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Tribe is out of the division race, but not out of goals: Cleveland Indians Insider

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Manny Acta delivers a message to the Indians on Friday. He tells them to snap out of their Tigers-induced hangover and refocus on finishing the season with a winning record and in second place in the AL Central.

manny acta.JPGView full sizeIndians manager Manny Acta wants to still see some effort from his team even though they're now officially out of the playoff race.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Indians manager Manny Acta met with his players before Friday night's series opener against the Minnesota Twins. He told them to put their old goals aside, concentrate on new ones and get over their Tiger-induced hangover.

The old goal was to win the American League Central Division. They opened this three-game series a Detroit victory away from being eliminated for the division title. They still were kicking in the wild-card race, but that is mostly a mirage.

"I wanted them to know that I know how they feel because I felt it, too, after the last series against Detroit," said Acta. "You see your dreams and goals shattered. You go through a few days where it's like a hangover."

It's unclear if Acta passed out Alka-Seltzer to his players, but he was definitely trying to deliver a message for the final 15 games.

"I told them they have to get right back up because there are a lot of games left and a lot of things to play for," said Acta. "You just have to shift your goals. We're not going to win the division, but second place is up for grabs.

"It's very important for us to finish the season with a winning record. Those are part of the goals I'm talking about. You can't just have one goal and that's it. If you can't accomplish it, you're going to be crushed. We have the right to shift goals, and right now finishing second, having a winning record figures into it. "

The Indians entered Friday's game with just two victories in their past 10 games. That included the Tigers' three-game sweep at Progressive Field from Sept. 5 through Sept. 7 that dropped them 9 1/2 games out of first.

Testing, testing: Josh Tomlin will throw his second bullpen session today to test his strained right elbow. If he passes that test, he'll throw a simulated game next week in Cleveland.

If that goes well, he could start one of the games in the Tribe's day-night doubleheader against the Twins on Sept. 24.

Third baseman Jack Hannahan, scheduled to join the Indians at Target Field this weekend, will remain in Cleveland rehabbing a strained left calf muscle.

"He hasn't run the bases yet," said Acta. "If he came here, he wouldn't be able to play."

Hannahan could get back in the lineup next week when the Indians play nine games in seven days in their last homestand of the season. They have day-night doubleheaders against Chicago on Tuesday and the Twins on Friday.

Special night: The Indians will honor Jim Thome this coming Friday at Progressive Field before they play the Twins. Ticket sales are already close to a sellout.

Thome has hit only one homer since he returned to the Indians in an Aug. 25 deal with the Twins. Before Friday night's game, he talked about whether he would try to play against next season or retire.

"I haven't thought about it," said Thome, 41. "I'm very blessed that I've been able to play as much as I have this year. Let's face it, teams have to call. You've got to get into the winter and see where you stand with that.

"Once I get home and sit down with my wife, similar to last year, we'll see where I'm at."

Thome became just the eighth major-leaguer in history to reach 600 homers earlier this season with the Twins. If he does return, it will be with the thought of trying to win a World Series.

He's been to two with the Indians in 1995 and 1997. He hasn't been back.

"That's what makes going back to Cleveland so unique," he said. "The opportunities we had in the 1990s, going to two World Series. The thing is you never know if you're going to go back.

"It would be a dream to win a World Series. Getting back to coming back every year, maybe that's what has driven me to keep coming back."

Finally: Kosuke Fukudome will resume his duties in right field following Shin-Soo Choo's season-ending left oblique injury Thursday in Texas. Fukudome was scheduled to move to left field when Choo was activated. He has never played left field in the big leagues. . . . The Twins announced catcher Joe Mauer is done for the season because of pneumonia.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

On Twitter: @hoynsie


A down-to-earth country club: Fun starts at the quack of dawn

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Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area is a great place to hunt waterfowl in Ohio's famed Sandusky Bay region and, unlike the exclusive duck hunting clubs all around the area, it doesn't cost a dime to enjoy a morning in the marsh.

 

Pickerel Creek Sunrise.jpgThe marshes of the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area on Sandusky Bay are a wonderful way station for watching a sunrise on a crisp September morning.

 VICKERY, OHIO

There are many waterfowl hunting clubs around Sandusky Bay, some so exclusive you'd have to write a check for the five-figure annual dues if your name ever reached the top of the waiting list. And there's no guarantee that will ever happen.

Pickerel Creek isn't one of those fancy duck clubs. It is a blue-collar public waterfowl hunting area. While it is a neighbor to some of the finest waterfowling clubs, a sportsman won't have to pay a fee or dues for a prime seat in the marsh.

Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area is a well-managed collection of marshland, ponds and wood lots sprawling over 3,500 acres of Sandusky County on the eastern edge of Sandusky Bay. To hunt there you'll need an early wake-up call to be in time for the 5:15 a.m. lottery drawing on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Bring along a spot of luck. Sportsmen's numbers are drawn by lottery, determining the order the 30-plus zones are handed out to the hunting parties for the morning.
 If there is a crowd and a hunter's name isn't drawn, the lottery for an afternoon hunt is at 11 a.m. On Friday, only one hunter signed up for the afternoon action.

Steve Ungvarsky of Marblehead and I tossed our names into the hat on Friday morning with a dozen other hunting parties anxious to hunt teal before the early season closed on Sunday. The early Canada goose season ended Thursday.

Pickerel Creek has hosted a lot of hunters since the early seasons began and we expected the ducks to be wary, but we were hoping for some fresh faces. This week's big north winds and a cold front could have encouraged a few migrating blue-winged teal and green-winged teal to visit the marsh on their way south.

Cradling a steaming cup of coffee at the area headquarters well before the crack of dawn, I kept my fingers crossed one of the better zones would still be available when our number was called. The local waterfowlers have spent years hunting these marshes, and know which zones have the edge depending on the direction of the wind, severity of the weather and time of year.

"Any zone can be good on any given morning," said Area Manager Jim Schott. "It's nice for a hunter to know that, at least for a morning, he'll have his own 30- or 40-acre piece of hunting marsh. People hunting here a lot usually do best, because they know the area and they're usually hard-core waterfowl hunters."

 Teal are the first ducks to migrate to Ohio, and the blue-winged variety lead the way. Green-winged teal are right behind, and both will had for balmier climates at the first hint of frigid weather.

 The lottery didn't go our way. We were among the last to be called to pick a zone, settling on an area in the middle of the marsh. After a short drive to a gravel parking lot and a long walk along marsh dikes to our zone, the Labrador retrievers splashed around the marsh as we put out decoys.

Hunters shouldn't expect a limit of ducks here because of the hunting pressure. Its is likely, though, a few ducks will make an appearance, usually mallards, wood ducks and, for now, the swift-flying teal. Canada geese are plentiful, and such rare ducks as canvasbacks, pintails and redheads do visit during the season.

 You don't need a boat to get to your zone, but waders are a must. A string of decoys, a duck or goose call, flashlight, rain gear, a retrieving dog and a thermos of coffee are all good ideas. Hunters are limited to 25 non-toxic shotshells. 

 With only teal on our hunting list on Friday morning, we enjoyed watching the large flocks of Canada geese and small groups of wood ducks fly over our heads. When a trio of blue-winged teal finally arrived in our patch of waterfowl hunting paradise, we were more than ready.

Just as importantly, we'd found ourselves a waterfowl hunting club. Membership and dues are not required.

Duck, goose hunting dates

 The early Canada goose hunting season is over in Ohio, and the early teal season wraps up on Sunday. The regular duck and goose seasons are just around the corner, with 60 days of duck hunting and 74 days of Canada goose hunting in 2011-12.

