The Cavaliers didn't think that final play was all that bad despite late errors.

View full sizeChuck Burton / Associated PressAnthony Parker lofts his last-second shot, only to have it deflected by Charlotte's Dominic McGuire on the final play of the Cavaliers' 98-97 loss Wednesday night.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Cavaliers didn't think that final play was all that bad in their 98-97 loss to the Bobcats Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Even though they had trouble in-bounding the ball in front of the Cavs bench with 13.2 seconds left, and then got so turned around offensively that Ramon Sessions had to call another timeout with 2.8 seconds left, leaving Anthony Parker with a leaning 13-footer that Dominic McGuire deflected with .3 seconds left, the Cavs said they could live with that.

"We got a good look," coach Byron Scott said as his team fell to 15-59, missing a chance to win two consecutive games for the first time since they won three straight from Nov. 5-9.

"We had an ample amount of time at the end of the game," Baron Davis said.

"It was rushed look, but it was there," Parker said. "It felt good when I let it go."

After Tuesday's emotional upset of the Miami Heat at home, the question was whether the Cavs would have anything left against the Bobcats. Early on, when the Cavs fell behind by 10 points in the first quarter, it looked as if that answer was going to be no.

But the Cavs closed out the first quarter on a 10-2 run, and Sessions scored 12 of his team-high 24 points in the second quarter and Cleveland battled the rest of the way.

The Cavs will take that, too.

"After a game we've won that has been a pretty good game, we've come out and fallen on our faces the next game," Scott said. "Tonight we didn't do that. We competed a lot better tonight. We did some real good things, but we didn't play the defense that we played [against the Heat.] We didn't play as well on that end of the floor. Then Boris Diaw basically just kind of took over the game the last few minutes."

Diaw, taking over the scoring load when Stephen Jackson left the game at halftime with a strained left hamstring, finished with season highs in points (26) and assists (11). He scored 10 points in the fourth quarter and made one of two free throws with 14 seconds left as the Bobcats, 32-42, are one game behind Indiana for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

In shooting 56 percent and taking a 54-42 edge in points in the paint, the Bobcats took full advantage of J.J. Hickson and Ryan Hollins entering the fourth quarter with four fouls apiece. Backup power forward Samardo Samuels missed the game with a sprained right wrist. Hickson did finish with 20 points and seven rebounds, but Hollins, one of Tuesday's heroes, had just four points and three rebounds.

"I thought in the end we just didn't do a real good job of individual defense on the post and Boris just kind of went at our guys," Scott said. "We just didn't do a real good job of guarding him at the end."

Kwame Brown also had a season high 16 points, plus eight rebounds. In spite of all that, the Cavs came up just one shot short.

"If I had to do it over again, instead of trying to lean in, I would have gone straight up with it," Parker said. "It happened so fast. I just saw a clear area and thought maybe I could get as close as I could to the basket."

A spring-training chat allows some insight into the Indians' second-year manager.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain Dealer"I don't do a lot of yelling and screaming," Indians manager Manny Acta (with team consultant Mike Hargrove, right, in Arizona) says. "Just because a guy is out there, all red in the face, veins popping out -- does that make him a good manager? I have passion, but I don't connect it to throwing a fit."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In spring training, I spent an hour with Manny Acta as he was watching a minor-league game. There was no real goal in mind for the conversation other getting to know the Indians manager. Here are some highlights:

The manager next door

"I don't consider myself special," Acta said. "I'm like your next door neighbor, only I manage a major-league team. I'm not good at power point presentations, I'm a normal guy."

He talked about how he had to listen to his wife and quit watching ESPN SportsCenter over and over. He talked about needing to learn to listen to her more.

"She'd tell me, 'Manny, no matter how many times you watch that play, the guy is still going to be safe,'" he said. "She was right, I needed to get away from it and relax."

Acta is a person who loves people. He'll shake hands, hug fans and kiss babies that are held up for him to see. It's not an act. It's this Manny being Manny, a man who is very comfortable with others.

He finds it easy to smile. He has a grateful heart. He doesn't like to hold grudges.

"I don't do a lot of yelling and screaming," he said. "Just because a guy is out there, all red in the face, veins popping out -- does that make him a good manager? I have passion, but I don't connect it to throwing a fit."

Acta then paused.

"I can get mad," he said. "Ask my players. But I do it in private. I don't like to embarrass people in front of others."

His style of managing is to talk quietly with players. He believes that before they care about what you say, they need to know that you care about them.

"I am honest," he said. "I tell a player what I think, and what he needs to do. It's very clear. But it works best when they know you do care about them."

Chicken and vanilla shakes

Acta was signed by the Houston Astros at the age of 17. He was sent to play rookie ball in Sarasota. He grew up in the Dominican Republic, and he received the "Honor Medal" for graduating with the highest grades of his senior high school class.

"But in Sarasota, I felt like I didn't know anything," he said.

His manager and coaches spoke English, as did most of his teammates. Four Latino players lived in the same house, but Acta realized something he needed to do after his first team meeting.

"I didn't understand a word," he said. "I knew right then I had to learn English."

He remembered eating at Burger King ... every day.

"I always ordered a chicken sandwich and a vanilla shake," he said. "Every day for two months, a chicken sandwich and vanilla shake. It was about all the English that I knew."

Acts forced himself to watch television, to try to talk to his American teammates -- to learn English. This was 1987, and it's not like today when most teams have English classes for their Latino players.

There was a tutor, and he said he'd buy Acta anything at the Burger King -- except a chicken sandwich and vanilla shake. But Acta had to order it in English.

"If I couldn't do it, then all I got was a glass of water," he said. "I learned the menu and how to order."

Back in the Dominican, he talked to Tony Fernandez, a star shortstop, who told Acta that "they won't adjust to you ... you need to learn English." Fernandez gave Acta a book with 800 basic English phrases. It became his Bible. Soon, he was teaching other Latino players how to speak English.

By 1999, Acta had earned his United States citizenship. He also is a citizen of the Dominican Republic. In many ways, he is a man of two cultures.

"I married a girl from Florida," he said. "She spoke no Spanish. In our home, it's all English. Our kids speak English."

A teacher, not a phenom

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain Dealer"I'm not in this to lose," says Manny Acta, with catcher Carlos Santana. "We need to start winning now. I tell the players that. On the field, it's not payroll against payroll, it's player against player. And we do have good players, we really do."

Acta never played at a higher level than Class AA. He was an infielder, playing mostly third and second base. He had a career .241 average with little power.

In 1992 at the age of 23, he was a coach at Class A Asheville. Part of the reason was his ability to speak English and Spanish. He was a role model for younger Latino players. He said that he had to teach some of them everything from how America had rules against underage drinking to the fact that it was OK to throw toilet paper in the toilet, not in the wastebasket.

"Our pipes are so small, you can't throw the paper in the toilet back home," he said. "There are no laws against a teenager drinking. Sometimes, young players get in trouble with the law here because they don't know the laws."

By 24, he was a Class A manager in the Houston system. He had to keep working on his English, because he was managing everyone -- not just the Latino players. The Astros loved how he dealt with youngsters -- Acta managed four years in rookie ball, four more at Class A.

By 2002, he was a major-league coach ... first in Montreal, later with the Mets.

Acta had to earn each promotion. Forget being a big-name player, by the time he was 20, he wasn't even a prospect. He had no friends in high places. He worked hard, played by the rules, did things the right way.

About the losing

When Acta was hired by the Indians, some fans were shocked. In 2 1/2 seasons managing Washington, he had a 158-252 record. But Acta also had a chance to manage the Astros at the same time he was interviewing with the Tribe. In fact, Houston was first to offer the job.

He preferred the Indians because he liked the organization's prospects and the stability of ownership and the front office. At the age of 37, he was the majors' youngest manager when he was hired by Washington for the 2007 season. He talks about having learned a lot from his experience with the Nationals.

"I really believe if you take the managers with the five worst records and put them on the teams with the five best records -- most would do as well as the guys managing those teams now," he said. "And take the managers of the teams with the five best records and put them on the teams with the five worst records -- and in most cases, they'd still be the five worst teams.

"It comes down to talent and the organization," he added. "Managers are not miracle workers. There aren't many geniuses out there."

Some fans noticed that after Acta was fired with a 26-61 record in 2009, Jim Riggleman finished 32-42. Last season Washington started fast, but faded.

The Indians were the opposite -- a bad first half, then 35-39 after the All-Star break.

In the end, both teams were 69-93.

"I hate losing," he said. "I'm not in this to lose. We need to start winning now. I tell the players that. On the field, it's not payroll against payroll, it's player against player. And we do have good players, we really do. It's my job to help them. I know the fans here want to win so bad ... well, so do I. I really do."

Ed Ray, while Ohio State's executive VP and provost, had input into Tressel's hiring as football coach. He'd be stern in response to Tressel's poor decisions regarding Buckeyes players' violations.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State football coach Jim Tressel during a March 8 press conference that was called to address NCAA rules violations by Tressel and some Buckeyes players.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Tressel's actions -- or lack thereof -- after learning of NCAA rules violations by some of his players has left many disappointed in the Ohio State football coach.

Among them is Oregon State president and current NCAA Executive Committee chairman Ed Ray, a former Ohio State administrator who had held Tressel in high regard.

Rachel Bachman writes about Ray's thoughts on Ohio State and Tressel's situation, and about other high-profile NCAA controversies and other matters for The Oregonian and oregonlive.com, sister newspaper/website of The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

When you link to Bachman's story, you will see numerous links to other relevant reports.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com continue to report on Tressel in our Ohio State coverage.

Bachman writes, in part, that Ray -- if he had authority in the matter -- would be quite stern in dealing with Tressel and Ohio State:

Through April 2012, Ray is chairman of the NCAA's Executive Committee, which must approve any change before it can become NCAA law. Before 2003, Ray was executive vice president and provost at Ohio State and had input into the hiring of football coach Jim Tressel.

"I just thought the world of him and he obviously has been incredibly successful," Ray said. "I would assume he's certainly been a very positive influence on many of the players that he had. But this whole episode to me is beyond the pale. It's totally unacceptable. I'm pretty disappointed and startled by it all."

Tressel, it came to light in recent weeks, concealed learning early last year that five of his players traded team awards for money and free tattoos. The players received five-game suspensions from the NCAA and Tressel got a two-game suspension from the school -- then asked that it be increased to five games to match his players' punishment.

