Asdrubal Cabrera said he was fine after getting hit on the right arm Friday night by a line drive off the bat of teammate Orlando Cabrera.

Clubhouse confidential: Asdrubal Cabrera said he was fine after getting hit on the right arm Friday night by a line drive off the bat of teammate Orlando Cabrera. 

Asdrubal Cabrera was on third base in the fourth inning when Orlando Cabrera sent a line drive right at him. He tried to jump over the baseball, but had no luck as the ball hit him in foul territory. 

"I can't remember if that's ever happened to me before or not," said Cabrera. "I'm fine. He didn't hit it that hard." 

He eventually scored when Orlando Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly in the Tribe's 2-1 victory at Seattle.  

Share and share alike: Jack Hannahan asked Adam Everett if he could borrow one of his blue long-sleeved undershirts to wear under his uniform jersey for Sunday's game. 

Everett took the shirt he was wearing off and handed it to Hannahan. 

"What a teammate," said Hannahan, with a laugh. "He gives you the shirt off his back."  

Stat of the day: The Indians' 25-man roster is tied with Florida for the third youngest in the big leagues behind Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The Indians' 40-man roster is the second youngest.  
 

Big-name draft prospects such A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Patrick Peterson, Von Miller and Da'Quan Bowers will visit the Browns this week.

John Bazemore / Associated PressGeorgia receiver A.J. Green is among a handful of big-name draft prospects visiting the Browns this week and next.

CLEVELAND -- It's a big week for the Browns as they'll host some of the biggest names in the draft, including  receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones, cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara and defensive linemen Da'Quan Bowers.

Other top prospects expected to visit include quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackles Marcell Dareus and Nick Fairley.

The marquee names are among the 30 players the Browns are permitted to bring in for visits. During their trip, they're allowed to be interviewed and examined, but not worked out.

Texas A&M outside linebacker Von Miller, the premier rush 'backer in the draft,  is expected here on Monday and Tuesday. Miller, who had a sensational showing at the NFL Combine in February, had 50.5 sacks in his four college seasons. Although he's viewed primarily as an outside linebacker in a 3-4, he's still very much on the Browns' radar for their 4-3 scheme.

Georgia's Green is the player most draft experts predict the Browns will pick at No. 6, but Alabama's Jones is closing the gap between the two top-ranked wideouts, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper.

Bowers, who will visit the Browns on Tuesday and Wednesday, underwent another MRI in Indianapolis on Saturday to determined how his repaired torn meniscus is healing. Results have not been available, but the Browns will have a chance to exam the knee themselves this week.

Browns general manager Tom Heckert has made it clear that he wouldn't hesitate to draft another cornerback at No. 6 despite the fact he picked Joe Haden at No. 7 last year. LSU's Peterson is thought by some to be the best player in this draft and could be gone by No. 6. But Nebraska's Amukamara, who had five interceptions in 2009, is expected to be there.

The draft is April 28-30.

Ohio State needs its offensive linemen to stay healthy this fall, and right tackle J.B. Shugarts has good news on that front.

Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerFoot problems have limited J.B. Shugarts' playing time at Ohio State, but the right tackle says his feet feel great after an off-season of rehab.

Columbus -- With everything else Ohio State has to worry about during the first five games of the season, there isn't much room for concern about J.B. Shugarts' feet. The senior right tackle was forced to the sidelines after halftime of two games in the middle of last season, but he said after Saturday's scrimmage that those foot problems are behind him.

Good thing, because if the Buckeyes have to replace four offensive linemen during September -- Shugarts as well as suspended left tackle Mike Adams and graduated guards Bryant Browning and Justin Boren -- they'll be cutting things very close.

"I'll be fine," said Shugarts, who said he spent the off-season rehabbing his feet and getting new shoe inserts to help take the pressure off his feet. "They haven't bothered me at all this spring or this winter."

And he has been put to the test. Counting a new walk-on, only 11 offensive linemen took part in Ohio State's scrimmage Saturday, and that's who has been rotating through at practice, meaning senior starters such as Shugarts, Adams and center Mike Brewster have been working with the third-team offense at times, because there is no third team on the offensive line.

"Most schools might have 15 [offensive linemen], some might have 20. We go at it every day with 10," Shugarts said. "When you think about your senior year spring ball, your last spring ball, you're not walking into practice expecting to take 30, 40, 50 reps, but you've got to do what you've got to do to get the team better. To get those young quarterbacks better, we've got to give them time in the pocket, and we've got to keep doing that. It all works together."

There's also a lot to figure out on the line. Those 11 linemen include seven the Buckeyes can trust at this point, the three senior starters plus redshirt sophomores Corey Linsley, Jack Mewhort and Marcus Hall and true sophomore Andrew Norwell. From that group will come the two starting guards, the starting left tackle while Adams is out and the top backup in case anyone goes down.

"It's the first time since I've been here there's two guard spots and the left tackle open all around the same time," Brewster said. "It's not like it's going to separate anyone on the line, because guys rotate so much and are playing a lot of spots, and I'm doing everything I can to try to be a coach on the field. It makes it fun to be out there with them. Everyone makes mistakes, but learning from those mistakes is the only way we can get better."

Norwell and Hall -- a Glenville grad who played as a true freshman, sharing some time with Shugarts at right tackle, but redshirted last year for academic reasons -- have been playing tackle and guard, and one of them should be the left tackle while Adams is out. Mewhort is working as the starter at left guard and Linsley as the starter at right guard, but both also take snaps at center, where someone has to be ready if something happens to Brewster.