To hunt waterfowl in Ohio, you'll need an Ohio hunting license ($19, non-resident $125) and both an Ohio duck stamp ($15) and a federal duck stamp ($15). Here are the dates around the state, which include the new Lake Erie Marsh Zone.

Duck Hunting Dates

Statewide Youth Waterfowl Season - Oct. 1-2
Lake Erie Marsh Zone - Oct. 15-30 and Nov. 12-Dec. 25.
North Zone - Oct. 15-30 and Nov. 19-Jan. 1
South Zone - Oct. 22-Nov. 6 and Dec. 17-Jan. 29

Goose hunting dates

Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone - Oct. 15-30 and Nov. 12-Jan. 8
North Zone - Oct. 15-30, Nov. 19-Jan. 1 and Jan. 9-22.
South Zone - Oct. 22-Nov. 20 and Dec. 17-Jan. 29

Indians play afternoon game in Minnesota: Live Twitter updates

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Keep up with the action as Jeanmar Gomez takes the mound this afternoon for the Tribe.

Jeanmar GomezView full sizeJeanmar Gomez continues his 2012 tryout this afternoon in Minnesota.
The Indians continue their series in Minnesota this afternoon.

Jeanmar Gomez takes to the mound for the Indians. The Twins counter with Anthony Swarzak. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

Get updates on Twitter from @hoynsie in the box below.

MLB scoreboard.

Cleveland Indians top Minnesota Twins, 10-4, but RHP Jeanmar Gomez leaves with injury in 7th

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Carlos Santana ties Victor Martinez's club record for homers by a switch-hitter with his long homer in the second inning.

gomez-pitch-vert-2011-twins-ap.jpgView full sizeJeanmar Gomez delivered a strong outing on Saturday afternoon before leaving the game against Minnesota with an apparent leg injury.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The day after the Indians were officially eliminated in the AL Central race, something strange happened. The offense scored a lot of runs.

Then something not so strange happened. An Indians player was injured.

The Indians scored eight runs in the first two innings Saturday in a 10-4 victory over the Twins at Target Field. The victory went to right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, who limped off the field with two out in the seventh inning.

Gomez (4-2) twisted his right knee when he lunged for Ben Revere's bouncer past the mound. Josh Judy replaced him and recorded the third out.

"He's OK," said manager Manny Acta. "He'll be able to make his next start."

This is not a good time for the Indians to lose a starting pitcher to an injury. After Sunday's game, they return home to play nine games in seven days. They have day-night doubleheaders Tuesday against Chicago and Saturday against the Twins.

Acta said after the game that right-hander Zach McAllister will be recalled from Class AAA Columbus to start one end of Tuesday's doubleheader. Josh Tomlin, just off the disabled list, threw a second bullpen session Saturday to test his strained right elbow. If he continues to progress, he'll start one of Saturday's games. Mitch Talbot is also an option at Columbus, but he'd have to be added to the roster. The Indians could do that by moving Shin-Soo Choo from the 15- day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the first on Travis Hafner's two-out single, the Indians scored six runs in the second. The inning featured triples by Ezequiel Carrera and Jason Kipnis and a booming two-run homer by Carlos Santana to end Anthony Swarzak's day of a work.

It was Santana's 25th homer and tied him with Victor Martinez for the franchise record for homers by a switch-hitter. It was Santana's fourth homer in the last five games.

Carrera started the rally with a one-out triple over Joe Benson's head in right field. Trevor Crowe scored him with a single to center for a 3-0 lead. After Kosuke Fukudome walked, Kipnis tripled to the wall in left center to score Crowe and Fukudome.

Swarzak (3-7) retired Asdrubal Cabrera on a grounder to first, but Santana drove his 3-2 pitch into the second deck right field to make it 7-0.

Lester Oliveros relieved, but the scoring did not stop. Hafner walked and Matt LaPorta scored him from first on a double into the right field corner. Who said Hafner's right foot was hurt?

Kipnis and Cabrera singled with one out in the first to start the Tribe's offense. The single broke an 0-for-20 slump by Cabrera.

After Santana advanced the runners with a grounder to first, Hafner delivered them with a single to right.

The Twins made it 8-1 off Jeanmar Gomez on Michael Cuddyer's single in the third. Gomez is 4-0 since replacing injured Josh Tomlin in the rotation. He allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Swarzak allowed seven runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. He walked one and threw 54 pitches.

Manager Ron Gardenhire used a wave of relievers to slow the Indians after the second.  Francisco Liriano, just off the disabled list, followed Oliveros and threw two scoreless innings. Liriano might start one of the games in Saturday's day-night doubleheader against the Indians at Progressive Field.

Jim Hoey followed with a scoreless inning. Lefty Brian Duensing, like Liriano another injured starter trying to find himself before the end of the season, pitched a scoreless seventh.

The Indians did score twice off Matt Capps in the ninth. Kipnis doubled for his third hit of the game and went to third on an error. He scored on Cabrera's fourth hit of the day. Lonnie Chisenhall singled home Cabrera.

It was the first time the Indians injured and impotent offense scored 10 runs in a game since Aug. 10 against Detroit.

The Indians finished with 14 hits, nine by Kipnis, Cabrera and Santana, the second, third and fourth hitters in the lineup.

Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts prepare for a duel of the embarrassed

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Which team can dig deeper to overcome their debacle from last week?

colts-collins-pass-texans-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeKerry Collins and the Colts always seemed a step behind Antonio Smith and the Texans in the opening Sunday of the season. Can the Browns take advantage of a team still searching for answers without Peyton Manning on Sunday?

INDIANAPOLIS -- Most folks won't confuse Sunday's Browns-Colts game with a sneak preview of the AFC Championship, as both teams try to claw their way back to respectability after their debacles last week.

"The Colts have great weapons on the offensive side of the ball and they're a great team," said linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who played well in the loss to the Bengals. "For 10 years now, they've been a dominant team. We can't go in there thinking it's an easy win.

"They're going to look to have a great showing. It's their first home game and they didn't play well last week, so they'll be ready for us. It'll be a dogfight because we felt like we should've won last week and they have a lot to prove."

Said running back Peyton Hillis: "I've always been taught, when you're backed up against a wall and have nowhere to go, that's the most dangerous team or most dangerous person. I'm a fair example of that. If you try to judge somebody for what they are or what they have, they usually come out and beat you."

The Colts, still reeling from the loss of Peyton Manning to neck surgery, lost 34-7 to the Texans with replacement quarterback Kerry Collins fumbling three times. He lost two in the first quarter alone to the spot the Texans a 14-0 lead. By halftime, Houston had their 34 points, and the Colts could only muster a fourth-quarter touchdown.

But with another week of practice, the 38-yard Collins -- a two-time Pro Bowler -- is optimistic he won't be as bad. The Colts lured him out of retirement Aug. 24.

"We have to improve," Collins told reporters on Wednesday. "There were too many mistakes, too many turnovers. I feel more and more comfortable every day running the offense, making decisions. We just have to keep grinding away."

The Browns, who are trying to overcome the quick-snap mess-up that cost them the Bengals game, aren't counting on Collins' errors.

"He's a veteran guy, so I know he's going to get back on track," said Jackson. "He can fix things in a hurry. He's surrounded by a lot of talent in [running back] Joseph Addai, [receiver] Reggie Wayne and [tight end] Dallas Clark. [Collins] has been playing for [17 years] now and we can't take him for granted, not for one second."

Rookie right end Jabaal Sheard is determined to improve his run defense after the Bengals ran right at him.

"I've got to step it up in run defense," he said. "I've got no other choice. I've struggled against the run a little bit and my defense is depending on me. Hopefully I'll go out this week and prove something."

Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron was encouraged by the debuts of Sheard and fellow rookie Phil Taylor.

