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For an athlete with plenty of auto experience, Terrelle Pryor's ride in Columbus was always bumpy: Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin

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Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor used each other to the long-term satisfaction of neither.

rosenhaus-pryor-pc-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeDrew Rosenhaus may not know how to pronounce the name of his scandal-tainted client, but the veteran agent could probably get a thorough education on Terrelle Pryor by asking Ohio State football fans.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On his way to the NFL, the guy who's not Terrell Owens is an unknown quantity.

The next time Ohio State goes hunting the biggest fish in the recruiting waters, the Terrelle Pryor Experience should serve as a valuable lesson.

When Pryor's Buckeye career officially ended at a recent press conference, agent Drew Rosenhaus fittingly mispronounced the quarterback's first name. In a full-circle kind of way, that was the perfect ending for Pryor at OSU.

After all, in March of 2008, Pryor announced his choice of colleges by saying, "The University of Ohio State," then opened his windbreaker to reveal a OSU T-shirt. Not even reading upside down could it be mistaken as UOS. Could've been a case of nerves. Then again, if you're already thinking a recruit might not be into you because of your great tradition but instead for other reasons, that could be a sign of troubled times ahead.

Maybe Joe Montana said "Go Irish" and revealed a Notre Dame College T-shirt. Perhaps Reggie Bush thought USC stood for Southern California University, but no evidence of that exists.

Pryor turned down Oregon (too far away) and Penn State (too "Green Acres"). Those are my words. Too "countryside," he said. Michigan finished runner-up to OSU for another reason, this one common in the recruiting of big-time athletes -- but no less worrisome in light of other concerns.

Asked that day if he'd spoken to Charlie Batch, the backup Steelers' quarterback who, as a family friend, was pushing Michigan, Pryor said he hadn't.

"He's cool with my decision," Pryor told reporters. "He's just trying to see which one would be, for me, better to get in the NFL."

It seems the University of Ohio State was a stopover for Pryor. He'll go through the supplemental draft but no one (other than Rosenhaus) thinks he'll be the prize Steve Young, Reggie White, Cris Carter and Bernie Kosar were.

The Buckeyes enabled him. That won't happen in the NFL.

At the time Pryor committed, there were questions about his character. Tressel told CBSSports.com that Pryor was "grossly misunderstood."

Ohio State football had gotten along perfectly well behind quarterbacks who turned out to be NFL afterthoughts.

Next time the Buckeyes go this route, they should ask the kid to not only get the school name correct, but to sing the fight song at his press conference.Give him the kind of quiz on Buckeyes football Eddie gave his fiancee in "Diner" before he'd marry her.

One question in that quiz: Name the biggest fish out of water in OSU history.

Even if it's Veronica Mars, this seems like a bad idea...

When Ohio State AD Gene Smith hinted the school may employ private investigators, he sounded serious.

OSU recruiter: "Son, not sure we can promise you bowl games for the next few years. It's possible reduced scholarships could turn us into Minnesota. And that guy following you around is a private investigator. Whaddya say?"

Recruit: "Great. Where do I sign?"

SPINOFFS

Philadelphia Eagles' running back LeSean McCoy called Giants' defensive end Osi Umenyiora "soft" and "overrated." Umenyiora responded by calling McCoy "she." Why? "I refer to him as 'she' because that is something a woman would do."

What did women do to deserve being dragged into such an intelligent debate?

If Umenyiora gets around to apologizing for his sexism, I suspect he'll go the route of Mike Tyson, who once famously defended himself while facing charges on an alleged fondling incident by saying, "My mother is a woman. My sister is a woman..."

Dallas Mavericks' coach Rick Carlisle called Dirk Nowitzki the "best player on the planet." He did not specify which planet...

University of North Carolina football players compiled $13,185 in fines related to parking citations over a three-year period. That sounds like a lot of infractions. But think of this way. In Eric Mangini's first camp as Browns coach, $13,185 in fines was what was known as Tuesday. Morning...

Vancouver's law enforcement officials are calling the riots that followed a Stanley Cup finals loss to Boston the work of "anarchists" and not Vancouver's level-headed citizens. If anarchists wear hockey jerseys and flip flops and get hammered on Molson, that's totally believable...

A kid's lemonade stand on private property outside the U.S. Open in Bethesda received three visits from dedicated county officials, who issued a citation for operating without a permit before negotiating a compromise. Sleep better, fair citizens of Maryland...

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, who last year played the longest match in tennis history (an epic of 11 hours, 5 minutes over three days), will once again face each other in the first round at Wimbledon. They will play on Tuesday, probably Wednesday and possibly Thursday...

tim-belcher-mug.jpgView full sizeThis Indians coach works to make sure his charges make solid deliveries.

HE SAID IT

"The situation just didn't work out that we had the chance to sit down and talk." -- OSU coach Luke Fickell on getting but not returning a call from Terrelle Pryor after taking over for Jim Tressel.

Translation: "God, I love caller ID."

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

ESPN's Kenny Mayne and Indians pitching coach Tim Belcher -- Bob Ference

YOU SAID IT

"Hey Bud:

"Did you hear about the Miami Heat's new promotion? Similar to the Indians' Lunch & Three Innings, theirs would be called Dinner & Three Quarters." -- Tim, Twinsburg

mayne-mug-ap.jpgView full sizeThere's always a large dose of humor as part of this sportscaster's delivery.

Is the Heimlich Maneuver extra?

"Bud:

"I've been watching the Food Network lately. Has cooking become a sport?" -- Tom Hoffner

Are you sure you weren't watching LeBron James play hot potato with the ball in Game 6?

"Bud:

"Do you have a lot of vacation time saved for this year?" -- Joe S.

I save all my vacation time for championship parades and freelance jobs as an Abdomenizer model.

"Hey Bud:

"Remember that old Boston Braves prayer, '[Warren] Spahn and [Johnny] Sain and please dear Lord two days of rain"? Do you know any theologians who could come up with something similar referring to Carlos Carrasco and four days?" -- Jim Jablonski, Elyria

Theologian? I think rhyming Carrasco requires a poet and a linguist.

"Bud:

"I'm sure someone else came up with this, but I was trapped in a LeCharles Bentley alternate logic loop and couldn't get out: "The blame, when it came, fell mainly, on Bron James." -- Marty, Mundane Existenceville

Just not this poet.

"Bud:

"When LeBron James said 'not five, not six, not seven,' he was actually talking about how many points he would score in the fourth quarter in the NBA Finals." -- Angelo, Cleveland

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"A recent AP story in the PD described the Miami Heat atmosphere when James joined as a 'circus." Do you know the difference between LeBron James and a circus? Three rings." -- Chas K

Repeat winners looking for a T-shirt receive not one, not two, but three restraining orders.


WNBA's new commissioner, former Shaker Heights resident Laurel Richie, maintains her father's pioneering spirit

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Laurel Richie, a Shaker Heights native, is the new president of the WNBA. She never played a dribble of basketball, but learned all she needed to know from her father, Winston.

richie-dad-wnba-lt-horiz.jpgView full size"People used to always say, 'You're just like your dad,'" WNBA commissioner Laurel Richie says of her relationship with her father, Winston, a longtime Northeast Ohio resident. "When I was 13 or 14, I wasn't sure if I wanted that to be true. Now that I'm 52, I think it's a great thing."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For as long as Laurel Richie can remember, people have been telling her that she is so much like her father.

She has Winston Richie's determination, his dry wit and straightforward nature. Some say she has his stubborn streak and the same belief in right and wrong, a no-shades-of-gray outlook that can be both enlightening and occasionally treacherous.

But Laurel never inherited his basketball skills, as Winston was a center for his high school team at Glenville and during his college days at Western Reserve. Laurel, meanwhile, was perhaps the least athletic among her three siblings.

Though she attended scores of Cavaliers games with her father while growing up in Shaker Heights, and heard NBA tales from the lifelong season-ticket holder, she was never much of a sports fan. Not in college at Dartmouth. Not while serving as a marketing executive for 24 years at Ogilvy and Mather. Not when she was senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Girl Scouts of the USA.

Now, as Laurel Richie begins her second month as the new WNBA president -- a surprising appointment intended to raise the stature of the 15-year-old women's league with her marketing expertise -- she is thankful for the trailblazing approach she witnessed in both her parents and all the similarities that she inherited from her father. Determination, a sense of fairness and that pioneering personality should serve her well.

