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Tigers defeat Indians, 4-2

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Tigers defeat Indians, 4-2.

CLEVELAND, Ohio --  Doug Fister is no Justin Verlander, but he could have fooled the untrained eye Monday afternoon.

 Fister gave up one earned run in eight innings and struck out a career-high 13 as the Tigers defeated the Indians, 4-2, at Progressive Field.

 Detroit (79-62) leads second-place Cleveland by 7 1/2 games in the AL Central.

 The Tigers have won 14 of 18 since Aug. 19 to increase their division lead by six games.

 The Tribe (70-68) has lost five straight to Detroit. Verlander, the leading candidate for AL Cy Young, pitches Wednesday afternoon in the finale of the three-game series.

 Fister, acquired from Seattle on July 30, has allowed three earned runs in his last 29 2/3 innings of four starts.

 The Tigers built a 3-0 advantage in the fourth. With one out, former Indian Victor Martinez hit a three-run homer off right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez. Martinez cleared the hips on a 2-2 fastball on the inside corner and ripped it far over the wall in right. The ball traveled an estimated 420 feet.

Delmon Young had begun the uprising with a one-out single to center. He moved to second when Cabrera walked for the second time.

The Indians scored in the fifth.

Jason Donald led off with a single up the middle. Donald advanced to second on Fister's errant pickoff attempt and to third on Lou Marson's grounder to second. Grady Sizemore grounded sharply up the middle, where shortstop Jhonny Peralta made a sliding grab and threw to first baseman Miguel Cabrera as Donald scored.

The run was unearned against Fister's record.

Detroit made it 4-1 in the eighth. The Indians failed to turn two on Cabrera's bases-loaded grounder to third.

Kosuke Fukudome answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth. 

Jose Valverde worked a perfect ninth for his 41st save in 41 opportunities.

The Indians loaded the bases with two outs in the third.

Fister retired the first seven before plunking Donald on the back of the left hand. Lou Marson hit a potential double-play grounder to second that Ramon Santiago booted. Santiago was too eager to flip to second and failed to secure the ball.

Sizemore struck out swinging at a 91-mph fastball that had late life and tailed away. Fukudome's liner off Fister caromed to Peralta, Donald stopping at third.

Asdrubal Cabrera struck out swinging at a looping curveball on his hands. 

Jimenez gave up two hits, walked three and struck out eight in seven innings. He threw 117 pitches. Joe Smith relieved to start the eighth.

Jimenez pitched the first two innings as if someone had dumped his books in the hallway on the way to class.

Jimenez struck out the side on 14 pitches in the first. He caught Austin Jackson looking and got Andy Dirks and Young swinging.

Cabrera led off the Detroit second with a walk. He fell behind, 0-2, then took four balls. After Marinez flied to left, Alex Avila and Peralta struck out swinging.

The Tigers grounded out three times in the third.

The lanky Fister manages to stay compact with his delivery. He does not throw especially hard, but his fastball has late movement and his off-speed stuff has depth.  Fister makes hitters earn their way on base: In his six starts for Detroit entering Monday, he walked two and struck out 23.

 


Jim Tressel won't join Colts until 7th game

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Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said Monday that Tressel won't join the team until late October. The team recently announced it would employ Tressel as a game-day consultant to help determine when the team should challenge plays with a video review.

Jim Tressel hold press conferenceView full sizeJim Tressel won't join the Colts' staff immediately due to suspensions being served by others involved in Ohio State's recent scandal.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Colts won't use former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel as a replay consultant until the seventh game of the season.

Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said Monday that Tressel won't join the team until late October. The team recently announced it would employ Tressel as a game-day consultant to help determine when the team should challenge plays with a video review.

In a statement, Polian said that "questions were raised with respect to the equity of his appointment as opposed to suspensions being serves this season by present and former Ohio State players."

Tressel was pushed out at Ohio State after an investigation into improper benefits by his players, including quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor recently was taken by Oakland in the NFL's supplemental draft and will face a five-game suspension in the NFL.

Tressel resigned from the Buckeyes job on Memorial Day.

During the weekend, Colts owner Jim Irsay, coach Jim Caldwell, Polian and Tressel discussed the situation and consulted NFL officials.

"At coach Tressel's suggestion, and with Mr. Irsay's ... support, we have decided to begin coach Tressel's employment effective with our seventh regular-season game (Oct. 23 at New Orleans)."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello acknowledged the discussions with the Colts over the weekend.

"The team fully understood the issues and committed to addressing them," Aiello said in an email to The Associated Press. "We were informed last night of the decision reached by the team and Mr. Tressel. We believe it is appropriate."

What September tells the Cleveland Indians: The Detroit Tigers are just so much better: Terry Pluto

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What September tells the Tribe: The Tigers are just so much better.

CLEVELAND -- The temptation is to talk about Ubaldo Jimenez, about how the man anointed as ace of the Tribe staff wasn't exactly that on Monday afternoon.

But he was still pretty good.

When you face the Tigers and their lineup with five guys hitting .300, it's wrong to complain about a pitcher who holds Detroit to three runs in seven innings.

That's what Jimenez did in the Tribe's 4-2 loss to the Tigers, and this game shows what happens when the Tribe loses.

They make scoring runs look harder than a man trying to dig another Suez Canal with a teaspoon. They don't hit in the clutch, and they strike out too much.

For winning pitcher Doug Fister, 13 strikeouts was a career high.

For historians, the most recent Tigers pitcher to strike out 13 against the Indians was Mike Kilkenny. He did it in 1969. That was one of his 23 career victories, beating a Tribe team that lost 99 games.

For the Indians, it was Manager Manny Acta mentioning how his batters lead the league in strikeouts -- and making it very clear that he's not thrilled about it. That was especially true with five of them being called out.

It would have helped if the top of the fourth inning had been different for Jimenez. If Jimenez had not walked Miguel Cabrera after being up, 0-2, in the count, they may have won.

Or if he had not thrown a 94 mph fastball over the heart of the plate to Victor Martinez, maybe they would not have lost. But that three-run homer was the only major mistake for Jimenez, who delivered his best game since coming to the Tribe at the end of July.

This is not time to dwell on WHAT IF, which has been the Tribe's 2011 team slogan.

Instead, the story is WHAT IS . . . as in, the Tigers are the superior team.

They have won their past five games against the Tribe, and they are 22-11 since August 1. Their lead over the Tribe is 71/2 games.

