Austin Carr likely won't burst into tears again if the team wins the lottery. "I don't think it's paramount that we get the No. 1 pick," Carr says.

View full sizeNBA/AP photoThe Cavaliers could end up with the first and second picks in this summer's NBA draft (if they're extremely lucky when the ping-pong balls start flying) or the fifth and 11th (if they're not) when the lottery order is announced Tuesday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One of the lasting images from the night the Cavaliers won the draft lottery in 2003 was Austin Carr bursting into tears at the team's lottery party while co-hosting the fan party at Champp's in Valley View.

It typically doesn't take much to get Carr to cry, but that night, when the Cavs earned the chance to draft LeBron James and rescue the franchise from the depths to which it had fallen, his reaction was heartfelt and heartwarming.

"One of my only and biggest regrets about being in New Jersey at the actual lottery last time was seeing a video of the reaction at the lottery party event here with AC leaning over and crying on Mike Snyder's shoulder," said Tad Carper, the Cavs senior vice president of communications who was the vice president of marketing back in 2003. "It almost made me cry myself when I saw it."

But don't expect a similar reaction on Tuesday night, when the 2011 lottery is televised from NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus, N.J., starting at 8 p.m., and don't expect Carr to be wearing the same lucky socks or tie.

"I'm not really a superstitious person," he said, laughing. "I don't even remember what I did that day."

What he'll never forget was the feeling after the Cavs won the lottery.

"I knew how important it would be for us to get LeBron, and that place was so full of electricity that night it was just unbelievable," said Carr, who will join Fred McLeod and Campy Russell as hosts of Tuesday's lottery party at Cadillac Ranch in downtown Cleveland. "It was a very emotional night, and it got to me."

While Carr hopes the Cavs win the lottery again, he doesn't think the team is in the desperate straits it was in back in 2003, not with players such as Baron Davis, Anderson Varejao and Antawn Jamison returning.

"It's always nice to get the first pick," he said. "Then you get the pick of the litter. But I don't think it's paramount that we get the No. 1 pick. There's probably players out there, but none that stand out like LeBron. You probably won't get another LeBron for another 15 years.

"When you look how we ended the season, once we got Baron, he seemed to galvanize the team and we started playing more like a team. You put a healthy Anderson in there, and a healthy Jamison, and you're pretty competitive.

"The key is we have to get a point guard who can take over for Baron when he finishes, and I think we need scoring from the two position and the three. We've got to get that. When you look at what's out there, you don't see a lot of that. But if we can get 15 points apiece from the two and the three, now we've really become competitive."

Everybody's watching: Sunday's Game 1 of the Eastern finals between Chicago and Miami on TNT was rated as the most-viewed NBA basketball game in the history of cable television with 11.1 million viewers, breaking the previous record of 10,829,000 viewers for the 2003 NBA All-Star Game, Michael Jordan's last.

According to overnight ratings released by TNT, Cleveland had the fourth-highest local ratings for Game 1, trailing only Chicago, Miami and West Palm Beach. The ratings were 40 percent higher than for TNT's broadcast of Game 1 of the Western finals last season between the Lakers and Phoenix, and 30 percent higher than ABC's ratings for the Eastern finals last season between Boston and Orlando.

Brown update: An NBA source says Mike Brown has been approached by Houston and Golden State about their coaching vacancies, but has not interviewed. According to the source, Brown has not decided if he wants to return to coaching. He has been able to spend a lot of time with his wife, Carolyn, watching their sons, Elijah, who will be a junior on the St. Edward High School basketball team, and Cameron, who will be a freshman football player at the school.

NFL wins round in court fight with players as a Circuit Court of Appeals decides lockout should stay in place until full appeal is heard on whether it is legal, which means until at least the first week of June and possibly much longer.

Associated PressRalph Wilson Stadium, where the Buffalo Bills play, and all NFL facilities are off limits to players during the lockout.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- The NFL has won another round in the court fight with its players.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday decided that the league's lockout of players should stay in place until a full appeal is heard on whether it is legal, which means until at least the first week of June and possibly much longer.

The 2-1 decision mirrored the panel's earlier decision granting a temporary stay, including a lengthy dissent from the same judge.

The appellate court said it believed the NFL has proven it "likely will suffer some degree of irreparable harm without a stay." It also cast doubt on the conclusions of U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson, who ruled April 25 that the lockout should be lifted -- only to have the same 8th Circuit panel put her decision on hold four days later.

"In sum, we have serious doubts that the district court had jurisdiction to enjoin the league's lockout, and accordingly conclude that the league has made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on the merits," the majority wrote.

A June 3 hearing is scheduled to hear arguments on the legality of the lockout.

The decision came on the same day that NFL owners and their locked-out players resumed court-ordered mediation behind closed doors. It was the fifth day of talks in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, but the first since April 20.

Hall of Famer Carl Eller, representing retired players in their joint antitrust lawsuit against the league with the current players, said as he left the courthouse that his side was waiting on a proposal from the owners. He said he was prepared to return later Monday night if significant progress was made.

"It's been a long day, and we're still working on it," Eller said at the seven-hour mark of the fifth day of court-ordered mediation in Boylan's chambers.

A new collective bargaining agreement or guarantees of a full 2011 season seemed unlikely, however.

