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P.M. Cleveland Indians links: Tribe (facing tough pitching) tries to maintain No. 1 ranking!

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Indians ranked first at mid-week by Sports Illustrated. Tribe facing string of tough pitchers, including Angels' Jered Weaver tonight. Alex White takes mound for Indians.

alex-white2.jpgBig-time prospect Alex White (photo) will pitch for the Indians tonight against the Angels, who will go with their star hurler, Jered Weaver.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For a while, we will have to keep saying, "It's early."

We can now say it's cool, too, for the Cleveland Indians to be ranked among baseball's very best teams.

All of the top websites have the Indians ranked among the elite, as they should be, with a 21-10 record, tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for best in the big leagues.

In fact, through Wednesday's games, Sports Illustrated's SI.com ranked Cleveland first, commenting:

The Indians have the sixth-best team ERA in the majors (3.35), and they've compiled that number with the youngest staff in baseball with an average age of 26.3. Indeed, Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot -- both 27 -- are the old men of the starting rotation, and only reliever Chad Durbin has hit his 30th birthday. Each pitcher has so little service time, in fact, that only Durbin is not under team control and will be a free-agent at year's end. Cleveland holds a club option on Carmona for $7 million, and five pitchers, including closer Chris Perez, are set for arbitration after the season. Otherwise, the young pitchers who have impressed to date are set to come back for roughly the league minimum salary.

Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes is with the Indians in Los Angeles, continuing PD and cleveland.com Indians coverage, which includes his game story on the Tribe's 2-1, 11-inning loss to the Angels on Friday night.

Indians' hitters, facing some superb pitching, are in a mini-slump, covering a mere three games -- which is relatively meaningless over the course of a 162-game season. The Tribe, 1-2 in the three games, has sccored six runs in 32 innings (another of the games went 12 innings). Indians' hitters were 21-of-113 (.186) with three extra-base hits: two doubles and one triple.

Cleveland right-hander Alex White (0-0, 3.00), the Indians first pick in the 2009 draft, makes his second big-league start tonight. Los Angeles (19-14) will start one of baseball's premier pitchers, righty Jered Weaver (6-1, 1.39).

Jim Ingraham of the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal writes that several things are going well throughout the Cleveland organization, but the Indians are in the midst of a challenge:

When the Indians return home next week, they will face Tampa Bay and Seattle. Assuming the two aces from those two teams both pitch in those series, it will mean that in the space of 12 games the Indians will have faced three of the top five and four of the top nine in the Cy Young voting from last year: Felix Hernandez (first), David Price (second), Jered Weaver (fifth) and Trevor Cahill (ninth).

Extra bases

A preview of tonight's Indians-Angels game, by Kate Hedlin for STATS and AP.

Indians backup catcher Lou Marson works on his hitting and catching, by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Indians notes, leading off with encouraging news on how pitcher Mitch Talbot's strained right (pitching) elbow is coming along. By David Ely for MLB.com. 

Indians-Angels Friday night game story, by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jesse Sanchez writes for MLB.com about tonight's game, and pitchers Alex White and Jered Weaver.

An Indians Prospect Insider report claims -- and details why -- the Indians organization has the best starting pitching depth in baseball.

Although Indians catcher Carlos Santana's batting average isn't where it needs to be, he is among the several young catchers who might be of all-star caliber. By Alden Gonzalez for MLB.com.  

 


Is Mike Holmgren or Tom Heckert in charge of the Browns' draft? Hey, Tony!

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HEY, TONY! Got a Browns question? Send it in. Submit your question at cleveland.com/heytony. All of Tony's answers are archived online. Q: Hey, Tony: The feeling across the country is that Mike Holmgren is the person running the Browns, and doing the drafting. Is Tom Heckert being overlooked outside of Cleveland? And if so, do you think that could...

HEY, TONY!

Got a Browns question? Send it in. Submit your question at cleveland.com/heytony. All of Tony's answers are archived online.


Q: Hey, Tony: The feeling across the country is that Mike Holmgren is the person running the Browns, and doing the drafting. Is Tom Heckert being overlooked outside of Cleveland? And if so, do you think that could hurt us in trying to keep him as he tries to "make his own mark?" -- Roger Peasley, New York

A: Hey, Roger: Holmgren consistently has explained that Heckert runs the draft. He said it before the draft and said it after the draft. The nationals, though, do seem preoccupied with Holmgren. I attribute that to the fact Holmgren is a giant NFL personality and casts a huge shadow. Heckert has always preferred to stay out of the limelight. That's one reason why this is the perfect job for him. He gets to run the show, for the most part, but can defer the interviews to the Big Show.

holmgrenheckert.JPGView full sizeBrowns team President Mike Holmgren, left, has said many times that GM Tom Heckert, right, runs the draft, but some national media believe Holmgren is calling the shots.


Q: Hey, Tony: I understand that the Browns' trade for a first- and fourth-round pick sounds logical but it will take a miracle, for us anyway, for that first-round pick to be any earlier than 25. Didn't we learn anything by drafting Joe Haden and not trading out of a top pick? We can't always rely on late picks to provide solid players. -- Eliot Clasen, Cape Coral, Fla.

A: Hey, Eliot: Agreed. Thought the Browns traded too far down. The trade will turn better next year when they head into the 2012 draft with two No. 1s. Those give them favorable options. But the 2011 draft suffered because of the trade.

Q: Hey, Tony: If the Browns had stayed at spot 27 in the first round, would they have been willing to take the same deal New England received at 28 from New Orleans? -- Bill Johnson, Akron

A: Hey, Bill: Interesting question. The Patriots traded No. 28 to New Orleans for No. 56 and the Saints' No. 1 in 2012. Had the Browns done that, they ultimately would have swapped No. 6 overall for two second-round picks and one fourth-round pick in 2011 and two first-round picks in 2012. They would have then drafted Nos. 37, 56 and 59 in the second round. Don't know if you can expect to measurably improve your team in 2011 that way, but the 2012 draft would have been fun.

Q: Hey, Tony: Do you think the NFL will ever rotate where they hold the annual draft? Giving every other city in the league a chance to hold the event would free us from having to watch the juvenile antics of all those obnoxious, loud-mouthed NY fans: Giants fans are almost tolerable; Jets fans are beneath the bottom of the barrel. -- Christopher Cooksey, Englewood, Ohio

A: Hey, Christopher: The NFL has considered rotating the site of the draft, but it quickly came to the realization that holding it in Radio City Music Hall in New York City maximizes the exposure it receives on two national cable networks and other media streams. It's all about the Benjamins.

Q: Hey, Tony: With the Browns (Greg Little) and Baltimore (Torrey Smith) picking back to back, which wide receiver was higher on the Browns' draft board? -- Dave C., Lyndhurst

A: Hey, Dave: Like any NFL team, the Browns guard their draft board like a classified national security policy paper. I would guess they had Little higher because he had experience in a West Coast-style offense at North Carolina and was more physically imposing, if slower, than Smith.

Q: Hey, Tony: What do you think of Greg Little's physical attributes? Obviously, he's a very physical receiver, but I though that getting a speedy wideout was the main issue heading into the draft. Is Little fast enough? I distinctly remember an analyst calling the Browns one of the slowest receiving teams in the NFL. -- Cameron Christie, Allen, Texas

A: Hey, Camerion: The Browns like the way Little runs with the ball after a catch. He gains yards by running through and over DBs. He has a running back mentality with the ball. They also like how he physically dominates DBs going up for a ball and coming down with it. Little certainly doesn't have burner speed, but receivers in the West Coast offense have to have the attributes Little possesses to succeed.

Q: Hey, Tony: So I wanna know how you feel about the Atlanta trade after the first two rounds of drafting by the rest of Atlanta's division. I'm not gonna lie, seeing Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers go to Tampa Bay while New Orleans gets a pass rusher and Mark Ingram put a really big smile on my face. If Da'Quan Bowers is only gonna have a few good years it might as well be knocking Matt Ryan around and getting that first-rounder we get next year in a higher spot. I believe the trade was great for Cleveland as we needed bodies and for Atlanta to risk so much on a receiver is almost baffling. -- Levi Mendenhall, Springfield, Ohio

A: Hey, Levi: My biggest problem with the trade is this: Bodies don't win games, talented players do. If the Browns wanted bodies, they could gather them by signing undrafted free agents and making waiver claims and trades. Jacksonville has done that for two years while also using the draft to select players to help them win. After the trade up from No. 27 to No. 21, the Browns ultimately passed on 15 players in the first round. Track their progress. I'm sure more than a few will be Pro Bowl players soon. I'm not so sure the bodies the Browns wound up with will be the same.

Q: Hey, Tony: Assuming this labor dispute gets settled (and I, certainly, do not want to see the draft system abolished; which helps bring competitive parity to the NFL), do you think the Browns might bring in Vernon Gholston to try out? You have maybe already answered this, but I still think with the right coaching, Gholston can be good again. If we can get him to camp for a minimal investment, I think we should. -- Erol Altug, Stony Brook, N.Y.

A: Hey, Erol: If Rex Ryan can't make a player on defense out of an athlete, I doubt that anyone could. My hunch right now is that Gholston will go down as one of the great draft busts of recent times.

Q: Hey, Tony: I am amazed how these owners are successful businessmen. They are basically saying that the customers of their product do not matter to them at all with this lockout. It enrages me to know that they think so little of their customers/fans. I know this would never happen, but I'd love to see every player take their talents to the UFL and start playing for those teams. I think the fans would follow. Then these stupid billionaires could see how dumb they are being. -- Jared Smith, Layton, Utah

A: Hey, Jared: You believe fans root for the names on the back of the jerseys (the players). I tend to think the majority of fans root for the helmets (the teams). I'm not siding with the owners or the players. A pox on both their houses for attempting to destroy the best sports league in America, if not the world.

Q: Hey, Tony: With the draft winding down and no undrafted free agents or free agents on the horizon, I am looking into the supplemental draft. What are the chances the Browns take Joe Haden's Florida CB partner Janoris Jenkins for a second or third (round pick) next year? He held A.J. Green to 42 yards and Julio Jones to 19 yards last year. I know he has some off-the-field problems, but so do other members of the our draft and Haden can keep him in line. -- Chris Zanon, Canton

A: Hey, Chris: Well, the trade with Atlanta that provided the Browns with two picks in 2012 certainly makes it more palatable to give up a '12 pick for Jenkins. But two marijuana-related arrests and one for fighting in three years is way too much baggage for me. Ten-foot pole rule officially in effect.

Q: Hey, Tony: In a conventional 4-3 defense is it typical to have two big NT's such as Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor on the inside? -- Justin Sacco, Phoenix

A: Hey, Justin: Although Rubin played as a nose tackle in the Browns' 3-4, he gradually developed some pass rush moves. I feel that Rubin will continue that development as an interior penetrator with Phil Taylor playing beside him. In the typical 4-3 alignment, one tackle is a stay-at-home nose tackle and the other is a big man with some pass-rush ability.

Q: Hey, Tony: With the Browns taking two D linemen (only) what type of rotation are they looking at in the upcoming season? Their middle of the line is, to say the least, hefty. Can they be productive in the fourth quarter of a game against a Pittsburgh or another team that's going to pass the heck out of the ball against them? -- Mark Comai, Willoughby

A: Hey, Mark: Well, they need another tackle, if not two, to spell Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin in the middle of games. They have a 325-pound tackle on the roster, Travis Ivey. Looks like they need another.

Q: Hey, Tony: Tony, please investigate why the Browns failed to strongly address their need for a right tackle. The information I am gathering is that fifth-round pick Jason Pinkston from Pitt will be developed as a guard, not a tackle. This is inexcusable in my humble opinion. They now have Lauvao, Floyd Womack and Pinkston competing for the RG position, and no one other than Tony Pashos to be a legitimate RT. I am baffled and frustrated by this. I don't think they had the luxury of drafting a TE project player in Jordan Cameron from USC. This was not an urgent need for the upcoming season. If FB Lawrence Vickers (a restricted free agent) is not coming back, fourth-round pick Owen Marecic can replace him, but again, not an urgent need compared to other needs for this team. Second-round pick Greg Ellis is a big physical WR that will not separate from his defenders. The only upside he has is that you can throw him a " jump ball" and hope for the best. He has very little experience as a WR, only one year at this position and this is not enough to impress me at all. Heckert did the right thing by taking the trade with Atlanta, but I question what he did with some of those picks, particularly with Ellis, Cameron, and Marecic while not adding a solid RT. Heckert's first draft was run very well, but I think this draft leaves a lot to be desired with these three picks. The rest of the draft this year makes sense to me. The Browns certainly would have served themselves better with a running back such as DeMarco Murray from Oklahoma or a Dion Lewis from Pitt as opposed to the slower version of Tommy Vardell in Marecic. And an RT would have been a much better pick than Jordan Cameron. -- Paul Dayton, Torrance, Calif.

