Miami, which also might be shopping Michael Beasley to gain more salary cap space, is seeking the capability to sign its own free agent, Dwyane Wade, and two other stars to maximum contracts. Jones' waiving provides about another $400,000 toward that goal.

NBA.com/HeatJames Jones has been waived as Miami tries to create more salary cap space.

Miami -- Forward James Jones has been waived by the Miami Heat, an expected move that provides the team with more money to spend during free agency. Jones had a partially guaranteed contract for 2010-11 that was only guaranteed for $1.9 million through Wednesday. After that, it would have been guaranteed at $4.6 million. He agreed to spread part of the buyout over the next three years, which frees up about an extra $400,000 off Miami's salary cap for 2010-11. The Heat wanted the cap room to use in efforts to lure free agents once the negotiating period opens at 12:01 a.m. Thursday. Jones averaged 4.1 points in 36 games this season.

Unlike in the NBA or NFL, every team has to be represented in the major league All-Star Game. Choo, with his all-around game, would maybe be a candidate, anyway.

Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer Shin-Soo Choo is having an all-star caliber season for the Indians.

Cleveland -- The Cleveland Indians go for their third straight win tonight, when they host the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. The Indians' Fausto Carmona (6-6, 3.64) and the Blue Jays' Brandon Morrow (5-5, 4.50) will take the mound in a matchup of right-handers.

Twice this season, the Indians have put together four-game winning streaks, and another time they won three games in a row. Three other winning "streaks" ended at two games.

One of the Indians' few constants this season has been the play of right fielder Shin-Soo Choo. Again. Choo was elected the Indians 2009 Man of the Year by the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, and will likely be the team's lone representative at the All-Star Game.

Anthony Castrovince writes for cleveland.indians.mlb.com about Choo, and how Choo has benefited from the recent promotion of rookie catcher Carlos Santana to the Indians from Class AAA Columbus. Castrovince writes:

Choo was moved up to the No. 2 spot of the Indians' lineup as a function of Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore going on the disabled list. Though Austin Kearns performed better than expected in the middle of the order, the fact is, when it comes to the kinds of threats who strike fear in the heart of the opposition, Choo was the beginning and end of the list.

Now that prized prospect Carlos Santana is in the bigs and raking in the No. 3 spot (.333 average, four homers and 14 RBIs in 15 games), the situation is quite a bit different. And that could be one reason why Choo erupted for four homers, eight RBIs and a 1.273 OPS over his last six games (prior to Monday).

"It's all about getting people around him," manager Manny Acta said of Choo. 

Covered 

Plain Dealer Indians coverage includes Dennis Manoloff's game story on the Indians' 2-1 win over the Blue Jays on Monday night; his Indians Insider.

Almost complete player

Sheldon Ocker writes about Choo's fine season for the Akron Beacon Journal, and also mentions other aspects of his game:

Choo has excelled not only at the plate but in right field, where his strong arm is a deterrent to baserunnners. He also leads the team in steals with 12 (in 16 attempts), but he has made some misjudgments and run into some outs on the bases.

''There are very few things he can't do,'' Acta said. ''But he needs to round out his game with more experience. He's had some trouble on the bases.''

Nearing Cleveland

Outfielder Michael Brantley, who began the season with the Indians before being sent to Columbus on April 21, is on the verge of returning to the big leagues. Writes Chris Assenheimer for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette:

Brantley, Cleveland’s opening-day starter in left field, entered Monday batting .352 (31-for-88) with two homers, 13 RBIs and 14 runs in 21 games for the Clippers this month.

“He’s making a lot of progress,” Acta said. “He’s playing well. He’s close.”

Choosing Choo

We're not sure what "VORP" is - probably another batting newfangled stat that will help keep some deserving player like Andre Dawson out of the Hall of Fame - but here's part of ESPN.com's case for Shin-Soo Choo to make the American League All-Star team:

Among American League right fielders, Choo is currently ranked 4th in VORP behind David DeJesus (whom you must also take), Ichiro Suzuki, and Magglio Ordonez, but the differences are largely cosmetic. Their OBPs are indistinguishable and Choo's SLG is virtually the same as DeJesus' (Ordonez' is higher, Ichiro's is lower). Choo, who's stolen 12 bases, is a five-tool player having a fine season.

But the real reason you have to take him is because you have to have a Cleveland Indian. In 1987, in the shadows of Oakland's horrific ballpark, I watched the All-Star game slouch into extra innings for the sole purpose of watching Cleveland's only representative, Pat Tabler, make an appearance. I did not care who won, so long as he got to bat.

Tabler was finally called into the game. He made an out. I went to bed.

And that, my friends, is what the All-Star Game means to me: Shin-Soo Choo will pinch-hit.

 

Spain spent most of the night trying to break through Portugal's defense. David Villa finally did it. Villa scored off his own rebound in the 63rd minute, giving the European champs a 1-0 victory

View full sizeAP Photo | Roberto CandiaSpain's David Villa celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Spain and Portugal at the Green Point stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Spain spent most of the night trying to break through Portugal's defense. David Villa finally did it.

Villa scored off his own rebound in the 63rd minute, giving the European champs a 1-0 victory Tuesday that put them into the World Cup quarterfinals.

In a game where Spain dominated possession and outshot the Portuguese, Villa took Xavi Hernandez' heel pass in the 63rd minute. But his left-footed shot was saved by Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo.

He then fired the rebound with his right foot off the underside of the crossbar and into the net — his fourth goal of the tournament — sprinted to the near corner and slid on his knees to the flag, letting out a mighty yell.

Spain plays Paraguay in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

While Villa is tied for the lead in scoring at the World Cup, it was a disappointing tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's most expensive player. His only goal came late in Portugal's 7-0 rout of North Korea in group play, and he had a quiet night against Spain.

The game came two years to the day that Spain ended 44 years of international futility by winning the European title.

Surprised that the speculation is flying fast and furiously as the free-agent clock winds down? Neither are we.

The Plain DealerWilliam "Wes" Wesley (left) has touted his closeness to LeBron James, but childhood friend and business partner Maverick Carter says Wesley won't be at James' meetings with prospective NBA suitors.

(Chasing down rumors about LeBron James' basketball future is my full-time job. Just call me The Rumor Monger. Every day we'll compile a list of the rumors we're hearing about James and his next contract. Just remember these are just rumors, not necessarily facts. -- Mary Schmitt Boyer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Two important stories broke Tuesday amongst the chaos as the free-agent clock ticks down.

First, Maverick Carter tells Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times that the infamous William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley will not be in the room when James, et al, hold their meetings this week.

"All the Wes rumors are untrue and he will not be at the meetings," Carter told The Times. "Wes has nothing to do with where he goes."

Meanwhile, Ken Berger of CBSSportsline.com talked to Steve Greenberg, the son of the late Hank Greenberg and managing director of the New York-based investment firm Allen & Co. who has had dealings with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert as well as James and Carter. He thinks James could stay.

Berger quotes Greenberg as saying, "What's really extraordinary about LeBron's situation is, it's actually his hometown -- not just the team that happened to draft him -- and it happens to be not one of the top five markets. I kind of liken it to Warren Buffett. If Buffett lived in New York or the Greenwich, Conn., suburbs or San Francisco or Chicago, I actually think some of the mystique of being the Oracle of Omaha might have been diminished. The fact that he's lived in the same house in Omaha and it is his hometown tends to lend to the legend. So if you can do it in Cleveland or Chicago as opposed to New York or L.A., that only adds to it."

• Did they or didn't they?

ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard reported James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade met last weekend in Miami to discuss their plans.

Then the denials started, as did the defending. Wade's agent, Henry Thomas, told the Miami Herald that Wade was in Las Vegas on Thursday for a players association meeting and in Chicago for the weekend before leaving for an undisclosed location.

The New York Post's Marc Berman tweeted that James was in New York on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoon and made the gossip pages twice during that time.

Broussard tweeted: "Marc Stein & I have multiple sources who saw the players in Miami Sat. denials r smart since meeting could b tampering, but our info is good."

Then later Stein tweeted in part: "Sources reiterate meeting took place."

• Here's a funny story from Sam Amico on trying to cover this nonsense ... and not get arrested. Nice to see someone still has a sense of humor.

• More silly stuff from ESPN.com's DJ Gallo who reworks "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" with free-agent references:

• From SI.com's Ian Thomsen, "All season I've named the Cavs as favorites to re-sign James, especially if he chooses to sign a three-year deal in order to opt out again in 2012. But their failed attempt to hire Tom Izzo -- a coach with no NBA experience -- revealed a troubling misunderstanding of what is needed to win a championship around James as soon as possible. Can they persuade James to stay while pulling off a sign-and-trade for a star to pair with him? Call me stubborn but I think they can.