"We'd like to make progress, but it'll be hard to do. We have to wait to see what happens June 3," Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II said on his way into the federal courthouse here.

The 8th Circuit's decision had been anxiously anticipated and even though it kept the lockout in place -- in effect, leaving situation between the NFL and its players unchanged -- it is a potential signal of how the two sides will fare once the full appeal is heard.

Judges Steven Colloton and Duane Benton sided with the NFL while Judge Kermit Bye again dissented in favor of the players.

"The district court reasoned that this case does not involve or grow out of a labor dispute because the players no longer are represented by a union," the majority wrote. "We have considerable doubt about this interpretation ... [the Norris-La Guardia Act] does not specify that the employees must be members of a union for the case to involve or grow out of a labor dispute."

In February of 1958, wrestling fans witnessed a moment in Ohio sports history that has since been forgotten and misreported.

View full sizeJohn Adams High yearbookLudie Graddy owns a little-known piece of Ohio sporting history. He became the first black wrestler to win a state championship, at 145 pounds, in 1958.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A standing room-only crowd of more than 2,400 packed into Lakewood High's gym on a cool February night in 1958, the final year the state tournament was held there. They saw an extraordinary show as 10 of the 11 weight classes were won by Cleveland area wrestlers, and Euclid beat Maple Heights for the team championship.

Whether fans were aware of it at the time or not, they also witnessed a moment in Ohio sports history that has been forgotten and misreported. A powerful and quick 145-pound senior from John Adams named Ludie Graddy beat Euclid's Bill Murphy, 4-3, in the championship match. Graddy is believed to be Ohio's first black state wrestling champ, which in a sport that embraces a rich history, has been largely overlooked.

"I remember the match. It was a good match, people were on their feet," recalled retired Avon schools superintendent John Bianchi, who was a sophomore wrestler at John Marshall in 1958. "Murphy was making a move toward the edge of the mat late in the match and Ludie grabbed him by his ankle, his left ankle, and pulled him back on the mat to keep him from escaping."

Upon winning, Graddy leaped into the arms of coach Harold Marshall.

"He was really happy," said Graddy's teammate, Tom Kilroy, who also was a 1958 state champ.

No records verify the fact, but wrestling historian Brian Brakeman, and numerous former coaches and wrestlers from the 1940s and 1950s, believe Graddy became the first black state champ at the 21st state tournament. Bridgeport's Bobby Douglas, who went on to a USA Hall of Fame career, incorrectly claims he was the first in his new biography, "Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend." Douglas won his titles in 1959 and 1961.

Newspaper accounts did not mention anything about Graddy's race, but it apparently was common knowledge at the time he had achieved something special. "He was a legend in wrestling circles," said Bianchi, who coached at John Adams in the 1960s.

Graddy, who died in 2004, always proudly referred to himself as Ohio's first black champ, though his widow, Lucy Graddy, and his daughter, Donna Butler, said he rarely spoke of his athletic success. He loved to fish and suffered a fatal heart attack upon returning from a Lake Erie excursion at age 64.

"He was very modest and laid back, and nothing bothered him for the most part," Lucy Graddy said.

Graddy also had an inner toughness every state champ possesses. After high school, he began a 23-year Air Force career and rose to the rank of master sergeant, working in defense intelligence. He was a Judo black belt sensei, or master. Upon retiring, Graddy returned to his old neighborhood near East 138th Street and Kinsman Road, and friends say he worked hard to keep drug dealers at bay.

Graddy wrestled in an era when black wrestlers were rare. That's no longer true, and three of arguably the greatest wrestlers in state history are black -- Douglas, world champion Lee Kemp of Chardon and two-time world bronze medalist Harry Lester of Akron.

Douglas and Kemp are in the Ohio Wrestling Hall of Fame, and Lester will be one day. Next March, Ohio will conduct its 75th state tournament, and there no doubt will be special attention paid to the event's history. It will be an appropriate moment to recognize Graddy, who played a small, but significant, role in building the sport.

Former Ohio State Eddie George became the 29th Buckeye chosen for the College Football Hall of Fame.

View full sizeAP photoEddie George rewrote much of the Ohio State record book during his brilliant collegiate career, which was capped with the 1995 Heisman Trophy.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The College Football Hall of Fame continues to work its way through the annals of Ohio State football and it has now reached the '90s. Running back Eddie George, the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner, will be the 29th Buckeye to join the hall as a member of the 2011 class.

The rest of the class, which will reportedly include former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr, will officially be unveiled Wednesday, but George was announced ahead of time to drum up interest. He'll be the 23rd OSU player in the hall, joining six OSU coaches, including George's own coach, John Cooper, who was inducted in 2008.

But George is the first player from the Cooper era. Before George, the most recent OSU player inducted was linebacker Chris Spielman, who finished his playing career in 1987 and went into the Hall last year.

Now five of Ohio State's six Heisman winners will be enshrined, with George joining Les Horvath (inducted in 1969), Vic Janowicz (1976), Hop Cassady (1979) and Archie Griffin (1986). Only 2006 winner Troy Smith hasn't yet been inducted.

George's qualifications are unquestioned. He ran for an OSU-record 1,927 yards in 1995 while winning the Heisman, and he finished his career as the second-leading rusher in school history, with 3,768 yards. He also holds the school record for rushing yards in a game with 314 against Illinois 1995. He received his degree at Ohio State in 2001.

