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Cleveland Browns coach Pat Shurmur puts plans on hold while players contemplate owners' proposal

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The NFL season remains on hold as players digest the owners' settlement proposal before ratifying and reforming their union.

pat shurmur.JPGView full sizeBrowns coach Pat Shurmur has had a fitful start with the team because of the NFL lockout.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — NFL players have applied the brakes to ending the owners' lockout.

The owners wanted players to report to team facilities on Saturday, and for training camps and free agency to open on Wednesday.

But their stipulation that players must approve the deal first and reform their union antagonized the players. They felt owners were cramming a proposal down their throats and wanted time to read it more thoroughly. There are also a number of issues that can only be resolved after the players union is recertified.

On Friday, ESPN reported that players received an email from NFLPA player reps that advised them to stand pat until Monday, when the executive committee will meet again to discuss how they want to proceed.

"With no agreement, we certainly won't be returning," said Browns tight end Evan Moore via Twitter.

Thus, the doors of the Browns' facility in Berea remained closed to players on Saturday.

"I think things are kind of on hold right now," coach Pat Shurmur said Friday.

The only team activity scheduled is the inaugural Cleveland Browns Motorcycle Rally organized by President Mike Holmgren. But those expecting the Big Show to roll in on his Harley-Davidson and rescue this seemingly endless labor dispute are mistaken.

In the name of charity, Holmgren will lead a pack of motorcyclists Saturday morning from South East Harley-Davidson on Cleveland's east side to Cleveland Browns Stadium. Afterward, Holmgren is scheduled to make his first comments since attending the NFL ratification meeting in Atlanta with owner Randy Lerner.

Other Browns executives -- notably General Manager Tom Heckert -- remained in Atlanta for a four-hour seminar on restarting their football operations in accordance with terms of the proposed new collective bargaining agreement.

These provisions included the timeline for building rosters, terms of the new rookie wage scale, and the disclosure -- finally -- of players qualifying for unrestricted and restricted free agency.

Some new wrinkles of the proposed CBA were made known on Friday. GMs learned that game-day rosters will expand by one to 46 players, as the third quarterback will now be deemed an active player. Also, practice rules were clarified.

Two-a-day practices in training camp with pads are banned. (The Browns have not practiced with pads twice in the same day in several years.) During the regular season, teams are allowed to practice in pads one day per week. In the last five weeks of the season, they can practice in pads one day a week in only three of those weeks.

"I don't think that will be a huge adjustment," Shurmur said.

Like everything else so far in his halting debut as Browns coach, Shurmur is allowing the latest delay to roll off his back. He was named Browns coach on Jan. 13 and still has been unable to meet his entire squad since the lockout started on March 12.

"You know what, I'm not frustrated," Shurmur said. "This is the time of year when we all in the coaching business get ready to practice. So I'm anticipating the start.

"I think what's gonna happen when they show up is we'll see where they're at physically, what they've learned on their own and then move forward from that point. Based on what I've read (about the players-only camps), I feel good about the fact our players have taken the opportunity to get together. I think that will be helpful in ways."

The timetable set forth in the owners' proposal actually falls in line with Shurmur's original schedule. Under the owners' proposal, players would report on Wednesday and have three days of physicals, conditioning, meetings and light workouts. That would have put them on the field in pads for the first time roughly on July 30 -- Shurmur's original opening date.

But the planned opening league-wide on Wednesday remains stalled until players approve the global settlement announced by owners.

Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, a member of the NFLPA executive board, attended meetings in Washington, D.C., and could not be reached for comment.


Young driving star Matt Kakaley back for 'Battle' at Northfield

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Young driving star Matt Kakaley returned to Northfield Park to drive favored Foiled Again in the $100,000 Battle of Lake Erie.

 Matt Kakaley established himself as one of the top young harness racing drivers in the country while at Northfield Park, and he won his first big stakes race here when he guided Foiled Again to victory in the $100,000 Battle of Lake Erie in 2009.

The 23-year-old reinsman will return to the scene of his early success, and he'll be teaming again with Foiled Again in Saturday night's Battle of Lake Erie. The seven-year-old bay son of Dragon Again is owned by Pennsylvania's Burke Racing Stable of Fredericktown, Pa., trained by Ron Burke and has won 7 of 14 starts this year and $494,000 this year, $2.5 million in his career.

"I drove Won The West in last year's Battle of Lake Erie, finishing second," said Kakaley, by telephone on Saturday afternoon. "Foiled Again was used pretty good with a really fast 26-second quarter, opening the door for Hypnotic Blue Chip to win it. Hopefully, we won't be going that fast again."

Hypnotic Blue Chip tied the Northfield Park track record, pacing a 1:49.4 mile.

"It will be nice to be back at Northfield Park," said Kakaley. "I have a lot of fond memories of the track. It was my proving grounds, a great place to start out. It was where I learned how to drive - and how to win. I won quite a few races at Northfield Park, and the people were great to me.

 Kakaley is doing most of his racing at Pocono Downs in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he now lives, racing there four nights a week. He also travels to Harrah's Chester a few days a week, and races at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y., on Sundays. 

 The Battle of Lake Erie wasn't Kakaley's first spin around a race track on Saturday. He piloted the Burke Stable's Hugadragon in a $50,000 Adios elimination race earlier in the evening at The Meadows in Washington, Pa. 

 Kakaley owns some standardbreds, and found it isn't an easy game. While his mother, trainer Linda Kakaley, is handling a couple of his horses at Pompano Park in Florida, he does have one pacer at Pocono Downs, Hey .

"I've got to make a driver change on that horse," said Kakaley, with a laugh. "I don't get along with him at all. Every time I drive him, he makes a break (and goes off stride). I'm going to have to have someone else try with him."

NFL lockout 2011: When (if) preseason games begin, they could seem more than ever like fancy scrimmages

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Exhibition games rarely feature star players for more than cameo appearances. Now, with no offseason training at team facilities, no minicamps and perhaps delayed camp openings, the big names could be on the bench until ... September.

aaron-rodgers.jpgIf the Browns and Packers play their scheduled exhibition game in Cleveland on Aug. 13, don't expect to see much of star players such as Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Here, Rodgers (12) tries to elude Browns cornerback Eric Wright (24) during an Oct. 25, 2009 game in Cleveland, won by Green Bay, 31-3.

NEW YORK, New York -- As lawyers for NFL players and owners spend the weekend trying to put the lockout to rest, many fans wonder when pro football will return. And when it does, just how ragged will the preseason look?

(Note: The Cleveland Browns are scheduled to open their preseason on Aug. 13 against the Green Bay Packers at Browns Stadium)

So ragged that the league and its 32 teams are considering ways to placate fans once a labor agreement is completed.

The Broncos said Saturday they plan to open Invesco Field for practice on Aug. 6. Vikings spokesman Jeff Anderson said the team is "considering a variety of ideas."

The Hall of Fame game on Aug. 7 is already a casualty. Now, the hall will hold its annual pregame tailgate party and have Hall of Famers on hand for a meet and greet. That is one of 18 hall events scheduled for the weekend, including the Aug. 6 inductions.

"To be frank, there's isn't much you can do other than to do what we have, which is offer full refunds," Hall of Fame vice president Joe Horrigan said. "The schedule of events is so full, there's no reason to add another event. There's no opportunity to use the stadium for any other thing."

The players have yet to schedule a vote on an owner-approved proposal that would put the league back in business. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith spoke Saturday, and Smith has been directly involved in work on the legal language of the proposal.

Exhibition games rarely feature star players for more than cameo appearances. Now, with no offseason training at team facilities, no minicamps and perhaps delayed camp openings, the big names could be on the bench until ... September.

That would make many preseason games more like scrimmages, although they would provide increased opportunities for rookies and fringe players. The Bradys and Polamalus and Urlachers of the league might not see the field until the fourth and final exhibition, games the regulars usually skip.

"It would be smart of the league and the players to do something special for the fans for the first preseason game or two, at least one serving each team's home fans," said Marc Ganis, president of Chicago-based sports business consulting firm Sportscorp Ltd. "That could be free or discounted concessions or merchandise, free parking, photo and autograph opportunities with players -- especially those who will not be dressing for the game - and other fan friendly marketing and interaction."

There's also enhanced concern about injuries. Few players are likely to be close to football shape when they report -- whenever that is.

"The lack of offseason will seriously affect those that have not prepared on their own or at a facility," said Brian Martin, CEO of TEST Sports Clubs in Florida and New Jersey, places where dozens of NFL players train. "Based on working with over 60 active NFL guys, I believe it is roughly 50-50 with those that are workers and those who are not. Many rely on natural gifts and they will be affected with the lack of mandatory conditioning."

Trainers and coaching staffs, therefore, will have to keep a sharp eye on which players were diligent about working out during the lockout and which ones were not. If any top players arrive out of shape, pushing them to get ready in such short time - the first full weekend of preseason games is less than three weeks away -- would be problematic.

"The most common injuries will be pulled muscles, hamstrings and groins primarily, due to lack of preparation," Martin said. "Players need to lengthen and strengthen muscles in the offseason to be ready for the rigors of the NFL."

The concerns about physical health are mirrored by concerns of financial health. The deeper the lockout goes, the more costly it will become for both sides - serious financial losses that will shrink the overall revenue pie.

If the Hall of Fame game is the lone game victimized by the labor dispute, NBC would be entitled to a refund for not having that game to televise. That could come in the form of money or credit going into the next rights fees contract with the NFL. Or the league could give the network an extra game or some additional programming.

If the networks (and local affiliates for non-nationally televised games) lose a full week of preseason matchups, the monetary hit rises exponentially.

"The losses for each preseason weekend (canceled) will be over $200 million," Ganis estimated, "or roughly $35 million per day.

"Because of the way the NFL season progresses over the calendar, problems become magnified if they haven't started playing by the middle of August, and are magnified many times more if they aren't playing by Labor Day. Back-to-school shopping and promotions and advertising tied to the NFL are lost and ... it could cause major advertisers to have doubts about the all-important holiday season and divert advertising money elsewhere, potentially starting a 'run on the bank' as advertisers scramble to not get shut out.

"It could get ugly."

Cleveland Browns' Mike Holmgren optimistic players will ratify new agreement 'in the next couple days'

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Holmgren is optimistic NFL camps will be opened by week's end. If not, preseason games could be canceled.

holmgren-cyclists-rally-jk.jpgView full sizeJohn Baker of Elyria doesn't hide his allegiance to the Browns uniform as team president Mike Holmgren signs his helmet Saturday following the inaugural Cleveland Browns Motorcycle Rally that ended at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the clock ticking on the planned start of NFL training camps and players analyzing a settlement proposal made by owners on Thursday, even an optimist like Browns President Mike Holmgren concedes the first week of preseason games is in jeopardy of being canceled.

The Browns' first exhibition game is at home against the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers on Aug. 13. That's 21 days away.