While I didn't like the Jimenez deal and wrote about it, the import from Colorado faced a lineup that is hitting .293 since the All-Star break and performed admirably.

When Jimenez walked Cabrera (batting .329 with 92 RBI), that brought up Martinez. The former Indian was hitting .325, fourth in the league. He was a .390 hitter with runners in scoring position when he crunched that 420-foot homer.

These guys can hit; the Indians can't.

Yes, the Indians have been ragged by injuries. It's true that Shin-Soo Choo averaged 150 games played before being limited to 84 games this season by injuries.

But the Tribe was hoping Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner could stay somewhat healthy. But they have combined to play only 35 games since the All-Star break.

Since 2009, Sizemore and Hafner have missed nearly as many games (441) as they have played (485). Both men want to play more. Sizemore returned from his second stint on the disabled list with a bruised knee (and he also had hernia surgery) to drive in a run with a ground out. Hafner is trying to come back from a torn tendon in his foot.

But reality is both have battled major injuries for at least three years, and who knows if that will ever change.

Meanwhile, Detroit is talent, deep, confident and healthy.

And there's not much the Tribe can do about it.

Former Tribe catcher Victor Martinez hits three-run homer and Doug Fister strikes out 13 as Detroit Tigers defeat Cleveland Indians, 4-2, to go up by 7 1/2 games

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Doug Fister outpitched Ubaldo Jimenez on Monday as the Indians fell to 7 1/2 games behind first-place Detroit in the AL Central following a 4-2 loss at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND -- If the calendar didn't exist, Monday's game between the Tigers and Indians could have been Opening Day or Game 1 of the postseason. It was chilly and overcast, and there was tension in the big crowd at Progressive Field.

When it was over, after Lonnie Chisenhall flied out to shallow center field for the last out in the Indians' 4-2 loss, what it really felt like was the end.

The Indians trail first-place Detroit in the American League Central by a season-high 71/2 games with 24 to play. It's been a nice two days for the Tigers. They dumped Chicago to 81/2 back with an 18-2 pounding on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball." A few hours later, they beat the Indians for the fifth straight time.

The last guy to eliminate the competition with that kind of efficiency was Al Capone.

The Tigers have won 14 of their past 18 games. The run started with a three-game sweep of the Indians at Comerica Park from Aug. 19 to 21. The Indians came into that series trailing the Tigers by 11/2 games. Seventeen games later, they're bent at the waist sucking wind as if their race has been run.

They went a respectable 8-10 in that stretch -- considering they placed five players on the disabled list during that time -- but the Tigers never gave them a an opening. This three-game series represents their one real chance to make a move because when the two teams meet again at the end of September, the Tigers should already have their postseason rotation set.

The Indians did everything but channel late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and put "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" on the scoreboard to get ready for Monday's opener. They brought Grady Sizemore out of mothballs and put him at the top of the lineup. They had injured Travis Hafner and Jason Kipnis bounce around and take batting practice.

Then they sent Ubaldo Jimenez, their big deadline acquisition, to the mound against the Tigers. He was good, too, but he made one more mistake than Doug Fister, the Tigers' not-so-big deadline acquisition, and that was the game.

In the fourth, Jimenez (8-11, 4.66 ERA) threw a poorly placed fastball to former Indians catcher Victor Martinez with the count 2-2. Martinez almost hit it to Mentor, or at least East Ninth Street, for a three-run homer. The Tigers added another run in the eighth when second baseman Jason Donald couldn't turn a double play with slow-moving Miguel Cabrera on his way to first.

Jimenez is 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA in seven starts since being acquired from Colorado. Fister is 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA in seven starts since being acquired from Seattle. He struck out a career-high 13 on Monday, but the feeling in the Indians' clubhouse was that plate umpire Jim Wolf's strike zone assisted that number.

Of course, Fister (7-13, 3.17) is hardly the first pitcher to have his way with the Indians' offense. They lead the AL with 1,079 strikeouts, an average of almost eight per game.

"It's a problem," said manager Manny Acta.

Of more immediate concern is what, if anything, the Indians can do to at least cling to the Tigers' tail for a little while longer.

Asked if Monday's loss was a season-ender, Tribe left fielder Shelley Duncan said: "I think that's something for you guys to write about. It's not something for us to think about. We're going to take the same approach. Go out and play tomorrow's game.

"If we're good enough, we'll be in the playoffs. If Detroit is better than us, they will be. That's just how it's going to be."

As for the view from the catbird seat, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said, "Whether it's 71/2 up, 31/2 up, 11/2 up . . . that's for everybody else to talk about. . . . We haven't done anything but put ourselves in a good position."

The Indians scored two runs off Fister, one on Sizemore's grounder in the fifth and the other on Kosuke Fukudome's homer in the eighth.

"We've got enough games left, but these next two games are very important," said Acta. "This is the only opportunity we have to really shave the lead. When you're not playing the team you're trailing, it takes forever sometimes to shave a game."

The baseball season may seem endless, but for the Indians, it is not forever.

Artis Hicks could start at left guard in the Cleveland Browns' opener if he can learn the offense in time

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New Browns guard Artis Hicks is a candidate to start at left guard for the opener if he can learn enough of the offense in time.

BEREA -- If only new Browns guard Artis Hicks could remember the offense he ran in Philadelphia from 2002 to '05 when he was there with current Browns coach Pat Shurmur and current Browns General Manager Tom Heckert, starting at left guard Sunday against the Bengals would be a no-brainer.

Instead, the Browns will have to see how quickly the 10th-year pro can refresh his memory before they decide whether or not to start him in place of rookie Jason Pinkston.

"He's a very veteran guy that's played guard and tackle, so we're going to get him up to speed as quickly as possible," said Shurmur. "Right now, we've got Jason Pinkston in there, but we'll see. There's a little bit of work left to do, and we're really not saying right now who the starter's going to be."

Hicks, who signed his one-year deal and practiced with the team Monday, worked at both guard and tackle. He was needed some on the outside because starting right tackle Tony Pashos showed up at practice in a walking boot.

But Shurmur indicated Pashos, who missed 10 games with a right ankle injury that required surgery last year, will be fine for the opener.

"He's got a sore foot, and we're just letting it settle down, which is not uncommon," said Shurmur. "I wouldn't read into that yet. Those boots are magical sometimes."

Hicks, who's started 68 of his 109 career games with the Eagles, Vikings and Redskins, admitted that being thrown into the lineup Sunday would be a challenge.

