If the Indians would trade a top prospect, they'd certainly want an accomplished player who is in his prime and ready to impact a pennant race.

Associated PressUbaldo Jimenez has struggled some this season, but is regarded as one of baseball's best young pitchers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians fans have some optimism for the team's future because of top prospects such as pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and second baseman Jason Kipnis.

The Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline is Sunday at 4 p.m.

Would the Indians, hoping to stay in the American League Central Division race, include one of their best prospects in a deal for Colorado Rockies' right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, in his prime at age 27 and considered one of the game's most gifted starting pitchers despite a 6-9 record with a 4.20 ERA this season? 

Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes writes that the Indians might not rule out a trade that would include one of their highly-touted youngsters, and he names some veterans the Tribe might have an interest in. That information is included in Hoynes' reporting of the Indians' trade on Thursday for veteran outfielder Kosuke Fukudome.

And, Jayson Stark writes for ESPN.com that it's not impossible that the Indians would make a blockbuster trade for a player such as Jimenez:

But even if the Reds and Yankees back off, the Rockies still have several potential trade partners out there -- particularly the Red Sox and Indians. Teams that have spoken with Boston seem certain they WILL add at least one starter by the deadline. And an executive of a club that has been in touch with Cleveland says the Indians are sending signals that their list of "untouchables" in lesser deals wouldn't apply for someone like Jimenez.

That could mean names such as Alex White and Drew Pomeranz would be in play for a pitcher whose talent and contract fit perfectly into the Indians' blueprint. And if that's the case, the Rockies could have the makings of a deal. If not, Colorado continues to tell clubs it's fine with keeping Jimenez if it doesn't get its price.

The Indians, of course, did make a trade on Thursday, sending Class AAA Columbus relief pitcher Carlton Smith and Advanced A Kinston outfielder Abner Abreu to the Chicago Cubs for Fukudome.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Indians coverage includes -- besides Hoynes' story -- Terry Pluto's thoughts on the trade for Fukudome; a Starting Blocks fans poll on the trade; Bill Lubinger's video inteviews of former Indians stars such as Andre Thornton, Carlos Baerga, Sam McDowell, Mudcat Grant and Max Alvis; and, much more.

The Indians (52-50), 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Detroit Tigers in the Central Division, play the Kansas City Royals (44-61) tonight at Progressive Field. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (8-8, 4.25) will start for the Tribe while KC sends left-hander Jeff Francis (3-11, 4.65) to the mound.

Around the horn

An Indians-Royals game preview by Brett Huston for STATS and the Associated Press.

A game preview and notes by Joey Nowak for MLB.com.

High-profile Indians rookies in a pennant race, by Jordan Bastian for MLB.com.

The trade for Kosuke Fukudome, by Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jim Ingraham writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal that the "Fukudome trade might be too little, too late."

An Indians-Cubs trade story by Chris Assenheimer for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette.

A Baltimore Sun story includes mention that the Indians might be interested in Orioles starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, a former Indians first-round draft pick.

An Indians Prospect Insider report on what's going on with the Indians' Arizona League and Dominican Summer League teams.

Newly acquired Kosuke Fukudome will start in right field and bat sixth for Indians manager Manny Acta on Friday night against Royals.

New Indian outfielder Kosuke Fukudome takes batting practice before a game between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals on Friday, July 29, 2011.(Thomas Ondrey/The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Until further notice, Kosuke Fukudome will be the Indians' regular right fielder and bat sixth in manager Manny Acta's lineup.

 The Indians acquired Fukudome, a left-handed batter, from the Cubs on Thursday for minor leaguers Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith.

 "He makes us better -- immediately,'' Acta said. "We're getting an every-day player who is a veteran presence. He's not coming here to platoon for right now. He's going to play right field and we'll go from there.''

 Acta did allow for scheduled off-days for Fukudome, or times where "we feel we have a better matchup with a right-handed bat.''

 "He's here to play,'' Acta said.

 Fukudome, 34, entered Friday night's game against the Royals hitting .273 with three homers, 13 RBI and 33 runs in 87 games. He owned a .374 on-base percentage.

 Fukudome had 265 of his 293 official at-bats with the Cubs out of the leadoff spot.

 "Where he can help us most is in the six-hole,'' Acta said. "I thought very hard about it, and I need a guy right behind those guys in the middle who can be a professional at-bat. This guy can do it against left-handers and right-handers.''

 Fukudome's low RBI total has not resulted from failure to deliver in the clutch, just limited opportunities. He hit .311 (14-for-45) with RISP for the Cubs this season.

 "This guy was leading off in the National League,'' Acta said. "First of all, the first at-bat comes with nobody on base. After that, you're following the pitcher.

 "I've seen him enough. He's a professional hitter, and that's all I want. From the middle to bottom of our lineup, we have a lot of inexperienced kids, and I need somebody like him in there now.''

 Acta said he has leadoff covered with Michael Brantley and, if need be, Ezequiel Carrera.

 Fukudome, through interpreter Hiro Aoyama, said he has no problem batting sixth.

  "It doesn't matter whether I hit leadoff or sixth,'' he said. "I just need to do the job.''

 Fukudome played nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Central League before joining the Cubs in 2008. He is in the final year of a four-year, $48 million contract that included a limited no-trade clause. The Indians were one of the teams on his no-trade list, but he changed his mind.

 "Cleveland is the first team that had interest in me,'' Fukudome said. "The Indians are competing for first place, so this is something I really wanted to do. It's definitely a great motivation for me to be good.''

 Fukudome, who gained 13 games in the standings, said he did not receive any cash for waiving the no-trade.

 Acta met with Fukudome and Aoyama earlier Friday.

 "I welcomed him and thanked him for coming over here, because he had a choice,'' Acta said. "He waived his no-trade clause to come over here.

 "I wanted to let him know that I'm not expecting him to carry this team on his shoulders. Just be Kosuke and give me quality at-bats out of the six-hole. He was very good about it. He said, 'Don't worry about me. I don't care where I hit. If I have a question, I'll come to you. If you have a question, you'll come to me. Let's do what's right.'''

 Acta is not concerned about Fukudome making the transition to a new league.

 "We all like to be comfortable and know the people we're facing,'' Acta said. "But this is baseball. It's 60 feet, 6 inches, and 90 feet. He'll be OK.''

 Fukudome, asked about the transition, said: "I won't know until I play.''

 Fukudome entered Friday as a .262 hitter in 513 major-league games. He owned a .369 on-base percentage and .403 slugging percentage.

 Big-league Choo: Shin-Soo Choo, the Indians' regular right fielder, hit about 40 balls off the tee and threw briefly in the outfield Friday afternoon.

