huber Heights Wayne, Toledo Whitmer

Benedictine, Pickerington Central

Glenville, Cincinnati La Salle

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Sung Hyun Park has a two-shot lead at the midway point of the 2016 U.S. Women's Open Championship.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sung Hyun Park shot a 6-under 72 on Friday and takes a two-shot lead into today's third round of the 2016 U.S. Women's Open Championship in San Martin, Calif.

Today's third round at CordeValle Golf Club begins at 11:13 a.m. (Eastern) and will be televised by FOX Sports from 3-7 p.m. Click here for third-round pairings and tee times. You can also follow along on the USGA's live leaderboard.

Park, 22, used a run of four birdies in six holes to build her lead. Her only bogey came on No. 17 when she missed a short putt.

First-round leader Mirim Lee and Amy Yang are tied for second at 6-under, with Lydia Ko and Haru Nomura tied for fourth at 5-under. Ko is World No. 1. Lee tied a U.S. Women's Open record by shooting 8-under on Thursday.

LINKS

• Martha Burk calls for U.S. Women's Open to leave Trump National (USA Today)
• Pros' clubs at the U.S. Women's Open (Golf.com)
• Fox Sports kinda sorta covers U.S. Women's Open (Albany Times Union)

UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION
U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN

Site: San Martin, Calif.
Course: Cordevalle Golf Club. Yardage: 6,784. Par: 72.
Purse: TBA (2015: $4.5 million, $810,000 for the winner).
Television: FOX Sports (Saturday-Sunday, 3-7 p.m).
Defending champion: In Gee Chun.
Last week: Brooke Henderson won the Cambia Portland Classic for her second victory this year.
Notes: While the U.S. Open has been held 12 times in California, this is only the third U.S. Women's Open in the Golden State. The other two were at Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento in 1982 and San Diego Country Club in 1964. ... South Koreans have won the U.S. Women's Open four times in the last five years. The exception was Michelle Wie at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014. ... Lydia Ko (ANA Inspiration) and Brooke Henderson (KPMG Women's PGA) are both teenagers. If Henderson wins, she would replace Ko as the youngest LPGA player with two majors. ... CordeValle hosted a PGA Tour event from 2010-13. Jimmy Walker won the last time there. ... This is the final week for players to qualify for the Olympics. ... The Women's Open is to be played next year at Trump National in New Jersey.
Next week: Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report)

Take a look at the revamped safety position as training camp approaches. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The safety position will look very different for the Cleveland Browns when they take the field against Philadelphia to open their season. Gone are Tashaun Gipson -- lost to Jacksonville via free agency -- and Donte Whitner -- sent packing in April and still looking for work.

Both free safety and strong safety fall square in the category of "OK, show what you've got," in 2016. As it stands now, two familiar faces are slated to open training camp as starters while a mix of draft picks, undrafted free agents and a relatively young veteran fight it out with them.

"I think our secondary, it's a sleeper right now," cornerback Joe Haden said, "but I feel like we can be special. With (Ibraheim Campbell), people don't really pay attention to him as much, he's a really, really smart player, and, like coach said, we've got (Jordan) Poyer. We brought in Rahim (Moore). It's just opportunities. It's just opportunities and competition, and that's going to bring out the best in people." 

Here's a closer look at the men competing for the two positions.

The starters 

Ibraheim Campbell 

The 2015 fourth-round pick started once last season when Whitner missed the Thursday night game in Cincinnati due to a concussion. Now he's slotted into one of the starting jobs, something he was hoping for. 

"(Whitner and Gipson leaving) really didn't change my approach at all because I was looking to compete for a starting position regardless of whether they were here or not," Campbell said, "and that was what you expect from anyone on your team." 

He appeared in 15 games in 2015, mostly working on special teams. 

Jordan Poyer 

Poyer has started four games during his three-year NFL career, all coming last season. He's worked his way up from special teamer when he first signed with the Browns to starter.  

"(Playing in Ray Horton's defense) is something that I'm excited about and it's something that I think all of our safeties are going to be able to compete and play in," Poyer said, "and so, definitely, definitely excited about this defense that Coach Horton's bringing to us and we're going to go from there." 