It's a solid, potentially very good group, but behind them are only walk-ons and true freshmen. That's why Shugarts and Brewster are so important.

"We feel like we've got a solid seven or eight guys that are really good enough to play," Shugarts said. "I think we won't miss a beat."

As long as the guys they're counting on can stay on their feet.

Clarity about how to measure players in the steroid era is difficult for Hall of Fame voters, but Manny Ramirez has made at least one decision easy, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

AP File PhotoClarity about how to measure players in the steroid era is difficult for Hall of Fame voters, but Manny Ramirez has made at least one decision easy, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

Cleveland, Ohio -- A heartfelt thanks goes out to Manny Ramirez for being Manny. 

Actually, it goes out to Manny for being Barry Bonds. 

As an overmatched Baseball Hall of Fame voter increasingly asked to measure players from the steroid era for election to Cooperstown, I'm desperate for clarity. I'll take it wherever I can find it. 

Why so desperate? Because I'm not in the ban-all-the-cheaters club of voters. Maybe I should be, but I'm not there yet. 

I'm not in any club, really. Unless there's a club of voters who are beginning to wish they weren't voters. I'll run for president of that. 

Being a Hall of Fame voter is a privilege. But it feels more and more like a burden. Mostly because I have trouble separating the cheaters who got caught from the cheaters who didn't; the players who tested positive but whose bodies didn't change in any noticeable way, from those who never tested positive but who swelled like over-spinached Popeyes. 

But Manny? Manny's easy now. 

Manny delivered, because that's what Manny does. 

One, two, three strikes. He's out. And he's not getting back into the discussion. 

Ramirez was suspended for 50 games in 2009. It appears that rather than face a 100-game suspension for another failed test this spring, he retired. 

The New York Times reported a few years back that Ramirez was one of the 2003 positives who turned up in survey testing when baseball was still trying to get its players association to agree to testing. 

Ramirez told ESPN Deportes on Friday that he was "at ease" with his decision to retire. Well, that's a relief. What about his decision to cheat? We may never know. 

I take no joy in crossing Ramirez off my ballot for as long as I have a vote. He was a marvel to watch as a young hitter in Cleveland. What a natural-born talent. And now, what a waste of one. 

The entire synthetic steroid era is a wasteland when you try as a Hall of Fame voter to glean some perspective from it. 

When I sit down with my Hall of Fame ballot and see Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro staring back, I get a sick feeling about the whole process. I'm not ready to rule them completely out forever. And I also can't bring myself to vote for them right now. 

Next comes Sammy Sosa and Pudge Rodriguez. Roger Clemens, too. And, in five years, Ramirez, the greatest right-handed hitter of his time. 

What should voters factor into decisions? Admissions of guilt and evidence for sure. What about suspicions? 

Palmeiro had one of the sweetest swings ever. His body never really changed. 

He tested positive late in his career after wagging his finger on Capitol Hill. He's argued that he already had his 300 hits and 500 home runs. Why would he sabotage the Hall of Fame? 

I don't know. But I do know one thing. Pudge Rodriguez showed up one spring in Detroit looking like he'd been shrunk. 

In half. 

What to make of him? 

Two years ago, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Telander asked the Baseball Writers of America to provide some criteria for voting on steroid era players. His proposal was narrowly defeated. 

I like the idea. I just don't know how much it would help. Would it shine a light? Or is it always going to be subjective to some degree? 

I don't honestly know. Really, I only know one thing these days. 

I know that if you get caught twice in three seasons and offer no explanation, if you issue a statement saying you're "at ease" with walking, then I'm not going to worry my thick head over you and your legacy. 

That much I can get my head around. Not much else. 

So thank you, Manny. 

But you really shouldn't have.   

Manny Ramirez a Hall-of-Famer? Forget it, Man-Ram.

Mike Carlson / Associated PressManny Ramirez's baseball odyssey ended Friday with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Manny Ramirez no more deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown, N.Y., than Bozo the Clown -- Ramirez's alter ego at various times in his baseball career.

And that might be unfair to Bozo, who at least is as he appears.

Ramirez walked away from the game, apparently for good, Friday. He reportedly wanted to avoid the oncoming train of Major League Baseball that would have punished him for a second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.

"I'm at ease," he told ESPN Deportes.

Good to know, Manny. Good to know a cheater is at ease. I'm sure all the clean players in the game feel the same way.

When Ramirez got caught and served a 50-game suspension as a member of the Dodgers in 2009, that was enough for me: No Hall of Fame for you, Man-Ram. Get caught, or admit to, using PEDs and you should automatically be removed from Hall of Fame consideration.

Not that Ramirez cares what I think, or anybody else thinks. I'd be amazed if he even knows where the Hall of Fame is located.

What startles me is not so much that Ramirez cheated the game, it's that more than a few people still consider him Hall-worthy. As I listen to, and read about, the case for Ramirez, it makes me wonder who's clowning whom.

As I've been able to gather, the most popular arguments in defense of Ramirez are these: He will remain one of the great hitters of his time, regardless of what urine samples say; he put up Hall of Fame numbers before getting caught; if you punish him, you need to tarnish/punish everybody, because everybody cheated.

All nonsense.

Cheaters are cheaters. It doesn't matter when they get caught.

A student takes a 100-question exam and breezes through the first 99, only to struggle with the last one. The student decides to peek at a classmate's exam. The teacher spots it and enforces a punishment.

Should the student get credit for 99 out of 100? Of course not. The entire exam should be flushed with an 'F.'

And if a player is going to cheat at the end of his career, why is it a stretch to think he didn't cheat at the outset or middle? We're supposed to believe, as a glaring example, Alex Rodriguez when he tells us he only did 'roids with the Texas Rangers? Proven or admitted cheaters lose all benefit of the doubt.