"I've never been through that situation before," he said. "I know today was my first day of practice, and hearing some of the plays, right now it sounds like a foreign language to me. But give it a couple days, and it'll start to make a lot of sense. It's a work in progress."

Despite his four years in this system, he hasn't played in it since he was traded to the Vikings in 2006.

"It feels like it's been a millennium ago," he said. "But once you've been in a system and you've heard the terminology, it's just like having a toolbox. You put those things away in a toolbox, and later on you might have to go back and pull them out. Yeah, they're gonna be rusty, but you grind them a little bit, polish them up and you're ready to go again."

Hicks, who was released by the Redskins on Saturday after starting 10 games for them at right guard last season, has not been told he'll be the starter with the Browns.

"No, I have no expectations," he said. "I just came in knowing that I have a chance to contribute, and that's all you can ask for."

Pinkston, who's been gearing up for his NFL debut ever since Eric Steinbach was placed on injured reserve last week with a back injury, knows he might have to wait his turn.

"That's understandable," Pinkston said. "It's a business. They're going to put the more experienced guy in there if they need to. We're all here trying to win, we're one team. I'd be disappointed not playing, but I understand it for the team."

Left tackle Joe Thomas is confident Hicks can step right in if need be.

"It's different, but he's been in the league long enough that wherever they put him, he's going to pick it up fast," said Thomas. "He's played in Philly and Minnesota, so this West Coast stuff is not new to him. I think he'll probably know the offense better than us in a week or two."

But he's all for Pinkston starting if that's the way it goes.

"He's improving every day, and he's working hard at it," said Thomas. "We're going to have tremendous confidence in him if he's the guy."

Thomas acknowledged, though, that there's no time like the present to pick a guy and get him in there.

"I don't know how long it's going to be, but obviously as soon as we can get that done, the better," he said.

Shurmur said he'll base his decision on several criteria throughout the week.

"We put our best players out there at any position, if it's a first-year guy or a 12th-year guy," he said. "We factor in how they competed, what we think of them physically and how they work as a unit. There's a lot that goes into it."

Could Hicks be plugged in at right tackle if Pashos' sore foot lingers? Of his 68 starts, eight have come at left tackle, 27 at left guard, 30 at right guard and three at right tackle.

"Anything's possible," said Hicks. "I just got here. We'll just have to see and let it play out, and whatever happens will happen."

But in some ways, it already feels like home to Hicks, who grew up a Browns fan.

"I have family that's from this area here in Cleveland, a bunch of aunties, uncles and cousins," he said. "So I used to come up here in the summer sometime. I always used to hear about the Cleveland Browns, and it just kind of carried on as I grew older. I've watched them from afar and see what they're building here, and I'm happy to be a part of it."

Parent, don't be your student-athlete's promoter

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Parents, your student-athlete doesn't need you to promote them. Let their performance do that.

Your kid doesn't need a promoter, and you don't want to be Don King.

Your kid doesn't need someone to email the newspaper, call the athletic director or text the coach to tell them how wonderful the kid is.

Everyone who needs to know knows. Everyone who doesn't know now will know soon.

Know how?

Your kid will tell us. Your kid will accomplish things. Your kid will cross the finish line in the order she crosses, and that will get noticed. Your kid will play lights-out defense while the goalie gets bored. Your kid will flatten every linebacker in sight. Those who matter will notice.

Your kid's accomplishments will speak volumes, more than what you can say on his or her behalf.

He will do it without you, and people will know.

"The old adage still holds true," Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin baseball coach Jim Clark told me recently, "that if you're good enough, they'll find you, no matter where you are. If you're at a showcase or a playground, they'll find you."

When your kid signed up to play, there was a line on the form that said "parent."

There wasn't a line on the form that said "promoter."

Do yourself -- and your kid -- a favor. Ground the helicopter. Put the smartphone down. Close the laptop.

Buy a very comfortable lawn chair or bleacher pad. Keep a blanket and a rain poncho in the trunk.

Empty your mind. Listen to some Grateful Dead on the way to the game.

Then fill that head of yours with the memories that are about to unfold, the ones that will last lifetimes -- theirs and yours. Pay attention to the little moments. The smiles teammates share. The glances in your direction. The sheer beauty of being young and athletic.

This is their moment to achieve and yours to cherish.

Savor every moment of this season, and don't stress over who's getting attention, who's getting ink or airtime, and who's getting noticed.

All that matters is that one person notice your kid.

You.

Acta says hitters needed to attack Fister: Indians Chatter

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Indians manager Manny Acta said the Tribe's hitters should have been more aggressive against Detroit starter Doug Fister.

fukudomehomers.jpgIndians outfielder Kosuke Fukudome homers in the eighth inning Monday against Detroit.

Indians chatter

Clubhouse confidential: Manager Manny Acta said Indians batters should have been more aggressive against Detroit right-hander Doug Fister, who struck out a career-high 13 batters Monday.

Acta said Fister always pounds the strike zone and that too many Indians took called third strikes. Five of Fister's 13 strikeout victims went down looking.

Shelley Duncan, who struck out twice against Fister, one called, one swinging, said he took that approach once and shattered his bat.

"He was throwing those perfect pitcher's pitches that just drive hitters nuts when they get called for strikes," Duncan said. "I think a lot us probably thought those pitches were balls, so we took them. It's as simple as that."

Something to think about: With the Indians starting outfield not exactly a picture of long-term health, Kosuke Fukudome has to be opening some eyes in the Indians' front office in terms of trying to re-sign him for next year.

Fukudome, a free agent this winter, has played well in center and right field. Offensively, he's hitting .288 (42-for-146), with 11 doubles, one triple, two homers and 14 RBI in 36 games since being acquired from the Cubs.

Stat of the day: Tiger Victor Martinez's game-winning, three-run homer in the fourth inning Monday was his first at Progressive Field since he homered against Cincinnati on June 26, 2009, for the Indians.

-- Paul Hoynes

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Tribe memories: A field of legends 52 years ago

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Hank Sheehan of Avon Lake remembers going to his first Indians game

colavitofile.jpgHank Sheehan couldn't wait to see Rocky Colavito.

TRIBE MEMORIES

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

Being an Indians fan for as long as my memory is capable of recalling, my most memorable game would have to be my first.