"Prediction: He signs a short-term deal with Cavaliers; Bulls, Knicks and Heat in running."

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

Willis writes:

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

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

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

• Here's one way to keep everybody happy. In his "Ball Don't Lie" blog on Yahoo Sports, Trey Kerby suggests James just sign with all six teams in the running.

Writes Kerby, "It's blatantly obvious that LeBron James will be a Bullcavanetheatknickerick next year. Might as well start sewing your Frankenstein jersey now."

• Bodog may have quit listing odds on James next team, but sbrforum.com and picknation.com are plunging ahead.

Sbrforum still has the Cavs as the favorites at 1 to 2, but has downgraded the Bulls (3 to 1) and Knicks (4 to 1).

Steve Budin of picknation.com lists the Cavs at 2-3, followed by the Bulls at 3-1, the Knicks at 2-1, the Nets at 4-1 and Heat at 6-1.

• From ESPN Dallas.com, "If Rick Bucher's sources are correct, the Mavericks are out of the LeBron James race before it even starts. The ESPN NBA reporter is reporting that the Cavaliers have no intention of being part of a sign-and-trade should James choose to leave Cleveland. The Mavericks are over the salary cap, so a sign-and-trade deal is their only hope of acquiring King James."

Bucher's first name is "Ric." But whatever.

• They're a little late to the party, but the Mahoning Valley Scrappers will hold a LeBron James Stay in Cleveland Rally before their game against the Jamestown Jammers on Thursday at Eastwood Field. Fans wearing Cavs or James gear will get a free lower box seat ticket.

Realistically, what else could the Cavaliers have done to show LeBron James that they want to win?

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerYes, there have been three disappointing postseasons since LeBron James held up the Eastern Conference championship trophy in the summer of 2007. But as James ponders his free-agent options, Terry Pluto has a simple question: Didn't the Cavaliers do everything James asked in building a title contender?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When it comes time for the Cavaliers to sit down for perhaps their final meeting with LeBron James, they should ask the MVP this question, "What else could we have realistically done to make this a better situation for you?"

Owner Dan Gilbert, General Manager Chris Grant and James have been together for five years. He knows they have paid the price to win, having one of the NBA's top three payrolls over the last three seasons. James also knows the Cavs have consulted him before making major deals for Shaquille O'Neal and Antwan Jamison. He also is aware that as an assistant to former GM Danny Ferry, Grant has been very active in trade talks over the years.

A new $25 million practice facility, state-of-the-art dressing room and a first-class approach to virtually every part of the franchise has been business as usual since Gilbert bought the team 51/2 seasons ago.

Because James knows the Cavs so well, he can see their weaknesses and warts. James doesn't know who are the jerks in Chicago, the selfish players in Miami, the guys who don't work hard in New York. Every team has problem players. James needs to dig deep as he considers potential new teammates.

Don't just take their word that "we have great guys who just want to win," as most owners and general managers will be telling him during this week's recruiting process.

Some teams will say, "Just ignore the way we've been doing business, because we're ready to change with you."

Can James be sure of that?

It's much easier to create salary cap space than play to win, which has been the Cavs' mission since reaching The Finals in 2007. James should know that.

Every team has its warning signs, including the Cavs as they try to decide between Byron Scott and Brian Shaw as their new coach -- with the inexperienced Shaw seemingly having the edge. But elsewhere, it's alarming that veteran and respected general manager Rod Thorn is leaving New Jersey just as the Nets change ownership. Chicago has a rookie coach in Tom Thibodeau and an ownership that never wanted to go far over the luxury tax, as Gilbert does nearly every season.

The Knicks? They have a free-spending owner who consistently spends money the wrong way. New York has missed the playoffs nine years in a row -- no other team has that dubious distinction.

Miami has Dwyane Wade, and not much else. Pat Riley is an experienced and strong executive. There have been some rumors that he'll return to coaching once again, but will he actually do that at the age of 65? The coach is Erik Spolestra, who is hardly Pat Riley in his prime.

Yes, the Heat won the title in 2006. In the last four seasons, they are 4-12 in the playoffs.

The Nets have hired a veteran coach in Avery Johnson, but they'll play the next two years in Newark as they build an area in Brooklyn. They need a new general manager.

Since Michael Jordan left the Bulls after winning the 1998 title, here's a list of NBA champions: Lakers (5), Spurs (4), Pistons (1), Heat (1) and Celtics (1). It's a lot harder to assemble a winner than most players and fans realize.

New York can sign two free agents to maximum contacts. The Nets, Bulls and Heat are moving in that direction.

The Heat think they can find a way to retain Wade along with signing Chris Bosh and James. That sounds like putting together a new Big Three, but will there be enough basketballs to go around? Who handles the ball in crunch time, Wade or James?

Meanwhile, what can the Cavs do for James now? Bosh would love to play with James. Bosh's team, Toronto, would prefer to put together a sign-and-trade deal rather than lose Bosh for nothing besides salary cap space. Toronto likes J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao, along with some expiring contracts such as those of Delonte West, Jamario Moon or Anthony Parker.

Ask James how he'd like to play on the frontline with Bosh and Varejao, with Antwan Jamison coming off the bench? Or Hickson, Jamison and Bosh, if Varejao is part of the deal.

The Cavs can pay him up to $30 million than anyone else. He can stay home, where he actually will become even a bigger hero than ever -- while playing under less pressure.

Is it a perfect situation? No.

But that's also true of the other teams trying to sign him.

Stowell is having a spectacular season as a relief pitcher. Third baseman Chisenhall is one of the Indians' top prospects. Drennen is a solid contact hitter and outfielder.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerLonnie Chisenhall is regarded as a top prospect by the Indians.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Tonight: Indianapolis (44-34) at Clippers (46-32), 7:05. Indians RHP Charlie Morton (1-1, 3.42) vs. Clippers LHP David Huff (1-0, 2.35).

Notes: IF Josh Rodriguez is back with the Clippers after leaving them last week and playing two games for Class AA Akron. Going into Tuesday night's game, Rodriguez was batting .341 (30-for-88) with five doubles, six home runs and 20 RBI for Columbus this season. In two stints with Akron, Rodriguez was 20-for-63 (.317) with seven doubles, a homer and 11 RBI....3B Brian Buscher has been granted his unconditional release. He hit .265 with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 26 RBI in 47 games with the Clippers, but 3B Jared Goedert was batting .329 with seven doubles and nine homers in 21 games with the Clippers since being promoted from Akron. Buscher played with the Minnesota Twins from 2007-09, hitting .266 with eight homers and 69 RBI in 436 at bats....The Clippers drew a record crowd of 12,227 at their Huntington Park home on Monday night, when they lost to the Gwinnett Braves, 4-3. The previous record of 12,223 was set last June 15....Since becoming strictly a starter on April 28, RH Josh Tomlin is 6-1 with a 2.39 ERA. He's pitched 71 2/3 innings in 12 starts, striking out 48 while allowing 53 hits and 21 walks.

AA Akron Aeros

Tonight: Aeros (36-40) at Richmond (37-40), 7:05. Aeros RHP Marty Popham (0-0, 0.00) vs. Flying Squirrels RHP Daryl Maday (8-4, 2.22).

Notes: Aeros RH reliever Bryce Stowell, 3B Bryce Stowell and OF John Drennen have been named to the Western Division all-star team for the Eastern League All-Star Game on July 14 in Harrisburg, Pa. Chisenhall and Stowell are fan-vote selections. Going into Tuesday night's game, Stowell was 1-0 with six saves and had not allowed a run in 12 games spanning 20 innings for Akron. Counting his time at Advanced A Kinston, Stowell was 2-0 with six saves and an 0.79 ERA in 23 games, totaling 45 1/3 innings. He had struck out 67, walked 16 and allowed 31 hits....Chisenhall was batting .276 with 11 doubles, one triple, six homers and 28 RBI. He missed 14 games during May with a shoulder injury....Drennen was batting .300 with 12 doubles, five triples, two homers and 29 RBI....LHP Nick Hagadone has been sent from the Aeros to Class A Mahoning Valley; RHP Marty Popham was promoted to the Aeros from Advanced Class A Kinston; IB Beau Mills was activated from the disabled list (intercostal strain).... Hagadone was named the third-best prospect in the Cleveland Indians system prior to the season by Baseball America. He was promoted from Kinston to the Aeros on June 1. In his five starts with Akron, he was 1-0 with a 6.16 ERA, 21 strikeouts and 16 walks in 19 innings. At Kinston, Hagadone was 1-3, but he had a 2.39 ERA and struck out 45 in 37 2/3 innings, allowing just 28 hits. However, he walked 29. Hagadone was acquired by the Indians from the Boston organization last July in the Victor Martinez trade.... Popham started for the Aeros on Tuesday night against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. He began this season with the Class A Lake County Captains and was 3-1 with a 3.70 ERA in eight outings (four starts). Promoted to Kinston on May 22, he was 1-2 with a 5.16 ERA in six starts for the Indians, but he fanned 29 and walked just seven in 29 2/3 innings....Mills, Cleveland's first pick (13th overall) in the 2007 draft, was batting .205 with three homers and 32 RBI in 54 games with the Aeros going into Tuesday night's game....OF Jerad Head was named the Aeros Player of the Week. Head was 9-of-16 (.563) last week with three doubles, a homer, four RBI and three runs....Going into Tuesday night's game, the Aeros had lost 10 of their last 14 games since their franchise-record 12-game winning streak.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Tonight: Potomac (33-42) at Indians (39-36), 7:00. Nationals RHP Brad Peacock (2-8, 4.44) vs. Indians RHP Joseph Mahalic (3-1, 3.40).

