"Jake is about at the end of his road. Seneca is not and knows worlds more about the offense we're going to run. I want a guy at 3rd string who might get better." - tribefever32

View full sizeAP FileJake Delhomme came to Cleveland to start, but now is stuck behind Colt McCoy and, perhaps, Seneca Wallace.

In response to the story QB Jake Delhomme's days are numbered with the Cleveland Browns, says Tony Grossi (SBTV), cleveland.com reader tribefever32 thinks the 3rd-stringer should be a young guy with upside. This reader writes,

"Jake is about at the end of his road. Seneca is not and knows worlds more about the offense we're going to run. I want a guy at 3rd string who might get better."

Pryor will train in Florida while preparing for the NFL's supplemental draft.

Marvin Fong / The Plain DealerFormer Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has picked Drew Rosenhaus as his agent.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has an agent, and it's one accustomed to dealing with a circus.

Pryor has signed with Drew Rosenhaus, the agent who has represented players like Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Plaxico Burress and DeSean Jackson, so he has lots of experience with high-profile hype and navigating a world beyond just contract negotiations.

Pryor's decision was confirmed by Columbus attorney Larry James, who represented Pryor through the end of his OSU career after NCAA issues arose. According to James, there was a lot of agent interest in Pryor, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound quarterback with receiver speed and a 31-4 record as a starter at Ohio State.

"There was a lot of interest, absolutely," James said. "I've got stacks of stuff from people just sending it in."

James said Pryor spoke with several agents, but sealed his deal with Rosenhaus after visiting with him in Florida. Pryor is in Florida now beginning his training for the NFL's supplemental draft.

That draft is expected to be held in July at some point, and Pryor is almost certainly eligible for it because of the changes in his situation since the NFL draft in April. His coach, Jim Tressel, resigned, and Pryor decided to leave the team in the midst of a continuing NCAA investigation around the OSU program, which was triggered in December when Pryor and four teammates were suspended for five games for selling memorabilia.

James said he wasn't certain about Pryor's future plans because with the Rosenhaus signing, James' role with Pryor is done. But Pryor hasn't expressed any interest in any other football leagues beyond the NFL. The decision now is whether he views himself as only a quarterback or whether he would be open to a position change for the NFL.

Until the draft is held sometime in July, the interest in Pryor should be intense, because of what he did on the field and in breaking NCAA rules at Ohio State, and because he may be the only player who applies for the supplemental draft. There are few agents who have dealt with that kind of scrutiny of their clients more than Rosenhaus.

"What I know about the guy is that he has tentacles in every (NFL) camp," James said. "He also has the ability to address any and all issues and prepare him to play quarterback in the NFL."

What do you feel about LeBron James now? Vindication? Happiness? How about plain ol' pity.

View full sizeRobert Duyos,
South Florida Sun-SentinelStoic on the outside at least, LeBron James watches the seconds tick away on his first, non-title-winning season in Miami after taking his talents from Cleveland to South Beach.

Kasich's resolution proclaims the Mavericks, their friends, family and fans as honorary Ohioans, with all privileges and honors therein, for the day of June 14, 2011.

Tony Dejak, Associated PressOhio Gov. John Kasich was happy about the Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA championship.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Why would the governor of Ohio issue a resolution recognizing a bunch of Texans as honorary Ohioans for a day? To take a swipe at LeBron James, of course.

The Dallas Mavericks defeated James' Miami Heat on Sunday night to win a best-of-seven series 4-to-2 and capture their first NBA championship while denying King James his opportunity to be a champion.

"Whereas, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Dirk Nowitzki chose to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks in the summer of 2010, forgoing free agency and keeping his talents in Dallas, thus remaining loyal to the team, city and fans for whom he played his entire career," reads the resolution from Gov. John Kasich.

Whoa! Score a bucket for the governor for hopping on the bandwagon scorning James for breaking up with his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and their fans on national television last summer.

It's an old story with another chapter completed Sunday night: James drew the ire of Cleveland basketball fans after he went on ESPN to announce he was leaving the Cavs to "take my talents to South Beach." Even before he and his new teammates had ever played a game together he predicted they would win multiple championships. About that same time, Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert fired off an angry missive directed at his former superstar player and predicted his now-lowly Cavs would recover and someday win an NBA ring before James.

Kasich's resolution proclaims the Mavericks, their friends, family and fans as honorary Ohioans, with all privileges and honors therein, for the day of June 14, 2011.

Some NFL teams have instituted furloughs and pay cuts during the lockout.

View full sizeAssociated PressThe NFL lockout isn't costing only players. All salaried employees of the Buffalo Bills have had to take 20 to 25-percent pay cuts for the duration of the lockout. Other teams also are using cuts and furloughs to deal with the lockout.

New York -- Commissioner Roger Goodell and Jeff Pash, the NFL's lead labor negotiator, have slashed their salaries to $1 each during the owners' lockout of the players.

Those are the heftiest pay cuts hitting pro football, but hardly the only ones. League employees have had their salaries trimmed by 12 percent since April -- those reductions will increase if there's no labor deal by August -- and seven teams have instituted pay cuts or furloughs since the lockout began March 12.

Those seven are Miami, Buffalo, the New York Jets, Kansas City, Detroit, Tampa Bay and Arizona, The Associated Press found in interviews around the league. In all, the number of affected employees who work for either the clubs or the league is likely more than 100.

Two teams, the Falcons and 49ers, would not comment when asked if they made any cuts, citing privacy issues. Information about several other clubs came from people with knowledge of the cuts or furloughs who spoke on condition of anonymity because the moves had not been announced by the team.

A source familiar with the situation said the Browns have instituted neither furloughs nor pay cuts.

Several team owners, particularly John Mara of the Giants, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, and Jim Irsay of the Colts, have been adamant about avoiding such reductions.

"I try to stay focused in the now. I just don't anticipate that sort of thing," Irsay said. "My feeling is I'm interested in good morale around here. I look at someone who's making $40,000, $50,000 a year, who has rent to pay, and I don't see it for me as an owner to be asking them for anything."

Buffalo has asked for a lot.

The Bills made across-the-board cuts to all salaried employees in March ranging between 20 and 25 percent.

"We have made prudent preparations for the possibilities of a work stoppage," Bills CEO Russ Brandon said then. "We have, for some time, been very upfront and transparent with our staff so that they, too, could make prudent preparations. We have built a program that focuses on shared sacrifice. Every employee in the organization will be affected. As you move up the organization chart, the sacrifice increases in absolute and percentage terms, as it should.

"We plan no layoffs as a result of the situation at this time. Our hope is that our advanced planning will allow us to avoid them in the future as well."

But in May the team also suspended payments into the employees' pension and 401K plans for the duration of the lockout.

Lions employees have taken two-week furloughs, a person familiar with the moves told the AP.

