The Chicago Cubs are heavily favored to win the 2016 World Series for the first time since 1908.

The Chicago Cubs are heavily favored to win the 2016 World Series and fans are anxious for their first championship in 108 years. The Cubs won 103 games in the regular season and ended with the best record in all of baseball. But since 1969, only 11 teams with the best regular season record have won the World Series. And more importantly, the entire team is supposedly cursed. Do you think the Curse of the Billy Goat will doom the Cubs yet again or will they go all the way? Vote below.

PERSPECTIVES

 Legend has it the Cubs have been vexed by a curse since refusing to let William "Billy Goat" Sianis, owner of a local tavern, bring his goat into the ballpark as a good luck charm for Game 4 of the 1945 World Series. They haven't won a championship since.

"According to legend, the goat and Billy were upset, so then Billy threw up his arms and exclaimed, 'The Cubs ain't gonna win no more. The Cubs will never win a World Series so long as the goat is not allowed in Wrigley Field.' The Cubs were officially cursed."

Curses? Really. Nobody believes in curses. That's just bad luck, and it's about to go the Cubs' way. They've got the talent, the depth and home field advantage. So let it be written:

"I'll tell you what's happening: The Chicago Cubs are winning the 2016 World Series. It's happening because, again, curses aren't real. It's happening because the Cubs have been on an absolute tear all season and only seem to be getting better."

Curses don't exist? Explain Steve Bartman. Once a loser, always a loser!

Oh, come on. This is the best roster in all of baseball. There isn't a curse strong enough to stop the Cubs:

The Cubs have the best offense in baseball, and it's not really that close. They have the best defense in baseball, and it's not that close. They have the best bullpen in the postseason, and it's not much of an argument. They have the best starting pitching, even with Jake Arrieta's egregious 3.69 second-half ERA stinking up the joint...

Even the fans have convinced themselves that the team is cursed! You can't fight destiny.

If the Cubs don't win the World Series this year than they truly are cursed forever.

-- Brooks Benson (@Brooks__19) September 17, 2016

It cracks me up that the Cubs are like 5x better than every other team and they won't make it to the World Series because they're cursed

-- Grant (@grantbourgeois) September 16, 2016

Why is everyone acting like the Cubs aren't cursed? They're not going to win this year...

-- Mike Moneta (@Mike_Moneta) September 16, 2016

Sorry, curses are silly. You can't fight math. And the math says the Cubs are likely to win it all this year!

Cubs are #WorldSeries favorites with an implied 28.57% chance to win it all. We'll be publishing our MLB playoff simulations later today.

-- Prediction Machine (@predictmachine) October 3, 2016

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The Cleveland Indians open their second season at 8:08 p.m Thursday against the Boston Red Sox at Progressive Field. They'll follow it up with a 4:38 p.m. game on Friday -- the first two in a five-game series. There are a number of spots hosting viewing parties when the team is on the road and at home – not to mention places to hit before and after a game.

Cleveland and Boston share a rich baseball playoff history that is set to add another chapter beginning Thursday.

For many Cleveland Indians fans such as Joe Tait, the playoffs are exactly what they need at this point in their lives.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I've loved watching the Cleveland Indians this season.

There, I said it.

The same is true of my friend, Joe Tait.

That's the same Joe Tait, the now-retired Cleveland Cavaliers broadcaster. He also did Tribe games on radio and later television in the 1970s and 1980s.

He also has fallen in love with the 2016 Tribe.

Tait is battling cancer. His wife has had several major health problems and can no longer be kept at home.

"I follow them every day," Tait told me. "If I don't watch 'em, I listen on the radio."

For Tait, the Indians are a diversion and a relief from the trials of everyday life.

As the Indians open the American League Division Series on Thursday against Boston at Progressive Field, I'm hoping for a lot of October Wahoo Baseball.

There are days when Tait doesn't feel very well after the cancer treatments. There are days when he is very worn down from helping his wife through the struggles she faces.

But watching Jose Ramirez rip a double, roar around the bases and have his helmet fly off his head...

Or Mike Napoli pole-axing a baseball into the next galaxy.

Or Francisco Lindor make the kind of shortstop magic that leads you to blink and whisper ... Omar...

Or Andrew Miller with the mile-long legs standing oh-so-tall --and flinging a left-handed slider that's utterly unhittable...

Those memories and so many more bring smiles not only to the life of Tait -- but to so many of us.

Early in the season, Tait told me about being impressed with Tyler Naquin.

"That kid can hit," he said in late April.

That kid also won a game with an inside-the-park, belly-slam slide of a homer on the final play of the game.

Instead of a walk-off victory, it was a dust-off as Naquin's uniform was wonderfully filthy!

GROWING UP WITH TRIBE

Tait is 79. I still remember him starting his Tribe broadcasts with, "And it's a beautiful day for baseball!"

As he said that, the wind was howling, something like sleet was in the air.

And the Indians were preparing to lose at least 90 games once again.

"And up and throwing in the bullpen is Tom Hilgendorf," Tait would say.

Once in awhile, a broadcaster such as Jerry Coleman would explain, "And throwing up in the bullpen is..."

No, that's what the fans did when certain guys came to the mound.

But not this year.

Not with this team, this bullpen.

Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero, Zach McAllister, Jeff Manship and Miller. That's five relievers and the highest ERA is 3.44 belonging to McAllister.

For the fans, it has been a real relief to watch the Tribe -- and the American League's best bullpen.

OK, Baltimore's bullpen (3.40 ERA) had a slightly better ERA than the Tribe (3.45 ERA), but the Indians are the best since August 1 and the coming of Miller Time to Cleveland.