The reality is, not everybody cheats in baseball -- or any other sport. Based on my eyes and ears from 20 years of being in major-league clubhouses, I submit that the vast majority have been clean, even in the Steroid Era. It's just that the rotten ones stand out exponentially.

Until someone can prove otherwise, or until either or both admits to any wrongdoing, Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome deserve to recognized as sluggers who did it the right way and did not rely on performance-enhancers. They should not be forced to defend themselves simply because Rodriguez admitted to juicing or Ramirez got caught.

The hypocrisy of some in the crowd that wants to give Ramirez the keys to Cooperstown is troubling. On one hand, they howl about how dirty the game is, and that the cheaters need to be exposed and driven out. Yet, when it comes time to deliver the ultimate punishment, they balk and make lame rationalizations.

What message does it send to Ramirez -- or Rodriguez or Mark McGwire or others -- if there is not some type of anvil awaiting a blatant disregard for the integrity of the game?

If Ramirez, a former Indian, is allowed into the Hall some day, he will have gotten everything he could have wanted out of baseball but paid no legitimate price for cheating. And if you think shame is enough of a price paid by Ramirez, well, "Manny being Manny" must not have computed the last 19 years.

Winning streaks in baseball are great things, but are they real or a mirage? Manager Manny Acta thinks the Indians have proven some concrete things during their seven-game win streak.

Elaine Thompson / Associated PressTribe starter Josh Tomlin pitched into the seventh inning on Sunday and is 2-0 this season.

Seattle -- Few things are better than a big-league team on a hot streak. The hitters all look like Babe Ruth, the pitchers like Cy Young.

They can do no wrong. Even the umpires seem to be on their side.

The Indians have won seven straight. It's their best start to a season since they went 11-1 in 2002. But everyone knows how 2002 ended.

It was the last gasp of the great Indians run that started in 1995. Manager Charlie Manuel was fired at the All-Star break. Former General Manager Mark Shapiro started his first serious rebuild of an aging roster. When the season ended, the Indians were 74-88 and 201/2 games out of first place in the AL Central.

So just what are the concrete things the Indians can take out of a strong start? It can't be all a mirage, right?

"The pitching," said Indians manager Manny Acta. "Other than the Opening Day, our starters have all been able to go deep into the game. It gives us a chance to keep the guys rested in the bullpen so we can match up with them.

"That combined with our defense."

The starting rotation, not counting the first two games of the season, is 5-0 with a 1.83 ERA. Justin Masterson and Josh Tomlin are each 2-0 in that streak.

Tomlin went 6 innings in Sunday's 6-4 victory to give the Indians a three-game sweep of the Mariners.

"Yeah, things lined up right," said Acta. "We're playing well. We're getting timely hits. We came to Seattle, and one of the things you look for is whether you're facing Felix Hernandez or not. That also worked out for us.

"That being said, we're playing good baseball. It starts with the pitching and the starters going deep into the game."

To say nothing of momentum.

"Right now, I don't feel we can be beat," said Tomlin. "I think everyone feels that way right now. If we play the kind of baseball we're capable of playing, it's going to be tough for anybody to beat us."

Extreme makeover: Justin Masterson is a pitcher of extremes.

In his first start of the season, Masterson beat the White Sox. He allowed one run on seven hits, but didn't strike out a batter in seven innings.

Saturday night he made his second start. Masterson allowed one run on four hits in 61/3 innings to beat Seattle. This time he struck out nine batters, including seven in the first four innings.

Why the difference?

"Sometimes I'm a strikeout pitcher," said Masterson, 2-0, 1.35 ERA, "but it's going to come and go. With the stuff I have, I have the ability to go both ways at times. If I need that strikeout, sometimes I can get it. If I don't, I can let the sinker run and get some ground balls."

The game plans of the White Sox and Mariners against Masterson may have influenced his number of strikeouts as well.

The White Sox were aggressive, swinging early in the count. Masterson threw only 98 pitches in seven innings and recorded 15 ground ball outs.

Masterson said the Mariners were more patient. They took more first pitches and worked deeper into the count. Masterson was not surprised.

"It led to some deeper counts, that gave me a chance to put some guys away," he said.

Closer Chris Perez, who saved Masterson's 2-1 victory Saturday, was impressed for a different reason.

"I think Seattle was a tougher lineup for him than the White Sox because they have those left-handers," said Perez.

The White Sox had four lefties in the lineup against Masterson. The Mariners, including switch-hitters, had seven. Masterson's three-quarter motion is tough on right-handers, but lefties hit .290 (113-for-389) against him last year.

Seattle's lefties went a combined 4-for-19 (.211) against him Saturday.

The Lake Erie Monsters concluded their regular season with a 5-4 shootout victory on the road over the Rochester Americans on Sunday.

Plain Dealer file

The Monsters held a three-goal lead at the end of the second period, but Rochester tied the game to force a scoreless overtime and an eventual seven-round shootout that ended in Lake Erie's seventh win of the season over Rochester.

The Monsters struck first when Matt Ford scored for the third straight game, netting his team-leading 26th goal of the season at 7:08 of the opening period.

Rookie Luke Walker and Julian Talbot scored for the Monsters in the extra periods.

Next up for Lake Erie is a first-round playoff series with Manitoba.

Game 1 will be Saturday at noon at The Q, with Game 2 on Sunday at 3 p.m. at The Q. The series then goes to Manitoba for 8:30 p.m. games on Tuesday and Thursday, with Game 5 Friday at 8:30 if necessary. Game 6, if necessary, would be Easter Sunday at 4 p.m. at The Q, and if there is a Game 7, it will be April 26 at 7 p.m. at The Q.