That's why to this day, the words of her 85-year-old father echo at every decision, every obstacle, every turning point. Winston Richie now needs a walker to shuffle through his Beachwood home, but the retired dentist could still fill the pages of a book with the quotes he repeated to his son and three daughters to inspire and educate them.

"Things always work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out."

Among the lists of quotable inspiration Winston passed along to his kids, this is the one that his children repeat most often.

"That one always makes you think," he said.

Laurel Richie has always been driven to make the most of every situation, including the event that led to her eventual hiring as WNBA president.

It stemmed from a February speaking engagement she had with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, where she was the keynote speaker. Laurel had been with the Girl Scouts for just three years, helping market the universally loved cookies and unaware that WNBA president Donna Orender had resigned in December.

Seattle Storm president and CEO Karen Bryant listened to Laurel's speech and instantly knew she had to submit her name to be among those considered to replace Orender.

"I loved her story," Bryant told the Seattle Times. "She has a commanding presence, and she has a really unique combination of confidence and humility.

"Afterward she told us, 'I'm definitely going to a game.' She was somebody I was going to stay connected to, there's no question. When I met her and took her card, I took that card with a purpose. I would have gone to a game with her in New York and I still will, but now I'm her guest."

Bryant didn't tell Laurel she recommended her, but when the WNBA called, it somehow seemed right.

This job would be about promoting women, something she already was doing with the Girl Scouts and something that has been a constant theme throughout her life. It would be about increasing the league's visibility, somehow finding a wedge of publicity in a sports-saturated culture that has yet to fully embrace women's sports.

It would be about securing sponsorship, something she's excelled at in decades of marketing experience.

"Laurel combines extraordinary marketing and brand-management skills, with a tremendous enthusiasm to help evolve young women into leaders," NBA commissioner David Stern said when announcing her hiring. "She joins the WNBA at such an exciting time in its history and we know her expertise will be key to continuing the growth and success of the league."

All of which is what Winston recognized when his daughter called to tell him about her new job -- and how she earned it by making the most of every situation.

"One of the things I've wanted for all my kids is to go out and expand your horizons, not let anything hold you back," Winston said. "I recognize that the job she has now is not a basketball player's job, and you don't have to have played the game to be able to do it right."

Said her older sister, Beth Richie: "The part about women empowerment, race and visibility -- that's totally Laurel."

"It's no disgrace to fall, but if you lie there -- that's the disgrace."

Winston Richie knows about failing to stand up. The most famous incident comes from when he was the only black basketball player for Western Reserve. Just before the start of the Civil Rights movement, Winston recalls that his team was scheduled to play in Louisville. Before the game, the school called his coach and suggested that Winston not make the road trip.

He didn't.

"I accepted it," Winston said. "When you're young, you don't look at the world like you do five years later."

Winston attended the 1963 March on Washington, and fought to integrate and equalize housing in Shaker Heights as a council member and vice-mayor. When he was refused the right to buy property in Shaker Heights in the 1950s, he had a white friend buy the land for him while he reimbursed the friend.

He served on and led various committees to encourage integration, he emphasized education to his children -- three attended Ivy League schools -- and constantly reminded them that family came first.

"It's part of my DNA to blaze trails and not take no for an answer," Laurel said. "With a father like our dad, you're born wanting to blaze new trails."

Laurel is the first black president of any major sports league. She was the first black woman to serve on the board of Ogilvy and Mather, and has been the recipient of the YMCA's Black Achiever's Award and Ebony Magazine's Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications.

Winston smiles at the success of his middle daughter, the one that people say is most like him. He said he merely wanted all his children to have opportunities.

"Whatever they wanted to be, I wanted them to go for it," he said. "I didn't want them to be held back by anything."

So even if Laurel didn't inherit her father's basketball skills, she is grateful for all the other ways that she is like him.

"People used to always say, 'You're just like your dad,'" Laurel said. "When I was 13 or 14, I wasn't sure if I wanted that to be true. Now that I'm 52, I think it's a great thing. I want to be just like him. He's a great dad."

Winston, eyes twinkling as tears slipped down his daughter's face, grinned.

"I think she's right. I am a great dad."

First-place Cleveland Indians fire hitting coach Jon Nunnally; Bruce Fields replaces him

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Jon Nunnally has been fired as the Indians hitting coach. Bruce Fields, who had been the organization's minor league hitting coordinator since 2007, replaced him on an interim basis.

nunnallycc.jpgJon Nunnally has been fired as Indians hitting coach.

By Paul Hoynes and Dennis Manoloff

Plain Dealer Reporters

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jon Nunnally had the respect and admiration of his hitters.

What Nunnally needed most from them, though, were consistency and productivity.

In the midst of a protracted meltdown by the offense, the Indians relieved Nunnally of his duties as hitting coach. Bruce Fields, the Indians' minor-league hitting coordinator since 2007, replaced him on an interim basis.

Nunnally was in his second year in the position.

The Indians announced the firing Sunday morning, but Nunnally learned of his fate Saturday afternoon in a meeting. He was not in the dugout Saturday night. At the time of Nunnally's firing, the Indians were tied with Detroit atop the AL Central Division.

Tribe manager Manny Acta and bench coach Tim Tolman handled the hitting coach duties Saturday night (a 5-1 victory) and again Sunday afternoon. Fields is expected to join the team in time for Monday night's game against Colorado.

"We've been scuffling for a while, and we felt like we need a new voice,'' Acta said. "Jon's a great person and worked very hard. Certainly coaches coach and players play, but we felt like we needed a new voice. Bruce Fields has 34 years of experience, he's been a hitting coach in the big leagues, and he's been in our system for a while. Hopefully, he can make us better.''

Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti, asked whose call it was to eject Nunnally and insert Fields, said: "We make collective decisions. Obviously, this is Manny's coaching staff. He and I talked about it, and we came to a consensus that this is the right move for us.''

On May 23, the Indians were 30-15 and in first place in the AL Central by seven games. Since then, they've gone 8-16, but still retain their hold on first place. The latter record did not include the result of Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

A stagnant offense and injuries to Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore were the Tribe's big problems. In their previous 24 games, they scored two or fewer runs 15 times. In that stretch, they were shut out six times.

Since June 2, the Indians have been 17-for-109 with runners in scoring position.

At the time of Nunnally's firing, the Indians were hitting .251 (573-for-2,287) with 61 homers and 497 strikeouts. They were averaging 4.4 runs.

They whiffed five times Saturday.

"We already joined the 500 strikeout club,'' Acta said Sunday morning. "We've run seven left-handed hitters out there just about every day against right-handed pitching and, right now, Asdrubal Cabrera leads our team in home runs (with 12). I think Bruce can probably help with that.''

As expected, news of Nunnally's firing did not go over well in the Tribe clubhouse. Some players made themselves unavailable for comment. Others declined comment. One who spoke on the record was right fielder Shin-Soo Choo.

"I don't know what's going on,'' Choo said. "It's not like we're in last place; we're in first place. There's a lot of season left. I'm just sad that he's not around us anymore. This is very disappointing. I feel very bad about it. He helped me. He helped everybody.''

Choo did not help Nunnally's cause this season. He entered Sunday hitting .237 with five homers and 25 RBI. In each of his previous two seasons, Choo hit .300 with 20-plus homers and 85-plus RBI.

Choo is not the only one core player who has struggled. Grady Sizemore entered Sunday hitting .243 and Carlos Santana was at .222.

Not every player has been in a slump, however. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera credited Nunnally for helping him get off to a terrific start. He entered Sunday hitting .301 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs in 69 games. In 387 career games entering 2011, he had 18 homers.

"He showed me a couple things, gave me some tips," Cabrera said. "He was very helpful."

Acta said he anticipated blowback from players in the aftermath of Nunnally's firing. "I understand that some of (the players) are a little upset, but we have to do what's best for our team,'' Acta said. "Jon is a very likeable guy. I love him, too. But it's part of the business.''

After last Thursday's 6-2 loss to Detroit, Acta criticized his hitters, but he also was unhappy with Nunnally. Acta said that the hitters were showing no signs of improvement and that some of them were too talented to be in two- and three-month slumps.

Acta named Nunnally to his coaching staff in December 2009. He was the Indians' hitting coach at Class A Kinston in 2007 and 2008 before moving to Class AAA Columbus in 2009. He replaced Derek Shelton, who was the hitting coach on Eric Wedge's staff. Wedge and his coaching staff were fired late in the 2009 season.