"From here, we're hoping they go even faster because now they know this is how it's played," he said. "We probably have to find a way to rest them more and rotate players."

The Browns offense will try to get in synch against a defense that will attack fast and furiously from the edges with ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. The Browns will counter with a right tackle combo of Artis Hicks and Oniel Cousins, and are still breaking in their young guards.

"I don't know if you're going to find [two better defensive ends] across the league," said Colt McCoy, who was 19-of-40 against the Bengals. "We know we've got our hands full there. They're veteran guys and I'm sure they're going to come out ready to play at home."

The Browns will try to avoid the penalties that plagued them last week, 11 in all and seven in the first quarter -- including three false starts.

"It will be loud," said McCoy. "It's going to be important to not give away your snap count, especially with two ends that can fly up the field. We've got to stay poised and confident."

Tight end Evan Moore said the skill players need to do a better job to help McCoy.

"Colt played fine," said Moore. "We're one or two plays from winning that game and then we're talking about how Colt's 1-0 and he did a lot of good things. All of us can do a better job of helping him out. I know I can."

Tight end Ben Watson acknowledged the offense is still a work in progress.

"We're nowhere near where we need to be, but we're also a lot further than where we were," he said. "There's going to be some games where we're clicking and some where we're not. It's a problem if we fold the tents, but we won't."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Five Questions with ... Indians left-hander David Huff

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When the season ends, the Tribe's lefty hurler finds some competition on the golf course.

huff-tribe-2011-angels-nohit-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeA slight change to his pitching motion gave David Huff the edge in getting back to the major leagues this season.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Despite a 3.40 ERA, the Indians' lefty is 2-5 so far this season.

Q: When the season is over, what's the first thing you're going to do?

A: I try to take two weeks off and do absolutely nothing. I'll play some golf. Like I say, I try. It usually ends up being about five days before I get the itch and I'm back in the weight room.

Q: What kind of golfer are you?

A: At the beginning of the off-season, I'm not good. By the end of the off-season, I'm right around a two handicap.

Q: What was it that you worked on the most at Columbus that got you back to the big leagues this year?

A: I utilized my legs to where I got more out of them. I used less of my arm to where it was more like a rocking motion instead of a muscle up and jerk motion. I got my front arm up and in doing so it helped me get the ball on a downward plane.

[Columbus pitching coach] Ruben Niebla helped me with it. At first it felt really weird. It was a little change, but it felt like a drastic change. Eventually, it worked out.

Q: Who is the toughest hitter you've faced in the big leagues?

A: [White Sox shortstop] Alexi Ramirez is tough for me. He's right on top of the dish and stands at the front of the box. I try to bust him in, but he's really quick to the inside corner. I think he's hitting about .800 off me with three jacks.

Q: What's been your best moment on a baseball field?

A: The one moment I think I'll always remember is the [complete game] I threw against Texas last year. I could throw any pitch wherever I wanted. I felt like I'd arrived. After that things went downhill pretty fast, but that's the one moment I'll probably always remember.

Cleveland Browns' airplane stuck in Hopkins Airport mud, delayed 3.5 hours in flight to Indianapolis Saturday

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The Browns got stuck in the mud on their way to their first road game of the season. Literally.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Browns got stuck in the mud on their way to their first road game of the season. Literally.

Their arrival in Indianapolis was delayed about four hours because their plane got stuck in the mud at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The pilot miscalculated taxiing to a runway.

The team had to deplane and wait for a new plane.

The Browns arrived in Indianapolis at about 6:15 pm -- about 3 1/2 hours later than scheduled.


Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Miami Hurricanes: Live Twitter updates

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Get live Twitter updates as Ohio State takes on Miami.

braxton-miller-run.JPGView full sizeBraxton Miller could play a key role for the Buckeyes against the Hurricanes.
Ohio State survived last week against Toledo to move to 2-0. They face their stiffest test of the young season tonight when they pay a visit to Florida to take on the Miami Hurricanes.

How will it all play out as the Buckeyes look to move to 3-0? Get updates on Twitter from Doug Lesmerises @PDBuckeyes and Bill Livinigston @LivyPD in the box below. Kickoff is at noon.

College football scoreboard.


New kickoff rules create more touchbacks and more risk-taking: NFL Insider

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The insane new rules on kickoffs resulted in 330 percent more touchbacks on the NFL's opening weekend.

packers-cobb-koret-squ-ap.jpgView full sizeRandall Cobb's 108-yard kick return for a touchdown against New Orleans on the NFL's opening night revealed the lengths the league's top returners will go to have a chance to make a play on special teams.

INDIANAPOLIS -- One week into the regular season and we can see where this new kickoff rule is going.

There were far fewer returns -- and thus fewer collisions -- which was the intent of the rule. And return teams have retaliated by taking out of the end zone just about anything they can get their hands on.

The rule, which moved the kickoff up five yards to the 35-yard line, resulted in 79 touchbacks -- 50.6 percent of the 156 kickoffs. There were 24 touchbacks in the first weekend last year -- 18 percent of 137 kickoffs.

But the league was ecstatic that scoring was up. The 752 total points were the second-most ever for a first weekend. And league officials pointed to a record-tying three kickoff returns for touchdowns as proof that the new rule will not totally eradicate the most exciting play in the sport. Green Bay's Randall Cobb (108 yards), Minnesota's Percy Harvin (103) and San Francisco's Ted Ginn Jr. (102) all reached the end zone.

"I think what surprised me overall, just looking at the weekend, is that there are teams that are going to be bringing the ball out more, perhaps, than I thought they were," Baltimore special teams coach Jerry Rosburg said to reporters.

This was the case in preseason, but the feeling was that coaches might give their returners the stop light when the games started counting. Not so.

"Returners, they're skill players and they have great courage and they want to shine so they're champing at the bit to bring it out. That's a little bit of what you are getting," said Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

Josh Cribbs was a case in point. He seethed as Mike Nugent sailed his first three kickoffs out of the end zone. On Nugent's fourth blast, Cribbs positioned his feet just inside the end line, snared the ball and ran. Press box statisticians called it eight yards deep, but it looked like nine. Cribbs returned it 51 yards to ignite the Browns' first touchdown drive against Cincinnati.

"I think what you'll see ... [is] kickers that have the leg to do it still trying to boom it out," said Shurmur. "I think that's going to be the primary way that teams are going to approach this and then I do think you're maybe building a mentality like we talked about where the end line is like the goal line."

In the old days, returners rarely returned any kick that sent them beyond the goal line. Now anything catchable in the end zone likely will be coming out. Why not? Cribbs feels he can make it to the 20 by accident.

It may be that the aggressiveness of returners caught coverage teams by surprise in the first week.

"The natural reaction might be as you're running down there is it's going to go out and then all of a sudden here he comes," Shurmur said. "That little delay may be something.

"I know we're constantly telling our guys that you cover it like it's coming out and then the only time you react is when it doesn't. I think there can be more emphasis put on that to make sure that the ball doesn't come out on you."

One week is too tiny of a sampling for the league to draw conclusions, of course.

"What will be interesting to find out as we go down the stretch here is how many of those kicks will be brought out when the game is tight in the second half when you have a lead," Rosburg said. "Those things could change the whole scope of the kickoff return."

Getting younger: The Browns' youth movement placed them tied with Tennessee as the sixth-youngest team in the NFL on opening day with an average age of 26.02, per NFL statistics. Tampa Bay's 25.17 average age is the lowest. Defending champion Green Bay is tied for third with Cincinnati at 25.74.

The Browns had 17 rookies and first-year players on their opening day roster -- most in the NFL.

Last year the Browns' opening-game roster was the NFL's second-oldest (27.49) and second most-experienced (5.23 years), with 18 players over 30 and only six rookies or first-year players, tied for second-fewest.

