The White Sox have Fausto Carmona's number ... and it's 20.25.

View full sizeAssociated PressFausto Carmona was huffing and puffing, but it was the White Sox who were doing the blowing away in the second inning of last night's Chicago win over Cleveland. The Sox scored four runs in the inning en route to beating the Indians, 8-2.

Carmona (3-4) allowed eight runs on seven hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Carmona, in two starts against Chicago this season, has allowed 18 earned runs on 18 hits in eight innings. He has a 20.25 ERA against the White Sox and a 2.56 ERA (16 earned runs in 561/3 innings) against everyone else.

Fishermen need a game plan when they launch a boat at LaDue Reservoir.

D'ARCY EGAN/THE PLAIN DEALERMatt Byers (left) and Ken Begue get fishing gear ready for an early-morning start of the KSU LaDO Bass Series tournament at LaDue Reservoir on Saturday. Only electric boat motors are allowed on the sprawling 1,500-acre reservoir, limiting how fast and how far tournament anglers can travel on the popular Geauga County lake.

 AUBURN CORNERS - Fishermen need a game plan when they launch a boat at LaDue Reservoir.

 "When you're limited to powering your boat with batteries and electric motors, you can only go so fast and so far during a day on the lake," said Rory Franks of Ravenna Twp. "It's not at all like fishing on Mosquito or West Branch reservoirs, where you can fire up the big outboard motor and run all over the place."

 That can be frustrating for anglers who own gas-powered bass boats, which are not welcome on LaDue and Mogadore. As a result, they have become great fishing lakes primarily because they make boaters rely on oar or battery power. The result is fewer fishermen and reduced angling pressure.

The weigh-ins at Franks' bass tournaments have proven the productivity of those lakes.

"We've had some sensational bass catches at LaDue," said Franks, assigning me the back seat in his little 14-foot john boat with bow and stern electric motors. We were competing in a small KSU LaDO bass tournament on Saturday, a friendly tournament trail Franks operates with members of Kent State University's bass fishing team. 

 "It takes some planning to be successful," he said. "You know you won't be able to cover the whole lake and all of the likely bass spots. You're limited to 'crawl' speed, and it takes quite a while to go from one end of LaDue Reservoir to the other. 

 "My game plan is to head north, and fish a river section that holds big bass when they're getting ready to spawn. I plan to flip soft plastic lures to the shallow-water areas, and maybe throw a spinnerbait across the flats."

Franks, 41, the assistant chief probation officer for the Portage County Juvenile Court, is a top-notch angler and his bass tournaments are popular. His 6th annual Mosquito Madness Tournament at Mosquito Reservoir today and Sunday filled its field of more than 200 bass anglers last November.

"The small, electric-only tournaments are low-key, fun events," he said. "I enjoy the LaDue series because the young guys from Kent State are helping to run them and like to fish them. It teaches the young guys to plan their bass attack, to experience the calm of nature while advancing their angling skills."

Franks says electric-only events teach anglers to focus on the good areas and thoroughly fish them, rather than relying on run-and-gun fishing.

LaDue Reservoir was down a couple of feet on Saturday, changing our game. The spawning areas we wanted to target were too shallow to attract bass. It took only four bass, weighing a shade less than nine pounds, for Shane Ressler and Nic Boring to win. That's considered a light limit of bass at Ladue Reservoir

 The big lake, owned by the City of Akron, has lots to offer. The crappie fishing is very good, bluegill are plentiful and the catfish bite in summer is strong. White perch can be a nuisance, but there are big northern pike to catch. Parma angler Gus Gronowski set a world line class record in 1992 by catching 37.65-pound channel catfish while trolling for walleye.

"The best feature is its peacefulness," said Franks. "Electric-powered boats may be slow, but they're also quiet. That makes for a nice morning on the water."

Boat Rentals back at LaDue, Mogadore reservoirs

 The boats are back at LaDue Reservoir, and at Mogadore and Punderson lakes.

 The boat rentals were a very popular feature at LaDue and Mogadore years ago, but went away when Akron officials closed the boat houses. Brad Ashburn brought them back this season, a fleet of solid, 14-foot Tracker john boats with 50-pound thrust electric motors. Ashburn is renting boats at Punderson for a third summer.

A boat with oars is $20 per hour, $38 per day. Add an electric trolling motor and a couple of deep-cycle batteries and the cost is $35 an hour, $60 per day. Call 440-669-3147. The boat houses are open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. every day. Ashburn recommends reservations for holiday weekends.

The boat house concession stands are also open again, offering bait, tackle, snacks and beverages.

Former wrestling star Randy "Macho Man" Savage is dead after suffering a possible heart attack at the wheel of his Jeep and slamming into a tree in Seminole, Fla., Friday morning.

File PhotoRandy "Macho Man" Savage is dead. Police in Tampa, Fla., said he suffered a heart attack and ran his Jeep into a tree, and it was those injuries that killed the 58-year-old, according to the celebrity website tmz.com.

Randy "Macho Man" Savage, the professional wrestler known for his raspy voice, the sunglasses and bandanas he wore in the ring and the young woman named Miss Elizabeth who often accompanied him, died in a car crash Friday in Florida. He was 58.

A Florida Highway Patrol crash report said the former wrestler — whose legal name was Randy Mario Poffo — was driving a Jeep Wrangler when he lost control in Pinellas County around 9:25 a.m. The Jeep veered over the raised concrete median divider, crossed over the eastbound lanes and collided head-on with a tree.

Police said he may have suffered a "medical event" before the accident, but the report did not elaborate, and it said officials would need to perform an autopsy to know for sure. Former wrestler "Leapin'" Lanny Poffo told TMZ.com his brother suffered a heart attack.

The report said a woman in the vehicle, identified as Barbara Poffo, suffered minor injuries. A statement from Stamford, Conn.-based World Wrestling Entertainment said the passenger was the wrestler's wife.

"Poffo will be greatly missed by WWE and his fans," the statement said.

Savage was a charismatic wrestler made famous for his "Macho Man" nickname and his "Oooh Yeah!" catchphrase. He was a champion in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation, and later Ted Turner's now-defunct World Championship Wrestling.

Poffo was under contract with WWE from 1985 to 1993 and held both the WWE and Intercontinental Championships.

"Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. We wish a speedy recovery to his wife Lynn," WWE said.

Savage defined the larger-than-life personalities of the 1980s World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). He wore sequined robes bejeweled with "Macho Man" on the back, rainbow-colored cowboy hats and oversized sunglasses, part of a unique look that helped build the WWF into a mainstream phenomenon.

For most of his career, his valet, Miss Elizabeth, was by his side. Elizabeth Hulette was his real-life wife. They later divorced, and Hulette died in 2003 at 42 in what was later ruled a prescription drug overdose. She was among many performers in the sport to die young.

Others include Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig, who died of a cocaine overdose in 2003 at 44, and Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and son and then committed suicide in their Georgia home in 2007. Benoit was 40.

The WWF made Savage their champion after a win over Ted DiBiase in the main event at WrestleMania in 1988.

Savage had not appeared for a major wrestling organization since 2004, when he performed for Total Nonstop Action.

He was at times both the most popular and most hated wrestler in entertainment. His flying elbow off the top rope was mimicked by basement and backyard wrestlers everywhere. Savage made good use of his deep, raspy voice as a corporate pitchman as well, for years ordering Slim Jim fans to "Snap into it!"