Last year, Nunnally's offense hit .248 with 128 homers and 1,184 strikeouts for a 69-93 club. The Tribe hit .242 in April, .249 in May, .250 in June, .247 in July, .249 in August and .250 in September/October.

"This decision is also a reflection that we underachieved a little bit last year offensively with our young guys,'' Acta said.

Fields is in his sixth season with the Cleveland organization. He was the Tigers' hitting coach 2003-05.

"There is no magic answer," Antonetti said. "It's still the same group of hitters (that produced early), and a season is full of peaks and valleys. We hope Bruce can give us a better chance collectively. We think we have hitters who can do better."

Fields will be evaluated at the end of the season, Antonetti said.

Antonetti said he was open to talking with Nunnally after the season about a position in the organization.

"We still believe Jon has a lot to offer," Antonetti said. "He did a lot of good things for us."

Nunnally could not be reached for comment.

The Tigers drafted Fields in the seventh round in 1978. He played 14 years professionally, appearing in the big leagues with the Tigers in 1986 and Seattle in 1988-89.

Fields hit .274 in the big leagues with a homer and 11 RBI in 58 games. In the minors, he owns a .295 lifetime batting average with 41 homers and 516 RBI in 1,381 games. He won three minor-league batting titles.

The 50-year-old Fields managed for the Tigers at Class A Jamestown 1995-96 and Class A West Michigan 1997-2000 before managing the Class AAA Toledo Mudhens 2003-05. He was the Buffalo Bisons' hitting coach in 2006 when they were still affiliated with the Indians.

Before managing in the minors, Fields was a minor-league coach for three years with Detroit.

Fields, as the Indians minor league hitting coordinator, was responsible for implementing the hitting philosophy used throughout the minor league system by staff members and players.

Fields and his wife, Julie, have two baseball-playing sons. Daniel Fields was a sixth-round pick by the Tigers in 2009. Aaron Fields was drafted by the Indians in the 42nd round in 2010.

Indians-Pirates back in action after nearly two-hour rain delay; score tied, 2-2

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Carlos Santana homers as the Indians bounce back from an early 2-0 deficit before the weather takes over.

masterson-bucs-2011-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeJustin Masterson spent a lot of energy and pitches in Pittsburgh's two-run first inning Sunday. But the Indians' starter battled through five innings without allowing any more scoring before the bullpen took over at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Play resumed in Sunday's Indians-Pirates game at Progressive Field after a rain delay of 1:57 in the middle of the eighth inning with the score tied, 2-2.

The game picked back up at 5:18 p.m.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first. With one out, Xavier Paul tripled off Justin Masterson and scored on Neil Walker's single. Garrett Jones singled, Walker advancing to third.

Matt Diaz followed with an RBI fielder's choice.

Masterson ended the inning by striking out Brandon Wood with runners on first and second.

The Tribe tied it in the second. Carlos Santana led off with a homer, his ninth. Cord Phelps doubled, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Lou Marson's double-play grounder.

The Pirates left the bases loaded in the third.

Chad Durbin replaced Masterson to begin the sixth. Masterson gave up the two runs on seven hits.

Masterson remains winless since April 26, a span of 10 starts. He has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of them. The Indians have scored a total of 19 runs in his last 10 starts.

 

Cleveland Indians vs. Colorado Rockies: On deck

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Breaking down this week's interleague series at Progressive Field.

rockies-chacin-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeColorado's Jhoulys Chacin leads the Rockies' starting staff in wins, ERA and strikeouts in 2011.

When: Monday through Wednesday.

Where: Progressive Field.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Series: Rockies lead, 8-7, all-time.

Pitching matchups: RHP Fausto Carmona (4-8, 5.79 ERA) vs. RHP Juan Nicasio (2-1, 3.38), Monday at 7:05; RHP Mitch Talbot (2-4, 5.02) vs. RHP Jhoulys Chacin (8-4, 2.81), Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Josh Tomlin (8-4, 3.93) vs. RHP Jason Hammel (3-6, 3.65), Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

Indians update: Carmona defeated the Tigers, 6-4, last Wednesday in Detroit. He allowed four runs in five innings. Carmona had lost his previous five starts. ... Tomlin has worked at least five innings in each of his first 26 major-league appearances (all starts).

Rockies update: Their most recent games against the Indians came in 2008, when they swept a three-game series in Colorado. ... They are 16-17 on the road.

Injuries: Indians -- OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder), RHP Alex White (middle finger) and 1B Matt LaPorta (right ankle) are on disabled list. Rockies -- CF Dexter Fowler (left abdominal), RHP Matt Daley (shoulder), RHP Esmil Rogers (lat) and C Jose Morales (right thumb) are on DL.

Next for Indians: Nine-game trip begins Friday in San Francisco.

Rory McIlroy gives golf a smiling face, but the sport still misses Tiger Woods' glower: Bud Shaw

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Even as new stars emerge, the PGA Tour suffers without Tiger Woods, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

mcilroy-smile-usopen-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeIf this is the new face of golf, much of the sport will be pleased. But Bud Shaw isn't ready to lift Rory McIlroy to the heights which Tiger Woods dwelled for more than a decade on the PGA Tour.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The excitement surrounding Rory McIlroy is a reminder how much the PGA Tour misses Tiger Woods. Mostly because there is no "next Tiger," despite all the strained hopes to identify a new candidate in his absence.

Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington beg to differ. No wonder, given how McIlroy dominated this U.S. Open. Harrington even saw McDowell's Tiger comparison and raised him a Nicklaus reference, saying, "If you're going to talk about someone challenging Jack's record, [McIlroy's] your man."

If he's saying McIlroy at age 22 is a better bet to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record 18 majors than is Woods, well, certainly McIlroy will have many more opportunities while he's in his prime than the 35-year-old Woods will. He also has a swing he can trust at present, unlike the two or three Woods seems to be auditioning.

But even with Woods' huge head start in major championships -- he's won 14 -- you don't have to take him over McIlroy in that wager. You'd bet instead on neither of them catching Nicklaus.

McIlroy and Woods have a couple things in common. I'm not sure the promise of McIlroy enjoying his own "era" is quite yet one of them.

Precociousness? No argument there. Woods was 10 months younger when he tore up the 1997 Masters. McIlroy is as mature as Woods was on the course but he doesn't possess the belief in his own invulnerability that made Woods historically great and -- as we learned -- might've had a hand in Woods being an accident waiting to happen in his private life.

Woods couldn't lose with a golf club in his hand. Then came the night the golf club was in Elin Woods' hands and everything changed.

The other common denominator between McIlroy and Woods showed itself at this U.S. Open. McIlroy captured the interest of the casual golf fan, if certainly not to the extent Woods did when his father was dropping Gandhi into the discussion.

The reason the casual golf fan took notice, though, is because McIlroy became a sympathetic figure at the Masters when he wasted a four-shot lead in the final round and shot 80, 43 on the back nine. McIlroy handled that disappointment with class and perspective. Sergio Garcia, in contrast, might've blamed the trees for flowering, claiming he'd always heard they were 90 percent air.

Americans aren't alone in loving stories of competitive redemption. That was at least part of the appeal to watching McIlroy in this U.S. Open -- to see him overcome any lasting insecurities from his meltdown at Augusta National.

Americans, of course, also love watching Americans. Even if McIlroy could win as often as Tiger has -- and the kid from Northern Ireland is only about 70 tournaments shy at the moment -- he can't possibly do for the Tour what Tiger Woods did for it. And Woods can still do for it if he ever recovers (and I'm not talking about his knee or Achilles).

The European Tour maybe, but not over here. There's too much depth in golf these days for McIlroy to collect majors the way Woods once did.

Woods still frames pretty much everything that happens on the PGA Tour, which frames much of what happens in golf worldwide. The ratings swoon when Woods plays poorly and take a turn for the worse when he's not playing at all.

In his absence, the world's No. 1 ranking is being manned by a temp service. Currently, it's Luke Donald. Who knows, soon it could be Rory McIlroy.

That would be a nice story. But golf doesn't need the next Tiger as much as it needs the old, cold-blooded Tiger.