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, DH/catcher Doug Pickens was batting .371 (13-for-35) in his last 10 games....OF Abner Abreu was 6-for-14 (.429) in his last three games, with two home runs and two stolen bases.

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Great Lakes (45-27) at Captains (47-26), 7:00. Loons RHP Matt Magill (2-1, 3.40) vs. Captains RHP Trey Haley (4-2, 4.91).

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, IF Adam Abraham was 7-for-15 (.467) with two doubles, two homers and six RBI in his last four games....3B Jeremie Tice was second in the Midwest League with 46 RBI. He was batting .355 (11-for-31) in his last 10 games, with four doubles and a homer....OF Delvi Cid was second in the league with 31 stolen bases (in 35 attempts).

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Tonight: Scrappers (5-6) at Batavia (5-6), 7:05. Scrappers LHP Kirk Wetmore (0-1, 5.87) vs. Muckdogs RHP Christopher Corrigan (0-0, 13.50).

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, SS-3B Tyler Cannon was 9-for-26 (.346) in six games since being signed by the Indians on June 17 as a 12th-round draft pick out of the University of Virginia. Cannon had three doubles, seven RBI and six runs....RHP Alex Kaminsky is 2-0 and hasn't allowed a run in two starts spanning 10 innings. He's struck out seven, walked four and allowed eight hits.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Tonight: Florence (14-22) at Crushers (20-16), 7:05. Freedom RHP Tim Holmes (1-4, 5.79) vs. Crushers RHP Josh Roberts (4-0, 2.20).

Notes: Going into Tuesday night's game, RH reliever Jeff Cinadr was 0-1 with two saves and a 2.45 ERA in 15 games, totaling 25 2/3 innings. He had struck out 19, walked six and allowed 21 hits....RH reliever J.J. Pacella had three saves and an 0.93 ERA, striking out 14 in 9 2/3 innings over eight games. He had walked two and given up six hits.

Smith's 1-under 71 was good for the first-round lead of the 54-hole Cleveland Junior Open at Red Tail Golf Club in Avon.

PD photoScott Smith was the only player to post a round under par in Monday's opening 18 at the Cleveland Junior Open.

AVON, Ohio -- On a day when par was as treasured as a backstage pass to a Dave Matthews concert, Scott Smith was the only one with a ticket to the front door.

Smith, a two-time all-Ohioan from University School and Pepper Pike, shot a 1-under 71 on Tuesday and had the first-round lead of the 54-hole Cleveland Junior Open at Red Tail Golf Club in Avon.

Smith, a senior who finished in a tie for seventh in last year's Division II state tournament, had a one-shot lead in the boys competition and Allison Harper, who graduated from Upper Arlington and is headed to Marshall, led the girls by one after a 73.

Red Tail, playing to 6,809 yards for the boys and 5,967 yards for the girls and aided by a steady breeze, stubbornly gave up birdies. That Smith, a Plain Dealer All-Star last fall, was the only player in the field of 117 to break par was unexpected.

"I'm very surprised," said Smith, who has undergone two surgeries on his right knee in the last 11 months. "I know a lot of the players in the field and they are very good players. I thought for sure that a lot of them would go low. The wind was a definite factor."

This event, formerly known as the SAP Junior Open, has never had a winner from Northeastern Ohio.

Smith bogeyed the first and fifth holes but played the final 13 holes in 3 under to hold a one-shot lead over Francesco Ruffino, a 15-year-old from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and a two-shot margin over Andrew Wong, 17, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

It was not a good day for area players. Medina's Mike Bishop (75) was the only other area player in the top 10 and Girard's Boo Timko, an Ohio State recruit, and Dayton's Alec Tahy were the only Ohioans in the top 10. The St. Ignatius contingent -- sophomore Beau Titsworth (78), junior Matt Gerard (78), senior Anthony Maroon (78), senior Connor McCafferty (80) and graduate Kyle Kmiecik (81) all had their struggles.

Smith had the lead thanks to a pair of back-to-back long birdie putts and a sterling 9-iron approach that ended up one foot away when it appeared he was on his way to a bogey or worse.

On the 385-yard seventh, he made a 15-foot putt after a 7-iron from 175 yards. On the 180-yard eighth, he made a 20-footer after another 7-iron. His most adventurous birdie came at the 495-yard 13th, when he hooked his tee shot just inside the woods, punched out to 160 yards and knocked in a 12-incher.

Tuesday, the team wrapped up a two-day interview with Lakers assistant Brian Shaw. By all accounts it was a positive series of meetings.

UPDATED: 9:39 p.m.

View full sizeAssociated PressLakers assistant coach Brian Shaw, right, interviewed with Cavaliers executives on Monday and Tuesday but talks ended without Shaw being offered a contract, sources said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nothing about this off-season has been ordinary for the Cavaliers. So why should their coaching search go smoothly?

Tuesday, the team wrapped up a two-day interview with Lakers assistant Brian Shaw. By all accounts it was a positive series of meetings. There were even signs that Shaw was in line to be the team's choice, especially with an unofficial deadline of Thursday to have a coach in place for the start of free agency.

But by the afternoon, Shaw was headed out of town and team sources said that he had not been offered the job and were firm that no contract talks had taken place. That isn't unusual in the NBA, offers don't always directly follow an interview -- especially for a candidate like Shaw who has never been a head coach before.

However, there's a twist. On Tuesday morning, Shaw's agent, Jerome Stanley, told the Los Angeles Times that Shaw was close to accepting the job. Yahoo Sports then reported that Shaw was making calls to attempt to line up new hires for a coaching staff. But the day ended with signals that no offers were on the table.

General Manager Chris Grant and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, however, have said that they have a process in place that they want to complete before hiring a coach. It appears that process still has some more steps.

However, there is a good chance Shaw could get the official offer with the way things are headed.

The terms "offering" a job and contract "talks" are gray areas in the NBA. Technically, sources say, the Cavs never formally offered Tom Izzo the coaching position, even though he turned it down.

Nevertheless, it appears that Shaw is the front-runner, ahead of previous favorite Byron Scott. After having an in-person interview 10 days ago and then more talks over the weekend, Scott has had reduced communication with the Cavs, said agent Brian McInerney, who also wished Shaw luck on joining the NBA head coaching ranks.

While Scott gave an interview to Yahoo on Monday saying he was willing to accept the Cavs job with or without a commitment from LeBron James, it now appears Scott is ready to move on. Both men would potentially be candidates for the Lakers head coaching job if Phil Jackson decides to retire, a decision he's currently pondering at his off-season Montana home.

Whether or not Jackson's situation plays into Scott stepping back or Shaw leaving without an offer or a contract is unclear. Jackson said he hoped to have an answer on his future by the end of the week.

Shaw has impressed the Cavs with his focus on defense from his Lakers days, plus his knowledge of how the triangle offense would work with James. He also impressed with his confidence in dealing with players, partially because of his 14-year history as a player and a champion in the league.

Shaw's drawback is that he's never been a head coach at any level.

The experience factor hasn't been a big deal in the past. Gilbert hired Mike Brown without head coaching experience and Izzo had never coached in the NBA. But it is believed the team was hopeful it could hire a coach with some head-coaching experience, which is one reason Scott, who has nine full seasons as a head coach with the Nets and Hornets, was high on the list.

The Indians strike early and hold on at the end thanks to Matt LaPorta's power and another good showing by the bullpen.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerMatt LaPorta watches his sixth-inning home run leave the playing field Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. LaPorta's homer gave the Indians what proved to be the deciding run in a 5-4 victory.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt LaPorta hit a big home run and the Indians bullpen held together for the third straight game Tuesday night in a 5-4 victory over Toronto at Progressive Field.

The Indians have won three straight, one shy of their longest winning streak of the season.

LaPorta hit a 422-foot homer to center field in the sixth inning to extend the Tribe's lead to 5-2. LaPorta's first homer since rejoining the Indians on Sunday from Class AAA Columbus -- following the trade of Russell Branyan -- turned out to be margin of victory.