My most unforgettable day at an Indians game came on Sept. 8, 1995, when my father and I watched the Tribe clinch the playoffs for the first time since 1954. I was only 13 years old, but still knew how special this opportunity was just by looking at my Dad’s eyes tear up when Jim Thome squeezed that last out and it was official — we were going to the playoffs.

AP File PhotoFormer Indians third baseman Jim Thome in 1995.

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 Ed Kleppel of Mentor.

My most unforgettable day at an Indians game came on Sept. 8, 1995, when my father and I watched the Tribe clinch the playoffs for the first time since 1954. I was only 13 years old, but still knew how special this opportunity was just by looking at my Dad’s eyes tear up when Jim Thome squeezed that last out and it was official — we were going to the playoffs.

I will never forget standing throughout that ninth inning in section 572, clapping in unison with the sold-out crowd and cheering wildly, from the last out through the team hoisting the championship banner. My Dad and I jumped with joy knowing that we had just witnessed Cleveland sports history, and for my Dad, the end of a lifetime of waiting for a playoff berth.

As we exited the Jake, we exchanged high-fives with many Tribe fans and I even learned for the first time about the celebration horn as my Dad blasted the car horn with other excited Tribe fans driving down East Ninth on our way home. I often dream of the day when I get to teach my 6-month-old son about the celebration horn and hope that my Dad will be with us, too.

There were so many great moments during that stretch of Indians baseball, but this was the one that my father and I got to share and will always have. In the great run of the ’90s, my Dad would get two tickets for a few games a year, so my two brothers and I would usually take turns going. It made me especially proud that when I read about this contest and asked my Dad his favorite moment, he said the same thing!

Bubba Bell was 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI as the Clippers completed a weekend sweep in Indianapolis. Clippers second baseman Cord Phelps slugged a solo home run in the fourth inning.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 7, Indians 5 RF Bubba Bell was 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI as the Clippers completed a weekend sweep in Indianapolis. Clippers second baseman Cord Phelps slugged a solo home run in the fourth inning.

Right-hander Zach McAllister (1-0) was the starting and winning pitcher. He gave up seven hits and four runs, all earned, in five innings. Zach Putnam gave up one run in the final two innings and collected his first save.

Notes: At 4-0, the Clippers are off to their best start since 1980.

AA Akron Aeros

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerJason Donald is on a rehab assignment in Akron.

Aeros 1, Mets 0 Akron got the only run of the game on a throwing error in the fourth inning and beat Binghamton, N.Y., in an Eastern League game at Canal Park in Akron. Chu Chen scored from second on the play. Austin Adams picked up his first win in Class AA, pitching two-hit ball for six innings, walking one and striking out six.

Notes: Jason Donald made his first rehab start for the Aeros and went 1-for-3 with a single and strikeout.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Dash 4, Indians 2 Winston-Salem, N.C., won at Kinston and took two of three in the opening series in the Carolina League. K-Tribe starter Clayton Cook pitched 51⁄3 innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs. He walked one and struck out three and absorbed the loss.

A Lake County Captains

Loons 12, Captains 6 Great Lakes slugged four home runs at Classic Park in Eastlake and defeated Lake County in a Class A Midwest League game. Cole Cook (0-1) pitched four innings, allowing four runs — three earned—on six hits.

Following a 1-3 start, the Angels have won four of their past five games.

AP PhotoTorii Hunter hit .389 (14-for-36) with three homers and seven RBI against the Tribe last year.

What: Indians at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

When: Tonight through Wednesday.

Where: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, Calif.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100 tonight and Tuesday, WMMS FM/100.7 on Wednesday.

Pitching matchups: RHP Mitch Talbot (0-0, 4.15 ERA) vs. Tyler Chatwood (0-0, 0.00) at 10:05 tonight; RHP Fausto Carmona (0-1, 9.00) vs. RHP Dan Haren (2-0, 1.15) at 10:05 p.m. Tuesday; and RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-1, 5.68) vs. RHP Ervin Santana (0-1, 3.68) at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday. All times are Eastern time.

Season series: The Angels lead the Indians, 305-284, overall. The Indians won last year’s series, 5-4.

Indians update: They have won seven straight since losing their first two games of the season. Austin Kearns hit .538 (7-for-13) with two homers and six RBI against the Angels last year. Talbot was 1-0.

Angels update: Following a 1-3 start, the Angels have won four of their past five games. Torii Hunter hit .389 (14-for-36) with three homers and seven RBI against the Tribe last year.

Injuries: Indians—CF Grady Sizemore (left knee), INF Jason Donald (left middle finger), OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) and RHP Joe Smith (abdominal) are on the disabled list. Angels—RHP Scott Kazmir (back), LHP Scott Downs (left big toe), 1B Kendry Morales (left ankle), RHP Joel Pineiro (right shoulder), OF Reggie Willits (left calf), C Freddy Sandoval (left oblique) and RHP Bobby Cassevah (right shoulder) are on the disabled list.

Next for Indians: The team returns home for a three-game series against Baltimore on Friday.

When it comes to wrestling in Cleveland, you expect someone with St. Edward High roots to come out on top. Mark Martin Jr., a state high school champion this year for the Eagles, continued his winning ways as he kept the Eagles' colors flying in good order. Martin, a titlist in Columbus at 152 pounds, added national bragging rights...