The NCAA has not yet ruled on Tressel's transgression, and Ray emphasized that he was speaking for himself only. But on how NCAA enforcement officials might view Tressel's case, Ray said, "If I were in their position, I'd be a hanging judge."

He continued: "I think there are lines you don't cross in your own life.... I'm not a big mercy guy. I'm not a big understander of extenuating circumstances. We all sort of engage in thinking about situational ethics. But I'm kinda old-school. And I think you're either ethical or you're not ethical."

Evan Komito of Cleveland Heights finds experiences at the ballpark are unforgettable, although some stand out more clearly.

View full sizeChuck Crow l Plain Dealer fileIndians fans exult on Oct. 4, 2007, as the Tribe defeats the Yankees, 12-3, in Game 1 of the AL Divisional Series, a clear memory for Evan Komito of Cleveland Heights. The Indians won the series in four games.

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 responded. The five finalists and winner were featured during the week leading up to Opening Day. All season long, The Plain Dealer will publish other fan memories -- one each day the Indians are scheduled to play. Here is today's essay by Evan Komito of Cleveland Heights.

In the "green fields of the mind," every memory of the ballpark is sunny and each visit is unforgettable.

Sometimes the dates are very clear.

Oct. 4, 2007: My wife and I are jumping up and down with the raucous standing-room-only crowd at Jacobs Field at a thumping of the reviled New York Yankees.

Sometimes the dates are very foggy, but the memory is vivid. A sunny day in 1957 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium: "Rapid Robert" thanks the fans and the Indians organization for retiring his uniform number, and in my souvenir program -- with my Dad's urging -- I got the autograph of Olympic champion Harrison Dillard.

Sometimes, the most unforgettable day at the game has no date associated with it at all.

With a large family in tow, my father rarely -- OK, never -- bought tickets for box seats. Our usual perch was out in left field, general admission. Binoculars pinned to our eyes kept us in touch with what was going on in the infield, and besides, there was always the mellow voice of Jimmy Dudley flowing out of someone's nearby transistor radio.

But the one thing that really kept us in the game was Dad keeping score. It was a mystery to me. How did those scratches and markings translate into, "They're pitching around him. Nothing but walks for him today?" Somehow those hieroglyphics translated into keen baseball strategy.

I don't remember the date of that most unforgettable day, or how old I was, or who the Indians were playing, but it has stayed with me ever since. It was the day I was let into the "club." My Dad taught me how to keep score. I have come to learn that an official scorer would never do it this way, but it's even sweeter to persist, knowing that we shared this just between us. I learned the meaning of "K" and "HBP" and "SAC." I knew how special those numbers 1 to 9 are -- this was better than any secret decoder ring! Revealed was a whole new side of the game that I quickly grew to love -- stats.

Was this a lifetime turning point that led to my career in computer science? I'll never know, but it was surely a day to commemorate. The next time you're out in Heritage Park, look for the paver: "Taught us how to keep score."

Cavs coach Byron Scott and J.J. Hickson have overcome their rocky start and the young forward has become a key contributor for the team this season.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter l The Plain DealerAfter a rough start with coach Byron Scott, Cavs forward J.J. Hickson describes Scott as "a great coach, great mentor, great person. I took it upon myself to listen and I think it has shown in my play."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ninety minutes before Wednesday's game at Charlotte, former Cavaliers coach Paul Silas was talking about his battles with then-rookie Baron Davis when the two were with the Charlotte Hornets.

"Me and Baron had some real issues initially because I didn't start him, and he never lets me forget that," Silas said, laughing.

A short time later, Cavs coach Byron Scott discussed his rocky start with a young Davis in New Orleans.

The funny thing is, both relationships straightened out. Now both coaches love Davis, and the feeling is mutual.

So, Scott was asked, are there any similarities between that situation and the one he faced with a young J.J. Hickson at the beginning of the season?

No, the coach said, because the two of them were only together for a short time before Davis was traded to Golden State.

"We didn't really get a chance to click or to try to fix it," Scott recalled of his time with Davis. "This has been a totally different experience with J.J."

Hickson and Scott did not get off to a good start. Although the youngster won the starting power forward spot out of training camp in a tough competition with veteran Antawn Jamison, he struggled in Scott's new offensive and defensive systems. Hickson had worked hard to improve his jump shot over the summer, and he seemed content to stand out on the perimeter and hoist up shots instead of going to the rim and/or rebounding.

The final straw came when he skipped a mandatory practice and was benched for a game.

But Scott wouldn't give up on him. The two finally seemed to turn a corner when Anderson Varejao was lost for the season with a torn tendon in his foot and Hickson became the starting center, even though he's only 6-9. Suddenly, he was ferocious on the boards, which allowed him to get more easy baskets.

Scott was asked if he would consider Hickson's turnaround one of his biggest accomplishments.

"I don't know if I would call it one of my biggest accomplishments," the coach said as the Cavs prepared to face the Washington Wizards tonight. "We're on the same page, which is a good thing. Earlier in the season, we weren't. He wanted to do it his way, and at 22 years old . . .

"Now if he was 32, it might have been a different story. I might have said, 'All right, you've been in the league 10 years doing it your way. Let's try it your way.' But at 22, there's no way . . . he was going to get his way."

Hickson smiled when asked about the change in his relationship with Scott.

"It's like night and day as far as our relationship goes," he said. "I realize that I'm a young player in this league. Who am I to question his ability to coach? He's a great coach, great mentor, great person. I took it upon myself to listen and I think it has shown in my play."

By and large, if the Cavs win, it's because Hickson has played well. Averaging 13.2 points and 8.3 rebounds overall this season, he's averaging 16.5 points and 8.4 rebounds in the team's 15 victories. In the past seven victories, he is averaging 21.3 points and 12.4 rebounds.

"He's doing everything that we ask him to do, and I think he sees that the sky's the limit if he continues to work and stay focused and disciplined on all the things that we talk about," Scott said. "He can be a very good player. There's no doubt about it."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

The Monsters coach predicts the Philadelphia Flyers will win the Stanley Cup, but says Cleveland is his favorite hockey city.

View full sizeMonsters coach David Quinn.

DQ: Sidney Crosby.

PD: Which team will win the Stanley Cup?

DQ: It can't be the Colorado Avalanche, so I'm going to have to go with the Philadelphia Flyers.

PD: Favorite hockey city?

DQ: Cleveland.

PD: Favorite venue you ever played in?

DQ: Walter Brown Arena, the old Boston University arena.

PD: What lessons do young hockey players most need to learn?

DQ: How important skating is; how important self-evaluation is; how important their definition of hard work is.

PD: What are the toughest hockey skills to learn?

DQ: Playing with your head up. Playing the game moving your feet.

PD: Person from history you would like to have met?

DQ: Babe Ruth.

PD: First question to him?

DQ: How is it that you were so much better than everybody else?

PD: What is one thing you can't do no matter how hard you try?

DQ: Cross my legs.

PD: What?

DQ: I can't cross my legs. Check that -- I can cross them, but not the way I want to. I just look stupid doing it.

PD: Whatever you say.

DQ: On second thought, don't put that in. Put in something hockey-related.

PD: Such as?

DQ: I can't make [Monsters winger] Justin Mercier any smarter.

PD: What do you do to relax?

DQ: Golf and read.

PD: If not a hockey player, what would you like to be?

DQ: General manager of an NHL team.

PD: Succinctly describe your assistant, Dan Laperriere?

DQ: Organized, neat, loves golf.

PD: Who is a better golfer -- you or Lappy?

DQ: Lappy -- and it's not even close. He's scary-good. He's regularly in the 60s.

PD: Which team is going to win the World Series?

DQ: The Red Sox.

PD: How can you be so sure?

DQ: Have you seen their lineup? Their pitching staff? Have you met their manager? They've got it all covered.

-- Dennis Manoloff

Wedge, the new Mariners manager, tells Seattle Times columnist he doesn't want to criticize anyone for how the Indians lost the 2007 ALCS to Boston after leading, 3 games to 1.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer Indians manager Eric Wedge (left) in the dugout during the ninth inning of a 7-1 loss to Boston in Game 5 of the 2007 ALCS in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2007 Cleveland Indians were one win from the World Series when they led the Boston Red Sox, three games to one, in the American League Championship Series.

Indians fans remember what happened. So do Bosox backers.

Boston bounced back with three straight wins, then swept the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

The Indians haven't been in contention since.

Eric Wedge was then in the fifth of his seven seasons as the Indians' manager. Cleveland slumped to 81-81 in 2008. Wedge was informed several days before the 2009 Indians' season ended that he would be fired. He stayed on for the last few games, seeing the Tribe finish 65-97.

Wedge, 43, will begin his first season as the Seattle Mariners' manager with a road game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. Several hours earlier, the Indians, with Manny Acta in his second campaign as their skipper, will have opened at home against the Chicago White Sox.

The Indians' inability to close out Boston in the 2007 ALCS still bothers Wedge.

Jerry Brewer writes about Wedge and the 2007 ALCS, and about Wedge's new job, for the Seattle Times:

At 39 years old, Wedge was on the cusp of managerial genius. And then Cleveland suffered another infamous sports collapse.

The Red Sox whipped the Indians by a combined score of 30-5 the next three games. Then Boston won the World Series. Cleveland, rocked. Again.

Though the Indians still seemed to be a rising team, it turned out to be Wedge's best chance at a championship during his seven seasons in Cleveland. Two years later, the team had been dismantled, and Wedge was fired.

He really doesn't like talking about that series.

"I learned a great deal, both good and not so good," Wedge says now. "That experience will make me more prepared when we get there in Seattle."

And, writes Brewer:

So I press Wedge on the 2007 ALCS, telling him I think he hasn't gotten over it. His answer was quite revealing, even though it came with a veil attached.

"It's not about me," Wedge says. "If I lay out a map for you, if I tell you everything about that experience, I might wind up criticizing individuals, and I don't want to do that. I want to be very respectful of the players and everyone on the team at the time. We just didn't get it done. You reflect like you have to, and you learn from it. I parked that a long time ago, and I'm better for it."

Georgia receiver A.J. Green again is the favorite to land with the Browns.