On July 23, 1959, my dad came home from work and asked if I was busy tonight. Of course, at the age of 9, my answer was "no." In his hand were two tickets for that night's game against the New York Yankees. The seats were in the upper deck of right field, right behind my idol, Rocky Colavito. I got so excited, I must have asked 20 times, "When are we leaving?"

I remember the walk down West Third Street over the bridge. There it was, coming into full view, Cleveland Stadium. My first look at the field, I was amazed. I told my dad, "It's so big!"

On to the game.

Rooting the Indians on to victory was short-lived. Elston Howard gave the Yankees a quick lead with a home run off Bob Smith. The Yankees scored a few more runs and were cruising to a 4-0 lead into the second inning.

Bob Smith was relieved in the second inning by Jim Perry. He held the Yankees scoreless for many innings. Late in the game, he was relieved by Mudcat Grant.

In the sixth inning with the bases full, Minnie Minoso hit a grand slam, tying the game. The fans went wild. There must have been 45,000 in attendance that night. The Tribe went on to score three more runs in the sixth to take a 7-4 lead and won the game 8-4.

My first game. A fine memory. To see [Mickey] Mantle, [Ralph] Terry, [Yogi] Berra, [Bobby] Richardson, [Enos] Slaughter, [Hank] Bauer from the Yankees; Colavito, [Woodie] Held, [Vic] Power, [Minnie] Minoso, [Jimmy] Piersall, [Tito] Francona, [Russ] Nixon, [George] Strickland from the Indians, all on the same field on the same night. These players are legends.

My first game, 52 years ago, is unforgettable!


Cleveland thinks Thaddeus Lewis has the potential to be a starting quarterback someday: Browns insider

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The Browns think Thaddeus Lewis has the potential to be a starting quarterback someday.

thaddeus lewis Thaddeus Lewis spent 2010 on the Rams' practice squad.

BEREA -- Browns coach Pat Shurmur saw enough in quarterback Thaddeus Lewis last year in St. Louis to think he might become a starting quarterback someday.

"He's a guy that we will try to develop and get him ready to play," said Shurmur. "That's what you do with backup quarterbacks. You try to develop them first into a dependable backup and then hopefully to a guy that can maybe start. He came to St. Louis as an undrafted free agent, and then he actually did a terrific job. I've watched him, I worked with him a year ago, and then I watched him in the preseason. He executed and played well, and I think he's a guy that we want to try and develop."

Shurmur said the acquisition of Lewis doesn't preclude Jarrett Brown from coming back, perhaps on the practice squad someday.

"I liked where he came and how he developed, but I have a little bit of history with Thad," Shurmur said.

Lewis, a four-year letterman at Duke, was grateful to Shurmur for giving him a chance. The Rams had hoped to sign him to their practice squad, but the Browns were awarded him off waivers.

"I think coach Shurmur played a part in that, me coming out of school, and I did a great job with him, and I guess he liked what he saw last year," said Lewis. "Obviously he has some confidence in me to give me another opportunity here in Cleveland."

The QB said he has a very good relationship with Shurmur, who was offensive coordinator in St. Louis the past two seasons.

"He was a tough coach, but that's what you need," said Lewis. "He helped me out a lot, understanding and grasping the West Coast offense. It'll be a little change coming from the numbers system, [of new Rams coordinator Josh McDaniels] but I haven't lost everything I learned the year before. It'll be a transition, but I think I'll catch on pretty fast."

Lewis (6-2, 200) displayed uncanny accuracy in both of his preseasons, completing 78.6 percent of his passes last year and 71.6 percent this year. At Duke, he also showed good mobility, rushing for 621 yards and nine TDs.

"In this game, you have to be accurate, but guys are so fast now, I think mobility helps you out a little bit," he said. "Not so much just being a guy that runs all the time, but being that guy that can throw and who uses his legs from time to time to get out of trouble. I think that's why Pat Shurmur gave me the opportunity because I was able to [be accurate] in the West Coast last year.

Watson, Gocong idle: Tight end Ben Watson (hip) and linebacker Chris Gocong (neck) were both idle Monday, but Shurmur expects Watson to practice Wednesday, and Watson anticipated being ready to play on Sunday.

As for Gocong, Shurmur is less certain.

"I'm hoping, but again, I don't know," he said. "His is a situation where he'll get better quickly, so we'll see."

Also, Brian Schaefering was absent for personal reasons.

Donovan returns: Browns play-by-play man Jim Donovan returned to Berea on Monday for the first time since undergoing a bone marrow transplant in June to treat his leukemia.

Donovan was excited to be back and looking forward to calling the game Sunday. He was greeted at the start of practice by Shurmur, who stopped over to the sidelines to welcome Donovan back.

"I feel great," said Donovan. "It's great to be back."

Spears cramming: New linebacker Quinton Spears, award off waivers from Miami, is studying the defense to be ready Sunday if called upon.

With Titus Brown (ankle) and Gocong ailing, the Browns have only four healthy linebackers.

"Definitely, definitely, if something happens to happen, I could be thrown in the fire quick," Spears said. "Just got to catch on the fly. I'm pretty sure tomorrow, my off day, I'll be studying all day, getting the plays down. The game plan going into the week, the coach pretty much knows the personnel and the plays he's going to call against the personnel, so I'm going to study those diligently and be ready to go if my number's called."

A 4-3 end at Prairie View A&M, Spears (6-4, 234) is working at strong-side linebacker behind Scott Fujita.

"It's the less complicated of the three positions, so they're rotating me in, so I won't be overflooded with new information and kind of keeping it basic," Spears said. "They have a package where the linebacker just comes in and rushes like a D-lineman. That's probably what I'll be in the first week, if I'm activated. That's what they said they'd use me as probably the first week."

Spears said he also will contribute on special teams.

Perles here: Former Michigan State coach George Perles, Shurmur's mentor, drove down to watch practice Monday and visit with the Browns coach.

Perles recruited Shurmur out of high school and also hired him as a graduate assistant.

"It's fun for me," said Shurmur. "I haven't seen him in a while. It'll be good to share a lunch with him and then hopefully get him in there to talk to the team."

Practice squad: The Browns signed defensive lineman Auston English and linebacker Benjamin Jacobs to their practice squad. Both were waived Saturday.