 Choo has been on the disabled list since June 25 because of a broken left thumb.

 "He's doing very well,'' Acta said. "If things continue to progress this way, we might be looking at him to take batting practice in a week to 10 days.''

 Choo has said he hopes to be back by mid-August. Once Choo returns, Fukudome presumably would slide to center, where he has experience.

 "We'll cross that bridge when we get there,'' Acta said.

 Lineups:

 Royals -- 1. Gordon lf; 2. M. Cabrera; 3. Butler dh; 4. Hosmer 1b; 5. Francoeur rf; 6. Moustakas 3b; 7. Pena c; 8. Getz 2b; 9. Escobar ss; and Francis lhp.

 Indians -- 1. Brantley cf; 2. A.Cabrera ss; 3. Hafner dh; 4. Santana 1b; 5. O.Cabrera 2b; 6. Fukudome rf; 7. Kearns lf; 8. Hannahan 3b; 9. Marson c; and Carrasco rhp.

The Indians trail Kansas City, 3-0, after three inning.

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians have given up three quick runs, including two homers, to cellar-dwelling Kansas City and trail the Royals, 3-0, after three innings.

Big Bang: The young bats for the Kansas City Royals came alive in the first inning as DH Billy Butler hit a home run in his fourth straight game to give KC a 2-0 lead. His 11th homer of the season followed a single from outfielder Melky Cabrera. Butler's blast was followed by a double from rookie Eric Hosmer.

Blank One: The Indians failed to get a hit off KC's lefty starter Jeff Francis in the first inning. Francis entered the game having allowed the second-most hits of any starting pitcher in the league, 150.

Blast II: The Royals get another dinger in the second inning off the bat of outfielder Alex Gordon to give KC a 3-0 lead. In short order three of the four first-round MLB draft picks on the Royals -- Gordon (2005), Butler (2004) and Hosmer (2008) -- had three of KC's four hits and had driven in all three runs.

Debut: Kosuke Fukudome's first plate appearance for the Indians came with one on in the second inning and ended with a strikeout. Cleveland would strand one.

Round three: The Indians got the Royals off the field with no damage in the top of the third.

Nibble-nibble: The Indians got their second hit of the game, a slicing double to left from Michael Brantley, with two outs in the third inning. But he was stranded by Travis Hafner, leaving the Indians down, 3-0, after three innings.

Will the NFL, after banning two-a-day workouts in training camp, try to extend the season to 18 games in the near future? Money talks and in this case endorses a really bad idea.

In peril over the years from alarmists, two-a-day workouts were the place where NFL coaches in the past felt they had to draw a line in the sand. Or, in this torrid summer anyway, in the brown and withered grass.

Without two-a-days, a manly game became soft and dissolute. New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott said of one-a-days, which sound like vitamins, not feared drills, "I get concerned you're making football players weaker because you don't push them past that [pain] threshold."

Two-a-days had been a male-bonding ritual since before the days of leather helmets. But they are banned under the new NFL collective bargaining agreement. Next thing you know, the he-men will be playing golf after workouts, like baseball players.

There is a chance the halving of two-a-days, the reduction of contact in practice and the loss of organized team activities (OTAs) because of the lockout are not going to mean less punishment and time on the field in the long run. They could lead to more full-speed hitting. Two games more.

It was a suspicion all along, as soon as rumors surfaced that two-a-days would be sacrificed in the new CBA. The owners had wanted an 18-game regular season at the start of the late, unlamented lockout because of fan unhappiness with four full-priced exhibition games. The players balked. Exhibition games are cameo appearances for proven vets. They provide easy money for owners. Much of the play is not exactly at a pitched level because coaches want to spare injuries and evaluate talent. Only rookies and vets in danger of not making the team have much at stake.

Still, owners such as Dallas' Jerry Jones don't commonly make altruistic, caring gestures like cutting out two-a-days without expecting something in return -- more revenue, mainly. Three years, four max, the cynic in me said, and the owners would be back, demanding 18 regular-season games again.

Lo and behold, before the CBA had even been signed, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that the league could unilaterally cut the preseason schedule from four games to two in 2013 or any subsequent year of the 10-year agreement. The players would have the option to either play 16 regular-season games and two preseason games, or increase the regular season to 18 games per team. Players would lose money if they stayed at 16 plus two, because they receive only nominal pay for exhibition games.

So in 2013, the push will begin again to extend the season. It would be a big mistake.

It would invite a spike in injuries. The players already take the field at the end of the season so battered that a fife and drum should accompany them. Teams are running out of players by the end of even a 16-game grind. So rosters would need to be expanded.

Eighteen games that count would refute the image of the NFL as a league determined to increase workplace safety. Suspensions beginning this season for vicious hits, a better-late-than-never awareness of the dangers of concussions, new kickoff rules designed to reduce the number of such full-speed collisions -- all these steps would be offset by a two-game increase in the player workload.

It would alter the record book, not by brilliance, but by the sheer cumulative weight of more games. One of the great records, Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick "Night Train" Lane's 14 interceptions in a 12-game season in 1952, might finally fall in a schedule half-again as long.

There are plenty of meaningless games at the end of the season with 16 games. With 18, there might be two weeks of top teams resting players, when games are often decided by which team barely cares.

Look what expansion of the NCAA men's basketball schedule to 35 or more games and of the NCAA Tournament field to 68 teams has done to the integrity of the regular season. For many teams, the regular season is only a long dress rehearsal for the Big Dance.

Only college football still has a season in which, to play for the top prize, every single game is important.

"We play enough games. You have a system that works. Why add them? I would rather not have the money," said Steelers chairman emeritus Dan Rooney.

Exactly. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing.

Clubhouse confidential: Shin-Soo Choo, the Indians' regular right fielder, hit about 40 balls off the tee and threw briefly in the outfield Friday afternoon.

Clubhouse confidential: Shin-Soo Choo, the Indians' regular right fielder, hit about 40 balls off the tee and threw briefly in the outfield Friday afternoon.

Choo has been on the disabled list since June 25 because of a broken left thumb.

"It's still uncomfortable, still a little stiff, but that's normal," Choo said. "We're only at one month. Overall, I feel good. I'll keep pushing it, but I'm not going to do anything stupid."

Choo will take today off, then graduate to soft-toss hitting Sunday.

"He's doing very well," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "If things continue to progress this way, we might be looking at him to take batting practice in a week to 10 days."

Choo has said he hopes to be back by mid-August. Once Choo returns, newly acquired Kosuke Fukudome presumably would slide to center, where he has experience.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Acta said.

DH news: The Indians-White Sox postponed game from July 23 will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Sept. 20 at Progressive Field.