THEY WON HOW MANY?

This is not meant as an insult to the Tribe. Rather, it's a huge compliment.

But how did the Indians win 94 games? I'm not going to repeat the lamentable list of injuries. Tribe fans know it by heart.

This may be the most surprising, over-achieving Cleveland Indians team in history.

OK, here's the disclaimer.

I'm sure there were some truly awful Tribe teams that ended the season with mediocre records -- making them impressive over-achievers.

I'm not talking going from way back in the standings to the middle of the pack.

I'm talking about how the 2016 Indians won more games than the Boston Red Sox.

Think about that.

The Indians with all their injuries and their modest payroll ended up with at 94-67, compared to 93-69 for Boston.

A BEAUTIFUL MONTH FOR THE PLAYOFFS!

I realize that means nothing once the best-of-five ALDS starts.

But that 94-67 record meant a lot in the regular season.

It meant a Central Division title, beating defending champion Kansas City and the free-spending, usually Tribe eating Tigers.

It meant 11 walk-off victories at home.

It meant home field for the playoffs.

It meant more baseball for Tribe fans who can't get enough -- even if health problems and other factors mean they can't get to the ballpark.

And for so many fans, that means a lot.

Leg injuries to standout running backs DeCavilon Reese of Benedictine and Elyria's Chris Atkinson curbed the first half of their football seasons. With them back, their teams have renewed hope.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The rigorous toll at running back already claimed part of the senior seasons for DeCavilon Reese and Chris Atkinson.

Reese suffered a thigh injury in Week 3 during Benedictine’s 47-40 loss at Cleveland Heights.

A high ankle sprain sidelined Atkinson for parts of Elyria’s 3-2 start.

Both said last weekend they felt much better. Their play provided the proof: 182 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries for Reese, and a season-high 155 yards and four touchdowns for Atkinson.

Reese’s play lifted Benedictine to a 23-22 win Friday against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, a must-win situation for a Division III program hoping to make it back to the playoffs.

“My senior year it hurts so bad,” Reese said of his two-game absence. He also missed time his junior year. “That’s why I had to come out here and make up for it.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Atkinson nearly carried Elyria to a win Saturday at Shaker Heights. His fourth-quarter running pushed the Pioneers (3-3) into the lead before Atkinson and Co. watched Shaker Heights’ potent passing game reclaim control for a 36-28 overtime win.

“We’ve just got to go to practice and work hard to be the best we can,” Atkinson said. “Losing this game makes it very hard to get into the playoffs, so we just gotta get our minds straight.”

A playoff team last year in Division I, Elyria dropped to eighth in Region 2 with its loss. The Pioneers still have much work left with Euclid (4-2), Solon (5-1) and Mentor (2-4) still on their schedule.

Those teams know what they could face in Atkinson, who is complemented by 5-4 Tyre Stephens and quarterback Dontae Beckett.

Opposing quarterback Jamir Dismukes of Shaker Heights left his home field Saturday not surprised by the play of a healthy Atkinson.

“That’s a grown man,” Dismukes said. “I watched all of his film, so I know what he can do.”

This came just moments after Atkinson broke free from a pack of defenders, shook off tackles and barreled down the field to set up Elyria’s go-ahead score.

Meanwhile, Reese and the Bengals (2-4) moved up to 13th in the Division III, Region 10 playoff rankings with their win. They must reach the top eight for a chance at a run like last year’s regional final appearance.

All four of Benedictine’s losses were by seven points or fewer. That includes the loss at Cleveland Heights in which the 5-10, 195-pound Reese rushed for 253 yards before leaving.

He has 714 yards and 10 touchdowns in four games.

Both players have yet to announce a college decision.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

There's less than 24 hours left to vote in the quarterfinal round of the Best High School Marching Band in Greater Cleveland competition.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The best marching band quarterfinals polls close Wednesday at 7 a.m., which means there's less than 24 hours left to vote and get your band into the semifinals.

To add suspense, we're hiding voting percentages for the final day. All four races are tight. See below for an update on each matchup as well as the poll to cast your vote.

And tune into cleveland.com's Facebook page Wednesday at 10 a.m. for a live video reveal of the bands that have advanced to the final four in cleveland.com's quest to find the Best High School Marching Band in Greater Cleveland.

Here's an update on the standings as of Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.:

No. 1 Riverside Regiment vs. No. 8 Hudson Explorers: Riverside took an early lead and is still holding it with 53 percent of the votes. Hudson has 47 percent. 

No. 2 Avon Lake Shoremen vs. No. 7 Berea-Midpark Titans: The Shoremen are currently trailing slightly behind the Titans, who lead 50.27 percent to Avon Lake's 49.73 percent.

No. 3 Brunswick Blue Devils vs. No. 6 Shaker Heights Raiders: This race is tight, with both schools currently bringing in 50 percent of the votes. 

No. 4 Cuyahoga Falls Black Tigers vs. No. 5 Elyria Pioneers: Cuyahoga Falls has the lead with 53 percent of the vote. 

Again, voting in each quarterfinal matchup is open until Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 7 a.m. You can vote once an hour.

Remember, votes must come from the United States and do not carry over from previous weeks.

When casting your vote, be sure to complete the captcha step that appears after you click "vote."

The remainder of the contest will go as follows:

Oct. 6-12: Voting in the semifinals round. Cleveland.com will be at each band's performance at that week's football game for videos, photos and feature content for the website.

Oct. 13-20: Voting in the final round to determine the winner of Greater Cleveland's Best High School Marching Band contest. Cleveland.com will again feature the two finalists during football games this week.

Cleveland.com's "Best of" team will visit the winning band during its game Oct. 20-22 and present the band with an award.

