Jayson Nix's suicide-squeeze bunt in the sixth inning helps the Indians beat the Blue Jays, 2-1, Monday night at Progressive Field.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain DealerHome plate umpire Chad Fairchild makes his decision clear as Indians catcher Carlos Santana slides home ahead of the tag of Toronto's John Buck in the first inning Monday night. Santana scored from second on Austin Kearns' RBI single off Ricky Romero.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians had gone years without a successful suicide-squeeze bunt.

Now they are making it a monthly treat.

Jayson Nix squeezed in Travis Hafner with the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as the Tribe defeated the Blue Jays, 2-1, Monday night at Progressive Field.

The Tribe (28-47) has won two in a row; Toronto (40-37) has lost six of eight.

Right-hander Jake Westbrook and four relievers held the Blue Jays scoreless after the third batter of the game. Westbrook, potential trade bait, allowed the one run on six hits in six-plus.

Joe Smith and Rafael Perez worked the seventh. Chris Perez pitched the eighth and Kerry Wood the ninth.

Wood, coming off a dominant save Sunday in Cincinnati, allowed a two-out single to Lyle Overbay before whiffing John Buck with full-count filth.

Blue Jays lefty Rocky Romero plunked Hafner to lead off the sixth. Pronk rumbled to third on Jhonny Peralta's double to left-center. Matt LaPorta, swinging at the first pitch, grounded to second. Not long after Jayson Nix stepped in, Tribe manager Manny Acta apparently decided conventional means were not going to get the job done.

With the count 0-1, Nix squared as Hafner took off. The bunt dribbled toward Romero, who fielded halfway to the plate and attempted to shovel the ball to catcher Buck. No chance.

Hafner slid in with the Tribe's second successful squeeze this season. On May 25, Luis Valbuena bunted to drive in Austin Kearns as part of a 7-3 victory over the White Sox -- Cleveland's first successful squeeze since May 17, 2003, when Omar Vizquel bunted and Matt Lawton scored against the Athletics.

Acta looked like a genius when Anderson Hernandez popped to right and Trevor Crowe popped to second.

Acta opted not to use the same play with the same two players in the eighth. Hafner singled and moved to third on Matt LaPorta's one-out double off the left-field wall. Nix never showed bunt and struck out swinging.

Hernandez grounded to second for the third out.

The Blue Jays pounced on a shaky Westbrook out of the gate.

With one out in the first, Alex Gonzalez doubled to left. Jose Bautista used an inside-out swing to drive a pitch into right-center for an RBI double.

Vernon Wells ripped a single to left, the ball hit too hard for Bautista to score. Adam Lind popped to third baseman Peralta in foul territory; Bautista bluffed, Wells alertly tagged.

Aaron Hill flied to center in a full count.

The Indians answered with one run in their half of the inning. With two outs, Carlos Santana doubled to left-center. Kearns singled to right field, where Bautista made a clean pick and strong throw home. Santana barely beat it with a head-first slide, Kearns advancing to second.

At that point, Santana had reached safely in 18 of his last 35 plate appearances. Ten of his last 13 hits were for extra bases.

The Indians entered Monday having scored 134 of their 309 runs (43 percent) with two outs. Romero limited the damage by getting Hafner to bounce to the mound.

The Tribe squandered an opportunity in the third. LaPorta and Nix had one-out singles and No. 9 batter Hernandez walked. Crowe, swinging at the first pitch, grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

The Blue Jays entered Monday ranked first in the majors with 115 home runs. Their lineup featured six players with nine-plus homers.

The Tribe countered with just one player who had nine or more (Shin-Soo Choo, 12).

Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner returns to starting lineup tonight after being reduced to pinch-hitting role for nine games.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerTravis Hafner got off the bench and back into the starting lineup against the Blue Jays on Monday night.

INDIANS INSIDER
Clubhouse confidential: Travis Hafner lost a chess match to Shelley Duncan in the Tribe clubhouse before batting practice. Pronk said it was the first time they had played.
“That was embarrassing,” Hafner said. “I don’t think you’ll see that the rest of the year. That’s one time in a million you’ll see Duncan beat me. I was taking piece after piece, I was up big in material, but I didn’t pay attention to my king.”
Duncan maintained that he evened his record against Hafner at 1-1, having lost in an i-Pad match.
Hafner said: “Oh, that’s right, I forgot about that one. Sometimes when you play a guy and beat him easily, you don’t remember it.”
Hafner plays hours of computer chess on the road.