"Any decisions we make, the impact will start with me," said team president Tom Lewand, adding the names of coach Jim Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew. "Unfortunately, it is affecting the entire organization, starting with us."

The Cardinals had a companywide weeklong furlough during the last week of May. All the coaches have in their contracts pay reductions in the event of a work stoppage.

The Jets have been requiring their dozens of non-contracted employees to take a one-week unpaid furlough every month since the lockout began. Contracted employees in football operations, including general manager Mike Tannenbaum, coach Rex Ryan and assistant coaches, took 25 percent pay cuts.

And the Jets implemented other cost-cutting measures, such as scaling back team events -- they canceled their "Taste of the NFL" benefit and their annual golf outing.

Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, coach Tony Sparano and his assistant coaches received a pay cut on June 1. In May, the Dolphins cut salaries of support staff 10 to 20 percent. The percentage was larger for higher-paid employees, and all employees were told they'll return to full pay when the lockout ends. CEO Mike Dee blamed lagging ticket sales resulting from the lockout.

Owner Stephen Ross said employees will either receive back pay when the lockout ends or get time off to compensate for the reduced pay.

Across the state, the Buccaneers closed their offices during Memorial Day week, saying employees would be reimbursed in full for lost wages from the one-week furlough if the labor situation is resolved and no regular-season games are lost.

All Chiefs employees, including GM Scott Pioli and coach Todd Haley, have taken a pay reduction during the lockout. The extent of the reduction depends on the level of job, with top executives taking the biggest hit. The cuts will be phased in over eight months and will average about 10 percent, with nobody reduced more than 20 percent.

If the NFL plays a full season, everybody will be fully reimbursed for lost wages.

The Packers have a plan to hold back salaries for management level and higher employees, but it hasn't been applied. It would only go into effect if a game or games are missed.

The Saints have avoided any cuts or furloughs in part because their revenue stream from ticket sales never has been better. They recently billed season ticket holders for the second half of their amount due, perhaps to maintain enough cash flow to delay resorting to salary reductions. The Louisiana Superdome is sold out again for next season, and because of redesigned and upgraded field level seating, capacity has increased from 70,000 to 73,000. Prices for many of those new seats went up, creating more income for the team.

Oakland has come up with its own way of potentially avoiding cuts: The Raiders implemented a plan that allows employees to keep their full pay if they sell a certain number of season tickets.

"Certainly some teams are taking one approach: How do we decrease expenses during a work stoppage?" Raiders CEO Amy Trask said. "We looked at this from the opposite approach. Let's all work together as an organization, every single department, to increase our ticket revenues."

The Raiders were last in the NFL last year in attendance, averaging just over 46,400 fans per home game. So, to avoid a pay cut, employees must sell season tickets worth 10 percent of their salary during the lockout.

The cheapest Raiders season tickets go for $260 per year, with the most expensive non-club seats at $960 annually.

"This is a program that's constructive and productive," Trask said. "We're working as a staff to build something together, so when we come out on the other side of this work stoppage we're going to be bigger and better and stronger for it because we have sold more season tickets."

Now will there be games at which to use them?

Miami Herald accidentally publishes congratulatory ad.

Updated at 3:28 p.m.

View full sizeMiami New Times BlogsThis is what's known as the butter-side-down theory in newspaper preparedness. This ad from the Miami Herald clearly was prepared in the event that the Heat won last night, then followed up with another victory. Oops.

Let he who is without typo cast the first sotne, er, stoen, er, rock, but the Miami Herald had one of those legendary newspaper biz goofs today: The paper ran a big ol' ad -- complete with championship hats, etc. for sale! -- in the paper.

The Miami New Times Blogs, in a piece about the faux pas, included the correction that sowed up -- dang it! SHOWED up -- a little later:

A Macy's advertisement featuring Miami HEAT merchandise was mistakenly published on page 11D of the June 13th edition of The Miami Herald. We regret the error and apologize for any inconvenience.

"I believe Acta is trying to get our young pitchers to improve to the next level. One of the things a pitcher needs to do is work through jams without getting rattled. If Acta panics and switches pitchers every time it looks like a starter might give up a big inning, those starters will never become better pitchers." - boz44122

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerFans have complained about Manny Acta sticking with starting pitchers for too long, but is there a good reason for it?

In response to the story Cleveland Indians keep slip-sliding away as New York Yankees roll again, 9-1, cleveland.com reader boz44122 thinks there's a reason Manny Acta sticks with his starters. This reader writes,

"I believe Acta is trying to get our young pitchers to improve to the next level. One of the things a pitcher needs to do is work through jams without getting rattled. If Acta panics and switches pitchers every time it looks like a starter might give up a big inning, those starters will never become better pitchers."

The Indians, who three weeks ago owned baseball's best record, have lost four straight, nine of 10 and 14 of 18.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerThe Indians need more production from players such as Grady Sizemore to shake their team-wide slump.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians have slid from being the team with baseball's best win-loss record, to simply being a team in desperate need of a win or two.

The Tribe has lost four straight games, nine of their last 10 and 14 of the last 18. Tonight, Cleveland (34-29) plays at New York against the Yankees (36-27). Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (5-3, 4.52) will start for the Indians while New York sends righty A.J. Burnett (6-4, 4.37) to the hill.

The Indians were 30-15 after their 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox three weeks ago tonight, and ranked first in ESPN.com's power rankings.

ESPN dropped the Tribe to second the next week, third last week, and now eighth (charitably?) in its new rankings.

ESPN.com's comment on the Tribe:

The Indians' offense crumbled this week; they were shut out twice and got their only win in a 1-0 affair with the Twins. Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Santana all hit under .190 during this stretch.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes PD Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes' Indians Insider; his Indians Chatter; his game story on the Indians' 9-1 loss to the Yankees on Sunday; Bud Shaw's column on the Indians.

Around the horn

Indians-Yankees game preview, by Joey Nowak on MLB.com.

Indians general manager Chris Antonetti remains confident that the Indians' offense will again produce, by Jordan Bastian for MLB.com. Also, Bastian writes about second baseman Orlando Cabrera getting his 2,000th career hit on Sunday, with video.

The Indians' team-wide slump, by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Updates on the Indians' draft picks, on Indians Prospect Insider.

The blog Waiting For Next Year wonders what readers think of manager Manny Acta's lineup for tonight's game.

Fickell made it clear he didn't go out of his way to try to keep Pryor at Ohio State. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The most telling part about Luke Fickell's introductory news conference as Ohio State's head football coach Monday was his explanation of what he didn't do.

When OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor tried to contact the new coach, presumably to discuss his future as a Buckeye, Fickell never sat down with the quarterback who had won 31 games in three years as a starter but had also committed NCAA violations.

"Everything happened kind of fast," Fickell said. "He tried to contact me, the situation didn't work out where we had a chance to sit down and talk."