To be eligible, players must be 10 years removed from their college careers and must have been named first-team All-Americans. The hall is located in South Bend, Ind., though the new members will be inducted at a December banquet in New York and then officially enshrined in the summer of 2012.

Rings received, pants on hold: The 2010 version of the gold pants typically awarded to Ohio State players and staff for beating Michigan are currently on hold, according to the Columbus Dispatch, as the Gold Pants Club waits to see if the 2010 win will be vacated as part of NCAA sanctions.

That could be required if the NCAA finds that Jim Tressel played ineligible players while not reporting their potential violations to his bosses.

That also means that the Buckeyes' record-tying sixth straight Big Ten title could be officially wiped out. But the players recently received their Big Ten rings for 2010.

The Indians 17 runs through five innings are they most they've scored since beating the Yankees, 22-4, on April 19, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Indians lead the Royals, 17-1, Monday night after five innings at Kauffman Stadium. It's the most runs they've scored since beating the Yankees, 22-4, on April 18, 2009.

Ten of the runs came in the fourth inning. It matched the Indians biggest inning of the season.

Asdrubal Cabrera started the scoring with a bloop single off Vin Mazzaro, who was scheduled to start Tuesday's game. Manager Ned Yost had to scramble his pitching plans after starter Kyle Davies left with one out in the first inning with a sore right shoulder.

Nine of the Indians runs in the fourth came with two out. Travis Hafner started the two-out onslaught with a three-run double to left center that center fielder Melky Cabrera got a bad read on. Orlando Cabrera doubled home Hafner and Travis Buck followed with an infield single. Matt LaPorta, with his second hit of the inning, doubled them home. LaPorta went to third on Jack Hannahan's single and they jogged home on Michael Brantley's three-run homer to right.

The homer gave Brantley a career high four RBI.

The Indians kept the runs coming with a three-run fifth. Carlos Santana, who walked in his first three plate appearances, started the inning with a double. He scored on Buck's third straight single to send Mazzaro to the showers to soak his head and arm. LaPorta followed with his second straight two-run double, this time against Jeremy Jeffress. It was LaPorta's third straight hit and matched his career high with four RBI.

Mazzaro allowed a franchise record 14 runs on 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings. He threw 77 pitches, including 43 strikes. No other Royals pitcher has ever allowed more than 11 runs in an outing.

The Indians led, 3-0, after two innings. They took a 2-0 lead on Orlando Cabrera's bloop single after Nate Adcock relieved Davies with the bases loaded. Davies was taken for an MRI when he left the game.

Brantley made it 3-0 with a single in the second.

Josh Tomlin held the Royals to one run on four hits through five.

"I think it's terrific," Shurmur said of players-led workouts as the lockout drags on.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain Dealer"I think they have a feel for some of the concepts that we're going to run," Browns head coach Pat Shurmur said of his players working out during the NFL lockout, "and they've been given some information so that they can decipher what we're looking to teach when they get here."

AKRON, Ohio -- It was all Pat Shurmur could do last week to not hop in the car and drive three minutes down the road to Baldwin-Wallace College and take a peek at his players installing the new West Coast offense.

"[We were] tempted, but we made a decision we're going to follow the rules, so it was not something that we wanted to jeopardize getting ourselves in trouble," Shurmur said Monday night at the Akron Browns Backers Banquet at Tangier Restaurant.

Still, it warmed Shurmur's heart that his players were sweating it out in Berea instead of on a beach in the Bahamas. It was the second installment of the Colt McCoy-led "Camp Colt," the first one coming last month at the University of Texas.

"I think it's terrific," Shurmur said. "Some of our players have obviously taken leadership roles in making sure the guys get together, some of our key players, and I think that's a good thing."

He said he wasn't having visions of Achilles popping and anterior cruciate ligaments tearing during the three-day session.

"They work out a lot of times by themselves, so injury isn't a big concern," said Shurmur. "They know how to take care of themselves. They're all professionals. I think the type of workouts that they're doing will be a way for them to get in shape and not get injured."

Shurmur said he's been particularly impressed with the way his young quarterback has taken the leadership role. McCoy has a playbook -- for which the Browns have been fined $50,000 but are appealing -- and has been teaching the offense's fundamentals.

"We know what we read, because we haven't been able to communicate," said Shurmur. "From what I've seen, he's really done a good job of trying to get the players together, work out and really do as much as we can do until we get them back into Berea."

Shurmur said he thinks the sessions can go a long way toward laying the foundation.

"I think they have a feel for some of the concepts that we're going to run, and they've been given some information so that they can decipher what we're looking to teach when they get here," he said.

If nothing else, he said, the field drills should help McCoy develop timing with his receivers. The players also are watching plenty of film, including some of Shurmur's Rams offense last season.

"When you talk about a quarterback working with receivers, it's about timing and execution," said Shurmur. "So it's all about getting used to one another, the depth that the routes are being run, the timing that the quarterback is throwing it with. All those things are very important, and they can do some of that stuff on their own."

Shurmur said he was happy to see rookie tight end Jordan Cameron attend the Berea workouts. Next time, the players hope to have receiver Greg Little and fullback Owen Marecic on hand.

"I think that's great," said Shurmur. "That tells me that Colt and some of the other guys have reached out to our new draft picks, who they really don't know yet. So I think that's a good thing."