From the gridiron: Matt LaPorta and Trevor Crowe threw the football in the outfield Monday afternoon. Both looked good doing it; most of the passes were tight spirals. LaPorta connected with a moving Crowe several times from at least 25 yards.
“It’s a good way to warm up a bit, to get the blood flowing,” LaPorta said.

They’re in: As of Monday afternoon, the Indians had signed 13 of their 50 draft picks and eight non-drafted free agents. The latest to join were outfielder Aaron Siliga (17th round) and lefty Kyle Petter (34th).

Stat of the day: The Indians have used 20 position players and 15 pitchers.
— Dennis Manoloff

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Designated hitter Travis Hafner stepped out of the freezer Monday night and into the starting lineup against the Blue Jays.

Hafner started for the first time since June 17 against the Mets at Progressive Field. For the nine games that followed, he was reduced to an expensive pinch-hitter as the Indians played in National League venues.

Hafner went 0-for-5 with a hit-by-pitch on the trip. He struck out once and grounded out four times. He did not play in two of the three games last weekend in Cincinnati.

"I'm excited to be starting again, so I can get back into a rhythm," he said Monday afternoon. "We knew what the situation was going in, and I tried to make the most of the pinch-hitting role. I just didn't swing the bat very well."

Monday, Hafner reached after being hit by Toronto's Ricky Romero and scored the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning. He also singled in the eighth. He had hit in six straight (8-for-20) before the trip commenced June 18 in Pittsburgh.

"Sometimes there's a tendency, when you know you're only going to get one at-bat, to try to do too much," he said. "You get pretty amped up. I might have been a little anxious."

Indians manager Manny Acta was asked about having interleague in the rearview mirror; his club went 5-13. Acta said the best part was Hafner being able to play regularly again.

"It's totally unfair to have him get five at-bats in nine games," Acta said. "You can get five at-bats in one game."

Hafner did, in fact, get five June 17.

"It's probably going to take him a few at-bats to get comfortable again," Acta said. "It's about timing and rhythm."

Under normal circumstances, Acta said, he might have sat Pronk against Toronto's tough lefty Romero. But "Travis needs to see pitches," Acta said.

Almost there: Infielder Jason Donald hopes to return to the lineup Tuesday. Donald jammed his left wrist while making a defensive play last Friday in Cincinnati.

"At first, it was really, really sore," he said. "But the trainers have done a great job of working it out, getting it close. It's made a huge jump from Sunday to [Monday]."

Acta said: "Jason is playable but still a little sore. We want to make sure he's 100 percent before we throw him out there."

Cab fare: Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who fractured his left forearm and underwent surgery in May, could be taking grounders by the end of the week. He already is playing catch. On his current path, Cabrera could return to playing by late July/early August -- but only after a significant number of at-bats on a rehab assignment.

"A nice, short rehab is not going to do it," Acta said. "Asdrubal's aware of that, he understands that. He's been out for a while. I hate to give you a number of at-bats because I don't want to get pigeon-holed, but it's got to be enough for him to feel like he can play nine innings consistently and not be overmatched."

Acta said Cabrera will be checked by a doctor Wednesday.

In the clear: Right-hander Shane Lindsay has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Class AA Akron. He was claimed June 1 from the Yankees and designated for assignment June 24 when Jayson Nix was added to the Tribe roster.

Lindsay entered Monday having made four relief appearances for the Aeros in June.

Finally: The next two high-end prospects to be promoted from Class AAA Columbus likely will be outfielder Michael Brantley and right-hander Carlos Carrasco.

Brantley, who began the season with the Tribe, entered Monday hitting .314 in 54 games with the Clippers. He was 13 for his last 28. He continues to work on shortening his swing and getting on top of the ball.

"He's close," Acta said.

Carrasco is 6-3 with a 4.26 ERA in 14 starts. He has given up 87 hits in 86 2/3 innings, walked 29 and struck out 73.

"Carlos barely missed making the club out of spring training, and it's only fair, and the right thing to do, to take a look at him this year," Acta said.

Acta said a Tribe starter does not need to perform poorly for Carrasco to get the call.

On a day when play was suspended twice by rain, Elyria's Norton Brick (seniors) and Medina's John Furlong (championship) won their divisions in sparkling fashion.