St. Edward's Mark Martin battles Wyoming (Pa.) Seminary's Eric Morris in the 152 lb. match during a St. Edward quad meet on Saturday, February 5, 2011. (Lonnie Timmons III / The Plain Dealer)

When it comes to wrestling in Cleveland, you expect someone with St. Edward High roots to come out on top.

Mark Martin Jr., a state high school champion this year for the Eagles, continued his winning ways as he kept the Eagles' colors flying in good order. Martin, a titlist in Columbus at 152 pounds, added national bragging rights as he won the 154.25-pound championship at the ASICS FILA Junior Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Public Hall. The tournament was for wrestlers age 17-20.

"I just came here thinking I had to get better," said Martin, putting the finishing touch on his junior season at the Lakewood school. "That's the best reason."

After winning his first four matches, Martin was at his best in the final as he steamrolled Zachary Brunson, also 17 and a high school junior in Churchill, Ore., by scores of 6-1, 6-0. Martin piled up five straight points on an ankle lace in the first period and used two throws to win the second.

"His style was perfect for me," said Martin. "He opened up my shots."

While the final was satisfying, the champion got a rugged win, 3-0, 3-0, against Jesse Shanaman from Blair Academy (N.J.) in the quarterfinals and had to rally to defeat California collegian Dylan Cataline, 0-2, 1-1, 2-0.

With the victory, Martin has the option of going to the U.S. Junior World Trials in June in Franklin, Ind., or going to the national high school tournament in July in Fargo, N.D. He said he will likely go to Fargo.

The St. Edward connections were also happy with the effort of former Eagle state champion Nick Sulzer. The redshirted freshman at the University of Virginia came back from a disheartening semifinal loss to earn third place at 163 pounds.

Matched against eventual champion Taylor Massa after three wins, Sulzer got caught in a headlock 20 seconds into the bout and was obviously hurt by the move. After several minutes to recover, he returned to the action and was pinned in 49 seconds. "He's a tough kid and hit me with that front headlock," said Sulzer, 19, who also earned a trip to Indiana. "If I defaulted, I was out the next two matches. I was kind of out of it."

However, he came back to knock off Chris Moon from Virginia Tech, 1-0, 7-0, and Nick Moore of Iowa, 2-0, 1-0, in the final.

Harrison Hightower, a state champion from University School attending Virginia Tech, was eliminated in two matches in the same division.

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy sophomore Nathan Tomasello and Copley junior Sam Wheeler, both state champions, each earned fourth-place honors. Wheeler reached the quarterfinals at 185 pounds before dropping to the consolations.

Gus Sako, another St. Edward champion attending Virginia, went 2-2 in his bouts at 145.5 pounds.

At 132.25 pounds, Twinsburg's Michael Labry and Wadsworth's Alfredo Gray bowed out in the consolations. Gray lost his opening match to four-time state champion Logan Stieber from Monroeville.

Stieber lost in the quarterfinals, but came back in the consolations to take third place.

Two-time state champion Jerome Robinson from St. Ignatius, a redshirt freshman at Old Dominion, had to settle for seventh place at 121.25 pounds after winning his first two matches.

The top six places qualify for the U.S. World Trials, with the World Junior Championships set for Romania in July.

For the second time in a week, Nordonia's softball team got the better of Medina in a nail-biter. The Knights, 2-1 winners in a Northeast Ohio Conference crossover game Wednesday thanks to a pair of seventh-inning runs, defeated the Battling Bees, 1-0, during Sunday’s Akron Racers Ohio Softball Invitational.

Nordonia pitcher Sara Andrasik blanked Medina on one hit, three walks and nine strikeouts. - (Allison Carey/The Plain Dealer)

For the second time in a week, Nordonia's softball team got the better of Medina in a nail-biter.

The Knights, 2-1 winners in a Northeast Ohio Conference crossover game Wednesday thanks to a pair of seventh-inning runs, defeated the Battling Bees, 1-0, during Sunday’s Akron Racers Ohio Softball Invitational.

Nordonia pitcher Sara Andrasik blanked Medina on one hit, three walks and nine strikeouts. Kelsey Shirey hit two doubles, stole a base and scored the lone run on Grace Schmeiser’s sacrifice fly in the first inning.

Games in first two days of the three-day invitational were canceled because of rain.

Medina 20, Toledo Whitmer 1 The Battling Bees collected 19 hits in the five-inning rout as Karli Green pitched a five-hitter with five strikeouts and helped her cause with a single, double and an RBI. Alexis Lee added four hits and scored five runs at the Ohio Softball Invitational.

The NBA playoffs remain Sports Nation’s hidden treasure: good rivalries, wonderful athletes, compelling games, intriguing story lines and Charles Barkley talking about something he actually knows about. Unlike March Madness, there is no backroom selection committee, and all the players get paid in plain view of the public.

AP PhotoLeBron James will need some help from his friends Dwyane Wade and the other guy for the Heat to go deep in the NBA Playoffs.

The NBA playoffs remain Sports Nation’s hidden treasure: good rivalries, wonderful athletes, compelling games, intriguing story lines and Charles Barkley talking about something he actually knows about. Unlike March Madness, there is no backroom selection committee, and all the players get paid in plain view of the public.

Here’s all you need to know about this season’s playoffs, beginning Saturday:

Rule No. 1 of the NBA postseason: No team with Vince Carter or Gilbert Arenas can win it all. Generally, knuckleheads—with the notable exceptions of Dennis Rodman and Ron Artest — will keep you from the promised land. The Suns are not playoff-bound, so Carter already is a non-factor, but the Magic will feel the wrath of Arenas in the next 24 seconds or so.