A: Hey, Paul: You make a lot of salient points. I'm very surprised at the positive reviews the Browns are receiving for their draft. I gave it a B-minus only because they collected an extra No. 1 in 2012.

Q: Hey, Tony: How about giving me a quick guess as to how many draftees will make the final roster (not practice squad)? -- Ted Belak, Sierra Madre, Calif.

A: Hey, Ted: All of them. That's what happens usually when the GM has final say on the final roster.

Q: Hey, Tony: So I was thinking about the Browns trading down on Thursday night and something occurred to me. Do you think that Heckert and the powers-that-be, in ultimately deciding to make the trade with Atlanta, thought, "Having Atlanta's first-round pick in 2012 could prove very valuable in case we want to put together a package to move up in the 2012 draft to pick a very good player, say a quarterback, say Andrew Luck." I hope that, during the 2012 season, Colt McCoy proves to be a quarterback that can take a team to the Super Bowl and that my question becomes moot. I just wonder, however, if the Browns made the trade with Atlanta with Andrew Luck potentially in mind. -- Bruce Wayne, Philadelphia

A: Hey, Bruce: I don't think there's any question that thought has crossed their mind. Having two No. 1s gives the Browns options in 2012. Yet I do feel the Browns want McCoy to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that he's "the man."

Q: Hey, Tony: I am wondering if the Browns are interested in any undrafted free agents. I know they can't be signed but they can still show interest. The Browns really need a pass-catching scatback type of player and Derrick Locke of Kentucky and Noel Devine from West Virginia seem like great fits. What about other players like WR Dane Sanzenbacher (OSU), DT Ian Williams (Notre Dame), Boston College LB Mark Herzlich, South Carolina WR Tori Gurley and North Carolina CB Kendric Burney? Also I thought we were drafting a QB late but that did not happen and Delaware's Pat Delvin and Wisconsin's Scott Tolzein are both still available. But Locke and Devine really seem like they can make an impact. -- Justin S., Cleveland

A: Hey, Justin: Looks like you've handicapped it fairly well.

Q: Hey, Tony: Two questions for you. First, QBs were unexpectedly flying off the board in the first round of this year's draft. Would Colt McCoy have been one of these first-round picks this year or is he really worse than Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Ryan Mallett, Colin Kaepernick, and Andy Dalton? Secondly, with last year's draft producing three, possibly four starters, and this year's draft possibly (optimistically) producing three or four starters (if you include Marecic at FB), are the Browns finally setting up a young, talented team that can compete for the playoffs? -- Kyle Chormanski, Los Angeles

A: Hey, Kyle: McCoy might have been the fourth or fifth QB taken after Newton, Locker, Ponder and Gabbert. Ponder was the big surprise, of course. Dalton is very similar to McCoy, without the collegiate accomplishments, and he went No. 35 to Cincinnati. As for your second question, any hope for competing for the playoffs depends mostly on McCoy's development. Without a quarterback, the Browns are going nowhere.

Q: Hey, Tony: What is the likelihood of the Browns inviting free agent OT Kyle Hix of Texas, who blocked for Colt McCoy in college? Or OG Zach Hurd of UConn? Or WRs Chris Matthews of Kentucky or Darvin Adams of Auburn? -- Drew Maruna, North Ridgeville

A: Hey, Drew: All are possible signings.

Q: Hey, Tony: Most Browns fans have appreciated the work of Lawrence Vickers over the past few years, as he has been a fierce blocker for our running backs. Why do you think that he doesn't appear appreciated by the current Browns brass? -- Steve Bohnenkamp, Geneva, Ill.

A: Hey, : My guess is the Browns don't believe Vickers has the required skill set at fullback in the West Coast offense. The fullback has to be competent not only in lead blocking but in catching the ball and running the ball. Nobody would say Vickers grades out high in the latter two skills.

Q: Hey, Tony: Since they plan to initiate Pinkston at guard, will it be an open competition for the starting spot, just between Pinkston and Lauvao at RG, or will he just be a sub? Also, although I understand the Browns were playing conservative and that Hagg is a good value pickup late in the seventh round, isn't a compensatory pick exactly where you should take a little risk and pick up someone like Mark Herzlich? This guy is going to be a starter for whoever brings him into camp, and something tells me it's not going to be the Browns who entice him as an undrafted free agent. -- Paul Straub, Kent

A: Hey, Paul: 1. If Lauvao doesn't win the job, it would be a big surprise. Maybe their plan with Pinkston is to break him in at guard and develop him long-term at tackle. That's what they need. 2. I'm not sure what kind of football player Herzlich is. I think I know what kind of man he is to come back from a diagnosis of cancer and not miss a game his senior year. I'm sure he will have his choice of teams to sign with when undrafted free agency begins.

Q: Hey, Tony: Sounds like the NFLPA has been very busy ever since they ceased to exist. I thought that once they decertified, they could no longer act as a collective. Can you tell me what I'm missing here? -- Terry Allen, Washington, D.C.

A: Hey, Terry: The NFLPA still exists as a trade association. It cannot represent its membership like before. But lawyers for the NFLPA can still pursue its antitrust lawsuit against the owners and also participate in court-ordered mediation talks with the owners. If the NFLPA does not recertify in a global-type settlement of the labor dispute, the NFL will change dramatically. The draft, for one, would be eliminated -- because it is an antitrust violation without the protection of a collectively bargained labor agreement. Also, players would have to negotiate individually for salary and benefits. The NFL definitely needs the NFLPA. But so do the players.

Q: Hey, Tony: Did the Browns have good inside info that led them to trade a third-rounder to move up to draft Phil Taylor or were they duped into thinking someone else would take him before No. 27? What's your overall impression of the front office's savvy and ability to get good inside info? -- Paul Marston, Seattle

A: Hey, Paul: Many mock drafts had Taylor going to Kansas City at 21 -- the very team that traded the pick to the Browns. Philadelphia (No. 23) and Seattle (No. 25) also might have taken him. I think the Browns have good intel on draft day.

Q: Hey, Tony: How "stoked" is Stanford's Condoleezza Rice about the Browns drafting Stanford fullback Owen Marecic? She's a huge Browns fan and I'll bet she is delighted. -- Tim Werner, Irving, Texas

A: Hey, Tim: She'll have two chances to see her favorite team in 2011 on the West Coast against San Francisco and Oakland.

Q: Hey, Tony: Now that the draft is over, what do you think the last day teams can get started with no delay of the regular season? They can shorten camp to maybe two weeks or do you think they need more time at camp? -- Irish Dog, Perry

A: Hey, Irish: A knowledgeable source told it would take the NFL a minimum of three weeks to prepare for the first game of the regular season. Using that timetable, the deadline to end the labor dispute for the season to open on time would be around Aug. 18.

Q: Hey, Tony: When the Browns traded up with Kansas City to get Phil Taylor, the Chiefs needed a nose tackle. Did they know that the Browns were going to pick Phil Taylor when they agreed to trade with us? -- Bill Millard, Lake Township, Ohio

A: Hey, Bill: Am sure they did.

Q: Hey, Tony: Chase Minnifield, a CB at Virginia and the son of former Brown CB Frank, is a projected 2012 first-rounder. We have two first-round picks. Tom Heckert loves corners. We passed on Clay Matthews III. My question is, when do us fans start campaigning for Chase? -- Jim Gabbert, Wadsworth

A: Hey, Jim: Let's let Chase finish his career at Virginia before campaigning for the Browns to take him. Hopefully he'll have a great year and be in the plans.

Q: Hey, Tony: This marks the second draft in a row that the Browns drafted players for positions they've actually played. No projects. That gives me confidence. Do you think Randy Lerner also feels he finally has the right management team in place? -- Stan Himes, West Des Moines, Iowa

A: Hey, Stan: I have no idea what the owner is thinking. He has remained aloof of media interviews.

Q: Hey, Tony: If there's no CBA, do the 2011 draftees become free agents? -- Jim Lisi, Ventura, Calif.

A: Hey, Jim: At some point, the NFL has to address this issue, but so far it hasn't.

Q: Hey, Tony: I've heard that there is an "understanding" between Arizona and free agent QB Marc Bulger, and that is why they passed on a QB in the draft. Do you feel that the Browns have a pretty good gauge on who they can bring in through free agency? Are there any "understandings" that you might have heard? And could it have swayed Heckert in his draft philosophy? -- Jimmy Favazzo, Alliance

A: Hey, Jimmy: I'm not aware of any wink-wink deals in the works. I would expect Heckert to have an inside track with free agents from the Eagles (his old team) and the Bills (thanks to the Dick Jauron connection).

Q: Hey, Tony: I have to ask for your thoughts on why the Browns drafted Owen Marecic. We have a young fullback who is already one of the best in the league on our roster. The Browns' dealings with Vickers puzzles me as much, if not more, than with Phil Dawson. -- Joshua Jones, Fullerton, Calif.

A: Hey, Joshua: The Browns have not confirmed whether or not they have protected themselves by giving Vickers a restricted free agent tender. My guess is they have decided to let him test the waters because he doesn't fit in the West Coast offense.

Q: Hey, Tony: Most of us are really excited about Colt McCoy, but there is a common concern about his arm strength, considering that he is going to be playing in bad weather a lot. What do you think the odds are that Heckert trades for Eagles' backup QB Kevin Kolb? We have two first-round picks next year and I don't think Heckert would be shy about giving one up for a QB that he selected and believes in. I'd like to stick with McCoy, but now that we have that extra pick I bet Heckert is thinking about it. -- Jared P., Cleveland

A: Hey, Jared: There is no evidence -- other than a connect-the-dots puzzle -- that the Browns will make a pitch for Kolb. That would be a shocker, given the faith and confidence they have expressed in McCoy. I think the Kolb ship has sailed away from Lake Erie.

Q: Hey, Tony: Your pre-draft items on NG Ahtyba Rubin being the key DT to building a four-man defensive line were very useful to view the draft's first selection of NG / DT Phil Taylor. Given your knowledge of Rubin, could he be a DT Walter Johnson-like mentor with Phil Taylor in the Jerry Sherk rookie role? -- Alan Fojt, Manassas, Va.

A: Hey, Alan: I don't know about Rubin as a mentor. He's still learning himself. I just think the Browns see a formidable interior with those two guys next to each other. Hopefully Rubin's work ethic and dedication to his job will rub off on Taylor.

Q: Hey, Tony: I could not have agreed with you more about the draft this year. The NFL gives bad teams top picks so they can get elite talent. Trading down 21 spots ensures you get a solid player, not an elite one. Teams like Detroit have started to get good again by cashing in and taking Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh. I don't want to hear the "Belichick trades down" talk because we are not the Patriots. This is the third draft in a row I have heard fans say "we need bodies." No, we need elite talent. Julio Jones forces the other team to put their top corner and pull a safety for help. That makes Peyton Hillis, Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie better just by the attention Jones would comand. I am starting to wonder how much Heckert did in Philly and how much Reid did in the drafts. -- Michael Spitale, Galena, Ohio

A: Hey, Michael: Keep in mind that Heckert never drafted as high in Philadelphia as he has in Cleveland. I get the impression he is uncomfortable in the top 10 and would prefer to draft in the 20s every year.

Q: Hey, Tony: Does Doug Dieken have Skoal or Copenhagen, or some other brand of smokeless tobacco in his mouth, (at times), when he's doing these shows? Diek looks like he's got a dip in his lip at times. I have $10 riding on this. I say he does. -- Lou Mori, Bay Village

A: Hey, Lou: I don't see him spitting during commercials. Maybe he wears a nicotine patch. Definitely a caffeine patch.

Q: Hey, Tony: I'm curious as to how NFL players changed teams before free agency was introduced in 1989? For example, lets say it's 1985 and the Browns have a player they do not wish to re-sign. How does this player end up on another team? Since free agency involves teams bidding on an unsigned player, how did this work prior to the free agency era? -- Randy Loushin, Columbus

A: Hey, Randy: Prior to unrestricted free agency, players whose contracts expired could move, but only on a very limited basis. Former Commissioner Pete Rozelle had the authority to compensate a team losing an unsigned player with draft picks. It was called the Rozelle Rule. Compensation for top line players usually was two first-round picks. So players rarely moved and had to re-sign for what their former team offered.

Q: Hey, Tony: Now that the draft has played out, how would you rank the Browns biggest needs? -- Stan, Solon

A: Hey, Stan: Safety, offensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback, running back.