HUDSON, Ohio -- A name that has appeared at the top of local amateur golf leaderboards for a long time and one likely to do so in the near future emerged as winners in the 80th annual Northeast Ohio Amateur Invitational, which came to a drawn-out conclusion at the Country Club of Hudson on Monday.

On a day when play was suspended twice by rain, prompting tournament officials to cut Monday's scheduled 36 holes down to 18, Elyria's Norton Brick (seniors) and Medina's John Furlong (championship) won their divisions in sparkling fashion.

Furlong, who will be a senior at Kent State, shot a final-round 2-under 70 and won his first NEO Am title by four shots with a 54-hole score of 211, compiled with rounds at Quail Hollow and Aurora last week and 18 holes Monday.

Former high school state champion Mac McLaughlin, who will be a sophomore at Virginia, finished second at 215 after a 72, and Zach Glassman, a Dayton senior, and Brad Steven of Concord tied for third at 216.

Brick, 57, who has won numerous amateur events in the area, became the first player to have both championship and senior victories. He shot a final-round 74 for a three-day total of 216, seven shots better than Jeff Knox of Solon.

"Someone has to be the first guy to do it, so it might as well be me," said Brick, who made two birdie putts of 30 feet and another from 25. "If I hadn't made any putts, I probably would have shot 80."

Brick had a sizable lead with three holes to play when a second downpour hit the course at approximately 3:45 p.m.

"It made for a long day, and I'm sure I'll be seeing my chiropractor in the morning," said Brick, who finished with four birdies, three bogeys and two double bogeys.

Furlong, who transferred to KSU from Ashland last fall, took a two-shot lead into the final round and never faltered. He birdied the first hole and then reeled off eight straight pars. He kept the pressure on the rest of the field by making two birdies on the first four holes on the back.

"I knew I was going to have a good round because Mac is a good player and I knew he would play well," said Furlong. "I just tried to stay away from making too many mistakes. On the front side, I don't think I missed a fairway or a green [in regulation] and I think I two-putted practically every hole."

Former Ohio State running back Eddie George, along with a host of local and national celebrities, participated in the Troy Smith Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday. Prior to the event, George talked to Branson Wright about the charity event, a recent celebration of the four living Ohio State Heisman Trophy winners, and his outlook on the Ohio State Buckeyes...

Former Ohio State running back Eddie George, along with a host of local and national celebrities, participated in the Troy Smith Celebrity Golf Classic on Monday.

Prior to the event, George talked to Branson Wright about the charity event, a recent celebration of the four living Ohio State Heisman Trophy winners, and his outlook on the Ohio State Buckeyes this coming football season.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cavaliers, Indians and Browns. We'll get the latest on LeBron's impending free agency, the Indians and their future trade plans and we'll talk Browns as training camp approaches.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cavaliers, Indians and Browns.

We'll get the latest on LeBron's impending free agency, the Indians and their future trade plans and we'll talk Browns as training camp approaches.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Terry's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.


You can jump in the chat room below to ask your questions or just listen. An mp3 of the chat will be made available shortly after its completion.

ESPN.com reports that James, Wade and Bosh - all set to become unrestricted free agents at 12:01 a.m. Thursday - met some time in the last few days. Speculation is the trio talked of playing together with the Heat, but that James has not ruled out returning to the Cavaliers or other options he will have.

Associated PressLeBron James (left) and Dwyane Wade (right) have been involved in some memorable games between James' Cavaliers and the Heat's Wade.

Chris Broussard and Marc Stein are reporting for ESPN.com that the Cavaliers' LeBron James, the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade and the Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh met at some time over the last few days to talk about their NBA futures. All three are set to become unrestricted free agents at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

The ESPN.com report includes:

Sources close to the situation said Monday night that three of the biggest names in basketball -- Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James -- met over the weekend in Miami to seriously discuss their futures, with a focus on the increasingly plausible possibility of those three teaming up with Wade's Heat.

Yet sources with knowledge of the meeting stressed to ESPN.com that James, while clearly intrigued by the possibility of forming a star-studded Miami trio with Wade and Bosh, has not yet committed to leaving his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers for South Beach.

Also, in the ESPN.com report:

Sources said James, furthermore, has not ruled out staying with the Cavaliers. Although Cleveland does not have the financial flexibility or the trade assets to import Bosh or Wade and enhance its chances of retaining this summer's face of free agency, James is a proud Ohioan who is said to be still wrestling with the notion of leaving his home state, no matter how enticing the possibilities are in Miami and Chicago.