Check back on cleveland.com/best throughout the contest for ongoing coverage. 

While October is its own animal, there might be a handful of numbers that offer the Indians some hope as they battle Boston in the American League Division Series. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Everything resets once the postseason commences.

The Cubs no longer sit 45 games above the .500 mark. The Indians' three-game winning streak will become a distant memory once they take the field on Thursday night.

The regular season is in the rearview and a new season, the postseason, is upon us. The team that overwhelmed its competition from April through September doesn't always excel in October. Occasionally, it's a Wild Card team that catches a wave of momentum at a convenient time.

"It resets," said Tribe manager Terry Francona. "I've been on both. Having your pitching set up, I would say, trumps everything else. Even if you're not playing well, if you've got a guy who goes out there and throws nine shutout, it'll hide some things. But, if you think you're playing pretty good, and you've got a guy go out there and give up seven, that's tough."

The Indians have their pitching set up, though they would have preferred if Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar could be involved.

Still, while October is its own animal, there might be a handful of numbers that offer the Indians some hope as they battle Boston in the American League Division Series.

Let's take a look.

2: The maximum number of days in a row with a game in the ALDS. If the Indians want -- and they might have to -- they could pitch Andrew Miller, Cody Allen and the rest of their relief horses in all five ALDS games (if the series persists for that long) without deploying any of them for three consecutive days.

Miller appeared in all three games against Kansas City over the weekend, the only occasion in which he pitched in three straight contests all year. He won't have to repeat that sort of output in the ALDS.

An off-day sits between Games 2 and 3 and between Games 4 and 5. For a team without its ideal starting rotation, and with a deep, skilled bullpen, that's helpful.

23: Strikeouts for every walk that Miller registered as a member of the Indians. Since the club acquired him prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, Miller totaled two walks and 46 strikeouts over 29 innings. Is there a better weapon to use against David Ortiz and the heart of Boston's order?

It's a small sample size, sure, but Miller has logged 8 1/3 scoreless innings in his postseason career. In those appearances, he has held the opposition to one hit and one walk, to go along with 10 strikeouts.

1.69: Josh Tomlin's September ERA. Across 26 2/3 innings, he allowed five runs and only one home run. Is it enough to overshadow his 11.48 ERA in August? Maybe not, especially since all four September starts came against Kansas City and Chicago, a pair of teams with offenses that pale in comparison to the one Tomlin will encounter on Sunday at Fenway Park.

It's certainly better to have the right-hander taking the hill on the heels of four strong starts than on the heels of five lousy ones. Of course, there's no guarantee that anything will carry over.

1: The Indians' rank, among AL teams, in stolen bases, stolen-base percentage and extra-base-taken percentage. The Royals demonstrated in 2014 and '15 just how valuable baserunning can be. The Indians have adopted an aggressive approach on the basepaths this season, which undoubtedly contributed to their overall offensive output; the club ranked second in the AL in runs scored, despite a below-average OPS+ (team OPS relative to the rest of the AL).

Rajai Davis led the AL with 43 stolen bases. Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis all tallied at least 15.

Indians given 9-to-1 odds to win World Series

3: Days off for the Indians prior to Thursday's series opener. Mike Napoli established new career highs for games played and plate appearances this season. So, too, did Kipnis, Ramirez, Lindor and Carlos Santana. The Indians will hold full team workouts at Progressive Field on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, but by the time Thursday's first pitch arrives, they'll have had about 96 hours to rest their legs.

The Browns have 16 rookies on the active roster, and nine have started games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Browns have 16 rookies on the active roster. That includes 13 drafted by the team.

As the Browns try to identify which ones will become part of the team's core going forward, we're asking you which ones have performed the best so far.

Nine rookies have started games through the first quarter of the season. That group includes third-round pick Cody Kessler, who will start his third consecutive game at quarterback Sunday against New England. It also includes free-agent pickup Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who returned an interception for a touchdown against Miami in his first NFL game.

Check out the list below to see how the rookies have performed so far, then let us know which you think has done best by voting in the poll. You can explain your answer in the comments section.

Browns Rookie Tracker Week 4

Briean Boddy-Calhoun, DB (undrafted): A free-agent pickup in the final week of the preseason, he has started the last two weeks and had a pick-six against Miami. He also has one sack and one pass defensed.

Corey Coleman, WR (first round): Has seven catches for 173 yards, including 5-104 and two touchdowns against the Ravens. He has missed the last two weeks with a hand injury.

Tyrone Holmes, DE (sixth round by Jacksonville): Was inactive for Week 1 and has been used sparingly since then. In a season-high 14 snaps against Miami, his QB pressure against Miami helped lead to a pick-six.

Cody Kessler, QB (third round): Started the past two weeks due to injuries. He's 49-of-73 passing for 467 yards, one touchdown and one interception for an 83.5 QB rating.

Derrick Kindred, SS (fourth round): Has started the last two weeks and has 19 tackles. A highlight was in Week 1 when his blitz led to a sack.

Ricardo Louis, WR (fourth round): Was a regular on special teams until starting the last two weeks at receiver. He has six catches for 68 yards.

Carl Nassib, DE (third round): Started Week 1 and had three tackles, a sack and battled down a pass. A Week 2 hand injury has made him inactive the last two games.

Emmanuel Ogbah, LB (second round): Has started every game and had perhaps his best game against Washington, with a team-high seven tackles. He has 13 tackles and no sacks.

Joe Schobert, LB (fourth round): Has averaged about 25 snaps on defense and started Week 2. He has six tackles.

Ricardo Louis relishes opportunity

OTHERS

(These rookies haven't played enough or had enough of an impact to be included in the poll.)