The rescheduled game will begin at 1:05 p.m., the regularly scheduled game at 7:05.

Fans with tickets from July 23 can use them for the Sept. 20 makeup or exchange them before the makeup date for any game during the remainder of the regular season, subject to availability.

Stat of the day: The Indians have not thrown a no-hitter since Lenny Barker's perfect game in 1981 -- third-longest no-hit drought in the majors (Mets since 1962, Padres since 1969). Neither the Padres nor Mets franchise has a no-hitter.

-- Dennis Manoloff

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha joins Eagles. Sidney Rice, Jason Babin and others already changed teams, while Charles Johnson, Eric Weddle and others stay put. Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb among those traded. Big names remain available.

Associated PressNnamdi Asomugha (21), perennial Pro Bowl cornerback, has left the Oakland Raiders to join a Super Bowl contender, the Philadelphia Eagles.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NFL veteran free agent wheels are turning, as teams move at a frantic pace to configure their rosters in the aftermath of the lockout.

Numerous high-profile players have agreed to sign with new teams, or to stay with the teams they played for in 2010.

And, some significant trades have been made.

The primary moves involving the Cleveland Browns so far (all Browns transactions link to The Plain Dealer stories) include their release of quarterback Jake Delhomme; their agreement to contract terms with running back Brandon Jackson, formerly of the Green Bay Packers; their agreement to a contract with free safety Usama Young, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, and the signing of some of their top draft picks; the signing of their own unrestricted free agent, defensive end Jayme Mitchell, and of all their draft picks except first-rounder Phil Taylor; the departure of free agent cornerback Eric Wright to the Detroit Lions. 

Here, we break down by position some of the most high-profile unrestricted free agents who have decided to either stay with the team they played with in 2010, or have moved on to a new team. Further down the page, we list some of the most significant trades made since the NFL returned to business from the lockout earlier this week.

Quarterback

The Tennessee Titans have made the right move in landing former Seattle Seahawk Matt Hasselbeck, writes Paul Kuharsky for ESPN.com.

Alex Smith is staying with the San Francisco 49ers, Michael David Smith reports for ProFootballTalk.com.

Tarvaris Jackson leaves the Minnesota Vikings to join the Seattle Seahawks, Joel Thorman reports for SBNation.com.

Running back

DeAngelo Williams gets some big money to stay with the Carolina Panthers, Vinnie Iyer writes for SportingNews.com.

Wide receiver

The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to terms with Sidney Rice, who is leaving the Minnesota Vikings, reports Doug Farrar for Yahoo! Sports.

Santonio Holmes is staying with the New York Jets, which might impact the future of current Jets and former Browns wideout Braylon Edwards, who is also a free agent. ProFootballTalk.com reports the story.

Steve Breaston is moving from the Arizona Cardinals to the Kansas City Chiefs, reports Adam Teicher for the Kansas City Star.

Santana Moss is staying with the Washington Redskins, Rich Campbell writes for the Washington Times.

Jacoby Jones remains with the Houston Texans, Daniel Charles writes for SB Nation Houston.

Lance Moore has tweeted that he's going to stay with the New Orleans Saints, reports Mike Triplett for The Times-Picayune in New Orleans.

Offensive line

Iron man center Casey Wiegmann is staying with the Kansas City Chiefs, writes Adam Teicher for the Kansas City Star. 

Doug Free is staying with the Dallas Cowboys. A note in the report by Bob Sturm of the Dallas Morning News refers to Free as the third best left tackle in the NFL -- with the Browns star LT, Joe Thomas, not among them.

Tackle Jermon Bushrod is staying with the New Orelans Saints. An Associated Press report on Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

The Baltimore Ravens will keep their valuable guard-tackle, Marshal Yanda. A baltimoreravens.com report.

Guard-tackle Robert Gallery will leave the Oakland Raiders for the Seattle Seahawks. A report from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Defensive line

End Ray Edwards has left the Minnesota Vikings for the Atlanta Falcons, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Carolina Panthers have decided to give end Charles Johnson a six-year/$72 million contract to stay with them. An Associated Press report on ESPN.com details the decision.

The Philadelphia Eagles land a pass-rushing end, Jason Babin, who leaves the Tennessee Titans. On SportingNews.com.

Tackle Barry Cofield, from Cleveland Heights High School, is getting a big contract to leave the New York Giants for the Washington Redskins, writes Dan Graziano for ESPN.com.

Tackle Brandon Mebane is staying in Seattle with the Seahawks, reports ESPN.com.

Linebacker

The Jacksonville Jaguars are improving their defense with Paul Posluszny, who is leaving the Buffalo Bills, writes Paul Kuharsky for ESPN.com.

Thomas Davis, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, stays with the Carolina Panthers, reports Pat Yasinskas for ESPN.com. 

Takeo Spikes moves from the San Francisco 49ers to the San Diego Chargers, Kevin Lynch writes for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Cornerback

Nnamdi Asomugha, considered by some analysts as the most valuable player among unrestricted free agents, has left the Oakland Raiders and agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, writes Jeff McLane for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Ike Taylor will remain a Pittsburgh Steeler, according to sources, writes Scott Brown for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The Washington Redskins have agreed to terms with Josh Wilson, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, writes Mike Jones for the Washington Post.

Johnathan Joseph has left the Cincinnati Bengals to join the Houston Texans, ESPN.com reports.

Safety

A tweet from his management team says that Eric Weddle is staying with the San Diego Chargers, who, according to the tweet, are making Weddle the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

Dawan Landry will play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, leaving the Baltimore Ravens, reports Paul Kuharsky for ESPN.com.

Melvin Bullitt is staying with the Indianapolis Colts, reports Mike Chappell for the Indianapolis Star.

Quintin Mikell, after eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, is joining the St. Louis Rams, writes Jim Thomas for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Place-kicker

The Minnesota Vikings are keeping veteran Ryan Longwell, reports AP and inforum.com.

Adam Vinatieri, one of the greatest clutch place-kickers of all-time, will remain with the Indianapolis Colts, reports Mike Chappell for the Indianapolis Star.

Olindo Mare is leaving the Seattle Seahawks for the Carolina Panthers, Vinnie Iyer writes for SportingNews.com.

Mason Crosby is staying with the Green Bay Packers, writes Tom Silverstein for the Journal Sentinel in Milwaukee.

NOTABLE TRADES

A deal has been finalized for the Washington Redskins to send quarterback Donovan NcNabb to the Minnesota Vikings, reports ESPN.com.

Quarterback Kevin Kolb has been traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Arizona Cardinals, writes Kent Somers for the Arizona Republic.