"Miami is about the last place he'll end up. Which one - LeBron or Wade - will swallow their pride and become the sidekick to the other? Which one - LeBron or Wade - will be the 15 point per night scorer? There aren't enough basketballs to go around for those two, let alone if you throw Bosh in the mix?" - falcon84

View full sizeAP Photo | Lynne SladkyCould Dwyane Wade and LeBron James co-exist in Miami?

In response to the story He's off to Miami; no, Chicago; no, New York? The LeBron rumor mill, cleveland.com reader falcon84 just can't see how LeBron, Wade and Bosh could co-exist in Miami. This reader writes,

"Miami is about the last place he'll end up. Which one - LeBron or Wade - will swallow their pride and become the sidekick to the other? Which one - LeBron or Wade - will be the 15 point per night scorer? There aren't enough basketballs to go around for those two, let alone if you throw Bosh in the mix?"

"I feel a lot better knowing he's in New York rather than Cleveland. Appreciate the story, but don't you think it's time we put this overrated clown behind us and concentrated solely on the Browns' receivers? Let the people in the greater metro New York area worry about him." - theksukidd73

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain DealerBrowns fans are happy to be rid of Braylon Edwards.

In response to the story Braylon Edwards will not get suspended, cleveland.com reader theksukidd73 is ready to move on from Braylon. This reader writes,

"I feel a lot better knowing he's in New York rather than Cleveland. Appreciate the story, but don't you think it's time we put this overrated clown behind us and concentrated solely on the Browns' receivers? Let the people in the greater metro New York area worry about him."

Brian Shaw is the latest candidate to get interviewed for the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching job. The Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers are the only two teams without a coach. Byron Scott is also a candidate. He has had several interviews with the Cavs. Who knows how close the Cavs are in hiring a coach, but certainly that time...

Elmer Fudd

Brian Shaw is the latest candidate to get interviewed for the Cleveland Cavaliers coaching job. The Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers are the only two teams without a coach.

Byron Scott is also a candidate. He has had several interviews with the Cavs.

Who knows how close the Cavs are in hiring a coach, but certainly that time must be near. So who will replace former Cavaliers coach Mike Brown?

Cleveland sports bloggers talk about the Browns' quiet offseason, Jake Delhomme's intangibles, Brandon Phillips' against the Indians and Brian Shaw's qualifications for the Cavaliers' coaching job.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain Dealer Eric Mangini ended up mired in controversy last season as he tried to change the culture in Berea.

Browns

LeBrowns Town: "Last summer was an offseason of turmoil for the Browns, who couldn't seem to do anything right despite a complete culture overhaul being desperately needed in Berea before Coach Eric Mangini's arrival. This year? Tranquility. Part of that is because we're focused on whether or not we will still be 'Witnesses' by the end of next month. But another part of it is because the Browns really are quietly going about their business ... and I love every second of it." » Read more

Cleveland Reboot: "While there is little doubt that Delhomme will become the calming, authoritative presence the offense has lacked for over a decade; he also represents one of the biggest gambles in team history. Currently mired in a close to two-year slump, Delhomme was essentially chased out of Carolina after completely melting down in the 2008 playoffs. His 2009 campaign was marked by a continued slump before being replaced by the untested Matt Moore. Still recovering from a dreaded Tommy John surgery, the past couple seasons have illustrated Delhomme's age and Brett Favre-esque penchant for impulsive play." » Read more

Indians

WaitingForNextYear: "Whether it was just poor timing or a lack of opportunity, Phillips' improvement after leaving Cleveland has been well-documented. After producing an OPS total of .553 in his only real season with the Indians (112 games in 2003), Phillips would be given little chance to prove his worth, suiting up in exactly 12 total games in 2004 and 2005. Following the trade to Cincinnati, the then-25-year old produced OPS totals of .751 and .816 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. 2007 was arguably Phillips best season as a professional where he would provide the Reds with 30 home runs and 32 stolen bases." » Read more

Cavaliers

Cavs: the blog: "Shaw has the potential to successfully play what I believe is the most important role of any NBA coach – ego manager. Two weeks ago I claimed that 'Phil Jackson may be the best example of successful ego management in NBA history.' If Phil Jackson is unattainable, then Brian Shaw, who coached under Jackson for the past six years after playing for him for four seasons, would be a terrific second option in that regard." » Read more

Pironkova, of Bulgaria, stuns Williams, 6-2, 6-3, in a quarterfinals match, ruling out another all-sister final between Venus and Serena Williams. Also, Vera Zvonareva of Russia rallied to surprise two-time U.S. Open winner Kim Clijsters 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Alastair Grant, Associated PressBulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova reacts after defeating Venus Williams in a Wimbledon quarterfinals match.

