GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - Garfield Heights is hosting a boys basketball showcase for college coaches Thursday that will feature over 100 players from across the state. The showcase starts at 6 p.m. and general admission is $4.

John Hay's Devon Carter is among a handful of area standouts registered for a boys basketball college showcase Thursday night at Garfield Heights. - (Special to The Plain Dealer)

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio - Garfield Heights is hosting a boys basketball showcase for college coaches Thursday that will feature over 100 players from across the state.

The showcase starts at 6 p.m. and general admission is $4.

The participants are sophomores, juniors and seniors from across Northeast Ohio, as well as Toledo and Columbus. Among the registrants are Devon Carter of John Hay, Tony Farmer of Garfield Heights, Curtis Oakley Jr. of Brush, Eric Truog of Kenston and Maurice O'Field of Cleveland Heights.

About 40 college coaches from Division II, III and junior college programs are expected to attend, in addition to coaches from prep schools.

Spots are still available for players. The walk-in rate is $30. Registration is from 4-5:30 p.m.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera lifted for Jason Donald in the ninth inning. No word on what caused his exit.

Cleveland Indians' Kosuke Fukudome, of Japan, watches his ball after hitting a solo home run off Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Gavin Floyd during the fifth inning in the first baseball game of a doubleheader, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three home runs accounted for all the Indians runs Tuesday as they beat Chicago, 4-3 [box score], Tuesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Progressive Field.

Travis Hafner, Asdrubal Cabrera and Kosuke Fukudome homered off Gavin Floyd, who lost for the first time against the Indians this season. Floyd was 2-0 this season and 4-1 lifetime against the Indians before Tuesday's loss.

Cabrera, after grounding out in the eighth, did not come out to play shortstop in the ninth. Jason Donald replaced him. There was no word on what cause Cabrera to leave the game.

The win went to Fausto Carmona (7-15). Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his 35th save in 38 chances. Joe Smith and Vinnie Pestano cleared the way for Perez by retiring the side in the seventh and eighth in order, respectively.

Cabrera's leadoff homer in the fourth and Fukudome's two-out homer in the fifth gave the Indians a 4-2 lead off Floyd (12-12). 

Cabrera's homer, his second in as many games, gave him 24 for the season. It tied him with Jhonny Peralta for the most homers hit in one season by and Indians shortstop. Peralta hit 24 in 2005.

Fukudome's homer off a 2-1 pitch gave him seven for the season, including four since the Indians acquired him July 27 from the Cubs.

Hafner gave the Indians a 2-0 lead in the first with his 12th homer. Jason Kipnis reached on a bunt single and stole second before Hafner came to the plate with two out. It was Hafner's first homers since Aug. 16th when he homered off Chicago reliever Chris Sale.

The White Sox tied the score, 2-2, in the second when they started the inning with four straight hits off Fausto Carmona. A.J. Pierzynski hit a leadoff single, went to second on Alex Rios single and scored on Adam Dunn's double past third. Dunn has had a brutal year in Chicago, but he entered Tuesday's game hitting .325 (13-for-40) with one homer and eight RBI against the Indians.

Chicago made it 4-3 in the sixth when Alex Rios singled, took third on Dunn's double and scored on Alejandro De Aza's grounder to second. Carmona ended the inning with the lead intact by retiring Brent Moo0re on a drive to deep center.

Carmona was done after sixth. He allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked two. Carmona threw 94 pitches, 58 for strikes.

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With the scheduled start of the regular season six weeks away, there may be some urgency to make progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement.

Associated PressNBA commissioner David Stern arrives at a news conference after team owners met on Sept. 15 in Dallas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- NBA training camps are scheduled to open within the next two weeks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' first preseason game is slated for Tuesday, Oct. 11, against the Milwaukee Bucks at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavs' 42nd regular season in the NBA will begin on Wed., Nov. 2, against the Celtics in Boston.

All of that, of course, depends on whether the owners and players can settle on a new collective bargaining agreement.  

The old CBA expired when June 30 turned to July 1. The league imposed a lockout which is still in effect, while occasional talks have generated little optimism for an imminent settlement.

Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine reports that according to sources, representatives for the league's owners and players, with lawyers from both sides, will meet on Wednesday in New York.

NBA commissioner David Stern and NBA Players Association boss Billy Hunter will not attend Wednesday's meeting, but Broussard also writes:

On Thursday, the two sides will have a small group meeting. Stern, Adam Silver, Spurs owner Peter Holt, who is head of the owners' labor relations committee, as well as Hunter, union president Derek Fisher and lawyers and economists from both sides will attend.

It is not unusual for the staffs of the two sides to meet. They held such a meeting last month. It cannot be labeled as a bargaining session because of the absence of the key figures, but everything from salary-cap concepts to secondary issues such as the league's age limit could be discussed.

Broussard adds a somewhat optimistic note, considering that there has been some speculation -- though never verified -- that some owners wouldn't mind losing a segment of the regular season. Broussard writes:

With the scheduled start of training camp just two weeks away, both sides are feeling a heightened sense of urgency. While tough rhetoric has come from both camps, sources say neither wants to postpone the start of the regular season.

New York Times reporter uses several factors in a formula to estimate the one team that each of 75 to 80 million college grid fans prefer. OSU first among the 120 FBS teams, wtih Akron 89th and Kent State 113th.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerA few of the more than three million fans -- the most for any team in the country -- who call Ohio State's Buckeyes their favorite college football team, according to a study.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It took a lot of number-crunching and a good dose of creativity by a New York Times reporter, but there's good news for the tarnished Ohio State football program and its legions of fans.

The Buckeyes have the most fans of any college football team in the country, according to a study by the NYT's Nate Silver.

Silver writes that surveys find that 75 to 80 million people in the United States regularly follow college football. To try to pinpoint the one team that each of those fans favor, Silver used a formula that considered factors such as television media markets, Google search traffic, revenues created by each football program and an online survey called the CommonCensus Sports Map Project.

Silver ranks the 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in order of the number of fans they have, according to his study.

Akron ranks 89th and Kent State is 113th.

The top 10:

Rank  School            Conference           Fans

   1.  Ohio State       Big Ten             3,167,263

   2.  Michigan          Big Ten             2,921,066

   3.  Penn State       Big Ten             2,642,275

   4.  Notre Dame     Independent    2,261,738

   5.  Texas               Big 12                2,250,310

   6.  Texas A&M       Big 12               2.030,188

   7.  Auburn             S.E.C.                 1,900,389

   8.  Alabama           S.E.C.                 1,879,881

   9.  Florida              S.E.C.                 1,811,922

  10. Clemson           A.C.C.                 1,761,162

The study is also intriguing because of the ongoing movement by high-profile schools from one conference to another, a subject that Silver addresses.

Silver writes, that if the Big Ten intends to expand:

The Big Ten can afford to be picky. Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are the three most popular college football teams in the country, according to our study. Seven Big Ten teams, including new addition Nebraska, rank in the top 20 nationally. And all but one Big Ten school is in the top 50, the lone exception being Northwestern, which has the Chicago market and strong academics going for it.

The only plausible additions that would allow the Big Ten to improve upon its average of about 1.5 million fans per team are Notre Dame (2.3 million fans) and Texas (also 2.3 million). But good luck adding those schools.

Miami Dolphins welcome a trip to Cleveland after two home losses.

Robert Duyos, MCTThe season is off to a disappointing start for coach Tony Sparano and the Dolphins, who are 0-2 after two home games. The good news for Miami is that the Dolphins were 6-2 on the road last year and are traveling to Cleveland this week.

Since taking over 95 percent ownership of the Miami Dolphins in 2009, Stephen Ross has tried to reclaim the South Florida sports market that used to be the exclusive property of Don Shula's former football team.

He's talked of making the team more "fan friendly" and of improving "the game-day experience."

He's added some high-profile ownership partners from the entertainment world embedded in the South Florida culture, such as Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Emilio Estefan, Serena and Venus Williams, and Fergie.

But the Dolphins are losing fans because they don't win at home. They were 1-7 last year and began this season with two home losses. Attendance fell off 15,000 for the second game.

All of which makes their trip to Cleveland this weekend a welcome relief to them.