"If you work backwards, you need two weeks of practice to prepare to play a game, minimum, and you also need some time now added on to fill your roster and do free agency," Holmgren said Saturday. "So do the math and you can kind of see some deadlines emerging."

NFL owners won't lift their lockout until the players association approves the settlement. Training camps would open and free agency would start only after the NFLPA reforms as a union. Players have said that process will take more time than the owners prefer.

Still, Holmgren believes everything will come together. He said he'd be surprised if camps weren't opened by the end of the week.

Report says players' union expects Monday vote

"I really can understand why they want to take the time and understand, and that's what they should do," Holmgren said of the players. "But I know they want to play. I know the fans want us to play. We're real close and I hope it happens in the next couple days.

"I'm pretty sure the bulk of the contract and the major issues are agreed upon and they're talking about other things. But I know both sides want to play football."

Holmgren spoke in Cleveland Browns Stadium after hosting some 300 bikers in the inaugural Cleveland Browns Motorcycle Rally. The charity event raised money for the Three-Deuce-Five Foundation of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, headquartered in Brook Park.

Holmgren attended the NFL meetings with owner Randy Lerner in Atlanta on Thursday, at which owners emerged from a 31-0 vote for ratification of their proposal high-fiving each other for completing their version of a 10-year labor deal. Their proposal apparently contained language that surprised and antagonized the players, who felt rushed, pressured and disrespected.

Some players reacted with vitriolic comments on their Twitter accounts. But the tone softened as the weekend wore on. NFLPA executive board members and attorneys worked on Saturday. But no timetable for a vote has been given.

"In the age of Twitter, people say things off the cuff, emotionally, without knowing all the facts and figures oftentimes, and I think that happened a little bit," Holmgren said. "[The new CBA] has to be a win-win. Has to be a win-win. And that was the intention all along.

"I think they're doing the right thing to analyze what it is and once they have a chance to do that I think it'll be fine."

The latest delay in lifting the lockout further delays first-year coach Pat Shurmur's seemingly Herculean task of installing new offensive and defensive systems in an unusually abbreviated timeframe. Coaches haven't even met all their players under contract.

"I talked to the staff before they went on vacation," Holmgren said. "We have a group of young men that are willing to get together and work hard. So there are no excuses. Everyone's in a different situation. We have ours. But who cares? Let's just roll up our sleeves and get it done."

Some established coaches -- New England's Bill Belichick, in particular -- have said they would have to scale back playbooks because of the lost off-season. Holmgren admitted that it's possible Shurmur would do the same.

"He has a plan of installing the offensive and defensive schemes," Holmgren said. "[They've decided to] stick with the plan, but I think we have to be aware of how it is different this year in time. And if we feel we're having bad practices because guys are making too many mistakes that they shouldn't make, then probably at that point you have to consider toning it down just a little bit. But until they show us they can't absorb it, it's full speed ahead."

Holmgren said he was pleased with reports of quarterback Colt McCoy leading the players through four camps during the lockout.

"I'm not surprised," Holmgren said. "One of the things we've all learned about him in a very short period of time is he's a tremendous leader, and he's kind of a charismatic kid. Players follow him and like him.

"He's the quarterback. So it's the most natural thing in the world for him to organize the workouts. I haven't talked to the players, but from the comments I've read, they're singing his praises. Same with Scott Fujita. So we have some good leaders and we needed that this off-season and I think it showed."

On Twitter: @Tony Grossi

P.M. Cleveland Indians links: Win-loss trend running against the Tribe

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A loss to the White Sox tonight would leave the Indians just three games above .500 for the first time since they were 5-2. Links to Indians stories.

david-huff.jpgDavid Huff will start tonight for the Indians against the White Sox.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians began the season with two losses, then stunned the baseball world by winning 30 of their next 43 games.

Following the remarkable 30-15 start, the Indians lost 14 of 18 games to slip to 34-29.

Since then, it's generally been a win-one-or-two, lose-one-or-two Tribe trend -- although in their last 12 games, the Indians have lost eight of them. The Indians are 51-47 going into tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field: 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers in the American League Central Division; 3 1/2 games ahead of the White Sox; 5 1/2 up on the Minnesota Twins; 10 1/2 in front of the last-place Kansas City Royals.

Cleveland opened the season with two losses to the White Sox, before winning the third and final game of the early-April series. That win was the first of eight straight for the Indians. The fifth win made the Tribe 5-2. It's the last time the Indians were fewer than four games above .500 -- which is where they now stand.

Left-hander David Huff starts on the mound tonight for the Indians. He pitched seven shutout innings to get credit for a 5-2 Indians win at Minnesota on Monday. It was Huff's 2011 Indians debut, after spending all of the season at Class AAA Columbus. Righty Edwin Jackson (6-7, 3.97) starts for Chicago.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes Dennis Manoloff's game story on Cleveland's 3-0 Friday night loss to the White Sox; Cleveland Indians Memories; Manoloff's Cleveland Indians Insider; a poll on which Indian from Cleveland's 1995 and/or 1997 World Series teams is most deserving of becoming a Hall of Famer; and, much more.

Around the horn

A preview of tonight's White Sox-Indians game, by Cash Kruth for MLB.com.

Second baseman Jason Kipnis is the latest premier prospect to join the Indians. By Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Indians rookies playing in the Central Division race. By Jim Ingraham for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

The Indians' early-season success has fans asking for more, as the season heads toward the stretch drive. By Sam Amico for FoxSportsOhio.com.

Indians notes by Brian Dulik for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette.

Former Indians first-round pick Beau Mills, now with the Class AAA Columbus Clippers, is finally hitting like the Cleveland organization expected him to. On Indians Prospect Insider.

Friday night's White Sox-Indians game story by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Friday night's White Sox-Indians game story by Mike Gonzales for the Chicago Tribune.

Struggling left-handed slugger Adam Dunn will be in the White Sox lineup tonight against Indians lefty pitcher David Huff. By Daryl Van Schouwen for the Chicago Sun-Times.

NFL lockout 2011: Tentative plan is for players to begin vote process on Monday toward new labor deal: Report

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If all goes well, players from certain teams may be allowed to report to training camps on Wednesday and players from other teams will be asked to report on Friday, a source tells ESPN.

peyton-hillis-training-camp.jpgPeyton Hillis running with the football during the Browns' training camp last summer in Berea.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just a couple days ago, there was some belief that players would be on their way to NFL training camp facilities by now.

There's still optimism that the league's owners and the NFL Players Association will soon agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, but it now seems that even if all goes well, full-go training camps may not be in operation for about another week.

Now, ESPN's John Clayton and Chris Mortensen report that -- according to a source -- owners and players have tentatively agreed to a plan that would have the players' executive committee vote on Monday to recommend accepting the owners' CBA proposal, and for the players to recertify as a union.

Part of the report on ESPN.com:

Under the plan, players would begin reporting to training camps as early as Wednesday to physically vote on whether to recertify, with the hope that it will be done by Friday at the earliest, the source said.

According to the source, progress in other talks with the owners has put the 11-member NFLPA executive board in position to vote Monday to recommend the 10-year collective bargaining agreement the owners ratified Thursday.

The players' association's plan calls for the NFLPA's executive committee to meet in Washington, D.C., on Monday. If all agreements have been reached by then, the executive committee is expected to vote to recommend the CBA and recommend recertifying as a union, the source said. After that, the 32 player representatives also must recommend the CBA and recertifying.

If the executive committee accepts the new CBA, the source said, players from certain teams would be allowed to report to training camps on Wednesday and players from other teams will be asked to report to camps Friday. The hope from both sides is there are enough votes to recertify the union by as early as Friday.

 

Five questions ... with Indians third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall

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The rookie third baseman entered Saturday batting .259 with two homers and four RBI.

chisenhall-vert-field-ap.jpgView full sizeA good book -- preferably a suspenseful one -- keeps Lonnie Chisenhall relaxed before taking the field for the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The rookie third baseman entered Saturday batting .259 with two homers and four RBI.

Q: You were hit in the face with a pitch on July 7 by Toronto's Carlos Villanueva. You didn't play again until July 14 against Baltimore. Any fear about facing that first pitch?

A: I felt fine in the box. I felt comfortable. I wasn't worried about the inside pitch or anything like that. I stood in there and took some pitches during some bullpen sessions before that game and that helped.

Q: The Pirates drafted you in the 11th round out of high school before the Indians made you their No.1 pick in 2008. Did you come close to signing with them?

A: Not really. We were far apart. They drafted me late in the 11th round and they were worried about getting the money together. Unless I was drafted in the higher rounds, I wasn't committed to it.

I went to college and it paid off for me.

Q: I always see you reading before games. What do you read?

A: I normally read James Patterson or Vince Flynn books. Mysteries, thrillers, anything to do with the law, court system and lawyers. Any page turner will do.

I'm reading Term Limits by Vince Flynn right now. It's a terrorist takeover of the White House. It's pretty intense.

Q: What's the best advice you've received since you were call to the big leagues on June 27?

A: It hasn't been anything too specific, and it hasn't been from just one person. It's just to keep playing and have fun. Don't put any pressure on yourself. It's the same game, enjoy it. You should, you're in the big leagues.

Q: What did it feel like to hit that 441-foot homer into the upper deck in right field against the Twins at Target Field in the ninth inning Wednesday?

A: I wish it would have come at a better time in the game. I wish it would have put us ahead [the Indians lost, 7-5]. But it felt good to hit a ball hard. It felt like I hadn't done that for a few games.

Virginia's Jill Prieto rides Capone 21 to Chagrin Valley PHA Grand Prix equestrian victory

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Despite the heat, 20 entries turned out to attempt the challenging first-round course of 13 obstacles.

Marge Fernbacher

Special to The Plain Dealer

MORELAND HILLS, Ohio -- Competing in her very first grand prix event, Jill Prieto of Upperville, Va., galloped to victory in the inaugural $25,000 Chagrin Valley PHA Grand Prix at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field on Saturday. The event was also the first grand prix for Prieto's mount, Capone 21, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Barbara Roux of Upperville.

Despite the heat, 20 entries turned out to attempt the challenging first-round course of 13 obstacles. Only six entries were able to finish without any faults, and those returned to the ring to race against the clock.

Leadoff rider Shane Sweetnam of Wellington, Fla., tried to set a fast pace aboard Spy Coast Farm's Triviant, but had both a rail down and a refusal. The next to compete, Daphney Alcock, was clear over all obstacles but was penalized five faults for exceeding the time allowed to complete the course.

Samantha Senft, also of Wellington, was the first rider to post a no-fault score in the jump-off, crossing the finish line in 34.99 seconds aboard Summer Seas Stables' Early Morning. Her lead held until Prieto, competing in the fifth post position, crossed the wire in 32.643 seconds, shaving more than two seconds off Senft's time.

Senft finished second, and third went to Liza Finsness of Wellington on Ormsby Hill.