Rory McIlroy delivers a superstar finish, routing U.S. Open field by eight shots

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With a 69 on Sunday, McIlroy shatters the tournament scoring record by a whopping four strokes.

mcilroy-open-trophy-2011-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeHis fellow competitors couldn't help but promote Rory McIlroy as golf's next superstar even as he embraced the U.S. Open trophy Sunday night. "I think he has probably the most talent I've ever seen from a golfer," said Luke Donald, the top-ranked player in the world.

BETHESDA, Md. -- Every time Rory McIlroy lined up a shot Sunday, there was some sort of record on the line, some kind of history to be made.

That was this year's U.S. Open version of suspense. There was never any doubt that the kid from Northern Ireland was going to win it.

In complete control of his emotions and his game, McIlroy never slipped. He won his first major championship by shooting a 2-under 69 at ultra-soft Congressional and closed his four-day onslaught at 16-under 268, eight shots ahead of Jason Day and four shots better than the U.S. Open scoring record formerly held by four players, including men named Woods and Nicklaus.

McIlroy now joins them on the list of major winners, two months after a collapse so thorough, some wondered if he could ever recover. He took a four-shot lead into the final day of the Masters. But after hitting his 10th tee shot near a cabin on the outskirts of Augusta National, he melted down, shot 80 and finished 15th.

His shot on the 10th hole of this one showed how far he's come. On the 214-yard par-3, a downhill shot over water, McIlroy knocked the ball above the hole, then watched as it stopped for a split second and started spinning -- backward, backward, before stopping an inch or two from the hole. He pursed his lips. "Oooh," he said. Yeah, that was nice.

He tapped in for a birdie that got him to 17-under par at a tournament that had never seen a score lower than 12 under before Friday.

He ended up at 16 under, coming short of the all-time major record of 19-under par -- set by Tiger Woods at St. Andrews in 2000. But McIlroy put plenty of ink in that record book nonetheless. He owns the scoring records for 36, 54 and 72 holes at the toughest test in golf and he became only the third player to break 70 in all four rounds of the U.S. Open.

He did it at age 22, the same age as Nicklaus when he won the first of his record 18 majors. The two have become friends and The Bear appreciates what he's been seeing.

"I think this kid's going to have a great career," Nicklaus said in an interview on NBC. "I don't think there's any question about it. He's got all the components."

Day ended up winning the real competition in this one -- the race for second, and has now been runner-up in the first two majors of the year. Kevin Chappell, Lee Westwood and Robert Garrigus tied for third at 6 under.

Pretty much everyone outside of Westwood conceded this one was over before the day even began, and as player after player came off the course, the testimonials poured in.

"As I've said before, I think he has probably the most talent I've ever seen from a golfer," said Luke Donald, the top-ranked player in the world, after finishing at 5-over par. "Lovely to watch him play, such a fluid motion, and he hits it far."

Said Phil Mickelson: "You can tell that Rory has had this type of talent in him for some time now, and to see him putting it together is pretty neat to see." He finished with a 71 on Sunday that left him 7 over.

mcilroy-drives-open-2011-horiz-mct.jpgView full sizeEntering the final round with a dominating lead, Rory McIlory birdied two of his first four holes and was never challenged at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

And this from Graeme McDowell, last year's champion and a countryman of McIlroy: "Nothing this kid does ever surprises me. He's the best player I've ever seen."

McIlroy kept his head down throughout this round, sticking to his mental game plan of thinking about golf shots, not championships. Finally, as he walked to the 18th green, he waved and smiled to a gallery on hand for one of the most dominating performances the game has seen.

He became only the sixth player to shoot under par in all four rounds of a U.S. Open. Earlier, Garrigus became the fifth player to accomplish that feat -- impressive, but a mere footnote on this day.

The dissection started right away, when McIlroy dug his approach shot on No. 1 out of a divot to 6 feet for a birdie. He made another one after hitting to tap-in range on the fourth hole to move to 16 under.

McIlroy didn't give a stroke back to par until No. 12 but it was only his third over the entire tournament -- including his double bogey on No. 18 on Friday and a bogey on the 10th in the third round. As if to prove he was human, he three-putted the 17th green for another bogey. It was the first time he'd done that all week.

It was another calm, overcast day at Congressional, and there were more low scores to be had. The Blue Course has been taking a beating despite measuring 7,574 yards -- second longest in U.S. Open history.

"It's not really a U.S. Open golf course, to be honest," Martin Kaymer said.

But nobody took advantage better than McIlroy, whose dad was in the gallery, watching his son take a bite out of the record book.

After the final tap-in, Gerry McIlroy met his son as he walked off the green.

"Happy Father's Day," the new champion said.

Happy Father's Day, indeed.

Penalty-prone Cleveland Gladiators upset in Kansas City, 50-41

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The Gladiators blew a golden opportunity to seize control of the Arena League's American Conference East Division.

Tod Palmer

Special to the Plain Dealer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In suffering a 50-41 loss Sunday to the Kansas City Command, the Cleveland Gladiators blew a golden opportunity to seize control of the Arena League's American Conference East Division.

Entering play with a half-game lead after the Pittsburgh Power suffered a 41-point loss a day earlier, the Gladiators (7-6) committed 13 penalties for 80 yards and never led in the second half in dropping to 2-5 this season on the road.

"We talked before the game about having that chance to take sole possession of first place, but we also knew [Stephen] Wasil was a good quarterback and we knew going in that it wasn't going to be easy," Gladiators coach Steve Thonn said. "It's just disappointing that when we had some opportunities that second half we didn't finish and take advantage."

Trailing, 26-21, at halftime, Kurt Rocco was intercepted on the first drive of the second half, which allowed Kansas City to establish a two-score lead and forced Cleveland into chase mode the rest of the way.

The Gladiators scored on their next three drives, but so did the Command, 5-9, who were breaking in a new starting quarterback after benching J.J. Raterink earlier in the week. In stepped Wasil, who responded by completing 19 of 23 passes for 243 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions.

By contrast, Rocco, who took over when John Dutton was injured in the season opener, was only 20 for 38. He did throw for 258 yards and four touchdowns, and scrambled six yards for another TD, but Rocco was inconsistent and missed several chances at big-play touchdowns.

"He wasn't that in sync," Thonn said. "He missed some open guys and he missed some deep balls. We knew we could go by them on a couple things, but again he's still learning and he's still a rookie."

The Gladiators built a 21-13 lead midway through the second quarter thanks largely to Dominick Goodman, who capped Cleveland's opening drive with a 6-yard touchdown catch.Goodman later gave the Gladiators their first lead with a leaping one-handed grab over two defenders at the back of the end zone.

"I don't remember making a play like that before, but Rocco gave me a chance and we needed a play right there," Goodman said.

Cleveland added another touchdown after Mike Bragg forced and recovered a fumble to thwart Kansas City's ensuing drive.

Rocco's 7-yard touchdown to Robert Redd seven minutes before halftime might have signaled that the Gladiators were poised to pull away. Instead, the Command scored successive touchdowns sandwiched around a turnover on downs at midfield as the game got away from Cleveland.

"A lot of the penalties were so-so calls and it seemed like the refs took control of the game and took the life out of it, but the refs don't play for us," said Goodman, who finished with eight catches for 96 yards. "We've got to stay more disciplined and take advantage of the opportunities when we do get them. But that's the thing about football, we get another chance next week."

Cleveland remains tied atop the division for now.

"We have a home game and then we have three division games against Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Philly, so we still control our own fate," Thonn said. "But we really would have liked to separate ourselves there and taken the lead when we had the chance."

Gladiators notes: Wide receiver Thyron Lewis led the Gladiators with 97 yards receiving. He had six catches, including a touchdown, in his fourth start in place of injured starter Troy Bergeron. In those four games, Lewis has 34 receptions for 404 yards with seven touchdowns. ... Linebacker Mike Bragg moved into a seven-way tie for fifth in the AFL with his fourth forced fumble this season in the second quarter. He finished with 3.5 tackles. ... With two second-half sacks, linebacker Tim Cheatwood took over the Gladiators' team lead with 7.5 this season. He is tied for fourth in the league with Kansas City's Tyus Jackson.

Tod Palmer is a sportswriter with the Kansas City Star.