"All I know is when I go on the road I have my team's full attention," coach Tony Sparano said this week. "I'm with them longer, I get to be around them longer, they get to be around the coaches longer. That's what I know. If that's a good thing then that's a good thing.

"We're going to take the team on the road and we're going to do everything. It doesn't matter where we're playing. We can be playing in the middle of the street this week. We need to find a win and that's what we're going to try to do."

Sparano has been on the "hot seat" since Bill Parcells bailed out as chief football executive last year. Parcells put the management team together that transformed the Dolphins from 1-15 to 11-5 seemingly overnight. But they're 7-9, 7-9 and 0-2 since.

After last season, Sparano dangled in the wind as Ross courted Stanford's Jim Harbaugh to replace him. Sometime during this awkward period, Ross took a call from fired Browns coach Eric Mangini to arrange a meeting. It was reported in South Florida that Mangini would "consult" with Sparano and General Manager Jeff Ireland about the franchise's "vision" going forward.

Ultimately, that meeting was canceled and Sparano was retained and given a two-year contract extension. He wound up replacing retired offensive coordinator Dan Henning with Brian Daboll, who was Mangini's coordinator two seasons with the Browns.

The offense hasn't been the problem through two games. The Dolphins' defense has been strafed by the likes of New England's Tom Brady (517 passing yards) and Houston's Matt Schaub (230).

After their visit to Cleveland, the Dolphins have games at San Diego and then at the Jets before returning for the next home game Oct. 23 against Denver. Yes, you can call this a big game for them.

An estimated 3,000 to 4,000 of them showed up for Tuesday's makeup game between also-rans in the middle of a workday.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerSome sections of Progressive Field were completely empty during Tuesday's afternoon makeup game, and others offered plenty of elbow room.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A whopping 28,603 fans bought tickets for what was supposed to be a clash of divisional contenders on a Saturday night in July.

Instead, an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 of them showed up for Tuesday's makeup game between also-rans in the middle of a workday.

"It's fun to be out here by yourself," said Rachel Walker.

The fans who showed were mainly baseball junkies. They loved watching the Indians edge visiting Chicago 4-3, regain a .500 record and stretch their margin in second place in the Central Division to 2½ games, pending a nighttime finale in a makeshift double-header.

But some might have loved watching rookie league teams play in December.

"We love baseball," said Walker.

"It's a very relaxing game," said Sister Helena Marie of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit, who wheeled Sister Mary Philomena, a smiling 94-year-old, into Progressive Field.

Few fans expected the 2011 Indians, with a bargain budget, daunting injuries and a fluctuating lineup, to stay close in the American League's Central Division race until early September, when the Detroit Tigers raced ahead.

"They did a lot better than all the low expectations," said Payton Mehalic, 15, of Brooklyn Heights, who missed school for the game. "Next year--that's their playoff year."

Some fans said they prefer baseball by day. Many work nights. Others like the sun more than the stars. Unlike Monday's rain-shortened loss, Tuesday's day game featured occasional sunshine and temperatures starting at 71 degrees.

Lawyer Dan Karon watched the game while highlighting a legal brief.

"It's a nice change of pace," he said. "I could either do it inside, or outside enjoying the final pleasures of summer in a major-league city. It's one of the perks of living here and working downtown."

When the front-runners vanish, the diehards find it all the easier to attend. Said Karon, "I moved here from Chicago. You're not going to walk over to U.S. Cellular Field or fight the Wrigleyville traffic to see the Cubs mid-day."

The Indians were originally scheduled for six games in six days during this final homestand of the year. Instead, they're hosting nine games, including three makeups, over seven days.

Team spokesman Bob DiBiasio said the Indians will sell more than 1.8 million tickets this year, up from about 1.4 million last year. He credited the jump growth to lower prices and more wins.

"We provided five months of terrific baseball," said DiBiasio. "Manny Acta deserves to be manager of the year. These guys continue to go out and play hard every day. We've got youngsters getting their first taste of extended major-league action and enjoying every moment. There's a lot to build on for next year."

Fausto Carmona kept his cool when things got hot and as a result he got a win in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Tony Dejak, Associated PressFausto Carmona turned in a quality start on Tuesday, allowing three runs in six innings, to pick up a win against the White Sox.