He's most known for his legendary rivalries with Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. Wrestlers took to Twitter to let fans know Savage won't be forgotten.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hailed Savage as one of his childhood inspirations and heroes, while Mick "Cactus Jack" Foley called Savage "one of my favorite performers."

Hogan said he and Savage had just started talking again after 10 years.

"He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him," Hogan wrote.

While so many personalities who left the WWF for WCW like Hogan, Roddy Piper and Mean Gene Okerlund were welcomed back to the company and even inducted into the Hall of Fame, Savage never returned.

Savage was born in Columbus, Ohio and played as a minor league catcher in the 1970s for Cincinnati and St. Louis before turning in the uniform for tights. His father, Angelo Poffo, was a longtime wrestler, and his brother, "Leaping" Lanny Poffo, was also a 1980s WWF mainstay. Condolences from fans poured in to Lanny Poffo's Facebook page on Friday.

Macho Man Randy Savage around the web:



Radar Onliine: "Hulk Hogan tweeted, "I'm completely devastated, after over 10 years of not talking with Randy, we've finally started to talk and communicate. He had so much life in his eyes & in his spirit, I just pray that he's happy and in a better place and we miss him. We miss him a lot.'"



Peter Abraham, Boston Globe: "In my job, you learn not to get too excited when encountering famous people. It's not cool to be a journalist and get all silly when Willie Mays walks by. I got on an elevator once with Muhammad Ali at the 1996 Olympics and managed not to act stupid. But the Macho Man? I had to talk to him. I wasted thousands of hours as a kid watching wrestling and nobody was more entertaining than the Macho Man. OK, maybe George "The Animal" Steele. But Macho Man was a close second."

Hardball Talk: Baseball-Reference.com has all his statistics, which I recommend viewing alongside this video of Savage and Miss Elizabeth entering the ring. He debuted at rookie-ball as an 18-year-old in 1971, hitting .286 with a .492 slugging percentage, and advanced to high Single-A before calling it quits with a .254 batting average in 289 career games."

MTV.com: "Ever the showman, Savage will certainly be missed by legions of fans, but it's nice to know he'll also go down in history as the first guy to challenge Spider-Man to a brawl on the big screen, too."

Randy Savage's Wikipedia page

Alex White will try to play the role of stopper against in-state rival.

View full sizeAP Photo | Tony DejakAlex White is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in his first 2 career starts.

(AP) -- Last season, the Cincinnati Reds completed a surprising end to their 15-year playoff drought, helping their cause with a pair of series victories over the Cleveland Indians.

The unheralded Indians are hoping to pull off a similar feat this season and will continue their quest during the first of six games against their in-state rivals Friday night at Progressive Field.

After nine consecutive losing seasons, Cincinnati was hardly anyone's pick to win the NL Central in 2010, but the Reds finished 91-71 for their first division title since 1995. They took two of three from the Indians on two occasions, their third straight win in the interleague series.

Cincinnati (25-19) is 13-5 over the last three seasons against Cleveland, but the Indians head into this three-game with the top record in majors (26-15) and are enjoying their best start since opening 28-13 in 2001.

"It goes to show you what expectations are about," Reds manager Dusty Baker told his team's website. "They've had some surprises."

The Indians are also a major league-best 15-4 at Progressive but were limited to two runs during a two-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland scored 31 runs while winning its three previous games.

The Indians, batting .266 this season, might have a difficult time getting their offense back on track against Travis Wood (3-3, 5.01), who is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three starts this month.

The left-hander gave up two runs over six innings Sunday during a 9-7 win over current NL Central leader St. Louis. The Reds enter this game trailing the Cardinals by one-half game, and Wood will try to help his team regain its lead against an Indians lineup that will not have leading hitter Travis Hafner.

Hafner, batting .345, was placed on the disabled list hours before this game due to a strained muscle in his right side. Outfielder Travis Buck is dealing with turf toe and oft-injured Grady Sizemore is on the DL with a bruised right knee, but the Indians might get Orlando Cabrera back on the field.

The former Reds infielder headed to South Carolina on Thursday to become a U.S. citizen.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you that our lineup is better without Grady Sizemore and Cabrera, but I'm also not going to sit here and make excuses," manager Manny Acta said. "Injuries are part of the game that every team in Major League Baseball has to deal with."

If Cabrera does return to the lineup, he'll try to help Alex White (1-0, 3.75) build on his first major league win. The right-hander earned that victory in Los Angeles on May 7 by allowing three runs over six innings, but his perfect inning of work against Seattle on Saturday was washed away by rain.

White will face a team that scored three runs and batted .219 while dropping back-to-back games to Pittsburgh. The Reds hit .284 and scored 74 runs while winning 11 of their previous 13.

"It just goes to show you, anyone can beat you no matter where they are in the standings," Baker said.

Cincinnati is seeking its seventh win in nine games in Cleveland.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is one of the candidates being considered to replace retired Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, sources tell ESPN.com.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz,
The Plain DealerFormer Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown is one of the candidates to replace Phil Jackson as head of the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN.com.

The Los Angeles Lakers are looking at former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as a possible successor to retired coach Phil Jackson, according to ESPN.com.

The Los Angeles Lakers are taking a deliberate approach to their search for a successor to Phil Jackson, but NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com the team has added Mike Brown to its list of candidates.

The former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, now working as an analyst for ESPN, is expected to interview "soon" with the Lakers, sources say.

Brown would become the fourth known candidate for the job, along with former Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman, ex-Los Angeles Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy and Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, who is regarded as the only serious in-house contender to replace Jackson.

Cabrera finds his locker decorated with American flags and bunting on Friday after becoming a U.S. citizen.

View full sizePDOrlando Cabrera is now a United States citizen.

Clubhouse confidential: Indians second baseman Orlando Cabrera returned to the Indians on Friday to find his locker decorated with American flags and bunting. Cabrera missed Thursday's game against the White Sox in Chicago because he was becoming a U.S. citizen in South Carolina.

"I'm really proud to be an American," he said. "It's extremely special. It's another chapter in my life."

Cabrera's teammates, led by third baseman Jack Hannahan, were responsible for the snazzy locker. An Uncle Sam-style top hat was included.

"It was very nice of them to do that," Cabrera said. "For many years, when I've had conversations with guys, I've said, 'We,' as a country. I never said, 'You guys.' I've always felt like I was a part of the United States, and now it's official."

Indians manager Manny Acta said he became a U.S. citizen in 1999.

"Orlando's very excited," Acta said. "I'm very happy for him. That's what it's all about. God bless America."

Stat of the day: The Indians entered Friday as the only first-place team in the majors with a lead of more than 11/2 games. They led the American League Central by five games over the Detroit Tigers.

-- Dennis Manoloff

Lighty, a Villa Angela-St. Joseph grad, is projected to be drafted in the mid to late first round or the second round. But he knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.

View full sizeAmy Sancetta l AP file photoDavid Lighty is expected to be drafted in the mid to late first round or the early second round.

CHICAGO — David Lighty went through plenty in his career at Ohio State, but he admits he has never been through anything more competitive or pressure-filled than the NBA combine and the process leading up to the NBA draft.

"From ABCD camps to AAU circuit to college games, [in] this one you're trying to get a job, pretty much," Lighty, a Cleveland native and Villa Angela-St. Joseph graduate, said on Friday during the combine interviews at the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue.

"You're going up against the next guy. It's not about rankings or things like that, it's about impressing teams and finding a match for you."

Luckily he has some friends here to help him through in fellow Buckeye Jon Diebler and Cleveland State's Norris Cole. Lighty and Cole, who share an agent in Joel Bell, are working out together in Atlanta.