Clippers, Aeros lose; Captains win: Minor League Report

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1B Beau Mills (.269) had two doubles, but Ryan Strieby drove in three runs for host Toledo as Columbus lost its regular-season finale in International League play Monday.

columbus clippers new logo.jpg

AAA Columbus Clippers

Mud Hens 3, Clippers 1

1B Beau Mills (.269) had two doubles, but Ryan Strieby drove in three runs for host Toledo as Columbus lost its regular-season finale in International League play Monday. Strieby hit his 19th homer of the season and singled, giving him 76 RBI. Clippers SS Luis Valbuena (.302) and 3B Jared Goedert (.271) each went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Columbus RH Corey Kluber (7-11, 5.56 ERA) allowed two runs — one earned — in four innings, and RH reliever Paolo Espino (3.43) gave up one run in four innings.

AA Akron Aeros

Senators 5, Aeros 2

RF Donnie Webb (.214) and DH Juan Apodaca (.184) each drove in a run, but Akron lost an Eastern League contest in Harrisburg, Pa. Erik Komatsu drove in two runs, and Derek Norris homered for the Senators. Aeros RH Steven Wright (2-4, 5.98) gave up five runs in five innings.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Nationals 8, Indians 4

RH Jose Flores (4-5, 6.02) allowed six hits — including four doubles — and six unearned runs in the eighth inning as Kinston dropped a Carolina League contest to Potomac in Woodbridge, Va. SS Argenis Martinez (.227) had two hits and one RBI, and 1B Jeremie Tice (.258) doubled and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly for the K-Tribe.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 4, Hot Rods 1

RH Luis Encarnacion (2-3, 5.00), LH Harold Guerrero and RH Clayton Ehlert (16 saves, 1.68) combined for six innings of two-hit relief as host Lake County held off Bowling Green (Ky.). CF LeVon Washington (.218) homered.


Cleveland's Ubaldo Jimenez gives up two hits, but one of them is huge: Indians insider

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Ubaldo Jimenez made the one pitch that beat the Indians, but a few more runs from his teammates would have made a difference in the Indians' 4-2 loss to the Tigers on Monday at Progressive Field.

Gallery previewCLEVELAND -- It might have been Ubaldo Jimenez's best start as an Indian considering what was at stake. Then again, he made the one pitch that resulted in the Tribe dropping to 7 1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central race.

Such is the fate of a starting pitcher, but a little offense would have helped.

Jimenez allowed three runs on two hits in seven innings in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Tigers. He struck out eight, walked three and gave up Victor Martinez's three-run homer in the fourth inning proved to be the game-winner.

As he has done since the Indians acquired him from Colorado on July 31, Jimenez worked behind in the count. He threw 117 pitches, but only 55 percent (64-for-117) were strikes. That's a pet peeve of manager Manny Acta, but not Monday.

"You can only get away with that when you have the stuff Ubaldo has," said Acta. "I'm not going to sit here and complain about seven innings, two hits with eight strikeouts. It's a team effort, and we needed to score some runs to win."

Jimenez faced 10 batters in the first three innings and retired nine of them. Five went down on strikeouts.

He lost his way in the fourth, throwing 32 pitches, 18 for balls. He retired the first batter but gave up a single to Delmon Young and walked Miguel Cabrera. Martinez homered on a 2-2 pitch.

"Victor hit a fastball in the middle of the plate that was supposed to be away," said Jimenez. "The home run wasn't my biggest mistake -- walking Cabrera was."

After the fourth, Jimenez faced the minimum over his last three innings.

"I wanted to win this game for my team," said Jimenez. "We're playing Detroit. It's important. From the first pitch of the game, I was letting everything go.

"To lose it on one mistake is hard."

Third time the charm? Grady Sizemore came off the disabled list for the third time this season on Monday. He batted leadoff, played center field and accounted for the Indians' first run with an RBI grounder.

"I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent -- you're never 100 percent -- but I'm going to go out and do what I can," said Sizemore before the game.

Sizemore is recovering from a bruised right knee and hernia surgery. The knee is still an issue, but Sizemore seems almost fully recovered from the hernia surgery.

Acta said Sizemore's playing time will be limited to a certain number of games a week.

"We'll map it out that way according to our medical staff," said Acta.

Acta said there is a possibility Sizemore could DH when Jim Thome has a day off. But don't look for him to pinch hit or pinch run when he's not in the starting lineup.

"When Grady is off, he's off," said Acta.

Testing, testing: Travis Hafner and Jason Kipnis, two other injured regulars, took batting practice Monday. Kipnis could be ready to play before the Tigers series ends Wednesday. Hafner is not that close.

"It's up to them to decide," said Kipnis, who went on the DL with a strained right oblique and hamstring. "If they want to play me Tuesday against the Detroit, I'll be ready."

Sidelined: Third baseman Jack Hannahan went through a series of tests Monday on his strained left calf. He's expected to miss at least five to seven days.

Hannahan, one of the Indians' hottest hitters, strained the calf Sunday running out of the batter's box in the third inning after a single.

"It's tough to lose him," said Acta. "He's been swinging a hot bat."

Finally: Right-hander Josh Tomlin, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 25, will get his elbow examined today. That should give him an indication if he'll be able to pitch again this year. . . . The Indians are expected to give an update on right-hander Carlos Carrasco's elbow in the next few days. Carrasco could be facing Tommy John surgery.

Tigers' Doug Fister blisters Tribe lineup

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Detroit's Doug Fister is a sinker-ball pitcher but on Monday, he mowed down the Indians, striking out 13.

dougfister.jpgDoug Fister has been pitching well for Detroit since being obtained in a trade with Seattle

The Indians thought they would be facing Justin Verlander on Wednesday afternoon, not Monday afternoon.

Doug Fister did a terrific imitation -- even if this Tigers right-hander doesn't possess a high-octane fastball. Fister gave up two runs (one earned) in eight innings and struck out a career-high 13 in the Tigers' 4-2 victory at Progressive Field.

Verlander, a lock for the American League Cy Young Award, awaits in the finale of the three-game series.

Fister allowed four hits and walked one. He threw 72 of 101 pitches for strikes.

"He stayed out of the middle of the plate, for the most part, and he had a good breaking ball," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "His breaking ball was as good as I've seen it."

The strikeouts were the most by a Tiger against the Indians since Mike Kilkenny had 13 on Sept. 17, 1969. Fister's previous best strikeout total in the majors was nine, which he achieved as a member of the Seattle Mariners against Baltimore on May 30. The Tigers acquired him in a six-player trade July 30.

In 1901/3 innings this season, Fister has struck out 125. No wonder, then, that he began receiving texts in the postgame clubhouse along the lines of "13K?" One came from his mother.