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

Spotlight On ... Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez

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Former OSU star has missed all but three games in the past two seasons because of two separate knee injuries.

colts-gonzalez-squ-2007-ap.jpgView full sizeRecent seasons have been a struggle for former Buckeye Anthony Gonzalez as injuries have kept him out of the Colts lineup.

INDIANAPOLIS -- If Anthony Gonzalez is on the field Sunday, consider it a success. Of course, making a catch or two would be nice, too. But Gonzalez, who was born in Avon Lake and played at St. Ignatius and Ohio State, would be happy just to finally be back where he hasn't spent much time at all the past two seasons.

The receiver missed all but three games in the past two seasons because of two separate knee injuries.

He missed last week's season opener nursing a hamstring injury.

At long last, he's feeling pretty healthy, and Gonzalez hopes his return can come against his hometown Browns today.

"I'm really looking forward to this week," Gonzalez told reporters in Indianapolis. "One thing I've been trying to do is just keep a perspective about everything and to stay hungry and humble. I think I've done it to a certain degree. I'm raring to go. I'm ready."

His eagerness is understandable, given his NFL career so far. Drafted in the first round in 2007, he worked his way slowly into the receiver rotation, catching 37 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns.

In 2008, he had what appeared to be a breakout season with 58 catches for 664 yards and four touchdowns. The Colts released longtime star receiver Marvin Harrison in the off-season. Gonzalez was poised to start.

And then, the injuries.

In 2009, it was his right knee. In 2010, it was his left knee.

And then, a right hamstring injury last week forced him to watch the Colts' first game without quarterback Peyton Manning since 1997. It was an embarrassing 34-7 loss to Houston.

"One of the more painful things about not being able to play last week was with all that was swirling around our team, all the negativity and everybody saying all these terrible things about us, I really wanted to be there, just to be out there with the guys and kind of battle through that with them," Gonzalez said. "Not being able to do that really hurt. My thought is I'm fortunate to be able to do it this week. This week is a big week for us, especially the way last week ended. I'm excited, I'm ready and just hope I can help out."

Just being back on the field will be a start.

As payroll grows, so does off-season pressure on Cleveland Indians front office: MLB Insider

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The Indians' payroll in 2012 could go as high as $70 million depending on how they answer some of their biggest questions over the winter.

sizemore-whiff-jays-squ-to.jpgView full sizeWhen it comes time for the Indians' front office to decide on the option for a 2012 season with Grady Sizemore, it could be the toughest call of the off-season, says Paul Hoynes.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Indians' payroll is going up in 2012. How much will depend on some difficult decisions by Larry and Paul Dolan, President Mark Shapiro and GM Chris Antonetti.

This year's team opened with a payroll of just over $49 million, the smallest in seven years. To start the 2012 season with basically the same roster is expected to push the payroll to close to $70 million. It's unlikely that would happen, but the Indians are facing some big decisions that will shape the 2012 payroll.

Travis Hafner: The injury-prone DH enters the final year of his contract for $13 million. Do they keep him or walk away and eat the rest of the deal? Since the money is already spent, this might be the easiest decision to make. He stays, he gets paid. He goes, he gets paid. So somebody make a decision.

Grady Sizemore: Do the Indians pick up his $9 million club option after three injury-filled seasons or try to re-negotiate? Another option would be letting him walk away through free agency.

The sentiment was strong to exercise Sizemore's option in midseason. Now he's back for the third time from the disabled list trying to re-assemble his game. This will be the front office's toughest call.

Fausto Carmona: The Indians hold a $7 million club option on Carmona, who has lost 15 games this year. If they don't exercise the option, Carmona is still under their control, but would be eligible for arbitration.

Carmona could probably earn just as much, if not more, through arbitration on a one-year deal. He would also be eligible for free agency after 2012. If the Indians exercise Carmona's option, and he performs well next year, they still have club options for 2013 and 2014. Given the state of their pitching depth, including Carlos Carrasco's Tommy John surgery and the trade of Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, this seems like a pretty easy call.

The only big money the Indians have on the books for next year, outside of Hafner's $13 million, is Ubaldo Jimenez's $4.25 million. He has a club option for 2013 worth $5.75 million.

The next big bump in the 2012 payroll will come from arbitration. Seven Indians are eligible, assuming Carmona's option is exercised. Tony Sipp could be an eighth if he qualifies as a super two player. Players need three years in the big leagues to qualify for arbitration, but players in the upper 17 percent in service time who have more than two years, but fewer than three also qualify. Sipp will have two years and 138 days at the end of the season, but it hasn't been determined yet if he qualifies.

Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez, Rafael Perez and Joe Smith are arbitration veterans. Justin Masterson and Jack Hannahan will be eligible for the first time.

The Indians have not had a player go to arbitration since 1991, but the threat of it remains a profitable venture for players. Choo, after earning $461,100 in 2011, was eligible for arbitration last season for the first time. He signed a one-year deal worth $3.975 million. Chris Perez jumped from $423,800 to $2.225 million in his first year of eligibility. Cabrera went from $444,600 to $2.025 million.

This winter, Choo, Chris Perez and Cabrera could jump to between $4 million and $5 million each. Choo was in line for a bigger payday, but struggled early at the plate, got arrested for a DUI and then was beset by injuries that ended his season last week. It will be interesting to see if the Indians approach Choo and his agent, Scott Boras, with a multiyear contract this winter. They did last season, but the talks went nowhere.

Masterson, the workhorse of the rotation, is making $468,100. It's been speculated that he could jump to $4 million next year. Rafael Perez is making $1.33 million, Smith $850,000, Hannahan $500,000 and Sipp $436,800. They'll all be in for raises, with Rafael Perez probably pushing $2 million.

The Indians will have three free agents in Kosuke Fukudome, Chad Durbin and Jim Thome. If the Indians don't pick up Sizemore's contract, Fukudome has a chance to return. Hafner and Thome are too similar to keep both. Durbin has done a good job in his role, but the Indians might try to find a younger reliever.

Colorado Rockies putting plenty of faith in their 'energetic lions': Ex-Indians Drew Pomeranz and Alex White

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Expanded rosters and a sub-.500 season have allowed the Rockies and their fans a sneak preview of what they got -- and what the Indians gave up.

pomeranz-rockies-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeDrew Pomeranz' big-league debut last weekend was a scoreless five innings and a win for Colorado. "It's been such a crazy time, but it felt good to get back out there and get a win, too," he said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As important as the Ubaldo Jimenez trade was to the Indians and what they expect from him over the next two seasons, it was even bigger for Colorado.

The Rockies parted with their franchise pitcher for a calculated risk -- that pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz will become everything the Indians predicted they'd be when they made them first-round draft choices in 2009 and 2010.

The Indians anticipated White and Pomeranz would form the front of their rotation for the next several years. Instead, they're a big part of Colorado's rebuilding plans.

"We expect both to be members of the rotation next year, if everything works out, and be Rockies for a long, long time," said pitching coach Bob Apodaca. "I couldn't be more pleased with the acquisition. We lost a quality person, we lost a quality pitcher, but then we acquired two young energetic lions."

Expanded rosters and a sub-.500 season have allowed the Rockies and their fans a sneak preview of what they got -- and what the Indians gave up.

Late-season call-ups on teams playing out the string -- against teams in the same position -- offer no conclusions on calculated risks. But White and Pomeranz have shown enough to get fans a little juiced in Denver, where the trade was as controversial as it's been in Cleveland.