Wimbledon, England – Five-time champion Venus Williams was ousted in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on Tuesday, losing 6-2, 6-3 to 82nd-ranked Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria. The second-seeded Williams, who had reached the Wimbledon final in eight of the past 10 years, was undone by a slew of unforced errors and double faults in the biggest upset of the women's tournament.

Venus Williams never got on track against the 22-year-old Pironkova, who was the lowest-ranked player left in the women's draw and had never previously passed the second round in 18 previous Grand Slams.

The loss rules out another all-sister final between Venus and Serena Williams, the defending champion who faced China's Li Na in a later quarterfinal.

Pironkova also beat Williams in the first round of the Australian Open in 2006, but few gave her a chance of replicating the feat on the grass at the All England Club, where Williams has dominated for a decade.

But Williams was clearly off her game and Pironkova took advantage.

Williams committed 29 unforced errors, compared to just six for Pironkova. She had five double-faults on serve, including back-to-back doubles in two games.

Pironkova denied Williams her 200th career victory on grass and spoiled the prospect of a fifth Wimbledon final against Serena, who beat her older sister last year for her third Wimbledon title.

Pironkova becomes the first woman representing Bulgaria to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in the Open era. Bulgarian-born Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere was representing Switzerland when she reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 1992 and 1993.

Pironkova broke Williams twice in the first set, winning four straight games after a 2-all tie, then finished the set with a backhand passing shot down the line.

After Williams broke to go up 2-1 in the second set, it looked as though she might be able to take command. But Pironkova broke right back in the next game, which included the shot of the match. After Williams hit a forehand drop volley, the Bulgarian raced forward and flipped a backhand lob winner over Williams' head. Pironkova swung her arm in an uppercut celebration.

Down 5-2, Williams saved two match points on serve, but Pironkova served out the match in the next game. After Williams missed a forehand volley, Pironkova squealed and fell on her back on the turf.

Pironkova earned a semifinal berth against Zvonareva, who came back from a set down to beat Clijsters on Centre Court. It was the Russian's first win over Clijsters in six meetings.

Clijsters, returning to Wimbledon for the first time since 2006 after coming out of retirement, beat fellow Belgian Justine Henin on Monday and was viewed as a potential title threat.

The eighth-seeded Clijsters looked in command after sailing through the first set, but the match turned in the Russian's favor after she broke to go up 3-1 in the second.

Clijsters finished with 36 unforced errors, compared to 19 for Zvonareva.

In another quarterfinal, unseeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic played qualifier Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

The men had the day off ahead of Wednesday's quarterfinals.

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Bill Lubinger and Branson Wright. Today's highlights: • Brian Shaw is the latest Cleveland Cavaliers coaching candidate. Shaw is in town interviewing with owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant. Byron Scott also remains interested...

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Bill Lubinger and Branson Wright. Today's highlights:

• Brian Shaw is the latest Cleveland Cavaliers coaching candidate. Shaw is in town interviewing with owner Dan Gilbert and GM Chris Grant. Byron Scott also remains interested in the Cavs job. Who will become the next coach of the Cavaliers? Cast your vote in the poll now posted on the Starting Blocks blog.

• Plain Dealer Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises, today's guest, talks about the possibility of USC's Seantrel Henderson joining the Buckeyes, and how OSU will regroup without Duron Carter.

SBTV returns Wednesday with Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes. Do you have a question for Hoynes? Post it in the comments section below and we'll ask him the best questions during the show.

LeBron James still has the Cavs as frontrunner, according to a source

APA source close to LeBron James says the Cavaliers still have the edge in signing him to a free agent contract.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With rumors popping up and then being shot down routinely, one thing remains clear though all of the chaos surrounding LeBron James' free agency: the Cavaliers are still the frontrunner.

A source close to James told The Plain Dealer Tuesday morning that James still considers the Cavs to have the edge in re-signing the two-time Most Valuable Player. This is based not only on the fact that the Cavs can pay him $30 million more than another team over the next six years, but also that it is James' home.

James will host a series of meetings in the Akron area starting Thursday at 10 a.m. when the New Jersey Nets are scheduled to make the first presentation, a source said. Nets new Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov is flying to the U.S. just for the meeting before immediately flying back out. Then the New York Knicks are expected to present their case followed by a series of other suitors that could last much of Thursday and Friday.