Dominique Alexander, LB (undrafted): Primarily used on special teams, getting 15-20 snaps per game.

Shon Coleman, OL (third round): Active for one week and did not play.

Seth DeValve, TE (fourth round): Averaged about 10 snaps between offense and special teams through the first three weeks, then missed Week 4 due to injury.

Spencer Drango, OL (fifth round): Had five offensive snaps through the first three games, mostly in formations with an extra lineman. Injuries led to 18 snaps against Washington.

Rashard Higgins, WR (fifth round): Has no catches in 23 snaps on offense.

Tracy Howard, CB (undrafted): Used mostly on special teams, although he saw 22 snaps on defense due to Week 3 injuries and had one tackle.

Jordan Payton, WR (fifth round): Inactive for the first two weeks and has played just three snaps on offense.

"This is what I came to Ohio State for." Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Name the greatest football player to ever play in Detroit. 

You said Barry Sanders.

Of course you did. Sanders is one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.

So that explains why Ohio State running back and Detroit native Mike Weber started off his career wearing No. 20, the same number Sanders wore during his Hall of Fame NFL career. 

Get this: Weber has a relationship with Sanders. Apparently Weber met Sanders years ago when he was a kid playing in an All-American Game. The two even golfed together and have maintained an informal friendship. 

"He wanted me to keep No. 20 because I had No. 20," Weber said of Sanders on Monday. "But I wanted No. 25, so I just changed anyway." 

Who is this guy? How could Weber -- the guy who wore an "Imported from Detroit" shirt at fall camp check in last year -- not listen to Sanders?

It's actually kind of impressive, even if it's stunning.

In a world where some worried Weber could buckle under the pressure of feeling like he needs to single-handily replace Ezekiel Elliott, it has to be a good sign that he didn't just follow Sanders' orders because he's a Hall of Famer. 

Weber wants to create his own legacy. 

So he's No. 25. 

2. Weber's favorite running back: Weber is obviously a Sanders fan, but that's not his favorite NFL player. Weber is more of a Walter Payton guy. 

"He just ran really hard," Weber said of Payton. "I like running hard. I like being a punisher running the ball. It just feels good running over people. He did a good job with that."

Sanders was best known for his elusiveness, those crazy juke moves that still light up YouTube nearly 20 years after his retirement. The 5-foot-10, 212-pound Weber has a vastly different game. 

3. National Signing Day drama. It's been more than year since Weber arrived at Ohio State amidst controversy, but in case you forgot, here's a quick recap: 

Weber was on the fence about whether to sign with Ohio State or Michigan, but a late-night phone call with former running backs coach Stan Drayton convinced him to come to Columbus. Hours later, Drayton took a job with the Chicago Bears. 

Weber was hurt. His former head coach at Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech was hurt. Both felt mislead by Urban Meyer and his staff, at least temporarily. 

It was kind of a messy situation because Weber has pride in the city from which he comes, and Michigan, of course, is Ohio State's biggest rival. 

"It was tough at first, of course," Weber told cleveland.com. "But I think I got over it through time and trusting. It was really hard to trust then, but I felt like Coach (Urban) Meyer has been through this a few times and he's a really good coach, so I just went with God for guiding me here, and it worked out for me."

4. Meyer's take on that drama. Weber was seen wearing a Michigan shirt few weeks after the National Signing Day drama occurred, and some took that as the running back questioning things. 

Meyer said Weber -- and everyone involved -- moved past it much quicker. 

Ohio State and running back Mike Weber has 495 rushing yards through the first four games of the season.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer 

"I remember it was like a day and a half, and I was shocked when it all took place," Meyer said. "I called their high school coach (Thomas Wilcher) and we had a very honest conversation. This is how it occurred. We have some pretty good built up bank with high school coaches that this is the way we operate. We don't do things that are going to disrupt young people.

"I mean (snap of the fingers), it was over. I think it carried on for a little bit maybe here, but Mike was great. He came into spring, and within a day or two everything was done. That had zero row impact once he started showing up here and getting ready to go." 

5. Ohio State is working out for Weber. Weber may not have redshirted last year had he not injured his knee in during fall camp, but his decision to come to Ohio State is clearly working out. Weber is on the verge of becoming a star. 

In his first year playing, Weber seized the starting role and through four games, he leads the Big Ten in rushing yards per game with 123.75, which also ranks No. 11 nationally. 

"This is what I came to Ohio State for," Weber said. 

All's good. 

6. Is Weber more Carlos Hyde or Ezekiel Elliott? Meyer didn't hesitate: Carlos. 

"He's a banger," Meyer said of Weber. "It's a thumper and a plus yardage guy most of the time. Zeke was, too. Doesn't have the top end that Zeke has. We're working on that. And Carlos' is a great back. We have been fortunate. I think Mike falls right in that category." 

7. Weber's physical maturation: Everyone loves to watch Weber put his shoulders down and run, but Meyer said that the running back has some more work to do on his body before he fully arrives. 

"He's still a work in progress," Meyer said of Weber. "He's not big and strong enough yet to carry the load consistently. We are very pleased with what he's doing and he has a great future, but he's not at the level as those other two yet (Elliott and Hyde). Again, we're very pleased with where he's at, but he still has a ways to go." 

Cleveland Indians hope to put Boston Red Sox in hot water as the American League Division Series starts Thursday in Cleveland

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tomorrow, the Cleveland Indians open the American League Division Series at home against the Boston Red Sox. It is a best-of-five series.

The Tribe has reason to believe they will fare better against the Red Sox in this postseason than they did during the regular season. Cleveland only managed two wins out of six regular season games against Boston.