Lighty is projected to be drafted in the mid to late first round or the second round. But he knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.

"I would say there's always room to improve," he said. "If you go back and look at my stats from year to year, I've improved my game. There would be no drop off from that. I try to go out there, work hard and lead by example."

Lighty said he had worked out for Oklahoma City and has other workouts scheduled with San Antonio, Houston, Chicago and Boston.

View full sizeAPNBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver, left, congratulates Nick Gilbert, 14, the son of Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, after it was announced Tuesday that Cleveland won the 2011 NBA Draft lottery.

"I'm pretty sure I'll have a workout with the Cavs as well, but I'm not sure when," he said.

Signing off: Possible Cavaliers draft choice Kyrie Irving met 14-year-old sensation Nick Gilbert at Tuesday night's lottery.

"I think he's awesome," Irving said of Dan Gilbert's son, who represented the team during the lottery.

But Irving is not following @CavsNick on Twitter.

"Currently, I'm off Twitter," Irving said. "I don't feel the need for me to have Twitter right now. I'm mainly focused on getting better."

Sure of himself: Arizona's Derrick Williams, projected to be one of the first two players taken in the draft, doesn't lack for confidence.

He was asked if he was the most NBA-ready player in the draft.

"Being 6-8 or 6-9, 245, I think I'm the most NBA-ready guy who can step in and make an immediate impact," said Williams, whom former Arizona coach Lute Olsen described as "Andre Iguodala with a jump shot."

Williams said he planned to be the rookie of the year.

"I'm not cocky or anything," he said. "That's the main focus, rookie of the year."

Like several players here, Williams opted not to work out. Asked why he said, "What do you want me to prove? I did that during the season. I was the most efficient player in the nation. I averaged 19 [points] and 8 [rebounds.] I shot 56 percent from 3. There's really nothing else to prove."

Just in case you're wondering, if Williams ended up in Cleveland, he'd leave his No. 23 behind.

"Obviously, I'm going to have to change my college number," he said, laughing.

Handy fellow: It happened again. San Diego State's Kawhi Leonard was minding his own business, doing interviews with his hands folded in his lap, when someone asked to see them. It happens all the time.

"A lot of people like to compare my hands to theirs," he said with an embarrassed grin.

His outstretched hand measures 11.3 inches from the tip of his pinky to the tip of his thumb. By comparison, former Cavs general manager Wayne Embry's outstretched hand measured 13 inches.

Leonard takes pride in his hands.

"It's easy for me to dribble the basketball," he said. "It helps me out a lot, makes me the player I am today."

It would seem that hands that big might hinder a player's ability to handle the basketball.

"It helps me with my handle," Leonard said. "I can control the ball easier. My hands are almost around the whole ball, so it's hard for people to steal it. Or if they do poke at the ball, it's still in my hands."

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

Also, Kent State's men's golf team is in fourth place at the NCAA East Regional, while Ohio State's and Cleveland State's men's golfers compete in the NCAA West Regional.

A nine-run first inning propelled the Spartans past Franklin College (Ind.), 10-4, after CWRU topped Penn State-Altoona, 12-6.

CWRU (33-14) will face Heidelberg for the second time in the tournament at noon today. Heidelberg took the first game Thursday, 8-1.

In the first inning against Franklin, Matt Keen (Tallmadge) had a two-run-double, and Steve Bills and Jimmy Abed (Westlake) each had a two-run single for the Spartans. Sam Alexander, Brett Ossola and Abed each drove in three runs as CWRU defeated Altoona.

KSU golfers fourth: Kevin Miller shot a 1-under 71 as the Kent State men's golf team shot an 8-over 296 to stay in fourth place at the NCAA East Regional in Radford, Va.

OSU 3rd, CSU 13th: Michael Cress shot 4 under, and the Ohio State men's golf team was 9 under in the second round to move up to third place at the NCAA West Regional in San Diego. Cleveland State was in 13th.

UPDATED: The Tribe overcomes an early exit by starter Alex White and a four-run deficit to defeat the Reds at Progressive Field.

View full sizeChuck Crow l The Plain DealerThe Indians' Orlando Cabrera tells Asdrubal Cabrera to score standing up with the tying run on a Shelley Duncan sacrifice fly in the sixth inning Friday at Progressive Field. The Indians four-run rally in the sixth tied the game against the Reds.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Indians did not let another injury or the opposition's no-hit bid stop them from having their requisite fun at home.

The Tribe overcame an early exit by starter Alex White and a four-run deficit to defeat the Reds, 5-4, Friday night at Progressive Field.

Pinch hitter Ezequiel Carrera drove in Shin-Soo Choo from third with a two-out drag bunt in the eighth inning. Carrera, recalled from Class AAA Columbus earlier in the day, bunted the first pitch he saw as a major-leaguer. It came against right-handed reliever Nick Masset.

"For your first major-league hit, that was special," said Tribe closer Chris Perez, who earned his 11th save with a hitless ninth. "He'll never forget it, and I'll never forget it."

Choo had tripled ahead of an intentional walk to Carlos Santana. Masset replaced lefty reliever Bill Bray, and Carrera pinch hit for Shelley Duncan. Carrera got the ball down and managed to avoid first baseman Joey Votto's attempted tag.

"The matchup of Shelley-Masset wasn't good," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "Carrera was perfect for that spot. Even if he didn't bunt, he could chop the ball in front of the plate and beat it out. They needed to hold the runner, and he executed it perfectly."

The first-place Indians (27-15) improved to 16-4 at home. Their past six victories at Progressive Field have come in their last at-bat.

White did not come out for the fourth inning because of soreness in his middle finger. He is scheduled for an MRI scan today, Acta said.

Early Friday, Tribe designated hitter Travis Hafner was placed on the disabled list because of a right oblique injury. Hafner joined Grady Sizemore (right knee) on the DL, leaving the Indians seriously depleted from the left side.

That is, until Carrera arrived.

"We're without Grady, without Hafner, and we call up Ezequiel, and he's able to help us out in a different way," Perez said. "That's the sign of a good organization. You're going to need that during the course of the season."

Tribe third baseman Jack Hannahan said he was not surprised to see Carrera pull off the drag bunt.

"I've played with Carrera, and he [bunts] a lot with two outs," Hannahan said. "He's so fast."

White worked a relatively stress-free first and second innings, giving up one hit. After his second pitch to Ryan Hanigan to open the third, White grimaced and walked behind the mound. Indians head trainer Lonnie Soloff was among those who visited.

White made a couple of practice throws before resuming. The second pitch after the delay struck out Hanigan.

White walked Paul Janish and Drew Stubbs, the latter on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. The Stubbs walk brought out Tribe pitching coach Tim Belcher. White walked designated hitter Jonny Gomes on four pitches.

After White threw a ball to reigning National League MVP Votto, Frank Herrmann began warming in the Tribe bullpen. On a 2-0 count, Votto grounded toward first. What had the makings of an inning-ending double play went poof when Matt LaPorta air-mailed the throw to second. By the time left fielder Austin Kearns fielded the ball, the Reds had scored two.

Brandon Phillips lined to center for the second out. Jay Bruce followed with a sharp grounder to the right side, where LaPorta lunged to make the backhanded pick.

White threw 38 pitches in the third. He had thrown a combined 27 in the first two.

At the conclusion of the top of the third, White walked into the tunnel. Herrmann, who briefly had sat down, resumed warming. Herrmann did, indeed, come out to begin the fourth.