The Cavs and likely a new head coach, which the team hopes to hire in the next two days, might also meet with James. While there have been reports that the Cavs are close to hiring Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, a team source said Tuesday morning that the Cavs have not made an offer to Shaw or other leading candidate Byron Scott.

After all the meetings, according to sources, James is expected to make his decision over a period of several days. Until then, James does not plan on committing to anything.

Over the last several days there have been a series of stories from newspaper and websites that have linked James to the Knicks, Bulls and Heat. Various denials then followed. Late Monday, ESPN reported that James met with fellow free agents Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade over the weekend in Miami.

But sources close to James have told The Plain Dealer that James was in New York over the weekend and did not travel to Miami. It is possible that Wade, James and Bosh all spoke on the telephone about their options and plans as they hit free agency. All three are represented by the same agency.

Wade and Bosh's agent, Henry Thomas, told the Miami Herald that the three did not meet in Miami.

 

The Cavaliers are close to naming Brian Shaw as their new coach.

Associated PressLos Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, right, reportedly is close to being named head coach of the Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brian Shaw may be close to becoming the Cavaliers' next head coach, but it is not done yet.

According to sources, Shaw had a positive interview with the team Monday and early today and he emerged as the frontrunner to replace Mike Brown. Shaw has impressed the Cavs with not only his focus on defense and knowledge of how the triangle offense would work with LeBron James, but also his confidence in dealing with players because of his 14-year history in the league.

But Cavs sources said this morning that Shaw had not been formally offered the job and was not close to finalizing a contract with the team.

AOL Fanhouse and the Los Angeles Times reported that Shaw was close to accepting the job. The Times quoted Shaw's agent, L.A.-based attorney Jerome Stanley, as saying Shaw was close to an agreement.

The Cavs want a coach in place by Thursday, the start of free agency, and it is likely they want to make the decision today. The signs point to Shaw being that man.

Who's the frontrunner to land LeBron James? What's the Cavaliers' Plan B if he leaves? Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto was online, tackling those questions and more in his weekly chat.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Who's the frontrunner to land LeBron James? What's the Cavaliers' Plan B if he leaves?

Plain Dealer sports columnist Terry Pluto was online, tackling those questions and more in his weekly chat on cleveland.com earlier today.

Among the other topics discussed:

- Who will be the next Indians player traded?

- Can Montario Hardesty win the Browns' starting running back job?

- And much more!

Click on the play button below to listen or download the MP3 podcast here to listen on the go.

A decision on who will be the next Cavaliers coach is apparently imminent. Reports vary on which team - Cavs included - LeBron James might sign with.

Scott Shaw, The Plain Dealer The Lakers' Kobe Bryant (left) defends the Cavaliers' LeBron James. If James stays with the Cavs, he could play for a coach with strong Lakers' ties - Brian Shaw or Byron Scott.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Within the next week or two, the Cleveland Cavaliers could be either a significantly different team, or an unrecognizably different team than the one we've grown accustomed to.

Coach Mike Brown was fired after the Eastern Conference semifinal round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics, and the Cavs and Danny Ferry did not agree to renew his contract as general manager.

Chris Grant has been promoted from assistant general manager to fill Ferry's spot. Further change we are assured of is the hiring of a new coach. Even more dramatic will be whether LeBron James chooses to stay with the Cavaliers or move on to another team.

As Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Brian Windhorst reports, the Cavs would like to hire a new coach by Thursday. Why Thursday? Because James becomes a free agent on Thursday at 12:01 a.m., and if the Cavaliers can have a coach in place who is respected by James, it could help the team keep the NBA's two-time MVP.

(UPDATE)

(Click here to read Brian Windhorst's latest on LeBron James' free agent status. Click here to read Windhorst's update on the Cavaliers' coach search.)

Apparently, the leading candidates for the coaching job are former Los Angeles Lakers guards Brian Shaw and Byron Scott. Shaw is a Lakers assistant coach and Scott is a proven head coach, having led the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Whether Phil Jackson decides to stay as the Lakers coach or retire could impact any decisions the Cavaliers, Shaw and Scott make. Both Shaw and Scott would have a strong interest in coaching the defending champions if Jackson steps down.