He ended last season with two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a sack. 

Names to know 

Sean Baker 

The Browns signed Baker to the practice squad at the end of last season. He is a Canfield native who came into the league as an undrafted free agent with Tampa Bay and has spent time with Atlanta and Indianapolis. He appeared in five games with the Falcons in 2014. 

Don Jones 

Jones was added last season and played mostly on special teams. The Browns are his fourth team. 

Derrick Kindred 

The Browns selected Kindred in the fourth round of the 2016 draft. He played his entire senior season at TCU with a broken collarbone. 

"I always knew I was tough," Kindred said on a conference call after the Browns picked him. "I kind of made the decision to play through myself. Coach (Gary Patterson), he already had in his mind that I was going to sit out and redshirt but I walked in the room and told him that I was going to play so as far as the toughness part, I already knew I was pretty tough. It was just a different kind of showing my abilities and getting better from there." 

Rahim Moore 

Moore started 54 games during the first five seasons of his career. He spent last season in Houston after beginning his career with Denver. The 26-year-old has nine interceptions, including a career-high four in 2014. 

A.J. Stamps 

An undrafted free agent out of Kentucky, the nephew of former NFL running back Sylvester Stamps collected five interceptions after transferring to Kentucky from East Mississippi Community College.

Kevin Harvick is on the pole at Kentucky for NASCAR's Quaker State 400 tonight.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --Kevin Harvick is on the pole for the Quaker State 400 in Kentucky tonight at 7:30 p.m. on NBCSN. Rain hampered practice and washed out qualifying so the lineup is based on current standings.

Brad Keselowski is beside Harvick on the starting grid, so get used to that formation, or something close, as Harvick and Keselowski are two drivers almost assured of making The Chase at the end of the season for a NASCAR title.

There are just nine races remaining on the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2016 schedule before the Chase for the Championship begins and a few notable names are still on the outside but within striking distance of earning a spot in the Chase.

You can stay up to date with the race by following on NASCAR's Race Center.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP
QUAKER STATE 400
Site: Sparta, Kentucky.
Schedule: Saturday, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN.
Track: Kentucky Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: (400.5 miles, 267 laps)
Last year: Kyle Busch began a three-race winning streak by taking first in Kentucky.
Last week: Brad Keselowski finally got his first win at Daytona and gave Team Penske its 100th victory in the series.
Fast facts: The win moved Keselowski into second place in the points race, just 14 behind Kevin Harvick. But Keselowski already has three wins, compared to just one victory for Harvick. ... Tweaks to the rear spoiler, front splitter and rear deck fin used last month in Michigan will be in play this weekend. NASCAR says it wants to reduce aerodynamic downforce and side force in an effort to promote competition.
Next race: New Hampshire 301, July 17, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Breaking down the main and preliminary card for UFC 200 on Saturday.

The new Cleveland Browns coaching staff has inherited six former first-round picks (2007-15) from past regimes. Can they find some value in players besides Joe Thomas and Joe Haden?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I recently did a video about how new Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson inherited five former Browns first-round picks who have had some sort of problems.

The other first-rounder still on the roster is Joe Thomas (2007), who is headed to the Hall of Fame.

I wanted to take a deeper look at the first-round picks, because this is a key part of coaching: Can you take struggling players who are still relatively young and once were highly regarded -- and find meaningful roles for them on the team.

In most cases, a player picked in the first round had some ability that appealed to scouts. Being a first-round pick brings high expectations, especially to a losing team such as the Browns.

After a few years, it's obvious some first-rounders are not going to be impact players. They may not even be full-time starters.

But can a coaching staff squeeze some value out of them?

Here's a look at those first-rounders since 2010:

• 2010: Joe Haden: Coming off ankle surgery.
• 2011: Phil Taylor: No longer with team.
• 2012: Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson: No longer with team.
• 2013: Barkevious Mingo: Can't find a role.
• 2014: Justin Gilbert: Still with team, lots of problems.
• 2014: Johnny Manziel: No longer with team.
• 2015: Cameron Erving and Danny Shelton: Very early in their careers.