NCAA sanctions can have impact on more than athletic programs at universities

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Ohio State's athletic program is facing NCAA scrutiny. It's too soon to tell what the final toll will be, but if the NCAA findings are serious, the impact on the school could extend beyond the football program, at least one expert says.

coachjimm.jpgFormer Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, during a game against the Toledo Rockets at Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2009.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A year after the University of Michigan admitted to four major NCAA violations regarding its football program, six of the seven employees reprimanded as a result of the infractions are gone -- including coach Rich Rodriguez, fired in January after a 7-6 season.

Now Michigan's archrival, Ohio State University, is facing the NCAA's scrutiny. It's too soon to tell what the final toll will be at OSU, but if the NCAA findings are serious, the impact on the school could extend beyond the football program, said Daniel Mahony, a Kent State University dean who is an expert in sports management.

OSU football coach Jim Tressel is already gone, even as the investigation into allegations that football players sold memorabilia for cash and discount tattoos continues. He resigned May 30, accused of not being truthful with the NCAA about what he knew about the players' actions.

Five players involved were suspended for five games this fall. One of them -- starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor -- quit the team shortly after Tressel resigned.

The fallout is expected to mushroom and could taint the entire institution, said Mahony, KSU's dean of the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

"If one of the findings is a lack of institutional control, it could go higher up and be more of a reflection on the athletic director," said Mahony, who co-authored a 1999 study on ethics in intercollegiate athletics that examined NCAA violations and penalties in all sports in all divisions.

Responding to Plain Dealer questions about the potential impact of the NCAA investigation, OSU released a statement saying, "The Ohio State University is thriving and in a tremendous position of strength. . . . We are fully cooperating with the NCAA and are working alongside them to ensure that we have the most effective compliance system moving forward. We are refocusing the entire athletics program on doing what we do best -- representing our great university and its values in the classroom, on the playing field . . . and in life."

OSU officials are scheduled to meet with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions on Aug. 12.

The university's president, E. Gordon Gee, has been out front during most of the public statements involving the investigation. But Mahony said few university presidents are held responsible for NCAA violations because they are usually so far removed from what goes on in athletic programs

For instance, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman remains at her school, which the NCAA placed on probation for three years for violations that included too much practice time for players and too many staff members acting as coaches. The program did not lose any scholarships or bowl eligibility. But the investigation was painful.

"We never want to go through another process like that," said Dave Ablauf, director of media relations in Michigan's athletic department.

Athletic Director Dave Brandon, whom Ablauf said would not comment, has been quoted as saying the investigation tarnished the university's brand. Brandon took the job in March 2010 after the investigation had started and his predecessor had retired.

"It's a brand that's incredibly well known in the Midwest, it's got a real terrific national following, it's got a global presence," he said in an interview with Crain's Detroit Business last November. "Football is kind of the sport that leads the way; it generates the most revenue, it certainly creates the most attention around our athletics program and our university."

Mahony's study, conducted with Janet Fink, then an OSU associate professor, concluded that many of the rule violators in college athletics are probably never caught.

Of those violations that are documented, most occur at the top Division I level. According to an NCAA database on major infractions, 251 Division I football programs have been penalized since 1957, compared to 32 Division II programs and 12 Division III programs.

Mahony's study looked at violations between 1952 and 1997 and found that while only 34 percent of NCAA institutions competed at Division I, 81 percent of the men's programs that were penalized for violating the rules were at that level.

"Further, the most severe violations, such as charges of unethical conduct and lack of institutional control, have increased significantly" over time, the study said.

Studies conducted since 1999 have concluded that violations have continued to rise, particularly recruiting infractions. NCAA reports citing major infractions in Division I football programs jumped from 33 in 1990 through 1999 to 47 from 2000 through 2009, according to the organization's database.

Mahony said an interesting finding in his study was that while penalties increased, there didn't appear to be a long-term impact on the athletic programs, he said.

"Within the third year after the penalty they are back to where they were before," he said.

But Fink is not sure if that holds true today.

She said penalties meted out in 1999 weren't as stiff as those now handed down. For example, the University of Southern California recently lost an appeal to the NCAA, which imposed a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years for violations.

The USC athletic director lost his job because of the infractions. USC football coach Pete Carroll resigned in early 2010 to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Fink acknowledged that big programs, such as USC's and OSU's, still attract recruits and strong loyalty from alumni and fans despite NCAA investigations.

A spokeswoman for Florida State University said its NCAA investigation was difficult for the school, but she added that many administrators are new and couldn't address Plain Dealer questions.

The NCAA ruled in March 2009 that 61 FSU athletes cheated on an online test from fall 2006 to the summer of 2007 or received improper help from staffers. It placed the school on probation for four years and reduced the number of scholarships for several years for 10 teams, including football. The athletic director lost his job.

Fink, who received her undergraduate and master's degrees and a doctorate in sports management at OSU, said she was deeply disappointed with the revelations in Columbus.

"It comes down to self-reporting and the trust in the coaches," she said. "They can set up as many systems as they possibly can and in the end people can find ways around these things. It really comes down to hiring people with a great deal of integrity and hope the system doesn't change that for them."

Despite flaws, point guards steal the show at the top of this week's NBA Draft: Mary Schmitt Boyer analysis

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NBA teams will make a point of taking guards in the 2011 draft.

irving-drive-ariz-vert-ap.jpgView full size"He's been the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, and I think there are questions about whether he'll be a perennial All-Star or a franchise player," ESPN basketball analyst Chad Ford says of possible Cavaliers draft pick Kyrie Irving. "I think he'll be a very good player in the league, but I'm not sure he does that one thing that sets him apart."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're in the market for a point guard, this is the NBA draft for you.

Three could be taken in the first five picks, including Duke's Kyrie Irving, projected to go No. 1 to the Cavaliers in almost every mock draft.

There is a historical precedent for this. Kentucky point guard John Wall went No. 1 to Washington last year. Memphis point guard Derrick Rose went No. 1 to Chicago in 2008. The problem is comparing Irving -- or any guards in the Class of 2011 -- to Wall and Rose.

"I think Kyrie's a really good player," ESPN's Chad Ford said in a conference call with reporters last week. "He's an elite prospect. I don't think he quite compares to some of the guys that you want to compare him to. I think his game's a little like Chris Paul. I don't think he's as good a prospect as Chris Paul. I don't think he's quite as good a prospect as Deron Williams or Derrick Rose or Russell Westbrook or even a John Wall.

"That's somewhat reflective in this draft. He's been the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft, and I think there are questions about whether he'll be a perennial All-Star or a franchise player. I think he'll be a very good player in the league, but I'm not sure he does that one thing that sets him apart."

There are questions about all of the top guards in this draft. Brandon Knight isn't physical enough. Kemba Walker isn't big enough. Jimmer Fredette doesn't play any defense. But all could be gone in the top dozen or so picks, starting with Irving.

Like any draft, it probably will take about three years to evaluate. But for right now, teams are concentrating on what these players can do, rather than what they can't.

"Irving, what he lacks that a Wall or a Rose or guys like that have, he's not as explosive an athlete," ESPN's Jay Bilas said in the conference call. "He's not in that class athletically. He changes pace and direction well. He's got a really good feel for the game. He's a good leader. He's a really mature kid, and I think he'll step in and be a really good point guard in the league.

"Now the question will be, is he going to be an All-Star caliber player? ... I think that's still an open question because we didn't get a chance to see as much of him his freshman year as we expected. He only played in 11 games and only eight of those he plays completely healthy."

Said ESPN's Fran Fraschilla of Irving in the conference call, "Interesting thing about him, he's a very dominant left-handed driver, and something that people don't really recognize with a right-handed player. He's got holes, but he's a very safe pick whether you take him one or two."

In this draft, it might be better to be safe than sorry. Incidentally, Ford is a big fan of Cleveland State point guard Norris Cole.

"I think Norris Cole's going to be a fantastic NBA point guard," he said. "I think he's maybe the most underrated player in this draft. It has to do with the fact that he played at Cleveland State and guys didn't get to see him against the same level of competition.

"But I know he's a player that the Kings value and like. A number of teams in the late first round, early second round are looking at him. Every year there are one or two guys who get past all 30 teams in the first round, and they go into the second round and then later. [New York's Landry] Fields was that guy last year. Everybody looks around and says how are we missing this guy? I think Norris Cole could be that guy in this year's draft."

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Asdrubal Cabrera delivers another A+ play at shortstop: Indians Insider

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The Indians shortstop's latest five-star gem came in the 10th inning Sunday afternoon against the Pirates.