Q: Hey, Tony: Please help me connect the dots. I've seen you say that the Browns need to stop trading down from the top talent to the middle picks in the first round (where got Alex Mack and Phil Taylor). Other than the name "Browns" on the door (which doesn't make the decisions) where is the connection between the 2009 and 2011 trades? Mangini/Kokinis are gone, Heckert/Holmgren were not here then. Heckert has traded up three times in the draft for better talent and down once for a package too good to refuse. If you can agree with that assessment of the Heckert draft trades, then is it just you are still upset about the 2009 trades, and should Heckert bear the brunt of that? -- Bob Davis, Strongsville

A: Hey, Bob: I've judged each trade on its merits. The 2009 trade down was a borderline disaster. Mack is a good player and that's fine, but several elite players were passed over. And the veteran players from that trade are all gone. What I've said about the 2011 trade is at least Heckert obtained Atlanta's No. 1 pick in 2012. That's good, and that salvaged the trade, in my opinion, even though I thought they would have been better off picking a player higher on their board.

Q: Hey, Tony: I think one the keys to the success of this draft will be if Greg Little can emerge as a top receiver. If he had played last season at UNC, how would he have stacked up compared to Julio Jones and A.J. Green? -- Bach Nguyen, Brunswick

A: Hey, Bach: I don't know the answer. I know he didn't compete in the elite conference that Jones and Green did. Plus, he was just entering his second season at receiver and had lots of room to grow. I doubt he would have fared better than the others.

Q: Hey, Tony: I'm curious as to your thoughts concerning rounds four through seven in the NFL draft. With one guy able to stuff a basketball being thrown to him, one player going both ways at Stanford, a cornerback who has been clocked at a 4.2 40, another guy who plays like a wrecking ball on the offensive line, and the last guy had some decent highlights, do you see any sleepers in this group? Or after watching some highlight tapes does it appear there is room for everbody picked? -- Greg Dineen, Middletown, Ohio

A: Hey, Greg: I think Jordan Cameron is a project player with good athletic ability, Owen Marecic is a great story as a collegiate player, Buster Skrine is fast but may not be an NFL-caliber cornerback at this time, Jason Pinkston is a better possibility to play guard than tackle and could develop as a swing man on the line and Eric Hagg is a nice-sized safety who will break in on special teams. Who knows how they develop? These are first impressions, which is all we have to go on at this time.

Q: Hey, Tony: The Browns trading back on draft day is exactly what this franchise needed to stockpile picks to fill many needs. Now they have to hit on their picks unlike when they traded their pick in the J.J. Stokes trade. My question is by having two first-round draft picks next year, along with two fourth-rounders, I would think they could use this to move up to get Stanford QB Andrew Luck if and only if McCoy shows he is not the guy this year. This buys Holmgren and company another full year to see if McCoy is indeed "The Guy" to lead this team. Seems like a great scenario to me. -- Doug Howes, Columbia, Mo.

A: Hey, Doug: I don't believe any team that "earns" the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 would trade the chance to select Andrew Luck. That said, a trade package would have to include both Browns' No. 1s, plus their No. 1 in 2013, in my opinion.

Q: Hey, Tony: Now that the Browns drafted Greg Little, how would your wide receiver depth chart look and who is the odd man/men out? -- Amanda Treharn, Boardman

A: Hey, Amanda: Pat Shurmur said he believes Little has a chance to be the No. 1 receiver. I think Robiskie and Massaquoi battle for No. 2. I think Josh Cribbs should be the slot receiver. Maybe Carlton Mitchell is No. 4 and Jordan Norwood is No. 5. Chansi Stuckey is an unsigned free agent.

Q: Hey, Tony: WR Jonathan Haggerty was looked at as a real find last year before going on the injured reserve with some undescribed foot injury. Is he still on the team's radar -- Ray Dumont

A: Hey, Ray: Yes, he is still on their roster.

Q: Hey, Tony: Recently, you criticized the draft results due to the fact that the Browns passed on elite talent (i.e., J. Jones). Question: How can the team secure elite talent when, prior to the draft, the Browns could have only dressed one legitimate starter on the defensive line (a concern brought on by the regime change . . . something that you were very much in favor for). Can't have it both ways, Tony. -- Mike Farrell, Akron

A: Hey, : I thought a trade down a few notches -- two, three, four -- would have been better. Had they done this, they would have been able to retain their third-round pick. So they could have nabbed two DLs, one WR and one CB or OL with their four picks in the top three rounds.

Q: Hey, Tony: The only way the Browns benefit from this year's first-round trade is if they keep both picks next year and obtain two first-round players. Otherwise wouldn't moving up in the draft by trading both picks (other than if for Luck) practically nullify any advantage we gained? -- Ron Coleman, Erie, Pa.

A: Hey, : Mathematically, it would.

Q: Hey, Tony: What are the chances that Cleveland packages its two first-rounders in 2012 and moves up to the first pick to take Andrew Luck? -- Rod Sauers, Athens, Ohio

A: Hey, Rod: It will take much more than two No. 1s to move up to the overall No. 1 choice to nab Luck, in my opinion.

Q: Hey, Tony: Why did the Browns pass on drafting Casey Matthews? -- Jonathan Gudaitis, Euclid

A: Hey, Jonathan: They couldn't think of a single good linebacker named Matthews in the history of the NFL? (Kidding, of course.)

Q: Hey, Tony: At the post-draft press conference with Holmgren, Heckert and Shurmur, they were asked if Lawrence Vickers has been tendered yet. Heckert turned to Holmgren and said "have we announced that yet?" I know the consesus is that Vickers won't be tendered or re-signed since we drafted Owen Marecic, but the way he said it seemed kind of fishy. It almost as if they made a decision, but haven't announced it yet. What are the chances that we keep Vickers as a blocking FB and use Marecic in passing situations or convert him into more of the third back? I hate to see Vickers go. -- Mitch Weiss, Tallahassee, Fla.

A: Hey, Mitch: If that is their plan, I believe they wasted a fourth-round pick, then, on Marecic.

-- Tony

What is the Tribe doing to reconnect with fans? Hey, Hoynsie!

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HEY, HOYNSIE! Your Indians questions answered Got an Indians question for beat writer Paul Hoynes? Send it in. Submit your question to cleveland.com/heyhoynsie. All of Paul's answers are archived online. Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Are you surprised that Larry and Paul Dolan and Indians President Mark Shapiro are not attempting to reconnect with fans so that fans invest in their...

HEY, HOYNSIE!

Your Indians questions answered

Got an Indians question for beat writer Paul Hoynes? Send it in. Submit your question to cleveland.com/heyhoynsie. All of Paul's answers are archived online.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Are you surprised that Larry and Paul Dolan and Indians President Mark Shapiro are not attempting to reconnect with fans so that fans invest in their product? -- Greta Wilson, Cleveland

A: Hey, Greta: They've cut ticket prices for almost every seat at Progressive Field and have put a competitive team on the field. What exactly is it you want them to do?

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: If the Tribe is still contending in July -- let's say second place -- do you think the Indians' front office would risk fan discontent by moving Grady Sizemore for prospects? -- Wayne Smith, Wattsburg, Pa.

gradysizemore.JPGView full sizeIf the Indians are still playing well in July, it's unlikely they will trade center fielder Grady Sizemore.


A: Hey, Wayne: I do not see that happening. If they continue to play at their current pace, or even slightly below, I'd look for them to add, not subtract, to the roster.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: I don't have a question. I just want to say I bought the MLB.TV package for the last Royals series against the Tribe. I took last year off and stared out over the bridges in Pittsburgh like you recommended, but it was boring. I'm cautiously excited about the Tribe. At least you will get periodic, somewhat passionate emails from a fan who can't stay away. Hopefully, I can be insightful. -- Jimmy Moss, Pittsburgh

A: Hey, Jimmy: Welcome back from the brink and keep those emails coming. Sit back and enjoy some Wahoo baseball.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: The Giants proved last year that chemistry sometimes trumps talent. Will the Indians' success alter their timeline for Lonnie Chisenhall and other top prospect promotions in order to keep a winning combination intact? It's hard to imagine Orlando Cabrera or Jack Hannahan being replaced by anybody at this point. -- Steven Alex, Gainesville, Fla.

A: Hey, Steven: Couldn't agree more. No team on the kind of run the Indians are on messes with a winning formula unless there's an injury. A little more time at Class AAA isn't going to hurt Chisenhall.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: An Indians fan in Montana in last week's edition of "Hey, Hoynsie!" asked about a Cleveland radio station that does webcasts. The way to get this is to buy MLB Gameday audio so you can hear the WTAM webcast; very reasonable, costs $15 per year. Go Tribe! -- David Skeen, Cedar Park, Texas

A: Hey, David: Thanks for the update. I hope the Tribe fan in Montana reads this week's questions. Just don't forget to follow the Tribe on cleveland.com.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: In my opinion the Indians' hitters are striking out far less this year than they did last year. I think that is a big contribution to their success. -- Glenn Tapp, Bedford Heights

A: Hey, Glenn: Through the first 30 games this season, the Indians struck out 215 times, while hitting .271 as a team and owning a 21-9 record. Last season the Indians struck out 250 times in the first 30 games. They were hitting .245 as a team with a 12-18 record.

I think you may have hit on something, but don't forget the good pitching and defense. The Indians are playing well in all phases of the game.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: What is going on with Jason Knapp? I looked everywhere online for info and can't find anything current. Is he still in the organization? He seemed like a great prospect. -- Mel Beller, North Ridgeville

A: Hey, Mel: It's clear you haven't been reading cleveland.com or The Plain Dealer, where Knapp has been discussed many times.

Knapp is still in extended spring training. The Indians are going to limit him to 100 innings this year because he threw so little last year coming off shoulder surgery.

When he's ready to pitch in games, he'll report to Class A Kinston.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: With the bullpen pitching well, Travis Hafner/Shelley Duncan performing at DH, and Jack Hannahan providing an adequate placeholder for Lonnie Chisenhall, there is no obvious hole for the Indians to fill this year. A right-handed bat would be nice, but where would he play? If the Indians don't make a move this year, even if they stay comfortably in the lead, will there be rioting? -- Joe Winnfield, Columbus

A: Hey, Joe: Every team thinks they can get better. When the Indians were going to the postseason every year, look at some of the additions they made -- Bip Roberts and Kevin Seitzer. In 2007, they added an aging, but still talented Kenny Lofton.

Those certainly weren't break-the-bank moves, but they helped.

Believe me, this front office already has a shopping list of improvements they'd like to make if they're still in the race come July and August. That's what front office's get paid to do. Ownership, however, has the final say.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: If there's no NFL football this year, will the draft order be same as this year? -- Dale Schwering, North Royalton

A: Hey, Dale: NFL Draft? I'm not sure what you're talking about. The NFL has a draft? I haven't read a word about it. Was there any TV coverage of it? I must have missed it.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Not a question really. If the Indians could continue to act as their 1920 forebears, wouldn't it be fun to read a wrap-up of their games done in a 1920 style voice? Your description of Oakland's Coco Crisp playing center field from Fisherman's Wharf reminded me of that sort of thing. If it could go on, think of the marketing opportunities. -- Michael Bastian, Lakewood

A: Hey, Michael: Interesting concept, but let's avoid the Ray Chapman tragedy.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: After hearing your podcast last week something started to bug me. Last year, when Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver, MLB and the entire baseball community mourned (and rightfully so).

However, I find it very sad and disturbing that after that, we have had quite a few occasions where an MLB player (i.e. Shin-Soo Choo, Miguel Cabrera) were pulled over for drunk driving and MLB does nothing.

To me, that sets a very bad example. MLB needs to crack down on this. -- Dan Wise, Minneapolis

A: Hey, Dan: Six MLB players have been charged with DUIs this year, including Austin Kearns and Choo of the Indians. MLB and the players association, according to several news reports, were already in negotiations about putting DUI penalties in the new contract before this rash of arrests took place. The current contract expires Dec. 11.

It sounds like the question will be addressed about giving Commissioner Bud Selig the right to suspend players in DUI cases. The six players charged with DUIs were not suspended by their teams.

If such measures are agreed upon, what happens to a team executive if he gets stopped for a DUI? Do any negotiated MLB penalties go into effect or is that for on-field personnel only?

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: I was watching the Tribe game recently and they said that John Adams has been pounding his bass drum for the Indians at over 3,000 games. Do the Indians cover his ticket price because of his contribution to the club? -- Joe M., Euclid

A: Hey, Joe: Checked with Bob DiBiasio, Indians vice president of public relations, who has a permanent ringing in his ears after years of exposure to the Tribe's drummer. He said the Indians, upon Adams request, give him two tickets per game and Adams buys two himself. The drum has to sit somewhere.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: In Tuesday's game against Oakland, Carlos Santana bounced a hit off of the pitcher's leg. It bounced back toward the first baseline. Now had Santana gotten nicked by the ball going up the line he would surely have been safe because the catcher would have had no play. He was in foul territory so he wouldn't have been automatically out, but would it have been obstruction or interference on his part? -- Mike Furino, Bedford

A: Hey, Chris: I think you're talking about Wednesday's game when Michael Brantley bounced a single off Trevor Cahill's leg and it bounced back toward the first baseline and the plate in the second inning. Since the ball had already hit the pitcher, Brantley wouldn't have been out if it had hit him. The only way Brantley could have been called out on interference is if the first base umpire felt he intentionally ran to the right or left of the foul line to hinder the catcher's throw to first. Brantley reached first safely, so the umpire didn't think he was guilty of interference.