Quick review: There have been NINE first-round picks by the Browns since 2010. Only Haden has made a Pro Bowl. Only Haden is a lock to start this season. But even Haden has a huge question mark next to his name because he's coming off ankle surgery. It's unclear if he'll be ready for the season.

We can engage in the usual weeping and gnashing of teeth when talking about the Browns failures in the first round of the draft.

But a more important mission for Jackson and his coaches is salvaging something from these drafts.

ABOUT BARKEVIOUS MINGO

For example, defensive coordinator Ray Horton was with the Browns when they drafted Mingo in 2013. That season, Mingo had five sacks. He came back from having a bruised lung in the preseason after being hit on special teams.

But offensive linemen discovered Mingo had only one spin move to rush the passer, and soon they dealt with it. After five sacks as a rookie, he had two more in 2014.

Last season, Mingo played only 25 percent of the snaps on defense. He was mostly in pass coverage. No sacks, few memorable big plays. His main contribution last season was on special teams.

"We have to do something to utilize his God-given ability," Horton said of Mingo, who was the No. 6 pick in the 2013 draft.

But what?

Mingo helped on special teams, playing 85 percent of those snaps.

The 6-foot-4 former 4-3 defensive end at LSU never fully adapted to being an outside linebacker in a 3-4 in the NFL.

Horton has said Mingo "runs like a gazelle on the field," but a linebacker also has to hit people. He weighed only 227 at the end of last season. He supposedly is up to 250 pounds.

Future: The Browns turned down his $12 million option for 2017. No surprise there. Look at the list of other notable outside linebackers: Paul Kruger, Nate Orchard, Emmanuel Ogbah and Joe Schobert.

The team's 2016 second-round pick, Ogbah has been impressive in minicamp. Schobert also is a rookie, he can play both inside and outside linebacker and is supposed to be strong on special teams. Kruger and Orchard would probably be considered the starters as of right now.

As Horton said about Ogbah: "Collectively we were shocked at his first individual drill at how well he's able to move ... there was a collective smile on the faces of the coaches. He is so much more athletic than what he showed on tape."

It's hard to see where Mingo fits.

ABOUT JUSTIN GILBERT

The Browns are saying some cautiously nice things about Gilbert.

"He has a ton of God-given ability that we as coaches have to get out," said Horton of the No. 8 pick in the 2014 draft.

But how? And how is Gilbert's mental approach?

I was told he's been on time for meetings and practices this spring. He has been reasonably attentive. But it's obvious the Browns missed something in terms of background checks on Gilbert, who was late for things in his first two seasons.

He also lacks a lot of confidence. He played only five percent of the defensive snaps last season. The Browns believe Gilbert is mentally worn down by his lack of success, and they are trying to build him up.

"He's been sensational," Jackson said in early June. "He's done everything we've asked him to do the way we've asked him to do it... He's very talented, as we all know. He's done everything right thus far, and I'm very proud of him."

Tramon Williams and Haden (if healthy) are expected to start at cornerback. K'Waun Williams will cover slot receivers.

Future: Before getting too excited, Gilbert has a lot to prove. That includes on the field, where he often looked lost in the little bit he did play in his first two seasons.

Gilbert will battle with Jamar Taylor, Pierre Desir, Charles Gainers and rookie Trey Caldwell for playing time.

Desir has been playing some safety. Taylor was a 2013 second-round pick by Miami who failed there. The Browns believe he's worth another chance. Gaines and Caldwell are aggressive, low-round picks fighting for their NFL lives.

Gilbert needs that same desperate approach, something he has never shown.

I have major doubts about Gilbert, despite all the happy talk coming from Berea. This front office and coaching staff didn't draft him. So they don't have to make an extra effort to have him on the field to make a high pick look good.

ABOUT JOE HADEN

This is a challenge for the new Browns strength and sports science staff.

Haden is coming off a season where he played only five games. He had a broken finger, rib injuries, two concussions and a major ankle surgery on March 16.

Haden hopes to be ready for the season, but will that be the case? How will he play when he returns? Haden had a poor season in the games where he did play, as he never was healthy.

The key is not only Haden recovering from his injuries, but also staying healthy. He had no significant injuries in his first five seasons. He's only 27, so age is not the issue. It will come down to durability.