The Magic has declared this its “Fear The Beard” playoff run. In an act of team solidarity, Magic players will not shave until their postseason is over. The crew of Sir Francis Drake’s voyage through the Strait of Magellan tried this in 1578 and, well, their faces got very itchy. And — need I remind readers with shortterm memory loss — Arenas could look like Rip Van Winkle and he’s still not winning any titles.

Biggest coaching upgrade this year: The Bulls going from Vinny Del Negro to Tom Thibodeau. That’s like going from paper plates to Wedgwood china.

The Spurs and the Lakers are the oldest teams in the NBA. In fact, the Spurs — average age of their starting lineup: deceased — have requested earlier start times for the playoff games so Tim Duncan can be in bed by 9:45 p.m.

Nobody ever roots against the Spurs. Gregg Popovich is a classy coach and the team wins without fanfare. But San Antonio could have gone 82-0 in the regular season and still not be favored to win the NBA title.

Here’s one of the weirdest stats ever, courtesy of the Mavericks’ Brian Cardinal — 39 of his 40 baskets this season are three-pointers. In an odd coincidence, 13 of Cardinal’s 14 speeding tickets since 2005 have come while driving in the HOV lane.

On a recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban proclaimed, “When I die, I want to come back as me.” Hmm. When I die, I want to come back when “Jimmy Kimmel Live” is off the air and Cuban is working the deep fryer at Burger King.

In his first year, Doug Collins has turned around the 76ers, from 27-55 to 41-39. In an unusual coaching twist, during timeouts Collins does not address the team directly; rather, he plays audiotapes of his sharpest commentary from his TNT days.

Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said last month, “If we stay healthy, we have an awfully good chance of winning at least four championships.” I love watching these Derrick Rose-led Bulls, but just to win one they likely will have to get past the Celtics, and it’s just not difficult to beat the Celtics, it’s also difficult to stay healthy beating the Celtics.

Credit the Celtics for this — Doc Rivers always gets them to play very, very hard. To beat Boston, it’s as if you have to walk barefoot across a bed of nails and broken glass for two-plus hours and then you still have to make your free throws.

But Kevin Garnett is a punk, plain and simple. This is inarguable, indisputable and incontrovertible.

In the area of celebrity fans, Jack Nicholson gets the easy nod over Spike Lee. Jack is cool, Spike is hot. Jack looks casual, Spike looks contrived. And Jack, unlike Spike, doesn’t go on the road, show up at every arena in the front row and act like a Rottweiler on speed.

These are the teams that could win the NBA title: Bulls, Celtics, Lakers, Mavericks, Spurs and Thunder. Yes, I left out the Heat. The Three Tenors — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the other guy — score almost all of the team’s points these days, and you can’t win playing three-on-five, unless you’re Kim, Khloe and Kourtney.

In the final analysis, you have to like Artest’s Lakers. Sure, Artest still runs like there are rocks in his shoes and he has taken to kissing his biceps after making a big play. But the goofball has become oddly engaging and, in terms of NBA titles, he still has a teammate named Kobe.

Special LeBron James Playoff Edition

Q: What would be the overall effect on the U.S. sports economy if Brett Favre, LeBron James and Tiger Woods all retired in the same year? — David Lee, Indianapolis.

A: That’s tough to calculate, but I’m certain ESPN would have to shutter one of its family of networks.

Q: If LeBron James were involved in a single-car accident, would Dick Bavetta whistle the tree for a blocking foul? — Scott Shuster, Watertown, Mass.

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

Q: After alleged battery of a Miami Beach valet, will Gloria James and ESPN host a special on which hotel she is switching to? — Bruce Devney, Strongsville.

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

Q: Does LeBron James get a tattoo for each season he goes without winning a title? — Tim Reinhart, Stevens Point, Wis.

A: Pay the man, Shirley.

You, too, can enter the $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway. Just email asktheslouch@aol.com and, if your question is used, you win $1.25 in cash!

Norman Chad is a freelance writer in Los Angeles.

Here's your chance to put it in black and white simple enough for players and owners to read: Who's right in the NFL lockout?

View full sizeAP FileThe NFL lockout is a month old.

A labor dispute is rarely black and white. Except, of course, to those of us who aren't intimately involved.

It's even more divisive when it involves sports. For most of us, the Megamillions jackpot is our only hope at earning that kind of money. The average net worth of an NFL owner is $1.4 billion. Of course, there are some poor blokes -- you have to wonder how Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney feeds his family since he's "only" worth $150 million. But they're balanced out by the Paul Allen's (Seahawks) of the league, with his net worth of $13.5 billion. That's "billion," with a B.

If you want a little moral outrage, check out a column ESPN's Rick Reilly wrote last month that discusses some of the owners' extravagances. One owner bought the stale peanuts from a defunct airline and tried to sell them at his stadium. Another has a 414-foot yacht, with TWO helicopters, TWO submarines, a swimming pool, a music studio and an indoor basketball court. Oh, he also has two BACKUP yachts.

Some of the players are millionaires; that's true. We don't begrudge 'em that. Truth be told, if someone would pay us a million bucks to write this blog, we'd take it in a heartbeat. Can't see us saying, "No, no. It's not worth that much," even though that may be true (which will will NOT stipulate, thank you very much, lol).

And honestly, neither do we begrudge the owners THEIR money. Yeah, nine of the teams were inherited by their current owners, but even then, the owners have worked -- and spent -- to put a better product on the field, and often spent for a better field as well.

The reality is that we're talking about money for both sides that's far beyond what most of us can comprehend. For football fans, the dispute is an annoying orange barrel en route to the Super Bowl parking lot.