Fausto Carmona (7-6) went 6 1/3 innings and got the win. He's 3-0 lifetime against the Jays.

After Carmona left with one out and two on in the seventh, Tony Sipp, Joe Smith and Rafael Perez worked their way through the eighth with a 5-4 lead. Then Kerry Wood shut the door in the ninth for his third save in as many games.

It's the first time Wood has converted saves in three consecutive games since he joined the Indians in 2009.

Toronto, trailing 4-0, cut the Tribe's lead in half on Adam Lind's two-run, bases-loaded single in the sixth with two out against Carmona.

The Blue Jays kept coming in the seventh. Some shaky defense helped their rally.

Carmona started the inning, but left with two on and one out. Sipp relieved and retired leadoff hitter Fred Lewis on a grounder to third as the runners advanced to second and third. He wild-pitched Lyle Overbay home to make it 5-3. After Sipp walked Alex Gonzalez, Smith relieved.

Jose Bautista sent a fly ball to shallow right field for what should have been the third out. Shin-Soo Choo got a bad jump on the ball and had it clang off the heel of his glove. Jose Molina scored on the error to make it 5-4.

Smith ended the inning by getting Vernon Wells to hit into a force play.

Carmona allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Brandon Morrow (5-6) allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the first when Carlos Santana singled and Travis Hafner doubled to put runners on third and second with two out. Jhonny Peralta sent a routine grounder to John McDonald at third. With the setting sun shining into first baseman Overbay's eyes, McDonald tried to skip the ball to him on the bounce, but it got past Overbay as Santana and Hafner scored.

Hafner wasn't running with two outs, but when the ball hopped into the stands, the umpires awarded him home plate.

The Indians made it 3-0 against Morrow on Choo's two-out single in the second. Trevor Crowe set the run up with a two-out double to left center.

The Tribe made it 4-0 in the fifth on Hafner's two-out double off the wall in left center.

Former Indian John McDonald hasn't hit many home runs in his big-league career. On Father's Day the Toronto infielder hit a big one for a special person.

Tom Mihalek / Associated PressFormer Indians infielder John McDonald has built his big-league career on the strength of his defensive skills. But at the end of an emotional week, his bat helped him deliver one of his most dramatic moments in the majors.

INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: With all the talk of rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg, let us remember that there have been phenoms before and there will be more in the future.
In big-league history, here’s the breakdown of strikeouts by a pitcher in his first five starts: Herb Score, 50 in 1955; Strasburg, 48, in 2010; Kerry Wood, 45, in 1998; Jose DeLeon, 43, in 1983 and Mark Prior, 43 in 2002.

Hard hat: Deep down, most first- and third-base coaches don’t like wearing batting helmets, which are required in the big leagues. Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. was glad he had one on Monday night when Anderson Hernandez sent a foul liner right over his head.
“Thank God for batting helmets,” said Alomar. “Usually it happens when a left-hander is hitting. But Anderson was hitting right handed. For a second I didn’t know what to do. I just ducked and it went over my head.”

Stat of the day: Jhonny Peralta is hitting only .260 overall, but at night he’s hitting .321. It’s the 10th-highest nighttime average in the AL.
— Paul Hoynes

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- John McDonald was taught not to show emotion on the field. The game was always about the team, not the individual.

So when he crossed home plate in the ninth inning on Father's Day at Rogers Centre, after hitting his first home run of the season for the Toronto Blue Jays, he did something uncharacteristic. He pointed to the sky.

McDonald did it for his father, Jack, who died on June 14 after an eight-month ordeal with liver and kidney cancer.

"He told me before he died that when I hit my next home run to point to him when I crossed home plate," said McDonald before Tuesday's game. "I told him, 'Dad, that may take a while.' In the back of my mind I'm thinking I may have to play softball after I'm done playing baseball to do it, but I told him I would."

McDonald, who spent parts of six seasons with the Indians from 1999 through 2004, has 14 career homers in over 1,900 plate appearances.

The only reason McDonald was at Rogers Centre on Father's Day so soon after his father's death -- Jack was buried two days earlier -- was because of a promise he made.

"My dad and I had done a write-in contest online on why you want to bring your dad to the ballpark on Father's Day," said McDonald. "We hosted 25 kids and their dads. And Dad said to me, 'Make sure you're back in Toronto for Father's Day this year because these kids are going to be waiting to see you.'"

McDonald didn't start the interleague game. He came in as a replacement at second base and homered off San Francisco's Jeremy Affeldt in the ninth inning of a 9-6 loss.

"All I wanted to do was hit the ball hard," said McDonald. "It was so bittersweet circling the bases. Whenever I've done something good on the baseball field, I'd call my Mom and Dad. It was an instant realization that he was gone. This is the first one I can't call home about."

McDonald started at third base Tuesday night for the Jays.

Meet and greet: No.1 pick Drew Pomeranz is in Cleveland visiting the Indians. The 6-5 left-hander from the University of Mississippi, the fifth player taken in the first round, is getting a physical.

If everything checks out, the Indians will start negotiations. He is represented by Beverly Hills Sports Council. The Indians have until Aug. 16 to sign him.

Check up: Dr. Thomas Graham, one of the top hand specialists in the country, will examine infielders Asdrubal Cabrera and Jason Donald on Wednesday. Graham did the surgery on Cabrera's broken left forearm after he was injured in a collision with teammate Jhonny Peralta on May 17 at Tropicana Field.

Donald, called up to replace Cabrera, has missed the last four games with a sore left wrist.

Graham, 47, is returning to Cleveland Clinic after spending the last 10 years as head of the Curtis National Hand Center at Union Memorial Hospital. In that time, he told the Baltimore Sun, he's helped over 1,700 professional athletes.

He grew up in Liverpool, Ohio and did his residency at Cleveland Clinic.

Cabrera fielded 20 ground balls early Tuesday afternoon. He threw 10 to first base. He could be back sometime after the All-Star break.

Donald took batting practice Tuesday and said he felt good. Manager Manny Acta said he's "playable," but that they're just being cautious.

Congratulations: Jackie Laffey, wife of Indians pitcher Aaron, gave birth to a boy on Tuesday. Braeden Parker Laffey weighed in at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 19 1/4 inches long.

Finally: The Indians are an umpire's best friend. They are the only team in the big leagues without an ejection. ... Austin Kearns, who already has had more at-bats than he had all last year, didn't start Tuesday. "We've rode Kearns pretty hard up until this point of the season," said Acta. ... In case you're wondering, the suicide squeeze, which gave the Indians a 2-1 win Tuesday, is not one of Acta's favorite plays.

James could have signed a longer contract extension several years ago. Now, the Cavaliers are competing with several other teams for the two-time MVP.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer One thing that doesn't seem to be a slam dunk is the answer to where LeBron James will play basketball next season.

The potential of LeBron James becoming an unrestricted free agent has been looming over the Cleveland Cavaliers since the summer of 2006, when James signed a contract extension that extended only through the 2009-10 season, turning down an opportunity to make a longer commitment to the Cavs.

Thursday at 12:01 a.m., James gets that freedom that allows him to sign with any team that has the necessary salary cap space, or any team that could swing a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers to acquire him. And of course, the Cavaliers will do their best to try to keep him.

Keep track of James and the Cavaliers in The Plain Dealer and on its cleveland.com website. Stories include beat writer Brian Windhorst's analysis of how the situation got to this point; Bill Livingston's column; Mary Schmitt Boyer's rumor mill.

Rick Noland writes for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram how the Cavs might have an edge in re-signing James. Included in Noland's reasons:

On the evening the Cavaliers won the draft lottery in 2003, a then 18-year-old James promised to light Cleveland up like Vegas, and so far he has not done that.

The 6-foot-8, 250-pounder totally downplayed any talk about his legacy during this year’s playoff series with Boston, but that’s exactly what will be at stake — here — if James leaves.

Even if he goes on to win three, four, even eight NBA titles somewhere else, almost everyone in these parts will remember him as the guy who couldn’t get it done in Cleveland, then left town.

No dummy, James has to know that, and he also has to know the Cavaliers, with him, are still a pretty darn good team.

More optimism

Ken Berger writes for CBSSports.com that influential businessman Steve Greenberg, who knows both James and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, is optimistic James will remain a Cavalier. Part of a Green berg quote:

"My point being, the Cavs and LeBron, Dan and LeBron, and LeBron and the Cavs are the perfect sort of triangle and match for one another and ultimately will bring a championship -- and probably multiple championships -- to Cleveland. They just haven't done it yet. And had they, I don't think anybody would be talking about going to Chicago, Miami, New York or another place. I think that has helped fuel the speculation."

Elsewhere

A group of ESPN analysts don't think much of the Cavs' chances to keep James.