"I'm not a strikeout pitcher," he said. "I'm a sinker-baller who tries to get ground balls. It was the same game plan [Monday]."

The free-swinging Indians helped make it possible. They have whiffed 1,079 times in 138 games.

A wiry 6-8, Fister is all arms and legs as he moves toward the plate. His fastball settled at 89 to 91 mph on the scoreboard gun, and it touched 92. But almost every heater featured late life, and he peppered the four corners. The overhand curve offered a significant change of speed and eye level.

"Some pitchers throw strikes; he throws quality strikes," Leyland said. "He throws to the inner half, or away off the plate. He gets guys to mishit the ball."

Fister is 7-13 in 28 starts -- but don't be fooled. He owns a 3.17 ERA and has allowed fewer hits (182) than innings. He has walked just 35.

In seven starts for Detroit, Fister is 4-1 with a 2.64 ERA, including 3-0 with a 0.91 ERA in his past four. Two of the victories have come against Cleveland.

"He's good," Leyland said. "That's why we made the trade for him."

Fister needed to be sharp from the outset because his counterpart, Ubaldo Jimenez, was dealing. Through three innings, they combined to allow one hit and strike out 10.

Jimenez's hiccup occurred in the fourth inning. After Delmon Young hit a one-out single and Miguel Cabrera walked, former Indian Victor Martinez ripped a 2-2 fastball far over the wall in right for a 3-0 lead.

The Indians scored in the fifth, the run unearned because of Fister's throwing error attempting to pick off Jason Donald at first.

The Tigers made it 4-1 in the eighth. The Tribe countered with a Kosuke Fukudome homer in its half.

Leyland turned it over to Jose Valverde in the ninth. The Indians went quietly as Valverde notched his 41st save in 41 opportunities.

Fast turnaround as Webb Simpson wins Deutsche Bank: Video

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Webb Simpson, a PGA Tour winner for the first time just three weeks ago, figured his next win would be easier. It was more work than he could have imagined Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Chez Reavie, Webb SimpsonWebb Simpson, right, points to the sky after his birdie on the 17th hole in a playoff against Chez Reavie, left, to win the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship golf tournament at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass., Monday, Sept. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

NORTON, Mass. -- Webb Simpson, a PGA Tour winner for the first time just three weeks ago, figured his next win would be easier. It was more work than he could have imagined Monday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

He had to make three par saves in the middle of the back nine just to stay in the game. He had to make a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 6-under 65, which got him into a playoff only when Chez Reavie finished with a bogey on the easiest hole at the TPC Boston.

Simpson made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th in the playoff after Reavie chipped to tap-in birdie range. Then, Simpson completed his comeback with an 8-foot birdie on the second extra hole at No. 17 to win the FedEx Cup's second playoff event and move to No. 1 in the standings, giving him a clear shot at the $10 million prize.

Pretty simple, huh?

"I told somebody early this week that I feel like next time I was in contention, it'll be a lot easier than Greensboro," Simpson said. "And it wasn't that way at all. It was just as hard. The shots and the putts were just as hard. I think it helped calm me down a little, but it was like I had never won a golf tournament before."

It was hard on Reavie, too, for a variety of reasons.

He started the season on a medical exemption because of knee surgery a year ago and lost full status by June. Not only did Reavie claw his way into the playoffs, he had a one-shot lead playing the par-5 18th.

His plan all along was to lay up short of the ravine with a one-shot lead. He didn't count on his sand wedge turning with the wind and going over the green, leading to a bogey when he missed a 10-foot putt.

"Unfortunately, my wedge didn't quite work out," Reavie said. "But all in all on the day, I played fantastic."

He immediately found some consolation in his 66 for a runner-up finish. Even though he won't have full status on tour until next year, Reavie moved to No. 9 in the standings and is assured of getting to the FedEx Cup finale at the Tour Championship, putting him in Masters, U.S. Open and British Open.

His eyes welled with tears just thinking about how far he has come this year.

"It's unbelievable," Reavie said. "Starting the year on a medical and not knowing what's going to happen, to be able to go to the Tour Championship is a goal. It's what I wanted to do."

A day filled with big crowds and big moments - appropriate to golf's version of the postseason - the pressure was felt by more than just the leaders. The top 70 advance to the third playoff event in two weeks outside Chicago. Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy and Chris Stroud made it by one shot with clutch play on the 18th hole - birdies for Els and Ogilvy, an eagle for Stroud.

"You screw up on the 18th leading and now you're going to finish second and you're going to have a $600,000 check," Els said. "Here, I'm going home. It's a bad place to be, but it's a good place to come back from."

For more Cinesport video, go here.

Simpson, who had to play well late last year just to keep his PGA Tour card, started the season at No. 213 in the world. His second win in three weeks moves him up to No. 14, and the $1.44 million check assures him a spot in the Presidents Cup.

Best of all, he is atop the FedEx Cup.

"I couldn't expect anything more," Simpson said.

No one was sure what to expect from a wild final round on Labor Day. It was so scrambled that seven players - including world No. 1 Luke Donald - had a share of the lead at some point.

Simpson one-putted seven of his last eight greens, mostly for par on the back nine in regulation to stay in the hunt, then received just enough help from Reavie.

Reavie came roaring up the leaderboard on the back nine. He made four birdies in a six-hole stretch - including on the toughest par 3 at No. 11 and the toughest hole at No. 14 - and was poised to capture his second PGA Tour title until one wedge cost him.

"It's definitely difficult to think about it," Reavie said. "It's not hard to make a 5. I mean, I'm going to make a 5 there nine times out of 10. Unfortunately it was the only bogey I had all day."

Brandt Snedeker, who closed with a 61 last week to tie for third, went out in 30 to take the lead until getting wild off the teed on the back nine. He had to settle for a 66 and another tie for third.

Donald, who matched birdies and eagles with Simpson in regulation, fell apart with a double bogey on No. 12 and a tee shot over the 16th green that led to bogey. He closed with a 67 and tied for third, along with Jason Day, who had a 68.

Bubba Watson, who had a one-shot lead going into the wild final day, chipped in for eagle on the final hole to salvage a 74 that put him in a tie for 16th, seven shots behind.

Some of the most intense golf came hours before Simpson and Reavie went into their playoff.

Els, who barely qualified for the playoffs and then narrowly made it to the second stage in Boston, made two key par putts and finished with a 5-foot birdie over his last four holes to move up to No. 68 and advance.