Santana did single off the pitcher Tuesday, but the ball went to the middle of the infield.

Q: Hey, Hoynsie: I was looking at stats for the Class AA Akron after watching Cory Burns pitch. The guy has 15 strikeouts in six innings and seven saves. What is the outlook for this guy? -- Chris Zanon, Canton

A: Hey, Chris: Burns, a 6-0, 204-pound right hander, was an eighth-round pick out of the University of Arizona in 2009.

He saved 42 games at Class A Kinston and Class A Lake County last year. He throws only 90 mph. He's smart and deceptive with his off-speed pitches and shows no fear as a closer.

Since he doesn't have an overwhelming fastball, it sounds like he's going to have to follow Josh Tomlin's path to the big leagues. He'll have to compete and succeed at every level, and meet every challenge the organization puts in front of him, to get a shot in the big leagues.

-- Hoynsie

2011 NBA Draft: Mock draft updates -- Cleveland Cavaliers own 2 lottery picks

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Draft lottery is on May 17; draft on June 23.

derrick-williams2.jpgArizona forward Derrick Williams (23) will almost certainly be one of the first selections in the NBA draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the 2010-11 season with the NBA's second-worst record.

The Los Angeles Clippers had the eighth-worst mark.

Those standings are significant because the worse a team's record is, the more ping pong balls it has in the league's draft lottery hopper.

The draft lottery is on May 17; the draft, June 23.

The Cavs own the Clippers' first-round pick as part of the trade that sent guard Mo Williams and forward Jamario Moon to L.A. in exchange for point guard Baron Davis.

The approach of a draft means, of course, mock drafts.

On Wednesday, DraftExpress.com updated its mock draft, including rounds 1 and 2 -- the draft lasts two rounds.

Nobody knows, of course, how the draft lottery will play out. DraftExpress.com predicts the Cavaliers -- if their first pick will, indeed, be the second overall pick in the draft -- will select Arizona forward Derrick Williams.

DraftExpress.com's profile of Williams includes the following as one of his strengths:

- Isolation Scoring: According to Synergy Sports Technology, Derrick Williams is in the 96th percentile in terms of points per possessions in isolation situations, scoring about 1.130 per possession. Part of the reason Williams is so successful when he isolates his man is because he is quicker than most power forwards, but his defender can't play off of him because of his shooting ability. The threat of Williams taking and making an outside jumper forces defenders to close the gap and not give Williams any space. Because of this, Williams is able to use his speed to his advantage and take the basketball to the rim. Williams is also an above average ball handler and this lets him get to the rim with ease.

More mocksie

Hoopshype.com's mock draft projects the Cavs taking someone other than Williams with the second pick.

DraftExpress.com predicts how the draft selections will go, in order.

Mynbadraft.com lists what it thinks will be pick-by-pick draft results.

WalterFootball.com predicts the NBA draft, pick-by-pick.

 

Cleveland Browns' draft displays a vision for the long term: Terry's Talkin'

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The Browns' draft, the Indians' young arms in the minors, the Cavs and more are Terry Pluto's topics this week.

jabaalsheard.JPGView full sizeThe Browns' 2011 pick most likely to show immediate results? Pitt defensive end Jabaal Sheard.

ABOUT THE BROWNS' DRAFT . . .

1. I talked to a top executive at another AFC team about the Browns' draft and heard the following: "They are being practical. They're not kidding themselves about being Julio Jones or some other great player away from being a good team. They recognized that they lack depth and talent to compete right now in the AFC North."

2. The Browns would never say that openly, but this draft screamed long term. This is a team that has only once ranked higher than No. 27 against the run since the franchise returned in 1999. So that led to the team trading down with Atlanta, adding what amounted to three new picks.

3. That led to the drafting of Phil Taylor at No. 21. Will the defensive tackle from Baylor make a major difference on the line? The AFC executive said: "What you really notice is when you don't have those big guys who can stop the run. Cleveland hasn't [had them]. With [Ahtyba] Rubin and now Taylor, they at least admit there is a problem and are willing to address it."

4. ESPN's Todd McShay believed trading the No. 70 pick to Kansas City to move up from No. 27 to No. 21 to draft Taylor was the Browns' "most questionable move . . . It's not a terrible reach to take Taylor, but they might not have had to give up a third-round pick to get him."

5. The Browns believed someone (Philadelphia?) planned to take Taylor before No. 27, so they made the deal. They put a higher value on Taylor than on Muhammad Wilkerson, the defensive lineman from Temple who the Jets took at No. 30. It will be worth checking back in a few years to see which player has made more of an impact. The Browns also saw the 310-pound Wilkerson as more of a defensive end in a 3-4 formation, rather than a pure run-stopper. The Browns are switching from the 3-4 to a 4-3.

6. ESPN's Mel Kiper wrote, "Taylor may have been a bit of a reach, but he's the best clogger in the draft -- and those guys are hard to find." Kiper gave the Browns a B+ for the draft.

7. After it was all over, the Browns traded their No. 6 pick (Jones, to Atlanta) and No. 70 (Georgia defensive end Justin Houston, to K.C.) for Taylor, second-rounder Greg Little and fourth-rounder Owen Marecic. The deal continues next season, with the Browns having Atlanta's first- and fourth-round picks.

8. I believe the Browns' best pick and the one most likely to show immediate results is Jabaal Sheard, the defensive end from Pittsburgh. He was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Sheard had 14.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, batted down four passes and forced four fumbles. He seems like a guy who makes big plays, and his speed is obvious when watching him on tape.

9. McShay and Kiper both praised taking Little in the second round. I consider him the biggest risk because he didn't play last season -- for accepting money from an agent and lying to the NCAA -- and has played only one full season as a wide receiver. He was a star running back in high school. The Browns say Little is an elite athlete, and he did have enough talent to make North Carolina's basketball team one season. This is the boom or bust pick, depending upon how Little approaches the pros.

10. The Browns are confident about Little adjusting to his new team because North Carolina played the same type of West Coast offense the Browns will use.

11. The Browns like football players with basketball experience because high-level college basketball demands tremendous athleticism. It's why they took Jordan Cameron, a tight end from USC who played some basketball there and at Brigham Young. ESPN wrote: "He is tough because of his pass-catching ability. He should be effective on third down and in the red zone."

12. Marecic also played in the West Coast offense at Stanford, and the Browns project him as a fullback with major power-blocking ability, but enough skill to catch passes out of the backfield. He also started at linebacker (yes, he played both ways). ESPN wrote, "Marecic should contribute immediately in short yardage and goal-line situations, and be a terror on special teams."

13. I really liked the idea of trading the two sixth-rounders for Pitt left tackle Jason Pinkston. He can fill in at right guard and tackle, where the Browns are desperately thin.

ABOUT THE TRIBE . . .

1. If you want to believe in the Tribe, the fact there is solid pitching in Cleveland -- and help below -- is good reason. Consider that the Tribe already has lost two starters -- Carlos Carrasco and Mitch Talbot -- to elbow injuries. But the team continues to have one of the top staffs in the American League. Jeanmar Gomez and Alex White have been promoted and been respectable. When Carrasco is healthy (and that could be soon), Gomez will probably return to Class AAA Columbus.

2. Which brings me to right-hander Zach McAllister, who finished 2010 with a 9-12 record and 5.25 ERA at Class AAA. This season, McAllister is 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA at Columbus. He is 6-6, 240 pounds with a fastball in the low 90s. He doesn't strike out many (21 in 32 innings), but he has walked only five. He is mostly a sinkerball pitcher.

3. McAllister is just 23. In 2008, he was 14-9 with a 2.09 ERA in Class A. In 2009, he was 7-5 and his 2.23 ERA was tops in the Class AA Eastern League. He throws strikes and generally doesn't allow homers; this season, it's just one home run in 32 innings. Last season in Class AAA may have been too much for him. Now that he has returned to the form that made him the No. 5 prospect in the Yankees' farm system heading into 2010, McAllister could be considered for a spot in the rotation if the Indians need help later this season. The Tribe added him in a trade last summer for Austin Kearns, then re-signed Kearns in the off-season.

4. It's great to see some pitchers in Cleveland whom the Tribe drafted, signed and developed. There is Tony Sipp (the 1,337th pick in 2004), Vinnie Pestano (611 in 2006), John Tomlin (581 in 2006) and Alex White (15 in 2009). CC Sabathia, a first-round pick in 1998, White and Baltimore starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie (2002) are the only Tribe first-rounders on an active big-league roster.

5. Then there's Zach Putnam, who is 2-0 with three saves and a 1.17 ERA in 151/3 innings at Columbus. He has allowed seven hits, three walks and struck out 14. He throws in the middle 90s and could be a candidate for the bullpen. Putnam is being fast-tracked, as he was a fifth-round pick in 2008.

6. Next is Nick Hagadone, part of the Victor Martinez deal, who also throws in the middle 90s. He has been amazing at Class AA Akron, where the lefty hasn't allowed a run in 17 innings, striking out 20 and walking only two. Control had been an issue before this season. He walked 63 in 86 innings last season. In Hagadone and Putnam, the Indians have two young power pitchers who could help the bullpen as early as this season.

7. Drew Pomeranz (2010, first round) has a 1.54 ERA with 34 strikeouts and seven walks in 231/3 innings at Class A Kinston. He's another power pitcher. That's the encouraging part of this report -- Pomeranz, Putnam, White and Hagadone all have fastballs in the middle 90s and just as important, they throw strikes. McAllister is slightly above the 90 mph big-league average.

8. On May 21 at 11 a.m., Mike and Sharon Hargrove will be at the Wahoo Luncheon. Call Bob Rosen (440-724-8350) or go to www.wahooclub.com for more information.

ABOUT THE CAVS . . .

1. This is an important summer for Baron Davis, the veteran guard acquired from the Clippers. Let's start with the simple fact that he makes the Cavs better. When Davis played, the Cavs were 6-9. In games without him, they were 13-54.

2. 82games.com has what it calls a "Simple Rating." In its own lingo, the website states "it's the player's own stats vs. the counterpart player on the opposing team while he's on the court . . . as well as a simple on-court/off-court plus/minus." This shows how the team plays when a certain player is on the court -- as opposed to when he sits. By far, no player was more valuable to the Cavs than Davis, by this measure.

3. Davis had a +7.5 Simple Rating with the Cavs. Next came Anderson Varejao (+2.6), Daniel Gibson (+0.3), Antawn Jamison (-0.3), Ramon Sessions (-0.6), Anthony Parker (-0.8), Alonzo Gee (-1.9), J.J. Hickson (-3.8). The key player traded for Davis was Mo Williams, who was a -5.5 with the Cavs.

4. The website goes into some heavy math, but demonstrates that the team shot 4 percentage points higher with Davis on the court than when he sat. That makes sense, because he was the team's best passer, brought order to the offense and gave the team leadership that was lacking from the other point guards.

5. Davis is 32. He's listed at 6-3, 219 pounds. He is a little shorter and a little heavier than that. A key for him is to get into better shape, which could take pressure of his cranky knee and back. He played in only 58 of 82 games this past season with the Cavs and Clippers. He played all 82 games in the first three seasons of his career. But in the past eight, he has played more than 70 games only twice. Injuries are an issue.

6. When you look at the Simple Rating, Varejao was second in effectiveness behind Davis. And he never played with Davis, as the power forward was recovering from foot surgery. Between Davis' lob passes and how he sets up big men for easy baskets, it's clear he will have a significant impact on Varejao. And Varejao is the team's best defender.

7. Davis has a massive contract, with $14 million due in 2011-12 and $14.8 million due in 2012-13. So it would be very hard to deal him. The goal for both the Cavs and Davis (who can revive his career here) should be to find a way to keep him healthy and on the court for 25-30 minutes a game.

8. Even if the Cavs should win the lottery and pick Duke guard Kyrie Irving, coach Byron Scott is not afraid to play two point guards for long stretches. He did so with Sessions and Davis last season. Also, Davis can't physically play huge minutes anymore, and he will miss some games. If Davis keeps the same upbeat attitude that he brought to Cleveland, this trade can be about more than adding another lottery pick. It could help them in the short team with Davis being the leader on the court Scott desperately needs.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW I . . .

Kathleen Vinson emailed: "You wrote on May 3 . . . you liked 'trading out of the No. 6 position and adding three players this season and two more picks (in 2012).' That statement is FALSE and using the word "adding" is misleading! (The Browns traded the No. 27 pick and No. 70 pick to Atlanta for the No. 21 to take Phil Taylor).