Fickell said the program loses valuable players every season, and it's what the team prepares for. But this was different. This was a quarterback with a year of eligibility remaining and a coach who has one year to prove he might be the right man for the job long-term. If Fickell wanted Pryor back, the quarterback would have been at the top of his to-do list.

So it's clear the coach was ready to move on.

"It is different," Fickell said. "But again, we're going to embrace all the expectations and all the situations and continue to focus on moving forward with the program."

That was Fickell's focus Monday as he took his first public step toward leading the Buckeyes through the chaos of an NCAA investigation that has so far cost them a coach and a quarterback. The 37-year-old had no major missteps nor any truly signature moments, but Ohio State should be happy with enthusiastic and stable right now.

How did you think Fickell did?

Columbus attorney Christopher Cicero has been accused of divulging confidential information from a prospective client to Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, a move that set into motion the university's scandal.

Christopher Cicero

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Columbus attorney Christopher Cicero has been accused of divulging confidential information from a prospective client to Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, a move that set into motion the university's scandal.

The allegations stem from Cicero's conversations last year with tattoo parlor owner Edward Rife, according to a complaint released Monday by the Ohio Supreme Court's Disciplinary Counsel.

The complaint says that while Rife was not Cicero's client at the time of the discussions, a lawyer cannot reveal information learned in a consultation with a prospective client.

Messages left at Cicero's office were not returned. The disciplinary counsel investigates allegations of misconduct among the state's lawyers.

The complaint said Rife met with Cicero on April 2, 2010, the day after federal drug agents raided Rife's home in a marijuana investigation. The agents also seized a large stash of Ohio State memorabilia, including gold pendants, championship rings and jerseys.

Rife knew Cicero through a former business partner, according to the document. Cicero had represented Rife's former partner in several matters, and the acquaintance suggested Rife to go to Cicero for counsel, the disciplinary counsel said.

Edward Rife

"During the meeting, Rife expressed his concern that their conversation would remain confidential," the complaint said. "(Cicero) assured Rife that everything Rife told (Cicero) would remain confidential.

The disciplinary counsel said Cicero offered an aggressive strategy, telling Rife that he could have the OSU memorabilia returned within the week and that Rife probably wouldn't get jail time. Cicero said he would represent Rife for $10,000, the charges said.

Rife wanted time to think about it, according to the complaint. He later reached out to several other attorneys, each of whom told Rife that he was looking at prison.

Right after the April 2 meeting, Cicero sent an email to Tressel, "divulging much of the information that Rife had told (him) in confidence," the complaint said. The email discussed the raid, the memorabilia and Rife's past criminal record.

Cicero never told Rife that he sent the e-mail to Tressel, the document said. Rife continued seeking out attorneys and finally chose Stephen Palmer, a Columbus defense lawyer.

On April 15, 2010, Rife and his former business partner went to Cicero's office again, as Rife had second thoughts over hiring Palmer, according to the disciplinary counsel. In the conversation with Cicero, Rife detailed his relationships with Ohio State players, including star quarterback Terrelle Pryor, and the items he obtained. The next day, Cicero wrote to Tressel, again without Rife's knowledge.

"He told me that Terrelle gave him some type of MVP trophy -- but I don't know the year," Cicero wrote to Tressel. ". . . He told me he has about 9 rings (from the) Big Ten Championship, among them were [wide receiver DeVier] Posey's, Pryor's, [Ray] Small (no surprise here)."

Later that day, Cicero wrote Tressel again, telling him that the coach must tell the players, including Pryor and Posey, to stay away from Rife, his house and his business.

"He really is a drug dealer," Cicero wrote Tressel about Rife. "And I know Terrelle has his phone number and has called him. All I tell you is factual."

Larry James, the attorney who has represented Pryor and Posey, said he had no comment involving the emails. Attempts to reach Small were unsuccessful.

The complaint alleged that Cicero also urged Rife to fire Palmer, a move Rife did not make. Palmer declined to comment Monday.

Last month, Rife, 31, was charged in U.S. District Court in Columbus with conspiracy to distribute more than 200 pounds of marijuana and money laundering. He has a hearing June 28.

In the weeks since Rife was charged, Tressel resigned. Pryor will skip his senior season, and the football program faces possible NCAA sanctions.

For Cicero, the disciplinary process works like this: He must respond to the allegations in the next month or two. A board of commissioners on grievances and discipline, an independent board appointed by the high court, will host a public hearing on the allegations against Cicero in about five to six months.

Based on the result of the hearing, Cicero could face sanctions if he is found to have committed the misconduct. The sanctions range from a public reprimand to losing his license.

It marks the second time Cicero has faced allegations with the disciplinary counsel. In 1997, his law license was suspended for failing to maintain a respectful attitude toward the courts. The ruling stemmed from a sexual relationship with Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Deborah O'Neill, who assigned him a case on her docket in October 1993.

Records from the disciplinary counsel show Cicero led some attorneys to believe that he had an ongoing sexual relationship with O'Neill while on the case. Cicero claimed that he exaggerated his level of intimacy with the judge and the timing of it. Attempts to reach her have been unsuccessful.

LeBron James is learning the hard way that decisions don't have television shows, they have consequences. A letter from Terry Pluto.

View full sizeRobert Duyos / Sun SentinelThere's no blaming your franchise, your teammates or your fans, LeBron. The outcome of this playoff failure rests largely on your shoulders, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dear LeBron James:

Decisions don't have television shows, they have consequences.

That's one lesson learned from how your Miami Heat were banished from the NBA Finals Sunday night by the Dallas Mavericks.

LeBron, you lost to the Mavericks? The same Mavericks playing without 15-point scorer and second-best all-around player Caron Butler? The Mavericks, perhaps the fourth-best team in the Western Conference at the start of the playoffs?

LeBron, this is not about your supporting cast. It's not about the coach. It's not even about the pressure of having to carry the dreams of your hometown fans and a title-starved city on your wide shoulders.

It's about how when your team needed you the most -- in the fourth quarter -- you were repeatedly missing in action. There in the body, but elsewhere in spirit.

The entire basketball world watched it, just as they watched your television special on ESPN with that horrible line of "I'm taking my talents to South Beach." Most of the country saw it as coldly turning your back on the North Coast. In one hour, you went from one of the nation's most-liked athletes to a polarizing figure.

Yes, many are happy today that you lost. But you appear even worse when you said, "all the people rooting for me to fail ... will wake up tomorrow with the same life they had before ... the same personal problems ..."

You went on way too long about how most of us are stuck in our normal lives -- implying that win or lose, you are still LeBron James, millionaire and superstar. Those words were another poor decision, and they will have negative consequences in terms of public reaction. It's why so many casual sports fans who can't even pronounce Nowitzki found themselves cheering for Dallas -- and the man who has spent all 13 years of a brilliant career with the same franchise in quest of his first title.