Fausto Carmona stayed cool instead of overheating. It is a better way for him.

Some pitchers need an extra shot of adrenaline when they're in a tight spot. Carmona needs to ease off the accelerator. In the first game of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader against Chicago, that's just what he did to win his first game since he last beat the White Sox on Aug. 17.

After Travis Hafner gave him a 2-0 lead with a first-inning homer off Gavin Floyd, Carmona came out in the second and gave up four straight hits. The White Sox tied the score, 2-2, but Carmona had good fortune and cool on his side.

With runners on the corners and no one out, Brent Morel sent a liner to right with Alejandro De Aza running from first to second on the pitch. Kosuke Fukudome made the catch in right field and threw to first to complete the double play. Carmona retired Gordon Beckham, the next batter, on a grounder to end the inning.

In the third, with runners on first and second and one out, A.J. Pierzynski lined out to first baseman Carlos Santana, who stepped on first to complete the double play.

In the fourth, with the score still tied, 2-2, Carmona stranded De Aza on third. In the sixth, after giving up a run to cut the Tribe's lead to 4-3, he retired De Aza on a grounder and Morel on a fly ball to center with the tying run on second.

"Today I didn't try too hard," said Carmona. "The second inning, I tried a little too hard when I gave up those four straight hits. Then I thought, 'Make a good pitch, get a double play.' "

Carmona is 7-15 overall and 2-2 against the White Sox this season. The 15 losses are a career high.

"Fausto did a nice job battling today," said manager Manny Acta. "He had some traffic on the bases and was helped a couple of times in double plays, but give him credit, he didn't crumble."

Crumbling has been a problem for Carmona. It usually happens when something goes wrong at the wrong time. Then the problem multiplies, and soon after that, Carmona is headed to the dugout.

"He's been up and down this year. . . . very much so," said Acta.

Said Carmona: "I'm not happy with the losses. I want to win. I just have to finish the season strong."

The Indians hold a $7 million club option on Carmona for next season. If they don't pick it up, they still control him, but he will be eligible for arbitration.

What course of action the Indians take with Carmona will be one of the important story lines of the winter.

Table for one: After the Indians lost to Seattle, 12-6, Monday, Travis Hafner made it to The Q to see WWE Raw. During the show, Jerry "The King" Lawler, WWE's analyst and sometimes wrestler, was thrown through a table.

"It was entertaining," said Hafner. "It happened right in front of us."

On some websites, it was written that Lawler was taken to a Cleveland hospital. Lawler, visiting Hafner in the Indians locker room between games of Tuesday's doubleheader, looked fine.

"I went to my hotel, not the hospital," said Lawler.

There was also talk of the table not being properly rigged, i.e., the screws weren't loosened beforehand to lessen the impact. Lawler made no comment on the subject.

Another arm: Right-hander Corey Kluber was recalled from Class AAA Columbus before Tuesday's doubleheader. It's his second tour with the Tribe this year.

Acta wanted Kluber to give the bullpen depth because of Tuesday's and Saturday's doubleheaders.

In another move that could give the Indians an extra arm if needed, Mitch Talbot was scratched from starting Tuesday night for Columbus at the Class AAA championship game against Omaha in Albuquerque, N.M. Joe Martinez started instead.

The Indians wanted to have Talbot available in case they need him during the final homestand of the season.

Game 2: White Sox defeat Indians, 5-4.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians, chasing second place in the AL Central, kicked one to the curb Tuesday night.

The Indians squandered a four-run lead through four innings and lost to the White Sox, 5-4, at Progressive Field. They had won the opener of the day-night doubleheader, 4-3.

The Tribe (76-77) remains in second place, but only by 1 1/2 games over the White Sox (75-79).

The Indians scored four in the fourth against right-hander Dylan Axelrod to build the 4-0 advantage.

Jim Thome's single to right drove in Jason Donald, who had singled. With the bases loaded and none out, Grady Sizemore hit a sacrifice fly to left. Matt LaPorta hit an RBI double, the assist going to right fielder Dayan Viciedo, who misplayed the ball. Jack Hannahan delivered a sacrifice fly.