"To summarize, the Browns had four picks in rounds 1-4 before the trades with Atlanta and Kansas City in 2011. After the trades they ADDED ONE pick in 2011 (#123). They added two picks in 2012 (a first- and fourth-rounder), so they ADDED three in total. I am sure you learned adding and subtracting at Benedictine, but Fr. James would be disappointed if he read that. He would have you writing #1s on the blackboard for exaggerating!"

(Actually, I had Fr. Lawrence and Phil Hodanbosi for math at Benedictine, and they wouldn't have liked it, either).

UPON FURTHER REVIEW II . . .

Dave Blanchard emailed: "You should've mentioned in ('Controversial trades by Tribe paying off') that Ben Francisco was also part of the Cliff Lee trade. So the Tribe didn't get four players for one, it was four for two. So far, Francisco has four homers, 18 RBI and [is] batting .250 for the Phillies, making this deal look even worse (so far) for the Indians."

(Dave is right, I forgot Francisco. But the key will be a year from now when we see what is happening with Carlos Carrasco and others from that trade. Francisco batted .268 with six homers and 28 RBI in 179 at-bats for the Phillies last season.)

Kentucky Derby 2011: Animal Kingdom gives jockey John Velazquez a victory to remember

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UPDATED: Jockey John Velazquez takes advantage of an unexpected opportunity and guides the 20-1 colt to the victory at Churchill Downs. Nehro finishes second and Mucho Macho man finishes third.

velazquez-animal-kingdom.jpgJohn Velazquez rides Animal Kingdom to victory at the Kentucky Derby.

Beth Harris / Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — John Velazquez won the Kentucky Derby by a broken nose.

An injury to Animal Kingdom's regular rider, Robby Albarado, cleared the way for Velazquez to pick up the mount on the 20-1 long shot. Once he took the reins Saturday, he rode his good luck all the way to the winner's circle.

"For once, I'm on the good end of it," Velazquez said. "All of a sudden I pick up this one and he wins the Derby, so it was meant to be."

The previous three years, the New York-based jockey came to Churchill Downs with a colt considered a leading contender, only to have it withdrawn.

This time, he was supposed to ride early second choice Uncle Mo before the colt was scratched because of a lingering stomach problem. Then Albarado broke his nose when he was thrown off his horse and kicked in the face before a race three days ago.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Animal Kingdom, who had never raced on dirt before, reacted to his new rider the way a champion should, charging down the middle of the stretch to win by 23/4 lengths in front of a crowd of 164,858, the largest in Derby history.

He ran 11/4 miles in 2:02.04 -- well off Secretariat's track record of 1:59.40 in 1973 -- and paid $43.80, $19.60 and $13.

kentucky derby.JPGView full sizeJockey John Velazquez celebrates in the winner's circle.

Nehro returned $8.80 and $6.40, while Mucho Macho Man was another neck back in third and paid $7 to show.

"It's words that you can't describe," Velazquez said. "But I do really feel really bad for Robby. I hope he's winning the Derby with me here. I know he got hurt, so this is for both of us, buddy. I know you're not on it, but I know you're with me."

Well, not exactly.

"I'm not happy," said Albarado, despite winning a $345,600 stakes race on the Derby undercard. "Barry Irwin decided he didn't think I was fit to ride; he didn't know my status or situation. This just wasn't my time today."

Animal Kingdom is owned by Team Valor International, a partnership syndicate headed by Irwin, a former writer for the Daily Racing Form, the industry's bible.

Irwin decided to switch riders when Albarado took Friday off to recuperate.

"It was a tough call because I really like Robby. He's won a lot of races for us, but we got 20 partners in this horse," Irwin said. "We got a large investment and I had to do what I thought was best for the partnership."

Like Velazquez, Irwin said he would make it up to Albarado.

Like his jockey, trainer Graham Motion got lucky, too.

His top Derby horse, Wood Memorial winner Toby's Corner, never even made it to Louisville. He had a leg injury and never left Motion's barn in Maryland.

"Somebody said, 'Are you surprised to win with a second-tier horse?'" Motion said. "I said, 'I'm not sure we would categorize him as a second-tier horse.' He's been an extraordinary horse to train. I was so impressed with how he handled everything."

Dialed In went off as the 5-1 favorite for two-time Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito, but finished eighth.

Mucho Macho Man's finish for Kathy Ritvo tied her for second-best result by a female trainer in the 137-year-old race. Shelley Riley saddled Casual Lies to a second-place finish in 1992.

Rosie Napravnik was ninth aboard 8-1 second choice Pants On Fire in her bid to become the first female jockey to win. Still, her finish was the highest of the six women who've ridden in the Derby.

"I couldn't have wished for a better trip," she said.

Neither could Velazquez. The day was clearly his after going 0-for-12 in previous Derby tries.

"It was a loss for Robby, obviously, having the accident he had, and a win for me," Velazquez said. "Obviously, it turned out to be a great thing for myself."

Animal Kingdom won the Spiral Stakes on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park in his previous start. Though this was his first race on dirt, the winner had an easy trip, and Velazquez did a masterful job despite his unfamiliarity with the horse. They avoided trouble in the 19-horse field while running in the middle of the pack most of the way.

"Right about the quarter-pole he got really comfortable as soon as he got to the clear," Velazquez said. "He gave me that feeling that, man, he was running. He got to the lead and kept running. So very proud of the way he did everything."

Animal Kingdom swept past the leaders on the final turn and came flying home.

"I didn't have to do very much," Velazquez said. "He was going well the whole way around, so he gave me a lot of confidence to be where I was and when I asked him to do something he was there for me. A good horse gets you out of trouble."

Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch, who started from the inside rail, was vanned off the track with a leg injury and will need surgery for a non-life-threatening fracture.

Pacesetter Shackleford was fourth, followed by Irish import Master of Hounds, Santiva, Brilliant Speed and Dialed In.

Pants On Fire finished ninth, followed by Twice the Appeal, Soldat, Stay Thirsty, Derby Kitten, Decisive Moment, Archarcharch, Midnight Interlude, Twinspired, Watch Me Go and Comma to the Top, who chipped his left ankle and will be sidelined for at least two months.

Justin Verlander pitches second career no-hitter in Detroit Tigers' 9-0 win over Toronto Blue Jays

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Only runner he allowed came with one out in eighth inning when J.P. Arencibia walked on full count, with Verlander's 12th pitch to the rookie just an inch or two outside.

justin-verlander.jpgDetroit's Justin Veralander in the sixth inning of his no-hitter on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tigers won, 9-0.

TORONTO, Ontario -- Justin Verlander threw his second career no-hitter and the second in the big leagues this week, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Verlander barely missed a perfect game. The only runner he allowed came with one out in the eighth inning when J.P. Arencibia walked on a full count, with Verlander's 12th pitch to the rookie just an inch or two outside.

Minnesota's Francisco Liriano pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Verlander struck out 12 in his first no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. This time, he fanned Rajai Davis to end it for his fourth strikeout of the game. The overpowering right-hander threw 108 pitches, 74 for strikes.

Blue Jays rookie David Cooper popped to second on Verlander's first pitch of the ninth. John McDonald followed with a grounder to second. With the crowd of 23,453 standing and cheering, Davis ended it by striking out swinging on a 2-2 pitch from the 2006 AL Rookie of the Year.

Verlander calmly pumped his fist and smiled, then shared a hug with catcher Alex Avila before being mobbed by teammates near the mound. He was doused with a bucket of ice water by reliever Jose Valverde.

Avila and Jhonny Peralta homered for the Tigers, who have won four of five.

Detroit almost had a perfect game June 2 last season, but umpire Jim Joyce's blown call at first base robbed Armando Galarraga with two outs in the ninth inning. Galarraga finished with a one-hitter.

Prior to Verlander, the last Detroit pitcher to throw a no-hitter was Jack Morris, who did it at Comiskey Park against the Chicago White Sox on April 7, 1984.


 

Cleveland Indians' fast start is like no other in team's history: Bill Livingston

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Despite some analogies to 1995, this current Indians team is making its own record of success, and almost literally out of nowhere.

indians.JPGView full sizeThe Indians are off to one of the best starts in franchise history, bringing excitement to Progressive Field ... with hopes that doubting fans will soon follow.

Sherman, set the Wayback for the year 1995. The time: The summer. The place: Cleveland, Ohio.

No, no, you say. Set the Wayback WAAAAAAY back, Tom Hamilton home run call back, to 1948. If we're going to revisit a wonderful year, let's make it one when the corks popped. (And that's not a reference to Albert Belle's bat.)

(I know what you're saying: What is this Wayback Machine? Can you get it at Walmart? Actually, it is a reference to a long-ago cartoon segment on the "Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." Mr. Peabody, a talking dog, and his assistant, the boy Sherman, time-traveled to visit some of history's most famous events.)

But I don't want to go back to 1995 because that team had no warm and fuzzies to it. The glowering presence of Belle tainted everything in the clubhouse. He even put his profane stamp on the World Series with his dugout tirade at broadcaster Hannah Storm.

The Indians never got their due then. When Ken Burns filmed a sequel to his PBS series "Baseball," he cast the Atlanta Braves as the lovable underdogs of the 1990s, not the Indians. It had to be the toxicity of Belle that made the difference.

This, after all, was the city the 1994 strike never touched. Then 1995 marked the Tribe's return from 41 years in the baseball wilderness, and even Moses and the Israelites only wandered for 40. The Indians' franchise had suffered the devastating boating accident only two years earlier.

Burns must have missed all the bubblegum cap pranks in the dugout, because he put the black hats on the Indians. He also neglected to say that Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux got called strikes from National League umpires in the World Series on outside pitches that Tribe hitters couldn't reach with galley oars.

The '90s became the years of the near misses, devolving into a long search for the final piece to the puzzle, similar to the Cavaliers lineup scrambling in the final years of the self-proclaimed and ultimately abdicated King.

No ownership in town has been under more pressure to live up to the past than the Dolans, who bought the Indians just as the difference gate receipts made in economic might was lessening and cable television money became all-important. They have been pilloried for not being the owners of the Yankees or Red Sox by people who do not grasp the market inequities of the country's only major pro sport without a salary cap.

Twice in the Dolans' stewardship, the Indians missed the playoffs on the last day of the season, in 2000 and 2005. In 2007, they missed the World Series by one game.

Fans embittered by the Cy Young fire sale in the two succeeding years stayed away from the still beautiful park in droves last season. The turnstiles have not exactly been spinning wildly this season, either.

Now we are in the midst of one of the best starts in the 111 years they have been playing big-league baseball in Cleveland. The weather is slowly warming. Only doubt keeps fans away.

There have already been a lot of victories in the last at-bat, as in '95, but the dynamic of this team is different. The gloves and baseball instincts of this team are much better. So is the speed with Grady Sizemore, back and playing as if he never was out with injuries, and Michael Brantley. The starting pitching is like something out of the days of the Big Four, even with attrition already taking place in the rotation. The bullpen has been strong.

You could see '95 coming because in '94 the Indians would have been the wild-card team except for the strike.

Although 2007 was a surprise after the flop the year before, fans still had memories of the promise in 2005.

But this team has ambushed us all. Maybe a team coming out of nowhere, like this, is the only one that wouldn't have to deal with the baggage of the past.

Who says you have to win by accretion, by finally putting all the pieces in place? Why can't you win by contagion, by feeding off early success, especially if the bedrock values are solid?

Why must past failures always shadow our teams? Only Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis Hafner, Raffy Perez and Fausto Carmona were contributors on the 2007 team. Why can't almost a whole new roster make its own experiences?

Why can't these be the good old days?


It's about pitching, not hitting, when playing against strong pitchers, says Manny Acta: Cleveland Indians Chatter

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Also, after a long layoff, reliever Justin Germano gets put in a tough spot in Friday's loss at Los Angeles.

justingermano.JPGView full sizeJustin Germano.

Clubhouse confidential: The Indians have faced good pitching through the first four games of this West Coast trip against Oakland (three) and Anaheim (one). They split those games, scoring 10 runs with no homers and going into extra innings twice.

Manager Manny Acta said his primary concern isn't hitting when it comes to facing pitching-rich teams.

"It's not about who your hitters are facing," Acta said. "It's about your pitchers being able to hold the other team down until you score enough runs to win the ballgame."

Tough spot: Friday's loss went to Justin Germano. He hadn't pitched since April 28 and it looked like it. He gave up four straight singles in the 11th inning with the game-winner being delivered by Torii Hunter for a 2-1 Angels victory.

"It's a tough situation, but you've got to go in there and throw strikes," Germano said. "You can't miss spots. The balls were up a little bit. A couple of the hits were on good pitches, but a couple of balls were up in the zone."

Stat of the day: The Indians are averaging 5.03 runs per game through 31 games. It represents an improvement of 1.18 runs per game from last year. That's the biggest jump in the American League, according to STATS.