Running back Reggie Bush is traded from the New Orleans Saints to the Miami Dolphins, reports ESPN.com.

The Cincinnati Bengals have traded wide receiver Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots, reports John Clayton for ESPN.com.

The Chicago Bears have traded tight end Greg Olsen to the Carolina Panthers, Brad Biggs reports for the chicago Tribune. 

The rocky relationship between defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth and the Redskins is over, as Washington trades him to the New England Patriots, writes Rick Maese for the Washington Post.

It was a Sunday doubleheader against the Angels, 1966. I was sitting in the field box seats alone; my brothers had gone for hot dogs.

Fill-in bat boy got angry dose of Piersall

This spring, we asked readers to tell us their best memory at an Indians game. More than 600 of you responded. The five finalists and winner were featured during the week leading up to Opening Day. All season long, The Plain Dealer will publish other fan memories -- one each day the Indians are scheduled to play. Here is today's essay by John Smrdel of Cleveland:

It was a Sunday doubleheader against the Angels, 1966. I was sitting in the field box seats alone; my brothers had gone for hot dogs.

The bat boy came over and asked if I would like to be a ball boy for the day. The regular ball boy was sick. I said, sure.

He instructed me on how to get to the clubhouse, where they dressed me in a uniform with Sam McDowell's cleats and Fred Whitfield's hat.

I walked back to the field the way I came in, through the stands instead of the runway. The guys got a lot of laughs.

We worked hard before and after the game with the bats, pine tar rags and other gear. During the game, I was stationed down the right-field line. I was watching a high pop-up when Jimmy Piersall, playing for the Angels, yells at me to move the chair. He missed the ball and continued to cuss me out.

Between games, we ate sandwiches and, after the game, we had a towel fight in the locker room with Whitfield and the bat and ball boys.

My brothers were jealous. I wasn't even supposed to go to the game, but I decided to go at the last minute. If I win [this contest], I'll give them the [autographed] ball and take them to the game.

Until further notice, Kosuke Fukudome will be the Indians' regular right fielder and bat sixth in manager Manny Acta's lineup.

By Dennis Manoloff Plain Dealer Reporter

TONY DEJAK.ASSOCIATED PRESSKosuke Fukodome strikes out against Kansas City Friday night at Progressive Field. Tribe manager Manny Acta says he likes the newest Indian hitting sixth, and playing in right field.

Until further notice, Kosuke Fukudome will be the Indians' regular right fielder and bat sixth in manager Manny Acta's lineup.

The Indians acquired Fukudome, a left-handed batter, from the Cubs on Thursday for minor leaguers Abner Abreu and Carlton Smith.

"He makes us better --immediately," Acta said. "We're getting an every-day player who is a veteran presence. He's not coming here to platoon for right now. He's going to play right field and we'll go from there."

Acta did allow for scheduled off-days for Fukudome, or times where "we feel we have a better matchup with a right-handed bat."

"He's here to play," Acta said.

Fukudome, 34, entered Friday night's game against the Royals hitting .273 with three homers, 13 RBI and 33 runs in 87 games. He owned a .374 on-base percentage.

Of Fukudome's 293 official at-bats, 265 came out of the leadoff spot.

"Where he can help us most is in the six-hole," Acta said. "I thought very hard about it, and I need a guy right behind those guys in the middle who can be a professional at-bat. This guy can do it against left-handers and right-handers."

Fukudome's low RBI total has not resulted from failure to deliver in the clutch, just limited opportunities. He hit .311 (14-for-45) with RISP for the Cubs this season.

"This guy was leading off in the National League," Acta said. "First of all, the first at-bat comes with nobody on base. After that, you're following the pitcher.

"I've seen him enough. He's a professional hitter, and that's all I want. From the middle to bottom of our lineup, we have a lot of inexperienced kids, and I need somebody like him in there now."

Acta said he has leadoff covered with Michael Brantley and, if need be, Ezequiel Carrera.

Fukudome, through interpreter Hiro Aoyama, said he has no problem batting sixth.

"It doesn't matter whether I hit leadoff or sixth," he said. "I just need to do the job."

Fukudome played nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Central League before joining the Cubs in 2008. He is in the final year of a four-year, $48 million contract that included a limited no-trade clause. The Indians were one of the teams on his no-trade list, but he changed his mind.

"Cleveland is the first team that had interest in me," Fukudome said. "The Indians are competing for first place, so this is something I really wanted to do. It's definitely a great motivation for me to be good."

Fukudome, who gained 13 games in the standings, said he did not receive any cash for waiving the no-trade.

Acta met with Fukudome and Aoyama earlier Friday.

"I welcomed him and thanked him for coming over here, because he had a choice," Acta said. "He waived his no-trade clause to come over here.

"I wanted to let him know that I'm not expecting him to carry this team on his shoulders. Just be Kosuke and give me quality at-bats out of the six-hole. He was very good about it. He said, 'Don't worry about me. I don't care where I hit. If I have a question, I'll come to you. If you have a question, you'll come to me. Let's do what's right.'"

Acta is not concerned about Fukudome making the transition to a new league.

"We all like to be comfortable and know the people we're facing," Acta said. "But this is baseball. It's 60 feet, 6 inches, and 90 feet. He'll be OK."

Fukudome, asked about the transition, said: "I won't know until I play."

Fukudome entered Friday as a .262 hitter in 513 major-league games. He owned a .369 on-base percentage and .403 slugging percentage.

Finally: Right-hander Alex White, on the disabled list since May 21 because of a sprained right middle finger, will make a rehab appearance tonight with Class AA Akron.

When White returns to the Indians this season, it will be as a reliever.

Indians trail Kansas City, 8-0, after six innings.

CLEVELAND -- A big fourth inning featuring Melky Cabrera's second career grand slam catapulted the Kansas City Royals to an 8-0 lead after six innings.

Big Bang II: The Royals really got it going in the top of the fourth as singles by Brayan Pena and Chris Getz and an intentional walk to Alex Gordon was followed by a grand slam to right field from KC's Melky Cabrera for a 7-0 lead. Cabrera has two career grand slams, both against the Indians. One pitch later, Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco was ejected for throwing at the head of KC's Billy Butler. Carrasco (9-8) left after giving up seven runs on seven hits, including three home runs, in 31/3 innings.

Nibble-nibble II: The Indians got a one-out double from Carlos Santana in the bottom of the fourth inning but again the runner was stranded as KC's Jeff Francis got Orlando Cabrera to strike out and Kosuke Fukudome to ground out to end the inning.

Bang-bloop: The Royals kept the hits coming as Jeff Francoeur led off the fifth with a double against Chad Durbin. But after getting two outs, Durbin gave up a walk to Chris Getz, then shortstop Alcides Escobar flared a single into center to score Francoeur for an 8-0 KC lead before Durbin got the final out of the inning.