"The finger bothered Alex on a slider he threw," Acta said. "After that, we felt it was probably on his mind. I didn't think it was fair for Alex to compete with just fastballs."

White, Cleveland's first-round pick in 2009, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on one hit in his third major-league start. He walked three and struck out three.

Reds lefty Travis Wood carried a no-hit bid into the sixth and led, 4-0. He retired LaPorta on a grounder up the middle that shortstop Janish dived to stop.

Kearns, who entered hitting .185 and was 0-for-1, singled to center on a full-count fastball away. Hannahan reached out and hooked a breaking pitch into right for a single, Kearns advancing to third.

Michael Brantley lined a single to right that drove in Kearns, who turned 31 on Friday. Bruce fumbled the ball, enabling Brantley to get to second as Hannahan checked in at third. Brantley snapped an 0-for-13 skid.

"Birthday boy started it off, getting that big hit," Hannahan said. "They say hitting's contagious. I got a hit, and Brantley came up and drove in Austin."

Asdrubal Cabrera worked the count full, then walked. Wood plunked Choo with a 1-1 pitch to make it 4-2.

Reds manager Dusty Baker replaced Wood with righty Logan Ondrusek. Santana walked on a full-count pitch to make it 4-3. Duncan hit a sacrifice fly to medium-deep left, and Chris Heisey's throw had no chance.

Orlando Cabrera grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664,

Cinesport video: Indians 5, Reds 4

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

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Natalie Zidd knew where her competition would be coming from. The defending Division I state champion in the 800-meter run from Medina Highland was right on in sensing that runners from Magnificat would be taking their best shots at her. That was the case on Friday night at the Division I district track meet at Lakewood...

Medina's Natalie Zidd.

LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Natalie Zidd knew where her competition would be coming from. The defending Division I state champion in the 800-meter run from Medina Highland was right on in sensing that runners from Magnificat would be taking their best shots at her.

That was the case on Friday night at the Division I district track meet at Lakewood Stadium. But Zidd, a junior, proved her mettle as she first held off Magnificat junior Katherine Stultz in the 1,600 and followed up by keeping Abigail Marquard, also a junior, at bay in her 800 specialty.

"I could gauge where she was by the way the crowd was yelling," said Zidd, referring to her less-than-a-second win against Marquard. "Last year Maddie really pushed me. This year I knew it was going to be another Magnifcat girl."

Zidd, 17, won the 800 at this district last year, but finished second by 24 seconds to Magnificat senior standout Madeline Chambers in the 1,600.

"After Maddie graduated, I knew the 1,600 would be there to double at states," said Zidd, who advanced to next week's regional at Amherst. "It has been on my mind."

Marquard was a stride back at the top of the lane in the 800, but no matter all the urging by the crowd, she could not make the pass. Zidd clocked a 2:18.16 to Marquard's 2:19.11.

"I was just trying to stick with her," said Marquard. "I'm very happy with it. I did a good job."

The same scenario occurred in the 1,600 as Zidd covered the distance in 5:02.25, edging Stultz at 5:03.16.

As far as team scores, Magnificat repeated on the girls side as the Blue Streaks held off a spirited run by Normandy. Leading by four points going into the finishing 4x400, Magnificat won the relay to wind wound up with 125 points. The Invaders finished with 117 points. Highland was third at 101.

Magnificat junior Rachel Hlatky won both the 100 and 200, the latter beginning a stretch drive of three Blue Streak wins to overcome Normandy. Senior Laura Hogan won the 3,200 in 11:34.62.

Normandy got wins by sophomore Katherine Hughey in the pole vault (9-3) and senior Karla Peters in the 300 hurdles. Peters took a second in the 100 hurdles, won by Garfield Heights junior Jasmine Braxton.

St. Ignatius ruled on the boys side as the Wildcats rolled up 153 points to distance Revere at 84.5 and St. Edward at 81. The Wildcats won three relays and had individual winners in junior Keith Carmichael in the pole vault (13-6), senior Tyree Seals in the 110 hurdles (14.89) and senior John Sweeney in the 3,200 (9:27.10).

Revere senior Josh Sabo won both the 800 and 1,600.

St. Edward sophomore Anthony Young was on a roll as he won the 100 (10.72), 200 (22.19) and 400 (50.18), along with a third as part of the 4x400 squad.

"I was happy getting a personal best in the 100," Young said. "I just thank God for giving me the ability to do this."

"We've got the toughest regional in the state for the 200," said Young, who will be getting his driver's license today. "I'm not really nervous about that, either."

St Edward sophomore Aaron Zedella doubled in the discus and shot put. Zedella's discus throw of 171-5.5 held off St. Ignatius junior Blake Thomas at 171-0 and his 50-1.5 in the shot bested Zack Lozar of St. Ignatius at 49-0.5.

There was bitter disappointment in the girls 400. Padua junior Nicole Trapp, the top qualifier, pulled up with 50 yards to go after suffering a right foot injury. All Trapp could do was throw her shoe away in disgust at the season-ending injury.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jmaxse@plaindcom, 216-999-5168

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — For Gilmour Academy senior Candace Longino-Thomas, Friday was a record-setting day at the Division III district track and field meet at Independence High School's Stan Skoczen Stadium. Longino-Thomas set records in the girls' 100- and 200-meter dashes. She also won the 400, and served as the third leg of the record-setting 4x200-meter relay team.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — For Gilmour Academy senior Candace Longino-Thomas, Friday was a record-setting day at the Division III district track and field meet at Independence High School's Stan Skoczen Stadium.

Longino-Thomas set records in the girls' 100- and 200-meter dashes. She also won the 400, and served as the third leg of the record-setting 4x200-meter relay team.

On the strength of Longino-Thomas' record day, the Lancers took the Section A district championship with 151 points. They bested runner-up Trinity by 48.5 points and had multiple top four finishers from each event advance to next week's regional meet at Navarre High School in Fairless.

"It's No. 8 -- our eighth straight district championship, so looking at it, we ran really well," said Gilmour coach Jeff Klein. "Very few great athletes have done what Candace did today, which is handle the 100, 200, 400 and a relay so easily and with such grace. She's a special talent, and she did everything a coach could ask. My best thing is to get out of her way and let her run."

Longino-Thomas started her evening in strong fashion in the 100-meter dash. After being the top qualifier in the preliminary heats, she broke a 12-year-old mark by running the event in 12 seconds flat. Valerie Holland of Clearview had set the record of 12.30 seconds in 1999.

Along with sophomores Alexis Anton and Briah Owens and fellow senior Allie Dahlhausen, Longino-Thomas broke the 4x200-meter relay record with a time of 1:43.36. Later in the evening, Longino-Thomas ran the 200-meter dash in a time of 24.28 and won the event by more than two seconds. She won the 400 in 56.43 seconds -- also with more than two seconds to spare.

"Coming back from my injury last year, I wasn't really expecting to break records in districts," said Longino-Thomas. "I came in with a challenge of doing the 100, 200 and 400, so I just tried my best today, and overall, I think I did an excellent job, and I'm really proud of myself."

There were more record-breaking moments.

Gilmour's Halle Markel ran the 3,200 meters in 11:31.01, more than 45 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher and one second better than the previous record. Trinity senior Claire Lucas participated in four events and broke her own district record in the pole vault. Lucas had a vault of 10-6, which was three inches better than her record mark from last year's district meet.

"It's exciting," said Lucas, a University of Akron recruit. "I'm glad that I improved."