Shurmur said he's confident the Browns will be able to catch up when the NFL is back in business, despite the two new systems being installed and the new staff. He added the Browns will "aggressively pursue" some possible free agents they've targeted as soon as they're able.

"Maybe it's my young enthusiasm, but I really feel good about what we're going to teach, and I really feel great about the guys we have and the coaches that are going to teach it," said Shurmur. "From what I've learned about the players that were on this team, there's a lot of guys willing to learn that are going to pick it up fast. Every team, even if you're an established team, somewhat recreates itself each year. There's going to be learning for everybody."

On his drive down to Akron on Monday night, Shurmur heard the news that the 8th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the NFL's lockout remains in place -- at least until a June 3 hearing.

"We'll just deal with it, and I think when we're up and running, we'll get it done," he said.

Kluber gets his first win. Kinston loses, 11-0, but pitcher Adam Miller continues his encouraging comeback with two brilliant innings. Akron and Lake County were idle.

Associated PressThe Clippers' Corey Kluber, who struck out more than one batter per inning in 2010, had struggled this season before Monday night's fine outing.

MINOR LEAGUE REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 5, Indians 2 RH starter and winner Corey Kluber (1-3, 6.94) stopped a four-game losing streak for Columbus (26-12), allowing two runs on four hits in seven innings of the International League game in Indianapolis. CF Ezequiel Carrera (.316) slugged a two-run home run to put the Clippers ahead, 3-1, in the fifth inning. 2B Cord Phelps (.298) had two RBI singles and SS Luis Valbuena (.268) scored three runs, doubled in one, singled and walked. RH relievers Carlton Smith and Josh Judy each pitched a scoreless inning, with Judy earning his sixth save.

Notes: Kluber, 25, was acquired from the San Diego Padres organization in a three-way trade last July 31, with the Indians sending veteran starting pitcher Jake Westbrook to the St. Louis Cardinals. Kluber, a fourth-round pick by San Diego in the 2007 draft, was a combined 9-9 last season with a 3.49 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 160 innings, pitching 22 games at AA San Antonio, five at AA Akron and two at Columbus....Carrera’s 31 runs led the International League going into Monday night’s other IL games, and his 15 stolen bases (in 17 tries) were tied for the league lead....OF Jerad Head was 0-for-3, dropping his batting average to .354, one point behind Gwinnett Braves’ 1B Mauro Gomez for the league lead....Valbuena’s 2-for-3 game snapped a 3-for-25 slump.

AA Akron Aeros

The Aeros were idle Monday

Notes: Akron hosts the Altoona (Pa.) Curve at Canal Park on Tuesday at 7:05 in the first of a three-game series....LH starter Kelvin De La Cruz is 2-3, but going into Monday night’s Eastern League games, he was fifth in the league with a 2.32 ERA and third with 42 strikeouts. De La Cruz has held opponents to a .171 batting average, but he has walked 23 in 31 innings....RH starter Austin Adams (4-2) has a 2.36 ERA, sixth in the league going into Monday night’s games, and 35 strikeouts, which was eighth....LF Tim Fedroff (.333) has hit in nine straight games, going 16-for-37 (.432) with three doubles and eight RBI. Fedroff was sixth in the league in batting average going into Monday night....OF Jordan Henry (.300) is 18-for-50 (.360) with 16 runs, nine walks and 8-of-9 in stolen base tries in his last 12 games....1B Matt McBride (.254) is 15-for-43 (.349) with five homers, three doubles, nine RBI and nine runs in his last 11 games.

AA Kinston Indians

Hillcats 11, Indians 0 Lynchburg (Va.) RH Zeke Spruill (2-4, 2.88) pitched a complete game three-hitter, with five strikeouts and no walks, in the Carolina League game at Kinston, N.C. Indians’ RH starter Brett Brach (3-3, 3.62) took the loss, allowing eight runs in 4 2/3 innings. Kinston RH Adam Miller, a 2003 Cleveland first-round draft pick who, until April 30, hadn’t pitched for nearly three years because of career-threatening finger injuries, continued his sterling relief pitching with two perfect innings — besides a teammate’s error — and three strikeouts.

Notes: Miller has pitched six scoreless innings in his last four games, allowing two hits while fanning nine and walking two. Miller, considered one of baseball’s premier pitching prospects before his finger injuries, allowed four runs (three earned) in one inning in his April 30 game, his lone appearance prior to his last four outings. He struck out the side in his second inning Monday night....Brach’s ERA was 1.63 going into the game, and 1.34 if including a scoreless six-inning, winning start for Lake County to begin his season....Kinston has lost seven of its last eight games, totaling six runs in the losses.

A Lake County Captains

The Captains were idle Monday

Notes: Lake County hosts the Fort Wayne (Ind.) TinCats at Classic Park in Eastlake on Tuesday at 7:00 in the first of a three-game series....LH Mike Rayl is 4-0 with a 2.29 ERA in seven starts, holding opponents to a .181 batting average and striking out 39 while walking nine in 35 1/3 innings....[mpe: don’t use any of the following, which were all in Monday paper:  ]OF Anthony Gallas is second in the Midwest League with a .356 batting average. He trails only former teammate Tyler Cannon, who was hitting .366 for the Captains before being promoted to Kinston last week. Gallas is tied for the league lead with 16 doubles. He has four homers....RH reliever Nikolas Sarianides (2-1, one save, 2.50) has struck out 17 and walked two, allowing 13 hits, in 18 innings....RH reliever Clayton Ehlert (0-1, eight saves, 2.03) has fanned 13, walked one and given up 10 hits in 13 1/3 innings. 