Mark Cameron profiles Shaw for cavstheblog.com. Included in the points he makes:

In fact, there have been reports that suggest LeBron is interested in playing for a coach that used to play in the league, with the belief that he would respect someone more if they have been in his shoes. This train of thought also helps to explain the void that sometimes arose between him and Brown in games. Additionally, a rumor back in May went as far as to suggest that Shaw was being pitched around the league because LeBron was “intrigued by the triangle offense.”

Bringing in Brian Shaw as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers is a big move in and of itself due to the fact he’ll command respect. Back in 2007 Shaquille O’Neal, who may or may not be back with the team next season, said he respected Shaw more than any other teammate in his career.

Ready to go

Meanwhile, Scott would like to coach the Cavaliers regardless of what James and Jackson do, writes Marc J. Spears for Yahoo! Sports:

“I’m not sitting and waiting on Phil Jackson,” Scott said. “That ain’t me. I’m not waiting on anybody.”

Scott is hopeful James will return to the Cavaliers. He hasn’t spoken directly to James, but has talked to people in his camp, who say there’s a “50-50” chance James re-signs with Cleveland.

“He’s a loyal guy,” Scott said. “He wants to win.”

Without James, the Cavaliers would instantly transform from a title contending team to a rebuilding franchise. Scott isn’t fearful of that possibility because he’s been in similar situations coaching the New Jersey Nets and New Orleans Hornets.

“I would coach there without LeBron,” Scott said. “But they got a good shot at getting him back. Without him, they would probably go from 60 wins to 30 wins. But [without James], it’s still a better job than when I first started in New Jersey, and it’s still a better job than when I first started in New Orleans.”

SI says Cavs

Ian Thomsen takes a look at free agency for Sports Illustrated's SI.com. He writes:

All season I've named the Cavs as favorites to re-sign James, especially if he chooses to sign a three-year deal in order to opt out again in 2012. But their failed attempt to hire Tom Izzo -- a coach with no NBA experience -- revealed a troubling misunderstanding of what is needed to win a championship around James as soon as possible. Can they persuade James to stay while pulling off a sign-and-trade for a star to pair with him? Call me stubborn but I think they can.
 
Prediction: He signs a short-term deal with Cavaliers; Bulls, Knicks and Heat in running. 

Forget it, NY

The Canton Repository carries an Associated Press report sketching the teams that want to sign James. About why the New York Knicks will find it difficult to get James' signature:

Mired in franchise-worst stretch of nine straight losing seasons. ... Moves to clear salary have left little remaining talent. ... One of the league’s poorest defensive teams, and James values good defense. ... Enormous media presence may be a turnoff to James.

So, what if?

Various reports have likely left many Bulls' fans confident that James will go to Chicago. The Chicago Sun-Times' John Jackson ponders what the Bulls will do if they don't get James. Jackson writes:

Will anything the Bulls do other than signing James be considered a failure?

The short answer is that it will be a disappointment but not necessarily a failure.

From the moment the Bulls decided a couple of years ago to do what they could to become major players on the free-agent market this summer, the plan wasn't necessarily to sign James. It was to put themselves in position to make a big-time signing.

Fading

The New York Post's George Willis comments that it's not looking good for the Knicks in their attempts to land James.

Willis writes:

You can almost hear it now. In a few days, the Knicks will tell us they did all they could to convince LeBron James to come to New York, but through no fault of their own he made other plans with his free agency.

The Knicks will then try to convince us that despite losing James, they’re happy with their Plan B: signing Joe Johnson and Amar’e Stoudemire to max contracts.

If you read the tea leaves on the NBA free agency that begins at midnight Wednesday night, that may well be the Knicks’ best-case scenario, unless you believe Garden owner James Dolan can somehow turn into Mr. Personality and convince LeBron that playing for the Knicks is the best thing he could ever do.

 

 

 

 

Paraguay took the most difficult route to its first World Cup quarterfinals. After 120 exhausting minutes without scoring, the Paraguayans found their touch in penalty kicks, making all five to beat Japan on Tuesday.

View full sizeAP Photo | Michael SohnParaguay's Paulo Da Silva, top, celebrates at the end of the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Paraguay and Japan at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa.

PRETORIA, South Africa — Paraguay took the most difficult route to its first World Cup quarterfinals.

After 120 exhausting minutes without scoring, the Paraguayans found their touch in penalty kicks, making all five to beat Japan on Tuesday.

Oscar Cardozo clinched the 5-3 shootout win after a 0-0 draw with a low left-footed drive past goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima. The only miss in the shootout was by Japan defender Yuichi Komano on the third try when he hit the crossbar. That made the difference.