Not to be outdone by its cross-town rival, the Hawken girls pulled out a Section B district championship win after the 4x400-meter relay team ran eight seconds faster than Rootstown.

"We've got it, back-to-back," said Hawks coach Christopher Farroni. "We knew with the realignment of the districts that it was going to be a heck of a lot tougher this year with Maplewood, Cardinal and Rootstown. The team did a great job, and we were able to come through."

While there were records falling in the girls competition, a familiar team was again rising to the top of the leaderboard in the boys division. For the fourth consecutive season, the Trinity boys track and field team took home the Division III district meet championship. In dominant fashion, the Trojans scored 162 points, 66 ahead of Warren John F. Kennedy.

Senior runner Nick Bell will lead the Trojans as they look to regain their regional championship form from 2009. Bell took home the 110-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash titles, while also serving as a member of the record-setting 4x400-meter relay team.

Matt Florjancic is a freelance writer in Broadview Heights.

Though the projections of what will happen with the top three spots in the draft likely will change dozens of times before June 23, here are at least some of the players who are possible candidates for the Cavs at No. 4.

View full sizeJames Crisp l AP file photoCenter Enes Kanter of Turkey is only 19 years old.

CHICAGO — With everyone assuming the Cavaliers will make Duke point guard Kyrie Irving the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft, the big question here this week was: What will they do at No. 4?

NBA executives and agents asked the question of the Cavs -- and each other -- over and over, in hallways and meeting rooms, at practices and bull sessions.

Though the projections of what will happen with the top three spots in the draft likely will change dozens of times before June 23 -- well, at least as far as Minnesota at No. 2 and Utah at No. 3 are concerned -- here are at least some of the players who are possible candidates for the Cavs at No. 4.

Don't be surprised if they take a European player here. General manager Chris Grant and Cavs vice president of basketball operations David Griffin have made three trips to Europe between them in the past month.

• Enes Kanter, Turkey, center, 6-11, 259. Kanter celebrated his 19th birthday on Friday. He enrolled at Kentucky but was ruled ineligible because he played for a pro team in Turkey.

Ironically, if the Cavs also draft Irving, who missed most of last season with an injured big toe, their first-round picks will have played a combined total of 11 games last season. Kanter is a tough, physical post player who has been playing with grown men since he was 16, which should help prepare him for the rigors of the NBA.

Eager to show scouts what he can do after missing the season, he took part in all the combine workouts, unlike most of the prospects projected to be taken near him. Prior to this week, his biggest claim to fame was a 34-point, 13-rebound performance for the World Team against Team USA last April in the Nike Hoop Summit.

• Donatas Motiejunas, Lithuania, power forward, 7-0, 225. Motiejunas is an offensive-minded forward some have likened to Andrea Bargnani of Toronto. A left-handed shooter, he pulled out of the draft last year in order to add some strength and muscle.

• Jonas Valanciunas, Lithuania, center, 6-11, 240. Another polished post player who just turned 19, he is having trouble getting a release from his team, and some think he will eventually be forced to pull out of the draft.

• Jan Vesely, Czech Republic, power forward, 6-11, 240. Not quite as polished offensively as the other Euros listed, he is a good athlete with a decent outside shot.

• Kawhi Leonard, small forward, San Diego State, 6-7, 227. One of the Cavs stated goals is to increase their scoring and get more athletic at the wing position.

This is not a great draft for that, and Leonard is a reach at No. 4. But he's a good athlete who has intrigued scouts because of his 7-3 wingspan -- the fourth largest at the combine, in large part because of his hands with are almost 10 inches long. He was eager to show the range of his game here.

"Versatility is a lot to me," he said. "I like to do a lot of things on the court. I just want to be a complete basketball player, dribble, pass, shoot, be a leader, play defense, block shots, steals. I'm trying to do it all."

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

MENTOR, Ohio — There's a reason the 4x400-meter relay finishes track meets. It puts the best athletes on the track and in the ultimate test of a team's speed and depth. Drama usually follows, and it was plentiful Friday at the Mentor Division I district track meet in Osborne Stadium. "Track and field is built on the 4x4, and...

Mentor's Colton Wallace clears 6-2 in the high jump during the Division I meet Friday in Mentor. - (Lonnie Timmons III l PD)

MENTOR, Ohio — There's a reason the 4x400-meter relay finishes track meets. It puts the best athletes on the track and in the ultimate test of a team's speed and depth. Drama usually follows, and it was plentiful Friday at the Mentor Division I district track meet in Osborne Stadium.

"Track and field is built on the 4x4, and when it boils down to that race, it's the ultimate," Mayfield girls track coach Anthony Porpora said.

Mayfield's girls won their first team title and Glenville's boys kept their winning streak alive thanks to outstanding performances in the 4x400.

Mayfield clung to a two-point lead over Mentor heading into the relay. Mentor needed to finish one spot ahead of Mayfield to force a co-championship, and two places ahead to win the title outright.

On the backstretch of the last leg, Mentor junior Kristine Wagner pulled ahead of Mayfield senior anchor Marie Lorentz, who previously won the 800 and 1,600 and on Wednesday led off the winning 4x800. Lorentz caught Wagner on the home straight and passed as Mayfield finished second behind Euclid and Mentor was third. Krystiana Collins, Rachel Rus and Steph Buda ran Mayfield's first three legs.

"It's feels like the greatest day you could imagine, and then it happens," said Lorentz, a Purdue recruit. "To do it senior year? That's a good day."

The Wildcats finished with 118.5 points and Mentor had 114.5. Mayfield also had firsts from Jackie Vance (pole vault), Megan Templin (high jump) and Shannon Zajec (long jump).

Glenville trailed Willoughby South by five points heading into the 4x400, but South did not have a team in the race. The Tarblooders' Jacquez Riggs, Justin Hardee, Quincy Downing and Shane Wynn won in 3:19.52, and Glenville beat South, 95-90.

"We had to win and we got it done," Hardee said. "It felt great coming in first and finishing first."

The Tarblooders won the 4x200 and Downing captured the 400 (49.19). Shot putter Aundrey Walker was disqualified for wearing a uniform with two logos.

Glenville's sprinters took a back seat to Cleveland Heights sophomore sensation Shelton Gibson, a first-year runner who won the 100 (10.87) and 200 (21.74). In a dramatic, 10.6-second anchor leg, Gibson passed Maple Heights' Darrell Gould to win the 4x100 by .31 in 42.30.

"The last time I ran against somebody that was right there with me was at indoor states, and today I had some nice competition, so I could lower my times," Gibson said.

Another young sprinter mature beyond her years is John Hay junior Chanitta Westbrook, who won the girls 100 (12.24) and 200 (24.89). Westbook said she will graduate early this year and has committed to Kent State.

Euclid junior Artia Gunn won the girls 100 hurdles (14.80) and ran on the winning 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays.

Riverside junior Zack McBride looked strong in winning the boys 1,600 (4:26.51).

Perhaps the best race of the day was the 3,200. Eastlake North's Antony Car made a move on Mentor's Jared Keiper and Chardon's Ty Kawalec with 300 meters to go and increased his lead on the final curve. But Kawalec kicked past both runners and took the lead with 40 meters left. He beat Car by .32 in 9:56.28.

"I have no idea where that came from," said Kawalec, who dropped 11 seconds off his previous best time. "I usually don't kick like that."