Keels says Ohio State personnel and fans are "just shocked and surprised by this whole ordeal."

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerProblems surrounding the Ohio State program and coach Jim Tressel remain one of college football's top stories.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One of the constants over the years for Ohio State football and basketball has been radio play-by-play announcer Paul Keels.

Keels was in North Carolina over the weekend for a sportscasters convention. He was asked, of course, about the NCAA investigation into OSU football players trading or selling memorabilia, and coach Jim Tressel's failure to inform Ohio State or the NCAA of what he knew about the violations.

The Salisbury (N.C.) Post writes about Keels and Ohio State:

“I think that everyone in the community, be it school officials, athletic officials and just your everyday casual fan are just shocked and surprised by this whole ordeal,” Keels said. “Coach Tressell is so beloved and respected in Ohio and now this situation has caused some rather skewed views of him.”

Anytime there is an NCAA investigation into any program, there comes with it a ton of angst and uncertainty about how hard the school will be penalized. Columbus is perhaps feeling more of that than any sports community in the country right now.

“Everybody just wants this to be over with so that they can turn their attention to the 2011 football season,” Keels said. “Right now, with Tressell and the players being suspended for the first five games, no one really knows what to expect.

“Prior to this all coming out about the players and coach, last year ended on a high note and everyone was happy we finally beat an SEC team in a bowl game. We’re going to be highly ranked coming into this season, but now our first game after the suspensions is at Nebraska. With rust and uncertain mindsets of the guys, people are worried for sure.”

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes beat writer Doug Lesmerises' report on former Buckeyes' tailback Eddie George becoming a College Football Hall of Famer, and Bill Livingston's column about Ohio State's defense of Tressel.

Buckeyes banter

Brian McLaughlin of SportingNews.com writes about Lakewood St. Edward High School offensive lineman Kyle Kalis, who has committed to Ohio State and whose dad, Todd Kalis, is a former NFL player.

A mock case sheds light on what Ohio State might face when encountering the NCAA about the football rules violations. By Bill Rabinowitz of the Columbus Dispatch.

Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch writes about Eddie George making the Hall of Fame.

ESPN.com's Big Ten Blog, with Ohio State references, by Adam Rittenberg.

Here is Tuesday's essay by Michael Heinbach of Missoula, Mont.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerBob Feller enjoyed the cheers of the multitude when he made appearances for the Indians, but the Hall of Famer had time for the personal moment, too.

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 of you responded. All season, The Plain Dealer will publish fan memories -- one each day the Indians are scheduled to play. Here is Tuesday's essay by Michael Heinbach of Missoula, Mont.:

In March of 1992, as a surprise gift for my upcoming graduation from high school, my father took the Heinbach men -- himself, me and my Uncle Stu -- to Tucson, Ariz., for a few days to see the Indians in spring training while I was on spring break.

One afternoon, the three of us arrived early to the Indians' complex to take in batting practice and so that I could gather as many autographs as possible.

That day, I stood against the fence down the left-field foul line about halfway between third base and the outfield wall. When batting practice ended, I glanced toward the outfield and there was Bob Feller, dressed cap to cleats in an Indians uniform, wearing that familiar No. 19 on his back, tossing a ball against the wall and catching it as rolled back to him.

When he was finished, Feller walked back toward the infield down the third-base line. He caught my eye -- or I caught his -- and he turned to me with a grin.

"Hey there young man," he said to me as my heart danced inside my chest. "Do you know how to use that big 'ol catcher's mitt?"

"Yes sir, Mr. Feller," I replied in an awkward tone usually reserved for a pubescent 13-year-old.

Feller showed me the baseball he'd been playing with and smiled as he told me, "Son, if you drop this, you're going to have to give it back."

With that, he lazily reared back and sent a laser at me that popped loudly in my mitt and stung my palm.

Again, Feller grinned as he approached me, signed the ball and posed for a photo with me with his hand around my back. My parents keep an autographed copy of the photo hanging in a hallway in the house I grew up in.

When Feller passed recently, I my thoughts immediately turned to that day, my most unforgettable at an Indians game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to cash in during tonight's NBA Draft Lottery.

Chuck Liddy / Raleigh News & ObserverDuke guad Kyrie Irving.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have already made history by becoming one of 11 teams to have two lottery picks in the same draft, but the Cavaliers hope tonight's lottery will also lead to a better future.

News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes about the previous two times the team had two picks in the lottery.

In 1986, they had perhaps the best overall draft in team history. That year, they selected Brad Daugherty at No. 1, Ron Harper at 8 and Johnny Newman at 29. They also traded with the Mavericks for Mark Price at 25.

The other time the Cavaliers had two lottery picks was in 1999, when they selected Andre Miller at 8 and Trajan Langdon at 11.

This draft doesn't have the star power as in the past. So don't expect any tears from Austin Carr tonight, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer on Cleveland.com, because this draft doesn't have that (dare I say) a LeBron James type of player that can change a franchise.