Ogilvy, trying to keep alive his hopes of making the Presidents Cup in his native Australia, thought he was finished when he made two late bogeys and then hit into native grass behind the rock and took a penalty shot. But he holed a 20-foot par putt on the 17th, then a 6-foot birdie on the 18th hole to move up to No. 69.

Stroud produced a shot even more memorable. Needing nothing less than eagle on the final hole, he hit 3-iron just onto the green, and it caught the ridge and settled 3 feet away for eagle that atoned for a messy day and put him at No. 70.

The PGA Tour now takes a week off before resuming these playoffs at the BMW Championship.

Simpson, more than most, can use a breather.


Cleveland Browns: Where will they finish in the AFC North standings this season? Poll

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Can the Browns catch up to Pittsburgh and Baltimore teams coming off big seasons? Will they keep Cincinnati to their south?

peyton-hillis-steelers.jpgThe Browns' Peyton Hillis running with the football during Cleveland's 28-10 loss to the Steelers in Pittsburgh last season.



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns fans, it's time to tell us where you think the Browns will finish in the AFC North standings this season.



Cast your vote, and the results will be published in The Plain Dealer's Browns Season Preview special section and on cleveland.com on Sept. 11.



Also, please click here to predict what the Browns' win-loss record will be.



The Browns finished third in the AFC North last season, going 5-11 to place behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) and Baltimore Ravens (12-4) and ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals (4-12).



When the Browns returned to the NFL as a franchise in 1999, they were put into the AFC Central. The division included the four current AFC North teams, and the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. Cleveland finished last among the six teams in each of its first two seasons and tied for third in 2001.



The NFL divided the AFC and NFC into four divisions each prior to the 2002 campaign. The Browns, Steelers, Bengals and Ravens formed the AFC North Division, as, of course, they still do.





Cleveland finished second in the division to the Steelers in 2002, earning a wild card berth but losing at Pittsburgh, 36-33, in the Browns' only playoff game since 1994. There was disappointment in 2007, too, as the Browns and Steelers tied for the AFC North's best record (10-6), but Cleveland missed the playoffs as it lost the division tie-breaker to Pittsburgh and a wild card tie-breaker to Tennessee.



During their seven other seasons in the four-team AFC North, the Browns have finished fourth in the standings five times, in third place once and tied for third once.



Where will the Browns place among their division rivals -- Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincinnati -- this season?





Glenville falls to 0-2 with loss to Camden (Ga.)

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Columbus – Two games into the 2011 season, Glenville finds itself in an unfamiliar place. On a chilly Monday afternoon at Ohio Stadium, Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County scored 17 unanswered points to hand the Tarblooders a 23-14 loss – their second to open the year. Playing as part of the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic for the second straight...

Columbus – Two games into the 2011 season, Glenville finds itself in an unfamiliar place. On a chilly Monday afternoon at Ohio Stadium, Kingsland (Ga.) Camden County scored 17 unanswered points to hand the Tarblooders a 23-14 loss – their second to open the year.

Playing as part of the Kirk Herbstreit National Kickoff Classic for the second straight year, Glenville (0-2) opened the third quarter with the ball and trailing by six points. Starting at their 20, the Tarblooders converted two third downs and a fourth-and-1 from the Camden 34-yard line.

After starting center Alex Pace suffered a leg injury on the fourth-down play, senior Martell Prayear replaced him for the new set of downs. With sophomore quarterback Quan Robinson Jr. calling out the signals from the shotgun, Prayear snapped the ball right past the unsuspecting quarterback and toward midfield.

Robinson recovered at the Camden 49-yard line for a 17-yard loss, and Glenville would get no closer than the 39 as the drive that lasted 5:30 stalled.

"You can't make mistakes against a great team like that," Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. said. "They're real polished and real fine-tuned with what they do. You just can't make mistakes."

The Tarblooders would record 24 more yards of offense and two first downs the rest of the way. Camden (2-0) lost three fumbles but had three backs pick up at least 63 rushing yards. Quarterback Brice Ramsey, a junior who already has verbally committed to Georgia, threw only six passes and completed three of them as the Wildcats utilized a triple-option attack.

Glenville scored both its touchdowns without having the offense on the field. Both also came courtesy of senior V'Angelo Bentley, who returned a punt and a fumble for touchdowns during the first quarter.

The punt return of 86 yards opened the scoring at 9:49 and was sprung courtesy of a chilling block delivered by senior Sean Draper.

"It felt amazing," he said. "When I made the hit, I don't know if I blacked out, but then I looked up, and I saw him running, and that's when I got hyped."

Bentley's second score with 2:23 left in the quarter put his team ahead, 14-6, and came after senior lineman Kieante McGee stripped Camden's J.J. Green of the football near his own 28-yard line.

"Our coach had been telling us when their wing goes in motion, I was to go with him," Bentley said. "Once he told me that and I went with him, the first time that I did it, he fumbled, and I picked it up."

The Tarblooders rotated between Robinson and junior Christopher Overton at quarterback. Each tossed an interception, as did senior safety/linebacker De'Van Bogard on a trick play.

Robinson and Overton combined to complete 12 of 23 passes for 119 yards. Ginn said the coaches must refine what it is they are asking Robinson to do.

"We need to come up with what we're going to need to do offensively and make it happen," Ginn said. "We can't ask those young guys to do certain things. We can't put them in bad situations. They're young. You can't grow somebody up in two weeks."

Glenville's coach said he is eager to see how his team responds to the 0-2 start.

"You put things in front of you like losses, that's to test your faith to see if you've really got some," Ginn said.


Plain Dealer High School Football Top 25

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Records through Sunday. Previous week's rankings in parentheses. 1. St. Edward, 2-0 (1): Hosts Cardinal Mooney on Saturday.

St. Vincent-St. Mary moved up into the top 5 after a win over Walsh Jesuit last Friday. - (Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer)

Records through Sunday. Previous week's rankings in parentheses.