Fourth place went to Shane Sweetnam on Spy Coast Farms' Tangelo Z. Jennifer Waxman of Chagrin Falls, the only rider from the Cleveland area competing, took home fifth with Shakira, and sixth went to Sweetnam on his second mount, Spy Coast Farm's Triviant.

"He's very forward, and he likes to pull into the jumps," Prieto said of her horse. "He's also a great trail horse. He's really an amazing animal."

Marge Fernbacher is a freelance writer based in Willoughby Hills.


Re-hydrated Michael Brantley is back: Cleveland Indians daily briefing

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Michael Brantley says he's recovered from the heat exhaustion that hit him after playing Monday's day-night doubleheader against the Twins and knocked him out of the lineup for two games.

Cleveland Indians lose to Twins, 6-4View full sizeMichael Brantley was frustrated by missing two games in Minnesota, but accepted that he was in no condition to play with heat exhaustion symptoms.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Outfielder Michael Brantley doesn't know how much weight he lost, but he still looked thin before Saturday night's game against Chicago.

"It took a lot out of me," said Brantley.

After playing a day-night doubleheader Monday in Minneapolis in high heat and humidity, Brantley was diagnosed with heat exhaustion and missed games Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I played those two games, went to bed and when I woke up I didn't feel good," said Brantley. "It was terrible. It was hard to keep food or liquids down.

"I had to take a couple of days off, actually. I wasn't happy about it, but it was something that the trainers and I thought was best."

Brantley said he had a lot of symptoms related to heat exhaustion.

"I was just really angry I couldn't be out there with my teammates," said Brantley, who grew up playing ball in the Florida heat. "I've never had anything like that before. I've been in a lot of hot-weather situations, but that was something different.

"I'll live and learn from it."

Brantley's illness snowballed into something bigger when Travis Buck, his replacement on Tuesday, had to leave the game after getting hit in the head with a pitch. The Tribe's only alternative after that was to play utility man Luis Valbuena in left field. Valbuena was involved in two critical plays that led to a 2-1 loss Tuesday and a 7-5 loss Wednesday.

Brantley returned to the lineup Friday night against Chicago and was in the lineup in left field on Saturday.

Brantley, like all members of the Indians who played both games on Monday, hydrated before the games with IVs.

"I knew I was playing both games so I did have the IVs," said Brantley. "But we're all different. Everything happens for a reason. I'm just glad to be back out there with my teammates."

Delay: The start of Saturday's game was delayed because of an approaching storm, which arrived shortly after the scheduled 7:05 start time.  

Tonight's lineups:

White Sox (48-51): LF Juan Pierre (L), SS Alexei Ramirez (R), 1B Paul Konerko (R), DH Adam Dunn (L), RF Carlos Quentin (R), CF Alex Rios (R), C A.J. Pierzynski (L), 2B Gordon Beckman, 3B Bret Morel (R), RHP Edwin Jackson (6-7, 3.97).

Indians (51-47): CF Ezequiel Carrera (L), LF Michael Brantley (L), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), C Carlos Santana (S), 2B Orlando Cabrera (R), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), 1B Matt LaPorta (R), LF Travis Buck (L), LHP David Huff (1-0, 0.00).

Him vs. me: A.J. Pierzynski is 4-for-6 with a double, two homers and three RBI vs. Huff. Hafner is 7-for-20 with two homers and two RBI against Jackson.

Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .250 (2-for-8) and righties are hitting .188 (3-for-16) vs. Huff. The White Sox have three lefties in the lineup.

Lefties are hitting .295 (74-for-251) with six homers and righties are hitting .272 (55-for-202) with two homers against Jackson. The Indians have five lefties and two switch-hitters in the lineup.   

Umpires: H James Hoye, 1B Mike Estabrook, 2B Tom Hallion, 3B Phil Cuzzi.

Quote of the day: "I once loved this game. But after being traded four times, I realized that it's nothing but a business. I treat my horses better than the owners treat us. It's a shame they've destroyed my love for the game," former White Sox first baseman Dick Allen.

Next: Justin Masterson (8-6, 2.64) will face Chicago's Phil Humber (8-6, 3.27) on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Ch.3, STO, WTAM AM/1100 will carry the game.

Baseball's new-fangled statistics: A perfect example of how flawed they can be

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Texas is 41-21 with Josh Hamilton and 16-22 without him, but his "Wins Above Replacement" trails teammates.

josh-hamilton.jpgJosh Hamilton was voted the American League's Most Valuable Player in 2010.

The baseball numbers that mattered most used to be earned run average, batting average, slugging percentage, RBI, win-loss record, etc.

What mattered even more was the overall effect a player had on his team's chances of winning in terms of not only statistics, but various intangibles that can't necessarily be quantified by a mere set of numbers.

Most fans recognized that there were various factors and differing circumstances that made comparing one player's stats to another's a flawed, though fun, exercise.

Hey, if the Yankees could have worked out a trade sending Joe Dimaggio to the Red Sox for Ted Williams, what kind of crazy numbers could the right-handed hitting Dimaggio put up with Fenway Park's Green Monster in his sights, and what records could have lefty-swinging Williams shattered with the help of Yankee Stadium's short right-field porch?

Modern stat-men have tried to even the playing fields, if you will, to try to formulate numbers in a way that all circumstances are equal.

They have influenced season award votes and Hall of Fame ballots with formulas such as "Wins Above Replacement," "Adjusted Batting Wins," "Win Probability Added" and "Base-Out Wins Saved."

Sometimes that stuff is OK, and sometimes it tells you something different than your eyes and logic do. 

For instance, in the aftermath of Texas Rangers' third baseman Adrian Beltre's hamstring injury, which has landed him on the disabled list, Richard Durrett writes for ESPN.com

Perhaps the best measurement of Beltre's worth is Wins Above Replacement or WAR. Basically, it looks at the wins a player adds above what a "replacement level" player would do. ESPN Stats & Information (shout out Joshua Kritz) tells me that Beltre had a value of 3.6 entering Friday's game, the second-highest on the club behind Ian Kinsler (4.5 entering Friday). To put that in a little perspective, the Rangers are three games up on the Angels. So three-plus wins certainly matters.

No knock against Beltre and Kinsler, both quite valuable players, but is "WAR" short-changing a particular Ranger?

Let's repeat what Durrett writes about "WAR:"

"Basically, it looks at the wins a player adds above what a 'replacement level' player would do."

Some very simple numbers tell us that the Rangers have a 41-21 record with outfielder Josh Hamilton in the lineup this season and a 16-22 record with him out of the lineup -- most of the missed games when he was recovering from a broken bone in his upper right arm.

Maybe I'm not understanding what "Wins Above Replacement" means, but it must not matter much that Texas is playing .661 winning baseball with Hamilton and .421 without him.

And maybe it doesn't matter that Hamilton continues to drive in runs at a lofty pace; is such a feared hitter that the batters around him get better pitches to hit; is an outstanding base-runner; has excellent range in the outfield and a great throwing arm; plays hard almost to a fault; is integral to the Rangers' excellent camaraderie and chemistry, etc.

Maybe Hamilton's "Wins Above Replacement" is so far off the charts it's simply invisible.

 

 

The ugly side of NFL business carries blame for cancelled Hall of Fame game: Bill Livingston

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The NFL has managed to nurture its small-town roots over the years. Which makes even more deplorable the extended lockout that canceled next month's Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

hall-2011-canton-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeThe setting around the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Fawcett Stadium carrying the appearance of the looming induction ceremonies, but the lack of the traditional kickoff exhibition game is a black mark perpetrated on the community by the NFL, says Bill Livingston.

CANTON, Ohio -- Only a drop kick from President William McKinley's family home here, the one with the gaslight sputtering beside the front porch, the National Football League began almost 91 years ago in a Hupmobile showroom.

The showroom, located inside the Odd Fellows Hall, is gone now, and so is the Hupmobile brand, as well as the man who owned the Canton franchise for it, Ralph Hay, and the whole lodge hall too. Only a small historical marker on a courthouse notes that, at the Second Street and Cleveland Avenue site, the NFL was born on Sept. 17, 1920. Hay was the general manager of the Canton Bulldogs, one of 11 teams playing in the inaugural season of the American Professional Football Association, which was renamed the NFL two years later.

It is fitting that gone too, a victim of the needlessly prolonged NFL lockout, is the Chicago Bears-St. Louis Rams exhibition game that had been scheduled for Aug 7. It would have concluded a weekend of celebration of the new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The cancellation is a big economic sucker punch to the city of Canton.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame, an unmistakable building with a giant football seeming to poke out of its roof, is about 21/2 miles from Cleveland Avenue. It is proof that the business of this city in many ways is football.

No one could have foreseen just how big the business would become in 1920, of course. The new league was a confederation of principalities and duchies. Two of the teams, champion Akron and Hammond, Ind., had the same boring generic name, the Pros. The Massillon Tigers were, as ever, the Canton Bulldogs' neighborhood rival. Another APFA team was named the Cleveland Indians. Tris Speaker played for the better-known Indians, in the summer time, at League Park.

The biggest name in the Hupmobile showroom was the Decatur Staleys' coach, George Halas, who had played baseball for a time with the New York Yankees. He didn't amount to much, going 2-for-22 as a right fielder in 1919. A new right fielder, fellow named Ruth, would be joining the Yankees in 1920, so it was just as well Halas was taking his talents to football.

Halas' face is on the courthouse plaque, as is that of the APFA's first commissioner, Jim Thorpe. After a one-year stint in the commissioner's post as a publicity gimmick, Thorpe returned to the playing fields with the newly renamed Cleveland Tigers. And let's just see Roger Goodell do that.

The NFL began in towns as small as River City, Grover's Corners or Bedford Falls, places from books, plays and movies, which you imagine came complete with town squares, courthouses, bandstands in the park and maybe a building and loan. Although the NFL grew into the most colossal sports enterprise in this country, racing clean past baseball, it never really forgot about its small-town roots. The league is in Nashville, Green Bay and Indianapolis. It is in Charlotte and Jacksonville. Amazingly, it is still not back in Los Angeles.

And, until the lockout, its season would begin in Canton.

The Hall of Fame and Canton are making the best of the hand they were dealt by the owners. The owners, the Gang of 32, imposed the lockout, dallied in negotiations, then called some audibles on the contract offer they presented to the players that did not resemble what was diagrammed at the negotiating table. By then, too many pages had been torn off the calendar to play the game with adequate preparation.

"It is called Enshrinement Weekend for a reason. That is the centerpiece of the festivities, the incoming class of Hall of Famers," said Pete Fierle, who has worked for 18 years in the archives of the pro football shrine. Cornerback Deion Sanders leads a class of seven this season.