View full sizeDavid Tulis l Athens Banner-HeraldGeorgia receiver A.J. Green, above, might soon be a new target for Browns quarterback Colt McCoy.

But concerns about the Clemson defensive end's right knee won't go away. An impressive pro day workout on Friday may help recoup Bowers some support. We hear, however, that some NFL teams won't take a chance on Bowers even if he works out well. Those teams feel the knee has more severe problems that will resurface in the future, irrespective of his torn meniscus surgery.

Whether they are right or wrong, we're thinking the Browns would pass on Bowers if he falls to them. The Browns are sensitive to the team's recent track record in the first round and are adamant in not blowing this choice on a prospect with a higher degree of risk.

This philosophy could, in fact, steer the Browns away from the top prospects at defensive line -- their greatest area of need.

Our newest mock draft also reflects a fall from the top spot by Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and A.J. Green's return to the No. 6 spot for the Browns.

(Previous position in parentheses)

1. Carolina -- Marcell Dareus, defensive tackle, Alabama (2).

Comment: Can Rob Chudzinski make a player out of Jimmy Clausen?

2. Denver -- Patrick Peterson, cornerback, LSU (7).

Comment: John Fox always had solid CBs in Carolina.

3. Buffalo -- Blaine Gabbert, quarterback, Missouri (3).

Comment: This one will be much debated in Bills' draft room.

4. Cincinnati -- Cam Newton, quarterback, Auburn (1).

Comment: Strong personalities -- ahem -- don't faze them.

5. Arizona -- Von Miller, linebacker, Texas A&M (5).

Comment: Five out of six times, his name comes up here.

6. Browns -- A.J. Green, receiver, Georgia (4).

Comment: Mike Holmgren would be the one to tip the scales to offense.

7. San Francisco -- Prince Amukamara, cornerback, Nebraska (9).

Comment: Second-best DB still a big upgrade for them.

8. Tennessee -- Nick Fairley, defensive tackle, Auburn (8).

Comment: New DL coach Tracy Rocker, of Auburn, allays concerns.

9. Dallas -- Da'Quan Bowers, defensive end, Clemson (6).

Comment: Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan can be very persuasive.

10. Washington -- Julio Jones, receiver, Alabama (10).

Comment: Mike Shanahan may deal for a quarterback before round is up.

Neither freshman Braxton Miller nor senior Terrelle Pryor was the starting quarterback on the first day of Ohio State's spring practice, and neither may be the starter when the Buckeyes open the season against Akron on Sept. 3.

View full sizeTerry Gilliam l Associated PressOhio State quarterback Joe Bauserman was kept busy Thursday during the Buckeyes' spring practice in Columbus.

Neither freshman Braxton Miller nor senior Terrelle Pryor was the starting quarterback on the first day of Ohio State's spring practice on Thursday, and neither may be the starter when the Buckeyes open the season against Akron on Sept. 3. That role could fall to senior Joe Bauserman, who took most of the snaps with the first team Thursday during the 30-minute window when reporters were allowed into practice, with sophomore Kenny Guiton working with the second team and redshirt freshman Taylor Graham and Miller with the third team.

It was hard to miss the interaction between Miller and Pryor, though. Pryor was out of the walking boot he had been wearing since his surgery to repair a ligament soon after the Sugar Bowl, but he wasn't in pads, and his spring practice will be limited to helping the quarterbacks trying to replace him for the first five games of the season, as he sits because of NCAA violations he committed by selling memorabilia.

One point worth noting was that the four other players suspended for five games along with Pryor -- left tackle Mike Adams, receiver DeVier Posey, running back Dan Herron and defensive end Solomon Thomas -- were in their usual spots at practice. Adams, Posey and Herron were with the first team and Thomas with the second team. There are a lot of other questions, though, for a team that lost seven starters on defense and three on offense.

"You look down that roster, and there are some folks who played a lot of football that aren't here anymore," OSU coach Jim Tressel said Wednesday while previewing spring practice.

Here's a look at the rest of the lineup, gleaned only from those 30 minutes of observation since no players or coaches spoke with the media Thursday.

Defensive line

Returning starters John Simon and Nathan Williams were joined by Adam Bellamy and Garrett Goebel on the first-team line, with Johnathan Hankins also taking first-team snaps at tackle. The Buckeyes always rotate their defensive line, so the second team matters almost as much as the first. That group included Thomas behind Williams at the LEO position, joined by Melvin Fellows, Darryl Baldwin and Evan Blankenship.

Linebackers

Andrew Sweat, the only returning starter, was at the weakside linebacker spot, after starting at the strongside last season and filling in on the weakside while Ross Homan was hurt. Storm Klein seemed to take the most first-team reps at middle linebacker, with Etienne Sabino playing strongside. But Sabino, who redshirted last season to retain two years of eligibility, also played from first-team and second-team middle linebacker, with Tony Jackson working some at first-team strongside linebacker. Dorian Bell also worked in with the second team behind Sweat.

Defensive backs

Travis Howard, the No. 3 corner a year ago, was one starter and looked very sharp, making one interception. Dominic Clarke was the other starter at corner, with Donnie Evege, Dionte Allen and Bradley Roby working in as second-team corners.

At safety, Orhian Johnson and C.J. Barnett, who is coming off season-ending knee surgery, were the starters, with Barnett limited from some contact, as Jamie Wood, Christian Bryant and Zach Domicone served as second-team safeties. With Tyler Moeller not taking part in practice while he recovers from a torn pectoral muscle, Bryant worked at the first-team star position when the team went to five defensive backs.

Offensive line

The first team was Adams at left tackle, Jack Mewhort at left guard, Mike Brewster at center, Corey Linsley at right guard and J.B. Shugarts at right tackle. Marcus Hall was the second-team left tackle and Andrew Norwell second-team left guard, but both are competing for the starting guard spots as well, with Hall, Norwell and Mewhort in the mix to replace Adams at left tackle while he's out.

Receiver and tight end

Posey and Corey Brown were the first-team receivers, with Chris Fields working in the slot as the third wideout. On the second team, T.Y. Williams and James Louis were the receivers. Jake Stoneburner was the first-team tight end, with Reid Fragel working in as well, and on second team.

Backfield

Herron was the No. 1 running back, though Jordan Hall and Jaamal Berry also got plenty of reps with the top two groups. Carlos Hyde and redshirt freshman Rod Smith, the star of bowl practice last season, worked mostly with the third team.

Roster update: A team spokesman confirmed that receiver James Jackson and tight end Nic DiLillo, who were left off the roster handed out Wednesday, are no longer with the team.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Ohio State has only 10 offensive linemen in camp for the spring, which makes staying healthy the ultimate priority.

View full sizeTerry Gilliam l Associated PressBuckeyes coach Jim Tressel has only 10 offensive linemen at spring practices, so he wants them to stay healthy.

Citing low numbers on the offensive line in particular, OSU coach Jim Tressel said Wednesday the spring game at 1:30 p.m. on April 23 in Ohio Stadium might be more like a modified scrimmage, the offense against the defense, rather than a full-fledged game with the Buckeyes divided into two full teams.

Tressel also said players are looking for a greater sense of competition from what serves as the final 15 spring practices, and a scrimmage might do a better job than a game in which the players draft the teams and often create imbalances and mismatches.

But it's more about the numbers.

That's because only 10 offensive linemen will be in camp when spring practice begins today, which as Tressel pointed out, leaves the Buckeyes one sprained ankle away from being unable to fill out two full lines. That's an issue for the spring, for sure, but is also something to keep in mind for the fall, when the Buckeyes will add three other freshmen but will still be without much wiggle room.

"We've got some new ones coming in for August, but only 10 this spring gives us some challenges," Tressel said.

The 10 for now are starting center Mike Brewster, starting tackles Mike Adams and J.B. Shugarts, a group of four fighting for the two open guard spots in Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Marcus Hall and Andrew Norwell, early-enrolled freshman Tommy Brown, and walk-ons Ivan Blackman and Ben St. John.

Ready for preseason camp will be freshmen Brian Bobek, Tony Underwood and Chris Carter, but that will bring the group to only 13. Last season, for instance, the Buckeyes operated with about 17 reliable offensive linemen on the roster, before losing two starters and five backups to graduation and one to a transfer. The Buckeyes could add more walk-ons in the fall, but unlike veterans such as graduated Scott Sika and Chris Malone, they won't be near ready to see the field.

More reasons to keep an eye on the line: Adams, the starting left tackle, is suspended for the first five games of the season as part of the Buckeyes' NCAA violations for selling memorabilia; and Shugarts, the starting right tackle, battled foot problems that knocked him out for the second half of several games last season.

There's a lot to sort out this spring and even more reason for the Buckeyes to stay healthy while doing it.

Quarterback battle: The spring fight at quarterback will be fought without senior Terrelle Pryor, and not because he's suspended for the first five games in the fall.

Pryor's right foot remains in a walking boot following the surgery he had Jan. 7 to repair a ligament he injured in the Sugar Bowl. Tressel confirmed again that Pryor will miss all of spring practice.

"Hopefully, he'll be out of the boot by the end of the week," Tressel said. "I don't know when he'll actually be able to move on the thing."

Even if Pryor were healthy, the Buckeyes would need to find a replacement for the first five games of the season. The candidates are senior Joe Bauserman, early-enrolled freshman Braxton Miller, redshirt sophomore Kenny Guiton and redshirt freshman Taylor Graham. Expect Bauserman to open the spring getting the most snaps with the first team.

"I'm going to have as much fun watching as you guys are," Tressel said, "as to who's going to step up and emerge."

Defensive turnover: Seven starters are gone from last season's defense -- cornerbacks Chimdi Chekwa and Devon Torrence, safety Jermale Hines, linebackers Brian Rolle and Ross Homan and defensive linemen Cameron Heyward and Dexter Larimore. Co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell said this is the biggest loss of production on the defensive side since the 2006 team opened up by trying to replace first-round draft picks A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Donte Whitner, among several others.

"Nobody really knew about James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Freeman," Fickell said. "That's the exciting time for us as coaches. To me, this is a much more exciting spring, when you're not sure exactly what you're going to have when they walk out there."

The new starting candidates to keep an eye on this spring -- Travis Howard, Dominic Clarke and Florida State transfer Dionte Allen at corner; C.J. Barnett and Tyler Moeller at safety; Etienne Sabino, Storm Klein and Dorian Bell at linebacker; and Johnathan Hankins, Adam Bellamy and Garrett Goebel on the defensive line.