In a way, today's poll is the reverse of what Atlanta Braves owner (and billionaire) Ted Turner did to those great old movies. We're gonna take the color out and get it in black and white:

Who's right, the players or the owners? 

Always optimistic, WFNY hopes that this year's Indians season doesn't mirror that of 2002

Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesA question mark coming in, Travis Hafner has been a big reason for the Indians' early success

Seven in a row!  

You just want to say it over and over again.  Hasn't it been great to have something to take your mind off of the NBA?  Prior to the start of baseball this year, we all thought the only thing we would have to do was root against that one guy playing basketball in Miami.  As it turns out there are a bunch of young guys playing baseball that are demanding our attention.  

I am not here to rain on anyone's parade, but I couldn't help but think about the 2002 season.  This is the best Indians start since that year when they went 11-1. Only one loss in the first three weeks of baseball before dropping six straight games on the way to winning only one out of the next ten and a 74-88 season overall.  That promising start delivered Charlie Manuel's exit from Cleveland and maybe even contributed to the departure of Jim Thome after banging 52 home runs to no avail.

Mark Shapiro knows.  He couldn't have said it more perfectly yesterday on Twitter following the Tribe's sweep of the Mariners.  "I'm enjoying each day of this club's play," he said.  "Long season but over the yrs, I have learned to let myself appreciate these stretches."  Finally, he added a "Go Tribe!" for good measure.

He's right.  Enjoy everything you can about this season.  It was one framed with relatively low expectations.  Before the games actually started, fans were groaning about signing Jack Hannahan who has been a nice surprise.  Fans were making arthritis jokes about Orlando Cabrera who, thus far, has solidified second base with above average defense and offense.  These are the same fans that wondered aloud if the Indians might finally have to cut ties with Travis Hafner if he didn't appear healthy and ready to go out of spring training.  Tell me you thought any of this was crazy coming out of the gates this season.  I sure didn't.

Now the Indians sit atop their division in this young season.  The mix of players and gutsy in-game management is working.  The Indians got a thrilling sweep of the big-hitting, big-spending Boston Red Sox.  They've managed to win without Shin-Soo Choo, Carlos Santana or a rehabbing Grady Sizemore contributing a whole lot.  There is a lot to feel good about right now and a lot, potentially to look forward to in the coming months.

So stay in your shoes.  Enjoy each moment that this team gives us this year.  Nobody has any idea how long it will last or if it will ever end.  The only thing you truly can control is how much you enjoy it as it's happening.

The Indians have won seven games in a row and currently sit atop the Central Division standings. Their 7-2 start is their best since 2002, when they went 11-1. The question now is, how will they finish?

AP PhotoAre the 2011 Indians a team of destiny?

The Indians have won seven games in a row and currently sit atop the Central Division standings. Their 7-2 start is their best since 2002, when they went 11-1.

The Debbie Downers in the room will point out that 2002 team finished 74-88, but fail to mention the 7-2 start is better than playoff seasons of 1995 (5-4) and 2007 (6-3).

So, what do you think of the, gulp, first-place Indians and how long will this hot streak last? Here's a sampling of what cleveland.com readers are saying.

thatteamfromcle writes,

"Wow. Maybe we will go 160-2. Hehe. I know that we aren't as good as we look. But we are playing like this without Sizemore. We haven't had a prospect come up yet. And we are still the youngest team in the majors. Yeah. Maybe injuries will strike. Hannahan isn't as good as he looks. But chances are that we are going to get better. We are 7-2, and we are going to get better. Ponder on that."

mrclean posts,

"OK...lets relax..it was against Eric Wedge..."

killernuts11 says,

"Who knows how long this will last or how the record will look in August, but that is the great thing about baseball.. who predicted the Padres would be in the playoff hunt last year?, and who would have guessed the that the '08 Rays would have gotten to the WS in after lossing 96 games in '07 (the Tribe lost 93 last year) ... no matter how it ends up, this fun while it lasts. Go Tribe!"

jflow21 types,

"We very easily could be 2 and 7. Lets enjoy it for as long as we can. Even if we make it out of April in first place, it will the the first good thing to happen to the Cleveland sports scene since LBJ left. No one expects this to last all season. All I'm sayin is that it is a lot easier to have a winning season when you go out and win early and gain confidence. Our players are playing loose and easy for a change."

lambbone writes,

"They finally have a REAL CLOSER for the first time since Jose Mesa. And closer is the single most important position on any baseball team because when you blew a lead and the game in the 9th it is demoralizing especially for a young team. Now when they take the lead they have confidence they will close it out. That's the biggest difference between the team this year and the past few. It why I think they can win the division. Not a prediction, but possible."

ralphnadir posts,

"Tribe's off to a great start, but let's not get carried away just yet. Baltimore is also in 1st place; and we all know how that will turn out.

Now, it's your turn. Vote in our poll below and then post your thoughts in the comments section."

Owners were quicker to spin the lockout to make the players look like the bad guys in the NFL labor imbroglio, says Cleveland Browns linebacker and player rep Scott Fujita.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and special guest-host Dennis Manoloff. We had to call on Dennis because today, our special guest is Browns linebacker and player rep Scott Fujita.

In a call from his California home, Fujita showed that he's just as heady off the field as he is on it. Though limited in what he could say by the federal judge in Minnesota who's hearing the case, Fujita stressed that the situation in the NFL right now is a lockout, not a strike. In some cases, the players unfairly are being viewed as the instigators of the stoppage. The owners and the league were far better and quicker to spin their version of the situation after talks broke down, Fujita said. If true, that could be one reason for the decidedly pro-owner vote in today's Starting Blocks poll, a simple back-and-white, "Who's right, the owners or the players?"