Quick worker: KC's Francis continued to belie his numbers (3-11, 4.65 ERA) as he breezed through the fifth inning against the Indians with a three-hitter on 73 pitches thrown.

One and done: Asdrubal Cabrera gets a one-out single to right in the sixth for the Indians' fourth hit of the game. But Travis Hafner hits into a 4-6-3 double play. Royals on top, 8-0.

What is the Big Ten about this season? An old coach and a new game.

Chicago -- The weathered face of the Big Ten will tell you that a lot of people don't know what the heck they're talking about.

"There are too many people involved, critiquing what you're doing," 84-year-old Penn State coach Joe Paterno said Friday. "You've got guys on television who are up there talking and they're supposed to be experts -- one of them, and I won't mention names, was one of the lousiest high school students I ever saw. I don't know how he got through college.

"Thank God I got the remote. At least I don't have to get up and change it."

That is the face of the Big Ten these days, more spry than he was at these same Big Ten meetings a year ago, but also without much competition in the spotlight. Paterno is 401-135-3 at Penn State, while the 11 other conference coaches are 272-196 at their current schools.

Five weeks from its opening weekend, the Big Ten, wide open and uncertain in its first season with 12 teams, is known for a legend and for Leaders vs. Legends, as we'll explain. Unless you think, among the 12 candidates for face of the league, there's a candidate better than Paterno:

Like Tom Osborne, the Nebraska athletic director who is 10 years Paterno's junior, but alas, no longer on the sidelines.

"I got to sit on a bus yesterday next to Tom Osborne," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said, "and I was as giddy as a little kid. I was glad it was a half-hour bus ride. I was in hog heaven."

Bielema, considered the Big Ten's best coach in a Plain Dealer preseason poll, sees the arrival of Nebraska and the changing of the guard at Ohio State and Michigan as the conference talking points -- oh, and "I think the Badgers are getting a little talked about. Anytime that happens, it's a good thing."

And Osborne is a good nominee. But if you're going to sic Big Ten paparazzi on an administrator, it would probably be commish Jim Delany, who isn't afraid to whack opposing conferences or his own coaches while shaping the future of college sports. Send an email when your son or daughter wants you to buy them a Delany jersey.

Nebraska, the conference favorite in the Plain Dealer's preseason poll, will be led by defensive lineman Jared Crick, who probably couldn't be identified by most fans in Ohio and himself couldn't or wouldn't name another Big Ten player he admires. Neither was he impressed with the naming of the league's newest rivalry, with the Heroes Game, it was announced Friday, between Nebraska and Iowa.

"We couldn't care less about a trophy," Crick said. "Just a win would be sufficient enough."

Actually, that is a rather Big Ten approach.

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, like Crick one of the Plain Dealer poll's preseason players of the year, wouldn't drop other names either. Maybe that's because the junior is learning a new offense after he was the first-half Heisman favorite in the Rich Rodriguez spread in 2010. Can he do the same under Brady Hoke?

"I think so, but we'll see," Robinson said. "I can't say I can, I can't say I can't."

Hoke, as we know, can't say Ohio State, only Ohio. He also won't say Michigan is rebuilding.

"I mean, we're Michigan," Hoke said.

But Mike Mauti is talking about Northwestern. The Penn State linebacker named two faces of the conference -- his old coach ("Joe, you can't forget that face,") and the Wildcats' young boss.

"I've got a total man crush on Pat Fitzgerald," Mauti said. "He's awesome. I love that dude. I would love to play for him."

Fitzgerald didn't return the crush, listing Paterno, Robinson and his own QB, Dan Persa, as the men who represent the Big Ten.

Returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon, Persa promised he'd be ready to go -- "Maybe I can't jump as high on my right leg as I can on my left," -- then picked Paterno, Robinson and Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, because Cousins returns as the leader of a co-champ.

Except Cousins, who wowed the crowd and received a standing ovation for his speech at Friday's Big Ten luncheon, doesn't think anyone remembers his school's share of the 2010 title. He took issue with a preseason magazine question mark.

"On the front cover, it said, 'Title time for Spartans?,'" Cousins said. "And I wanted to say, last year was title time for the Spartans. There's no question mark. We won the title. Now it's 'Repeat time?' It feels like the title was a little bit overlooked last year, like it's been forgotten."

Better than vacated, as happened to Ohio State, which comes back trying to win the a seventh title on the field with a center as its best player.

That All-American candidate, Mike Brewster, offered the best nominee for a Big Ten face -- a what, not a who.

The Big Ten championship game on Dec. 3 in Indianapolis.

"It'll be awesome to be part of that, because we never had that before," Brewster said. "[Championship games] look fun. They're packed, they seem pretty exciting, it seems like an extra bowl."

It's a game like that, Legends vs. Leaders, with the Legends Division winning a Friday coin flip to serve as the home team, that can turn a player or a coach into a face.

It happened to Paterno in 1968, as he told the story of a risky fourth-down call that didn't work out in his first bowl game in his second season. A Gator Bowl lead over Florida State eventually vanished and led to a 17-17 tie, and the controversial fourth-down decision still gnaws at Paterno. On the flight home, a player approached the second-year coach, as Paterno spun the tale Friday.

"He said to me, 'There's some good to this. Before the game, everyone was saying, 'Who the hell is coaching Penn State?' Now they know."

They still do.

Olin Browne shoots a second-round 2-under-par 69 and maintains his share of the lead with a 36-hole total of 9-under 133. Mark O'Meara trails by one stroke.

View full sizeCarlos Osorio, Associated PressMark O'Meara signals after hitting his drive on the fourth hole during the second round of the U.S. Senior Open at the Inverness Club in Toledo.

TOLEDO, Ohio — The leaderboard at the 32nd annual U.S. Senior Open was a veritable who's who of professional golf.

After a second round Friday that started almost three hours late because of a heavy rain and was suspended by darkness just short of 9 p.m., it was a mixed bag of unknowns, semi-knowns and some well-knowns in the world of professional golf.

The rain left the Inverness Club longer but softer, sort of a trade-off for the 50-and-over set. While the soft conditions of the fairways made the course play longer, the soft greens enabled the players to go right at the pins, a requisite on a course with small putting surfaces.

Olin Browne, seeking his first victory on the Senior Tour after three wins in 17 seasons on the PGA Tour, continued his sparkling season which began with five consecutive top-10 finishes.

Browne, 52, shot a second-round 2-under-par 69 and maintained his share of the lead with a 36-hole total of 9-under 133. His total tied the record for the lowest 36-hole score in the history of the event, equaling those turned in by seven others, starting with Dave Stockton in 1992.