"This is tough. Both teams made a great effort. God was on our side," said coach Gerardo Martino, who was in tears after the game. "Now we hope to recover and to continue making history."

The Paraguayans are the fourth South American team into the final eight; only Chile fell short, and it lost to Brazil in the second round.

When Cardozo easily beat Kawashima to end the exhausting match and nerve-racking shootout, his teammates stormed onto the field in celebration of the nation's biggest World Cup win. Cardozo pulled at his jersey, goalkeeper Justo Villar jumped on him, and they were quickly swarmed on by the whole team.

Japanese players watched the final shot on their knees with their arms around each other. When it went into the net, they let go and sagged. Keiji Tamada fell onto his back, while Japanese players and fans wept.

Paraguay will play the winner of Tuesday night's Spain-Portugal match in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

"We are very happy as we never got this far," Cardozo said. "Japan has great players, but we controlled the ball, which is what we wanted, and they didn't score."

It was the first match of this World Cup that went to penalty kicks, and for Paraguay it was no problem. Edgar Barreto, Lucas Barrios, Cristian Riveros, Nelson Valdez and Cardozo didn't come close to missing.

Neither did Japan's Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe and Keisuke Honda. But Komano's right-footed blast ricocheted off the crossbar as Komano put both hands to his head, realizing it could be a decisive miss.

It was.

"It is very difficult to narrow down why we didn't score," Japan coach Takeshi Okada said. "We should have made the opportunities. I think it is my responsibility."

The Paraguayans have conceded only one goal, against Italy in the first round.

Both teams played cautiously at Loftus Versfeld, but had chances to score.

Paraguay dominated possession in the first half, yet Japan had the better chances. Midfielder Daisuke Matsui intercepted a poor clearance from the Paraguay defense and his shot from 25 yards hit the crossbar in the 22nd minute. Honda curled a shot just wide from the edge of the area after a quick break down the right by Matsui in the 40th.

Barrios took a pass in the 20th and sidestepped the last defender into the penalty area, but his weak shot with the outside of his foot went straight at Kawashima.

There was more of the same in the second half, with Paraguay controlling the ball, but doing little with it.

Paraguay had the best chance in the first period of extra time when Claudio Morel cut in from the left and fed the ball to a sliding Valdez, whose shot went straight to Kawashima.

Japan's prowess on free kicks nearly paid off a minute later when Honda forced a save by Villar.

"I have no regrets over the way we played," Okada said. "I am really proud of the players."

This week, PGA pro John Fiander of Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville demonstrates how to hit a draw and a fade.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Local pros solve your swing problems in a weekly instruction video at cleveland.com/golf with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw. This week, PGA pro John Fiander of Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville demonstrates how to hit a draw and a fade. Need assistance with your game? Explain your problem to golf@plaind.com in an e-mail. We will select one e-mail each week. All videos are archived.

Trade of Yi Jianlian, tabbed by the Milwaukee Bucks with the sixth overall pick in the 2007 draft, would put Nets closer to gaining salary cap space that would enable them to sign two elite free agents. Report from ESPN.com.

John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer The Nets' Yi Jianlian and Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao tangle for a rebound.

NBA teams continue to jockey for salary cap space as they can open negotiations with free agents on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Chad Ford reports for ESPN.com that league sources say the New Jersey Nets will trade 7-foot forward Yi Jianlian and $3 million to the Washington Wizards for guard Quinton Ross and Washington's trade exception. The Nets are expected to meet with Cavaliers star LeBron James in the Akron area on Thursday, hours after he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Ford writes:

The move will allow the Nets to clear another $3 million in cap space to spend on free agency this summer.

Yi is scheduled to make $4 million next season. Ross is set to make $1.1 million. The Nets should now have roughly $30 million in cap space to spend after the move, according to sources.

They will have to clear even more cap space, however, to sign two free agents to league-maximum deals. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others are projected to earn $16.6 million in first-year salaries. So a team would need $33.14 million under the cap to sign two max-contract free agents. The Nets are close, but they aren't there yet.

 

If the Cavs are close to acquiring a coach with NBA experience and a flair with the triangle, is that a good sign?

Associated PressBrian Shaw, right, is talking to the Cavs about the head coach's job. If that puzzle piece falls into place, the others might soon follow.

So today, the 'Meter is on the move.

Today's reading: Keep 'em Guessing