The Browns linebacker also said many of his teammates are working out together to stay in shape, but because of his role as the rep, he's having to do a lot of work on his own. Fujita also discussed a story his wife, Jacklyn, wrote for The Nation; and Fujita's upcoming "Rollin at the Rock" fund raiser, which will be held May 6 in Beachwood.

North Carolina defensive end was suspended all last season but remains high on most draft boards.

AP file photoRobert Quinn sat out all last season, but the Browns are still intrigued by his superb pass-rush ability.

CLEVELAND -- North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, one of the top-ranked pass-rushing ends in the draft, will visit the Browns on Tuesday, a league source said.

Quinn joins a parade of big-name prospects visiting Cleveland this week, including receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones, cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara, linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Da'Quan Bowers.

Quinn (6-4, 270) is intriguing because he's immensely talented but was suspended all last season for receiving improper agent benefits. At the NFL Combine in February, he ran a disappointing 4.70 in the 40, but came back on his Pro Day and turned in a more impressive 4.57.

With concerns about Clemson end Da'Quan Bowers' knee injury, Quinn might now be considered the best pass-rushing end in the draft. He's one of the players the Browns are considering with their No. 6 pick.

"I think he's absolutely in consideration at No. 6 and I think there's a couple of teams even higher up in the draft who'd consider him as well,'' said Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki on a conference call last week. "I think Quinn is a guy that elevated after Bowers Pro Day.''

Nawrocki cautioned that Quinn comes with his own baggage, including the year off and possible medical and learning issues.

"But he's a guy that on paper has everything you want,'' said Nawrocki. "He's got prototype numbers. And he's got the ability to come off the corner and pressure the quarterback and that's what teams are looking for. I could absolutely see him fitting into the top 10.''

In 2009, Quinn's last on the field, he led the ACC with 19 tackles for a loss and was second with 11 sacks.

Douglas is an icon turned evangelist, trying to save his sport.

View full sizebobbydouglas.com"Unless we make a change, our American wrestling program is in serious jeopardy," says wrestling legend Bobby Douglas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The level of poverty, racism and tragedy Bobby Douglas endured as a high school athlete perhaps was matched only by what he accomplished in Ohio and beyond.

While what he has contributed to amateur sport is difficult to quantify, it lends weight to his apocalyptic warnings in the twilight of a Hall of Fame career. Douglas is an icon turned evangelist, trying to save his sport. When he speaks, wrestling folks should listen. So should high school and college administrators.

At 69, the graying Douglas still has a look in his eye that says he can lock you up in a gutwrench at any moment. He gets that look most of all when he talks about the precarious position he finds his sport.

"Unless we make a change, our American wrestling program is in serious jeopardy," he said during last weekend's U.S. Open at Public Hall. "We already see it at the collegiate level. Athletic directors can justify dropping wrestling programs because they can say there's not much interest in it.

"College coaches and high school coaches have got to create the interest. Coaches can't wait for somebody to save us. We have to save ourselves, or we won't be saved."

A year after the U.S. men failed to win a medal at the World Championships, Douglas, a former Olympian and U.S. Olympic coach, is urging high school rule changes to resemble the sport's international freestyle discipline. Among his recommendations are penalizing wrestlers for going out of bounds and more readily awarding points for back exposure.

"What I'm trying to do is get the wrestling coaches to tweak the high school rules so that our college wrestlers have an opportunity to compete on the international stage," he said. "The coaches that don't see the impact that our international performance has on wrestling, they are the ones that will get left behind.

"If we keep doing the same thing we're doing, we're going to lose wrestling."

That extreme might never happen in Ohio, but the sport is clearly is dwindling here. The crowd of 1,300 fans at the U.S. Open finals Saturday was yet another disappointment. That pains Douglas, whose life is intertwined with the sport in Ohio. His historic career is movingly chronicled in a new biography, "Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend," written by USA Wrestling magazine editor Craig Sesker.

The book details a tragic early life and racism, as well as the support of his teammates, while growing up in the tiny Ohio River town of Bridgeport. Douglas, baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro and his brother Joe and basketball Hall of Famer John Havlicek were the core of a legendary group of classmates. In a career that coincided with the Civil Rights movement, Douglas was Ohio's first black state wrestling champ (1959 and 1961). He went on to become one of America's greatest wrestlers and coaches.

"It was tougher than hell and we were poorer than hell, but everyone around us was poor," he said of his youth. "We had some of the greatest athletes that ever graced the playing fields. A lot of it has to do with the type of people that are there -- blue collar people. There's a lot of pride there about athletics."

Douglas, who returns home often, still has that pride in his home and his sport.

"I don't think Kyrie Irving is a lock to be the star you all think he's going to be. He was a freshman on a Duke team that won a national title the prior year. He played 11 games and was arguably the second best point guard on his team behind Nolan Smith. ..." - hdawg

View full sizeBill Kostroun | Associated PressKyrie Irving.

In response to the story 2011 NBA draft lottery watch: Arizona forward Derrick Williams, cleveland.com reader hdawg doesn't think Kyrie Irving is a lock to be a star in the NBA. This reader writes,

"I don't think Kyrie Irving is a lock to be the star you all think he's going to be. He was a freshman on a Duke team that won a national title the prior year. He played 11 games and was arguably the second best point guard on his team behind Nolan Smith. Derrick Rose is special because he has enormous strength and speed rarely seen at the PG position - within three seasons he's become, possibly, the best in the league at his position and the potential MVP. Kyrie Irving is certainly a better shooter than Rose, but that's about it."