LeBron, you clearly are hurt and angry about all the criticism that you received after your team was booted from the Finals, but what do you expect? Your Heat lost two of its three home games in this series!

View full sizeDavid Santiago / El Nuevo HeraldFor an eighth straight regular season, LeBron James lived up to the royal standards he aspires to in the NBA, but for the second straight season, he was grounded by an opponent who seemed ripe to be beaten. By Sunday night, Jason Kidd (left), Tyson Chandler (right) and Dirk Nowitzki and a resilient Mavericks team made "The Chosen One" seem like just another underperforming athlete.

Dallas guard J.J. Barea is not much bigger than your old pint-sized St. Vincent-St. Mary teammate Dru Joyce III. But he scored nearly as many points (40) as you (46) in the last three games. The other Dallas starting guard is 38-year-old Jason Kidd. He looks older than your former coach, Dru Joyce II.

Dallas has one superstar in Dirk Nowitzki, one super-sub in Jason Terry, some very determined veterans and dedicated role players. You still may not see if this way, but the Cavs were working on assembling exactly this type of team for you in Cleveland.

I love this quote from Dallas coach Rick Carlisle: "Come on, how often do we have to hear about the LeBron James Show and what he is or isn't doing? When are people going to talk about the purity of our game and what these guys accomplished?"

Just as earlier in the series, Carlisle said: "Persistence is our game. We're an old-school team. We're not high-fliers. ... Our game is near the ground. We have to play with brains and guts."

Those are lessons.

The tweet from Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is correct, "There are NO SHORTCUTS ... NONE"

I agree with you about what happened in Cleveland last year. You didn't quit. It was something else, something much deeper. The fear of failure? The weariness of being the center of attention -- despite doing everything to put the bright, revealing television lights upon you?

The Cavs were leading Boston, 2-1, in a best-of-seven playoff series, coming off a huge victory on the road -- 124-95 on the Celtics' court. It was the last game they'd win that season, as the Celtics ambushed your team and you often appeared like someone with one foot out the door, thinking about your next job.

But that look returned in this series, a man standing at the corner waiting for the bus that may never arrive.

Decisions have consequences.

After the game, you tweeted: "The Greater Man upstairs know (sic) when it's my time. Right now is not my time."

Don't blame fate or anyone else for the fact that your team was outscored by 24 points when you were on the court in Game 6. Or by 11 in Game 5. Or by six in Game 4. In those last three games -- all losses -- your team outscored Dallas by 21 points when you sat.

Bu the Heat were outscored by 41 points when you played in the final three games.

Suppose you had played pick-and-roll with your buddy, Dwyane Wade. He dribbles the ball, you set the pick and freight-train it to the basket. Who can defend that?

In Cleveland, you didn't want to set picks for others, just as you didn't like to take your incredible 6-8, 260-pound frame near the basket to score in the low post. In your final years here, you didn't even want anyone to set picks -- preferring to just play the game your way.

Well, you did it your way, predicting how many titles -- eight?

What your decision and this series reveals is that you still haven't learned all of what it takes to win one.

GM Chris Antonetti talks about the progress Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall have made at Class AAA Columbus.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIs there a Lonnie Chisenhall in the Indians' near future? A team in desperate need of offensive assistance could be making a call to the minors for Chisenhall and fellow infielder Jason Kipnis.

NEW YORK, New York -- Cord Phelps is here. So when do second baseman
Jason Kipnis and third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall join the Indians in the big leagues?

GM Chris Antonetti, while not naming names, says there are players in the minor league system that could help the Indians, if they right themselves from their current slump and continue to contend in the AL Central.

"There are certain guys down there that I think have the ability to impact us in a meaningful situation," said Antonetti on Sunday. "A lot of that is a function of opportunity and what our needs are up here."

The Indians currently need offense. Could Kipnis and Chisenhall help them at some point?

"Both guys have made great strides defensively," said Antonetti. "Lonnie has continue to improve at third base. Jason has done a very good job at second base. ... One of our development goals for Jason was to be able to turn double plays a number of different ways. He shown his comfort level for doing that.

"It's just a question of him getting more time at the position."

Kipnis was drafted as a center fielder in 2009 and switched to second last year. Chisenhall was drafted as a shortstop in 2008 and was moved to third in 2009. The Indians are reluctant to promote either one until they're satisfied they can handle the defensive part of the job.

"With Lonnie and Jason it's position conversion," said Antonetti. "They don't have a lot of games over there and there are a lot of things you can't simulate until you're in a game."
 
Offensively, Kipnis is hitting .292 (64-for-219) with 38 runs, 12 doubles, five triples, seven homers and 37 RBI in 59 games at Class AAA Columbus. He has 10 steals, 26 walks and 36 strikeouts.

"Jason has certainly done everything you could have hoped for offensively," said Antonetti. "He's continued to put up quality at-bats, drive the ball for extra bases and controlled the strike zone for the most part."

Kipnis' OPS is .858.

Chisenhall is hitting .250 (58-for-232) with 39 runs, 14 doubles, two triples, five homers and 30 RBI. He's struck out 42 times and drawn 26 walks.

"Lonnie has been a little more of a challenge," said Antonetti. "He's had periods where he's been consistent with his swing and approach. He's had other periods where he's struggled a little bit.

"All the attributes are there for Lonnie to be a very successful major-league hitter. He's just a young player developing."

Chisenhall has a .734 OPS.

Tonight's lineups:

Indians (34-29): DH Grady Sizemore, 1B Carlos Santana, CF Michael Brantley, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), LF Travis Buck (L), 2B Cord Phelps (S), 3B  Jack Hannahan (L), C Lou Marson (R), RHP Carlos Carrasco (5-3, 4.52).

Yankees (36-27): SS Derek Jeter (R), CF Curtis Granderson (L), 1B Mark Teixeira (R), 3B Alex Rodriguez (R), 2B Robinson Cano (L), RF Nick Swisher (S), DH Jorge Posada (S), LF Brett Gardner (L), C Francisco Cervelli (R) and RHP A.J. Burnett (6-4, 4.37).

Him vs. me: Granderson, the only Yankee to face Carrasco, is 2-for-6 against him. Sizemore is hitting .417 (5-for-12) against Burnett with three doubles and a homer.

Umpires: H Mike Muchlinski, 1B Dale Scott, 2B Dan Iassogna, 3B C.B. Bucknor. Scott, crew chief.

Left-right: Righties are hitting .209 (27-for-127) with two homers and lefties .331 (40-for-137) with two homers vs. Carrasco. The Yankees have six lefties, including three switch-hitters, in the lineup.

Righties are hitting .206 (28-for-136) with five homers and lefties are hitting .248 (39-for-157) with six homers against Burnett. The Indians have eight lefties, including three switch-hitters, in the lineup.
 