"The course held up great," said Browne, who has shaved more than three strokes off his scoring average of 69.88 in his two previous Open appearances. "Even though the fairways were softer, they didn't hold a lot of water. The greens were quite soft. I didn't play as well as I did [on Thursday] but I was able to shake it in under par and that's a good thing."

With 21 players needing to return today to finish their second rounds, there were 21 players within six shots of Browne. That includes Mark O'Meara, winner of 16 PGA Tour events, including the 1998 British Open and Masters and a close friend of Tiger Woods. O'Meara shot a second-round 68 to trail Browne by one stroke.

"Eight under after two rounds on this golf course is good," O'Meara said. "Obviously, the fairways were softer and the ball wasn't rolling as much. ... There are a lot of good players on that leaderboard and we'll see how it goes over the weekend."

That list includes former British Open champ Mark Calcavecchia, former Senior PGA champ Michael Allen and former Ohio State star Joey Sindelar. That trio was tied at 135. Calcavecchia did not have any bogeys en route to a 4-under 67.

"I made a lot of great saves," Calcavecchia said. "My short game completely saved me."

Depending on your level of attention to golf, the next group includes some guys you might not have heard of. That would include Pete Senior at 136, former U.S. Open champ Corey Pavin, Kiyoshi Murota and Trevor Dodds, all at 137, and Mark Wiebe, Damon Green and Jeff Roth at 138.

Browne got three of his five birdies on the easier front nine, with two of them coming on putts of 18 and 12 feet.

Allen, who has not won since his triumph at Canterbury in Cleveland in 2009, had a consistent, albeit whacky, back nine with three birdies, three bogeys and three pars.

"The course played nicely," he said. "It's certainly soft again. You could hit all your shots pretty much to the pin. Playing in the afternoon, the greens were a little beat up."

O'Meara got into contention highlighted by a birdie on the 476-yard 16th, regarded as one of the toughest on the course.

After a good drive, he got to within 14 feet with a 5-iron and made the putt.

"That is a very tough, demanding hole," said O'Meara, who started on the a back side. "That kind of got me going."

The Lake County Captains and Mahoning Valley Scrappers manage to get victories.

Chiefs 3, Clippers 0 Four Syracuse (N.Y.) pitchers held Columbus to five hits and the visiting Clippers lost the International League game.

Joe Martinez (6-5, 4.17) started and threw 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander gave up three earned runs on 12 hits. He walked none and fanned two. RH Chen Lee (0.52) finished the game with 2 innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

CF Tim Fedroff (.280) had two hits for the Clippers.

AA Akron Aeros

SeaWolves 1, Aeros 0 LH Matt Packer (4-10, 4.53) allowed an unearned run in 8 innings and look the loss as Erie (Pa.) shut out the Aeros at Canal Park.

Packer allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out six.

Aeros C Matt McBride (.297) had two hits, including his 24th double of the season.

Advanced A

Kinston Indians

Blue Rocks 4, Indians 0 Kinston had two singles and two errors and lost the Carolina League game in Wilmington, Del.

LH Mike Rayl (0-1, 5.40) took the loss in his first start for Kinston since being promoted from Class A Lake County, where he was 5-5 with a 2.83 ERA.

Rayl pitched five innings Friday, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk. He struck out four and gave up one home run, a three-run shot in the first inning.

DH Jesus Aguilar (.333), also a recent call-up from Lake County, and RF Tyler Cannon (.253) had the K-Tribe's hits.

Aguilar batted .292 with 19 homers and 69 RBI this season for the Captains.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 9, Hot Rods 7 SS Ronny Rodriguez (.246) was a homer shy of hitting for the cycle and drove in two runs to help Lake County win the Midwest League game over visiting Bowling Green (Ky.)

C Moises Montero (.151) had two RBI and CF Luigi Rodriguez (.500) had two doubles and two RBI in his Captains debut.

RH Michael Goodnight (4.50) started and gave up five runs (all earned) on seven hits, including two home runs.

Dale Dickerson (2-1, 2.02) relieved Goodnight and got the win. The right-hander allowed one unearned run in two innings.

A Mahoning Vy. Scrappers

Scrappers 8, Spinners 4 St. Ed grad Alex Lavisky (.205) had two hits, including a double, and 1B Jerrud Sabourin (.184) drove in two runs as Mahoning Valley beat Lowell (Mass.) in a New York-Penn League in Niles, Ohio.

Independent

Lake Erie Crushers

Jammers 4, Crushers 1 Joliet (Ill.) completed a three-game sweep of Lake Erie in Avon.

Hanzel makes his bid to make the cut by shooting 1-under 70 on Friday, but an opening 5-over 76 puts him in a deep hole.

View full sizeCarlos Osorio, Associated PressMark Calcavecchia knew the hot and humid weather in Toledo would be a big change from the cold, dreary conditions of the British Open.

The start of Friday's second round was delayed for almost three hours by a heavy rain that hit the course around 5:30 a.m. Play was suspended at 8:56 p.m. with 21 players still on the course. They will return this morning at 7:15 to finish their rounds before the third round begins.

Hanzel made his bid to make the cut by shooting 1-under 70 on Friday, but an opening 5-over 76 put him in a deep hole.

"I think I was a little nervous in that first round," Hanzel said. "I played a lot better today."

Hanzel, who won a state title in 1974 while playing for Orange High, wore a bright yellow Kent State golf shirt and his son, Drew, carried his dad's KSU golf bag.

"Kent was very good to me and has been very good for my family," he said.

Hanzel started a golf scholarship in his name several years ago at his alma mater. He left town 22 years ago and is a pulmonary critical care physician. Golf Digest Magazine named him the top physician/golfer in the country in 2007.

Who's that? Ben Crenshaw had fans doing a double take. The two-time Masters winner, 1999 Ryder Cup captain and three-time NCAA champion is wearing his hair longer than at any time in his career.

No fade this time: Peter Senior did not suffer the same fate during Friday's closing holes as he did Thursday. Senior stood at 6 under through 10 holes Thursday, but made four bogeys over his final holes to finish at 2-under 69. On Friday he birdied the 17th and 18 holes to shoot 67 and was three shots out of the lead.

He was aces: D.A. Weibring scored a hole in one Friday on the 170-yard par-3 third hole. He used a 6-iron. It was the 18th known hole in one at the U.S. Senior Open, the most recent coming off the club of Bob Ford at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wis., in 2007. It also was Weibring's sixth competitive hole in one, two on the Champions Tour and four on the PGA Tour.