South shot putter Mike Wendolowski added almost two feet to his PR with a winning 54-4 toss. Teammate Sean Donnelly was second, and the pair finished in reverse order in the discus. The Rebels' Devyn Woods won the 110 hurdles, and advanced in the 300 hurdles and 4x100.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

Akron pitcher Austin Adams has a strong outing but the Aeros' bats go quiet in a loss to Altoona; Kinston and Columbus win.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Pawsox 5-0, Clippers 2-3 Columbus completed a suspended game with Pawtucket, R.I., Friday with a loss, but then won the regularly scheduled game in a shutout. Zach McAllister (7-0, 2.42) allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings for the win. Joe Rodriguez hit a home run third inning. On Thursday, before the game was suspended, Jason Kipnis and Cord Phelps hit back to back homers in the first inning, but the Clippers were blanked the rest of the game.

AA Akron Aeros

Curve 2, Aeros 0 Akron's Austin Adams gave up two runs in six innings and struck out seven but the Aeros' bats were ineffective in game one of a four-game series in Altoona (Pa.). Mike Colla tossed six scoreless innings for the win.

Notes: The Aeros (20-21) and Curve will play a doubleheader today.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 2, Keys 1 Adam Abraham hit a two-run double in the fourth inning and Kinston tied a season high with their fourth straight victory over Frederick in Maryland. Kinston starting pitcher Giovanni Soto gave up a lead-off home run to in the bottom of the first inning. Soto allowed just three singles over his next five innings. Soto (3-3, 2.02) struck out Tyler Townsend with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 9, Dragons 5 Lake County overcame a three -run deficit after five innings to gain a come-from-behind victory over host Dayton. Lake County recorded 12 hits and Dayton had 11. The Captains tied it at 3-3 in the top of the sixth inning when Nick Bartolone singled and went to third base on a single by Carlos Moncrief. Bartolone scored when Argenis Martinez reached on an error, moving Moncrief to second base. Two batters later, Jesus Aguilar doubled home Moncrief and Alex Monsalve followed with a single to score Giovanny Urshela.

Woman sees the positives in Randy Ross' loyalty to the Indians and decides he's a keeper.

Even though I was at the last game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, at Jacobs Field, Sept. 8, 1995, when the Indians won their first divisional title in 41 years and Game 4 of the 1995 World Series (bummer), my most memorable game was Aug. 3, 1982.

I was going to my 21st game of the year, all losers, when the Indians were hovering around the .500 mark. Thought maybe I was a jinx to the team.

I knew we had a good chance of seeing a winner since we had a doubleheader against a Texas team not doing so well. I was on a first date and she was not a big baseball fan, but patiently sat through both – the second, an extra-inning loss. But . . .

The Indians won the first game, 2-0. I was overjoyed. What a load off. I was 1 and 20 and it was great.

I would have never forgotten that game due to the circumstances, but years later, she told me it was that first date where she saw my passion, dedication and commitment to the things I love and knew I was the guy for her. It has worked out pretty good for me, too. We are together today, with two kids in college.

Although I don't get to see the team live as much as I should nowadays, I never miss a game. Mostly with Hammy and Hegan.

Several Ohioans got lucky after buying into a racehorse syndicate and will have a rooting interest in this afternoon's $1 million Preakness.

View full sizeMike Stewart l Associated PressMichael and Laura Sivo of Willoughby Hills own a share of Mucho Macho Man, above, who will be racing in today's Preakness Stakes.

Lamont Cunningham, John Fasola and Mark Eisel made a late-night decision -- fueled by a few cold brews -- to buy a piece of a racehorse. Michael and Laura Sivo plotted and planned their equine investment. Bruce Zoldan is a longtime member of a horse racing syndicate.

All are Ohioans who got lucky after buying into a racehorse syndicate and will have a rooting interest in this afternoon's $1 million Preakness.

A return on their investment is a bonus, but it can't match the thrills and chills of knowing their horse could win a Triple Crown race.

"I'm just a regular guy, and don't have a million in the bank to buy a top-notch race horse," said Cunningham, a facilities manager from Macedonia. "Owning just a small piece of King Congie gives me the same thrill as owning the whole darn horse."

The Sivos, of Willoughby Hills, wanted to get into the horse racing game and turned to Dream Team Stables for a small chunk of Mucho Macho Man. They were so swept up when their horse made it to the Kentucky Derby that they married in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs. A third-place finish had them dancing at the finish line.

Zoldan, a businessman from Youngstown, has had success with the horses he's owned with Barry Irwin's Team Valor International.

"But never a Kentucky Derby winner," he said, with a laugh. "When Animal Kingdom won the big race, it was indescribable."

The syndicates have become a popular way to own a share of a racehorse. The odds are long in connecting with a future stakes winner, and maintenance fees can make a syndicate a veritable money pit. Many costly yearlings never make it to the races.

The dream is to a get a slice of a well-bred winner for a song. The Sivos paid $800 for a piece of Mucho Macho Man, a share now worth 10 times that much.

Fasola, of Hudson, and Cunningham, of Macedonia, have sons who played baseball together. They were celebrating at the Winking Lizard in Macedonia last August after Fasola's son, Johnny, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The youngster helped Walsh Jesuit High School win a state title and is now playing for Kansas State.

Fasola's good friend, Congie DeVito, who worked for West Point Thoroughbreds, called him while he and Cunningham were enjoying a few beers.

"Congie DeVito was very high on a horse owned by West Point that they let him name King Congie," said Fasola. "As a favor, Congie was offering me a share. As a favor to Congie, I agreed."

Fasola let Cunningham in on the action, and called Mark Eisel of Wooster, another baseball dad, to let him share in King Congie. They won't disclose how much each of them invested, but Eisel said he jumped in not for the investment, but for the excitement of owning a stakes horse.

"At first, I told John I couldn't do it because I don't have that kind of money to invest and I knew it would really tick off my wife," said Cunningham. "After a few more beers, I finally said, 'The heck with it. I'm in!' "

When Cunningham woke up after agreeing to the late-night offer from Fasola, he panicked.

"I asked myself how would I tell my wife, Margaret," said Cunningham. "It took me three weeks. I finally had to let her know because she writes the checks."

It has been bittersweet. DeVito, suffering from brittle bone disease since birth, died Feb. 16, at age 35.

King Congie won the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby at Calder Race Course on New Year's Day, but suffered an injury in March and failed to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. The horse is back on track and well-rested heading into the Preakness.

"The fact that Congie DeVito was a great human being is the reason why I bought in," said Fasola. "I still have a feeling that something magical is going to happen."

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

Three of the race's top drivers, including three-time winner Helio Castroneves, top 228 mph on Friday.

View full sizeTom Strickland l Associated PressThree-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves, above, topped 228 mph during practice on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — On the last day of practice, the big dogs stepped up.

Former Indianapolis 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon were two of the top three drivers in the last prep for Saturday's qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, with three-time winner Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009) posting the top speed of the day, and the month to date, at 228.611 mph.

The four-time Indy pole-sitter -- including the past two -- clearly wanted to put his name on the minds of every other driver in the field on the night before qualifying begins.

He was followed by Alex Tagliani at 228.327 mph, and then Dixon (2008) at 228.181 mph. With rain shortening practice all week, normal procedures for even the veteran drivers were crammed into just a few days before today's 11 a.m. start for qualifying for the 95th Indy race on May 29th.

"It's the same for everybody, and we'll just have to find a way to deal with it," said team owner Bobby Rahal, the 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner who was born in Medina.

View full sizeAPIndyCar driver Dario Franchitti climbs into his car during practice on Friday.