The Chicago Bulls have jockeyed for position to sign James, and if they don't get him, they'll be quite disppointed, writes Steve Rosenbloom for the Chicago Tribune.

The sense that the New York Knicks are frontrunners to get James seems to have diminished, but Marc Berman writes for the New York Post that the Knicks remain optimistic.

Likewise, the New Jersey Nets feel good about their situation, writes Fred Kerber for the New York Post.

Ian Thomsen writes for Sports Illustrated's SI.com how the Knicks plan to get James.

Walt Frazier, the great point guard for the Knicks' 1970 and 1973 NBA title teams, has thoughts on the Knicks' free agency chase in Matt Ehalt's story for the New York Daily News.

The New Jersey Nets new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov of Russia, will make a pitch for James, writes Adrian Wojnarowski for Yahoo! Sports.

Thanks to a 1-over 73, Avon's Beau Titsworth, whose family lives along the 10th hole, shot himself into contention with a 36-hole total of 151.

John Kuntz / PDAvon's Beau Titsworth is on a crowded leaderboard at the PGA Cleveland Junior Open, just four shots out of the lead.

AVON, Ohio -- An area golfer has never won the junior golf event held at Red Tail Golf Club in Avon. One has never even come close.

That could end Thursday when the 54-hole Cleveland Junior Open -- previously known as the SAP Junior Open -- comes to a conclusion after three days of lower-than-normal temperatures and higher-than-normal scores.

Thanks to a 1-over 73 -- one of three that came in as the day's best -- Avon's Beau Titsworth, whose family lives along the 10th hole, shot himself into contention with a 36-hole total of 151.

Pepper Pike's Scott Smith, the first-round leader, remained in contention despite shooting an 80 for a two-day total of 151. Medina's Mike Bishop and Chagrin Falls' Jacob Forsythe (both at 152) also are in the hunt. While he isn't from the area, Girard's Boo Timko (150) also has a chance.

They all trail 15-year-old Francesco Ruffino, from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and 17-year-old Andrew Wong, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Ruffino, playing in just his second American Junior Golf Association event, had sole possession of first place at 72-75-147 and Wong was alone in second at 73-76-149.

Eight players are within six shots of the lead and with water coming into play on 16 of the 18 holes and Red Tail's persistent winds, the boys competition is far from over.

Allison Harper, who played at Upper Arlington and is on her way to Marshall, remained in first place in the girls race with a round of 3-over 75 for a 36-hole total of 4 over 148. Minija Luo, of San Diego, is second at 150 and Linda Luo, of Florida, was third at 151.

The field of 117 was trimmed to the top 48 boys and 18 girls, plus ties. The magic number for the boys was 168 and 169 for the girls.

Titsworth, who will be a junior at St. Ignatius, was 2 under until the final hole when he made double bogey and turned a two-shot deficit into four. He pulled his drive into a fairway bunker and then clipped the upper branches of a dying tree, sending his ball into the creek that cuts the fairway in front of the green.

"I'm going to go out and cut that tree down," he said.

After making the turn at 1 over, Titsworth scrambled home with four birdies, two bogeys, two pars and the aforementioned double.

"That's nothing," he said. "I've had three birdies, three pars and three bogeys on that side before."

Ruffino, 12th in last week's Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior in Ashland, Ky., had just one birdie en route to his 3-over 75.

"I struggled with my irons and missed a lot of greens," said Ruffino. "And, when I did hit the green I left myself a lot of 15-and 20-footers."

Canadian Andrew Kay scored the first hole-in-one of the tournament when his 5 iron tee shot on the 170-yard 12th landed in front of the green, took one hop and rolled into the hole in the back-right location.

Team renews talks with Scott, a two-time Finals coach with the New Jersey Nets.

UPDATED: 11 p.m.
(Note: AP is now reporting Byron Scott has accepted the Cavaliers' job)

AP photoByron Scott had shown considerable interest in the Cavaliers, but after the team had a lengthy interview with Brian Shaw, it has returned to contract talks with the former Nets and Hornets coach.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The LeBron James' free agency chase, now in full effect, might end up having nothing on the drama of the Cavaliers' coaching search.

As the start of free agency arrived, the Cavs were in talks with Byron Scott to become the next head coach, team sources said. The negotiations were ongoing, but there was no deal yet in place as of late Wednesday night.

Complicating matters was that Scott was with family in Arkansas and unreachable for part of the day, which slowed the process.

After having positive meetings with Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw on Monday and Tuesday, things took a turn. Make that another turn.

The Cavs appeared to be moving in the direction of offering Shaw the job, even to the point where Scott's agent had e-mailed news outlets congratulating Shaw on getting the job. Shaw was also talking to potential assistant coaches.

However, according to sources, the Cavs never formally offered Shaw the job and were still in organizational meetings to make a final decision. After those meetings, the Cavs contacted Scott's representation to open contract talks.

Shaw's agent, Jerome Stanley, told media outlets Wednesday night that Shaw pulled his name from consideration. He said that Shaw was concerned about making a decision on the job before LeBron James decided on re-signing with the team.

One of the issues the Cavs had with Shaw was that he had never been a head coach at any level, although they were impressed with his knowledge and confidence. It is believed Shaw had pitched bringing the triangle offense to the Cavs.

If the Cavs can close the deal with Scott, they will be getting one of the candidates they had high on their list when Mike Brown was fired on May 24.

Scott is known for building strong relationships with his star players and having a commanding presence in huddles and on the sideline. He has 10 years of head coaching experience and twice led New Jersey to the NBA Finals. He has a combined record of 352-355 and 33-24 in the postseason with the Nets and Hornets.

Scott has a strong relationship with Hornets' star Chris Paul, who is very close to James. It is unclear whether James will be swayed in his decision if the Cavs can finish off the deal with Scott.

James has purposely stayed out of the coaching search over the last month and declined to speak directly with candidates. Scott told Yahoo Sports earlier this week that he was interested in the Cavs job with or without a commitment from James.

Williams extended offer: Wednesday the Cavs made forward Jawad Williams a qualifying offer of $1.02 million, a step required to make the two-year veteran a restricted free agent. The team had to take the step to have the right to match any offers made to Williams; it is not a guarantee that he will be re-signed. The Cleveland native averaged 4.1 points in 54 games last season.

Aaron Laffey celebrated the birth of his son with his first victory of the season Wednesday night in the Indians' 3-1 win over Toronto. The Indians have won four straight and go for the sweep today against the Jays.

UPDATED: 11:45 p.m.

Thomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerAaron Laffey allowed just one run in six-plus innings of work Wednesday against Toronto, one day after the birth of his son.

• Westbrook improving trade worth: Insider

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- First-time fathers can be jumbled of mind and body. Welcome to the club, Aaron Laffey.

Laffey, a day after his wife, Jackie, gave birth to their first child, forgot to get the game ball for his new son Wednesday night after pitching six good innings in the Indians' 3-1 victory over Toronto at Progressive Field.

Braeden Park Laffey was born at 10:42 a.m. Tuesday.

"My teammates were yelling at me about not getting the game ball for him," said Laffey, "but Jake Westbrook told me, 'You can tell him about it. You don't need a ball to show him.'

"I kept telling myself at certain points in the game if I had a runner on or was behind in the count, 'Come on, your son was born yesterday. You can't give in here. You can't give in here. It was definitely an inspiration.'"

The Indians are a bit of an inspiration themselves. After playing most of June as though they were sedated, and losing 11 of 12 games from June 13 through Saturday, they've won four straight. It matches their longest winning streak of the season.

They've used the same formula to produce each victory -- solid starting pitching, occasional power from the lineup and crisp and flexible relief pitching. Kerry Wood saved the first three games in the streak. Chris Perez did the honors with a 1-2-3 ninth Wednesday. It was his seventh save of the season and first since May 9. Perez opened the season at closer because Wood was injured.

The power came from Shin-Soo Choo and Matt LaPorta. Before the game Choo, who hits to the middle of the field, said it's been tough to drive the ball to left-center field at Progressive Field because of the wind and the 19-foot wall that extends from the left-field foul line to almost straightaway center field.

Laffey made the one-run lead stand through six innings. It was his second start since being recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Friday. He faced the Reds that night and allowed five runs in four innings in a 10-3 loss.

"I got a little fastball happy in that game," said Laffey. "Tonight I used all my pitches. Carlos [Santana] and I were on the same page. He did a great job of changing speeds and calling good pitches in good counts."

Laffey's best moment came in the fifth when he struck out Fred Lewis to end the inning with the bases loaded. In the sixth, Santana gave Laffey a 2-0 lead with a two-out single that scored Choo.

The left-hander came out for the seventh, but John Buck and Lyle Overbay greeted him with singles to put runners at first and third. Manager Manny Acta went to his bullpen. The pen has produced a lot of dark moments this season, but for the fourth straight game found nothing but sunshine.