Tramon Williams is 33. He played 92 percent of the snaps last season. A repeat is a lot to ask.

K'Waun Williams has had at least two concussions in the last two years with the Browns.

That's why Gilbert has a far better chance to make an impact than Mingo. The Browns need depth at cornerback.

ABOUT CAMERON ERVING

I was shocked to see Erving actually played 38 percent of the snaps on the offensive line last season. It seemed much less.

But when injuries hit at the end of last season, he played a lot of guard (both right and left) in five games. In those games, he was on the field for at least 95 percent of the snaps. It was a rocky road for the rookie from Florida State.

He was the 19th pick in the 2015 draft, and selected as a center. He was insurance in case Alex Mack left via free agency. The Pro Bowl center indeed did just that, signing with Atlanta after last season.

Future: The Browns have basically handed the center job to Erving. Early reviews are positive, but no one is really blocking and tackling until real training camp starts in late July. The other center candidate is Mike Matthews, an undrafted free agent. The door is wide open for Erving to take over as the starter.

ABOUT DANNY SHELTON

As I wrote last week, weight was an even bigger issue for Shelton than most of us knew. He claims to have lost about 30 pounds, bringing him down to a weight of 335.

He was listed at 339 pounds last season, meaning he weighed more like 370. Yikes! No wonder he looked slow and tired as the season wore on.

Like Erving, he is in a spot to start. The coaches like him in the middle of the defensive line. They appreciate his positive attitude and willingness to lose the weight. He just has to keep it off.

IMPACT RATING

Here's my list in order of how these first-rounders can help the Browns. Remember, I'm writing about the picks between 2010-15. As for 2016 first-rounder, I love what I've seen from Baylor receiver Corey Coleman.

1. Haden: If he's healthy, he's a Pro Bowl player. If not, it's a repeat of last season. We just have to wait.

2. Shelton: He has a ton (bad pun) of ability, especially if the defensive lineman keeps in reasonable shape. I really liked the selection of Shelton last season, and the new coaching staff is high on him, too.

3. Erving: He should start. I have him third on the list because Haden and Shelton have the ability to be special. If Erving can turn into a solid starting center, that would be a major positive for the Browns. He still has to show he has the physical strength to do so.

4. Gilbert: So many issues from concentration problems off the field to simply having trouble covering receivers. He has pure physical gifts, but it takes so much more at a demanding position such as cornerback.

5. Mingo: Too much talent in front of him. I also fear he's one of these thin 4-3 defensive ends in college who can't convert to a 3-4 NFL linebacker.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had to make several complicated moves to bring Mike Dunleavy to Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- David Griffin found a way to turn Matthew Dellavedova into Mike Dunleavy.

The Cavaliers general manager didn't exactly know that would happen when Dellavedova signed a four-year, $38 million offer sheet with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Griffin realized it would cost the Cavs oodles of cash to match the Bucks offer for the backup guard. The easiest move was to simply not match the offer and move on.

Griffin began talking about a "sign-and-trade" deal with the Bucks. Like anything else with the NBA salary cap, the explanation begins at complicated and then turns incomprehensible for 99.9 percent of the population.

Griffin likes trade exceptions. They are a way for a team over the salary cap, such as the Cavs, to still obtain players. The "exception" means it's an "exception" to the standard salary cap rule.

Anyway, NBA rules allowed the Cavs to receive a $4.8 million salary cap exception and a player named Albert Miralles for Dellavedova.

MEANWHILE, IN CHICAGO

As Dwyane Wade was talking about leaving Miami for the Bulls, the Cavs were aware Chicago had to clear salary cap room to sign Wade.

That meant dumping some players.

OK, before we go any further -- Wade was never coming to the Cavs for the $3.5 million mid-level exception the team had on the salary cap. Those Cleveland rumors were designed to stir up more free agent interest in Wade.

As I wrote, Wade was mad at Miami. He wanted to be paid. He turned down $40 million for two years from the Heat. He wanted $50 million for two years. The Bulls found a way to pay him $47 million -- and Wade is a Chicago native. So that had appeal to the 34-year-old guard.

But the Bulls were looking to move small forward Mike Dunleavy.

Suddenly, the Cavs knew this $4.8 million trade exception was ... well ... perfect.