Still, the Hall of Fame Game was more than just an exhibition. It was the start of pro football's long march to fall and the sport's ascendance over everything else, even baseball's Fall Classic. It was the first game played each year at Fawcett Stadium, next to the Hall of Fame. The last is usually the state high school Division 1 championship game. Don't ever think the players in the latter aren't aware that they are following in the footsteps of Giants. (Or Bears and Rams.)

Thorpe and Halas, as well as the star African-American running back (and later co-head coach) of the Akron Pros, Fritz Pollard, made it from the game's cradle to the pro game's Hall of Fame. Patrons can see bronze busts of all three in the enshrinement gallery.

They can even seen the green, paint-chipped stool Halas used in the Bears' locker room at the 1940 NFL championship game. Chicago won by the most lopsided score in NFL history, 73-0, over the Washington Redskins. It is one of the few artifacts left from that game.

It's also as close as anyone from the NFL will get to coaching or playing in a game here this year.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Big Ten preseason meetings prepare for 2011 season without Ohio State's 'caretaker', Jim Tressel

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A year ago, Jim Tressel said he saw himself as only a caretaker at Ohio State. This week, at its preseason meetings, the Big Ten goes on without him.

tressel-08-bigten-mtgs-vert-ap.jpgView full size"[Ohio State] has some history that we don't have our fingerprints on, and it will have a lot in the future that we won't," former OSU coach Jim Tressel said at the 2010 Big Ten preseason meetings, when he was the only one who knew that he had withheld information about potentially ineligible players to his superiors and the NCAA. "But right now, we're the caretakers, and we're trying to take care of it the best we can."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim Tressel hurried through the hallways of Chicago's McCormick Place a year ago, briefly interrupting a conversation on his life and legacy to greet friend and Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio with a hearty, "Dino!" then engaging a young, shoeless woman near the escalator.

"Your feet sore or something?" Tressel asked with a smile. "You look like you feel good, so that's good."

At the time, the same could have been said of Tressel, who was wearing dress shoes with his suit. Approaching a decade at Ohio State, Tressel on the outside had plenty of reasons to feel good. His Buckeyes were the Big Ten favorites once again, quarterback Terrelle Pryor was the conference's preseason player of the year and nearly everyone at Ohio State, from his players to his bosses to the Board of Trustees, loved what Tressel was doing.

Yet at that moment, Tressel had known for three months the information that would eventually cost him his job. He'd told no one at Ohio State, and hadn't told his wife, yet he knew that the NCAA violations committed by Pryor and receiver DeVier Posey with Columbus tattoo parlor owner Ed Rife would eventually catch up with them and program. By then he believed the criminal case with Rife had been tied up, but he still didn't know what it meant to his players, his program or his future.

Then he went on and talked about what he'd meant to Ohio State, and then went back to Columbus and prepared to coach a football team that, in the end, was a bad first half against Wisconsin away from playing for the national title.

As the Big Ten prepares for its preseason meetings next Thursday and Friday, it's jarring to think about what the conference will be like without the coach who dominated it for a decade. We've known since his Memorial Day resignation, but this week the 2011 Big Ten football season begins without Tressel.

For months he's been seen only in an NCAA context, but now we're reminded again, one last time, of what Tressel did on the field, because in the end, this is about football.

Tressel won seven Big Ten titles in 10 seasons, at least before the 2010 season and co-championship were vacated because of those NCAA violations. The 12 current coaches in the conference, in a combined 53 years in the league, have won a total of seven titles. Among current coaches, Wisconsin's Bret Bielema would have to go 39-1 over the next five years to win as many conference games in his first decade as Tressel did. No one else is close.

This is not a conference, outside of Penn State's Joe Paterno, teeming with coaching personality. The Big Ten isn't like the SEC, where Florida can wave goodbye to Urban Meyer and the conference can still burn up Twitter when, for instance, LSU's Les Miles, South Carolina's Steve Spurrier or Alabama's Nick Saban has something to say. Tressel, in his own way, as a brand, as a winner, as a topic of conversation, will leave a void, though there will be plenty of talk in Chicago about the reasons he is gone.

Just as fascinating, in light of the 140-page transcript of Tressel's February interview with the NCAA that was released Friday, is to ponder what Tressel carried around with him last season, while only Columbus lawyer Chris Cicero, Pryor mentor Ted Sarniak and the players themselves knew what was going on. In his final, winning season, Tressel was either able to block out or ignore what he thought may have been a drug ring that could bring down his program, or he thought about it every day and went about his business with his stomach in knots.

Consider this Tressel NCAA testimony of what he was thinking after his last email from Cicero in early June.

"Let's prepare ourselves mentally for the inevitable, because something's gonna come -- the phone's gonna ring and something's coming," Tressel said. "The worst-case scenario, they're going to prison with Eddie Rife. Maybe they're selling drugs. Maybe they're using drugs.

"I guess best-case scenario, you know, they're selling memorabilia and let's -- we'll take care of that. They know better than that. You know, I don't have a problem addressing that. And I wrote a little note down ... which was, 'When the Feds are ready, we will find out the extent of our guys' involvement.'"

As he spoke at these Big Ten meetings a year ago, Tressel didn't know if the Feds would be ready the next day, the next week, the next month or the next year. We know now the word came down in December, which led to the suspensions of Pryor, Posey and others. Tressel called that news "the hallelujah letter," because by then he knew his players wouldn't face criminal charges, just NCAA issues.

But as he readied for what would be his 10th and final season with the Buckeyes, Tressel knew only that two of his best players were in trouble, and he was keeping a secret. In that hallway in Chicago, he knew I wanted to talk about the fact that he was coming up on a decade in his dream job.

"[Ohio State] has some history that we don't have our fingerprints on, and it will have a lot in the future that we won't," Tressel said. "But right now, we're the caretakers, and we're trying to take care of it the best we can.

"If you go back and look at the last 100 seasons of college football, the team with the highest winning percentage is Ohio State. That's over the last 100 years. I would say we're caretakers."

In the moment, it seemed mostly like a humble brushoff and a nod to the great tradition he intimately understood. Now, it perhaps seems like more, as if he knew he wouldn't be back in Chicago this week.

Thursday, the Big Ten goes on without him.

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback from Findlay, Ohio, gets married

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Guests included Steelers owner Dan Rooney and numerous teammates such as linebacker James Harrison and former running back Jerome Bettis.

ben-roethlisberger-ashley-harlan.jpgSteelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Ashley Harlan at their wedding rehearsal dinner on Friday.

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- Ben Roethlisberger got the privacy he wanted for his wedding Saturday, with police providing tight security around the church in affluent Ohio Township, Pennsylvania, where he and Ashley Harlan were married and tinted windows on expensive cars leaving much of the guest list a mystery.

Still, the hope of a glimpse at the Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback, his new bride and the dozens of team luminaries who turned out for the ceremony was enough for Dolly Metz to sit in a car -- complete with Steelers covers on the headrests -- in a nearby parking lot with the windows down in 90 degree heat.

"This is the best part of my day," said Metz, who lives in McKees Rocks. "I know he was supposed to send a limo for me too, but it broke down."

Metz and friends Eugene and Carol Lovely were among a small group of Steeler fans who tried to show their support for Roethlisberger.

The organization was well-represented too despite the NFL's ongoing labor dispute.

Owner Dan Rooney waved to security officials on his way inside and guests included linebacker James Harrison and former Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis.

Harrison entered in a rare Mercedes sedan, according to police, his presence perhaps proof there was no fallout from his criticism of the quarterback in a "Men's Journal" article released last week.

The Pro Bowler placed some of the blame on the team's Super Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers on Roethlisberger in the story, then later apologized saying his comments were taken out of context.

Whenever Roethlisberger and his teammates return to the field, he'll be a married man, an idea that seemed to resonate with the fans who have watched his legal troubles the last few years with growing exasperation.

The Super Bowl winning quarterback has twice found himself accused of sexual misconduct. Though neither incident resulted in charges, he was suspended for four games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last year.

He returned to lead Pittsburgh back to the Super Bowl, and surprised some by revealing his engagement to the 26-year-old Harlan, a physician's assistant from New Castle, Pa., this spring.

Roethlisberger has acknowledged the need to restore his public image, and fan Linda Moule admitted she was a little skeptical when she heard the news because he's kept news of the relationship quiet for so long.

"It certainly is a step in the right direction," Moule said. "Like anyone, it's a coin toss on if it will last. This is certainly not Prince William and Princess Katherine."

That didn't mean Moule and her extended family didn't want to send Roethlisberger a message that they were behind him.

Sitting on her parents' lawn, Moule, her two sisters and their children waved as wedding guests passed by, with some honking their horns at the homemade sign the family put together that read "Best Wishes Ben & Ashley."

It would be as close as most would get to one of the most anticipated -- and most secretive -- social events in the city's recent history.

Fans and media alike were kept at a safe distance from the ceremony, the details of which were closely guarded. Little information about the nuptials was leaked beforehand, though the police presence around the Christ Church at Grove Farm -- where both Roethlisberger and Harlan are member -- indicated this was no ordinary Saturday.

Fears of a fan frenzy led local resident Gina Schrauder to bolt for the city.

"I want no part of this," she said early Saturday morning.

Yet it never came. There was no tailgating. No terrible towels. Only a parade of luxury cars, trucks, shuttle buses and SUVs.

Guests were required to show an invitation and a photo ID to get in. Moule didn't have a problem with the secrecy and considered the light turnout a sign Pittsburghers were content to let the Roethlisbergers have their space on their big day.

"We all have private weddings, why can't they?" Moule said.

Will marriage change him? Schrauder doesn't think it matters.

"As long as he keeps playing the way he's playing, it'll be fine," she said.

Plenty of targets in looming trade market, but at what cost? MLB Insider

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There are some good trade options out there to help the Indians on their quest for winning the AL Central, but the clock is running.

willingham-oak-vert-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeWhether the Indians are pursuing Oakland's Josh Willingham or a more high-profile boost to their lineup, there are plenty of questions -- and options -- facing the team's decision-makers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are a lot of good players available at the July 31 trade deadline who would improve the Indians. It all depends on what they cost.

Outfielders Carlos Beltran, Hunter Pence and B.J. Upton are available in various degrees. Beltran and Pence would fill manager Manny Acta's need for a middle of the order right-handed hitter in the wake of injuries to Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo. Since Beltran is a switch-hitter, he could help in from the left side as well.

Upton has been at the top of the order for the Rays, but here's betting Acta could find a way to fit him into his run-starved lineup.

Right-handers Ubaldo Jimenez of Colorado and Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers would be a good fit in a rotation that has two to three question marks every time it turns itself over. The Indians have talked to the Dodgers about Kuroda, 36. He's in a one-year, $12 million deal with a full no-trade clause.

Beltran has a no-trade clause and is making $18.5 million this year. He has contract language that would prevent a team from offering him arbitration this winter when he becomes a free agent. For a team like the Indians, who could use the draft picks Beltran could bring if he refused their arbitration offer and signed elsewhere, it means he'd strictly a rental player.