Frost bitten: South African David Frost was disqualified for not finishing a hole. Frost, who was 5 over at the time, knocked his tee shot out of bounds but not out of sight on the 413-yard ninth hole. However, he did not realize his ball was out of bounds until he reached it. He chose not to return to the tee to reload and was DQ'd.

Ups and downs: The 460-yard 13th hole replaced the 16th as the toughest hole in round two. It played to a stroke average of 4.453, yielding just 12 birdies. The 511-yard, par-5 fourth remained the easiest. The hole played to a stroke average of 4.698 and 12 eagles and 106 birdies have been made there over the first two rounds.

Quote of the day: Mark Calcavecchia, tongue in cheek, in comparing last week's dreary weather at the British Open to Friday's high heat and humidity at Inverness, "Last week I was intentionally trying to be cold because I knew that I was going to be hot as hell for about a month, at least."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 216-999-5169

PGA Tour media officials said there also has been an increase in credential requests for Woods' return to competition after an 11-week layoff.

View full sizeAP fileTiger Woods is drawing fans to Firestone.

"Even though Tiger didn't make his announcement until around 8 o'clock on Thursday, we did see a nice jump in sales," Padgett said. "Our phones have been ringing off the hook. My gut tells me that we'll see a real nice spike from here on out."

PGA Tour media officials said there also has been an increase in credential requests for Woods' return to competition after an 11-week layoff.

The Associated Press reported that Byron Bell, a childhood friend of Woods and the president of Tiger Woods Design, will replace Steve Williams as caddie.

Bell has carried Woods' bag at least six times. Williams has been working for Adam Scott.

Woods has also formally entered the PGA Championship, to be played Aug. 11-14 at Atlanta Athletic Club, according to the Associated Press.

PGA spokesman Julius Mason said Friday that Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, told him that as long as everything goes well at Firestone and there are no complications with his left leg, that Woods intends to play the PGA.

-- Tim Rogers

The Browns confirm signings of draft picks, undrafted free agents and others, including OL Billy Yates, LB Marcus Benard and DL Brian Schaefering.

 BEREA -- The new NFL labor agreement was supposed to discourage rookie holdouts. Well, guess what? Browns No. 1 pick Phil Taylor officially is a holdout.

 Taylor was the most prominent player missing when the Browns prepared to take the field this morning for their first practice of training camp.

 Per terms of the new collective bargaining agreement, the first practice is not much more than a walkthrough in shorts and T-shirts. It is closed to the public. The first practice open to fans is Sunday at 8:45 a.m. Players won't be in full pads until Monday morning.

 Taylor, a defensive tackle from Baylor, is the only Browns draft choice who did not agree to contract terms in time to avoid holdout status. The club announced all seven other picks were signed.

 It also confirmed the signings of kicker Phil Dawson to his one-year franchise tender and tight end Evan Moore to his one-year tender.

 The Browns also disclosed they signed free agent offensive lineman Billy Yates, and linebacker Marcus Benard and defensive lineman Brian Schaefering, who were exclusive rights free agents.

 Yates, a guard and center, is the only unrestricted free agent of the Browns the team has re-signed. Defensive end Jayme Mitchell has agreed to terms of a two-year deal, but the Browns have not confirmed he technically has signed.

 The Browns did confirm the signing of free agents Usama Young, a free safety formerly of New Orleans, and Brandon Jackson, a running back late of Green Bay.

 The club also announced the signing of 21 undrafted free agents.

Ball State has landed Brush's talented two-way lineman Carlutorbantu Zaramo. The 6-4, 300-pound senior gave the Mid-American Conference school his oral commitment on Friday.  The offensive/defensive tackle picked BSU over Eastern and Western Michigan.  "I like the academic opportunities Ball State presents and that was very important in my decision,'' said Zaramo, who will major in computer science. "I...

Ball State has landed Brush's talented two-way lineman Carlutorbantu Zaramo. The 6-4, 300-pound senior gave the Mid-American Conference school his oral commitment on Friday.
 The offensive/defensive tackle picked BSU over Eastern and Western Michigan.
 "I like the academic opportunities Ball State presents and that was very important in my decision,'' said Zaramo, who will major in computer science. "I like the campus and the entire atmosphere feels like it's a good fit.''
 Zaramo also appreciated the coaches' honesty.
  "They didn't promise me anything,'' he said. "They just told me the best players will play, so now it's up to me.''
 Zaramo is coming off a junior campaign that saw him collect 43 solo tackles, including five for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He had a 94 percent blocking efficiency on offense.
 "Ball State plans on using me at defensive tackle but it really doesn't matter,'' he said. "I just want to play.''

Brown receiver Mohamed Massaquoi was the surprise of training camp this morning because of the walking cast on his left foot and ankle. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said the injury is not believe to be serious.

Joshua Gunter | The Plain DealerMohamed Massaquoi spent the first day of practice in a walking cast on his left leg and could be out a little while.

CLEVELAND -- Browns training camp began with a mild surprise Saturday morning -- the sight of receiver Mohamed Massaquoi hobbling around with a walking cast on his left leg, from foot to knee.

But Browns coach Pat Shurmur said that the injuries to Massaquoi (foot) and guard Eric Steinbach i(knee) are "nothing we feel is serious.'' Both players are on the non-football injury list and still active.

"(Massaquoi's) is a little foot deal,'' said Shurmur. "We'll evaluate it as it goes and make sure it's just right.''

Shurmur said the timeline of Massaquoi's injury is a little fuzzy and didn't specify how it happened. Massaquoi, who caught balls from the JUGS machine after practice, declined to discuss the injury.

But he participated fully in Camp Colt IV in Austin, Texas  July 10-12 and seemed just fine running routes and catching passes. He also discussed how hard he worked in the offseason, learning from Pro Bowl receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson.

Quarterback Colt McCoy said it's "unfortunate Mohamed will be out a little while'' but was grateful the two worked so hard together during the offseason. Massaquoi attended all four of the offensive skill sessions.

In his absence, the two starting wideouts in practice were Brian Robiskie and Josh Cribbs.

Steinbach was replaced in the lineup by first-year  guard Pat Murray, signed last year as a free agent.

The Browns also had one injury that occurred the first day when tight end Ben Watson got kneed in the back of the head and got up slowly. He walked gingerly into the locker room with the trainers and didn't return. The Browns will most likely check Watson for a concussion.

In other news and notes from the first day:

* No. 1 pick Phil Taylor held out the first day while the two sides continue to try work out a deal. Shurmur said he'd love to have him here and that they'll work hard to catch him up.

* Newly-signed defensive end Jayme Mitchell was not in attendance, but Shurmur called his two-year deal "a big signing.'' He'll work at left end.