Pomeranz, 22, who got a no-decision in a Rockies loss to the Giants, impressed in his debut last Sunday, blanking Cincinnati on five hits with two walks, a hit batter and two strikeouts in five innings for the win. It was his first appearance after an appendectomy had sidelined him for about a week -- which came after two starts for the Rockies' AA team, which came after league rules delayed him joining the team for two weeks after the trade.

"I haven't really thrown that much in the past month-and-a-half," he said in a phone interview last week. "It's been such a crazy time, but it felt good to get back out there and get a win, too."

The 6-5, 230-pound lefty was limited to about 65 pitches. He expected to ratchet it up to about 80 in start number two. Other than trying to build up arm strength sapped by inactivity, Pomeranz was pleased with the outing.

"I was locating my fastball really well," he said. "When I do that, it makes things a lot easier for me. My changeup was real good early and, towards the end, I started throwing my breaking ball for strikes."

white-rockies-2011-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeIt's been a less-than-perfect transition to the National League for former Indians prospect Alex White, with an ERA over 6.00. "The numbers aren't obviously anything that I would want. They've been pretty bad," White said.

Following Friday's 9-1 loss to San Francisco, the right-handed White was 2-2 with an 8.46 ERA with the Rockies, (3-2, 6.75 ERA counting his appearances with the Indians). He's allowed 11 homers and walked 14 in 27.2 innings with the Rockies.

"The numbers aren't obviously anything that I would want. They've been pretty bad," said White, 23, who cracked the Indians rotation in late April before tearing a tendon in his right middle finger three weeks later. "But the bottom line is I'm healthy, I'm getting back to 100 percent, my finger feels good, I'm able to throw 80 to 100 pitches every five days and the stuff is coming back."

White, Pomeranz, pitcher Joe Gardner and utility player Matt McBride were dealt on July 31, as the clock on baseball's trade deadline was ticking down. All four were with the Indians' Class AA Akron Aeros farm team. Pomeranz, a recent call-up from Class A Kinston, was supposed to start that night. White was preparing for his first rehab assignment.

Pomeranz was warming in the bullpen when he was suddenly scratched from the lineup.

"I threw a couple of pitches and they told me to sit down and go to the clubhouse," he said. "I was kind of shocked at first because I kind of blocked it out in my mind that I was going to get traded. I didn't think me or Alex would get traded, but that's how it works, I guess."

White was also in the bullpen about to warm up when he got the word.

"They called down and were like, "You're not pitching either," he said.

Indians fans -- and some in the media who expected to see a rotation built around these two for years to come -- weren't the only ones stunned.

"You know, I was," said White, who was a huge fan of Atlanta and Braves pitcher John Smoltz as a boy in North Carolina. "I don't understand a lot of that stuff. That's for the guys that make those decisions. I know the Indians got a very good pitcher, but I also know the Rockies got three good pitchers and a pretty good hitter."

Some reports immediately after the trade suggested White was upset about it. He said he'd read that, too, but had no clue where the information came from.

Maybe it came from his own Twitter finger. On Aug. 2, White first Tweeted: "Denver or Cleveland, Denver or Cleveland? Let's be honest, I'll take Denver. With the exception of a few people."

He must have heard from Tribe fans, because he soon followed up with another: "Wow, y'all take me way too serious. Relax cleveland I loved my time there. I have no choice where I am. Just following the path god laid out."

White, who described the trade as "bittersweet" because he enjoyed Cleveland, is close to Indians third-baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. They faced each other in college and came up through Kinston together.

White did well in his first two starts with the Indians before the finger injury stunted his progress and possibly his future with the team. He was asked whether he thought he might still be with the Indians if not for that.

"You know, I don't know. My dad asked me that question as soon as [the trade] happened," White said. "I was so comfortable in Cleveland. I felt so good when I came up. My arm felt great, I felt I was pitching well. You just never know."

Ohio State online wrapup: Running back thinks Buckeyes should have pounded the ball in second half

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Buckeyes' back Carlos Hyde thinks keeping the ball on the ground in the second half may have worked.

Hall.jpgOhio State running back Jordan Hall was sidelined by cramps for much of the second half.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - Trailing 17-6 at the half Saturday night, Ohio State first needed to stop Miami on the first drive on the third quarter. The Buckeyes did that, forcing a three-and-out. Then the Buckeyes needed to pound the ball, try to run it down Miami's throat and see if it might be possible to win a game with one complete pass.

That's what the Buckeyes had at halftime, one completed pass. They were 1 for 11 for 4 yards. And maybe those numbers should have stayed right there.

Ohio State's first offensive play of the third quarter was a 7-yard Carlos Hyde run. Then came a 2-yard Hyde run, and a 1-yard run for a first down. It wasn't dominant, but it worked, at least a bit.

And then, for the rest of the third quarter, the Buckeyes called seven pass plays and two running plays and gained a total of -4 yards, all in a game in which they still trailed 17-6, a manageable score that should have left all the offensive options on the table.

"I felt like me and Jordan were doing a great job in the run game, so I felt we should have just come out and ran at them," OSU tailback Carlos Hyde said of the second-half plan. "We should have manned up and ran straight at them, see if they could stop us.

"I think it would have worked. I mean, to me, I don't think they were stopping us on the run, so I feel like it probably would have worked."

There was one problem with that. Hall wasn't available. After his 27-yard punt return gave the Buckeyes good field position at their 43-yardline, Hall cramped up after he went soaring into the air as he was tackled. He didn't touch the ball on offense again until the middle of the fourth quarter.

"I wasn't too happy about," Hall said about the cramp forcing him to the sidelines. "It was very frustrating. I'm still frustrated."

He admitted the fact that he'd been out for the first two games of the season because of a suspension may have contributed to the cramping.

But the Buckeyes needed him. He gained 87 yards on 14 carries, a 6.2 yard average. And he allowed Hyde to become a complement instead of the workhorse, and Hyde gained 54 yards on 12 carries, a 4.5 yard average.

Considering where the Buckeyes were as an offense then, running the ball still had to be the call. There was plenty of time on the clock, they were only two scores down and nothing in the passing game was working, either passing or catching.

But after Hyde's first down, Joe Bauserman was forced to pull the ball down against good coverage, and scrambled back to the line of scrimmage. Then Ohio State called a planned rollout to Bauserman's left, so he could throw across his body and incomplete. And then he was sacked for a 7-yard loss on third down after Miami jumped on a screen and no other receivers came open. And that was it. Drive over without another run call.

You must remember, every running back and offensive lineman in the world wants to run the ball every down. So their inclination is to believe rushing the ball will always work.

"We were ready to run the ball. But we had to try some stuff through the air when they started to load up the box," right tackle J.B. Shugarts said. "We did all we could. We tried to get it done on the ground."

"I feel like we tried to run the ball as well as we could," center Mike Brewster said. "I thought we had some success. But you can only run so often."

 Maybe running more often was in order when the passing game was like throwing your head against a brick wall. In the fourth quarter, the Buckeyes went to more zone-read and turned the offense into a two-man game between Hall and quarterback Braxton Miller. Miller gained a total of 22 yards on three plays, Hall ran for 4, then Miller ran twice more for a total of 8 yards. But that last run ended when Miller fumbled when the ball was punched loose from behind.

At least the Buckeyes were trying a version of the run game, by then certain that the pass game was dead.

For the game, Ohio State ran 37 times for 190 yards and thew 18 passes and completed four for 35 yards.

That's twice as many runs as throws, but in the end, even 18 passes was too many. 

Five-time champion Jimmie Johnson out of the spotlight as he begins bid for sixth straight Sprint Cup title

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Jimmie Johnson is out of the spotlight as he begins his bid for a sixth straight Sprint Cup championship.