New ownership in Houston will certainly have a lot to say about whether Pence, one of their best young players, is traded. In the cases of Pence and Jimenez it might be that the Astros and Rockies are just trying to gauge their value. Or dangling them in the hopes of making a Bartolo Colon for Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Cliff Lee-type deal.

"Sometimes teams want people to kick the tires on their players just to see what they're worth," said one team executive.

The price tag for any of the above players would probably start with one of the Indians' top four prospects: Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall. The Indians have said they are all but untouchable.

"We've made it clear that we will not sacrifice our future," said Acta.

There is also this thought: If the Indians make the postseason this year, are they good enough to win the World Series? Today the answer has to be no, so that would have to temper what kind of players GM Chris Antonetti would obtain and give up.

There are still ways for the Indians to improve themselves. They have tried all season to get production from second base. At first it was Orlando Cabrera. Then it was O-Cab and Cord Phelps, O-Cab and Luis Valbuena and now O-Cab and Kipnis. What about bringing back Jamey Carroll?

The Indians have talked to the Dodgers about Carroll. Those talks may have cooled with the arrival of Kipnis, but it seems like a good fit. The Tigers last week obtained third baseman Wilson Betemit from Kansas City. Betemit has a track record in the AL Central, just as Carroll did when he played for the Tribe.

San Diego outfielder Ryan Ludwick and right-hander Aaron Harang are two players the Indians have shown an interest in. Ludwick played with the Indians from 2003-05, but spent a lot of that time on the disabled list. Oakland's Josh Willingham, another right-handed hitting outfielder, is a possibility. He played for Acta in Washington. Oakland's Coco Crisp, another former Indian, has been mentioned. That fit is harder to understand because Crisp has struggled to stay healthy over the last three years.

After Kipnis, Chisenhall, White and Pomeranz, the Indians have players to deal. Starters David Huff, Jeanmar Gomez, Zach McAllister and Scott Barnes have had success at Columbus. They have relievers in the big leagues and minors and middle infielders at Columbus.

If the Twins ever decide to raise the white flag, how good would Michael Cuddyer look in right field for the Tribe?

The makings for a deal are there and something almost assuredly will happen.

Rain washes out Cleveland Indians-Chicago White Sox game

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The teams and fans waited for exactly two hours before a decision was made. A makeup date was not announced.

tribe-rain-fans-dugout-squ-cc.jpgView full sizeThe watery eyes of the Cleveland Indians logo on top of the Indians dugout gave away the weather during Saturday night's lengthy delay at Progressive Field. The game was called shortly after 9 p.m., with no makeup date immediately announced.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Intermittent rain at Progressive Field has postponed the game between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians on Saturday night without a pitch being thrown.

The teams and fans waited for exactly two hours before a decision was made. A makeup date was not announced. The White Sox return to Cleveland for a three-game series, scheduled for Sept. 20-22.

With radar showing a line of thunderstorms approaching, the infield was covered minutes before the scheduled 7:05 p.m. start, though it was not raining. There was a brief shower and some occasional drizzle, but for the most part fans sat in the stands watching other games or old cartoons on the giant videoboard.

Neither manager immediately announced if their pitching plans had been altered.



Tribe clubhouse shrugging off approaching trade deadline: Indians Insider

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It's trading time in the big leagues, but the attitude in the Indians' locker room has changed greatly since last year.

acta-ocab-horiz-cc.jpgView full sizeManny Acta (right) is pleased with the attitude of the Indians' clubhouse as the trade deadline approaches, and remains a big booster of Orlando Cabrera (left).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Big-league clubhouses can be fragile places this time of the year. The approach of the July 31 trading deadline usually means change is coming.

Bad teams ship players out. Good teams bring players in. It is an unsettling time. A team's place in the standings goes a long way in determining its mood when players can be moved like some many chess pieces.

"These guys have been great about it," said manager Manny Acta before Saturday's rained-out affair with the White Sox at Progressive Field. "Especially this year, because we don't have those guys in the clubhouse. At the beginning of the season last year everybody knew that at some point Kerry Wood was going to go, Jake Westbrook was going to go and there was a very good chance that Jhonny Peralta could go."

Last July, the Indians sent Peralta to Detroit, Westbrook to St. Louis in a three-way trade with the Padres and Wood to the Yankees. For good measure, they sent Austin Kearns to the Yankees as well.

"It's a very different clubhouse this year," said Acta. "We don't have those decisions to make. This year we're not just developing guys and using the year to rebuild when we're buried 20 games out of first place.

"We're in the race. There is a possibility that we'll be buyers instead of moving guys out of our locker room. It's a totally different story. It's a different club."

Guilty plea: Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo had his driver's license suspended for 180 days and was fined $755 Thursday after pleading guilty to an OVI (operating a vehicle while impair or under the influence) charge at the Mayor's Court in Sheffield Lake.

Choo, currently on the disabled list with a broken left thumb, did not serve a three-day jail sentence because he attended a three-day driver's intervention class before he appeared in court.

The Indians right fielder was arrested at 2:25 a.m. on May 2 when a police officer saw his car weaving while driving on Lake Road (Route 6). Choo failed a field sobriety test and registered a .20 (more than twice Ohio's legal limit of .08) when he took a Breathalzyer test.

Choo does have limited driving privileges, meaning he can drive to work or drive in case of an emergency.

The Indians expect Choo to return to the lineup sometime in late August or early September. He suffered the broken thumb on June 24 when he was hit by a pitch from San Francisco's Jonathan Sanchez.

Wait and see: Acta says there will be no set rule on how he uses Jason Kipnis and Orlando Cabrera at second base. Cabrera was scheduled to start Saturday night against Edwin Jackson before the game was rained out. With Jackson starting Sunday against Justin Masterson, look for Cabrera to remain in the lineup.

Acta said his starting second baseman will be determined mostly by matchups. "It will work itself out, it always does," he said.

The Indians have tried to pair Cabrera with Cord Phelps and Luis Valbuena with little success.

"You can't forget the guy who plays second base [Cabrera] is, I think, third on the team in RBI," said Acta, who wasn't far off. Cabrera, with 38 RBI, is fifth in RBI behind Asdrubal Cabrera with 60, Carlos Santana 46, Travis Hafner and Michael Brantley with 39 each.

Kipnis, drafted as a center fielder out of Arizona State but moved to second, could see some action in the outfield.

"It's a possibility down the road," said Acta, in reference to the shortage of outfielders because of injuries to Grady Sizemore and Choo. "But we're pretty clear that his future with the franchise is at second base."

Finally: Condolences to Jeff Sibel, the Indians' manager of media relations, on the death of his father, George.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Can Tony Pashos really do the job at right tackle for the Cleveland Browns? Hey, Tony!

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The lockout negotiations and how the Browns roster will be shaped when camp opens dominates this week's mailbag.

pashos-lockout-horiz-washdc-ap.jpgView full sizeTony Pashos was a participant in the players association meetings during the lockout, but Browns fans are considerably more interested in his ability to stay on the field at right tackle this fall.

Hey, Tony: Are you at all satisfied with the right side of the O-line and if not (and I am not) are there any FAs out there that could be had at a reasonable price to shore it up? -- Big Gus, Washington Court House

Hey, Big Gus: I've said before that some people won't be satisfied until the Browns have a No. 1 pick at every position on the offensive line. I don't think you need that. I think concerns about the right side were valid when John St. Clair was playing right tackle. He's gone now. The big "if" is Tony Pashos' health. The Browns say he'll be fine. If not, they need to bolster the position. The best free-agent pickup would be Pittsburgh's Willie Colon, but I don't see the Browns throwing more money at right tackle until they get a good read on Pashos in training camp. I also think the line will perform better in a more logically structured offensive system, such as the one they are installing under Pat Shurmur.

Hey, Tony: During the lockout there have been four Camp Colts. I've heard a bit about other teams' organizing activities, but has any other group met as many times as the Browns? -- Jack Bacevice, Cleveland

Hey, Jack: The Browns only had one "camp" with defensive players present. Several teams had more than one full-team camp.

Hey, Tony: I have currently withheld my season-ticket renewals in protest of the owners locking out the players. Do you know what the season-ticket renewal percentage is thus far? At this point, I would only reconsider renewing if they drop the preseason games from the package. Any chance of that happening in your opinion? -- John Moore, Waukegan, Ill.

Hey, John: The last time the Browns spoke of season-ticket renewals they said the percentage was up from the year before. That was just at the onset of the lockout, however. Selling the preseason games has always been a problem, but it's more so now because Commissioner Roger Goodell spent the past two years blasting the quality of the product during his campaign to extend the regular season to 18 games. Owners could solve the problem and gain immeasurable goodwill with their fans if they would just lower the price of preseason tickets. But they refuse.

Hey, Tony: How are the Browns positioned with the salary floor vs. other teams in our division? -- David Schickler, Powell

Hey, David: They and Cincinnati have plenty of room to spend; whereas the Steelers and Ravens will have to do some salary slashing to get beneath the salary cap. The Bengals' cap space could be swallowed up, though, by roster decisions on Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco. It's safe to say the Browns are in the best salary cap/floor situation in their division.

Hey, Tony: What is your opinion of the Browns taking a chance on a low-risk/high-reward player like Victor Abiamiri? I think this guy can play, but he has been labeled a career backup mostly because he is buried on a talented defensive front in Philly. It would be a good move to bring him in for a shot to start. -- Greg Peters, Mansfield

Hey, Greg: I would not dismiss any Eagle, for the simple reason that Tom Heckert probably had a big hand in drafting him. I've got to believe Heckert has a few Philadelphia free agents in his sights. Abiamiri may be one.

Hey, Tony: With the new salary cap rumored to be around $120 million, do you have any idea where the Browns stand today on their salaries? -- Steve Bohnenkamp, Geneva, Ill.

Hey, Steve: They are comfortably below the cap and the projected floor (about $108 million).

Hey, Tony: I just read an ESPN article and comments by James Walker saying that the Browns are not going to look for a right tackle and that Pashos is a good fit. How do they know? He was hardly on the field and that has been a running trend during his career. Do you see them maybe kicking the tires on another guy? -- Chris Zanon, Canton

Hey, Chris: I do not. Pashos has a lot of experience and Tom Heckert liked him a lot in the 2010 free agent market. If he comes back healthy -- yes, it's a big if -- Heckert sees him as the starting right tackle.