Unlike the recent past when qualifying covered two weekends, it now covers two days, with the first day used to fill the first 24 spots on the 33-car grid. The 90 minutes before the 6 p.m. end of qualifying are reserved for a shootout for the top nine fastest drivers in the field to go for the pole.

Those top nine speeds will be erased. Then they will go again in reverse order, 9-1, to see who will sit on the poll for the 100th anniversary of the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"Qualifying will be tight," Castroneves said. "It will be interesting to see what happens in the fast nine. I think we will see [qualifying] speeds in the 228 range."

The days of trying to beat the rain, or waiting for the cool of the day, to get in the best four laps of the day are gone. Considering the possibility of spotty rain showers today, drivers will be best served by going when their number is called.

"It takes about six minutes per car, so that would be four hours," team owner Roger Penske said. "If we start at 11 sharp, it could be [until] 3 p.m. without a break. So you're not going to have a chance to go back out . . . because of the weather situation. But, you know, I think it's going to be pretty exciting."

Last year, Castroneves caused the excitement, delivering a scintillating four-lap run of 227.970 mph. Six drivers topped that Friday, including Ryan Briscoe (228.029), Bertrand Baguette (228.028) and Ed Carpenter (228.017). Of those six, only Baguette, a 2010 rookie who started 24th and finished 22nd, raised an eyebrow as he bumped his best one-lap effort of the week from 224.617 mph to the level of the elite.

But it should be no surprise, considering he is being tutored by Rahal, who has groomed the likes of former Indy winner Buddy Rice and female phenom Danica Patrick in their early careers.

"We are extremely pleased with how things went," Baguette said. "Now we just have to do it again [today]."

A second straight day of dry weather saw Carpenter post a hot lap of 228.017 mph in the first hour of practice, setting the target speed for the day. By 2 p.m., Alex Tagliani, who has been among the speed leaders all week, was back at the front of the pack with a lap of 228.327 mph. Halfway through the practice, 39 cars had already been on the track.

But that left happy hour, and, true to form, Castroneves posted a fast lap early in the session of 228.611 mph for the best of the day to that point, leaving 45 minutes for the field to top him. It never happened.

New KOTB: There will be six rookies attempting to qualify for the race, with the fastest to date being JR Hildebrand Jr. He was in the top five of the leader chart most of Thursday and ended with the sixth-fastest speed of 226.527 mph. This is his first year with a multiyear deal for the 23-year-old from Sausalito, Calif.

"We have had really positive results with small changes, and this is what we hope to continue to do going forward," Hildebrand said. "I am happy with the car in traffic and pleased with the speed we have."

Other rookies of note include Charlie Kimball, James Hinchcliffe, Ho-Pin Tung, James Jakes and the appropriately named Scott Speed.

Good and bad news: Simona de Silvestro walked away from her crash and fire Thursday, and was treated and released from local Methodist Hospital with only burns on her hands. However, as of Friday morning, she had not been cleared to get back on the track. This will give her race team more time to prepare a backup car for qualifying, as the primary car was destroyed in the mishap.

"We can build a good car," de Silvestro's team owner Keith Wiggins said. "But it probably won't be as good as the original car because that was built specifically for [Indianapolis Motor Speedway]. There are a lot of specialties about building a car for here, and we only had one of those built. So the question is, will this [replacement] car be as quick as the other one? That's the challenge."

On the bump: Looking forward to Sunday's "Bump Day," understand that as of Friday morning there were 58 cars at the speedway, and 53 of them had passed vehicle inspection. There have been 40 drivers on the track, meaning there will be at least seven drivers looking to bump others from the field, and several cars available for backups should they be needed.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexand@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

For now, the conference is only considering Indianapolis and Chicago for basketball and football championships.

View full sizeTom Strickland l Associated PressLucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will host the first Big Ten football championship game.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cleveland was preparing a pitch for the Big Ten, all the reasons the conference should consider the city as a host for future Big Ten football championship games. And then -- according to David Gilbert, the president of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission -- about two months ago, the Big Ten said not to bother.

At the Big Ten meetings in Chicago this week, groups from Chicago and Indianapolis made presentations to league athletic directors to host the league's football and men's and women's basketball championships in the future. They were the only cities invited and the only cities the Big Ten is considering. For now.

"We were very disappointed," Gilbert said Friday. "Obviously, it's their decision, but I think there were a number of other potentially very good cities, including Cleveland, that they dismissed without looking at it. I think that we could have been very good for them. But that's their call, and we'll stand ready when they're ready to look at other cities."

The first Big Ten football championship will be played indoors at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 3. Indianapolis also is in the final year of a five-year deal to host both league basketball tournaments next season. So all the championships need to find homes starting with the 2012-13 season. Indianapolis and Chicago both made presentations for all three sports, but Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said he is not necessarily looking at it as a package deal.

Chicago is the home of the Big Ten conference headquarters and most recently hosted the basketball tournament in 2007. Indianapolis has a wealth of experience hosting major sporting events and a long history with the league. It's understandable why the Big Ten considers those cities as the favorites, but Cleveland at least wants a shot.

Gilbert said he was told by the Big Ten that only Indianapolis and Chicago will be considered for the next few years -- the decision made now could be a multiyear contract -- but Gilbert said his group already had held several meetings to talk about its presentation, and someday, he hopes the pitch is made.

"We're 110 percent interested," Gilbert said. "And not only are we interested, we really believe we would be a phenomenal host. We think we'd pay more attention to the event than anyone else and make more out of it."

The league could make a choice between Chicago, and its outdoor stadium at Soldier Field, and Indianapolis when the Big Ten presidents and chancellors meet in June.

Dantonio's advice: Ohio State has named linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell as interim coach for the five games when Jim Tressel is currently suspended for the start of the regular season. One of Tressel's friends and former assistants, Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio, understands in some way what the Buckeyes are facing.

Coordinator Don Treadwell filled in for two games, both wins, last season while Dantonio was recovering from a heart attack. Dantonio's advice for Ohio State when playing under an interim coach?

"Allow the system to take over, and that's what we did," Dantonio said at the Big Ten meetings in Chicago this week. "Coach Treadwell did an unbelievable job, but just as important, all of our coaches did, because they all followed suit. They did what they usually did, they stayed together. Nobody was self-serving. And the players did an outstanding job in terms of leadership."

In fact, Dantonio said the absence of the boss actually can help pull the team together.

"We created a cause," Dantonio said. "As much as anything, we maybe created a little bit of a cause and then we built on that as we went forward."

Early basketball? It turns out that no one particularly likes starting Big Ten basketball conference play at the same time that Big Ten football teams are in bowls. So after situations like the Ohio State basketball team playing Iowa last season at the same time as the Buckeyes faced Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl, the league talked about solutions in Chicago.

"It would be kind of like trying to launch the football season in the middle of the Final Four," Delany said.

One possibility raised was playing a few conference games in mid-December, during an otherwise often dead period of less-than-exciting nonconference games. Basketball could get some more attention then and push back the continuation of the Big Ten season until bowl season was over. But nothing has been decided.

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

On the Indians and Reds, the lake and the river, Cleveland and Cincinnati, and their similarities and differences.

View full sizeAl Behrman l AP file photoA statue of a fireman overlooks downtown Cincinnati.

Clevelanders care about the Indians, complain bitterly about the team's owners, the Dolan family, and overload the bandwagon when the team is good.

Cincinnati, the river town, is a baseball town. Fans there love their Reds, although much of the attendance comes from across the Ohio River in Kentucky and from the hamlets of Indiana and West Virginia.