The returning starters on defense are linemen John Simon and Nathan Williams, linebacker Andrew Sweat and safety Orhian Johnson. Heyward workout: Heyward worked out for NFL talent evaluators Wednesday after his recovery from elbow surgery kept him from taking part in Ohio State's Pro Day three weeks ago. About 25 teams were represented, with the Pittsburgh Steelers sending coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. Heyward was happy with his workout, which included everything but the bench press. He ran his 40 in about 4.96 seconds, and said he believes he will be a first-round draft pick.

Defensive tackle Larimore and offensive lineman Bryant Browning also used the day to do more workouts for scouts. New helmets: One other change at the spring game will be obvious. During all of spring practice, the Buckeyes will be wearing silver camouflage helmets as a tribute to the military, a look Tressel said went over well with the players.

The style won't carry over into the fall, but for the next three weeks, if you spot a football player walking down the street in his helmet, you might not be able to see his head.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

You may know the Indians are young, but you probably don't know that they are this young.

View full sizeChuck Crow l The Plain DealerVinnie Pestano, above, is the only official rookie on the Tribe's roster, but the team will have 10 players with two or fewer official years of major-league experience on its Opening Day roster.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians are expected to be the youngest team in the majors.

They will be outrageously young. Wildly young. Perhaps ridiculously young.

So young that only one starting pitcher (Fausto Carmona, 46-51 record) has more than 16 career victories.

The key word is career.

The 16-game winner is Justin Masterson. As in a 16-28 record over three seasons.

The other three starters are 18-game winners . . . combined.

That's Mitch Talbot (10-13), Josh Tomlin (6-4) and Carlos Carrasco (2-6).

Don't misunderstand, there is something positive to be said about this rotation. Carmona, Masterson and Carrasco all have big-time arms, the kind that make scouts drool all over their radar guns. It's more than the mid-90s fastballs that scouts love, it's how the pitches seem to have a mind of their own.

They sink, they sail, they dive for the corners.

But the fact is that other than Carmona, no one in this rotation has put together a solid season as a big-league starter. It takes a certain maturity and physical toughness to start more than 30 games a season against the best hitters in the world -- and do it for a team that also is young in the field.

Make that very young.

The Indians will open the 162-game season with four projected regulars who have played 162 or fewer big-league games in their careers: Matt LaPorta (162), Michael Brantley (100), Jason Donald (88) and Carlos Santana (46).

Yes, veteran Jack Hannahan is expected to start at third as Donald comes back from an injury to his hand. But though he's 31, Hannahan has appeared in only 290 big-league games.

And every Tribe fan knows that the Indians are just waiting for 22-year old Lonnie Chisenhall to take over at third base sometime this summer.

The veterans in the lineup are Orlando Cabrera (1,815 games), Travis Hafner (941), Grady Sizemore (821), Shin-Soo Choo (459) and Asdrubal Cabrera (387). Sizemore will not be ready for Opening Day, so Austin Kearns (962 games) will be in the outfield.

But they are just ... so young.

Yes, Vinnie Pestano is the only official rookie, but they will have 10 players with two or fewer official years of major-league experience on their Opening Day roster. That doesn't count Donald, who is on the injured list.

Being so young doesn't have to be so bad.

But it's very hard for a team this young to win more than it loses.

That's especially true with the Indians because they have the intention of being even younger by the middle of the summer. At least some of these prospects -- Jason Kipnis, Cord Phelps, Alex White and Chisenhall -- are expected to be promoted.

The trouble with young players is they all don't develop at the same rate. They often are productive for a month or two, then falter -- and need to be sent back to the minors.

That even was the case with Shin-Soo Choo, the Tribe's best and most polished player.

The good news is the Indians do have a lot prime prospects, and the odds are that some of them could develop into the next Choo. It could be Brantley. No one considered Choo a power hitter when he first arrived in Cleveland, but over the years he began to mature physically and began to hit the ball over the wall. Brantley is the same type of athlete as Choo.

The Indians should be very content with Chris Perez as their closer. But he's only 25 and has been in that high-pressure role for only a half season. Promising relievers Tony Sipp, Vinnie Pestano, Raffy Perez and Joe Smith all have three or fewer years in the majors. Only 33-year-old Chad Durbin has any extensive experience in the bullpen.

It's nice that General Manager Chris Antonetti -- pretty young himself at 36 -- said he'll be disappointed if the Indians fail to contend in the Central Division. The problem with that statement is that he's at least a year early, and this group of players will have to work hard just to avoid a third-consecutive 90-loss season.

Make them 74-88, finishing in fourth place, barely ahead of Kansas City.

In this post-LeBron, NFL-lockout period in Cleveland sports, the Indians have the attention of the city and an opportunity to thaw relations with their fan base, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

View full sizeChuck Crow l The Plain DealerThere were plenty of good seats available for Indians games at Progressive Field last season ... plenty of good seats.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — All these years later, baseball fans in this city long for the days of "an All-Star at every position."

The team still longs for the days of a baseball fan in every seat, though for appearance sake after last season's lowest-in-the-league attendance some strategically placed store mannequins would work, too.

Indians fans in 2011 need not be ardent believers convinced the glory days are a'comin -- at least not until Lonnie Chisenhall descends from a sun-lit cloud accompanied by an angelic string quartet.

Casual fans will do just fine. Present and breathing is enough to start out.

After three years of hurt feelings, alienation and recrimination, Opening Day 2011 feels as much like a re-start in marriage counseling as it does a new beginning for town and team. An opportunity for deeper commitment is there either way.

One love (LeBron James) is gone for good. The other (the Browns), a long-running, one-sided affair, is on vacation with no return date.

What do the Indians have to do take advantage and win back some love and support? A lot.

More than they appear capable of given their youth, the team payroll and other not-so-piddling considerations.

Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner account for 40 percent of the payroll and about 66 percent of the angst fans feel when they look at the present and near future.

The other 33 percent is embodied in Matt LaPorta as the player symbolic of the deals that sent CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee packing in consecutive years.

Sizemore begins the season out of the lineup after 2010 microfracture knee surgery. A serious power outage has left Pronkville without electricity for so long it's a ghost town.

On a team with the unfortunate twin habit of striking out too much and home run trotting way too little, Hafner can't hide. Not to mention run or play a position.

That makes LaPorta even more important. Former manager Mike Hargrove spent time in spring training preaching to LaPorta to let his talent take over. LaPorta understood the message but the execution is lagging.

"Who knows," LaPorta said during spring training. "I might be a 15-home run hitter. I might be a 40-home run hitter. I don't know. We don't know yet."

He meant he needs to let his bat steer him, not force home run swings in an effort to live up to somebody else's expectations. But those seeking comfort didn't find it in that particular assessment.

A reader comment on cleveland.com captured the rampant concern: "The seasons for excuses are done. It's put up or shut up for LaPorta this season. Hopefully he's not another Andy Marte, career minor leaguer."

(I've just been reminded that this is an Opening Day column and is failing in its inherent mission to lift spirits high.)

OK, what would constitute a success for the Indians in 2011?

A quick start: Manny Acta doesn't want to stress it with his players. He says it wouldn't help to go 25-1 in April only to go 1-25 in May. OK, but try it and let's see.

Except for the Browns at-bats in the NFL Draft, the April stage belongs to the Indians. In the past few seasons the school year has ended just in time for discussions about trading off players to begin. There's value both in future trust and at this season's box office receipts in the Indians holding their own until the warm weather arrives.

Chisenhall's emergence: the third-base prospect is a terrific looking young hitter. The Indians can get away with starting him in the minors since he hasn't had a single at-bat at Triple A.

But if he's hitting down there, don't let people think he's in Columbus because of arbitration service time even if it's about arbitration service time.

Carlos Santana: If somebody told you the Indians had traded Casey Blake to L.A. in return for an extra two hours of sunshine in February, you would've celebrated. But Blake-for-Santana? A healthy season should further establish Santana as a cornerstone.

Michael Brantley, LaPorta, Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald: They all show the upside the Indians saw when they (gulp) traded Cy Young winners in consecutive seasons.

Drew Pomeranz and Alex White: Top draft picks who need seasoning to establish themselves as 2012 rotation candidates if not locks. Great (affordable) pitching is one way to blunt payroll disparity in the AL Central over the next few years.

Jason Kipnis: the marketing campaign to replace LeBron -- "Witness Kipnis" -- is still at least a year away. But extended time at the big league level for Kipnis and Chisenhall is critical for the Indians to excite the fan base for 2012.

Won-loss: A .500 record would offer hope.

The 2011 season, after all, isn't about renewing vows quite yet, just thawing relations.

To reach Bud Shaw: bshaw@plaind.com,216-999-5639

When the Phillies surprised baseball after the winter meetings and signed Cliff Lee, they brought together what should be the best rotation in baseball. Also, the Plain Dealer's sportswriters make their predictions for the season.

View full sizeGene J. Puskar l Associated PressPhillies pitcher Cole Hamels, right, sits in the dugout with fellow starting pitchers, from left; Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Joe Blanton. Philadelphia should have the best rotation in baseball.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A baseball season begins with countless possibilities. Around every twist and turn of the schedule, the expected and unexpected is waiting. Here are a few things that we may encounter traveling the road of the 2011 season.

Phillies starters: Can Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels really walk on water? We're going to find out.

When the Phillies surprised baseball after the winter meetings and signed Lee, they brought together what should be the best rotation in baseball. Here's what they offer as a group -- three Cy Young Awards, two NLCS MVP awards, one World Series MVP award, 13 All-Star Game appearances, 21 seasons of 200 or more innings, six seasons of 200 or more strikeouts and a regular-season record of 481-275.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro didn't get this quartet to wear the same uniform with chump change. They'll make a combined $55.5 million this year, which is already more than the Indians entire 25-man roster. Throw in No. 5 starter Joe Blanton and it's $64 million.

The last team with four starters to win 20 games was the 1971 Orioles of Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson and Dave McNally.

Nickname needed: The 2010 season was called "The Year of the Pitcher" with good reason. There were six no-hitters, two of them by Halladay. He threw a perfect game in the regular season and a no-hitter against the Reds in the Division Series. Oakland's Dallas Braden threw a perfect game and Detroit's Armando Galarraga had one taken away by an umpire's blown call.