* Shurmur acknowledged that the Browns will "look in that direction'' for a new cornerback to replace Eric Wright.

* Kicker Phil Dawson admitted that he didn't think he'd be back this season and that he's not looking beyond his one-year franchise contract. "I appreciated the outpouring of support from the fans,'' he said.

* The newly-signed free agents, both unrestricted and exclusive rights, are unable to practice until Aug. 4 when the new league year begins. Dawson admitted that he's frustrated by being here but not being able to kick. The list includes Evan Moore, Usama Young and Brandon Jackson.

*  Shurmur said Young will challenge for the starting free safety job. Scott Fujita, who played with him in New Orleans, also praised him and said he's ready for an increased role.

* Running back Montario Hardesty, coming off the torn ACL, looked solid running the ball, catching passes and sometimes being split wide.

* It was evident that the offensive players spent plenty of time working together in the offseason. Although there were a few misfires, it was an incredibly smooth practice for a bunch of players that just met their coach in the past few days. McCoy was right -- all the hard work paid off.

* A number of receivers caught fine passes, including Jordan Norwood, Josh Cribbs, Brian Robiskie, L.J. Castile and Greg Little.

* The Browns will not pursue a trade for Eagles Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who's rumored to be on the block now that the Eagles have Nnamdi Asomugha. Carolina free agent cornerback Richard Marshall is off the market after signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals today.

The Cleveland Browns got their first workout of the season in as Training Camp opened in Berea. Head Coach Pat Shurmur and quarterback Colt McCoy talk about the day and the work ahead for a team with a new offense and defense. Watch video

Colt McCoy approaches his first season as The Man with the Browns. It was sooner than many expected. Watch video

View full sizeLonnie Timmons III, The Plain DealerJust 12 months after his first day in preseason camp, Colt McCoy is now a clear leader for the Browns -- a team that desperately needs someone to build an offense around.

BEREA, Ohio -- The air was shining, as if gems were falling from the sky, the first time the Browns took the field at their 2008 training camp. It was just a sun shower, with the stray rays lighting the raindrops. It seemed to be an omen, as the team was coming off a big season.

Don't believe everything you see. The Browns went 4-12 after a 10-victory 2007. The wonder-quarterback of that promising season was Derek Anderson, whose reputation turned out to be a product of big games against bad teams.

It was sunny, hot and sticky Saturday morning the first time the Browns took the field at their 2011 training camp. Such weather would have been relegated to the practice squad back in Colt McCoy's hometown of Tuscola, Texas, to work on developing real heat. The warmth, however, won't last, not in Cleveland.

But maybe McCoy will.

You would not have known last season at this time that McCoy would become the franchise leader so soon. Browns President Mike Holmgren had his swinnnnng-and-a-miss hunch that Jake Delhomme was not a shell-shocked, over-the-hill quarterback. Seneca Wallace was signed in case Delhomme got hurt, imploded or both. McCoy, whose mindset was always to prepare as if he were going to play, was the third-stringer, short on practice repetitions, as prominent in each week's game plan as Spergon Wynn.

The coach was Eric Mangini, who hated to see his pet unit, the defense, get put in bad field position by swashbuckling daring on offense. Mangini had already run through quarterbacks Anderson, Brady Quinn and their even more inept replacements. The only plays Mangini really liked were either trick ones, to show everyone "Mangenius" was a respectful term, not a sarcastic nickname, or Peyton Hillis up the middle, to gratify his conservative bent.

The Browns have not been able to pick a reliable quarterback in the 12 seasons since they returned, except possibly for Tim Couch, and they couldn't protect him. But when McCoy finally got to play last season, due to a rash of injuries (including, eventually, to McCoy himself), no one -- not even the Steelers after his first start against the eventual AFC champions in Pittsburgh -- said the game was too big for him.

What McCoy said to his teammates before that game could become part of Cleveland lore if McCoy becomes all some think he can be. "The hay is in the barn," he said in the players meeting the night before the game. Translating that for the "city folk," as McCoy said, it meant he and the team had done all the meat-and-potatoes preparation. It meant he was ready, all the way to standing, instinctively, as a leader would, when he spoke in a team meeting, instead of sitting, as the other quarterbacks had done.

This season, the fear might be that McCoy has too many helping hands. The Browns have many offensive thinkers, from former quarterback guru Holmgren to head coach Pat Shurmur to quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple (an early mentor of Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh) to Holmgren aide Gil Haskell to former college head coach Keith Gilbertson to everybody but Bernie Kosar in the broadcast booth. Heck, maybe Bernie, too. So many voices could become a cacophony.

"I consider myself a learner. We have a lot of people who know how the position should be played," said McCoy, diplomatically.

McCoy was masterful at Texas in an offense similar to the West Coast offense the Browns will use. He is a natural leader. He stood up to proclaim haying season over before he ever took a snap in earnest, and he stood up during the lockout to organize the various "Camp Colts" to try to get a handle on the new playbook and timing with his receivers.

The benefits of that showed on Saturday as the Browns were efficient at getting into formation and personnel groups, and no one showed up in Shaun Rogers condition.

Saturday was open only to the media, but Sunday the fans will arrive, with all the barking and woofing and brown-and-orange expectations of a fan base starved for victory. Fans love the polite, aw-shucks demeanor of McCoy. They buy into the plucky underdog aspects of his narrative of this third-round draft pick making good.

McCoy is a quick learner, respected by teammates and, in his eight games last season, by opponents. He will work and study and maybe even bale his way through this learning curve. Those are the qualities that endure.

Rainbows are just a tease.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

The Browns shipped a fifth-round pick to the Eagles for former first-round pick Broderick Bunkley, a defensive tackle.

View full sizeNFL An arm injury limited Broderick Bunkley to five games in the 2010 season with the Eagles.

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns today traded a fifth-round pick in 2012 for defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley, the Eagles announced.

Bunkley was a originally a first-round pick -- No. 14 overall -- out of Florida State in 2006. He was known primarily as a run-stopper in Philadelphia and was credited with dramatically improving the Eagles' run defense after he cracked the starting lineup in 2007.

He was a full-time starter in from 2007-09, but started only five of his 14 games last season in part because of a nagging arm injury. Bunkley was picked by the Eagles in current Browns GM Tom Heckert's first season as general manager there.

The Browns made the trade on the same day that rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor, the No. 21 overall pick, held out of the first day of training camp in a contract dispute. The two sides continued to negotiate on Saturday.

Bunkley (6-2, 306) will work inside along with Taylor and Ahytba Rubin and most likely be part of a rotation. During his five seasons in Philadelphia, he totaled 262 tackles -- 146 solo -- and six sacks.