Frank Herrmann popped up Aaron Hill, but Nick Green followed with a single between his legs. Shortstop Jason Donald made a diving stop behind second as Buck scored and Overbay went to second. Herrmann stopped the Jays right there by striking out pinch-hitter Adam Lind and Lewis.

"Herrmann did a fantastic job," said Acta. "He was 4-for-4 with first-pitch strikes and threw 15 of his 18 pitches for strikes."

Matt LaPorta, for the second straight night, gave the Indians some elbow room with a late homer to center. In Tuesday's 5-4 victory, he delivered in the sixth. On Wednesday night, LaPorta homered with two out off Shawn Camp in the seventh to make it 3-1.

"I don't know what kind of pitch I hit," said LaPorta.

Whatever it was, it gave Joe Smith and Chris Perez room to work. Smith, who changed his delivery on Monday night against Toronto, worked his way through the heart of the Jays' order in the eighth. He retired Alex Gonzalez (14 homers), Jose Bautisa (20) and Vernon Wells (19) on ground outs.

"I went back to the way I pitched to get to the big leagues," said Smith. "I said to myself, 'If I'm going to get hit around, at least I'm going to get hit around doing it my way.'"

Jake Westbrook, a candidate to be traded this year, says he'd consider re-signing with the Indians at the end of the season.

Gus Chan / The Plain DealerJake Westbrook could appeal to a team in need of starting pitching down the stretch this season, but the right-hander wouldn't mind staying an Indian after this season.

INDIANS CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: The Indians aren't waiting for Friday to start signing international free agents. John Mirabelli, assistant general manager and director of scouting operations, says the Indians have already signed “10 to 15” international players since November.
The Indians believe Friday, the days teams usually start signing international free agent, is artificial date that serves only to inflate the cost of signing players. The Indians feel by not being governed by Friday's signing date they can sign players at a value and timetable determined by them.
International free agents can be signed when they turn 16.

Patience: Manager Manny Acta is not surprised by the patience rookie Carlos Santana has shown at the plate.
“We know that this was going to continue here and even get better,” said Acta. “When a guy is that patient in the minor leagues and has success, it only gets better up here because the strike zone is better up here with the major league umpires.”
Santana, in 17 games, has 13 walks and seven strikeouts in 54 at-bats. He has an OPS of 1.160, .704 slugging and .456 on-base percentage.

Stat of the day: The Indians rotation has the fewest strikeouts (264) and the third-most walks (181) in the AL entering Wednesday's game.
— Paul Hoynes

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The scouts are gathering, checking out the Indians' roster to see if there's anyone who can help their teams reach the postseason. Wednesday was the last day of June. The deadline for making a deal without waivers is July 31.

Jake Westbrook fits the profile. He's in the last year of his contract and is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. On Monday, he pitched six innings as the Indians beat Toronto, 2-1.

The Indians already traded Russell Branyan after Saturday night's game in Cincinnati. Like Westbrook, Branyan was eligible for free agency at the end of the season. The same can be said for Austin Kearns, Kerry Wood, Jhonny Peralta and Mike Redmond.

So that's the Indians' inventory. A few more players could be added, but it would not be a surprise if Westbrook isn't traded. The Indians feel they have a decent chance of signing him after this season and they definitely need starting pitching.

Westbrook says he's open to returning.

"Other than my six days I spent in New York, this is where I feel most comfortable," said Westbrook.

After Monday's victory, Westbrook, in response to a question, said, "I like winning baseball. That's what I like."

If Westbrook re-signed with the Indians, there would be no doubt he'd be headed into his second year of rebuilding. His quest for winning baseball might be better served with another team.

"Winning would be a factor I'd think about," said Westbrook. "I'd love for it to be here. Like I said, this is where I've always been. I'd definitely like to win here."

Let's talk: The Indians minor-league field coordinators are in town to meet with GM Mark Shapiro and his staff to discuss the farm system.

One of the topics for discussion will be Michael Brantley, and when he could get called up from Class AAA Columbus. Brantley is hitting .310 (72-for-232) with 45 runs, eight doubles, two triples, three homers and 25 RBI in 56 games. He's stolen 10 bases in 14 attempts.

Third baseman Jared Goedert has also put himself in line for a big-league look. He's hitting .326 (28-for-86) with seven doubles, 10 homers and 22 RBI in less than a month at Columbus. He was the Indians' ninth-round pick in 2006.

ImpACTA Kid: Manager Manny Acta's ImpACTA Kids Foundation, along with the Indians, awarded $2,500 college scholarships to three high school seniors from the greater Cleveland area. Ryan Kelly, St. Ignatius, Doneisha Kinney, James Ford Rhodes and Sean Stark, John Marshall, received the scholarships.

The mission of Acta's foundation is to provide opportunities for students to achieve their dreams, both in the Dominican Republic and United States, by emphasizing the importance of education, health and athletics.

Mystery pitch: Acta seemed intrigued when he read about the mystery pitch closer Kerry Wood is working on.

"I just found that out," said Acta. "I'm happy with that mid-90s fastball, curveball, change up and slider that he has now. I'm waiting for him to unveil it."

Improvement: Relievers Rafael Perez and Joe Smith have shown signs of improvement.

Perez hasn't allowed an earned run in 10 2/3 innings. Smith, since returning from Columbus, has increased his velocity to a consistent 92 mph.

"Raffie has been throwing more quality strikes," said Acta. "Smitty did some tinkering with his delivery in Columbus and went back to what he was doing a few years ago in New York [Mets]. He's throwing a couple of miles an hour harder."

Finally: Dr. Thomas Graham examined shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's broken left forearm on Wednesday. He'll continue to field ground balls for the next few days until the training staff decides when Cabrera can start swinging the bat. ... Acta on catcher Carlos Santana as a hitter, "He's got some special attributes, guys."

Byron Scott is a poker chip for the Cavs in the high stakes game of NBA free agency, Bud Shaw writes in his Spin column.

Bill Haber / Associated PressByron Scott's agent is also the representative for The Beaver of classic TV fame ... and after some displeasure for an interview experience with the Cavaliers his client now seems headed to The Q.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Just to keep some semblance of normalcy, the Spin will never declare free agency.

Delonte West would be good in the role of Eddie Haskell

One day the Cavaliers seemingly are leaning -- some would call it "listing" from a boomeranging torpedo -- in the direction of Brian Shaw. The next -- Wednesday -- they seemed primed to hire the more experienced Byron Scott.

(Meaningless background break: Scott's agent, Brian McInerney, also represents Jerry Mathers. Yep. The Beav, from the classic "Leave it to Beaver" TV show. Purely from an entertainment standpoint, I would love to see Scott get the job, hire Mathers as a special assistant and bring back Wally Szczerbiak just to hear Wally and The Beav address each other by name.)

It's difficult to imagine how the hiring of a rookie head coach (Shaw) would've worked as an enticement for LeBron James. Scott probably wouldn't seal the deal either, but he could help.

Scott has his detractors. He's not known for burning the midnight oil. He can be rigid in his ways. That said, I guess he rigidly underprepared two teams all the way to the NBA Finals?

Scott said Tuesday he wasn't waiting for Phil Jackson to decide whether to return to the Lakers. Scott also said he didn't need to know James' future before deciding whether to coach the Cavaliers.

Within 24 hours, McInerney sent an email to AOL FanHouse critical of the Cavaliers' coaching search and even went as far as to congratulate Shaw on joining the NBA coaching fraternity.

The email, in part:

"We assumed that due [to] a week of miscommunications with the organization, which continually required on the record correcting, [Cavaliers GM] Chris Grant was aware of our disappointment in media driven coaching search. As a week of 'corrected' media reports from 'our camp' indicated, we did not appreciate Cavalier executives going 'off the record' and creating incorrect news with writers, or at least as was repeatedly told to us by those journalists," McInerney wrote FanHouse.

With Scott back in the picture, maybe his camp now considers that a case of no harm, no foul.

NBA.com photoBrian Shaw (center, with Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and guard Derek Fisher) won't apparently take over the Cavaliers' bench, and Bud Shaw thinks that's for the best.

Scott's good relationship with James' buddy, Chris Paul, would have to be a poker chip in dealing with James. If you can get Scott, you get him. If not, why hire a coach until after James declares his intentions, provided it's not Labor Day?

The Cavs need to hire a guy who excites James. Or wait and hire a coach who's excited by James' return.

Shaw could be a solid choice. He comes from the Jackson tree.

That sounds vaguely familiar. Mike Brown's connection to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio recommended him. Shaw and Brown could sing you a love song about the importance of defense but there's a lot more to it than that, as Brown discovered.

Scott played and coached in the NBA Finals. If he's willing to sign up ahead of James' decision, it's not only a good hire but it gives James another reason to re-sign.