Jimmie JohnsonDriver Jimmie Johnson (48) tips his hat during qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. Johnson celebrated his birthday at the speedway. (AP Photo/Karen Wagner)

Joliet, Ill. -- Kyle Busch heads the list of favorites to win the NASCAR championship this season. He's followed by Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards, and Jeff Gordon ranks up there, too.

What about Jimmie Johnson? You know, the guy who has won the last five titles?

As usual, he seems to be overlooked. While the spotlight focuses on all the drivers who might end his reign, Johnson is quietly preparing for what he hopes will be a sixth consecutive title.

"I'm a realist," he said Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. "There's a year when we're not going to be the champion and that's fine. That's the way it is. I just want to make sure the team and myself, that we don't leave anything on the table. If we get beat we get beat, and I'll walk up and shake the champion's hand.

"What I'm most focused on as a team is that we don't beat ourselves."

The 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup championship begins Sunday at Chicagoland. Johnson goes in ranked sixth in the 12-driver field, and he trails co-leaders Busch and Harvick by nine points. He could theoretically make that up with a win Sunday, but those are harder and harder to come by these days.

Johnson has just one win so far this season, at Talladega, where Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushed him to the victory. More startling is the Talladega win is his only victory in the last 35 races -- one shy of a full season.

Even though the lone victory is the fewest amount of wins he's had at the start of any previous Chase, it would be foolish to read too much into the numbers.

"I don't draw any conclusions," he said. "We've rolled in hot, we've rolled in cold and we've ended up with championships. I truly believe that these 10 races, it's a clean sheet of paper. You just start over."

His rivals understand they overlook at their own risk.

"It won't surprise anyone in the garage or this room if he were to be one of the contenders in the final race at Homestead," said Edwards, ranked fifth in the Chase standings. "He is awfully tough to have to race at these championships ... everyone takes that as a given. I think that is where the lack of talk about it comes from."

Teams have tried a variety of ways to beat Johnson down the stretch and failed. Hendrick teammate Gordon went toe-to-toe with him in 2007 and lost, Edwards used a flurry of late victories in 2008 and fell short and teammate Mark Martin couldn't keep pace in 2009.

Then came Denny Hamlin, the lone guy to actually get Johnson on the ropes. Hamlin went into last year's season finale as the points leader, but showed signs of cracking before he even got to the track. Johnson joked at the contenders news conference that Hamlin's nerves -- he was shaking his leg under the dais -- were rocking the entire stage.

It was no surprise when Johnson, smooth and steady, retained his title after Hamlin slogged through a sloppy final weekend.

So just what will it take to beat Johnson?

"No one's tried locking the (jerk) in a port-o-john yet," laughed Kyle Busch. "I mean that in the kindest way possible."

Trying to rattle Johnson is simply a waste of time. He scoffed at Kurt Busch at Richmond last weekend when Busch referred to him as "a five-time chump" and intimated he's in Johnson's head because Johnson intentionally wrecked him during the race.

Tired of the long-running feud, Johnson approached Kurt Busch during the Chase driver celebration and invited him into the infield to settle their differences once and for all in an exchange several other drivers witnessed. Instead, they agreed to attempt to move forward incident-free.

"What we do as champion drivers is put those things behind us and go race. That's what we're supposed to do," Busch said. "We know we have to race hard and race smart."

That's what Johnson intends to do, and there's evidence the No. 48 team has turned it up a notch while preparing for the Chase. Before Richmond, where the on-track incidents with Busch led to a 31st-place finish, Johnson ticked off five straight top-10s. He was second at Michigan, fourth at Bristol and second at Atlanta.

That ability to shift it into another gear and not let anyone disrupt him is what has competitors most worried.

"The 48 is perhaps the mentally strongest team there is out there," Brad Keselowski said. "I don't think anyone would argue that and they have speed. That's a lethal combination because when you have the mental focus that they have you can execute ... and when you have speed, that's two of the three parts of the pie, with the third one being a little bit of luck.

"Certainly nobody knows if they'll have the luck this year, too. It doesn't mean it's going to be easy for anyone to beat them but as far as time's concerned, eventually they've got to lose one, right? Eventually it's got to happen."

Keselowski wins Nationwide Series race at Chicago

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Brad Keselowski used a dominating run Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway, where he hoped to carry some momentum into the opening round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

brad-keselowski.jpgNationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Brad Keselowski used a dominating run Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway, where he hoped to carry some momentum into the opening round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Keselowski capitalized on Carl Edwards running out of gas on pit road to grab a sizable lead that was never challenged. He beat Edwards to the finish line by 8.568 seconds for his third victory of the season.

It was the first win for the defending Nationwide champion since his July victory at Indianapolis. He broke his left ankle in a crash while testing at Road Atlanta four days after that win, and sat out three scheduled races as he healed.

He returned to NASCAR's second-tier series three weeks ago, and broke through for the win on the eve of the opening round of the Chase. Keselowski won two Cup races after he was injured to storm through the standings and claim one of the two wild-card berths into the Chase field.

What does the win do for his chances Sunday?

"There's always the confidence, that's the biggest thing," said Keselowski, who will start sixth in the first of the 10 Chase races. "I think we're on a good stretch. We haven't even started the Chase. I like what we're doing on the Nationwide side, and hopefully there's some momentum and all those good things, good karma paying off and paying forward on the Cup side.

"But as of right now, it's just the Nationwide race, and tomorrow is tomorrow."

Keselowski led four times for 158 of the 200 laps.

Edwards, another Chase driver, rallied from the fuel miscue to finish second.

"I had a really good time racing with Brad about halfway through the race for the lead, that was a lot of fun," Edwards said. "We just had a little trouble there on pit road. Ran out of fuel, then we had a really long green flag run. I would have liked the opportunity to race Brad, I guess we just didn't get that caution."

But even after Edwards trailed Keselowski by a large margin for the final green-flag run, which stretched 131 laps, he praised NASCAR for not calling a suspect caution just to bunch the field back together.

"I really applaud NASCAR for letting the race run its course. Anything can happen," Edwards said. "I think too often NASCAR is quick to throw cautions. I think they showed me and everybody that if there is nothing out there and no reason to throw a caution then they won't. I think it lends a lot of credibility to the series and they showed today that they don't mind that a guy is out there with a seven or eight-second lead. They will let the race run its course.

"I think that is a big statement for them to make before the Chase starts."

Edwards isn't so sure, though, what kind of statement Keselowski made for the Chase.

"It is definitely two different series," Edwards said. "I can't tell you how many times I have run so well on Saturday and struggled on Sunday because it is so tough. They are two separate events."

Keselowski is already considered a threat to challenge for the Sprint Cup title based on the run he reeled off after his Aug. 3 crash. He won the Cup race four days later at Pocono, was second at Watkins Glen, third at Michigan and then won at Bristol.

There were many who speculated Keselowski's surge in Sprint Cup was due to him sitting out of the Nationwide Series. He insisted Saturday there's no correlation.

"I don't think it's fair to a lot of different people and to reality," Keselowski said. "The reality of it is we have become more successful as a team as we've been able to execute the weekend on the Cup side, and part of the reasons why we're executing the weekend better are just plain luck. That didn't have anything to do with driving a Nationwide car the day before ... I just don't connect the two."

Brian Scott matched his previous career-best finish of third, earned at Chicagoland in July 2010.

"Racing with the Cup guys is the best experience that a Nationwide guy can get," Scott said. "You're not going to get to that level unless you're racing them. Today, I think it shows where our performance is capable of as a team in a field full of a lot of Cup drivers. I'm proud of the effort and we just need to keep having runs like this to make it happen more often."

Aric Almirola was fourth and Sam Hornish Jr. finished a career-best fifth.



Ohio State online wrapup: Braxton Miller's postgame attitude, Bradley Roby says he made a "stupid mistake," Joe Bauserman on fans, etc.