Asdrubal Cabrera's stunning bare-handed play against the Pirates



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Asdrubal Cabrera continues to out-do himself, piling up numerous once-in-a-lifetime defensive plays in one lifetime.

The Indians shortstop's latest five-star gem came in the 10th inning Sunday afternoon against the Pirates. The Indians won, 5-2, in 11.

With one out, Brandon Wood hit a one-hopper into the hole. It was guaranteed to be a single -- until Cabrera made a bare-handed grab going away from the infield, turned and fired on target to first baseman Carlos Santana.

The crowd roared. Wood seemed stunned as he walked to his dugout.

"First time I've seen something like that," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "Oh, my gosh. Half our dugout was yelling, 'Best play ever!' Some guys were like, 'Slow down, we've seen some other ones,' Ozzie Smith and all that. But it was unbelievable. He was thinking barehand all the way."

Second baseman Cord Phelps, who later hit the game-winning homer, got a good look.

"That was nasty," Phelps said. "I saw him make the play and I became a fan. It was a heckuva play."

Cabrera saved potential trouble for reliever Joe Smith. The next batter, Ronny Cedeno, singled. Jose Tabata grounded to Phelps for the third out.

"It seems like Smitty's on the mound whenever Cabby makes these great plays," Tribe closer Chris Perez said with a chuckle. "I'm not sure why that is. We're going to have to look into it."

Earlier this season in Chicago, Cabrera grabbed a ball hit by Omar Vizquel that caromed off Smith and used a behind-the-back flip to trigger a double play.

"The more difficult the play, the easier Cabby makes it look," Perez said.

pestano-runs-in-pirates-horiz-cc.jpgView full sizeVinnie Pestano has been running to the mound from the bullpen since his college days at Cal State Fullerton. This season, he has excelled in protecting late leads for the Tribe.

Keep it quiet: Reliever Vinnie Pestano would prefer not to have a name -- or number, for that matter -- on the back of his uniform.

"I don't need any recognition," he said. "I'd rather people not know who I am. As long as the team is winning, and I'm doing my job, that's all that matters."

Therein lies the rub. Pestano has been doing his job so well, for a winning club, that anonymity is virtually impossible. If the opposition doesn't know him by now, shame on them. Pestano's draft position (611th overall in 2006) and limited experience (33 games) should not matter anymore.

Pestano is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 28 appearances. He has allowed 13 hits, walked 10 and struck out 34 in 26 innings. He worked a scoreless eighth Sunday.

Pestano's dominance lately has come in high-leverage situations. He and lefty Tony Sipp are the primary setup men for Perez.

Pestano acts as if he has been in the majors for years. In reality, he debuted with the Tribe last September, giving up two runs in five appearances.

"I don't think I'm doing too much differently than I was last season in Triple-A," he said. "There are more variables up here, of course -- crowds are bigger, strike zones are different, guys are better at punishing your mistakes. But it still comes down to making your pitches. And I've had experience late in games in college and the minors, so that's helped a lot."

A 6-foot right-hander, Pestano has held right-handed batters to a .127 average (7-for-55). Lefties were not enjoying life, either, hitting .182 (6-for-33). Both sides appear to be having trouble picking up pitches, especially the fastball, from his slightly unconventional release.

Pestano sprints in from the bullpen when Acta signals for him. He first did so while at Cal State Fullerton from 2004-06.

"My very first opportunity, they called me and I took off," he said. "When I broke in as a pro, with Mahoning Valley in 2007, I just jogged in. But it didn't feel right. So after about 10 appearances, I went back to sprinting. It's something to do to get my body ready, my mind right."

On Twitter: @dmansworldpd

Bob Feller honored at Hall of Fame Classic

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Seven months after he at 92, Bob Feller was honored Sunday by the organizers of a game the Cleveland Indians great wholeheartedly embraced. The game's most valuable player was given the inaugural Bob Feller Player of the Game Award.

Hall of Fame Classic baseball game in Cooperstown, New YorkDmitri Young,center, receives the Bob Feller Player Of The Game Award during the Hall of Fame Classic baseball game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY, Sunday, June 19,2011. At left is Ann Feller, the wife of the late Bob Feller, and at right is Jane Forbes Clark of the Baseball Hall Of Fame (AP Photo/Steve Jacobs)

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y.  — Anne Feller didn't address the crowd at the Hall of Fame Classic. Her presence alone was enough.

Seven months after her husband died at 92, Bob Feller was honored Sunday by the organizers of a game the Cleveland Indians great wholeheartedly embraced. The game's most valuable player was given the inaugural Bob Feller Player of the Game Award.

"It's an honor. It's wonderful for them to remember him. He would have been so grateful," said Anne Feller, who kissed Dick Williams as she made her way to the mound to a standing ovation and placed a baseball on the rubber before the national anthem.

"It's just wonderful for them to ask me to come and I'm proud to be here to represent Bob, who loved this game. He loved being here. He always loved coming to Cooperstown. He was just so proud of being in the Hall of Fame."

When major league baseball stopped participating in the annual Hall of Fame Game at Doubleday Field three years ago, this one-stoplight village found a hero in Feller, who was used to playing that role. Feller, who was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1962, didn't want to see a tradition die after nearly seven decades.

"Bob loved everything to do with Cooperstown," Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson said. "He was the first to enlist in World War II. He was the first to enlist for the Hall of Fame Classic three years ago. He meant a great deal to the game and he stood for everything the Hall of Fame is all about — character, integrity, sportsmanship and great interaction with the fans."

Before the Knucksies and Wizards took the field, a moment of silence was observed for four Hall of Famers who died in the past year: Feller, Harmon Killebrew, Duke Snider, Sparky Anderson.

Killebrew and Feller were captains at last year's Classic.

"You have the highest respect for Harmon Killebrew. The highest respect. It's a bittersweet day," said Rich "Goose" Gossage, who started for the Wizards. "Human beings just don't come any better than Harmon. To lose him and Bob is very, very sad."

"I hate to see the passing of anyone, but a Hall of Famer who touched so many lives over the years and meant so much to the Hall of Fame itself will be certainly remembered," Andre Dawson said, referring to Feller. "That's what makes this weekend that much more special. Bob was here last year. He had a dream with this game, so you want to keep that going."

On a sun-splashed afternoon, the dream was alive. There was former Atlanta Braves star Dale Murphy posing behind home plate with former Kansas City Royals standout Willie Wilson while Murphy's 30-year-old son, Chad, snapped a photo.

"Spaceman" Bill Lee then took Murphy aside: "The key is you don't have to look good. It's a lot less testoserone at this level," said the former Red Sox star, who then went out and both pitched and caught barehanded during the game.

And a lot of fun, to be sure.

"Just look around, the ballplayers that are here. It's the whole reason to become a baseball player," said Joel Bennett, who fashioned a 2-1 record in two seasons as a major league pitcher and now coaches in high school in Windsor, N.Y. "To get a chance to play with them is fantastic. I just couldn't believe it. Either way, whether it goes well or bad, I don't care. This is amazing."

As was his day on the field. Bennett lined a double to left-center and scored in the third inning. He later singled and turned a game-ending double play as the Knucksies won the six-inning affair 8-6.

Dmitri Young, who hit 171 homers in the major leagues before retiring three years ago, won the pre-game hitting contest, beating Reggie Sanders. After former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jon Warden, a modern-day clown prince, squirted Young with a foam water gun, Young pounded a home run and then hit another in the three-swing final round to win it and the Tiffany watch that goes with it.

"I wanted the watch more than anybody else," said Young, an avid baseball card collector. "I'm loose. I'm ready to go out there and play now. But once I run the bases and pull something, they'll know why I'm retired."

Not necessarily. Young also hit a three-run shot off Lee in the game to capture the Feller award before a crowd of 5,687.

"It's wonderful to be here, and it's also the 47th anniversary of my first major league win," said Rick Wise, a star right-hander for the Phillies. "Father's Day, 1964. It's very special. It's a very special day in my life, my career."

Denny Hamlin wins NASCAR race in Michigan: Video

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Denny Hamlin raced to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory over the year, holding off Matt Kenseth on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. The drivers appeared headed for a fuel-mileage finish, then a late caution enabled them to make pit stops before a frantic closing five-lap sprint.