Cincinnatians care about the Bengals, an inept franchise for a generation, complain bitterly about the team's owner, Mike Brown, and overload the bandwagon when the team is good.

The Reds began the only interleague series that really matters in Ohio when they met the Indians on Friday night in Progressive Field.

Only Ohio, Illinois (White Sox and Cubs) and Pennsylvania (Phillies and Pirates) can stage an interleague series featuring teams that date back to the gaslight and horseless carriage era. In the Reds' case, the city's baseball history dates back to the very beginning of the professional game in 1869.

Both cities have had difficulties with names and mascots.

Cleveland dropped the first "a" in founder Moses Cleaveland's name and uses a mascot for the Indians that many find offensive and term "Little Red Sambo."

Cincinnati's original name was Losantiville.

Bad as that is, it would have been much worse had the Red Stockings' name been changed -- as it almost was because of the city's nickname of "Porkopolis," for the 19th century pig-slaughtering trade there -- to "Porkopolitans."

Cincinnati is staunchly Republican. When the Red Scare dominated politics in this country in the 1950s, lest anybody get the wrong idea about Soviet spies in the lineup, the team's name was changed to "Redlegs."

Cleveland is corruption-ridden and Democratic.

Both cities are historically blue collar, although Cleveland is more so now than Cincinnati. Both cities are predominately Catholic, with Notre Dame enjoying a strong following in each. The wife of former Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perk turned down a White House invitation because it was on her bowling night. Former Cincinnatian and star of the silver screen Tyrone Power offered to fund a gymnasium at Purcell High School, Roger Staubach's alma mater. The school said no because Power was divorced.

The Reds lost a great icon, albeit one shared with Detroit, when former manager Sparky Anderson died late last year.

The Indians lost a great icon who was all our own when former pitcher Bob Feller died late last year.

Pete Rose, a native Cincinnatian, is still considered a wronged man in his hometown, despite his own admission that he bet on his team as Reds manager. Reds fans also loved national embarrassment Marge Schott (maiden name: Unnewehr, pronounced "unaware"), when she owned the Reds because she was a local girl.

Indians fans defended Albert Belle to the last ditch -- until he left. The most popular Browns player of the last quarter-century was Bernie Kosar, from Boardman, Ohio, near Youngstown, for the simple reason that he wanted to be here.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called Cincinnati "the Queen City of the West" and Winston Churchill called it "the most beautiful inland city in America." Cleveland was not called either.

Cleveland has a world-class orchestra and art museum. The Creation Museum, archenemy of evolution, is near the Cincinnati airport, which is located in Kentucky.

Cincinnati college fans look to the Southeastern Conference and the University of Kentucky, more than to the Big Ten and Ohio State.

Cincinnati and Toledo, which is at least split between Ohio State and Michigan, are the only cities in Ohio in which the Buckeyes do not dominate the college sports conversation.

Cleveland is Columbus North in some ways, sending more students and players to Ohio State than any city but Columbus. Important OSU games draw higher television ratings here than in any city but Columbus.

The Indians are more popular statewide with younger fans, who remember the great teams of the 1990s. Older fans skew to the Reds because of their memories of the dynastic Big Red Machine in the '70s.

Both cities appreciate players who play hard and are not afraid to get dirty. Rose was loved by Reds fans, Johnny Bench and Ken Griffey Jr. less so. Browns fans love the smash-mouth style of Peyton Hillis because he's a younger Rose with bigger muscles.

People work hard in both cities. Slackers on teams are reviled. If asked "What do George S. Patton, the Exxon Valdez and LeBron James have in common?" many Clevelanders would say, "All three were tankers."

Somebody has been ferreting out some serious talent lately for both teams. The Indians and Reds are good now, and young besides that. They are at or near the top of their divisions to boot, with the Indians having the best record in baseball. The rivals will play again in Cincinnati at the start of July.

It is not inconceivable that they could meet yet again in October.

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If Animal Kingdom can repeat his Derby success in the $1 million Preakness, he'll set himself up for a Triple Crown try in three weeks in the Belmont Stakes.

View full sizeSteve Elber l Associated PressKentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, ridden by David Nava, takes a lap around the training track Friday at Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.

Beth Harris / Associated Press

BALTIMORE — Animal Kingdom won't be sneaking up on anyone -- even coming from behind.

The colt who came out of nowhere to win his first race on dirt in the Kentucky Derby is favored to win the Preakness Stakes today.

"I feel more relaxed than I have all week," trainer Graham Motion said Friday. "I think I've done what I can do and it's really out of my hands now. The nerve-racking stuff is just getting the training done and just trying to keep things straight."

If Animal Kingdom can repeat his Derby success in the $1 million Preakness, he'll set himself up for a Triple Crown try in three weeks in the Belmont Stakes.

It's been 33 years since Affirmed swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont to become horse racing's 11th Triple Crown winner.

Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who will saddle Dialed In, isn't ready to anoint Animal Kingdom just yet.

"I'll become a fan of Animal Kingdom if he keeps going on. I'm not saying Secretariat, Seattle Slew or Spectacular Bid yet," he said, ticking off the names of previous greats.

"He's done so many things that are so unusual; he just may be a very good horse. Hopefully, our little guy has something to say about it."

Dialed In is the early 9-2 second choice after finishing eighth as the beaten favorite in the Derby. Zito hasn't lost any confidence in his horse, who rallied late to make up a lot of ground two weeks ago.

"I still think, and not because I have him, that he's still the best 3-year-old. That's my opinion," he said. "We'll see what happens with Animal Kingdom, and there are so many other good horses in the race."

Animal Kingdom will break from the No. 11 post, with Dialed In just inside, in post 10.

The biggest question surrounding Animal Kingdom going into the Derby was whether he could run on dirt. His pedigree suggested he was more of a turf horse, and he had run four times on synthetics and once on turf leading into the biggest race of his young career.

"Running him on the synthetic, it takes away their star power," trainer Bob Baffert said. "When he got on dirt, he sort of separated himself from the pack. He's definitely the horse to beat."

Animal Kingdom's 2 3/4-length win at Churchill Downs answered the skeptics. He figures to be nearly as fresh as some of his rivals, with the Preakness being just his second race in eight weeks.

Still, Animal Kingdom hasn't scared away the competition. The Preakness attracted a full field of 14 horses for the first time since 2005, including nine that didn't run in the Derby.

"It's going to be about staying out of trouble, very much like it was in the Derby," Motion said. "Fourteen horses is a lot of horses to navigate, especially when you're the one they're gunning for. The track is possibly a little tighter, the surface is probably a little different from Churchill Downs. My horse has shown he can handle the dirt."

The Preakness has five fewer starters than the Derby, making for less of a calvary charge in the early going of the 1 3-16-mile race.

"Most of the time all the best horses are running in the Derby," said Todd Pletcher, who trains newcomer Dance City. "If you have a later developing horse and a fresh horse, it's doable."

Animal Kingdom galloped 1 1/2 miles on the synthetic track at Fair Hill Training Center on Friday. He'll make the one-hour trip to Pimlico by van early this morning.

Motion's stable is based in the Maryland countryside, and he wanted to keep his Derby winner out of the racetrack fray as long as he could.

"It's the first time he's gone through all this stuff so he's going to do it his way. I can't blame him," said Baffert, a five-time Preakness winner who will saddle Midnight Interlude.

After rain much of the week, the forecast calls for sunny skies and highs in the low 80s, ensuring Pimlico's dirt track will be fast.