-- Paul Hoynes

Tigers, Rays struggle at Progressive Field: Paul Hoynes' MLB Insider

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If you thought the Tigers were looked old and creaky when they left Progressive Field after getting swept by the Indians, guess again.


Twenty baseball moments from last week that you can't do without. All stats are through Friday.

1. The Tigers, after being swept by the Indians at Progressive Field in a three-game series (April 29-May 1), went home and swept a three-game series with the Yankees.

Detroit may have looked old in Cleveland, but Brad Penny, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello gave them the baseball gift of eternal youth -- good starting pitching. Penny, Scherzer and Porcello went 3-0 and allowed just two earned runs in 21 innings in the sweep.

2. The Rays, who open a three-game homestand at Progressive Field on Tuesday, are 17-6 after a 1-8 start. The are 2-17 at Progressive Field since 2006.

3. The Twins put Jim Thome on the disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle. Thome is nine homers shy of 600.

jimthome.JPGView full sizeMinnesota slugger and former Indian Jim Thome, sitting on 591 homers, is on the disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle.


4. Curtis Granderson hit his ninth and 10th homers Friday for the Yankees. He's on pace to match his career high of 30 in 2009 with Detroit.

5. Mariano Rivera saved his 12th game Friday. The Yankees' closer is 29 shy of 600.

6. Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips on Tuesday made a great between-the-legs throw to first base to retire Houston's Jason Bourgeois in the third inning. One problem, it came in a 10-4 loss that dropped Cincinnati below .500 for the first time in more than a year.

7. The march of the prospects has begun in Kansas City. First baseman Eric Hosmer was promoted from Class AAA Omaha after hitting .439 (43-for-98) with five doubles, three homers and 15 RBI. He walked twice and struck out twice Friday in his big-league debut.

8. Melky Cabrera has been reborn in Kansas City. He drove in four runs Thursday in a 9-1 victory over Baltimore. When Cabrera drives in three or more runs his teams are 17-1, according to STATS.

9. Matt Garza, who was supposed to fortify the Cubs' rotation when he was acquired from the Rays during the off-season, is 1-4 in seven starts after losing Friday. He does have 58 strikeouts.

10. The White Sox have lost 19 of their past 24 games. "It's getting a little old. It's the same song and note," left-hander John Danks told Chicago reporters.

11. Francisco Liriano never pitched a complete game in the big leagues until Tuesday when he threw a no-hitter for the Twins. Liriano was 1-4 with a 9.13 ERA going into the game and in danger of losing his spot in the rotation. He walked six in matching a career high with 123 pitches.

12. Boston manager Terry Francona, ejected Friday for arguing a balk by umpire Angel Hernandez, came into contact with crew chief Joe West during the fracas.

"That was me and Angel. Joe didn't have anything to do with it. I didn't really appreciate what he did," Francona told reporters after the game. "He was grabbing me. . . . I thought he was out of line."

13. Philadelphia's Cliff Lee struck out 16 of the 30 batters he faced Friday, but still lost, 5-0, to Atlanta. He leads the big leagues in strikeouts.

14. Derek Lowe beat Lee on Friday, but was disappointed because a blister on his right foot forced him to leave after giving up his first two hits of the game in the seventh inning.

After the game, Lowe told reporters that he was "disappointed in his skin."

15. Willie Mays, the man who broke Cleveland's heart with "The Catch" in the 1954 World Series against Vic Wertz, turned 80 on Friday.

16. Angels rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo hit his sixth homer Thursday to give him the team lead.

17. Florida's Josh Johnson, who allowed four earned runs in 41 innings in his first six starts, allowed five in 71/3 innings Thursday in a loss to St. Louis.

18. Justin Smoak, one of the many players acquired for Cliff Lee since 2009, is supposed to be the most talented. He's starting to play like it in Seattle, hitting .444 (8-for-18) with a homer and four RBI last week.

19. Giants closer Brian Wilson, a one-time Indians draft pick, has five saves in six appearances since April 28.

20. Asdrubal Cabrera leads the Indians with five homers, but ranks 19th in the AL.

Josh Tomlin says moo on you: Cleveland Indians daily briefing

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Josh Tomlin wants a rematch with Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos after losing cow milking contest.

tomlin-trib-redsox-vert-ap.jpgJosh Tomlin finishes second in Friday's cow milking contest and he's not happy.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin isn't crying foul, he's crying moooooo.

Tomlin lost a cow milking contest before Friday night's game to Angel center fielder Peter Bourjos.

"They said I got one quarter of a pound of milk," said Tomlin. "They said Bourjos got two pounds of milk. I think they used home field advantage on me."

Or should that be the home-field cow advantage.

Tomlin and Bourjos each started milking a different cow. Halfway through the contest, they switched cows.

"I was doing really well with my first cow," said Tomlin. "When we changed, I couldn't get a drop out the second cow."

The second cow almost stepped on Tomlin before the right-hander moved to the other side and tried to milk it. Now wouldn't that have looked good on disabled list report? Reason for injury? Stepped on by a dairy cow.

Tomlin is from Texas and wears Cowboy boots, but he's never milked a cow before.

"Fausto Carmona said I should have told him I was milking a cow," said Tomlin, with a laugh. "He said he could have given me some tips. Jeanmar Gomez told me Fausto owns a lot of cows back home in the Dominican."

Whatever tips Carmona was willing to share with Tomlin, he wasn't telling reporters.

"I don't want to talk about cows," said Carmona.

Tomlin, ultra competitive on the mound, feels the same way about milking a cow.

"I want a rematch," he said.

Testing, testing: The numbers weren't pretty, but Carlos Carrasco got his work in Friday night. In a rehab start at Class AA Akron, Carrasco allowed four runs on four hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out three in a 7-4 loss to Trenton.

Carrasco is expected to come off the disabled list and join the rotation this week.

"We didn't care out his numbers, we just wanted him to go out and be pain free," said manager Manny Acta. "He was pain free. . .We'll be seeing him soon."

Carrasco was on the DL with a sore right elbow.

Thorn in the side: The Indians entered Saturday night's game with 10 losses, three of them to the Angels. Two of the three losses have come in extra innings.

The Tribe is hitting .128 (17-for-133) against the Angels with seven runs. Angel relievers have held the Indians without an earned run for 26 straight innings dating back to Sept. 

Tonight's lineups:

Indians (21-10): CF Grady Sizemore (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), 1B Carlos Santana (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), 2B Orlando Cabrera (R), LF Michael Brantley (R), 3B Jack Hannahan (L), C Lou Marson (R) RHP Alex White  (0-0, 3.00).

Angels (19-14): SS Erick Aybar (S), DH Bobby Abreu (L), 3B Maicer Izturis (S), RF Torii Hunter (R), 2B Howie Kendrick, LF Vernon Wells (R), 1B Mark Trumbo (R), C Jeff Mathis (R), CF Peter Bourjos (R), RHP Jered Weaver (6-1, 1.39).

Him vs. me: White, making his second start in the big leagues, has never faced the Angels. Shin-Soo Choo is hitting .455 (10-for-22) with four doubles against Weaver. Sizemore has two homers and two RBI against him. Travis Hafner is 1-for-21.

Left vs. right: Lefties are hitting .250 (2-for-8) and righties .308 (4-for-13) with two homers against White. The Angels have six right handers and two switch hitters in their lineup.

Lefties are hitting .217 (18-for-83) with one homer and righties are hitting .139 (14-for-101) with one homers against righties. The Indians have five lefties and two switch hitters in the lineup.

Quote of the day: "No baseball pitcher would be worth a darn without a catcher who could handle the hot fastball," Hall of fame manager Casey Stengel.

Umpires: H Kerwin Danley, 1B Paul Nauert, 2B Doug Eddings, Dana DeMuth. DeMuth, crew chief.

Next: RHP Fausto Carmona (3-3, 4.43) vs. RHP Dan Haren (4-2, 1.76) Sunday at 3:35 p.m. ET. STO and WTAM/1100 will carry the game.
 

    

 

Minor league report: Drew Pomeranz pitches another gem for his first professional win

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Pomeranz, Indians' first-round pick last season, pitches five sparkling innings in Kinston's 3-0 win. He has a 1.27 ERA in six starts.

drew-pomeranz2.jpgDrew Pomeranz with the Indians in spring training.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

Advanced A Kinston Indians

First game of doubleheader, Indians 3, Nationals 0; second game in progress Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, the Indians’ first pick in the 2010 June draft, pitched five scoreless innings to earn his first professional win. Pomeranz, now 1-0 with a 1.27 ERA in six starts, struck out eight, walked three and allowed three hits — all singles — in the Carolina League game. LF Bo Greenwell and 1B Chase Burnette both slugged solo home runs for the Indians in the seven-inning opener of the doubleheader.

Notes: Pomeranz has struck out 42 and allowed just 16 hits (one homer) and 10 walks in 28 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting .162 against him....His 42 strikeouts ranked first in the Carolina League going into the league’s other Saturday night games, and his 1.27 ERA was third....RH Brett Brach was second with a 1.25 ERA. Brach has made starts in his last three outings, after beginning the season with a start at AA Akron and two relief outings with Kinston. Including his six scoreless, two-hit innings for a win for Akron, Brach is 4-1 with an 0.98 ERA. He has struck out 20, walked 10, allowed no homers and held opponents to a .187 batting average in 27 2/3 innings....LH Giovanni Soto, who will turn 20 on May 18, is 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA in five starts. In 21 innings, he’s fanned 21, walked eight and held opponents to a .203 batting average.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers rained out The International League game between host Columbus and Lehigh Valley was postponed because of rain. The Clippers and IronPigs will play a doubleheader starting at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Notes: Outfielder Chad Huffman (.299) is 29-for-79 (.367) with six doubles, five home runs and 20 RBI since beginning the season 0-for-18....OF Jerad Head (.378) was third in the International League in batting average prior to Saturday’s IL games. He has four doubles, three homers, 13 RBI and 15 runs....3B Lonnie Chisenhall (.294) is 17-for-41 (.415) in his last 10 games, with two doubles, one triple, one homer, eight RBI and 11 runs....CF Ezequiel Carrera is batting .316 (31-for-98) with four doubles, one triple, 22 runs, 14 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 13 tries....RH starter Zach McAllister is 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA in five starts, striking out 21, walking five and allowing just one homer....RH reliever Carlton Smith is 1-0 in 10 games, pitching 13 2/3 scoreless innings. He’s struck out 17, walked three and allowed 10 hits....The Clippers are 22-6 and have won 14 of their last 15 games.

AA Akron Aeros

Thunder 4, Aeros 3 Trenton, trailing 3-1, scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning of the Eastern League game at Akron. Aeros LH reliever and loser Nick Hagadone (2-1, 1.45) gave up a seventh-inning infield single and walk to the first two Thunder batters, after which Akron pitching coach Tony Arnold and manager Chris Tremie were tossed out for arguing by home plate umpire Travis Hatch. After another single loaded the bases, Aeros RH Matthew Langwell came on and Trenton got its runs on a groundout and single. Langwell retired six of the seven batters he faced, fanning three. Akron 2B Tim Fedroff (.320), 3B Kyle Bellows (.188) and 1B Matt McBride (.255) were all 2-for-4.

Notes: Aeros RH starter Joe Gardner (2-1, 3.00) allowed one run on two hits and four walks, with four strikeouts, in 4 1/3 innings....Nick Hagadone (2-1, 1.45) has pitched 18 2/3 innings in nine relief outings, striking out 22 while giving up 13 hits and four walks....2B Tim Fedroff is 8-for-17 (.471) in his last four games, with two doubles and five RBI....CF Jordan Henry (.301) has stolen 11 bases in 11 attempts....RH reliever Chen-Chang Lee (1-1, 3.18) has struck out 24 and walked five in 17 innings....LH starter Kelvin De La Cruz (1-3, 2.77) has struck out 35 and allowed just 16 hits (no homers) in 26 innings, but has walked 19.

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Captains at Lansing Lugnuts in progress.

Notes: Going into Saturday night’s game, SS Tyler Cannon (.369) was third in the Midwest League in batting average, and OF Jason Smit (.344) was seventh. OF Anthony Gallas (.319) was tied for first with 12 doubles....Cannon had eight doubles, two triples, three homers, 15 RBI, 15 runs and 15 walks....Smit had five doubles, one triple, two homers, 11 RBI, 17 runs and 15 walks....Gallas had three homers, 10 RBI and 17 runs....LH Mike Rayl is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts. In 30 1/3 innings, he’s struck out 31, walked nine and held opponents to a .160 batting average....RH Michael Goodnight is 2-2 with a 2.27 ERA. He has pitched 31 2/3 innings in six starts, striking out 29, walking nine and holding opponents to a .150 batting average. 
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Cleveland Indians lead Angels, 4-3, after six innings; chase Jered Weaver in the process

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Vernon Wells puts Tribe in 2-0 hole with second inning homer off Alex White.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Indians lead the Angels, 4-3, Saturday night after six innings  at Angel Stadium.