Denny HamlinDenny Hamlin drives during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Michigan international Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, June 19, 2011. Hamlin won the race. (AP Photo/Bob Brodbeck)

BROOKLYN, Mich. --  Two days after facing questions about unauthorized auto parts and possible penalties, Denny Hamlin enjoyed a happier kind of scrutiny.

Hamlin raced to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory over the year, holding off Matt Kenseth [Final results] on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. The drivers appeared headed for a fuel-mileage finish, then a late caution enabled them to make pit stops before a frantic closing five-lap sprint.

"Over these last six weeks, I can honestly say we've had a chance to win each and every race," Hamlin said. "For me, if I go about eight weeks without winning, I'm wondering what the heck's going on."

Kenseth was the only driver with a shot to catch Hamlin in the final moments. Kenseth tried to go both above and below the leader, but was unable to pass Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin won by 0.281 seconds for his second straight victory in the June race at the track.

Kyle Busch was third, giving Joe Gibbs Racing two of the top three spots after the team was told to change oil pans before Friday's practice. NASCAR said oil pans from cars driven by Hamlin, Busch and Joey Logano were not submitted for approval before opening day inspection.

 

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

The team could face additional penalties this week, but Hamlin and Busch hardly seemed distracted.

"It speaks volumes to the experience and resilience of this 11 car that you can start the week off with a down note and put that behind you and make sure that it doesn't affect what's getting ready to happen," said Mike Ford, Hamlin's crew chief. "This team usually comes out swinging when its back's against the ropes. Sometimes we connect and sometimes we get dotted in the eye."

Team president J.D. Gibbs said Friday's situation was a good lesson.

"We want to be here with integrity," Gibbs said. "We've made mistakes in the past as a team, and I'm sure we'll make mistakes in the future. If we can't conduct ourselves in the right way, there's no use in us doing this."

Hamlin won eight times last year and contended for the series title but was unable to match Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin was winless this season, although he led early last weekend at Pocono Raceway before running into tire problems.

He entered this race 12th in the points standings but was still confident heading into the summer months. The victory moved him up to ninth.

"Realistically, you know if the whole world collapses and ends, you're still one win away from getting a Chase spot, pretty much," Hamlin said. "We know two wins pretty much puts you in. From here on out, we know we're one win away."

Busch finished the race without incident after he and Kevin Harvick came off probation. They were fined and disciplined for a run-in last month. Harvick finished 14th Sunday.

Busch drove despite chest pain and took the lead about midway through the 400-mile, 200-lap race.

"It was just hard to breathe. I had to take real short breaths," he said. "Felt like I was running a 400-mile marathon, which essentially I was. But I felt like I was running on my feet instead of in a race car."

Carl Edwards moved in front coming out of a caution that ended at lap 163, and it appeared the race would come down to who had enough fuel. The final caution, however, changed all that.

"I think I was going to run out of gas, so I was riding around half-throttle, which isn't much fun," Kenseth said. "Just running slow, hoping for a caution."

Edwards, who won the Nationwide race Saturday, finished fifth. He remains atop the standings, 20 points ahead of Harvick.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 21st, three years after his most recent Cup victory, at Michigan. He has gone 108 races without a victory, and it was his car that hit the wall to cause the fifth and final caution.

Johnson, who entered the race second to Edwards in the standings, dropped three spots to fifth after a 27th-place finish. The defending series champion fell way behind Sunday after an early spin.

"Tough day," he said. "We were just kind of in a hole at that point and couldn't get caught back up."

It was a frustrating day for Kurt Busch, who won his third straight Sprint Cup pole but fell out of contention and finished 11th.

"Our first lap was awesome. The last 199 were a challenge," he said. "You need a good race car, solid pit stops and good changes to keep up with the track, and we were just too inconsistent today."

Greg Biffle led for 68 laps, all during the first half of the race. He finished 15th.

Hamlin led for only eight laps, but that was enough for his 17th career victory.

"My goal is still to get in the top five in points," Hamlin said. "If I wouldn't have dug us such a big hole at the beginning of the year, we really could be possibly fighting for trying to lead the points going into the Chase, but we just started so far behind, it's going to be tough to do that. My realistic goal is top five in points."



It's time for snooty poker critics to fold and go home: Book of Norman

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Every year, before I broadcast the Main Event on ESPN with lanky Lon McEachern, I close my eyes and play several earlier World Series events in pursuit of the almost-impossible dream — winning a bracelet.

world series of pokerThousands come to Las Vegas every summer for a chance at a coveted World Series of Poker bracelet.

Las Vegas — I come here for the desert calm, the dry heat, the scent of gambling, the city- that-really-never-sleeps sensibility, the orange cones on every highway and, of course, for the World Series of Poker.

Every year, before I broadcast the Main Event on ESPN with lanky Lon McEachern, I close my eyes and play several earlier World Series events in pursuit of the almost-impossible dream — winning a bracelet.

Indeed, it remains my goal to get a bracelet before LeBron James gets a ring.

So I take my poker talents to just west of the Strip, to the Rio Hotel and Casino, and gather with kindred souls from around the world trying to outwit and outluck each other.

This summer, we feel an additional sense of camaraderie. Poker is under fire in America — that’s an entirely different column I’ll tackle in a couple of weeks — with tens of thousands of pros thrown out of work recently when online poker sites were shut down to U.S. customers.

Frankly, we’re tired of getting pushed around and treated like outcasts when we’re doing nothing wrong. Poker is as American as baseball and apple pie, and the game involves math, psychology, money management and a variety of other nuanced skills that make hitting a 90-mph fastball look simple.

(By the way, the biggest difference between the World Series of Poker and the World Series of Baseball is this: We don’t have Bud Selig ruining, Bob Costas romanticizing and Tim McCarver reinventing the game. We just have mostly honest people — pros and amateurs alike — chasing their gambling grail.)

(P.S. to Mr. Costas, sitting atop his Olympic mount with a Bill James abstract — I’ll still take Doyle Brunson or Phil Ivey or Jennifer Harman or Daniel Negreanu or the late Chip Reese over Mickey Mantle any day of the week, pal.)

(P.P.S. We catch our cheaters and we label them cheaters. There are no PEDs in poker, other than beer or weed.)

(P.P.P.S. When I’m home in Los Angeles, I go to Hollywood Park casino twice a week. Nowhere else can I find such a wonderful cross-section of poker pros, songwriters, lawyers, contractors, limo drivers and folks from all walks of life — people Costas has dismissed as “degenerates.” As opposed to your typical upper-deck types at Dodger Stadium.)

Now, a lot of people who listen to me talk about poker on ESPN assume I can’t even play poker. They’re partially right: I can’t play no-limit Texas hold ’em, the game that has vaulted in interest since Chris Moneymaker and the poker boom came our way in 2003.

If you put me at a Texas hold ’em table with nine Franciscan monks, I’d be the underdog.

But I’m OK at many of the other delightful disciplines of poker, particularly stud/8. So last week I entered the World Series $1,500 buy-in stud/8 event. And, as poker jaws dropped from dice tables to Deadwood, in a field of 606, I finished 12th and cashed for $10,676.

(As always, the money was divided equally among my financial backers and ex-wives. As for my current helpmate, Toni — aka She Is The One And Then Some — she will be taken out to a splendid, non-drive-thru dinner.)

Along the way, I sat with 1998 Main Event champion Scotty Nguyen, who showed me videos of his pet cheetahs and invited me over to shoot hoops.

I sat with Frank Kassela, who owns six different businesses and was the World Series Player of the Year in 2010.

I sat with Cyndy Violette and a very pregnant Karina Jett, two savvy pros who have proven for years that poker has no gender barriers.

And I sat with Mike Sexton, a former U.S. Army paratrooper, a Poker Hall of Famer and World Poker Tour broadcaster with whom I pleaded not to call one of my final bets because, well, he’s got everything a man could have and all I had were a few chips to my name.

In the end, I was knocked out by Chris Viox, 35, an investor, poker pro and all-around nice guy who won the bracelet and $200,459. Viox, a University of Illinois grad, is married with two kids, and he kept a photo of them nearby on the table all night. A real degenerate.

Ask the Slouch!