The White Sox scored once in the fifth against right-hander Zach McAllister. Gordon Beckham hit a two-out RBI double. Beckham finished with three doubles.

McAllister exited with a runner on first and one out in the sixth. Reliever Rafael Perez later gave up a two-run double to Alejandro De Aza that pulled Chicago within 4-3. The failure of shortstop Donald and second baseman Luis Valbuena to turn a double play proved costly.

The White Sox took the lead with two in the seventh against righty Zach Putnam. They were poised to score more, loading the bases with one out, but lefty Nick Hagadone got Viciedo to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Credit Donald with a nice trigger and  Valbuena with a quick turn.

Sizemore led off the Tribe eighth with a walk, but the Tribe's offense stalled.

Donald singled up the middle with one out in the ninth against lefty Chris Sale. It was Donald's fourth hit, matching a career-best. Carlos Santana grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.  

Juan Pierre led off the game with a grounder to Valbuena, who was late and wide with the throw. The official scorer ruled the play a hit. Tribe catcher Santana picked up Valbuena by erasing Pierre attempting to steal second with a terrific throw on the bag.

Former Indian Omar Vizquel led off the third with a double. McAllister used a spin move to pick off "Little O.'' The play loomed large when, with two outs, Gordon Beckham doubled. Pierre grounded to second to end the threat.

McAllister, recalled from Class AAA Columbus on Monday, is making his third start with the Indians. The previous two were spot starts, and they did not go well (0-1, 12.27).

McAllister struck out Adam Dunn with a 93-mph fastball above the belt for the final out of the fourth. McAllister allowed three hits through four.

For more Cinesport video, go here.

Ohio State has a quarterback decision this week, but the possibility of throwing in a true freshman can't be taken lightly.

Wilfredo Lee, Associated PressSenior Joe Bauserman has not thrown an interception this season, but his penchant for throwing the ball away has caused many OSU fans to sour on him as the team's starter.

Columbus -- Ohio State's starting quarterback against Colorado on Saturday could be the guy who threw two passes that mattered against Miami, and had one of them intercepted, and who, during his other 16 plays on the field, lost control of the football three times.

Or it might be the guy who most Buckeyes fans think is worse.

Freshman quarterback Braxton Miller is the first option. Fifth-year senior Joe Bauserman is the second option. And though some fans might have tired of the 25-year-old Bauserman after his three starts this season, starting a true freshman quarterback at this level of college football can't be taken lightly.

"I couldn't even imagine it," OSU junior Zach Boren said of starting at quarterback as a freshman, though Boren himself did start as a freshman fullback. "The quarterback, you have to know what everyone is doing every single moment, so it's definitely hard to be a true freshman and be out there playing quarterback."

Ohio State coach Luke Fickell was noncommittal on his quarterbacks Tuesday, saying the battle will continue to be waged in practice this week. Ohio State center Mike Brewster, speaking after Tuesday's practice, said the practice snaps were divided the same as they have been, as he worked primarily with Bauserman and Miller. No. 3 quarterback Kenny Guiton doesn't appear to be a major part of the conversation.

The contrast in the decision facing Fickell and his staff is stark, though the choice itself might not be as clear as the fans rooting for the freshman hope it is. Bauserman hasn't made many plays this season, but he also hasn't made any turnovers. Miller has made more of both, and Fickell is, in general, aggravated by the turnovers to the point of exaggeration.

Wilfredo Lee, Associated PressFreshman Braxton Miller appears to be a more dynamic presence on the field than Joe Bauserman, but his penchant for turnovers, he is recovering his fumble here against Miami, makes coach Luke Fickell hesitant to commit to him as the No. 1 guy.

Last year, Ohio State lost two fumbles in 13 games.

"I don't want to exactly tell you how many we've had already this year, but I can tell you it's almost three times or twice as many in three games," Fickell said. "We've got to get better."

The number is actually three fumbles lost in three games, two by redshirt freshman running back Rod Smith in the first two games and one by Miller on Saturday in the 24-6 loss to Miami. But Miller also mishandled a handoff that he fell on for a 4-yard loss and had the ball pop loose when he scrambled on another play, though he had the good fortune to have it fall back in his lap.