Hey, Tony: For the sake of the argument, let's assume that there is a salary cap of 120 million this year. Last year's No. 1 overall pick (no rookie wage scale) will consume roughly 11 percent of his team's total payroll this year. If there is a rookie wage scale, this year's No. 1 overall pick will consume approximately 41/2 percent of his team's total payroll. The players may or may not bust, but the financial risk is reduced by almost 250 percent. If I am a GM, I am significantly more inclined to trade up and significantly less inclined to trade down. Do you still maintain that, "any change to the rookie salary pool (will have) no impact on what a team might do in the draft?" -- Steve Davies-Tight, Cleveland

Hey, Steve: Let me clarify my point: If you're afraid to take a blue-chip player in the top 10 of the draft because of potential salary issues, then you are not doing your job as GM. You may have the luxury of trading out if you already have a franchise quarterback in place. The good teams usually don't have to confront the issue because they normally are drafting low in the round. But the good teams still move up when they can to select a high-ranked player they believe in (see: the Jets and Mark Sanchez, and the Falcons and Julio Jones) regardless of potential cap issues.

You find ways to fit the blue-chip player into your cap. Do you think St. Louis regrets taking Sam Bradford because of his big salary and guarantees? Of course not. He resurrected the franchise in one year, spurred ticket sales and played well. Under the old rookie pay system, teams frequently whined about being stuck in the high-salary atmosphere, but the only team that actually traded out in recent years was the Browns, and they did it twice in three years.

lawrence-vickers-tracy-boulian.jpgView full sizeAt least one fan isn't too worried about the potential departure of Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers.

Hey, Tony: Enough already about Lawrence Vickers. Just forgetting he can't catch anything short of a cold, let's take a look at his blocking ability. We are going to a West Coast offense. One that requires the FB to do three things -- catch short passes, block for the TB, and run for short yardage. Vickers' rushing totals have to be miniscule, at best. I watched last season on a tape delay. Can't count the number of times he ran through the "2" hole that Hillis instead used the 4 or 6. Too many times Hillis was stuffed when he actually followed Vickers. [A blocker has] to move someone out of the way, Vickers seemed OK with just hitting someone. And, to go back a little further: When Jerome Harrison set the single game rushing total, his longest run -- the 60-plus TD run -- he broke right and leapt a fallen defender rather than follow Vickers and another lineman, who cut to the left. I'm tired of the excuses and rooting for fan favorites. Vince Lombardi was right: if winning wasn't important, why do we keep score? -- Rich Markovich, Schaumburg, Ill.

Hey, Rich: I respectfully disagree with your opinion of Vickers' blocking but agree he's not the best fit for the West Coast offense.

Hey, Tony: Last year I loved the Joe Haden pick but was scratching my head about the T.J. Ward, Montario Hardesty and Colt McCoy picks. I was more than satisfied with what I saw from T.J. Ward (my new favorite Brownie), and Colt played better then I thought he would as well. I was scratching my head about most of the picks this year (except the Jabaal Sheard pick, he will be more than solid for the Browns this year). My question is, who is going to surprise me from the rookies this year? -- Doug B., San Diego via Canton

Hey, Doug: My initial reaction is to lower your expectations. The owners' lockout robbed this year's rookies of the off-season practices and meetings that help them catch up mentally to the systems employed by their new teams. Because of the lockout, most everyone believes the 2011 rookie draft class league-wide will be challenged to make a big impact in its first season. Saying that, I think Jabaal Sheard is the rookie to watch.

Hey, Tony: You have mentioned the Browns wished LG Eric Steinbach had a little more weight and is getting a little older, plus they need a young backup tackle. Several evaluations of draftee Jason Pinkston mention he has college experience at left tackle but lacks the height of a typical pro tackle. Is he the potential backup tackle or could he be the LG backup and future replacement for Steinbach? -- Alan Fojt, Manassas, Va.

Hey, Alan: On the day Pinkston was drafted, coach Pat Shurmur said he would initially be tried at guard. The idea is that's the position best suited for him to contribute sooner. Eventually, Pinkston might develop into a tackle candidate, or at least a lineman capable of swinging to both positions when needed.

Hey, Tony: One of the problems I see with Colt McCoy is that he appears to be a serviceable-to-decent NFL quarterback who lacks the physical tools to develop into the leader of a championship-caliber NFL team. It ends up being fool's gold as the team gets better and progress is made but ultimately the franchise moves further away from a Super Bowl appearance as draft picks get worse and the team ages. Knowing that Holmgren and Heckert are aware of this potential scenario, what is the blueprint for handling McCoy in light of the quarterback prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft? -- Leslie Marchak, Sagamore Hills

Hey, Leslie: They're all-in with McCoy as "the man" for 2011. They feel he's a natural fit for the West Coast offense and will develop into a winning QB. The difference between a winning QB and a franchise QB though, is big and I'm not sure if even they feel McCoy is the one to take them to the Super Bowl. He is being given first crack to show his stuff in 2011.

Hey, Tony: Would a new rookie wage scale have an impact on the draft class of 2011 since they are all unsigned? If that's the case, then weren't all those people that said Andrew Luck was potentially costing himself millions by staying at Stanford another year incorrect? If the new rookie cap impacts the draft class of 2011, then Luck didn't lose any money (potentially) by staying in college an additional season. -- Doug Shaffer, Orange, Calif.

Hey, Doug: You are half-correct. Luck wasn't going to cash in on the old rookie pay system, as Sam Bradford did in 2010. He would have to abide by the new restrictions in the upcoming CBA, same as Cam Newton will. But Luck did lose a full year's salary by electing to stay at Stanford for 2011 instead of playing in the NFL.

Hey, Tony: After giving into most of the players' salary, free agency and "number of games" demands, a lot of fans are scratching their heads as to why the owners would even lock the players out if they ended up giving them pretty much all they wanted anyway? All the owners got in return is a partial rookie wage scale. Much has been said that the loss of revenue from preseason games forced the owners to concede to the players.

I think that owners were willing to cancel games with the intent to starve the players into concessions as long as their huge TV revenue was secured. Once that went belly up with the court ruling, the lockout was a failure. Do you agree that this is the answer as to why this very same deal was not struck before the lockout? They did not know this would be the end result when they chose to shut the doors. -- Fernando Fernandez, Parma

Hey, Fernando: I think the owners' strategy has been questionable, to say the least, from the start. Whoever advised the "lockout insurance strategy" and whoever signed off on it should be removed. Judging from my early read of the potential CBA, though, the owners did accomplish two major goals: 1. They were able to slow down the share of revenue going to players in the future and 2. They were able to remove future CBA disputes from federal judicial review. Those were major gains for them.

Hey, Tony: I haven't heard much about staph infections since Uncle Phil [Phil Savage] was shown the door. Has this been cleaned up? Seems like a non-issue anymore. Have you heard any inside information on why is was so frequent under the Savage/Romeo Crennel regime? -- Baddawg, Wesley Chapel, Fla.

Hey, Baddawg: Well, locking players out of the facility will certainly prevent them from contracting staph infections there.

Browns beat the Patriots 34-14View full sizeThe passion of Cleveland Browns fans provides a never-ending source of motivation for beat writer Tony Grossi.

Hey, Tony: What are your three favorite things about your job and the three things you dislike the most? --Paul Naudain, Portland, Ore.

Hey, Paul: Likes: 1. The games are big events filled with the anticipation of seeing something I've never seen before. 2. I get to spend a couple days in cities I might not ordinarily visit. 3. Fans of the Browns seem to hang on every word written. Dislikes: 1. Seeing so many fans be not rewarded for their undying allegiance. 2. Decreasing media access and erecting barriers to covering the team. 3. Disingenuous responses from team executives, coaches and players (league-wide).

Hey, Tony: Like you, I prefer to see Heckert build through the draft. But I also think that when you see a big-time difference-maker at a key position, you go for it. In reviewing the recent articles about free agency, I agree with several writers that the Browns should aggressively pursue Chargers receiver, and free agent to be, Malcolm Floyd. What do you think? -- Joshua Jones, Anaheim, Calif.

Hey, Joshua: I like him. Ascending player, good size, can stretch a defense, no apparent red flags. One minor quibble with me is he's a California native and played college ball at Wyoming. Not much experience in the Midwest winter climate. Perhaps just a quibble, but you never know how those receivers will react to the conditions here in December.

Hey, Tony: With the current drafting trend of this front office, can we assume the Browns will draft two linebackers with their top two picks in next year's NFL draft? -- Browns Fan, Toledo

Hey, Browns Fan: You mean: 1. defensive backs with first two picks in 2010, and 2. defensive linemen with first two picks in 2011. At this point, linebacker definitely will be a need in 2012. But Tom Heckert has a history of passing on that position in the first round.

Hey, Tony: While watching games last season, I noticed Evan Moore lined up in the slot as a wide receiver. I believe his height could prove a huge advantage for the offense. Would he fit in as a West Coast WR? -- Jason Blankenship, Medina

Hey, Jason: Sure, he could play that role and be very productive in it. Perhaps we'll see him more as a slot receiver than as a conventional tight end in this offense.

Hey, Tony: What do you think of the Browns going after Bears DT Tommie Harris in free agency? After a sub-par year he should come cheap, and if he bounced back we could really be on to something with a three-man DT rotation of Harris, Taylor, and Rubin. -- Jeff, Detroit

Hey, Jeff: We'll see if Harris, in fact, is on the unrestricted free agent list. I would assume the Browns will pursue a veteran defensive tackle and a veteran defensive end.

Hey, Tony: Time and time again you have stated that the Browns will not build through free agency. Do they believe they cannot draw FAs, or does the front office feel they are too expensive? As a fan, I would like to see them grab a big-name free agent at some position. I understand building through the draft, but building through FA is also important to winning a championship, is it not? -- Trevor Stiegemeier, Hudson

Hey, Trevor: "Building the team through free agency" and signing a few free agents are two different things. No, they will not build the team through free agency. No winner in the NFL ever has been built that way. It's a prescription for financial disaster as well as unmet expectations on the field.

The good teams use free agency to get over the top, to fill one position, perhaps two, that rounds out their championship-caliber squad. That's when free agency is a godsend. The Browns, however, are in the stage of still needing free agents to bridge the gap at positions of weakness. In that stage, they are in a position to sign free agents that might be decent players -- in their prime or descending slightly -- and not in the market for legitimate difference-makers.

-- Tony

Did Cleveland Indians' front office drop the ball on roster shortages? Hey, Hoynsie!

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The Indians' makeshift defense in Minneapolis this week prompted plenty of second-guessing among fans.

valbuena-carrera-twins-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeThe series of events that ended with Luis Valbuena (left) and Ezequiel Carrera struggling in the last two games of the Minnesota series were impossible to predict, says Paul Hoynes.

Hey, Hoynsie: Don't you really have to wonder about a general manager who lets his team get in a situation where he only has two healthy outfielders and has to have a second baseman play in the outfield? I did not understand not bringing up someone when Grady went down. Ezequiel Carrera was already here. Those two losses to the Twins are squarely on the back of the GM Chris Antonetti. -- Steve Schneider, Reno, Nev.

Hey, Steve: It's hard to anticipate losing three outfielders in the span of 21/2 days. Sizemore was placed on the DL Monday and David Huff was activated in his spot to pitch the first game of Monday's doubleheader. Michael Brantley couldn't play Tuesday or Wednesday because of heat exhaustion and Travis Buck, Brantley's replacement Tuesday, was hit in the head by a pitch and knocked out of the game.