Some saw it as a shift in the game as de-juiced hitters, scared clean by years of stringent drug testing, lost muscle and pop. Of course, during that same steroid era plenty of pitchers were cheating, but why ruin a good storyline?

What will this season be called? Email your suggestions to Commissioner Bud Selig.

Endless story: Barry Bonds hit his last home run on Sept. 5, 2007. It was No. 762 and a record that will stand, forever, in infamy.

Bonds never officially announced his retirement, but it's four years later and he's still in the headlines, still reminding baseball of that ugly little thing called the steroid era.

The government is charging Bonds with four counts of lying to a grand jury about his alleged steroid use as baseball's all-time home run king. He is also being charged with one count of obstruction of justice.

The charges stem from his 2003 testimony regarding the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO) steroid investigation.

The trial could last between two and five weeks and serve as a backdrop to the start of the season.

Between Opening Day 2010 and Opening Day 2011, 12 managers -- 40 percent of the work force in the big leagues -- were fired or retired. Who will be the first to go this year? Don't turn your head, you may miss it.

Tweet this: From President Mark Shapiro, GM Chris Antonetti, manager Manny Acta and several players, the Indians are one of the first teams to embrace the social media. They may be opening the season with Jack Hannahan at third base, but they're going to be Tweeting like crazy.

The problem is there's not one Ozzie Guillen among them. So how much fun will that be?

We were just kidding: Over the winter the Yankees made it clear to cornerstones Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera that they could shop their talents elsewhere as free agents. The Red Sox even made Rivera an offer.

Jeter, 36, was unhappy. The face of the franchise was coming off the worst offensive season in his career, but he did not want to take his talents to South Beach or anywhere else.

Eventually everyone hugged and made up even though GM Brian Cashman has suggested that Jeter may eventually have to move from shortstop to the outfield because of decreasing range. Jeter signed a three-year, $51 million deal and Rivera a two-year $30 million deal.

Jeter will open the season 74 hits shy of becoming the first Yankee to reach 3,000 hits, an automatic ticket to the Hall of Fame. If he stays healthy and in the lineup, he should reach that sometime in June.

Rivera, 41, has 559 saves in his career. Trevor Hoffman, who retired in the off-season, is the all-time leader with 601. Rivera needs 43 to pass him. Rivera saved 44 games in 2009 so it is possible.

Big pop: Jim Thome, still the Indians' all-time home run leader with 334, needs 11 to reach 600, which should put him in the Hall of Fame. Only seven players in history have hit 600 homers.

This winter Thome re-signed with the Twins. Last year he hit 25 homers in 276 at-bats for them. Target Field was not power friendly in its first year of operation, but it didn't seem to bother Thome, who hit 15 of his 25 there.

Manny Ramirez, Thome's former Cleveland teammate, needs 45 homers to reach 600. He hit nine last year and has not hit 45 or more in a season since 2005 with Boston.

More pop: Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez needs 18 homers to pass Ken Griffey and move into fifth place on the all-time list.

Danger ahead: The Indians lost 97 games in 2009 and 93 in 2010. They've been playing baseball in Cleveland since 1901 and have never lost 90 or more games in three consecutive years.

Finally: If on your journey through the season, you run across a utility player who in one year played for four big-league teams and never hit more than 16 homers in a season, don't stick a fork in him. He could turn out to be the next Jose Bautista, who hit 54 homers last year for Toronto.

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158.

Paul Hoynes offers his outlook for the National League ... the San Francisco Giants will be in the playoffs and have a chance to defend their World Series title.

View full sizeGene J. Puskar l Associated PressThe Phillies will begin the season with second baseman Chase Utley nursing an injured right knee.

NL East

Predicted order of finish: 1. Phillies, 2. Braves, 3. Marlins, 4. Nationals, 5. Mets.

The skinny: Everyone thinks the Phillies are World Series bound, but they're expected to open the season with second baseman Chase Utley (right knee), closer Brad Lidge (right shoulder) and outfielder Domonic Brown (right hand) on the disabled list, and with third baseman Placido Polanco nursing a hyperextended left elbow. ... Terry Collins (Mets) and Fredi Gonzalez (Braves) start new managerial gigs this year. It's Collins' first big-league job since 1999. Gonzalez is replacing Bobby Cox. ... Manager Edwin Rodriguez starts his first full year with Marlins. ... Can respected infield coach Perry Hill help the Marlins' defense (123 errors, .979 fielding percentage in 2010)? Speaking of defense, the Braves won the wild card last year despite tying the Cubs for the second-most errors in the NL with 126. ... The Mets could be in serious financial trouble if the Bernie Madoff lawsuit goes against them, but they still ate the contracts of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, swallowing $18.2 million.

Top arms: The Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee in the rotation. So what's the big deal? How will manager Charlie Manuel arrange that embarrassment of riches entering the season? He'll go Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels and Joe (who?) Blanton. How's that for righty-lefty balance? ... Johan Santana won't be back in Mets' rotation until June as he recovers from surgery on his left shoulder. ... Josh Johnson leads the Marlins' rotation, but they need the same kind of production out Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez, a combined 27 victories, that they received last year to contend. ... Tim Hudson (17-9) has re-established himself as Atlanta's lead-dog starter. The Braves' top two starters, Hudson (35) and Derek Lowe (37), have some age on them. Atlanta is expected to open the season with co-closers Craig Kimbrel and Jonny (OK) Venters to replace retired Billy Wagner. Kimbrel is a rookie.

Top bats: Jayson Werth (.296, 27 HRs, 85 RBI, 106 runs) gets to see what life is like on the other side of the street, going from the Phillies to the Nationals. ... Wondering how power-hitting second baseman Dan Uggla will do under dialed-up expectations with Braves? He hit 27 or more homers per season over the past five years with the Marlins. Uggla should fit nicely with Atlanta hit men Martin Prado, Jason Heyward and Chipper Jones, if he's healthy. ... Ryan Howard hit .276 with 31 homers and 106 RBI last season for the Phillies. For him that's a so-so year. ... Marlins talented shortstop Hanley Ramirez (.300, 21 HRs, 76 RBI, 92 runs, 32 steals) continues to play in obscurity. It will be interesting to see if Omar Infante, traded for Uggla, can repeat his .321 (151-for-471) batting average for the Marlins.

Top newcomer: Florida's Javier Vazquez is once again back in the safe confines of the NL after another bumpy trial with the Yankees.

Rookies to watch: He's only 18 and starting the year in the deep minors, but when does the drum beat start in Washington to bring Bryce Harper to the big leagues? Hope it's silent for a good long while. ... A year after unveiling outfielder Jayson Heyward, the Braves give Freddie Freeman a shot at first base. ... Danny Espinosa has a chance to start at second base for the Nationals.

Young arms: The Mets Jon Niese returns to the rotation this year after leading NL rookies in starts (30), innings pitched (173 ) and strikeouts (148) last year. ... The Nationals won't have Stephen Strasburg this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, but Drew Storen, another of their young pitchers, will share the closer's job with Sean Burrell. Henry Rodriguez, who can hit 100 mph, will open the year on the DL for the Nats with a neck injury.

Crystal ball: By mid-June the Phillies are going to realize they have a fight on their hands with the Braves.

View full sizeJeffrey Phelps l Associated PressMilwaukee ace Zack Greinke hurt his ribs playing pickup basketball and isn't expected to be ready until the end of April.

NL Central

Predicted order of finish: 1. Reds, 2. Cubs, 3. Cardinals, 4. Brewers, 5. Astros.

The skinny: Here's how not to start spring training: Albert Pujols, the best player on the planet, tells you he wants $30 million a year for the next 20 years or so or he's going to turn free agent at the end of this season. Then 20-game winner Adam Wainright is lost for the season with a right elbow injury. Welcome to St. Louis. ... The news wasn't as bad in Milwaukee, but that Zack Greinke sure is a real buzz kill. Suds City was all a twitter when GM Doug Melvin pulled a coup and landed the former Cy Young winner in a deal with Kansas City. Then Greinke busted his ribs during a pickup basketball game early in spring training and isn't expected to pitch until late April. The Brewers' other hot pitching acquisition, Shaun Marcum, has a sore right shoulder and swingman Manny Parra is out with a sore back. The injuries prompted the Brewers to acquire Sergio Mitre from the Yankees. One more thing: Prince Fielder is in his free agent year and Scott Boras is his agent. Welcome to Milwaukee.

Top arms: Bronson Arroyo (17-10) anchors the Reds' rotation and Francisco Cordero (40 saves) does the same in the pen. Johnny Cueto (12-7) will open the season on the disabled list with a sore right biceps and Arroyo was hit hard by the flu in spring training. ... St. Louis has lost Adam Wainright, but still has Chris Carpenter (16-9), Jaime Garcia (13-8) and Jake Westbrook (10-11). ... What are the odds that Carlos Zambrano keeps his cool long enough to stay in the Cubs' rotation to meld with 15-game winners Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza? ... Free-agent acquisition Kevin Correia is the only double-digit winner on new manager Clint Hurdle's Pirates' staff. ... Yovani Gallardo replaces Greinke as the Brewers' Opening Day starter. ... The Astros' rotation has former Phillie Brett Myers (14-8), but not a whole lot more.

Top hitters: What does MVP Joey Votto do for an encore in Cincinnati? His numbers last year: .324, 37 HRs, 111 RBI, 106 runs, 177 hits, .434 on base, .600 slugging percentage. ... Here are Albert Pujols' home run totals over his 10-year career starting in 2001: 37, 34, 43, 46, 41, 49, 32, 37, 47, 42. Need we say more? ... Lance Berkman should fit in nicely in the Cardinals' lineup with Pujols and Matt Holliday. ... It seems like the Brewers' offense should be better with Rickie Weeks (112 runs) setting the table and Prince Fielder (.269, 32 HRs, 83 RBI) and Ryan Braun (.304, 25 HRs, 103 RBI). Outfielder Corey Hart (.283, 31 HRs, 102 RBI) will be out until mid-April with a strained rib cage. ... The Astros' offense consists of Hunter Pence and an aging Carlos Lee.

Top newcomer: The Cubs acquired starter Matt Garza (15-10) from the Rays and he will improve a rotation that went 60-60 last year.