1. St. Edward, 2-0 (1): Hosts Cardinal Mooney on Saturday.

2. Solon, 2-0 (2): Hosts Buchtel on Friday.

3. Mentor, 2-0 (3): Hosts No. 4 St. Ignatius on Friday.

4. St. Ignatius, 2-0 (4): At No. 3 Mentor on Friday.

5. St. Vincent- St. Mary, 2-0 (7): Hosts St. John's (D.C.) on Friday.

6. Maple Heights, 2-0 (9): At Chardon on Friday.

7. Walsh Jesuit, 1-1 (8): Hosts Bishop Watterson on Friday.

8. Avon, 2-0 (10): Hosts Lorain on Friday.

9. Glenville, 0-2 (4): At East Tech on Friday.

10. Aurora, 2-0 (12): At Revere on Friday.

11. Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 1-1 (6): At No. 24 Hudson on Friday.

12. North Royalton, 1-1 (11): Hosts Highland on Friday.

13. Lake Catholic, 2-0 (14): Hosts Youngstown Ursuline on Saturday.

14. Chagrin Falls, 2-0 (17): Hosts Field on Friday.

15. Elyria Catholic, 2-0 (16): Hosts No. 19 Elyria on Friday.

16. Brunswick, 2-0 (17): Hosts Parma on Friday.

17. Ellet, 2-0 (-): At Wooster on Friday.

18. Benedictine, 2-0 (-): At Bedford on Friday.

19. Elyria, 2-0 (-): At No. 15 Elyria Catholic on Friday.

20. Madison, 2-0 (21): At Perry on Friday.

21. Ravenna, 1-1 (22): Hosts Louisville on Friday.

22. Cleveland Heights, 2-0 (-): At Shaw on Friday.

23. Wadsworth, 2-0 (23): At Medina on Friday.

24. Hudson, 2-0 (-): Hosts No. 11 Brecksville-Broadview Heights on Friday.

25. Eastlake North, 2-0 (-): Hosts Midpark on Friday.

Dropped out: Tallmadge, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Padua, Archbishop Hoban, Euclid, Strongsville.

Toledo Rockets are no stranger to the role of giant-killer

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Toledo goes into its game this week against Ohio State looking to pull the upset of the young decade on the road against the Buckeyes. Upsets have been nothing new to the Rockets throughout the years. One of the latest was 13-10 at Michigan in 2008, of which head coach Tim Beckman has already reminded his team.

Toledo Tim BeckmanToledo and head coach Tim Beckman uspet Michigan, 13-10, back in 2008.

Toledo goes into its game this week against Ohio State looking to pull the upset of the young decade on the road against the Buckeyes. Upsets have been nothing new to the Rockets throughout the years. One of the latest was 13-10 at Michigan in 2008, of which head coach Tim Beckman has already reminded his team.

“We’ve brought up that win,” he said Monday during the weekly MAC teleconference. “We’ve brought up the win against Colorado, the win against Purdue last year, the great wins they’ve had here at UT — the Pittsburgh win when Pittsburgh was rated ninth in the country. So this program has won a lot of big football games.”

To get a similar result against the Buckeyes, the Rockets’ defense will potentially have to match its five-turnover effort in their 58-22 victory against New Hampshire in the opener.

“We’ve just created things with the way we’re playing an aggressive style of defense,” Beckman said. “Being able to move people and to blitz people. Of course, you have to be sound in all the things that you do. We were blessed last week to get rewarded five times, I’d guess you’d say, and make turnovers.”

One of those three was an 18-yard pass on the first play of the game for New Hampshire.

“I think we’re getting better,” the coach said. “But we’re still not playing that forceful type defense that we need to play to be a championship-caliber defense.”

Double Trouble I: Toledo will play two experienced quarterbacks in junior Austin Dantin and sophomore Terrance Owens. Dantin moves the chains; Owens is a big-play artist.

“These two young men understand they get comparative reps [in practice], and we can run our offense around both of them,” Beckman said. “They each have different strengths and weaknesses, but they are both good quarterbacks. The way we practice is they both run with the ones and the twos. I think it’s a special situation because of the type of players that we have at quarterback.”

Double Trouble II: Ohio State will also use two quarterbacks against the Rockets in veteran Joe Bauserman and freshman Braxton Miller.

“After watching the game [42-0 against Akron] and watching them on film, both, I think, can do what Ohio State wants to do and needs to do to be successful,” Beckman said. “You can see that with the 42 points they scored. Braxton is a very athletic young man. His game gets better and better the more that he is playing. Bauserman, I’ve seen that young man, and I think he’s a winner.”


Indians need to add better hitters this off-season: Tribe Comment of the Day

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"Sizemore and Hafner cannot be relied upon any longer to stay healthy or be productive. Nor should LaPorta and Chisenhall be penciled-in as starters, given their weak offensive efforts this year." -rationalguy1

travis-hafner2.jpgWhile still relatively productive when healthy, Travis Hafner is no longer the big bat the Indians need in the middle of their lineup.
In response to the Indians most recent loss to the Tigers, cleveland.com user rationalguy1 posts:

With each game that a decent pitching effort is wasted, I hope Antonetti and Shapiro are paying attention. The Indians simply cannot bring back this lousy lineup next April.

Sizemore and Hafner cannot be relied upon any longer to stay healthy or be productive. Nor should LaPorta and Chisenhall be penciled-in as starters, given their weak offensive efforts this year. Second base cannot continue to be the revolving door of Kipnis, Donald, and Phelps. Kipnis is the favorite, of course, but injuries constantly derail the Indians' best laid plans. The Indians desperately need a veteran run-producing outfielder: Spend the money needed to obtain a solid player; no more platoon situations, where guys like Travis Buck and Austin Kearns can look equally bad striking out from both the left- and right-hand sides of the plate. Manny Acta shouldn't have to say that guys are hitting the ball hard, but have nothing to show for it.


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Talk Browns, Indians with Terry Pluto at noon

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Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cleveland sports. Are the Indians out of the race now? What should we expect from the Browns this season?

Terry Pluto use this new head shotTerry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cleveland sports.

Are the Indians out of the race now? What should we expect from the Browns this season?

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

Hicks is a solid pick up for line: Browns Comment of the Day

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"Hicks will be a valuable pick up considering all the various positions he has played on the O lines. I feel a little better about the Line now." -bc

hicks.jpgGuard Artis Hicks will be joining the Browns.
In response to the Browns signing OG Artis Hicks, cleveland.com user bc posts:

Hicks will be a valuable pick up considering all the various positions he has played on the O lines. I feel a little better about the Line now. Although I would like to see, along with a Linebacker and a pass rusher, maybe one more vet signed for the O line. Our line has been progressively getting better, though with Steinbach out, it has gotten a bit shaky. McCoy needs to be protected and given enough time to get his short precise passing game in gear.

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