That's because Dunvleay's salary for 2016-17 is ... well ... $4.8 million.

The Cavs also included some cash in the deal. There was a report of $250,000, but I was told that figure is high.

The Cavs would have made the Dellavedova deal anyway -- but this was a terrific turn of events.

HE GETS TRADED, DON'T ASK WHY

I'm not even going to explain why a player had to be involved in both deals made by the Cavs -- but there had to be a player, according to NBA salary cap rules.

Or at least, a player-on-paper, in terms of his rights being held by an NBA team.

Meet Albert Miralles, a 6-foot-9 forward who has played in Europe since first being drafted by Toronto in 2004.

He's never played a minute in the NBA. But his contract keeps being traded from team-to-team. His contract has moved from Toronto to Miami to Boston to Milwaukee.

Catch this: Milwaukee traded the Miralles contract to the Cavs as part of the Dellavedova deal.

Then the Cavs traded Miralles to Chicago as part of the Dunleavy deal.

Miralles is 34 and his contract is now with its fifth NBA team ... including two last week.

DUNLEAVY TO CLEVELAND

Griffin has wanted to trade for Dunleavy for a few years. The Cavs love tall 3-point shooters. It's why they traded for 6-foot-11 Channing Frye in the middle of last season.

Dunleavy is 6-foot-9 and he can play either forward spot. He had back surgery in 2015, and that's why he played only 31 games. The Cavs believe he is healthy, or at least healthy enough to help them as a forward and long-range shooting threat coming off the bench.

Dunleavy averaged 7.2 points and shot .410 (.394 on 3-pointers) from the field in 23 minutes a game for the Bulls.

In his last three years with Chicago, Dunleavy is a 9.9 point scorer, shooting .429 (.394 on 3-pointers) from the field.

The analytics reveals Dunleavy shot .525 on 3-pointers when no defender was within six feet of him last season. He will receive plenty of open shots like that playing with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

For years, James liked the idea of playing on the same team with Dunleavy. He loves "snipers," as he calls long-range shooters.

Dunleavy will be 36 on September 15, so the Cavs can't play him heavy minutes. But they also don't need to do so.

MORE STUFF FROM DEALS

The Cavs still have a $9.6 million trade exception left over from the Anderson Varejao/Frye deal in February. They thought they would have to use it for Dunleavy in case they couldn't work the trade for Dellavedova.

But the Delly Deal worked. And the Cavs still have that $9.6 million exception.

That could be valuable if the Cavs need to make a trade during the season.

RICHARD JEFFERSON IS BACK

I'm not going to dig deep in all the salary cap moves needed to sign Richard Jefferson, but the Cavs were able to use some salary cap exceptions for a two-year, $5 million deal for their 36-year-old forward.

Jefferson was a very important bench player during The Finals. The Cavs love his leadership and basketball acumen.

So the Cavs have two veteran forwards (Dunleavy and Jefferson) who can come into the game and relieve James -- something the team wanted to give coach Tyronn Lue.

The Cleveland Indians have an outfield that ranks well above average in many categories, and that's why there is no urgency to trade for help. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Do the Cleveland Indians really need to trade for an outfielder?

For months, the answer was obvious -- especially with Michael Brantley out with shoulder surgery.

Brantley has batted only 39 times this season, so he has been a non-factor in the Tribe outfield.

But the Indians still have a good outfield this season. Not great, but good.

And a lot better than anyone expected.

Here's a breakdown of how the Tribe outfield ranks in the American League:

• 2nd with a .285 batting average.
• 5th with a .791 OPS.
• 7th in overall outfield defense.
• 8th with 144 RBI.
• 11th with 33 homers.

So only in home runs is the outfield way below average in the 15-team league.

It's hard for many of us to realize the outfield has been productive because it's composed of young guys and/or role players.

Most nights, the outfield is:

• Left field: Jose Ramirez.
• Center field: Tyler Naquin or Rajai Davis.
• Right field: Lonnie Chisenhall or Davis.

Manager Terry Francona deserves credit for juggling his lineup, squeezing production out of role players.