The NBA reveals the results of its draft lottery at 8:30 p.m. in Secaucus, N.J. and Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour also can't get excited.

I can't get excited over Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, maybe it's because Irving played only 11 college games, missing two-thirds of last season with a big toe injury.

Maybe it's the relatively minor impact of Duke players in the NBA — Grant Hill, Elton Brand and Carlos Boozer notwithstanding — and the failure of the Cavs' Trajan Langdon. (Maybe I'll feel differently if the Chicago Bulls' Luol Deng shuts down the Miami Heat's James in the Eastern Conference finals.)

Maybe the departure of James and the Cavs' 19-63 season sucked me into a black hole of ambivalence about the team's immediate future, with or without Irving.

 

All golfers have a favorite club. What's yours?

View full sizeAP FileAll golfers have a favorite club ... and all golfers have, at some point, wanted to do to it what John Daly is pretending to do in this 2004 photo.

Cleveland, Ohio -- As much rain as we've had on the North Coast, Cleveland-area golfers might need a rowboat instead of a cart, and add an oar as the 15th club in their bag.

But since the USGA frowns on that sort of thing, we thought we'd find out just what your favorite club is.

Now it's well documented that the putter is the scoring club (we always laugh at how a two-foot putt counts the same as a 310-yard drive -- as if we'd know what one of THOSE looked like were it not for television). And most of us just love to haul out the Big Dog to see if we can reach such epic lengths.

Most of us can't. However, every golfer DOES have a club that just feels right in your hand, one you KNOW you can hit. If I might get personal for a minute, for me it's a 22-degree hybrid my brother gave me because he couldn't even hit a basketball with it. And honestly, the first few times I swung the thing, I was more likely to skull it or it it fat than catch it cleanly. Now, though, I find myself looking for reasons to use it.

So curiosity reigns in the rain: What's YOUR favorite club?

It's NBA Draft Lottery night. Join our live blog to talk about the outcome and more.

View full sizeMarvin Fong | The Plain DealerChris Grant finds out tonight where the Cavaliers' two lottery picks will be.

The future begins tonight for the Cavaliers.

Scouts say lottery is weak.

The 2011 NBA Draft Lottery starts at 8:30 tonight, and with the exception of fans in Cleveland, Minnesota, Washington and Sacramento, (teams with the best chance at the top two picks), there isn't much to get excited about when it comes to this draft.

Once Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams are selected, the rest of the draft doesn't bring much excitment.

Yahoo.com reporter Marc Spears writes how one Western Conference general manager isn't impressed with this class.

“It’s horrendous,” he said. “Every year we always talk about how bad the draft is. This year we really mean it.”

Toronto president Bryan Colangelo considers Duke freshman point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona sophomore forward Derrick Williams the top prospects available, but said the rest of the draft holds a lot of “murkiness.” Another NBA GM thinks Turkish center Enes Kanter and Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas could also merit consideration with the No. 1 pick.

The draft is so bad that the lack of projected talent made the New Orleans Hornets comfortable trading their first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for reserve guard Jerryd Bayless on Oct. 23, writes Spears. And less than a month later, the Hornets sent Bayless to Toronto in a five-player trade.

Another reason why the draft isn't strong because several top prospects remained in school for fear of the NBA entering a lockout this summer.

1985 Lottery

The Mavericks and Thunder are set for Game 1 tonight.

APCleveland Cavaliers power forward J.J. Hickson (21) and Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler (6) jump for the ball.

Oklahoma Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks will begin Game 1 in the Western Conference finals tonight.

One of the many story lines resolves around Mavs big man Tyson Chandler and the possibility that he could have been in a Thunder uniform instead.

On ESPNDallas.com:

The Oklahoma City Thunder had the big man for one day in February 2009, only to decide they didn't want Chandler. Tyson Chandler came close to playing with the Thunder, but instead he's going against them in the West finals.

Was that a mistake by the Thunder? They will certainly find out tonight.

Not that Chandler needs any extra incentive with an NBA Finals berth at stake, but he doesn't deny that playing the Thunder tends to bring out the best in him. He put up 12.7 points and 15.3 rebounds per game against Oklahoma City this season, numbers boosted significantly from his season averages of 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds.

Dirk or Durant?

Darnell Mayberry, reporter for NewsOK.com, asks who is better between Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Durant.

Nowitzki is in the midst of one of his finest postseasons yet. He's averaging 26.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He's shooting 49.7 percent from the field, 60 percent from beyond the 3-point line and right at 90 percent from the free throw line. 

Durant, meanwhile, goes into his first-ever West final with a head of steam and a stable of confidence. He's averaging 28.9 points this postseason, along with 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one blocked shot per night. He's shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 38 percent from downtown and 82.2 percent at the stripe.

 

Bulls not satisfied

The Chicago Bulls had an impressive victory over the Miami Heat in Game 1 but the Bulls are not satisfied.

K.C. Johnson writes on ChicagoTribune.com:

"There's a lot we have to clean up," Ronnie Brewer chimed in.

"One game at a time," Kyle Korver said.

Deng steps up

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Rick Morrissey writes how everyone who doubted Luol Deng should apologize.

He reminds those who called for Deng to get traded earlier this season.