If Brantley's illness or Buck's injury were serious, the Indians could have put one of them on the 15-day disabled list and recalled an outfielder for Wednesday. They felt both would be back on Friday and didn't want to lose them for 15 days -- so they gambled and lost.

Granted it didn't look good, but they were caught in a unique situation. The guy I felt sorry for was Luis Valbuena, who had to play part of Tuesday and all of Wednesday's game in left field. He was a victim of circumstance.

Hey, Hoynsie: How do fans know whether or not ownership groups are crying poor and laughing all the way to the bank? -- S.W., Salem

Hey, S.W.: There's nothing wrong with a baseball owner making money. It's the American way.

I assume you're talking about teams using their revenue sharing money to improve the ballclub and not buying another chalet in the Swiss Alps.

Michael Weiner, director of the players association, told the Baseball Writers Association of America at the All-Star Game that the union isn't investigating any teams for improper use of revenue sharing funds. Weiner did say that the players are negotiating for stricter rules to make sure revenue funds are used in the spirit in which they are distributed.

Hey, Hoynsie: When does the current collective bargaining agreement expire? Why won't the "small market" team owners unite and push for a salary cap with a floor to minimize fielding minor-league teams as well as push for a more equitable revenue sharing system? What kind of owner majority would be needed to make the changes? I don't want to hear this would be anti-capitalistic. Look at the success the NFL has had. -- Benjamin Nicely, Vero Beach, Fla.

Hey, Benjamin: Owners from big, mid and small-market teams would welcome a salary cap. It's the players they have to convince and they aren't buying it. Just remember 1994 and 1995. It wasn't that long ago that a World Series was canceled and a spring training began with replacement players.

The current deal between players and owners expires on Dec. 11.

Hey, Hoynsie: If a pitcher has an error that allows a run to score, is the run scored as earned or unearned? -- Matt Henryson, West Des Moines, Iowa

Hey, Matt: It's an unearned run.

Grady SizemoreView full sizeGrady Sizemore's future with the Indians following his injury-shortened seasons will be a major story in the off-season.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that Grady Sizemore is injured again, isn't critical for us to add a run-producing outfielder to stay in the race? -- Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: Yes, it is.

Hey, Hoynsie: It's great to see the Tribe in the thick of things just after the All-Star break. Is there any chance they will would go for a bat like Carlos Beltran given the injury to Grady Sizemore? Or do you think the price would be just too high? -- Mark Lasher, Bangor, Pa.

Hey, Mark: I believe they will add offense. Don't think it will be Beltran.

Hey, Hoynsie: I know the Indians have an $9 million option on Grady Sizemore next year, which it doesn't appear likely they will exercise. Are the Indians' only choices to pick up the option or pay the $500,000 buyout? Could they renegotiate a one-year, incentive-laden contract instead? -- Rich Smith, Columbus

Hey, Rich: If the Indians don't pick up Sizemore's club option for 2012, he can be a free agent. They could always let him become a free agent and then try to re-sign him, but that usually doesn't work if you intention is to keep the player.

The chances of Sizemore returning next year are very good.

Hey, Hoynsie: I'm not impressed with Travis Buck. Don't the Indians have any promising outfielders that deserve a shot? -- Julie Kochert, Ferrelview, Mo.

Hey, Julie: No, they don't.

Hey, Hoynsie: I certainly don't think Jerad Head is the potential savior for our outfield, and I'd like the Indians to get someone like Carlos Beltran or Mike Morse. However, why isn't Head even mentioned in the discussion? -- Jim Buxton, Narragansett, R.I.

Hey, Jim: The Indians have talked about promoting Head this year because of his numbers (.292, 15 HR, 47 RBI, 83 games) at Class AAA Columbus. They are worried about his plate discipline. He has a .356 on base percentage, striking out 77 times with 22 walks in 295 at-bats. He'd have to be put on the 40-man roster as well.

Hey, Hoynsie: Since the Indians do not appear to have many outfielder prospects, how about moving Jason Kipnis back into the outfield? -- Mike Sedonic, Dumore, Pa.

Hey, Mike: From what the Indians have said, Kipnis was promoted to play mostly second base.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why not go to a six-man rotation in September when the Indians can expand the roster and save some young arms? -- Fred Lauer, Baltimore

Hey, Fred: They did that last September when they were on the way to 90-plus losses. If the Indians are still in the AL Central race in September this year, I don't see that happening. You want your best starters pitching as much as possible down the stretch.

Hey, Hoynsie: Would the Indians be better served trying to pick up a right-handed hitter like Wily Mo Pena or Marcus Thames rather than give away possible future stars for a Ryan Ludwick, etc.? -- Bill Drummer, Wauseon

Hey, Bill: At least in the case of Pena, the Indians feel they have no equivalent on the roster. Right now they need a full-time outfielder, who can hit in the middle of the order. Pena or Thames are better coming off the bench.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why is everyone evaluating potential trades based on a potential player's salary? Wasn't the purpose of gutting the payroll so that ownership can back up their words of "we will spend when we contend"? -- Reese Lanzer, Cleveland

Hey, Reese: I don't think salary is a big concern. The players the Indians would have to give up to get a deal done is the big concern.

-- Hoynsie

Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' maligned receivers, the Indians' problems at second base and Grady Sizemore's future

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Unless the Browns were mouthing complete misinformation for months, they really want to find out about their receivers this season.

mitchell-brns-10camp-ldj.jpgView full sizeWhen the lockout finally ends, the Browns will at long last get to fully determine the potential of wide receiver Carlton Mitchell.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lockout or not, there's always news from Northeast Ohio's sports teams.

About the Browns ...

1. Unless they were mouthing complete misinformation for months, the team really does want to find out about their receivers this season. They believe the combination of Colt McCoy's accuracy and a receiver-friendly West Coast offense can improve the cast of characters who have been catching the ball the past two seasons.

2. McCoy completed 60.8 percent of his passes last season, ranking No. 18 in the NFL. Very average, but consider the Browns completed 49.4 and 48.8 percent of their passes the previous two seasons. McCoy connected on 70 percent of his passes at Texas. The Browns believe McCoy can deliver the ball to receivers in stride so they can gain significant yardage after the catch.

3. Yards after catch is a big part of the West Coast offense. It's part of the reason they picked Greg Little in the second round of the draft. The receiver from North Carolina was a star running back in high school, and even played the position for part of his three-year college career. His 62 catches in 2009 were the fifth most in Tar Heels history.

4. Two members of the front office told me how eager they are to see wide receiver Carlton Mitchell in training camp. They believe the 6-3, 215-pounder can be like Little in the sense that he turns into a running back after he makes a catch. Mitchell was a sixth-round pick in 2010, and he played only 12 snaps. He carried the ball once for nine yards. At South Florida, he averaged a healthy 15.7 yards per catch.

5. The new coaching staff has watched tape of Mitchell in college. They see a "fantastic athlete" who runs "pretty good" routes. They like his speed and strength, but they saw some dropped passes. In this offense "dropped passes are death," as one coach told me. It's why they like Little, his hands were very impressive -- along with his pure athleticism.

6. Mohamed Massaquoi played 83 percent of the snaps last season -- by far the most of any Browns receiver. He caught 53 percent of the passes thrown in his direction and was credited with only four drops. He averaged 4.1 YAC, the best of any Browns wide receiver -- but only 54th in the league. Others' YAC on the Browns: Brian Robiskie (2.0), Ben Watson (4.0), Evan Moore (5.4) and Joshua Cribbs (6.7).

7. I'll be very curious to see what happens with Cribbs in the new offense. Unless someone is signed, they need a slot receiver. Cribbs played 42 percent of the snaps last season, sometimes in the slot, other times as a Wildcat in the backfield. He caught 23 of 36 (64 percent) passes thrown to him. He had only one drop. His 6.7 YAC was No. 8 in the NFL. Kansas City's Dexter McCluster (8.0) was the leader.

8. While spending a lot of time talking about receivers, I've been told the Browns will start most of their formations with two backs ... either next to each other, or in the "I". They may use a fullback or tight end in the backfield, but there will be two on most plays.

9. The Browns also believe they can use Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis together in some formations. One can be the fullback. Hillis received exceptional grades for his blocking last season. But the fullback must be able to catch the ball. While I've heard some lip service about retaining Lawrence Vickers, I doubt they will. Otherwise, why draft Stanford's Owen Marecic?

10. In Pat Shurmur's two seasons calling the plays for St. Louis, Stephen Jackson rushed for 1,416 and 1,246 yards -- and the Browns intend to have a 1,000-yard rusher this season.

About the NFL deal ...

1. It's a shame NFL had to cancel the Hall of Fame Game. A few weeks ago, Scott Snowden posted on my Facebook page that the two teams (St. Louis and Chicago) should have a practice for the fans. I like the idea, but want to make it even better: The Browns should hold an open scrimmage. Make it an event, with players signing autographs and bring in former Browns to meet fans, etc.

2. Tom Carr emailed that he liked many elements of the new labor deal: "But, as a PSL owner and season-ticket holder, why do I feel like I got a lump of coal? I'm still paying full price for two preseason games."

3. Tom is right, many teams still charge for PSL and all charge full price for preseason games. They do so because they can get away with it. At least the new deal has enough goodies such as the rookie salary cap, the franchise player tag and a reasonably hard cap to make sure all teams can compete -- and that is good news for the fans.

kipnis-gloves-atbat-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeJason Kipnis is the latest Indians youngster to try to make a platoon arrangement at second base work with veteran Orlando Cabrera.

About the Tribe ...

1. I was a bit surprised when the Indians promoted Jason Kipnis instead of Jason Donald from Class AAA Columbus. The Indians gave me the same reason for the move as they did when they selected Luis Valbuena over Donald to play second last month -- they wanted a left-handed hitter. They believe Orlando Cabrera can still help in terms of infield leadership, and he's hitting .274 (.749 OPS) vs. lefties. It's .231 (.534 OPS) vs. righties for the 36-year-old infielder.

2. Cabrera is batting only .186 in July. On the season, he is down to .244 (.598 OPS) and looks more like a utility infielder. But they'd rather use Jack Hannahan at third when Lonnie Chisenhall sits against left-handed pitchers, as Cabrera's defense at third is iffy. Hannahan is outstanding at third, and he's a lefty hitter batting .304 vs. lefties -- compared to .181 vs. righties.

3. So the plan is for Cabrera to play second and Hannahan at third against lefties, Kipnis and Chisenhall in the lineup vs. righties. Just to make it interesting, I'll toss in this fact: the left-handed hitting Kipnis was actually better (.313) vs. lefties at Columbus than against righties (.262).