Top rookies: The Reds like Yonder Alonso, who hit .296 (120-for-406) with 12 homers and 56 RBI at Class AAA Louisville last year, but he's a first baseman and blocked by Votto.

Young arms: St. Louis lefty Jaime Garcia led NL rookies with 13 wins last year. ... Cincinnati reliever Aroldis Chapman, and his 103-mph fastball, will be fun to watch as long as he throws strikes. Reds starter Mike Leake made 22 starts as a rookie last year. Brewers closer John Axford won eight games and saved 24 as Trevor Hoffman's rookie replacement in 2010.

Crystal ball: The desperate Cardinals, backed by city fathers, pawn The Gateway Arch at the All-Star break to keep Albert Pujols.

View full sizeEric Risberg l Associated PressAs long as starting pitcher Tim Lincecum is heathy, the San Francisco Giants have a chance to win.

NL West

Projected order of finish: 1. Giants, 2. Rockies, 3. Dodgers, 4. Padres, 5. Diamondbacks.

The skinny: The World Series champion Giants are expected to open the season with NLCS MVP Cody Ross (left calf) and closer Brian Wilson (left oblique) on the disabled list. Starter Matt Cain, meanwhile, has been nursing a sore right elbow. No word on the state of Wilson's beard. ... Want to suck the life out of a promising team? Just keep doing what the Padres did over the winter by trading their best player, Adrian Gonzalez, to the mega-power Red Sox because they couldn't afford to pay him. Need further proof? Check the attendance in Cleveland. ... Is there any money left in Denver after GM Dan O'Dowd signed shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez? Tulowitzki signed a 10-year, $157.75 million deal and Gonzalez signed a seven-year $80 million deal. ... With ownership of the Dodgers being decided in court, GM Ned Colletti was still able to add Jon Garland, Matt Guerrier and Juan Uribe to the roster. He has a new manager as well in Don Mattingly, who replaces Joe Torre. ... Arizona, trying to change its image from a power-hitting team prone to strikeouts to one stressing pitching and plate discipline under new GM Kevin Towers, dropped 22 players from last year's club.

Top arms: It starts with Tim Lincecum (16-10), Matt Cain (13-11), Jonathan Sanchez (13-9), Madison Bumgarner (7-6) and Brian Wilson (3-3, 1.81, 48 saves) of the Giants, but doesn't end there. Colorado's Ubaldo Gimenez (19-8), LA's Clayton Kershaw (13-10) and San Diego's Mat Latos (14-10), Clayton Richard (14-9), Luke Gregerson (80 appearances, 89 strikeouts, 78 1/3 innings) and Heath Bell (6-1, 1.93, 47 saves) were dominant in 2010. Last year the opposition hit .204 vs. Sanchez, .209 vs. Gimenez, .214 vs. Kershaw, .217 vs. Latos and .221 vs. Cain. Can't anybody but Carlos Gonzalez hit in the NL West?

Top hitters: No wonder the Rockies gave Carlos Gonzalez all that money. He won the NL batting title with a .336 average and had 34 homers, 117 RBI, 111 runs and 57 multihit games. Who knows what kind of damage he'll do with Troy Tulowitzki (.313, 27 HRs, 95 RBI) in the lineup every day? He played only 122 games last year. ... The Giants aren't going to overwhelm anyone on offense, but they do have catcher Buster Posey (.305, 18 HRs, 67 RBI) and Aubrey Huff (.290, 26 HRs, 86 RBI). ... Juan Uribe (.248, 24 HRs, 85 RBI) took his wild swing down the road from San Francisco to Los Angeles during the winter. He'll join Andre Ethier (.292, 23 HRs, 82 RBI) and Matt Kemp (.249, 28 HRs, 89 RBI). ... The Padres had better hope Ryan Ludwick and Cameron Maybin can make up for some of the offense Adrian Gonzalez took to Boston. ... The D-backs could use bounce-back years from Stephen Drew and Justin Upton.

Top newcomer: Detroit traded Armando Galarraga to Arizona in January. Here's hoping his luck changes and he gets another shot at a perfect game.

Top rookies: Kenley Jansen has a chance to help the Dodgers in the pen this year. In 25 games last year with the Dodgers, he allowed two runs in 27 innings and saved four games.

Young arms: Arizona's Daniel Hudson (8-2, 2.45, 84 strikeouts in 951/3 innings) could make White Sox GM Ken Williams regret sending him to the desert. ... Colorado's Jhoulys Chacin went 9-11 and made 28 starts for the Rockies last year as a rookie.

Crystal ball: The Giants have to be considered the favorites opening the season, but look for the Rockies to run them down in the second half.

Paul Hoynes offers his outlook for the American League ... it's not that good for the Indians.

View full sizeCharles Krupa l Associated PressThe Red Sox will have a lot of offensive firepower in their lineup with hitters like Adrian Gonzalez.

AL East

Predicted order of finish: 1. Red Sox. 2. Yankees. 3 Jays. 4. Rays. 5. Orioles.

The skinny: Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez are going to help the Red Sox score a lot of runs, but if Josh Beckett and John Lackey aren't right, the race will get tight. ... CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett, the Yankees' top three starters, will be fine. It's the last two spots in the rotation that could be their undoing. Can MLB's best lineup make up for two holes in the rotation? ... Admire the Rays' spunk and depth, but no team can lose as many key players as they did and churn out another 96-win season. Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez can't change that. ... By trading Vernon Wells to the Angels, the Jays cleared a lot of payroll. That will help them a lot more in the years to come than in 2011. ... Manager Buck Showalter brought a lot to the Orioles when he took over last year and led them to a 34-23 record. If Derrek Lee gets over his sore wrist, he'll help the offense, but they're in the wrong division.

Top arms: Stat gurus probably cost CC Sabathia at least one Cy Young Award in the past two years, but the Yankees lefty keeps winning. ... Bobby Jenks gives the Red Sox a great one-two punch with closer Jonathan Papelbon. Then there's starters Jon Lester (19-9) and Clay Buchholz (17-7). Yeah, Boston has pitching coming and going. ... The Rays traded Matt Garza, but they still have David Price (19-6), Wade Davis (12-10) and emerging Jeremy Hellickson (4-0). ... Toronto traded its top two pitchers, Roy Halladay and Shaun Marcum, over the past two winters. Ricky Romero (14-9), Brandon Morrow (10-7) and Brett Cecil (15-7) are still there, although Morrow will open the year on the disabled list. ... Lefty Brian Matusz (10-12) is an arm to watch with the Orioles. Unfortunately, they don't have enough of them.

Top bats: Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter have a chance to score 100 runs each for the third straight season. ... Carl Crawford is a .300 (181-for-604) career hitter against the Red Sox with 79 runs, 32 doubles and 69 steals. Can he do better than that this season as a Red Sox? ... If the Orioles get the Vlad Guerrero from last year's regular season, they'll be happy. If it's the Guerrero who appeared in the postseason, they won't be happy. ... Most intriguing hitter in the AL East has to be Toronto's Jose Bautista. Where did those 54 homers come from last year and will he ever do it again? ... OPS for Evan Longoria in his first three years with the Rays: .874, .890, .879.

Top newcomer: Life can begin again with Manny Ramirez back in the AL East.

Rookies to watch: Toronto catcher J.P. Arencibia hit .301 with 32 homers and 85 RBI at Class AAA Las Vegas last year.

Young arms: Jeremy Hellickson looked good in the Rays' rotation at the end of last season. ... Right-hander Kyle Drabek will open the year in Toronto's rotation.

Crystal ball: The Yankees signed Russell Martin to be their regular catcher and have Jesus Montero in the pipeline, but do you really think we've heard the last from Jorge Posada behind the plate?

View full sizeCharles Krupa l Associated PressThe health of first baseman Justin Morneau will be a concern for the Twins.

AL Central

Projected order of finish:1. White Sox. 2. Twins. 3. Tigers. 4. Indians. 5. Royals.

The skinny: The boys are back together on the South Side of Chicago along with Adam Dunn. If Ozzie Guillen can keep his Twitter finger under control, he may finally find away to beat the Twins. ... Hard to pick against the Twins, who have won the division six of the past nine years. But you have to wonder about Justin Morneau's concussion and how long Joe Mauer can keep catching. ... The Tigers had a good off-season with the signings of Victor Martinez and Joaquin Benoit and the retention of Magglio Ordonez, Brandon Inge and Jhonny Peralta. Then Miguel Cabrera, the best hitter in the division, was arrested for DUI just before the start of camp. Not a good start. ... In 2007 CC Sabathia won the Cy Young for the Indians. In 2008 Cliff Lee won the Cy Young for the Indians and in 2009 Zack Greinke won the Cy Young for the Royals. It's three years later and the Indians and Royals felt they had to trade those three pitchers because they couldn't afford to keep them. That closed the books on the chances of these two franchises contending in the near future.

Top arms: Best arm in the division belongs to Detroit's Justin Verlander (18-9, 3.37 ERA, 219 strikeouts in 2241/3 innings). ... Minnesota's Carl Pavano, with 31 wins in the past two years, is right behind. ... The Tribe's Chris Perez is the top emerging closer in the division, but the undefeated champion remains Kansas City's Joakim Soria. ... Best grinder among the Central's starters is Chicago's Mark Buehrle. Not too bad a fielder as well. ... The Twins took a hit in the bullpen through free agency, but if Joe Nathan makes it back from Tommy John surgery to pair with Matt Capps, things should be fine. ... Luke Hochevar, 6-6 last year, will be the Royals' Opening Day starter. Hochevar was the first player taken in the 2006 draft.

Top bats: No one's better with a bat in his hand than Miguel Cabrera. ... Shin-Soo Choo's on-base percentage over the past two years: .394 and .401. ... Billy Butler is a real threat for the Royals. ... What will Adam Dunn do in Chicago if all he has to concentrate on is hitting after spending nine years playing the outfield in the NL? The pairing of Paul Konerko and Dunn in Chicago's lineup is going to be fun to watch. ... Delmon Young had the season the Twins were waiting for last year (.298, 21 HRs, 112 RBI). Can he do it again?

Top newcomer: Victor Martinez is back in the AL Central after a 1 1/2-year hiatus to the AL East. The upside, Indians fans get to see him 19 times. The downside, he'll be wearing a Tiger uniform.