"You always need to take care of the ball, but at the same time, when you've got that playmaking ability, if you're able to get outside of the pocket, you can make something out of nothing," OSU right tackle J.B. Shugarts said. "You've got to keep the ball high and tight, but it's nothing to worry about. He'll be fine."

Miller also has thrown the only OSU interception, though it also can be argued that Bauserman, while interception-less, is too conservative and throws the ball away too often.

As some fans have pointed out, there aren't any other 25-year-old former minor-league baseball players starting in major college football. But there's less to worry about with old guys. There does have to be some caution exercised with a quarterback straight out of high school, and Miller talked during preseason camp about his gradual grasping of the playbook that Bauserman has been learning for five years.

This year, among the 100 top-rated passers in the NCAA statistics, only five of the quarterbacks are true freshmen. And none of them are from BCS conferences. Last year, seven of the top 100-rated passers were true freshmen, and only two of them were from BCS conferences: Chas Dodd with 4-8 Rutgers, and Penn State's Rob Bolden, who lost his starting job during the season to former walk-on Matt McGloin.

At this level, there's no such thing as just throwing in a true freshman quarterback. And while Miller was more advanced as a complete quarterback than Terrelle Pryor coming out of high school, Pryor's rare athleticism helped him survive and succeed in what was an unusual circumstance when he took over as a true freshman in 2008 for the Buckeyes.

What was right for Pryor, in the mind of then-OSU coach Jim Tressel, might not necessarily be what is right for Miller, this Ohio State team or Fickell. And while offensive coordinator Jim Bollman leads the offense, when it comes to decisions about who plays on offense, Fickell said he's pretty sure there will be a consensus among the staff, but, "ultimately we understand that when there's a decision that has to be made, there's got to be one place the buck stops."

This decision this week is a big one, with the Buckeyes (2-1) out of the top 25 for the first time since 2004. More Miller than last week, when he played 18 snaps to Bauserman's 37? Miller still as the second option to Bauserman? All Miller and no Bauserman? It can't be easy. But when asked if playing a freshman too early could set back his development, Fickell said, "Not that I know of."

So maybe it is time. But it wouldn't be because of how Miller played at Miami. It would be because the coaches feel like there's no other choice.

The Indians split a day-night doubleheader with Chicago on Tuesday. Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis Hafner and Kosuke Fukudome homer to lead the Indians to victory in the opener, but they couldn't protect a 4-0 lead in the second game.

Cleveland, Ohio -- If this was Asdrubal Cabrera's last homer of the season, he can return home to Venezuela with a smile on his face.

Cabrera homered in the fourth inning Tuesday in the opener of a day-night doubleheader against the White Sox. The homer helped the Indians to a 4-3 victory and gave Cabrera the distinction of being the first Venezuelan shortstop to hit 24 homers in a single season. Chicago rallied from a 4-0 deficit to earn a split with a 5-4 victory in the second game at Progressive Field.

It may have been Cabrera's last homer because in the eighth inning of the same game, he swung and missed a Will Ohman pitch. Something hurt in his back so bad that he bunted Ohman's next pitch back to the mound for an easy out. Jason Donald replaced him at shortstop for the ninth inning.

"He has a mid-back strain," said manager Manny Acta.

The Indians gave no official update on Cabrera, but if this injury is anything close to the oblique injuries suffered by Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo and Jason Kipnis this year, well, Cabrera can start packing his bags for home.

"It's not the oblique. It's in my lower back," said Cabrera. "The trainers said I've got a cramp back there. It's starting to feel better already."

Cabrera passed Atlanta's Alex Gonzalez for the single-season homer record by a Venezuelan shortstop. Gonzalez hit 23 in 2010 and 2004.

"I'm really happy," said Cabrera, who had never hit more than six homers in a season before this year.

The homer also tied Cabrera with Jhonny Peralta for the most homers by an Indians shortstop in one season. Peralta hit 24 in 2005.

Departed Orlando Cabrera told Cabrera in spring training to swing for the fences every now and then. Cabrera took his advice became an All-Star.