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Braxton Miller was composed when he said he let down Buckeye Nation.

Braxton.jpgOhio State QB Braxton Miller

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. - Late-night, or early-morning, thoughts, notes and quotes from Ohio State's 24-6 loss to Miami:

* This quote from Braxton Miller made it into my game story:
 
"I feel pretty good, but I know I let people down," Miller said. "I want to come back harder." Asked who it was he let down, Miller said, "Buckeye Nation."

Just so you know, Miller didn't say that through tears. He was composed when speaking to reporters after the game and said those words in a very matter-of-fact way. You may remember that after his first loss as a starting quarterback as a freshman, Terrelle Pryor was joined in his postgame interview by quarterbacks coach Nick Siciliano, who patted Pryor on the back and told Pryor it wasn't his fault.

Yes, Miller wasn't the starter on Saturday, but still, as a point of reference, this reaction wasn't close to that. I think he does feel some responsibility for his interception and his fumble, but I don't think his confidence is in tatters.

"You've got to practice everything and that was my mistake and I regret it," Miller said. "I'll learn from it. I've just got to work harder."
  
After the Ohio State team plane landed back in Columbus, Miller wrote on Twitter after 4 a.m., "New grind starts tomorrow."

* Redshirt freshman cornerback Bradley Roby had a big interception, but he also allowed Miami's second touchdown of the game when he was beaten in one-on-one coverage by receiver Allen Hurns. Roby didn't turn back to look for the ball, so a pass by Jacory Harris that wasn't lofted at all was still an easy grab for Hurns.

"I was in press-man and I should have looked back for the ball," Roby said. "He kind of got me off the line and I should have looked back for the ball, but I didn't. It was just a stupid mistake." 
 
Roby rotated at one cornerback spot with Dominic Clarke and was part of a defense that settled down pretty well after giving up touchdowns on Miami's first two possessions. The Buckeyes gave up 116 yards on 15 plays (7.7 average) on those first two drives and 247 yards on 50 plays (4.9 average) the rest of the game. But the OSU offense didn't help out much.

"That's real frustrating sometimes when the offense can't move (the ball), but we try not to worry about it," Roby said. "We try to do our thing on defense and hope the offense gets everything together. ... We've got to get better on offense. But I'm not blaming anybody. We made our mistakes on defense, too."

* Was Joe Bauserman too concerned with turnovers at times? He fired the ball through the endzone on one third-down rollout from the 5-yardline when it looked like he had a chance to squeeze in a throw to Chris Fields.

"I saw what I saw. Some of the things I didn't like and I didn't want to force it," Bauserman said of his game in general. "You don't want to turn the ball over, especially to a team like that."

By the way, as for the troubles in the passing game, Bauserman said it wasn't because the defense was confusing him.

"We didn't see a ton of crazy defenses or a bunch of blitzes," Bauserman said. "We just didn't execute."

"I didn't execute, and it sucks. You want to be the best, but it just didn't happen today."

* I asked Bauserman what he thinks the OSU fans will be like this week.

"They want us to win, just like we want to win," Bauserman said."We'll be upset at ourselves, but they'll be upset at us."

* OSU offensive lineman J.B. Shugarts on the Buckeyes' 35 yards passing: "You can't really win big games, especially playing great teams like Miami, doing things like that. So we need to get better. ... I think we need to keep fighting. I thought a lot of guys showed a lot of fight."

 

Jim Leyland leads resilient Tigers to AL Central crown

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Jim Leyland guides reslient Tigers to AL Central crown.

Miguel Cabrera, Jim Leyland, Gene LamontDetroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera, right, embraces manager Jim Leyland as third base coach Gene Lamont (22) joins them after the Tigers clinched the AL Central Division title at the end of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Oakland, Calif. -- For all his years on the top dugout step in four managerial stops, Jim Leyland has never been a believer in chemistry carrying a club. He figures that simply winning is what brings a team together.

Yet these resilient 2011 Detroit Tigers have their old-school skipper changing his tune ever so slightly. One glimpse of this group celebrating its new AL Central crown might have done the trick: puffs of cigar smoke and swigs of champagne between the hugs, handshakes and cheers.

Detroit captured its first division title since 1987 on Friday night, continuing a sensational September by securing a spot to play in October.

No question there's chemistry here, a commitment to play together despite the doubters -- and plenty of on-field swagger to back it up.

Ace Justin Verlander and the Tigers are returning to the playoffs for the first time since their 2006 World Series run fell short against St. Louis.

Now, the 66-year-old Leyland is gearing up for another postseason with his rebuilt roster.

He has received key contributions from the reliable regulars like slugger Miguel Cabrera and closer Jose Valverde, the role players such as Don Kelly, and new additions Delmon Young and Doug Fister.

Everybody has been important along the way, making it all the more memorable for Leyland this time around.

"That's why you coach a team," he said, emotional as ever. "This is something Donnie Kelly will never forget. That's what makes it special to me. There's a guy a lot of people don't know about, don't talk about very much."

They might now. Kelly hit a solo home run in the seventh after an earlier RBI single in the Tigers' 3-1 win at Oakland on Friday night to wrap up their first division title since capturing the AL East in 1987, three years after their last World Series championship.

To think this team was eight games back and four below .500 in early May.

"At that point in the season we all believed we were a very talented team. Coming out of spring training this was one of our goals and we believed we'd be able to do this," catcher Alex Avila said. "We thought we'd get there and win the games necessary to put us in this position. It's just a lot of fun to be on this ballclub right now. This is the first step."

Leyland said he feels fortunate things clicked when they did. He has also been on the other side of it during the stretch drive.

Detroit had a 12-game winning streak before losing the series opener to the Athletics on Thursday night. In that stretch, there were two sweeps of the White Sox, one against Minnesota and another at Cleveland.

The Tigers also took three straight from the Indians from Aug. 19-21.

"If somebody would have told me 15 games before that that we'd sweep Cleveland twice, Chicago twice and Minnesota once, I'd have said, 'You're out of your mind,' and so would anybody else, I think," Leyland said. "You always have the pressure. Sometimes it's self-inflicted, and sometimes you can't help the pressure that comes from the outside. That's why my theory has been do your job and stay positive and let the rest take care of itself. ... When you've got a good team, it's good pressure. When you've got a bad team, it's bad pressure."

Has this September success shaped the way others see the Tigers? Leyland isn't sure.

But he will be among the first to defend Detroit, and also the first to note, "I'm not saying we're some kind of perfect team."

"I don't want to come off as all of a sudden I'm popping off. That's not my style. Believe me, I'm low key. I want to lay under the weeds," Leyland said. "If you looked, even after the break, if you watched the TVs and stuff, how it was: 'The White Sox are going to win this thing. The Tigers they have bad second halves, they won't win.'"

Leyland acknowledges even he wasn't sure. Then, optimism grew as general manager Dave Dombrowski got to work making improvements.

Fister and Young have fit right in since they came aboard.

Young was acquired in a three-player deal with the Twins on Aug. 15, veteran infielder Wilson Betemit came from Kansas City for a pair of prospects in July and Jhonny Peralta at the trade deadline last year from Cleveland.

Leyland has worked to keep everybody involved. By playing everyone, "I think you win your team over," he said. "I believe they really appreciate that."

Fister sure does.

The 6-foot-8 right-hander pitched eight impressive innings in the clincher to improve to 6-1 since he joined the Tigers in a six-player trade with Seattle on July 30. He is 5-0 over his last six starts and has given Leyland another front-line starter behind Verlander, an AL Cy Young Award contender.

Fister has allowed only four earned runs in his last 44 2-3 innings for an 0.81 ERA over that stretch.