Q:Does Couch Slouch have any career second thoughts — maybe a job you once had that you regret quitting? — Christopher O’Neal, Beaumont, Texas

A. I worked briefly as a consultant to OPEC in the late 1970s but didn’t like the hours. I miss those people.

Q.Why are you such a pessimist in terms of the players’ side in the NFL lockout situation? —Ray Masters, Chicago

A. Management is always a 12-to-1 favorite in any dealings with labor, unless Sally Fields is involved.

Q.I noticed there are no trainers in attendance at poker tournaments. What happens if a player gets a cramp? — Bob Miller, Pittsburgh

A. I like to check-raise in that spot.

Q.Of all the human growth hormones available to athletes, shouldn’t a super-sized container of McDonald’s french fries be considered the leader of the pack? — Steve Clark, Richmond, Va.

A. Pay the man, Shirley.

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

Chad Norman is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.


Cleveland Indians: Good move to replace hitting coach? Poll

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Was removal of hitting coach the right move?

Jon  Nunnally.JPGFormer Indians hitting coach Jon Nunnally.

The Cleveland Indians replaced hitting coach Jon Nunnally with Bruce Fields, the Indians minor league hitting coordinator.

Paul Hoynes and Dennis Manoloff writes in The Plain Dealer how a stagnant offense and injuries to Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore were the Tribe's big problems.

In 24 games, the Tribe scored two for fewer runs 15 times and were shut out six times.

Manny Acta says:

"We've been scuffling for a while, and we felt like we need a new voice,'' Acta said. "Jon's a great person and worked very hard. Certainly coaches coach and players play, but we felt like we needed a new voice. Bruce Fields has 34 years of experience, he's been a hitting coach in the big leagues, and he's been in our system for a while. Hopefully, he can make us better.''

Was this the right move?







Kelly Pavlik may get a shot at super middleweight title

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Kelly Pavlik could face middleweight champ Lucian Bute this fall.

kelly pavlik 2.JPGKelly Pavlik, left, exchanges punches with Alfonso Lopez during their fight in May.

A championship bout between Kelly Pavlik and IBF super middleweight champ Lucian Bute could happen in November, writes Joe Scalzo on Vindy.com.

Bute seemed headed for a bout with former super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler, but negotiations are not going well, according to a report on ESPN.com.

So it seems that Bute's next-best option would be Pavlik as he awaits a possible bout with the winner of Showtime's "Super Six" super middleweight tournament, writes Scalzo.

Pavlik's promoter, Jack Loew, spoke with Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler on Friday afternoon and gave his approval.

"I, myself, look forward to it," said Loew. "He's probably one of the best super middleweights in the world. He's left-handed, he's tall, he's strong, he goes well to the body and he packs it in, in Montreal.

"It'd be a hell of a trip to fight in Canada on major TV."

Pavlik is coming off a 10-round majority decision victory over Alfonso Lopez on May 7 in Dallas. It was Pavlik's first bout since losing the middleweight titles to Sergio Martinez in April of 2010.

  

Cleveland Cavaliers A.M. Links: Knight or Irving? Preview of draft; Cavaliers hold the cards

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Will the Cavaliers take Knight instead of Irving in the draft?

kyrie irving Duke's Kyrie Irving.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers don't select Kyrie Irving (they will) with the number one pick, the Cavs may find their point guard in Kentucky's Brandon Knight.

Ohio.com reporter Jason Lloyd writes how Knight is considered the second-best point guard in the draft behind Irving, but if the Cavs decide to take Derrick Williams, Knight could become the top guard for the Cavs with their number four pick.

The Cavaliers could take the Oklahoma City route and go against conventional wisdom when it comes to the draft.

For example, three years ago Thunder General Manager Sam Presti shocked the rest of the league when he drafted Russell Westbrook out of UCLA.

 No one saw it coming, because Westbrook was a defensive-minded shooting guard. Now he is one of the top point guards in the Western Conference who combined with Kevin Durant to lead the Thunder to the Western Conference finals this season.

And the Thunder selected him fourth in the draft.

 

Preview

News-Herald reporter Bob Finnan writes in his series previewing the NBA draft how the gap between Duke point guard Kyrie Irving and the rest of the field is significant.

"Irving is an All-Star-caliber point guard," said Cleveland-based agent Joe Kotoch, who operates the website probasketballdraft.com.

"There's a dropoff (after Irving)," Kotoch said. "It's not drastic, but it's significant."

The Cavaliers have fallen for Irving in a big way, writes Finnan, and are expected to select him with their No. 1 overall choice in Thursday's NBA draft.

Rumors that they are torn between Irving and Arizona forward Derrick Williams for the first pick might be a smokescreen. There's no question Williams will be a good player at the next level, but it would be shocking if the Cavs don't select Irving.

 

Cavs hold the cards

The Cavs have the number one pick and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio writes how the Cavaliers are the most powerful team in basketball because of that.

And the so-called experts don't know which direction the Cavs will go on draft day.

Everything, it is clear, comes down to Cleveland.

The Cavs are the Dirty Harry of this year’s draft, watching other teams develop schemes, then glaring at them and saying, “Go ahead. Make my day.”

And general manager Chris Grant must feel like a modern-day version of late Boston executive and coach Red Auerbach, whose phone calls to opposing owners and GMs often went ignored. Answer it, they feared, and run the risk of being fleeced in a trade.

  

Analysis

Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer gives her point of view on the upcoming draft, and how this is a market for point guards.

Three could be taken in the first five picks, including Duke's Kyrie Irving, projected to go No. 1 to the Cavaliers in almost every mock draft.

There is a historical precedent for this. Kentucky point guard John Wall went No. 1 to Washington last year. Memphis point guard Derrick Rose went No. 1 to Chicago in 2008. The problem is comparing Irving -- or any guards in the Class of 2011 -- to Wall and Rose.

 

Indians can stay in the race all season - Comment of the Day

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"Nice job sweeping the Pirates. The team could have easily gone in the tank after its recent difficult stretch. I definitely think the Indians can stay competitive in this weak division for the rest of the year." - rijo

Cleveland Indians beat Red Sox, 3-2View full sizeDespite their struggles recently, Manny Acta still has the Indians in first place.

In response to the story Cord Phelps' three-run homer in the 11th inning powers Cleveland Indians' sweep of Pittsburgh, 5-2, cleveland.com reader rijo thinks the Indians can stay in the race all year. This reader writes,

"Nice job sweeping the Pirates. The team could have easily gone in the tank after its recent difficult stretch. I definitely think the Indians can stay competitive in this weak division for the rest of the year."

To respond to rijo's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Hoping Pryor gets a chance, but not in Cleveland - Browns Comment of the Day

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"I think he should and probably will get a chance to earn his way onto a roster. I hope he is ready. I don't think Cleveland is the place for him though. It's just too close to the epicenter of where everything happened." - wonkguy

Terrelle Pryor leaves OSUView full sizeTerrelle Pryor is likely to garner plenty of attention, wherever he ends up.

In response to the story Should Cleveland Browns take a chance on ex-Buckeye QB Terrelle Pryor? Poll, cleveland.com reader wonkguy hopes Pryor succeeds, but doesn't think Cleveland's the right place for him. This reader writes,

"I think he should and probably will get a chance to earn his way onto a roster. I hope he is ready. I don't think Cleveland is the place for him though. It's just too close to the epicenter of where everything happened."

To respond to wonkguy's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

Irving and Kanter would be solid building blocks - Cavaliers Comment of the Day

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"Let's hope Kyrie Irving exceeds all expectations and that the Cavs draft Enes Kanter with the No. 4 pick. Drafting a 1 and a 5 will give the Cavs talented players without having to reach. I'm hoping the Cavs have a great lottery pick in the deep, talented 2012 draft, featuring small forwards that could be immediate impact players. Derrick Williams would not even be a top 3 in next year's draft." - financedawg

kyrie-irving-duke.jpgView full sizeKyrie Irving is the likely first pick in this week's NBA Draft.

In response to the story Despite flaws, point guards steal the show at the top of this week's NBA Draft: Mary Schmitt Boyer analysis, cleveland.com reader financedawg thinks Irving and Kanter would be a strong start for the Cavaliers. This reader writes,

"Let's hope Kyrie Irving exceeds all expectations and that the Cavs draft Enes Kanter with the No. 4 pick. Drafting a 1 and a 5 will give the Cavs talented players without having to reach. I'm hoping the Cavs have a great lottery pick in the deep, talented 2012 draft, featuring small forwards that could be immediate impact players. Derrick Williams would not even be a top 3 in next year's draft."

To respond to financedawg's comment, go here.

For more comments of the day, go to blog.cleveland.com/comments-of-the-day.

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