One big reason is that Cleveland has home-field advantage for the ALDS and the other is that they have manager Terry Francona pushing the right buttons.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

The bands that advanced to the final four in cleveland.com's contest to find the best high school marching band in Greater Cleveland will be announced Wednesday morning on Facebook.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Watch a Facebook Live video Wednesday morning shortly after 10 a.m. to find out which high school marching bands have advanced to the final four in cleveland.com's contest to find the best band in Greater Cleveland.

Voting in the quarterfinals polls ended Wednesday morning at 7 a.m.

"Best of" reporters Brenda Cain and Hannah Drown will be on cleveland.com's Facebook page at 10 a.m. for a live video revealing the four bands that have advanced to the semifinals. Voting in the semifinals will start Thursday at 7 a.m.

The voting results were hidden for the last 24 hours to build suspense.

The remainder of the contest will go as follows (votes do not carry over from previous rounds):

Oct. 6-12: Voting in the semifinals round. Cleveland.com will be at each band's performance at that week's football game for videos, photos and feature content for the website.

Oct. 13-20: Voting in the final round to determine the winner of Greater Cleveland's Best High School Marching Band contest. Cleveland.com will again feature the two finalists during football games this week.

Cleveland.com's "Best of" team will visit the winning band during its game Oct. 20-22 and present the band with an award. Check back to cleveland.com/best throughout the contest for ongoing coverage.

Ubaldo Jimenez melted in the 11th inning Tuesday night. As a result, the Baltimore Orioles lost the AL wildcard game to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, in Toronto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians fans undoubtedly tried to warn Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter through their flat screens, mobile devices or car radios Tuesday night.

Don't do it, Buck. Don't do it.

Buck did it. And just like that, the Orioles' season was over.

With none on and one out in the 11th inning of a tied AL wildcard game against the Blue Jays in Toronto, Showalter signaled for....righty Ubaldo Jimenez to replace lefty Brian Duensing.

The first batter Ubaldo faced, Devon Travis, socked a 1-1 flat sinker (90 mph) to left-center for a single. Josh Donaldson lined an 0-0 flat sinker (91) to left for a single. When Nolan Reimold mishandled the ball, Travis scooted to third.

Edwin Encarnacion, he of 42 homers and 127 RBI in the regular season, prepared to step into the box. Showalter held a meeting on the mound. It would not have been a shock if one of the Orioles players asked: "By the way, Skip, why isn't Zach Britton in the game?''

Britton, Baltimore's closer, is a Cy Young Award candidate. He went 47-for-47 in save chances in the regular season, with a ridiculous 0.54 ERA. Lefty Britton and his power sinker held lefties to a .185 average -- and righties to .155.

Britton had warmed up three times in the late innings. Even though he technically was not warming at the time Ubaldo got into trouble, Britton told MLB Network reporter Heidi Watney late Tuesday that he would have been ready if called upon.

What Britton saw from the bullpen was Ubaldo throw an 0-0 pitch to Encarnacion that appeared to be another flat sinker (91). Encarnacion had no choice but to send the ball into orbit and the Blue Jays to a division series against Texas.

The Blue Jays won, 5-2, thanks to a spectacular gas-canning by Ubaldo.

After the game, Ubaldo told reporters at Rogers Centre that he was trying to throw a slider but "it didn't do anything.'' I didn't realize Ubaldo had a 91-mph slider in his quiver.

Showalter, asked about the decision heard 'round the baseball world, told reporters: "Nobody's been pitching better for us than Ubaldo. It didn't work out.''

Yes, Ubaldo was 3-1 with a 2.31 ERA in five starts in September. And yes, he had allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-0 victory in Toronto on Sept. 29 -- his final start of the regular season. But he is Ubaldo, always one pitch from a slump and author of a 5.44 ERA this regular season. And he is a starter who was being brought into the middle of an inning, with no opportunity to ease into anything.

Most importantly, though, Ubaldo is not Britton. That Ubaldo threw even one pitch in an 11-inning wildcard game when Britton did not will haunt Orioles Nation for a long time. Showalter would have gone against his book, which calls for Britton to be brought in almost always in save situations. Problem is, the season was on the line at two distinct points in the 11th inning and a fantastic reliever, Britton, never entered. The only thing Britton ended up closing was his locker safe on the way out of Rogers Centre.

Ubaldo was not the only former Indians pitcher or position player to factor in the outcome.

Michael Bourn started in right field for the Orioles and went 1-for-4 with one steal and two strikeouts. With a runner on second and one out in the Toronto fifth, Kevin Pillar faced Orioles starter Chris Tillman and flied near the right-field line. Bourn tracked it but essentially whiffed on the catch. The runner on second, Michael Saunders, stopped at third on what was ruled a double.

The next batter, No. 9 Ezequiel Carrera, singled up the middle to tie the score, 2-2. Carrera started in left field and finished 2-for-4 with the RBI and two strikeouts.

With his starting rotation bothered by injuries, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona might be going to his bullpen early in the 2016 ALDS against the Boston Red Sox. Plain Dealer writers Bill Livingston, Terry Pluto and Dennis Manoloff talk about it in this video. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians starting rotation, once the strength of the team and one of the best in baseball, is limping into the 2016 MLB Postseason.

When the Indians open the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at Progressive Field, two of their top three starters -- Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar -- will be watching, not pitching.

Trevor Bauer, who opened the season in the bullpen, will start Game 1 of the series, and presumably also Game 4, if necessary, in Boston on four days rest. Bauer has proven to the Indians that he can work on short rest, as he did when he worked five innings of relief in the 19-inning victory in Toronto this season.