You went from being extremely upset with Deng in past seasons to being awfully quiet as he played well early this season to being wildly happy with him Sunday night in the Bulls’ 103-82 blowout of the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Through all your animosity, Deng wouldn’t budge, especially not on defense. He played hard, all the time, usually to the everlasting annoyance of the other team’s best player. 

 

Wade and James

Wade and LeBron James have to play better, writes Sun Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde.

They should be. In none of the previous 91 games this year were both James and Wade held under 20 points by any defense (and that's including the nine games one or the other missed).

Neither scored 20 points Sunday.

And here's another curious stat.

In none of his previous 36 playoff games covering four years did James have fewer than five foul shots.

He took four Sunday.

For more Cinesport video on cleveland.com, go here.

ohio state buckeyes, college basketball, jim tressel

Marvin Fong/The Plain DealerCoach Jim Tressel

It is understandable that Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has supporters throughout Ohio. But Tressel even has support in Nebraska. Former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne supports Tressel.

ESPN.com reports how Osborne, speaking Monday at the Big Ten spring meetings, voiced his support for Tressel.

"I don't really know enough about [Ohio State's situation]," Osborne said. "I do know Jim Tressel, and I believe that Jim's an honorable person. There will be those who will criticize me for saying that, but I think I know Jim's character. What happened, I don't know a lot about the details. I certainly hope for his sake that things turn out OK, and for Ohio State."

Tressel is currently on a self-imposed five-game suspension. When the suspension ends, Tressel will return to face Nebraska on the road.

But those five games could be longer if the NCAA's Committee on Infractions adds more penalties.

Up close

Paul Keels, Ohio State sportscaster and Ohio sportscaster of the year, says in this interview with the SalisburyPost.com how the issues with the football team have surprised fans.

“I think that everyone in the community, be it school officials, athletic officials and just your everyday casual fan are just shocked and surprised by this whole ordeal,” Keels said. “Coach Tressell is so beloved and respected in Ohio and now this situation has caused some rather skewed views of him.”

 

More Buckeyes

On Cleveland.com, Doug Lesmerises writes about the College Football Hall of Fame selecting Eddie George to its 2011 Class . . . Columnist Bill Livingston writes how defending Jim Tressel comes at a cost . . . Two Buckeyes have been invited to the NBA's predraft camp.

"While many chastised the Tribe front office over the past couple years and praised the genius of the Twins front office, we are now seeing what happens to any mid or small market organization that signs its big name players (Grady, Pronk, Westbrook for the Tribe; Mauer and Morneau for the Twins) and then has them go down to injury. Unlike New York or Boston, it is not possible to spend their way out of bad luck." - sadsamjones

View full sizeAP Photo | Tom OlmscheidThe Twins signed Joe Mauer to a longterm deal and now are dealing with him missing time.

In response to the story Oh, what a beating: Cleveland Indians pound out 20 hits in 19-1 rout of Kansas City, cleveland.com reader sadsamjones thinks the current Twins and Indians teams the past few seasons set an example for small-market teams. This reader writes,

"While many chastised the Tribe front office over the past couple years and praised the genius of the Twins front office, we are now seeing what happens to any mid or small market organization that signs its big name players (Grady, Pronk, Westbrook for the Tribe; Mauer and Morneau for the Twins) and then has them go down to injury. Unlike New York or Boston, it is not possible to spend their way out of bad luck."

Northeast Ohio golf courses make the Cleveland golf scene one of the most affordable and diverse around, says PD golf reporter. Watch video

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright, who are back together after a league-imposed lockout.

The rain in Northeast Ohio will end someday, promise. When it does, be sure to hit cleveland.com's golf page, where you can find everything you need to know about where to play this summer in Northeast Ohio, including our exclusive guide to Cleveland-area golf courses.

Today's guest is Plain Dealer golf reporter Tim Rogers, who has a story online about some of the best deals you will find at Northeast Ohio golf courses this summer. Also, TR answers today's Starting Blocks poll question: What is your favorite golf club. Cast your vote now.

TR talks about three courses people in Cuyahoga County should play if they are willing to make a short drive out of the county; as well as three courses in Cuyahoga County that are fun and affordable.

Don't forget to enter our Summer Solstice Golf Challenge contest, where you can win a chance to play free golf from sunrise to sundown on the longest day of the year with Tim Rogers and Chuck, as well as The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw and golf editor Kristen Davis.

SBTV will return Wednesday with Plain Dealer Cavs reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer checking in from New Jersey, where she will attend tonight's NBA Draft Lottery.

Indians lay a whuppin' on Royals, but fail to convert on two extra points.

Fortunately for the Indians, the two extra points they missed didn't come back to haunt 'em Monday night against Kansas City.

The Indians put together 20 hits while pitcher Josh Tomlin raised his record to 5-1 while allowing only five hits. The Tribe bullpen -- Chad Durbin, Justin Germano and Vinnie Pestano -- didn't allow a hit. It almost made you feel sorry for the Royals.

View full sizeAssociated PressTribe pitcher Josh Tomlin throws out the Royals' Eric Hosmer on a grounder to the mound in the second inning of the Indians 19-1 win Monday night.

Almost. As a wise person once said, "There's no crying in baseball!"

The Indians are making believers out of a lot of people, and we suspect that might include the writers at the Kansas City Star. Here's a bit of the Star's take on last night's debacle (at least for them):

On-field fiascos don’t come much bigger than the 19-1 battering the Royals absorbed later in the day from the Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium.