But something else happened: The kids began to grow up:

1. Ramirez is only 23. He was a .304 career hitter in the minors. The Indians thought he'd hit at some point. He first came to the Majors at the age of 21. He went into the weekend batting .291 (.768 OPS) with 4 HR and 34 RBI. He's Mr. Clutch, batting .355 with runners in scoring position.

2. Naquin is only 25. He made the team in spring training when Abraham Almonte was suspended for PEDs. He's hitting .316 (.957 OPS) with 8 HR and 20 RBI. The power is the shocker. He had only 7 HR in 327 minor league at bats last season. He's a .287 career minor league hitter. The Indians expected the 2012 first-round pick to hit for a high average. The power is a huge bonus.

3. Chisenhall is 27 and it feels as if the 2008 first-round pick has been around since Tris Speaker was player manager. After the 2015 All-Star break, Chisenhall returned from the minors. He moved from third base to right field -- and began to hit. And he has continued to hit. He now has a .303 batting average (.812 OPS) with 9 HR and 50 RBI in his new career as a right fielder. That covers 376 plate appearances.

4. A key has been Davis, who is not a kid at the age of 35. But Davis is playing like it, leading the American League with 22 stolen bases. More revealing, when he runs -- he's usually safe. He's 22-of-25 in steals. He's batting .271 (.772 OPS) with 9 HR and 33 RBI.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Here's where it becomes interesting. The Indians are leading the Central Division. Kansas City and Detroit both appear to be flawed teams. A key stat is the Tribe's 25-14 record in the Central.

The Tribe has the best pitching in the American League. The starting rotation is dominating. This was the plan heading into the season.

As I wrote last week, the Indians hoped with win with exceptional pitching, good defense, smart base running and timely hitting. That's what has happened so far.

And they've done it without Brantley, the best pure hitter on the team.

Brantley has been doing well on his latest attempt at a comeback. Hopefully he will play some games in the minors in the next week to prepare for a return to the Tribe.

Brantley averaged 17 HR, 90 RBI and batted .316 (.870 OPS) over the last two seasons. If he comes somewhat close to those numbers in the second half, the Indians have just added an impact bat.

More importantly, that allows Ramirez to play more third base. And that means less of Juan Uribe, who often looks all of his 37 years. Uribe is batting .222 (.643 OPS) with 7 HR and 22 RBI.

The Indians want to get some rest for shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jason Kipnis. They have missed a combined four games this season.

Ramirez can play third, short, second or left field.

It would be nice if Abraham Almonte began to look like the player who batted .264 (.776 OPS) with 5 HR and 20 RBI in 51 games last season.  If not, they can send him back to the minors.

HELP BELOW

1. At Class AAA Columbus, Yandy Diaz has moved from third base (earlier in his career) to the outfield. He's batting a combined .298 (.822 OPS) with 6 HR and 32 RBI between Class AA Akron and Class AAA. Scouts say Diaz is a polished hitter. The 24-year-old Cuban is only in his third pro season. He's raw in the outfield, but his right-handed bat is not far from being big league ready.

2. At Akron, the Tribe has top prospects Clint Fraizer (.286, 11 HR, 43 RBI) and Brad Zimmer (.244, 14 HR, 50 RBI, 30 stolen bases), but they are not in the picture for this season. But with Diaz, Frazier and Zimmer -- the Indians suddenly have outfield prospects coming.

3. The farm system is finally producing outfielders. Chisenhall (2008), Naquin (2012), Frazier (2013) and Zimmer (2014) are all first-round picks by scouting director Brad Grant.

We are unveiling contenders for the Ohio Super 25 preseason poll throughout July.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland.com’s high school football coverage is expanding in 2016, and a highlight of that expansion will be our weekly Ohio Super 25 poll.

The preseason rankings countdown will begin Aug. 1, with a new team profiled each day through Aug. 25. To get you ready, we’re presenting 50 contenders for the Ohio Super 25 throughout July.

Each day through July 29 we will provide a brief look at two of the 50 contenders. Here are the teams featured so far. Click on a link to learn more about the team:

Benedictine

Cincinnati La Salle

Glenville

Huber Heights Wayne

Hudson

Midview

Massillon Perry

Pickerington Central

Toledo Whitmer

Worthington Kilbourne

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