After Bauer will be ace Corey Kluber, who had to leave his final start of the regular season with tightness in his groin muscle. Kluber was one of the top starters in baseball over the second half of the season and is among the top candidates for the AL Cy Young award.

Josh Tomlin will start Game 3. Tomlin was a candidate for the All-Star game, then went into a major slump in August and was moved to the bullpen for a short bit before bouncing back in three late-September starts. With a strong bullpen, it will be interesting to see how short of a leash manager Terry Francona has on his starters.

Plain Dealer columnists Terry Pluto and Bill Livingston, along with reporter Dennis Manoloff, discuss the Tribe rotation in this roundtable, the second of five videos previewing the Indians-Red Sox series. Check back later Wednesday and Thursday for more videos.

Mentor, with a 2-4 record, travels to 6-0 Medina on Friday night. See what cleveland.com's high school football reporters think will happen.

J.T. Barrett is deservedly a Heisman Trophy candidate, but what about Curtis Samuel? Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It was exactly the kind of play where Ohio State always relies on the quarterback run, on J.T. Barrett, to get a first down.

Fourth-and-1 from the Oklahoma 36-yard line? That's quarterback run all the way. Except it wasn't. The play was called for Curtis Samuel, who took a handoff and raced around the left edge for a touchdown.

Samuel looked like he was gliding. Elite athletes couldn't catch up to him.

More and more this season it feels like that when the offense needs to get going, the ball is going to Samuel. As good as Barrett has been, and he's been excellent through four games, it's Samuel that's making the offense go when given the chance.

Barrett is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Urban Meyer's quarterback usually is. But what about Meyer's H-back? It's a premier position in college football, someone asked to perform all the playmaking duties of a running back and a receiver.

Samuel is doing it as well as anyone ever has. So why isn't he a Heisman candidate?

"I think Curtis is one of a kind," Barrett said. "The versatility he has, whichever position he chooses to play, is incredible. He has a big impact on our games. I don't know the other people who are involved in the Heisman to say he should be involved, but I know he's one of the top players in the country. I can say that."

But let's present a more compelling case than just coaches and teammates saying he should be in consideration.

Let's look at some numbers.

* Samuel is Ohio State's leading receiver with 23 catches for 345 yards and three touchdowns. He's averaging 15 yards per catch.

* He's the second-leading rusher with 41 carries for 328 yards and two touchdowns. He's averaging 8 yards per carry.

* Samuel is fifth in the country in yards from scrimmage per game with 168.3, and he's done it on 64 touches. The four players ahead of him have 109 touches or more.

He's averaging 16 touches per game, and you could argue that he should be getting more. Meyer likes to spread the ball around to all of his playmakers, none of them have shown they're as explosive or unguardable as Samuel.

"It's pretty close to impossible," linebacker Chris Worley said of trying to cover Samuel.

Meyer has had a world-class H-back before. Remember Percy Harvin?

Want to hear something crazy? In Harvin's most productive season, in 2007, he had 764 rushing yards and 858 receiving yards for 1,622 total yards from scrimmage.

Samuel is on pace for 1,035 receiving yards, 984 rushing yards (2,019 total yards) and 15 touchdowns. Imagine if he returned kicks. That's the only thing keeping Samuel from being the Big Ten's version of Stanford's Christian McCaffrey.

(Full disclosure, CBS Sports' Dane Brugler made that comparison first)

Curtis Samuel is such a weapon. He's basically the Big Ten's version of Christian McCaffrey - dynamic rushing/receiving threat.

-- Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 1, 2016

McCaffrey finished second in the Heisman voting last year, and is a candidate again this year. Why isn't Samuel?

"I think it's a little harder for that position to get it, at H-back," Meyer said.

True. The Heisman is largely a quarterback award, even though running backs were the top-two vote getters last year. Any time there are dyanmic quarterbacks -- think Barrett, Louisville's Lamar Jackson and Clemson's Deshaun Watson -- it's hard for any other position to get a sniff of the Heisman.

So maybe Samuel has no shot.

But he's very quietly having one of the best seasons in college football, and is the best playmaker on arguably the best team. That guy deserves some recognition.

"He's certainly having that kind of year that he should be in the conversation," Meyer said.

What a 'true hybrid' looks like in Meyer's offense

Indians manager Terry Francona learned early to be himself and not be afraid to let players know he cared about them. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The 1997 Phillies lost 94 games. They were rookie manager Terry Francona's baby.

They opened the season with a 3-0 win over the Dodgers. Curt Schilling went eight innings and Ricky Bottalico pitched the ninth for the save.

"I thought it was going to be easy," Francona has said many times.

It wasn't.

In June the Phillies went 4-22. The Philadelphia newspapers were running daily charts comparing the hometown team to the 1962 Mets, who lost 120 games.

"It scared us," said Royals announcer Rex Hudler, who played for Francona that year.

Over the last 60 games of the season, the Phillies went 38-22. They finished with a three-game sweep of the Marlins, who beat the Indians in the World Series that year.

"The Marlins didn't care," said Francona. "They were going to the World Series, but we did. I was really proud of our guys."

That season convinced Francona he was on the right path as a manager.

"I used to ask a lot of questions, but I really, really thought that being myself was the best approach," said Francona. "Players see through you if you're not yourself, and I didn't think there was anything wrong with players knowing that you cared about them."

Which helps explain why Josh Tomlin was in Francona's office on Aug. 31 playing cribbage with him. Two hours earlier Francona told Tomlin that he was being taken out of the rotation after several bad starts.

It just so happened that Billy Donovan, head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, was visiting the Indians that day in an exchange program set up by Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, and Thunder GM Sam Presti. Donovan and one of his coaches walked past Francona's office and saw the cribbage game.