Quote of the day: "I don't think anyone ever liked to play more than I did," Hall of Fame shortstop Nellie Fox.

Next: Indians open three-game series against Detroit on Tuesday night at Comerica Park. Justin Masterson (5-4, 3.18) will face Detroit's Justin Verlander (7-3, 2.89) at 7:05 p.m. STO and WTAM/1100 will carry the game.

A loser again, LeBron James seems to lack the capacity, the will and, so far, the character to change either his game or his poor chemistry with his new team.

View full sizeWilfredo Lee / Associated PressBy showing more anger and disdain for his critics while not displaying all that much disappointment in his own performance against Dallas, LeBron James continues to show that he's yet to grasp how to win a title -- or win friends -- a year after The Decision, says Bill Livingston.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- At the end, LeBron James failed to deliver once again, as easy got too hard, as the Dallas team's resolve and perseverance made him a loser again.

Despite his illustrious new Miami teammates, James was overshadowed in the NBA Finals by Dirk Nowitzki, of all people.

Nowitzki's outgrown reputation as a soft player, his dependence on jump shots, his loyalty to the Mavericks' franchise -- all these things made him the anti-LeBron. Fittingly, it was Nowitzki who hoisted the big trophy with the golden ball and the golden net, not James.

It is the trophy that Michael Jordan kissed the first time he held it and then would not let it go, the trophy all the players dream about. Now James' count of what he considered Miami's inevitable championships, "not five, not six, not seven," is exceeded by the eight seasons he has played without winning a single one.

James knows nothing about Nowitzki's virtues, nothing about staying the course, nothing about internalizing defeat and using its lessons to grow stronger. When asked what he would have to change in his game to play more effectively with Dwyane Wade, he said he wouldn't change a thing because "I'd just be a role player at that point."

He just doesn't get it, not even in the game of basketball, at which he is supposed to be such an intuitive genius. He does not really know the body angles needed to post up. Worse, he does not want to because then he might get fouled and have to go to the line, alone, just him and a free throw stroke that gets shaky under pressure.

No less than the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, after winning an NBA championship in 2009, asked former Houston center Hakeem Olajuwon to tutor him in inside play. If he wasn't adding to his game, reasoned Bryant, he was stagnating and others were gaining on him.

Does James possess that intense drive, that surprising humility, that deep capacity for self-examination? It's doubtful, although James said after it was over, that no one knows how hard he works in the off-season.

On what? Not on how to use screens. Not on the footwork needed for post play. His left-handed free throw, however, does need work.

Miami's downfall is fascinating to those who have seen other teams try to meld players who have always before had the ball, who have always before been the focal point. It goes back at least to Rick Barry and Cazzie Russell with the Warriors, to Spencer Haywood and Bob McAdoo with the Knicks, to Dr. J and George McGinnis with the Sixers. It does not often work because somebody has to sacrifice something, or, in James' case, add something.

The adjustment has to be made by James, because it is Wade's team, because Wade has a ring, because Wade was the superstar who did not consistently "die down in the moment" in the fourth quarter of the Finals.

What is especially striking is how completely Wade has become James' chaperone. James, a man who wears wrist bands with the words "King James" on them, shot glances at Wade Sunday night when tough questions came their way, deferring again and again. This, all in all, is probably for the best.

When left to his own devices, James says stupid things that reveal how twisted the culture of modern sports has left his perspective. He not only has almost no connection to the lives of ordinary people. He has also no respect for their loyalty and passion. He even belittles them.

"They have to wake up and have the same life that they had before they woke up today, the same personal problems," James said of his critics. "I'm going to continue to live the way that I want to live ... But they have to get back to the real world at some point."

He still gets to be the global icon. Just like he got to drive the Hummer in high school in Akron. Just like he got to play near the banner in Cleveland that urged us all to "witness" his wonders. The idolatry within the cocoon in which he lives has made advertised greatness indistinguishable from its reality.

Many of the little people out there in ordinary life land work hard at less enjoyable pursuits than basketball, trying to scrape out a better life for their kids. Denigrating them is as immature as mocking Nowitzki when he was sick during a game. In the wealthy world of pro basketball, it is as futile as trying to substitute riches for respect. It is as misguided as trading celebrity for character.

It is what happens in LeBron James' world, though, and he and his sycophants are welcome to it.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Though Irving remains the favorite, mock drafts can't settle on who the Cavaliers will select with the first overall pick.

Associated PressMany analysts believe the Cavaliers will take Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick in the draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- We're 10 days away from the NBA draft, and it seems that as the days decrease, an undercurrent of doubt increases.

The majority of analysts still believe the Cleveland Cavaliers will take Duke point guard Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick, but -- if mock drafts mean anything, and they usually don't -- a sense of uncertainty has emerged.

The Cavs also own the fourth overall pick. FoxSports.com carries NBADraft.net's mock draft, which predicts that Cleveland will make Arizona forward Derrick Williams pick No. 1.

The NBADraft.net comment on Williams:

The Cavs have yet to settle on either Williams or Kyrie Irving, but it's possible they can have both. Owner Dan Gilbert has said he would love to see them grab Williams. He has a big wingspan and plays with high energy. His toughness playing through a broken pinkie and showing no ill effects was impressive. At the combine, Williams showed he has plenty of size and strength to play in the post at the NBA level, and he retains the same great agility that made him the most unstoppable forward in college basketball this season. If Cleveland considers there to be four elite-level players available, taking Williams at No. 1 would leave their options open better than Irving.

NBADraft.net predicts that Irving and big man Enes Kanter of Turkey will be off the board by the time the Cavs pick at No. 4, and will thus take Kentucky point guard Brandon Knight.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com continue Cavaliers, NBA and NBA draft coverage.

Picks and pops

The DraftExpress.com mock draft has the Cavs taking Irving with the first pick.

The Sports Xchange, on CBSSports.com, ranks the players in the draft.

Three days ago, NBADraft.net had the Cavaliers picking Kanter at No. 1 in a mock draft.

A slideshow Rotoworld.com mock draft.

A look at every lottery pick (No. 1 pick through No. 14) on BleacherReport.com.

A draft notebook by Sam Amick on Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

Point guard Ramon Sessions' future with the Cavaliers could be in doubt if the Cavs draft a point guard. By Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Another year, another James-led team losing despite being the title favorite, this time to the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the NBA Finals. There was no running from it. and he knew it.

View full sizeRobert Duyos / Sun SentinelThe vast majority of the country were rooting against LeBron James and delighted in this most recent failure. Even his former teammates. "Dallas just healed my heart," Mo Williams wrote on his Twitter account late Sunday.

Brian Windhorst

Special to The Plain Dealer

MIAMI -- LeBron James disappeared into another summer of discontent Sunday night, nothing like the sunset he'd planned to be riding into when he transplanted his roots to South Beach last summer.