No, really, they don’t.

Not in the Royals’ 43-year history, anyway. The 18-run margin of defeat matched a franchise record. It happened on two previous occasions: 21-3 to Oakland on June 18, 2000, and 19-1 to Minnesota on July 26, 2010. Both of those were also at home.

“This is just one of those games where you’ve got to get over it,” infielder Mike Aviles said, “and I’m already over it. You can’t dwell on this.”

Slugger hit 573 home runs during his 22-year career, the 11th-most in major league history.

Associated Press fileHarmon Killebrew with the Minnesota Twins in 1965.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Harmon Killebrew, the Minnesota Twins slugger known for his tape-measure home runs, has died at his home in Scottsdale, Ariz., after battling esophageal cancer. He was 74.

The team said Killebrew died peacefully this morning with his wife, Nita, and their family at his side.

He had announced in December that he had been diagnosed with cancer. Last week, Killebrew announced that doctors had deemed his cancer incurable and he would no longer fight the "awful disease."

Killebrew hit 573 home runs during his 22-year career, 11th-most in major league history. His eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history to Babe Ruth.

"No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins territory than Harmon Killebrew," Twins president Dave St. Peter said. He said Killebrew's legacy "will be the class, dignity and humility he demonstrated each and every day as a Hall of Fame-quality husband, father, friend, teammate and man. The Twins extend heartfelt sympathies and prayers to the Killebrew family at this difficult time."

Killebrew broke in with the Washington Senators in 1954 as an 18-year-old. He spent most of his first five seasons in the minors, then hit 42 homers in his first full season in 1959.

The Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961, and Killebrew hit 190 homers in his first four seasons there, including 49 in 1964.

The 11-time All-Star was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1969 after hitting 49 home runs with 140 RBIs and 145 walks, all team records that stand to this day.

"I found out early in life that I could hit a baseball farther than most players and that's what I tried to do," Killebrew said.

Behind their soft-spoken slugger nicknamed "The Killer," the Twins reached the World Series for the first time in 1965 and back-to-back AL Championship Series in 1969 and 1970.

Former Twins owner Calvin Griffith used to call Killebrew the backbone of the franchise. "He kept us in business," Griffith said.

The man whose silhouette inspired Major League Baseball's official logo was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984, the first Twin to be enshrined. Killebrew's No. 3 jersey was retired in 1975. Killebrew's easygoing demeanor contrasted starkly with his nickname and standing as one of baseball's most feared hitters.

"I didn't have evil intentions," Killebrew said on his website. "But I guess I did have power."

Harmon Clayton Killebrew was born June 29, 1936, in the Idaho farm town of Payette. He was an all-state quarterback in high school, but it was his power with a baseball bat in his hands that got Killebrew noticed by Washington Senators scout Ossie Bluege.

On Killebrew's website, Bluege recounts the story of how he signed the 17-year-old to a $30,000 contract in 1953.

"I waited for the rain to stop in Payette, Idaho and then he hit one a mile over the left field fence," Bluege said. "I stepped it off the next morning and measured it at 435 feet. That convinced me."

Killebrew didn't just hit balls over the fence, he turned at-bats into longest-drive contests. He never worried much about his short game, preferring instead to swing for the fences, and wound up with a career .256 average.

"I didn't think much about batting average when I was playing," Killebrew said.

On June 3, 1967, Killebrew belted the longest home run in Met Stadium history, a shot that reached the second deck of the bleachers in the old park, some 500 feet from home plate.

"He hit line drives that put the opposition in jeopardy," Bluege once said. "And I don't mean the infielders. I mean the outfielders."

Killebrew finished his career with one season in Kansas City in 1975.

Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, said Killebrew personified Hall of Fame excellence and was simply one of the greatest hitters of all time.

"Since joining the Hall of Fame family in 1984, Harmon was a beacon of light among his fellow Hall of Famers, always smiling, always enjoying every moment that life delivered to his doorstep," she said. "We have so many fond memories of this wonderful baseball hero, and we will miss him enormously."

Killebrew and Nita had nine children.

In retirement, he became a successful businessman in insurance, financial planning and car sales. He also traveled the country with baseball memorabilia shows and returned to the Twin Cities regularly, delighting in conversations with fans and reunions with teammates.

"I never thought anything would compare to being elected into the Hall of Fame, but being able to interact with fans once my playing days were over has been just as gratifying," Killebrew said.

Who do the Cavs have their eyes on if they don't get the No. 1 pick? Will Alex White remain in the rotation, even when Mitch Talbot is healthy? Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeChuck Liddy | Raleigh News & ObserverKyrie Irving is considered by many to be the top prospect in this year's NBA Draft.

Who do the Cavs have their eyes on if they don't get the No. 1 pick? Will Alex White remain in the rotation, even when Mitch Talbot is healthy? 

Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Among other topics discussed:

• How do the Cavaliers feel about Derrick Williams if they can't get Kyrie Irving?

• Would a hard salary cap in the NBA actually hurt Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers?

• Will Grady Sizemore ever be anywhere near the player he was before all the injuries?

• Just how good has Michael Brantley been for the Indians and how much better can he become?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Be sure to also like Terry Pluto on Facebook.