Top rookies: Third basemen Bret Morel (Chicago), Mike Moustakas (Royals) and Lonnie Chisenhall (Indians) could get their chance sometime this season. In fact, Morel will start the season for the White Sox.

Young arms: If you like hard-throwing, side-arming lefties, Chicago's Chris Sale is your guy. He pitched exactly 101/3 innings in the minors last year before the White Sox promoted the 2010 No.1 draft pick. ... Twins lefty Brian Duensing is 15-5 with a 3.02 ERA in 77 big-league appearances, including 22 starts.

Crystal ball: Midway through the season, the Marlins renew their interests in acquiring White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Hey, they kicked the tires on the proposal over the winter.

View full sizeCharlie Riedel l Associated PressFormer Indians manager Eric Wedge, right, is now the man in charge in Seattle.

Predicted order of finish: 1. Athletics, 2. Rangers, 3. Angels, 4. Mariners.

The skinny: A power shift in the division has the Rangers and A's rising and the Angels falling. The Angels failed to win the AL West in 2010 for just the second time in the past seven years. It was just the third time they've missed the postseason in the past nine years. Then they spent the winter mostly sitting on their hands, besides trading for Vernon Wells and his monster contract. ... The Rangers went to the World Series for the first time last year. When it was over, they lost Cliff Lee to free agency and CEO Chuck Greenberg to front-office intrigue. The best thing to come out of that for Texans is that Nolan Ryan is finally in charge. ... The A's added Hideki Matsui, David Degasses and Josh Willingham to get some offense to go along with their excellent pitching. The guy they really wanted, Adrian Better, signed with archrival Texas. ... Eric Wedge is the Mariners' eighth manager since 2002. That's a lot in case you were wondering.

Top bats: Josh Hamilton, reigning AL MVP, is the top hitter in the division, but he didn't come to camp in shape because of a January case of pneumonia. Michael Young isn't bad either, but manager Ron Washington is going to earn his salary trying to keep him in the lineup as a DH/utility infielder now that he's lost the third base job to Better. ... The Angels' Kennedy Morals is still trying to come back from breaking his leg last year in a celebration at the plate after hitting a game-winning grand slam. ... If Morals can't go, rookie Mike Turbo will get a shot. He had a big spring and hit .301 (160-for-532) with 36 homers and 122 RBI at Class AAA Salt Lake City last year. ... Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki will be trying for his 11th straight 200-hit season. ... Hideki Matsui wills DH for Oakland.

Top arms: All eyes in Texas aren't on Nolan Ryan or Josh Hamilton. All eyes are on Neftali Feliz. Will he start, to take over for the departed Lee, or will he return to the closer role where he save 40 games last season and won AL Rookie of the Year? The fate of the 2011 Rangers may depend on the decision. ... There's no doubt what Felix Hernandez will do. He'll start for a rebuilding Seattle team. He might even win 14 games, which would put him in line for a second straight Cy Young Award since a pitcher's won-loss record no longer matters. But there might be workload issues since Hernandez has pitched 4781/3 innings over the past two years. ... Oakland closer Andrew Bailey (right elbow) will open the year on the disabled list, but free agent Brian Fuentes will back him up. The A's led the AL in ERA last year despite being only a .500 team. They have 18-game winner Trevor Cahill and one of the best lefties going in Gio Gonzalez (15-9, 3.23).

Top newcomer: Vernon Wells, and the $86 million still owed on his contract, leave Toronto for the California sunshine. The Angels hope the veteran Wells can keep playing like he did last year when he hit .273 with 44 doubles, 31 homers and 88 RBI.

Top rookies: Catcher Hank Conger (Angels), right-hander Tanner Scheppers (Rangers), second baseman Dustin Ackley (Mariners) and first baseman/outfielder Chris Carter (A's) could all be heard from this year.

Young arms: Seattle right-hander Michael Pineda is 6-5, 240 and could help the rotation sometime this year. ... Hard-throwing Alexi Ogando is a guy to watch in the Rangers' bullpen.

Crystal ball: If the A's offense doesn't improve to go along with their pitching, the AL West will belong to Texas for the second straight year.

While the Tribe's once-powerful hitting lineup has waned, there has been an increase in another precious commodity in the organization -- pitching.

View full sizeChuck Crow l The Plain DealerThe Indians' pitching staff is young and mostly unproven, but there is plenty of potential.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It used to be a hitter's paradise. All the Indians did was hit and all they produced was hitters.

Let your memory work and the names quickly appear on the scoreboard in your head: Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, Carlos Baerga, Omar Vizquel, Robbie Alomar, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Sandy Alomar Jr, Eddie Murray, Paul Sorrento, David Justice, Matt Williams, Travis Fryman. They had so many hitters that there was no room for players such as Sean Casey, Brian Giles and Richie Sexson. They were traded and became productive hitters for someone else.

The era of swat has cooled in Cleveland. Last year it turned to ice. The Indians lost 93 games and finished 25th in the big leagues in team batting average (.248) and 26th in runs (646).

While the hitters have waned, there has been an increase in another precious commodity in the Indians' organization -- pitching.

No one is comparing it to 1954, when the Indians had a starting rotation of Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Mike Garcia, Art Houteman and Bob Feller with a young left-hander named Herb Score waiting in the minors. But the Indians, in a sense, are just getting started.

Their big-league rotation is young; Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot are the oldest at 27. The rotation features two hard throwers in Justin Masterson and Carlos Carrasco, who were acquired in two of the three big trades that have rocked the organization since 2008. In the bullpen, they have closer Chris Perez, primed for a breakout year. He, too, was acquired through trade.

Down below things are bubbling.

View full sizePDTribe starter Fausto Carmona is one of the oldest pitchers on the staff and he's only 27.

"It's the largest amount of pitching depth and options that we've had in a while," said Ross Atkins, in his fifth year as Indians director of player development. "It's significant how much depth we feel we have with pitching. It's not so much that we have one or two of them, but that we have such a large number of options that we feel can be contributors."

Former GM Mark Shapiro talked about having not just one or two prospects in the minors, but "waves of prospects." No one knows if the Indians will be able to surf on this wave, but they believe it's far more than a ripple.

Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, Jason Knapp, Carrasco, Zach McAllister, Kelvin De La Cruz, Nick Hagadone and Matt Packer are the curl on the wave.

White was the Indians' No.1 pick in 2009. The Indians paid him $2.25 million after drafting him out of the University of North Carolina. He pitched at Class AA Akron and Class A Kinston last year and will start this season at Class AAA Columbus.

"We like his competitiveness and the ability to go get a 96-mph to 97-mph four-seam fastball and his ability to sink it," said Atkins. "With a developing slider and split, he could end up at the front of the rotation."

White, 22, was a combined 10-10 with a 2.45 ERA (41 earned runs in 150 2/3 innings) last year. The right-hander still has to learn to use his slider and split and not rely only on his fastball. That's what happened to him this spring in his first real exposure to big-league hitters, and they hit .417 against him.

"He got away from using his pitches," said Atkins. "He's so competitive, he said 'I'm going down with my best' and stuck with his fastball too much."

Pomeranz, 22, was the Indians No.1 pick in 2010 out of the University of Mississippi. They paid him $2.65 million after taking him with the fifth overall pick.

View full size

The 6-5, 230-pound left-hander will start the year at Class A Kinston. He pitched only in the Arizona Instructional League last year after signing. He throws between 93 mph and 96 mph and his fastball jumps at the hitter late.

"He gets in the mid 90s real easy," said Indians pitching coach Tim Belcher.

The Indians foresee a rotation with White and Pomeranz as the tip of the spear.

"In the past Cleveland took some guys pretty high in the draft that I didn't think were good American League pitchers," said John Hart, former Indians general manager and current senior advisor for the Texas Rangers. "That's been a missing piece for Cleveland what with the loss of CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee."

Hart said White and Pomeranz have the ability to change that.

"From where Cleveland picked in the draft, they got the best two guys," said Hart. "White slipped a little because people questioned his arm, but he's got plus stuff. I think he could be a solid middle to front of the rotation starter.

"Pomeranz was the best college pitcher on the draft board last year. He's a big-bodied left-hander with an out-pitch curveball and a fastball that's good enough. Cleveland, in its market, needs to hit with both these guys."

The Indians acquired Knapp, a 20-year-old right-hander, from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee trade in 2009. He missed most of last year recovering from right shoulder surgery to remove bone chips and repair a frayed labrum. He made 10 starts at the end of last year in the Arizona Rookie League and Class A Lake County, striking out 47 in 281/3 innings.

Knapp probably will open the year in extended spring training. The Indians brought him to camp in January to increase his shoulder strength and will limit his innings this year because he threw so few last season. When he does join a team, it will probably be Class A Kinston.

"He's definitely a guy," said Atkins. "He's been up to 97 mph to 98 mph with an above-average slider. He has the physical strength to haul innings and an incredible head on his shoulders for a young pitcher."

A big league scout said the Indians took a "flyer' on Knapp in the Lee deal.

"He shows potential," said the scout, "but he still has development to go.

"The Indians, like most clubs, are stockpiling arms. White and Pomeranz give them two quality arms that should be able to move through the system quickly."

Said Hart, "When they made the Lee deal, Knapp was the biggest upside guy in it. He's been hurt. If a guy is limited for a couple of years, you've got to wonder what it means."

The Indians acquired Carrasco, 24, in the Lee deal. He made the Indians' Opening Day roster this spring and will start the second game of the season Saturday against Chicago at Progressive Field.

Manager Manny Acta says the right-handed Carrasco may have the highest ceiling of any pitcher in the organization.

"I believe he's going to be a good major-league pitcher," said Acta.

McAllister, 23, came from the Yankees for Austin Kearns at the July 31 trading deadline last year. He's 6-6 and 240 pounds and will start the year at Class AAA Columbus. His father, Steve, is a scout for Arizona.

"Guys like McAllister and Jeanmar Gomez (another starter at Columbus) provide depth for the back end of the rotation," said the same scout who commented earlier about the Indians stockpiling arms.

De La Cruz, Hagadone and Packer offer balance to the foam at the top of the wave as left-handers. De La Cruz and Packer are expected to be in the Class AA rotation at Akron. Hagadone will probably be in the Akron bullpen.