Shin-Soo Choo ended an 0-for-18 slump with a two-run double off Jered Weaver in the fifth for a 3-2 lead. Weaver issued consecutive walks Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera with two out to bring Choo to the plate.

Choo came into the game hitting .455 (10-for-22) against Weaver.

Carlos Santana stretched the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single to center. Travis Hafner followed with another single as Choo went to third. Weaver was ready to go, but Orlando Cabrera popped out to short.

The Indians, working the count and fouling balls off, made Weaver throw 98 pitches in five innings.

The Angels made it a 4-3 on Vernon Wells sacrifice fly in the sixth off rookie Alex White. Torii Hunter walked with one out and went to third on Howie Kendrick's single. White ended the inning by striking out Jeff Mathis with two on. It was his 100th pitch.

Wells gave the Angels the lead with a two-run homer off White in the second. Wells hit a 0-2 pitch over the bullpen area in left field following Kendrick's single on another two-strike pitch. The homer was the third White has allowed in two starts. They've all been by right-handed hitters.

White showed poise in the third by pitching around a one-out triple by Erick Aybar. He walked dangerous Bobby Abreu to put runners on the corners. After a visit by pitching coach Tim Belcher, White induced a 4-6-3 double play by Maicer Izturis to get out of the inning.

In the fifth White showed the same poise after Mark Trumbo and Mathis reached on infield hits to start the inning. White retired the next three to keep the 4-2 lead intact. He left the field shaking his fist.

White threw 77 pitchers through five innings.

Weaver, the AL's pitcher of the month in April, entered the game with three straight wins against the Tribe. In those games, he allowed one earned run in 22 innings. In his career, Weaver has 51 strikeouts in 58 innings against the Tribe.

The Indians managed one hit, a bloop single by Jack Hannahan, through the first three innings against Weaver.

Weaver was done after six innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings. He threw 108 pitches, 71 for strikes. It was the first time in his career he pitched six or more innings without striking out a batter.

 

Kelly Pavlik's return to ring a success as he gets majority decision over Alfonso Lopez

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Pavlik scores a majority decision over previously unbeaten Alfonso Lopez in their 10-round, 171-pound catch weight bout on the undercard of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and "Sugar" Shane Mosley.

kelly pavlik.JPGView full sizeKelly Pavlik, left, lands a punch against Alfonso Lopez during Saturday's bout in Las Vegas.

Andy Samuelson / Special to The Plain Dealer

LAS VEGAS -- It wasn't the pretty, statement-producing victory he had been promising, but by the end of his comeback bout Saturday night at the MGM Grand, Kelly Pavlik proved that he indeed was back.

"Obviously there was a lot of ring rust," said Pavlik, who scored a majority victory over previously unbeaten Alfonso Lopez in their 10-round, 171-pound catch-weight bout on the undercard of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and "Sugar" Shane Mosley.

Judge Adalaide Byrd scored the contest a 95-95 draw, but Dick Houck and C.J. Ross scored it for Pavlik, 98-92 and 99-91, respectively.

"I don't know what that one judge saw, but I know I clearly won that fight," Pavlik said.

Early on Lopez let his fists fly and pushed the pace on Pavlik, who was returning to the ring for the first time since losing his WBO and WBC middleweight titles to Sergio Martinez in April 2010. During his time off he had a much-publicized stint in rehab because of his battle with alcoholism.

kelly pavlik 2.JPGView full sizeKelly Pavlik, left, exchanges punches with Alfonso Lopez in the third round.

"We won two times tonight," said Pavlik's longtime trainer, Jack Loew. "First just by returning to the ring, and then the second is we emerged victorious in the fight.

"There was quite a bit of ring rust, but I thought Pavlik did enough and we walked away with the win."

But Lopez, a former football player from Sam Houston State, didn't make it easy. The 28-year-old from Cut and Shoot, Texas, fired at a furious rate during the first 2 1/2 rounds.

"It seems like every time Kelly Pavlik starts something, Lopez finishes it," Showtime announcer and former middleweight champ Antonio Tarver said.

But the combinations didn't prove too damaging as the bigger Pavlik, who weighed in at 170 pounds Friday, found his pace in the third and fourth rounds. He overcame a accidental head butt in the fourth that created a small cut on his left cheek.

Pavlik -- who connected on 180 of 369 punches compared to Lopez, who landed 168 of 374 -- caught up to the fast-firing Texan by the sixth round. The Ghost, known for his signature right-handed power punch, unleashed a brutal new weapon Saturday with a strong left hook.

In the seventh a low blow by Pavlik stopped the action and referee Russell Mora promised to take away a point if it happened again. It didn't, but the brief respite seemed to refuel Lopez, who again unleashed a series of fast combos.

kelly pavlik 3.JPGView full sizeKelly Pavlik lands a body shot on Alfonso Lopez in the fourth round.

Unlike announcers Tarver and Gus Johnson, who scored the bout tightly, media members from the Associated Press, L.A. Times and Sports Illustrated all had Pavlik clearly in control as he pushed the eighth and ninth. But just to be sure, Loew gave his protege and earful before coming out for the 10th.

"He doesn't want to fight, he's running around. You got three minutes to get this done. Quit fooling around and go right down the [expletive] middle," said a fired-up Loew.

For the first minute the pep talk didn't seem to matter as a bound-and-determined Lopez came out firing at an unbelievable rate. But Pavlik immediately answered with a half-dozen left hooks that wobbled Lopez on several occasions and left little doubt to the packed crowd that he would emerge victorious and improve to 37-2 on his career.

Andy Samuelson is a freelance writer in Las Vegas.

Chuck Hinton homer in 1965 is a cherished moment for Brooklyn man: Tribe Memories

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A boy convinces his father to stay as the game goes into extra innings, and Hinton makes it worth the wait.

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 Art Kropp of Brooklyn:

The Plain Dealer's Grandstand Managers game on June 22, 1965. I was 10 years old, tickets were free and I begged my father to take me to the game. I begged him even more to stay until the end of the game, as it went into extra innings. Chuck Hinton hit a home run in the 10th inning and the Indians won.

My father passed away the next year. It was the only ballgame we ever went to.


Reliever Chad Durbin gets a second wind thanks to return of cutter: Cleveland Indians Insider

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After a late start in spring training had him playing catch-up, Durbin feels he's finally where he wants to be.

chad durbin.JPGView full sizeChad Durbin pitched the 10th and 11th innings against the A's on Thursday to earn the victory.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — An old friend paid Chad Durbin a visit in late April. The friend has an open invitation to stay for the rest of the year.

Durbin's visitor was the cut fastball. He's been looking for it for quite some time.

"I'd been throwing it, but it was going up there like a cement mixer at 84 mph," said Durbin.

Hitters like 84 mph pitches.

"If the ball is moving only one way instead of two, the hitters will let you know," Durbin said, "and they did."

Durbin brought the cutter with him to spring training after he signed March 1. Everything was fine, but he started tinkering here and there as pitchers usually do in spring training. Durbin, however, was working on a short schedule.

He'd spent most of the winter trying to find a job. When the Indians offered him a big-league contract worth $800,000, he took it, but he'd missed two weeks of camp and had to go through eight to 10 days of throwing on the side to get ready for exhibition games.

"I started to toy with things in midspring, which was late spring for me," Durbin said. "Then you get into games and it's time to get people out. It's a bad excuse, but . . ."

Durbin, 33, has been playing catch-up ever since. He feels he's finally pulled even.

"I found it in the relief appearance against Kansas City [April 27]," Durbin said. "I started throwing the cutter 88 to 89. It's felt a lot better."

The cutter was especially effective in Thursday's 4-3 victory over Oakland in 12 innings. Durbin pitched the 10th and 11th innings to earn the victory. He struck out one and allowed two hits.

"It was more obvious in that game because they were important innings," Durbin said. "Yeah, the cutter is where it usually is. Where it's been for the last three or four years. It had been non-existent for almost a month."

Durbin and pitching coach Tim Belcher studied film to try to see how to revive the cutter. Durbin talked to his network of pitchers and coaches he usually talks to when the cutter goes missing.

"I'm glad to see it show up," he said. "We worked hard on it. It finally came to fruition."

Durbin said he throws the cutter 50 to 60 percent of the time. He said the improvement has to do with the positioning of his hand on the ball.

"I'd taken it for granted," Durbin said. "It was the one pitch I could wake up and throw. It was painful to go out there and just have that pitch be gone. It's like a fastball being gone because, basically, it is my fastball."

Manager Manny Acta, who showed faith in Durbin during his April struggles, said he's seeing more strikes.

"He's working ahead in the count," Acta said. "When you're a cutter/slider pitcher and fall behind, it's hard to have to come in there and throw strikes when you don't have overpowering stuff."

Durbin says he throws the cutter to right-handers to get ground balls and strikeouts. He throws it to lefties to set up his curveball, sinker and changeup.

Got milk? Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin isn't crying foul, he's crying moooooo.

Tomlin lost a cow-milking contest before Friday night's game to Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos. He thinks the fix was in.

"They said I got one-quarter of a pound of milk," Tomlin said. "They said Bourjos got two pounds of milk. I think they used home-field advantage on me."

Or should that be the home-cow advantage?

Tomlin and Bourjos started the contest milking separate cows. Halfway through, they switched cows.

"I was doing really well with my first cow," Tomlin said. "When we changed, I couldn't get a drop out of the second cow."

The second cow almost stepped on Tomlin before the right-hander moved to the other side and tried to milk it. Tomlin is from Texas and wears cowboy boots, but he's never milked a cow before.

"Fausto Carmona said I should have told him I was milking a cow," Tomlin said with a laugh. "He said he could have given me some tips. Jeanmar Gomez told me Fausto owns a lot of cows back home in the Dominican."

Tomlin, ultracompetitive on the mound, feels the same way about milking a cow.

"I want a rematch," he said.

Testing, testing: The numbers weren't pretty, but Carlos Carrasco got his work in Friday night. In a rehab start at Class AA Akron, Carrasco allowed four runs on four hits in three innings. He walked three and struck out three in a 7-4 loss to Trenton, N.J.

Carrasco is expected to come off the disabled list and join the rotation this week.

"We didn't care about his numbers, we just wanted him to go out and be pain free," Acta said. "He was pain free. . . . We'll be seeing him soon."

Carrasco was on the DL with a sore right elbow.

Finally: Closer Chris Perez and left-hander Tony Sipp, who were unavailable Friday because of the heavy workload the pen has been under, were available Saturday. ... Mitch Talbot, scheduled to pitch a rehab game Monday in Goodyear, Ariz., said he felt fine Saturday after throwing a two-inning simulated game Friday at Angel Stadium.

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

Ohio State defeats UC Santa Barbara to win men's volleyball national championship

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Shawn Sangrey has a game-high 30 kills and the Buckeyes rally to beat UC Santa Barbara.

ohio state.JPGView full sizeOhio State claims the national title trophy Saturday after winning the NCAA men's volleyball championship in State College, Pa.
Genaro C. Armas / Associated Press

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Add another title to Ohio State's championship resume.

Shawn Sangrey had a game-high 30 kills and the Buckeyes rallied to beat UC Santa Barbara, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19, 22-25, 15-9, on Saturday to win their first NCAA men's volleyball crown.

It's just the third time a team outside the West has claimed the title. Penn State won in 1994 and 2008.

The Gauchos (18-15) trailed, 2-1, but took the fourth set in part due to stellar play at the net by fiery leader Jeff Menzel. He finished with 12 kills and Cullen Irons had 16.

But Ohio State (26-6) closed the match with a 5-0 run, capped by a block on Menzel that started the Buckeyes' party in Happy Valley.

UCSB had put together a surprising postseason run that included back-to-back wins over top-ranked Southern California.

The Gauchos had said all week that they play their best when faced with elimination, and they came close to proving it again.

The Buckeyes were pushed to the limit and responded in the final set. Sangrey's powerful right arm overwhelmed the Gauchos, and setter Steven Kehoe deftly set up the offense with 65 assists. Kehoe won the tournament MVP award.

The Buckeyes celebrated by singing the Ohio State alma mater in front of more than 50 scarlet-clad fans, rocking back and forth in unison while wearing their new black championship hats. It was an odd sight in Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State, a fierce Big Ten football rival.

After Ohio State's mistake-filled first set featuring nine service errors, the Buckeyes regrouped in an entertaining second set highlighted by terrific defense and long rallies. They pulled away with a 12-4 run that included four kills from Sangrey.

In addition to non-West schools OSU and Penn State winning titles, tiny Lewis University -- a Division II school in Romeoville, Ill. -- captured the 2003 championship, but that was later vacated for using ineligible players.