Tribe will skip Josh Tomlin's next start

Later when Francona and Donovan met, he told him what was going on.

"I explained to Donovan that two hours earlier we had taken him out of the rotation, but he came back to play cribbage with me." said Francona. "I said, 'That to me, shows that we can get through anything.' It might be a metaphor or a simile or something like that. I know Donovan thought it was cool."

Reliever Bryan Shaw is another one of Francona's regular cribbage opponents.

"I play with Shaw all the time," said Francona. "When I take him out of games, he gets mad. Again, you've got to be true to yourself. Not everybody feels like that."

Some managers keep their distance from players. Francona plays cards and cribbage with them every day. Sometimes that means there is a price to pay when bad news has to be delivered to a player.

"You never make decisions any different," said Francona. "Maybe sometimes it makes it harder, but you never make a decision because of that.

"I don't think it's bad that they know you care. Shoot, we're here because of them. There are enough tough conversations in this game, but the players are so much fun for the most part to be around, it seems like a waste not to enjoy it. I mean, shoot, they probably give me as hard a time as I give them, but when it's time to take the ball, that's baseball. And they all understand that. So it kind of makes it fun."

Francona managed four years in Philadelphia, but never had a winning season. Still, his tenants for managing were strengthened.

"What it taught me was that everything I believed in as far as loyalty, it backed it up a little bit," said Francona. "Then when you get on team with more talent, you don't change that thinking. When you have good players and you're still building that loyalty, that's when it has a chance to get pretty special."

Francona's last 12 years on the job have proven that. He produced eight straight winning seasons, including World Series champions in 2004 and 2007, as Boston's manager from 2004 through 2011. The Indians hired him after the 2012 season and they just completed their fourth straight winning season, winning their first AL Central title in nine years and making their second postseason appearance under Francona.

He ranks fifth among active managers with 1,381 victories behind Bruce Bochy at 1,789, Dusty Baker at 1,766, Mike Scioscia at 1,490 and Buck Showalter at 1,429. Francona's 12 straight winning seasons are the most by any active manager.

Thursday night the Indians and Boston meet in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. Francona will be managing against one of his best friends, John Farrell, his old pitching coach with Boston. He'll also be managing against a Red Sox organization that he helped reach great heights, but ultimately fired him after a tumultuous 2011 season.

Terry Francona shows support for John Farrell

When asked about facing the Red Sox in the postseason, Francona wanted the focus to be on the players from both teams.

"I can't let my personal feelings ever get in the way or take away from what they've done," he said.

One of the reasons Mike Napoli signed with the Indians in January was to play for Francona. The Indians also promised him that he'd be in the lineup everyday at first base or DH.

Napoli responded by setting career highs with 34 homers, 101 RBI, 604 at-bats and 150 games played. He also set a single-season franchise record with 194 strikeouts as Francona green-lighted him to swing away.

Tribe's Mike Napoli always looking to go deep

Before coming to Cleveland, Napoli spent 21/2 of the previous three years with the Red Sox. When the Indians were trying to sign him, Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia told him about Francona.

"He told me he was a player's manager, a guy that cares for everything you do, that it's genuine," said Napoli. "He said he's a guy who knows the game and that I'd love playing for him because he's such a veteran manager. Everything has come true, even more than I imagined."

Which concession stand at Progressive Field is the favorite among Cleveland Indians fans? Vote in the poll.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As the Indians get ready to play in the American League Division Series - with at least two of the games inside Progressive Field - there will be plenty of hungry fans roaming the concourse looking for their favorite ballpark food.

We want to know -- where's the best place to grab food while the starting lineup drives those runs home?

Check out all the Progressive Field vendors, along with photos of their delicious menu items in the gallery above and the poll below -- and tell us which is the very best.

We'll leave this poll open through the weekend - just in case you'd like to visit several stands during Games 1 and 2 over the next couple of days before voting. The poll will close Monday morning.

Feel free to let readers know why you voted for a certain stand in the comments section below.

Hue Jackson said he wanted players with character when he took over as head coach of the Cleveland Browns and he is making that point with his no-nonsense approach. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "I'm not going to put up with that foolishness."

Those were the words Hue Jackson said when the Cleveland Browns coach talked about the arrest of offensive lineman Alvin Bailey on a DUI charge.

Jackson made that statement when discussing why he benched Bailey for the game in Washington.

He also said he was done talking about wide receiver Josh Gordon after Gordon checked into rehab.

And the team cut troubled Armonty Bryant this week.

What's going on here?

We talk about it in this video.

What makes Shaker Heights junior quarterback a football standout? Check out this cleveland.com video and see for yourself.

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio – Each Monday, Jarvis Gibson gathers his football team at Shaker Heights for a “character building session.”

Sometimes, speakers come for it. One included former New England Patriots safety JeRod Cherry.

Gibson credits it for why his Raiders (4-2) have already equaled their combined win total from the last two years. Another reason is junior quarterback Jamir Dismukes, who took the job last year as a small but talented sophomore.

Dismukes dashed around Shaker’s Russell H. Rupp Field on Saturday to the tune of 280 yards passing and 111 yards rushing. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound quarterback also threw a season-high five touchdowns in the 36-28 overtime victory.

What makes Dismukes special for Shaker Heights? See the video above.

To Gibson, it’s Dismukes’ attention to detail as much as his on-field ability.

“He’s an extension of our offensive coordinator,” Gibson said. “He spends a relentless amount of time in our film room.”

Senior receiver Terrance Colvin echoed the sentiment.

“His feet and his brain,” Colvin said. “He thinks more than the average junior quarterback. I don’t think the average junior quarterback could make the plays he’s making right now.”