Another year, another James-led team losing despite being the title favorite, this time to the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the NBA Finals. It came with more questions than ever about his leadership and his playoff ability. This time, though, he didn't have Mo Williams or any other Cavalier teammates to kick around.

No, this time the heavy blame, fairly or not, came crushing down on James. He played, without question or qualification, the worst playoff series of a career that is now eight years old. He averaged fewer than 18 points a game after averaging 27 in the regular season, the biggest scoring drop off for any player in Finals history.

The numbers only confirmed what millions of eyes were seeing, that James was faltering badly in the clutch. It was happening for a second consecutive year and this time there was no free agency to divert attention once the series was over. Just heaps of criticism for James' inability to carry the Heat as he had for much of the season and the previous two rounds of the playoffs when he seemed to be near the apex of his powers.

There was no running from it, and he knew it.

"Any time you feel like you get to the top of the mountain and you fall off, there's definitely a personal failure," James said after the 105-95 loss Sunday. "It was a failure in '07 when we lost to the Spurs when I was in Cleveland, it's a failure now for myself losing to the Mavericks."

The vast majority of the country -- overwhelmingly in unscientific but wide-ranging polls -- were rooting against him and delighted in this most recent failure. Even his former teammates.

"Dallas just healed my heart," Williams wrote on his Twitter account late Sunday.

Many could relate to Williams' emotion.

When James left the Cavs to join the Heat last summer it was, he explained in bits and pieces over the course of many months, because he felt it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He couldn't pass up joining two friends and fellow All-Stars in a desirable warm-weather city. He didn't want to miss out on an NBA arms race that the Cavs couldn't compete with because they'd been taken out of position by trying everything to win the previous two years.

"I understand a lot of the backlash that came with me going to Miami, but I understand also that I did what was best for me, what was best for my family, and what was best for me being a professional athlete," James said in happier times after he finished off what many considered a masterpiece series in the Eastern finals over the Chicago Bulls.

"I understand what this league is all about. I wanted to team up with some guys that would never die down in the moment. The opportunity presented itself with this great organization and we made it happen."

View full sizeLucy Nicholson / Associated PressToo-often ineffective on the court -- including this Game 5 charge against Dallas' Tyson Chandler -- and frequently verbally clumsy off it, LeBron James never found any rhythm that could win games or influence fans, says Brian Windhorst.

Like many things James has said over this last year -- with fans and critics hanging on his every word -- these came back to bite him. James' new teammates didn't die down in the moment in the Finals. Wade averaged 26.5 points, seven rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 55 percent. Chris Bosh averaged 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds, better numbers than any James teammate had averaged in a series before this season. Even role players came to his aid, as point guard Mario Chalmers averaged 11.8 points and shot 40 percent from 3-point range as he played several of his best games as a pro.

Yet, with thick irony, it was James who appeared to die in the moment. As he became deferential and uncharacteristically passive over the last two weeks, both his intestinal fortitude and legacy were thrown into a perception blender.

This was not at all part of his plan, which made it so much harder for him to swallow as he walked away from another ringless season. The feelings that he ran from in Cleveland were back, but with what sure seemed like justified finger-pointing.

"I pretty much don't listen to what everybody has to say about me or my game or what I've done with my career, I don't get involved in that," James said. "This is year after year after year for me.

"Me as an individual, people write or say what they want to say about me. It doesn't weigh on me at all. The only thing that weighs on me is when I don't perform well for my teammates and the guys that I play for every day."

Most days this season were pleasant for James. He had the best-shooting season of his career and the most versatile defensive season as well. His defense on Derrick Rose, the Bulls' guard who took the MVP trophy from him, during the conference finals was textbook. His willingness to change his role and yield some responsibility and glory to Wade during the year earned him high praise from his coaches and teammates.

He privately took pleasure, meanwhile, in seeing the Cavs' struggles and it slipped out a few times -- whether on Twitter or in vague comments. He knew Cleveland was still watching; the television ratings showing Northern Ohio's interest in Heat games were a topic of conversation in the Heat locker room during the playoffs.

When the Heat took a 2-1 lead in the Finals and looked to have Game 4 under control, it looked like all of it was going to fall into place.

But with James in position to carry the Heat home, the role he was expected to play when he and his new teammates celebrated his arrival and predicted multiple championships, he wheezed in the moment.

At just 26, it's still possible those championships may come. But this was not how the script was supposed to start. It left him scrambling for an out. For once, he couldn't go to his game as his answer and instead he seized on belittling those who rejoiced in his struggles.

After a year of struggling to win approval for personal choices that alienated a once-huge fan base, it felt like a poetic end.

"All the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before," James said. "I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that."

Brian Windhorst is a former Plain Dealer NBA beat writer and currently works for ESPN.com.

Manager Manny Acta makes big changes in his lineup to try and re-ignite the offense.

View full sizeAP photoAsdrubal Cabrera celebrated his first night as the Indians' cleanup hitter with an RBI single in the fourth inning Monday against the Yankees.

NEW YORK -- Manny Acta says he still has a couple of surprises up his sleeve for the rest of the season, but the one he used to rewrite the Indians' lineup card for Monday night's series finale against the Yankees carried a decent amount of shock value.

Grady Sizemore was back in the leadoff spot for the first time since May 10. That was just the beginning. Carlos Santana, who Acta has kept in the middle of the lineup for much of the first 2 1/2 months of the season, was hitting second for the first time in the big leagues.

Michael Brantley, who has spent 45 games in the leadoff spot and another 14 batting sixth or seventh, made his first big-league appearance in the No.3 spot. Then came Asdrubal Cabrera, batting cleanup for the first time in his career.

"We felt something had to be done," said Acta. "We're averaging fewer than three runs per game for the last 18. We felt Brantley and Asdrubal have been our two most consistent hitters over the last two months. They've been good in the clutch and wanted to take an opportunity to flip-flop them."

Brantley flip-flopped with Sizemore, going from first to third. Cabrera flip-flopped with Santana, going from second to fourth. Brantley is hitting .286 (67-for-234). Cabrera is hitting .302 (41-for-262).

With runners in scoring position, Brantley is hitting .308 (12-for-39) with 22 RBI. Cabrera is hitting .426 (23-for-54) with 29 RBI with RISP.

"This gives Santana an opportunity to contribute with his on-base percentage from the second hole," said Acta. "Basically, we have our two best hitters hitting in the middle of the lineup. I talked to those guys and I'm not expecting them to change their approach at the plate."

Tick tock: How long Acta's stays with the new lineup depends greatly on when Travis Hafner returns.

After taking batting practice and running the bases for the third time in the last four days Monday afternoon, Hafner returned to Cleveland on Monday night. If his strained right oblique muscle doesn't cause a concern, he'll begin his rehab assignment Tuesday night at Class AA Akron.