The 6-5, 190-pound De La Cruz, 22, missed most of the 2009 season with an elbow injury.

"De La Cruz is definitely in the mix," said Belcher. "He throws in the low 90s and has room to grow. He could really be a monster. He could be bigger than Pomeranz or Hagadone. He's got the shoulders to carry it."

He's the only 6-5 lefty in the Tribe organization who can do a standing back flip. Just ask him.

The Indians acquired Hagadone, 25, and Masterson, 26, from Boston for Victor Martinez in their 2009 fire sale. Atkins called Hagadone's 2010 season "his hiccup year" as he was coming off Tommy John surgery in 2008. He struck out 89 and walked 63 in 85 2/3 innings at Kinston and Akron. Like Knapp this year, Hagadone's innings were limited in 2010.

The 6-5, 230-pound Hagadone can hit 96 mph, but usually pitches in the low to mid 90s.

"There was a huge buzz around Hagadone a couple of years ago when he was with Boston," said Hart. "He was throwing 96 mph to 97 mph, just what you want to see out of a big left-hander.

"His stuff isn't playing as big as it was two years ago because, like Knapp, he got hurt. It might be a safe bet to put him in the bullpen."

The Indians drafted Packer, 23, out of the University Virginia with the 32nd pick in the 2009 draft. As a sophomore in college, he led the nation in ERA, but struggled as a junior and slipped in the draft. Last year he led the Tribe's minor-league system with a 2.04 ERA and was fifth in strikeouts with 123 in 132 2/3 innings at Lake County and Akron.

"He's a lefty along the lines of Scott Lewis and Jeremy Sowers," said Atkins. "We just hope he's more durable."

GM Chris Antonetti said the Indians have intentionally tried to bring as much pitching into the organization as possible.

"We understand the importance of pitching depth and feel we have several layers of it," said Antonetti.

Here's what Antonetti is talking about:

The rotation at Columbus will be David Huff, Jeanmar Gomez, Corey Kluber, White and McAllister. Huff and Gomez already have big-league experience with the Tribe. In the Columbus bullpen, they'll have Jensen Lewis, Zach Putnam, Josh Judy and Jess Todd who can help the big-league club.

There's more.

At Akron, the rotation will be De La Cruz, Packer, Austin Adams, Joe Gardner and Scott Barnes. The organization considers them all prospects.

In the bullpen they have Hagadone and Bryce Stowell.

Adams and Stowell have hit 100 mph. Stowell was in big-league camp, but struggled to throw strikes. Adams and Gardner are starting, but their path to the big leagues might be faster as relievers. Gardner is a sinker-slider pitcher.

The Indians also have lefty T.J. McFarland, 11-5 at Kinston last year, and right-hander Hector Rondon. McFarland should reach Akron this year, while Rondon is idling on the runway as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He was one of the team's top prospects until injuring his right elbow at Columbus last year.

"I think they're putting together a good group of pitchers," said Jim Callis, executive director of Baseball America, the bible of minor league baseball, scouting and the draft. "Drew Pomeranz and Alex White are solid.

"The Indians have the have been very aggressive over the last few year in getting pitching on all three levels -- international, trades and the draft."

Added Hart, who built the great Indians teams from 1995 through 2001 on hitting and strong bullpens, "I think the light the Indians see at the end of the tunnel isn't a train. I think it is a light. I think in the next few years you're going to see Kansas City and the Indians take big strides in that division."

To reach this Plain Dealer Reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

Also, Baldwin-Wallace guard Amanda Schroeder is the 2011 OAC Women's Basketball Helen Ludwig Player of the Year, while B-W forward Kyle Payne is the OAC Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year.

View full sizeAmy Sancetta l Associated PressU.S. gymnast Bridget Sloan performs on the balance beam during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

On Saturday, she will appear at Lost Nation Sports Park in Willoughby from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the USA Gymnastics Ohio State Levels 4 and 5 Championships. Tickets for the meet, which are $5, are required for admission and to attend the Sloan event.

Now a high school senior, the native of Pittsboro, Ind., is in Northeast Ohio to help promote the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships at Cleveland State's Wolstein Center on April 14-17.

In 2009, Sloan became the fifth U.S. woman to win the all-around title at the World Gymnastics Championships. She also was a member of the 2010 World Championships team that won silver. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Sloan was part of the silver-medal-winning U.S. team.

Gymworld is at 6630 Harris Road in Broadview Heights. Lost Nation is at 38630 Jet Center Place in Willoughby.

Player of the Year: Baldwin-Wallace guard Amanda Schroeder is the 2011 OAC Women's Basketball Helen Ludwig Player of the Year and a first-team All-OAC selection for the third straight year. Schroeder ended her career third on the all-time Yellow Jackets scoring list with 1,374 points.

In addition, sophomore guard Jessica Carpenter (North Canton Hoover) was a second-team All-OAC choice.

Freshman of the Year: B-W forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) is this year's OAC Men's Basketball Freshman of the Year. Payne averaged 15.2 points and 4.9 rebounds, and also was an honorable mention All-OAC selection.

300 victories: B-W women's tennis coach Jack Bethlenfalvy won his 300th career match when B-W defeated Adrian (Mich.) College on Feb. 19.

He is the winningest women's collegiate tennis coach at B-W, in the OAC and in Ohio. Inducted into the Parma Amateur Athletic Association (PAAF) Hall of Fame last fall, Bethlenfalvy has a 302-197 career mark and has led B-W to three OAC titles and three NCAA Division III national tourney berths in the past four years.

Notable: Case Western Reserve sophomore Austin Fowler was selected to the All-Great Lakes team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Fowler averaged a team-high 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. . . . Hiram College announced it will add men's and women's lacrosse as intercollegiate sports and begin competing in spring 2013.

The Tribe plays its home opener Friday, April !. Here are five new books to elevate your love and understanding of baseball. No fooling.

Harper, 255 pp., $26.99, out April 12

By Mark Hodermarsky

The Tribe plays its home opener Friday, April !.  Here are five new books to elevate your love and understanding of baseball. No fooling.

Bottom of the 33rd

Dan Barry

Dan Barry's rapturous ruminations on baseball begin ingloriously -- in a dilapidated minor- league ballpark in Pawtucket, R.I., on the cold, windy evening of April 18, 1981. But a remarkable story is about to unfold. It is Holy Saturday, and 19 patrons from the announced crowd of 1,740 will remain in McCoy Stadium for the next eight hours and well into Easter Sunday (4 a.m.). They will witness the longest professional baseball game in history. An astonishing tale that lyrically articulates baseball's inexorable grip on its players and fans, "Bottom of the 33rd" belongs among the best baseball books ever written. Grade: Grand slam

Simon and Schuster, 516 pp., $28

Campy

Neil Lanctot

Hall-of-Famer Roy "Campy" Campanella's life story has never received the comprehensive treatment that it deserves -- until now. Neil Lanctot's assiduous research and crisp style produce a compelling biography on one of baseball's most captivating and irrepressible personalities. He captured three MVPs and helped the fabled Brooklyn Dodgers win six National League pennants and the 1955 World Series. Here Campanella's biracialism, his years in the Negro Leagues and his uneasy relationship with Jackie Robinson are explored in detail. So, too, is the car accident that left him a quadriplegic and, subsequently, a hero and inspiration to millions. Grade: Home run

Simon and Schuster, 365 pp., $26

Baseball in the Garden of Eden

John Thorn

Baseball's early history gains a fresh and fascinating perspective from noted baseball author, editor and historian, John Thorn. Undaunted by the challenges of unraveling baseball's mysterious past, Thorn has researched the game's genesis since 1983. Here he drafts a dissertation on baseball's formative years that will become the benchmark for future chroniclers of our national pastime. Thorn examines the sport's undeniable ties to cricket, debunks long-standing myths, acknowledges baseball's authentic pioneers -- and delineates a robust list of scandals and villains. All the while, his scholarship, eloquence and wit permeate each page. Grade: Home run

Sports Illustrated Books, 368 pp., $26.95

56

Kostya Kennedy

In addition to providing a vivid game-by-game, bat-by-bat registry of perhaps the greatest of all sports records, Kostya Kennedy discusses the significance of Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in relation to an adoring Italian-American community; to the apprehensiveness surrounding our country's approaching entry into World War II; and to DiMaggio's complex personality. He was just 26 years old those 70 summers ago. The future Hall of Famer's enduring mystique emerges from Kennedy's dramatic retelling of the 1941 season and confirms "Joltin' Joe's" status as one of the most graceful, competitive and revered baseball legends of all time. Grade: Triple

Algonquin Books, 256 pp., $15.95

Cardboard Gods

Josh Wilker

Josh Wilker begins each chapter with a description of a baseball card from his collection and then cleverly transposes that player's story to illuminate an episode from his own past. As much a book about the awkwardness of growing up in 1970s as it is about a boy's obsession with baseball cards (and Carl "Yaz" Yastrzemski), Josh Wilker's "Cardboard Gods" summons memories of J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye." Like Holden Caulfield's passage through boyhood, Wilker's journey is marked by self-doubt and self-discovery. Wilker's memoir is both funny and heart-rending; the prose, spirited and inventive. Grade: triple

Mark Hodermarsky has taught a course in baseball literature for 20 years at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland.

Should the NFL switch to a lottery like the NBA?

Darron Cummings l Associated PressThe Cleveland Browns may select Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green.

In 1984, the NBA went to a lottery system for the draft to counter accusations that teams were deliberately losing games in order to secure the worst record which would mean the chance to obtain the first pick.

Currently, the NFL awards the first pick to the team with the worst record. Wouldn't a draft lottery encourage the worst teams to continue to compete late in the season because the number one pick (because of the worst record) isn't on the line?

For example, if the NFL went to a lottery that included 10 teams with the worst record, the Cleveland Browns would have a chance at the first pick. Right now, the Browns have the sixth selection.

Watch live streaming video from the Winking Lizard on Huron Road, a stones throw from Progressive Field, where the Indians are taking on the White Sox on Opening Day. First pitch is at 3:05 p.m.

Click the play button in the gray bar to watch live streaming video from the Winking Lizard on Huron Road, a stones throw from Progressive Field where the Indians are taking on the White Sox on Opening Day. First pitch is at 3:05 p.m.

You can also get in-game updates and chat with our experts at the game here.

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