Both Colvin and junior Micah Hills surpassed 100 yards receiving Saturday. Hills has played with Dismukes since elementary school and are part of a talented junior class that includes a Division I college prospect in Jaylin Garner, who holds offers from Cincinnati and Bowling Green.

“It’s just a connection you can’t break,” Hills said.

Through six games, Dismukes has thrown for 1,124 yards and rushed for another 310.

Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Terry Francona just completed his 12th consecutive winning season as a big league manager -- eight in Boston and four in Cleveland. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Manager Terry Francona said there are times when he asks Sky Andrecheck a question that makes the senior director of baseball research and development for the Indians want to run around the room screaming.

Sometimes Francona is serious; sometimes he's just trying to add fuel to the conversation.

The Indians are deep into analytics, have been for a long time. How deep? Well, Keith Woolner, a member of the department, has the title is principal data scientist, baseball analytics. That sounds deep.

Chris Antonetti, Indians president of baseball operations, is right there as well.

"I've said some stupid things in those meetings and Chris just lets it roll off him," said Francona with a laugh. "He knows two days later I'll come to my senses."

Francona always says Antonetti is the smartest guy in the room, he just doesn't show it. Well, Francona goes about managing the same way - and it has led the Indians to four straight winning seasons, highlighted by this year's AL Central title and entry into the American League Division Series that starts Thursday night with Game 1 at Progressive Field.

It was the Indians first division title since 2007 and gave Francona 12 consecutive winning seasons in the big leagues.

When Francona was hired to manage the Phillies in 1997, he wrote the batter-pitcher matchups on the back of his lineup card for every game.

"I didn't have a computer and when somebody made a lineup change it was like, 'Oh, man,'" said Francona with a laugh.

"I didn't know the word sabermetric then, but I was probably trying to figure it out - OK, it just doesn't have to be left-on-left all the time. This guy is hitting .380 against lefties, but the people in the upper deck might be second guessing you. But it's probably not the right thing to do (to let a left-handed pitcher face a left-handed batter who is hitting .380 against lefties)."

Francona received a computer in 2003 as Oakland's bench coach. In 2004, he was named manager of the Red Sox and got another computer. He's been papering parts of his dugout wall game-in-and-game-out with printouts, matchups and other pertinent information ever since.

"After I do that, I can relax and enjoy the game," said Francona.

Does that make Francona, 57, a new-wave manager? Somebody who runs a game strictly by the numbers instead of his gut or emotions?

Hardly, but Francona has taken what works for him from baseball's analytical revolution.

"I've always tried to learn as I go," he said. "If you don't, you're missing the boat."

It was Francona's idea to move Carlos Santana from the middle of the lineup to the leadoff spot against right-handed pitching this season. The analytics people weren't sure. Francona was taking a power hitter out of the middle of the lineup and letting him hit at least once a game with no one on base.

Tribe's Santana sets good tone from leadoff spot

The move worked as Santana hit .260 (85-for-327) with 19 homers, 41 RBI and .886 OPS as a leadoff hitter. Overall, Santana hit a career-high 34 homers.

But what Francona does best is manage players. He does it by talking to them.

"Tito is the total package," said reliever Andrew Miller. "It's his ability to communicate with anybody. It doesn't matter if it's a pitcher or position player, he has the ability to put players in a position to succeed.

"Cleveland brought him here for a reason. He's backed it up."

In a game against the Phillies on April 29, Francona used closer Cody Allen in the 10^th inning with the score tied, 3-3. Using your closer on the road in a tie game is always a dicey situation for a manager. Allen grinded through six batters in the 10^th, but ended the inning with the score still tied.

Cody Allen on mound for Tribe clincher

Francona sent Allen out for the 11^th and he allowed a game-winning, lead-off homer to Ryan Howard on a 3-2 pitch. More than five months later, Francona was still kicking himself for that.

But he said that one mistake turned into something good.

"It spurred me to sit down and talk to Cody, (Corey) Kluber and (Josh) Tomlin," said Francona. "I said, "Hey, man, we've been together four years now. We need to have our communication be so much better. That needs to be one of our advantages.'

"And it was because I messed up. But, we turned it into something better, and it has helped."

Tribe, Allen lost to Phillies on walk-off homer

Said Allen, "I didn't communicate certain things properly. We talked the next day and we came to the conclusion that in order for us to be good, and for each individual guy in the bullpen to be at their best, we need to communicate.

"That was a fault on my end. That's one thing Tito is so good at. He communicates so well with his players. Especially when it comes to managing a bullpen - you have to be able to communicate with guys and he does an unbelievable job."

Antonetti and the rest of the front office have given Francona one of MLB's most versatile lineups. Indians' batters enjoyed the platoon advantage this season 70 percent of the time to lead the big leagues. Tribe pitchers enjoyed it 54 percent of the time, tying Atlanta for the first in the big leagues.

Francona has juggled platoons at the three outfield positions and for part of the season at third base. There were several times in September that he had five switch hitters in the lineup.

Stress factor, what stress factor?

"When you're getting cooperation and people are kind of selfless, where they're willing to do this to make it work, it's actually pretty fun," said Francona.

It has been the same story in the bullpen where Francona has taken Miller, one of baseball's top relievers, and used him in a variety of late-inning roles in conjunction, while still respecting the tenure and work of Bryan Shaw and Allen.

So who pitches where in Tribe bullpen?

"Tito is a master at it," said Antonetti. "He really understands people. He builds relationships. He creates connections. He has the right balance of providing a professional prepared group, but also having fun doing it.

"If there's anybody better, I'm sure I've been around him."