"We've talked about three or four games," said Hafner.

Said Acta, "Everything will change once Hafner comes back."

As for how much time Hafner will need to get ready, Acta said, "We don't have an amount of at-bats or games. It will be up to Hafner. He's been around long enough to know. I do feel a [designated hitter] probably takes less time to get ready compared to a guy who plays a position and has to build his stamina."

Ouch: Cabrera has a nasty bruise on his right elbow courtesy of a Carl Pavano pitch in the finale of their last pitch. He had three hits Sunday against the Yankees, but until then it appeared to be bothering him.

"It's a little sore, but I'm fine," he said. As for hitting cleanup, Cabrera said, "I have no problem with that. I'm going to play the same game."

Message from Manny: Part of Acta's message to the Indians before they opened the Yankee series on Friday was this, "we're not a fluke. You don't play like we did for 2 1/2 months, and stay in first place for that long if you're a fluke.

"We built that lead early and that's why we're still in a pretty good spot."

Finally: Justin Masterson caught a flight to Detroit before Monday's game in order to be rested for Tuesday's start against Detroit. ... Matt LaPorta didn't start because Acta didn't feel he was a good matchup for A.J. Burnett's breaking ball. The Indians had eight left-handers, including three switch-hitters, in the lineup against Burnett.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Though he's young, at his first news conference, new Ohio State coach Luke Fickell showed his love for Ohio State couldn't be topped.

View full sizeTerry Gilliam / Associated Press"I can't tell you how humbled and honored I am," new OSU football coach Luke Fickell said at his introductory press conference Monday. "This is a program I know, love and respect as much as anything in my life."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- At 37, Jim Tressel was in his fifth season as the head coach at Division I-AA Youngstown State and hadn't yet won his first national title, Joe Paterno was still a Penn State assistant, Brady Hoke was the defensive ends coach at Michigan and Urban Meyer was getting ready for his first year as the boss at Bowling Green.

At 37, Ohio State's Luke Fickell faced the public for the first time Monday as the head coach for one of the most storied and troubled football programs in the nation, the former OSU nose guard the new face of the nation's largest athletic department.

"I truly believe it's been a natural progression," said an enthusiastic and slightly nervous Fickell, speaking of his ascension to his first head coaching job. He spoke while wearing a scarlet tie, with his wife, Amy, sitting just in front of him and four posters from his 14 years as an OSU player and assistant propped around him.

"Some might believe it's an accelerated progression," Fickell said, "but this is what I've been preparing for almost 15 years now."

The third-youngest coach in major college football, older than only USC's Lane Kiffin and Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, Fickell may or may not be the long-term answer for Ohio State, but he was the clear answer for now when Jim Tressel resigned two weeks ago. OSU athletic director Gene Smith announced Monday that Fickell got a raise to $775,000, a little more than one-fifth of what Tressel was making.

Though wearing an interim coach label makes recruiting more difficult and his future less certain, Fickell denied that anything had changed in terms of what an Ohio State football season should entail.

"I will take the shot in any way I possibly can," Fickell said. "We know at Ohio State all eyes are on you each and every year. That doesn't worry me one bit.

"Ohio State's expectations will not change, whether there is a tag on the name or not on the name, or whether there's a long-term contract. We will embrace the expectations of being Buckeyes and we know what that brings with it."

"It doesn't matter in the big scheme of things if he's got the support of the fans or the administration," said Mike Vrabel, the NFL linebacker and former Buckeye who played with Fickell at Ohio State and remains one of his best friends. "In the short term, he's got to have the support of the players, and I'm pretty certain he does. That's what's important, that's what will get these guys through this time. As he does that, fans will start to realize what they've got and the administration will realize what they've got."

Fickell focused on a few main themes, stressing at the start that the Buckeyes will be about "respect, toughness and being men of action," and in a closing statement pledging that the Buckeyes will lead the nation in "effort, turnovers and toughness."

A Columbus native, Fickell spoke of his inaugural trip to Ohio Stadium at age 10 with his football coach at the time, former Ohio State All-American lineman and Cleveland native John Hicks. That was part of another overriding theme -- Fickell's lifelong love for the program he now leads.

"I can't tell you how humbled and honored I am," Fickell began, after he was introduced by Smith. "This is a program I know, love and respect as much as anything in my life."

For a young coach and an old program facing difficult times, that's not a bad place to start.

Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco pitches seven innings to win his second straight 1-0 game and stop yet another Indians losing streak.

View full sizeKathy Kmonicek / Associated PressCarlos Carrasco worked out of early jams and kept the New York Yankees in check through the early innings Monday night.

NEW YORK -- His teammates call him Cookie. That would be as in Cookie Carrasco.

"He likes cookies on the [charter] plane," said Chris Perez. "He's going to get a lot of them tonight."

Carrasco, Tony Sipp, Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez combined on a five-hitter Monday night as the Indians beat the Yankees, 1-0, to avoid a sweep and end a four-game losing streak. It was just their second win in the last 11 games, but it kept them in first place in the AL Central as they open a three-game series against the Tigers Tuesday night at Comerica Park.

Detroit, which started Monday in a virtual tie with the Indians, claimed a 2-1 victory in 10 innings over Tampa Bay.

Carrasco (6-3, 4.09) has thrown 15 1/3 scoreless innings in his last two starts. The Indians have won both games by 1-0 scores, with Carrasco stopping losing streaks of five and four games, respectively.

Monday's victory was the Tribe's first 1-0 win over the Yankees since April 19, 1990.

"In my last two starts I've been much more focused," said Carrasco. "[Pitching coach] Tim Belcher asked me to throw only fastballs in my bullpen sessions before the game. I only throw about 20 pitches, fastballs in and out, in and out. It really helps me with my command."

Manager Manny Acta's reconfigured lineup produced only one run, but it was enough.

Michael Brantley, hitting third for the first time in the big leagues, delivered a leadoff triple in the fourth. Asdrubal Cabrera, hitting .426 with runners in scoring position, scored Brantley with a single through the left side of the infield against A.J. Burnett (6-5, 4.09).

Cabrera was hitting cleanup for the first time in his career. His single gave the Indians their first and only lead in the four-game series in the Bronx.

"We got the guy up there that we needed in Asdrubal," said Acta. "Our pitching brought us one more day for our offense to settle down. We need a couple of more guys to become involved."

The Yankees, in winning the first three games of the series, outscored the Tribe, 24-9.

Carrasco, after flirting with danger in the first three innings, found another gear. He struck out seven, walked three and allowed five hits in seven innings. He is 5-2 since coming off the disabled list on May 11.

Sipp and Pestano worked their way through the eighth. Sipp retired Mark Teixeira on a long fly ball to the track in center for the second out. Pestano retired Robinson Cano on a soft liner to third for the third out after walking Alex Rodriguez.