"This is very special for me. It's been a whirl of emotions all year long," Fister said. "To be able to spend this night with these guys is something that I've only dreamed of. Obviously we still have a long road ahead of us."

A road Leyland is happy to be leading. He and Dombrowski each received contract extensions Aug. 8, and the Tigers have been nearly unbeatable since.

Victor Martinez, specifically, has the manager reconsidering his longtime beliefs about chemistry.

The Tigers surely wouldn't have clinched their first division title in nearly a half-century this soon without his timely swings this month. Martinez had two more hits Friday and was batting .339 (20 for 59) in 15 games during September heading into Saturday afternoon's contest.

"Victor Martinez has been huge. He's relentless. He's been a god send for us," Leyland said. "I'm not a big chemistry guy but he has helped that. ... The reason Victor's presence has meant so much is the fact he's hitting .330 and knocking in big run after big run. If Victor was hitting .230 or .240, the chemistry might not be the same."

The Tigers won Friday for the 23rd time in 28 games dating to Aug. 19 and 25th time in the club's last 36 road games.

Leyland is signed through the 2012 season. He takes pride in the fact that he is coming back when plenty of people didn't picture that scenario for this franchise moving forward.

"I've been around a long time. I don't think any one is more special than the other, but you always find a reason to make this one special," Leyland said. "This one's special to me for personal reasons. I'm just glad I'm managing the Tigers next year. There probably weren't a lot of people who thought I would be."

These Tigers have taken a big step.

They came so close two years ago, when Detroit held a three-game lead with four games left. Minnesota caught up and then handed the Tigers a heartbreaking loss in a one-game playoff for the division title. Leyland thought his '06 team should have won the Central, too.

"I think we're a good team. I think we're a legitimate opponent for anybody," he said. "I'm not all of a sudden bragging, saying, 'Oh, we're going to win everything.' Nobody's making any silly statements like that.

"I don't think anybody's saying they'll just breeze through the Tigers," he said. "I think people throughout baseball think we're a pretty good team. ... I don't think people will look at us like, 'That's a piece of cake, we'll waltz through them, who are we playing next?' At least I hope not."

Floyd Mayweather wins by 4th-round knockout

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Floyd Mayweather remained unbeaten and did it in emphatic fashion Saturday night, stopping Victor Ortiz at 2:59 of the fourth round to take the piece of the welterweight title Ortiz brought into the ring.

Floyd Mayweather, Victor Ortiz Floyd Mayweather delivers a knockout punch to Victor Ortiz in the fourth round during a WBC welterweight title fight, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)

LAS VEGAS  — In just one round, Floyd Mayweather Jr. got a head butt, a kiss and a hug from Victor Ortiz.

He responded with a right hand that ended a bizarre fight early.

Mayweather remained unbeaten and did it in emphatic fashion Saturday night, stopping Ortiz at 2:59 of the fourth round to take the piece of the welterweight title Ortiz brought into the ring.

The end came just as the two fighters emerged from a break, in which Ortiz had embraced Mayweather in the center of the ring. As they broke, Mayweather shot out a left hand and followed it with a right that put Ortiz down in his corner.

Ortiz struggled to get up as referee Joe Cortez called an end to the fight.

"We touched gloves and we were back to fighting and then I threw the left and right hand after the break," Mayweather said. "In the ring you have to protect yourself at all times."

The round was already controversial, as Ortiz appeared to head butt Mayweather intentionally, leading Cortez to take a point away from him. After the head butt, Ortiz went to Mayweather and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Seconds later they were in the center of the ring ready to resume action when two punches ended it quickly.

"I took the break by the referee and I obeyed exactly as I was told," Ortiz said. "And then, boom, he blindsided me."

Mayweather was winning the fight through three rounds, dominating with speed and landing good right hands to the head of Ortiz. He won all three rounds on two ringside scorecards, and two of three on the third.

Ortiz picked up the pace in the fourth round, trying desperately to get inside Mayweather's vaunted defense. He did on occasion and was having a better round when, late in the round, he appeared to intentionally head butt Mayweather in frustration as the two fought in Mayweather's corner.

"He did something dirty when it was his corner who said I was dirty," Mayweather said. "But I won the fight."

Mayweather later engaged in a verbal confrontation with HBO announcer Larry Merchant, calling him a name at one point and drawing a pointed response from the 80-year-old broadcaster, who said he would thrash the boxer if he "was 50 years younger."

While Ortiz claimed he was caught by a punch that came before Cortez ruled the fighters to continue, the referee said Mayweather did nothing wrong.

"Time was in, the fighter needed to keep his guard up. Mayweather did nothing illegal," Cortez said.

Mayweather, a 5-1 favorite in the fight against a champion 10 years younger, had vowed to go right after Ortiz and give the fans who bought the pay-per-view card at home an exciting fight. He mostly delivered on that promise, landing some good right hands in the early rounds and winning exchanges with his quickness.

Ringside punch stats reflected his dominance, showing Mayweather landing 73 of 208 punches to just 26 of 148 for Ortiz. Mayweather consistently beat Ortiz to the punch, and his experience and hand speed appeared to be the difference.

But he hadn't really hurt Ortiz and took some punches himself in the fourth round as Ortiz seemed to rally before the head butt touched off the series of events that brought the fight to an end. Ortiz quickly apologized to Mayweather after the head butt, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek while Cortez was busy taking a point away from him.

There was another quick hug in the center of the ring as action was about to resume, followed by the 1-2 combination by Mayweather that put Ortiz on his rear. Ortiz tried to get up, but was still on his knees when the fight was waved to a close.

"There's two ways to look at it but as far as I was concerned I came here to entertain the fans and I think they were entertained," Ortiz said. "There was a miscommunication with the referee but nobody is perfect and this was a learning experience."

Mayweather made a minimum of $25 million for his first fight in 16 months, a sum that will likely go up as the pay-per-view receipts are totaled. He could make even more against Manny Pacquiao next May should Pacquiao win his November fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and the two finally agree to fight.

Mayweather remained unbeaten in 42 fights, scoring the knockout he had predicted. Ortiz, who lost his 147-pound title, fell to 29-3-2.


Doug Lesmerises: OSU Must Move On (Video)

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CineSport's Brian Clark asks Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer how Ohio State can overcome an ineffective performance in its loss to Miami Saturday.

CineSport's Brian Clark asks Doug Lesmerises of The Plain Dealer how Ohio State can overcome an ineffective performance in its loss to Miami Saturday.




Cleveland Browns go with Artis Hicks over Oniel Cousins at RT

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The revolving down at right tackle continues as Tony Pashos remains out.

hicks.jpgArtis Hicks takes over at right tackle today in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Artis Hicks will make his first start for the Browns at right tackle in place of injured Tony Pashos.

Hicks, who joined the Browns the week of their first regular-season game, came off the bench in the opener against Cincinnati last week. He will replace Oniel Cousins, the first-game starter.

Pashos was among the team's inactive players for today's game against the Colts.

The others: quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, receiver Carlton Mitchell, safety Eric Hagg, linebacker Titus Brown, offensive lineman Steve Vallos and tight end Jordan Cameron.

Colts inactives: Quarterback Peyton Manning, defensive back Kevin Thomas, running back Darren Evans, defensive back Chris Rucker, linebacker Ernie Sims, linebacker Gary Brackett and guard Seth Olsen.

The Colts shifted strongside linebacker Pat Angerer to the middle in place of Brackett. Philip Wheeler will start at strongside linebacker. 

Open sesame: Lucas Oil Stadium has a retractable roof and an enormous window on its north side. Because of a light drizzle, the roof will be closed for today's game. But the window -- measuring 88 feet high and 244 feet wide -- will be open behind the north end zone.  

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