The rumor mill keeps grinding...

I have not been able to confirm this, but I am told that the Cavaliers will, in fact, field a team in the NBA next year if James does not re-sign.

The Celtics' novel idea: having a coach who entices players to re-sign.

APWith a trip to the Finals in the rear-view mirror and Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all expressing interest in playing another season together (even though the latter two are free agents), Doc Rivers is back with the Celtics.

Boston Celtics' head coach Doc Rivers decided Wednesday he'd honor the final year of his contract and return for the 2010-11 season. This news came a day after Paul Pierce opted for free agency.

Few in the league believed Pierce would sign anywhere else with Rivers on the fence. It's less believable with Rivers returning and vowing to recruit Pierce and Ray Allen to remain in Boston.

"I want to try one more year with this group," Rivers told Yahoo!

After mistakenly saying all season that the Celtics looked too old to contend, it would be stupid to suggest they can't make another run next year. So I won't say that. I'll just be thinking it.

Why they say timing is everything...

Outfielder Jerad Head received the Akron Aeros' "Player of the Week" award Monday less than a week after he was arrested along with teammates Beau Mills and Columbus Clippers pitcher Josh Tomlin and charged with felonious assault stemming from a June 3 bar fight.

According to the team release, Head's "slugging numbers continue to explode in the month of June."

Allegedly.

HE SAID IT

"It didn't get dysfunctional; it was always dysfunctional." -- Hank Haney, in the August issue of Golf Digest, on his six years as Tiger Woods' swing coach.

If they were dysfunctional, what's that make Tiger and Butch Harmon? Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown?

YOU SAID IT

(The Slightly Expanded Midweek Edition)

"Bud:

"Watching World Cup soccer begs the question, have you ever flopped after a grammatical error?" -- Tom H.

No, but I did receive a yellow card once for what was ruled a particularly dangerous run-on sentence.

"Bud:

"Does LeBron James think there has been too much hype over the World Cup?" -- Flo G.

Not sure. But I'm told he rooted hard for the U.S. team after hearing someone call them "the Yanks."

"Bud:

"It's actually embarrassing that one high school basketball player can command the attention that [LeBron James] does. And the media just keeps overwriting day after day. I don't want to see another word about it. It's only a basketball game and he's a player." -- Larr

If you've seen the hairline in my column picture, sir, you know I do not embarrass easily.

"Hey Bud:

"The World Cup soccer tournament reminds me of a childhood rhyme. Fifa-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of a referee bum. Or is that an umpire? I not sure, because I never watch." -- Rick

Don't you know that for the fourth straight decade, soccer is primed to sweep the country.

"Hey Bud:

"The only difference between the U.S. Soccer Team and any Cleveland franchise is that we have to wait four long years to watch the U.S. team lose." -- Jim

Yep, four long years. The time between World Cups really does drag, doesn't it?

"Bud:

"The insanity [over James] started with his draft and has been fanned and fanned every day since by the sports pages. Now you want it stopped? When he leaves, what will you write about?" -- Chip

I will write that the Cavs are geniuses for finally hiring a coach named Shaw.

"Dear Mr. Shaw:

"World Cup Soccer must not be thought of as a major sporting event unless the games are played at 9:07 p.m. Eastern Time. -- Sincerely, Bud Selig and David Stern."

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection. Repeat winners get a two-disc CD of "The Vuvuzela Christmas Collection."

Brantley is not only making contact, but driving the baseball, too. He's showing signs of being the same player who stole 46 bases at Columbus last season.

Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer The Indians hope Michael Brantley can fill an outfield spot for years.

FARM REPORT

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 7, Indians 3: Columbus matched their winning score Tuesday night against Indianapolis at Huntington Park in International League play. Carlos Carrasco took the win for Columbus, pitching five innings giving up two earned runs on five hits. He did struggle with his command at times, walking five but striking out six. Clippers first baseman Jordan Brown had three hits and four RBI.

Notes: Going into Wednesday night's game, CF Michael Brantley (.310) was 15-for-37 (.405) in his last eight games, with three doubles, one home run, 10 runs and nine RBI. He was 3-for-3 in stolen bases his last three games, after stealing seven bases in 11 tries in his first 53 games at Columbus since being sent there by the Indians on April 21. Last season at Columbus, Brantley stole 46 bases in 51 attempts. ... 2B Luis Valbuena was 7-for-16 (.438) with a double and homer in four games since being sent to the Clippers by the Indians. ... 3B Jared Goedert was batting .326 (28-for-86) with seven doubles, 10 homers and 22 RBI in 22 games since being promoted from Akron.

AA Akron Aeros

Aeros 8, Flying Squirrels 6: Alex White allowed one earned run in 6.1 innings and Matt McBride belted a two-run homer as Akron built an 8-1 lead in the seventh inning and then held on for the Eastern League road win over Richmond, Va.

Notes: Going into Wednesday night's game, RH closer Bryce Stowell (1-0, six saves, 0.00) not only had not given up a run in his 21 1/3 innings with the Aeros, but he had not allowed any of the six runners he inherited to score. ... RH reliever Omar Aguilar (1-2, three saves, 4.34) had strabded 10 of the 11 runners he inherited. ... OF John Drennen (.299) was on an eight-game hitting streak, going 11-for-32 (.344) with a double, triple, six RBI and five runs. ... RHP Marty Popham was transferred back to Advanced A Kinston and RHP Shane Lindsay was placed on the active roster after clearing outright waivers. ... Popham pitched six innings for Akron Tuesday night, holding the Flying Squirrels to one run and striking out six. It was his lone appearance for the Aeros. 

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Pelicans 2, Indians 1: Myrtle Beach pitching limited Kinston to just two hits in Carolina League play at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Notes: Going into Wednesday night's game, LF Bo Greenwell was 7-for-17 (.412) with two doubles since being promoted from Lake County, where he hit .310. ... LH reliever Chris Jones was 1-1 with one save and an 0.91 ERA in 29 2/3 innings over 13 games. He had struck out 22, walked 10 and allowed 22 hits, none of them homers. Combined with his time at Lake County, Jones was 3-3 with two saves and a 1.74 ERA in 20 games spanning 51 2/3 innings. He had fanned 42, walked 12 and allowed 38 hits, including two homers.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 5, Loons 3 First baseman Jeremie Tice (.287) slugged his second home run of the game, a three-run blast, with none out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Captains (48-27) a walk-off win. The homer followed a leadoff walk to SS Casey Frawley (.275) and a single by catcher Chun Chen (.316). Tice, who usually plays 3B, leads the Midwest League with 51 RBI. His first homer followed a Chen single in the fifth inning.

Notes: RH starter Clayton Cook pitched six innings, allowing two runs and getting no decision after going 2-0 and pitching 16 scoreless innings in his three previous starts. ... RH reliever Preston Guilmet (1-1, six saves, 2.08) got the win, pitching a scoreless ninth inning. Guilmet has struck out 27 and walked two in 17 1/3 innings.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Muckdogs 3, Scrappers 0: Catcher Moises Montero had the only hit for Mahoning Valley in its New York-Penn League loss at Batavia, N.Y.

Notes: Going into Wednesday night's game, OF Jonathan Burnette (.304) was 11-for-30 (.367) in his last seven games, with four doubles, two homers, seven RBI and seven runs. ... OF Jordan Casas (.317) was 8-for-22 (.367) over five games, with three doubles, five runs and four RBI. ... The Scrappers return to Eastwood Field on Thursday night to open a three-game series against the Jamestown Jammers. The 7:05 game is packaged with the Scrappers' "LeBron James Stay in Cleveland Rally."

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Freedom 5, Crushers 4: Lake Erie out-hit Florence, 10-9, but took the loss on Keep LBJ in CLE night at Avon.

Notes: Going into Wednesday night's game, Crushers pitchers had not allowed a run in the last 20 1/3 innings. ... After pitching nine scoreless innings and getting no-decision in Tuesday night's 1-0, 11-inning win over Florence, RHP Josh Roberts is 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA -- second best in the Frontier League -- in 54 innings. ... RHP Matthew Smith (5-2) is sixth with a 2.41 ERA.

In the history of the league, there has never been such a moment, a 25-year-old two-time Most Valuable Player with such freedom and such choices of where to play.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerIt's not a particularly subtle message being offered by the Cavaliers in signs over Euclid Avenue on Wednesday afternoon as LeBron James' free agency begins at midnight Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With a coy smile on his face while sitting on a podium in a dank corner of Madison Square Garden in New York in November of 2008, LeBron James teased all NBA fans when he said "July 1, 2010, is going to be a big day."

The day is here.

James' 20-month-old forecast, thanks in large part to his own hedging in the time since, has proven to be quite true. For the first time since he entered the NBA in 2003, James is an unrestricted free agent. In the history of the league, there has never been such a moment, a 25-year-old two-time Most Valuable Player with such freedom and such choices of where to play.