"Carrasco and the bullpen gave us a tremendous pick me up," said Acta.

Chris Perez struck out Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner in order in the ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances.

In the first three innings, Carrasco faced 15 batters. He allowed five hits and three walks. He loaded the bases in the first with no one out, put the first two men on in the second and walked the leadoff hitter in the third. Somehow he escaped.

Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson singled and Teixeira walked to start the first. Carrasco retired Rodriguez on a shallow fly ball to center. Brantley held the ball after catching it, perhaps daring Jeter to try for home. Jeter took a couple of steps off the bag, but retreated.

Cano struck out and Swisher grounded out to short.

"I was on the mound yelling to Brantley, 'Throw it, throw it,'" said Carrasco. "Then he threw it."

Said Acta, "It was a weird play. You don't deke anybody from the outfield. You throw the ball in."

After Jorge Posada singled and Brent Gardner walked to start the second, Carrasco struck out Francisco Cervelli, induced Jeter to hit into a force play at third and retired Granderson on a fly ball to left.

Teixeira started the third with a walk, but Rodriguez went down on a fly ball to right, Cano singled and Swisher hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

"I think that first inning set up the whole game for him," said Perez. "He threw about 47 pitches in the first two innings. That's an important game in his career."

Jeter's single in the first gave him 2,994 hits, six shy of 3,000. He left in the fifth after flying out to right field with a strained right calf.

Breaking down this week's three-game series between the two AL Central leaders.

View full sizeDuane Burleson / Associated PressWith his second career no-hitter already under his belt, Detroit's Justin Verlander is an imposing challenge for the struggling Indians in Tuesday's series opener in Motown.

Where: Comerica Park.

When: Tuesday through Thursday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio Tuesday and Wednesday, no TV Thursday; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: RHP Justin Masterson (5-4, 3.18) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (7-3, 2.89) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Fausto Carmona (3-8, 5.71) vs. RHP Brad Penny (5-5, 4.69) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Mitch Talbot (2-3, 4.01) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (8-2, 4.39) Thursday at 1:05 p.m.

Season series: Indians lead Tigers, 3-0, this season. Tigers lead, 1,051-1,025, overall.

Indians update: They're hitting just .269 against the Tigers this year, but have outscored them, 17-11. Orlando Cabrera and Michael Brantley are each hitting .462 (6-for-13) against Detroit. Masterson has a seven-inning no-decision in 2011.

Tigers update: They're 7-4 in June and have a chance to move past the Indians into first place in the AL Central. Verlander is 10-11 in his career against the Tribe, but 6-1 in the last two seasons. Miguel Cabrera is hitting .455 (5-for-11) with two homers against the Tribe this season.

Injuries: Indians -- DH Travis Hafner (right oblique), RHP Alex White (right middle finger) and OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) are on the disabled list. Tigers -- INF Carlos Guillen (left knee), 3B Brandon Inge (mononucleosis), LHP Brad Thomas (left elbow) and RHP Joel Zumaya (right elbow) are on the disabled list.

Next: The Pirates arrive Friday to start three-game interleague series at Progressive Field.

-- Paul Hoynes

Even more than wins, Ohio State needs to turn tough talk into action when it comes to compliance with the football program.

View full sizeTerry Gilliam / Associated PressLuke Fickell (left) wouldn't say it directly on Monday, but the new OSU head football coach clearly hinted that his program was trying to make a clean break from the scandal that enveloped Jim Tressel's program in recent months. How successful that effort is will go a long way to determining whether Fickell keeps the job after 2011.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the turmoil surrounding Luke Fickell inheriting the Ohio State coaching job, his to-do list was packed. But once Jim Tressel resigned 15 days ago, Fickell easily could have made "Talk to Terrelle" his first priority.

Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State's three-year starting quarterback, was under investigation by the NCAA and had helped kick-start Ohio State's NCAA troubles by selling memorabilia to a tattoo parlor, an act which brought him, and four other players, five-game suspensions that had been handed down in December. Pryor was also 31-4 as a starter and backed up by four quarterbacks of varying skills and age who were alike only in their lack of game experience.

Yet after Fickell saw the team go through what he called two important and emotional workouts on Monday, May 30, the day Tressel resigned, and the next night, coach and quarterback never spoke again. A week ago, Pryor left the team, something that Fickell, without quite saying it, made it clear Monday he was quite OK with.

"Everything happened kind of fast," Fickell said. "He tried to contact me, the situation didn't work out where we had a chance to sit down and talk."

If you're trying to hold on to the old QB, you find time to return his text or his call. But that one decision with Pryor showed what Fickell has to do in his only sure season as the head coach of the Buckeyes. He has to get out from under a Tressel Era that he, in many ways, clearly appreciated and admired.

"The 2011 Buckeyes will not be about comparing and contrasting what we've done before," Fickell said, "but what we believe we need to do to move forward."

Fickell's future, which will include more time as a head coach, whether in Columbus or elsewhere, is intriguing, but the future of the OSU program is of far greater consequence. What's best for the program is a serious frontline attack on any car, tattoo, pair of sneakers or new friend who looks like he or she could present any sort of compliance issue.

OSU president Gordon Gee has referenced a culture of passiveness that needs to he changed, and Fickell has to lead the change for a staff that is virtually intact from Tressel's time.

"I'm not sure there is one quick solution right now," Fickell said, stressing a thorough and methodical approach to compliance. "I know we're going to step up some monitoring ideas."

Asked if he'd been aware of NCAA violations in the past, Fickell said he wasn't.

"I wasn't going to say I had blinders on, but [I was] very focused on the task at hand," he said. "I was not informed of any information until it became public knowledge."

Like any OSU fan, Fickell said the NCAA sanctions -- with five players still suspended, Pryor on to the NFL as agent Drew Rosenhaus' newest client and Tressel forced to resign because of his major violations -- have bothered him.

"I'm not saying I'm not disappointed, I'm not upset," Fickell said. "But again, we're moving forward."

Though he can't stop the NCAA process now, with Ohio State required to submit its response to the NCAA's Notice of Allegations by July 5, and a hearing before the Committee on Infractions scheduled for Aug. 12, Fickell can do his best to prevent the next scandal from arising.

"He'll make sure, 'These are the expectations we have and everyone is held to them,'" said former OSU linebacker Bobby Carpenter, who said Fickell was tough and demanding as a position coach. "It doesn't matter if you're the starting quarterback at Ohio State or the third-string punter, you're part of the team and we're all in this together."

Fickell's toughness was lauded frequently Monday, with the tale of the time he played the entire 1997 Rose Bowl with a torn pectoral muscle he'd suffered in practice, repeated often.

Ohio State needs that toughness more than ever -- on the sidelines, in the meeting rooms and in the parking lot while checking out license plates.