Tributes pour in after death of Seve Ballesteros

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Madrid -- Tributes poured in from across the globe Saturday after five-time major winner Seve Ballesteros died of brain cancer, with players moved to tears by the passing of the dashing Spaniard who transformed European golf and the Ryder Cup.  Ballesteros died one day after his family said he had severely deteriorated in his recovery from multiple surgeries to...

Madrid -- Tributes poured in from across the globe Saturday after five-time major winner Seve Ballesteros died of brain cancer, with players moved to tears by the passing of the dashing Spaniard who transformed European golf and the Ryder Cup. 

Ballesteros died one day after his family said he had severely deteriorated in his recovery from multiple surgeries to remove a malignant brain tumor in 2008. He was 54. 

"His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed," Tiger Woods wrote on Twitter. "His death came much too soon." 

George O'Grady, the chief executive of the European Tour, called it "a very sad day for all who love golf" and said Ballesteros was the inspiration behind the tour. 

The Spanish Open -- site of Ballesteros' record 50th and last European Tour win in 1995 -- planned to honor Ballesteros with a minute of silence during Saturday's third round, where former Ryder Cup partner Jose Maria Olazabal broke into tears before his tee time. 

"I'm going to play because that's the greatest honor I could give Seve," said Olazabal, who teamed with Ballesteros to form one of the Ryder Cup's greatest partnerships. 

Olazabal, a two-time Masters champion, recalled Ballesteros' "strength, his fighting spirit and passion for everything he did." He said he last met Ballesteros on April 16. 

"He wasn't well but he was lucid," Olazabal said. "We spoke about a lot of things and memories of the Ryder Cup. The best homage we can pay him is to continue playing, but I don't think any of the homages we make will ever be sufficient enough." 

Also moved to tears on Saturday was Rafael Nadal, the top-ranked tennis star who called his win over Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Madrid Open inconsequential. 

"This morning the first thing I did was to turn on TV, and the first thing I saw was that he had died," said Nadal, who recalled the time he played 18 holes with Ballesteros. 

"It's a day of sadness when you wake up with news like that. You face your day differently. It is a loss that we'll never get back due to all the values that Seve had," Nadal said. "But luckily we have all of his videos and also we can remember him." 

Ballesteros' funeral will be Wednesday in Pedrena, his native home in northern Spain, with family and close friends attending the subsequent wake. Three days of official mourning will be held in Cantabria, according to regional government head Miguel Angel Revilla. 

"It is such a sad day for Spain, Europe and the world of golf, which has lost one of its icons," said Colin Montgomerie, who knew Ballesteros well from the Ryder Cup. "But it is only right to celebrate his life. It was an honor to play for him and with him." 

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero called Ballesteros a trailblazer. 

"Severiano marks a before and after point in Spanish sports -- his example opened the way for the extraordinary moment which our country's sports is living through now," Zapatero said in a statement. "He knew how to symbolize the image of the new, democratic Spain." 

Spanish golf federation President Gonzaga Escauriaza said Ballesteros was a "unique, unrepeatable person" who helped grow the game in his native country. 

No. 1-ranked Lee Westwood wrote on Twitter: "It's a sad day. Lost an inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today." 

Three-time major winner Nick Price said Ballesteros was "light years ahead" after seeing him for the first time when they were both 21, calling it a "mesmerizing" moment. The pair dueled at the 1988 British Open, with Ballesteros rallying from a two-stroke deficit to beat Price by two shots with a final round 65 for his last major championship. 

"He did for European golf what Tiger Woods did for worldwide golf. The European Tour would not be where it is today if not for Seve Ballesteros," Price, whose brother died from the same ailment last year, said from a Champions Tour event in Alabama. "His allegiance to the European Tour was admirable. The guy, he was an icon, just an incredible golfer." 

Fanny Sunesson, the former caddie for Nick Faldo during some of those Ryder Cups, was asked her recollections and began to cry. "The tears say it all," she said. 

Tom Lehman, the 1996 British Open champion, recalled Ballesteros' kindness. 

"Such a competitive guy, so I always appreciated that he took the time to say something nice," Lehman said. "As a competitor, he didn't have to do that, but he did." 

He also marveled at the Spaniard's attitude. 

"His body language was the strongest of anybody, maybe save Tiger in recent years," Lehman said. "I've always said that his body language said, 'Hey, I may have hit a really crappy shot right there, but if you miss this next one, you'll miss the greatest shot ever hit.' That's just the way he walked, the way he acted, the way he carried himself." 

All La Liga soccer games in Spain began after a minute's silence held in memory of Ballesteros. Hercules team captain Francisco Pena placed flowers on the center of the field next to a pair of golf clubs before the match with Racing Santander. Racing players emerged from the dressing room with a golf cart bearing a club jersey and a slogan saying "Seve forever." 

AP Sports Writers Mike Cranston and Doug Ferguson in Charlotte, N.C., John Zenor in Birmingham, Ala., and Joseph Wilson in Terrassa, Spain, contributed to this report. 

Paul Logothetis can be followed at twitter.com/PaulLogoAP 

 

 

Regan Smith gets first Sprint Cup win that's nearly overshadowed by scrap between Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick

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Smith holds off Carl Edwards the final two laps in a race that turns ugly late when Kyle Busch tangles with Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer to set up the overtime finish.

regan smith.JPGView full sizeRegan Smith celebrates Saturday after winning the Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C. It is Smith's first Sprint Cup victory.

Pete Iacobelli / Associated Press

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Regan Smith moved in front on a caution nine laps from the end and survived a green-white-checker finish to win the Southern 500 for his first Sprint Cup victory Saturday night.

Smith held off Carl Edwards the final two laps at Darlington Raceway in a race that turned ugly late when Kyle Busch tangled with Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer to set up the overtime finish.

After the race, Harvick tracked down Busch's car, stopped in front of Busch on pit road, then got out of his car and attempted to punch or grab Busch through his window. Busch then slammed into Harvick's driverless car, sending it crashing in the inside wall.

Harvick and Busch then stared down each other from their cars as they entered the garage before a standoff that looked as if it might erupt further. It finally ended when Busch bumped Harvick several times to make space to drive off. Both drivers were summoned to the NASCAR hauler.

Brad Keselowski finished third, pole-sitter Kasey Kahne was fourth and Ryan Newman fifth.

Smith thought he had earned a NASCAR victory in 2008 at Talladega, when NASCAR ruled he dipped below the yellow line on the final lap. Tony Stewart was ruled the winner.

There'll be no such debate this time.

"I'm not supposed to win this race. I've never even had a top-five. I guess in this series, it just shows anyone can win," said Smith, whose previous best this season was a seventh at Daytona.

Edwards appeared to be cruising to his first Darlington victory with 10 laps remaining in what had been about 490 miles of relatively calm racing. Instead, things changed when Jeff Burton brought out the 10th and final caution, setting up a restart with five laps left and many of NASCAR's best not far from the lead.

Busch, Harvick and Bowyer wound up three-wide in a space where that doesn't work and Bowyer was sent sprawling into the interior wall. As cars spun out behind, Busch gathered his car, then veered down the track and sent Harvick spinning.

Smith bobbled slightly on the final lap, but regained control and took off for the victory. He was in tears in victory lane, winning for the first time in 105 Sprint Cup starts.

"We've had some ups and we've had some downs, this is an up," Smith said.

Smith's landmark win, though, will likely be overlooked with the dustup between Harvick and Busch, who have a history. Harvick admittedly wrecked Busch on purpose late in last season's finale at Homestead as retaliation for earlier contact.

"Just uncalled for. Just unacceptable racing," Busch said. "You know, it's in the last couple of laps but I gave him room off of two, I didn't get the room. Just real unfortunate. I hate we tore up a few good cars there."

Busch said the talk in NASCAR's hauler was not a big deal. "Good to hash it out now. Might as well," he said.

Harvick says he was racing hard "and doing what we had to do there at the end and things happen."

Was it over?

"You saw the end," Harvick said, smiling, as he walked off.

Edwards says all drivers have a passion for racing that can leave them frustrated at times. "This is racing," he said. "You're going to have stuff like that. I think all of us know that can happen and we should be prepared."

The spotlight figured to be on Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya, who tangled at Richmond International Raceway a week earlier -- a feud that continued into this week at Darlington.

But those two mostly stayed away from each other. Montoya did get into five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson early on. Montoya apologized for tagging Johnson. "I bet he's sorry," Johnson responded.

Before the end, the most frightening incident came when the nose of David Ragan's car peeled off the sheet metal on the left side of Brian Vicker's machine, leaving a long trail of debris.

Free agency is next for Cleveland Browns, whenever the NFL opens for business again: NFL Insider

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With the draft over, the Browns still have holes to fill. Here are some free agents who can help.

whitner.jpgBuffalo safety Donte Whitner is scheduled to be a restricted agent, but if the Bills let the Glenville grad hit the open market he would be a good fit with the Browns.

The Browns didn't expect to fill all their holes in this season's draft. But they did expect to fill more through free agency.

Now that the draft is over, free agency would be the next order of business when the NFL gives teams the green light. Everything depends on a ruling from the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is considering the NFL's argument to stay Judge Susan Richard Nelson's decision to lift the owners' lockout.

At some point, temporary rules will be set to resume business. These are expected to be similar to the 2010 rules -- no salary cap, unrestricted free agency for players with six or more NFL seasons, restricted free agency for players with three, four or five seasons.

Only about 220 players qualify for unrestricted free agency. Another 300 or so fall in the restricted group, but some of those may have been tendered offers by their clubs. The NFL does not intend to release the list of restricted free agents tendered until free agency starts.

We have confirmed the Browns have tendered contracts to cornerback Eric Wright and tight end Evan Moore. They also re-signed linebacker D'Qwell Jackson for one year and quarterback Seneca Wallace for three years. They won't comment on the status of other RFAs, such as fullback Lawrence Vickers.

The RFAs are attractive because they are younger and just hitting their prime. But without confirmation of the pool of RFAs, we can only speculate on potential restricted free agents such as Buffalo safety Donte Whitner.

The Bills say they might not bring him back; Whitner says he'd like to return to Buffalo. Whitner figures to be attractive to the Browns because of their need to replace unrestricted free agent Abe Elam and because Whitner played four years under Dick Jauron, the current Browns defensive coordinator, in Buffalo. Whitner, in fact, was the first draft pick made by Jauron as Bills head coach.

So when trying to match up Browns' needs with free agents, it's very speculative to consider restricted free agents until the official leaguewide list is revealed.

Let's take a look at the Browns' most apparent major needs and possible free agents at those positions.

DEFENSIVE END

On the Browns: Second-round draft choice Jabaal Sheard has to be penciled in as one starter. He's the only true 4-3 end on the roster. GM Tom Heckert said he wants to re-sign Jayme Mitchell, the mystery man acquired last year who did not get on the field for a single play. Another possibility is trying to convert linebacker Marcus Benard to a full-time end.

Unrestricted possibilities: Jason Babin, Tennessee; Dave Ball, Tennessee; Anthony Hargrove, New Orleans; Travis LaBoy, San Francisco.

Restricted possibilities: Jacob Ford, Tennessee; Mathias Kiwanuka, N.Y. Giants; Victor Abiamiri, Philadelphia; Cliff Avril, Detroit; Turk McBride, Detroit; Ray Edwards, Minnesota; Charles Johnson, Carolina; Tim Crowder, Tampa Bay; Stylez White, Tampa Bay.

Summary: Lots of intriguing players here, especially in the restricted group.

SAFETY

On the Browns: T.J. Ward is the in-the-box safety, the hammer, the enforcer. Mike Adams is a solid backup, capable of playing some nickel back, also. The need is for a free safety to replace Abe Elam. Seventh-round draft pick Eric Hagg is a long-shot contender.

Unrestricted: Brandon McGowan, New England; Sean Considine, Jacksonville; Aaron Francisco, Indianapolis; Ken Hamlin, Indianapolis; Jordan Babineaux, Seattle.

Restricted: Donte Whitner, Buffalo; Jarrad Page, New England; Chinedum Ndukwe, Cincinnati; Michael Huff, Oakland; Eric Weddle, San Diego; Atari Bigby, Green Bay; Charlie Peprah, Green Bay.

Summary: Whitner, a native Clevelander from Glenville and Ohio State, makes the most sense.

RUNNING BACK

On the Browns: There's nobody behind Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty. The team worked out two players prior to the draft but was unable to get one. The preference here is for a change-of-pace scatback with catching ability.

Unrestricted: Brian Westbrook, San Francisco; Julius Jones, Seattle; Darren Sproles, San Diego; Mewelde Moore, Pittsburgh; Jason Wright, Arizona;

Restricted: Patrick Cobbs, Miami; Jerome Harrison, Philadelphia; Brandon Jackson, Green Bay; Jerious Norwood, Atlanta.

Summary: Teams generally don't go the restricted route for role players. Westbrook would be a natural to rejoin Heckert, but several names here would qualify as good fits.

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