Understandably this time has long been feared by Cavaliers fans and creates so many questions. The Plain Dealer is going to attempt to provide a few answers. Some are basic questions that have been asked many times before, and others are complex. Some have easy answers that favor the hometown Cavs, and some have hard answers that don't.

Q: How fast will James make the decision, could it be today?

A: Not likely. James has waited a long time for this moment and will likely give himself plenty of time to make a decision. He is expected to meet with teams over a two-day period and then consider his options. Also, the final salary cap numbers won't become official until next week and that could cause a delay. At some point, James will probably be under heavy pressure to make up his mind because much of the rest of the league will wait to see what he does before moving forward. But that will probably take at least 7-10 days.

Q: Can't the Cavs pay James more than any other team?

A: Yes. With the current rules, the Cavs can offer James about $30 million more over the next six years than any other team. However, if James chooses to take a shorter contract of 3-4 years, like he did in 2006, then the money difference is just a few million in that time. The biggest difference is the Cavs' ability to offer that sixth season guaranteed, which other teams cannot.

Q: Why wouldn't James take more guaranteed money and stay for sure?

A: Because he may want continued flexibility with his future. Often in the past decade top stars have been trapped in long contracts with bad teams and have had to force their way out with trades. James has tried to avoid that. It is possible, though, that he may want the longer contract this time because the league's owners are attempting to reduce the value and length of contracts when the union contract is up next year. James may want to get grandfathered into the current rules for as long as possible. If so, it favors the Cavs.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerWhile other NBA teams have room under the salary cap to add multiple big free agents, they had to lose -- and gut their rosters -- to accomplish it. Will that matter to LeBron James when he considers how the Cavaliers kept trying to improve the team around him?

Q: The New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat can sign James and another star free agent like Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. Why can't the Cavs as well?

A: With James on the roster, the Cavs are over the salary cap. Over the last two years they have made trades, specifically to acquire players such as Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison, and have re-signed others such as Anderson Varejao. They have done it to compete for titles. The Knicks, Bulls and Heat -- among other teams -- have done the opposite. They have traded good players and refused to sign free agents to clear that cap space while often struggling on the court.

Q: Shaquille O'Neal made $20 million last season and he's no longer on the Cavs books. Neither is Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who is also a free agent. So how do the Cavs not have salary cap room?

A: The NBA has what is called a "soft" salary cap, which means teams can go over it under certain conditions. In fact, nearly every team does. The Cavs did use these rules and went over the cap, way over in fact. So far over that even with losing all their free agents they are still over the cap. If James does not re-sign, then they would be under the cap but not as much as teams such as the Heat, Knicks and Bulls.

Q: So how can the Cavs hope to compete with these other teams if they can't sign another free agent with James?

A: There is the possibility of a sign-and-trade, in which one of the free agents would sign with their team and then be traded to the Cavs. This could happen if James first re-signs with the Cavs and attempts to recruit another free agent. That would create momentum for one of the other free agents to attempt to join the Cavs though such a sign-and-trade. The Cavs do have players that would be attractive to other teams in such a move, but those deals are complex. There is no guarantee that it would happen. James would be re-signing with some faith the Cavs could make it happen.

Q: So can the Cavs get Bosh this way?

A: Yes, it could happen. The Toronto Raptors, Bosh's current team, are known to like some of the pieces the Cavs have and a trade could be worked out that would deliver players plus salary cap relief to Toronto. If James re-signs, he will likely attempt to bring a player like Bosh to town.

Q: That is all the Cavs can offer, faith?

A: It may be easy to forget that the Cavs still have a very strong team. They won more regular-season games than any team over the last two years. With James on the roster they will again be a championship contender with options to improve through trade, and an owner in Dan Gilbert who is willing to spend. They have fallen short of the championship, but no team offering James a contract currently has a roster with as good of a resume as the Cavs have over the last several years.

Q: What about the reports that a team such as the Heat or Knicks could actually sign three top free agents? James, Wade and Bosh on a "superteam" in Miami?

A: It is possible, yes. But under the current salary rules and the cap space that the Heat have, it would require James and Bosh to perhaps leave $35 million or more on the table than they could make by signing elsewhere. If money weren't a factor and stars in their prime were willing to take way less than market value, then there would have been so-called "superteams" many times in the past. It has not happened before and would be unlikely to happen now. But it is possible.

Q: Couldn't James make all of that money up in endorsements in New York or Miami? Why wouldn't he just take less money to be with stars?

A: The amount of money James makes in endorsements is often overestimated. The market for athlete endorsements has been depressed over the last three or four years. James makes less money now in endorsements than he did as a rookie. But he still earns more than any other NBA player. His basketball salary is, by far, his largest revenue stream.

Q: Why hasn't James been more involved in helping the Cavs hire a coach? Is it because he's leaving?

A: When the season ended, James made the decision that he did not want to play a role in choosing the coach. For one, this perhaps would have put him under pressure to reveal a free-agent decision before it was time. Also, he did not want the stigma attached that he was in control of the hiring and firing of coaches. It does not mean he's leaving. He's met with the Cavs face-to-face several times since the end of the season and continues to be involved with the team.

Q: Why is James seeming to hold the Cavs hostage? Has this ever happened before?

A: Having a free agent of this level and so many teams with the salary cap space to sign him has never been seen before. But teams have had to sweat with great free agents in the past. After winning a title, Tim Duncan took recruiting visits to other cities as the San Antonio Spurs worried in 2000. Jason Kidd did the same thing with the Nets that year. In 2004, the Lakers were very nervous when Kobe Bryant met with the Bulls and Clippers as a free agent. All players re-signed with their teams because they could pay the most money.

Then there is the other side. The most well-known was in 1996 when O'Neal left the Orlando Magic to take a $100-million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, even though the Magic could have paid him more. So it can go both ways.

James' decision, though, will likely be one for the history books.

LeBron James enters free agency undecided on future, Cavs draw close to deal with Byron Scott and other Cavs free agent news

Scott Shaw/The Plain DealerLeBron James is officially a free agent.

On the first day of free agency only one thing was clear, LeBron James is now officially a free agent.

As was expected, James passed on his $17.1 million player option and became an unrestricted free agent at midnight on Thursday.

According to multiple sources, James entered free agency with an open mind and had made no final decisions on his future. It was exactly the way he said he'd enter the process 18 months ago and he's stuck to his plan. That process includes holding a series of meetings with suitors.

Those will start Thursday when the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks are expected to meet with James. The meetings are expected to last three days and include the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers. The Cavs are expected to be one of the last team to meet with James.

Scott update

(Note: Byron Scott has now accepted the Cavaliers' job)

After negotiating into the early morning hours, the Cavs made great progress in talks with Byron Scott on a contract to become the team's next head coach, sources said. All signs point to the Cavs finalizing the deal on Thursday.

The Cavs re-opened talks with Scott after a series of meetings Wednesday morning. After meeting with the team on Monday and Tuesday, Lakers assistant Brian Shaw the team did not formally offer him the job.

Cavs make free agent calls

While James is clearly their No. 1 priority, the Cavs have other missions in the free agency period that began on Thursday.

The team is expected to contact high-profile free agents Amare' Stoudemire, who they attempted to trade for in February, and Chris Bosh. Both options would require sign-and-trades and neither is likely unless James elects to re-sign with the team first.

According to sources, one of the team's other interests is Dallas Mavericks' center Brendan Haywood. The Cavs actually drafted Haywood in the first round nine years ago before trading him on draft night. With Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgausaks becoming free agents, the Cavs are looking at big men options.

Haywood averaged 9.1 points and 9.3 rebounds with the Wizards and Mavericks last season. A source said the Cavs may be interested in doing a double sign-and-trade by swapping Haywood for O'Neal. However, such a deal would be complex and hard to execute.

The Cavs are also believed to pursue in various shooting guards. Sources indicated the team planned to make contact with Ray Allen, Mike Miller and John Salmons. Allen, like Stoudemire and Bosh, would become more likely if James re-signs.

Miller has been a target of the team for the last several years and has a strong relationship with James. He's expected to draw a lot of interest from other teams as well. Salmons opted out of his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks but several reports have indicated he may re-sign with that team.

One other player the Cavs are expected to show interest in is Knicks free agent forward Al Harrington.

The Cavs currently don't have any salary-cap space but have their $5.5 million mid-level exception and a $1.9 million biannual exception they can use on free agents. However, it is most likely they'll wait on a decision from James before getting serious with any candidate.

Scott previously coached in New Jersey and New Orleans. The 49-year-old won three NBA titles as a player and took the Nets to two finals as a coach.

View full sizeAPByron Scott: Reported to have accepted the Cavs' offer as head coach.

Tom Withers, AP Sports Writer