4. Kipnis was an outfielder at Arizona State, and in his first pro season (only 29 games) at Mahoning Valley. He was converted to second base in 2010, making 23 errors in 121 games between Class AA Akron and Columbus. This season, he had 11 errors in 79 games for the Clippers. His fielding has "improved ... but still a work in progress," according to one Tribe operative. Another told me that Kipnis has "very good range," but can struggle "reading some hops and on some pivots."

5. Of course, the Indians thought Cord Phelps (five errors in 15 games) was ready defensively for second, and he lost his confidence in the field once he reached Cleveland. The point is no one is sure how any of these guys will react in their first trip to the majors. Chisenhall had the reputation of "work in progress" at third, but he has been acceptable with the Tribe.

6. Kipnis has not played the outfield since 2009, and there are no plans for him there -- but he can do it in an emergency such as what we saw early this week in Minnesota when Valbuena ended up in left. Valbuena was 3-of-22 with the Tribe, and really didn't look any better (granted, it was very brief) than he did hitting .191 in 275 at-bats in 2010.

7. As for Donald, give him credit for pounding on the door to Cleveland. Having recovered from his early season hand and knee injuries, he's hitting .336 (.920 OPS). In the last 10 games, he's 19-of-36 (.528). He's played 21 games at third, 20 at short. His defense has been decent for the Clippers. Donald played 47 games at short and 41 at second for the Tribe last year, hitting .253 (.690 OPS).

8. At the very least, Donald is being groomed to be a utility infielder next year. He's always hit lefties well (.286 in 2010 with the Tribe) and that should be a plus.

9. Kipnis batted only .103 (4-of-39) ion his last 10 games. The Indians write that off to him traveling to Phoenix and Salt Lake for various All-Star games, and then coming back to the team. They believe his bat is ready for the majors. He hit .312 in May, .324 in June. The question will be his defense.

10. The Indians need to flip Beau Mills and Jared Goedert. The team's No. 1 pick in 2007, Mills is having a breakout season in his third year at Class AA Akron, where the first baseman is hitting .300 (.880 OPS) with 11 homers and 49 RBI in 230 at-bats. He will be 25 on Aug. 15; it's time to see what he can do at Class AAA. Meanwhile, at Columbus, Goedert is batting .199 (.592 OPS) with four homers in 151 at-bats. He's 26 doesn't seem ready to help.

Cleveland Indians lose to Twins, 6-4View full sizeWould it be better, Terry Pluto wonders, to just tell Grady Sizemore to rest and recover and prepare for the 2012 season?

About Grady Sizemore ...

1. The Indians are talking about Sizemore coming back in 4-6 weeks from his latest hernia surgery and bruised right knee. Perhaps he will, but exactly what can the Indians actually expect in September? Part of me says let the guy rest and heal, and try again next year.

2. The Indians can point to July, when Sizemore's bat began to show some life: 13-of-46 (.283) with three homers and nine RBI. But on the season, he's at .237 with 10 homers and 29 RBI (.769 OPS) in 61 games. He didn't steal a base all season because of his knee problems. Nor did he cover the usual ground in center field that twice earned him a Gold Glove.

3. Sizemore got off to a fast start, hitting .378 (17-of-45) when he came off the disabled list in April. Of those 17 hits, 13 were for extra bases. Then he bruised the right knee and went on the DL. When he came back, it had been a major struggle until he was hurt again.

4. Since Sept. 9, 2009, Sizemore has had wrist surgery, two hernia operations and microfracture surgery on his left knee. He never was on the DL until 2009. From 2005-08, he missed only nine games.

5. Sizemore will be 29 on Aug. 2. He has a $9 million team option for 2012. It makes no sense for the Indians to pick it up. In the past three seasons, Sizemore is hitting .239 with 28 homers and 106 RBI in 796 at-bats. Because of injuries, he's not even close to the Sizemore who was a three time All-Star (2006-08).

6. Here's what the Indians should do: Approach Sizemore with an incentive-packed deal for next season. Give him a $2 million base, with bonuses for at-bats, hits, etc. They did the same thing for Carl Pavano. He signed for a $1.5 million base, and could earn up to $5.3 million in bonuses. Sizemore should be open to this, as the outfield remains wide open in 2012.

7. But the Indians also have to be realistic, viewing Sizemore as a bonus in 2012. They have to plan to be without him, meaning they need to add an outfielder for this season and 2012.

NFL owners are once again laboring under a false impression: Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin

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A grand gesture from NFL owners was actually just more grandstanding, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin column.

goodell-owners-lockout-shaw-ap.jpgView full sizeFlanked by Carolina owner Jerry Richardson (left) and Kansas City's Clark Hunt, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL's ruling elite came across as something less than totally believable when they announced they had agreed to a settlement to end the lockout, says Bud Shaw.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In a development somehow passed off as a breakthrough, NFL owners announced that after much give-and-take they reached an agreement with their benevolent selves...

No doubt a hard bargain preceded the "agreement" ownership announced a few days ago. One side agreed to sip a little less of the Perrier-Jouet if the other agreed to not double dip in the Beluga caviar. Eventually they gave into each other in a raucous, knock-down, drag-out 31-0 vote.

The Raiders abstained, presumably because Al Davis failed to arrive to Atlanta in time from the 1960s where he lives.

Shocked, shocked the owners were that the players' negotiating team said, whoa, just a minute here, nothing official yet.

"It's baffling to me," said Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. "I thought we had a handshake deal." Funny thing about handshake deals. They require a handshake. Usually with the other side in the same room.

Doing a secret Elks handshake with Roger Goodell while clapping him on the back for a job half done isn't really a treaty signing.

If you noticed the absence of a celebratory vibe at the one-sided press conference, there was good reason for it. There was nothing to celebrate and the owners knew it. They wanted to look like the party that's cared about expediency all along.

Small detail: The owners are responsible for the lockout. And now they're responsible for casting the players as the ones standing in the way of training camps opening, fans hanging on every free agent signing and a return to normalcy. They knew it was more complicated, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to score points with an impatient fan base.

They knew it because they're the ones who complicated matters. Their lockout spawned legal counter-jabs that can't be reversed or erased overnight. The owners not only reached an agreement with themselves but also agreed to tell the players how to re-certify as a union and the order in which to follow ownership's instructions.

How thoughtful.

"We've put our pens down," said Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy, meaning the owners were done negotiating. Which is another way of telling the players to put their pens down. Time's up. That works well enough in a classroom with the teacher calling the shots. But since what the owners are trying to sell is a 10-year business agreement, Murphy's choice of words is a bad one.

No NFL fan should be expected to rally in support of the players just because the owners put the onus on its work force to accept the deal. But nobody should fall for ownership's latest maneuver either.

They picked this fight. They tried to stack the odds with a lockout insurance fund. Despite strong-arm tactics, both sides have recently moved toward a conciliatory end to things.

There's no reason to put the players in one last headlock to try to show who's boss.

woods-williams-vert-2004-ap.jpgView full size"That's right, Tiger. I've got your back. Absolutely. Totally loyal. What, I'm fired? Where's my book deal?"

Go jump in the lake, Stevie, and while you're down there give that fan his camera back...

Tiger Woods fired caddy Steve Williams, who blasted Woods' decision in a TV interview back home in New Zealand.

Williams, who played the heavy on Woods' behalf with intrusive (his opinion) golf fans, felt betrayed because he stuck with Woods through almost two years of scandal and injuries. Not just that. They were in each other's weddings.

Williams says he told Woods after the scandal that Woods would have to earn Williams' respect back.

"Anybody in my situation would say they didn't have total respect," he said.

Woods made Williams a millionaire several times over. Williams can have his say with Woods. But it's best to shut up publicly. Nobody wants to hear it. Especially those of us who'd not only trade totally respected for totally rich any day but who'd caddy for Woods while wearing a French maid outfit if he wants (and, who knows, he might).

SPINOFFS

Former Nick Faldo caddy Fanny Sunneson is a favorite to get the job as Woods next looper, according to the Irish oddsmaker Paddy Power. The betting service lists Sunneson ahead of Tiger's good buddy, Byron Bell, who helped set up some of the off-course trysts that led to Woods' divorce...

If he's trying to put the skirt-chasing scandal behind him, could he do worse than Byron Bell? I mean since Benny Hill is not alive?

carpenter-actress-shaw-mug.jpgView full sizeThis young actress keeps audiences entranced on cable.

Looks like Ohio State was convincing in making its case that Lee Harvey Tressel acted alone. The NCAA finds the Ohio State Buckeyes not guilty of a loss of institutional control and that can only bode well for them in the sentencing department, even if they're treated as repeat offenders....

Nelson Cruz had eight RBI in Texas' 12-2 win over Toronto. (Enter your Austin Kearns crack here)...

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Jennifer Carpenter (from Showtime's "Dexter") and Hope Solo -- Mark Mummey, Hudson

Pia Sundage and Pete Carroll -- Kent Castelluccio

hope-solo-mug-ap.jpgView full sizeThis American goalie kept her cool during a difficult week following a World Cup defeat.

HE TWEETED IT

"Look guys I have no reason to lie! The truth of the matter is we got tricked, duped, led astray, hoodwinked, bamboozled!" -- Redskins' union rep Vonnie Holliday after NFL owners ratified a proposed collective bargaining agreement.

I don't know what constitutes a loss of perspective, but I'm pretty sure borrowing from Denzel Washington's speech in "Malcolm X" qualifies.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Bud:

"Were you on vacation last week, or were you trying out a new concept -- the sports column about nothing?" -- Joe Percio

Thank you for noticing I was on vacation and also for suggesting a column about nothing would be a new concept for me.

"Bud:

"I was unable to watch the baseball All-Star Game. Did the American League name a replacement viewer for me?" -- Chas K

Judging from the ratings, no. Not for you or millions like you.

"Bud:

"If another batter walks on three balls, for the third time this year, will Eric Wedge be fired in Seattle?" -- Jeff Heldt, Westlake

No, but his new bench coach will be Rain Man.

"Bud:

"Is a Turnpike Series with the Indians and Pirates MLB's worst nightmare?" -- Robin

Short of Milton Bradley someday hijacking the microphone at a Hall of Fame induction, yes.

"Bud:

"While watching the Open Championship, there were times when I thought they used an applause sound track. Does your editor play one when you turn in your column?" -- Tom

Yes. It's the sound of one hand clapping.

"Bud:

"We need a fifth wheel to join us in honoring Jim Tressel. We will meet at the local pub, down a shot in coach Tressel's honor, then we will lease a car and head to the tattoo parlor. You in, or should I call a high school coach?" -- Kevin O

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

"Dear Bud:

"A recent sports page headline was '[Fausto] Carmona says he's ready to hurl again.' And I thought that I was the only one who felt that way when he pitched." -- Jim, Shaker Heights

Repeat winners receive a sitting ovation.

"Bud:

"How many runs does Fausto give up in a simulated game?" -- Joe S.

Repeat winners also receive a three-pitch intentional pass.

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