"I owe him a lot," said Cabrera. "He said he wanted to be my agent."

Travis Hafner, Cabrera and Kosuke Fukudome homered off Gavin Floyd (12-12, 4.46) to account for all of the Tribe's runs. Floyd was 2-0 this season and 4-1 lifetime against the Indians before Tuesday's loss.

Fausto Carmona (7-15, 5.23) pitched six innings for his first victory in seven starts. Relievers Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez retired Chicago's last nine batters in order to end it. Perez pitched the ninth for his 35th save in 39 chances.

Cabrera's leadoff homer in the fourth and Fukudome's two-out homer in the fifth gave the Indians a 4-2 lead. Hafner put the Indians ahead 2-0 in the first with his first homer since Aug. 16.

The White Sox tied the score, 2-2, in the second when they started the inning with four straight hits. A.J. Pierzynski hit a leadoff single, went to second on Alex Rios single and scored on Adam Dunn's double past third.

Chicago made it 4-3 in the sixth when Alex Rios singled, took third on Dunn's double and scored on Alejandro De Aza's grounder to second.

In the second game, rookie Zach McAllister gave the Indians 5 1/3 solid innings. McAllister left with a 4-1 lead in the sixth and it looked as if he was in good position for his first big league victory until the White Sox rallied.

Alejandro De Aza blooped a ball into left field and Shelley Duncan tried to make a sliding stop. The ball skipped past him as two runs scored to make it 4-3.

"It should have never gotten to Duncan," said Acta. "We didn't turn a double play in the sixth and that's when we lost it. If we turn the double play we get out of the inning with a three-run lead."

Dayan Viciedo, with runners on first and second and one out, sent a bouncer to Jason Donald at short. Donald, who had four of the Tribe's eight hits, made a low throw to Luis Valbuena at second with Adam Dunn coming into the bag. Valbuena's relay to first was not in time.

Rookie Zach Putnam (0-1) started the seventh and the lead vanished for good. Tyler Flowers singled, Gordon Beckham doubled and Juan Pierre sent an RBI grounder to second to make it 4-4. Alexei Ramirez sent a soft single into center to give Chicago a 5-4 lead.

"I know the kid couldn't hold the lead, but he has to pitch," said Acta. "That's the problem in September with doubleheaders and stuff. You can't be throwing those guys (veterans) in back-to-back games. It was Zach's day today and that's all there is to it."

McAllister allowed two runs on six hits. In two other spot starts for the Tribe, he allowed 10 earned runs in 7 1/3 innings.

"Zach was a different guy today," said Acta. "He was very aggressive. Got behind the ball and threw it with conviction."

The Indians took a 4-0 lead with four runs in the fourth against rookie Dylan Axelrod. Jim Thome, Grady Sizemore, Matt LaPorta and Jack Hannahan drove in the runs.

For more Cinesport video, go here.

The teams last met a quarter-century ago. Ohio State is 2-1 this season; Colorado, 1-2.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State players gather before the kickoff of their Sept. 10 game against Toledo at Ohio Stadium. The Buckeyes won, 27-22.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State has one game left to play before beginning its Big Ten schedule with a home game against Michigan State on Oct. 1.

That remaining non-league contest is against Colorado on Saturday at Ohio Stadium.

Neither the Buckeyes nor the Buffaloes have been especially impressive in their first three games.

Ohio State routed Akron's Zips, 42-0, in the teams' season-opener. To put that in perspective, though, consider that Akron lost, 59-14, at Cincinnati last Saturday, after trailing, 49-0, at halftime.

A week later, the Buckeyes held on for a 27-22 home win over Toledo, as the Rockets were unable to score after getting a first down at Ohio State's 22-yard line in the final two minutes.

Ohio State's weaknesses were exposed even more on Saturday night, in a 24-6 loss at Miami (Fla.) that dropped the Buckeyes from the national Top 25 rankings for the first time in nearly seven years.

Colorado, too, has had its early-season struggles. The Buffaloes, now in their first PAC-10 season after leaving the Big 12, opened with a 34-17 loss at Hawaii, then lost their home opener to California, 36-33. Colorado won at home, 28-14, over Colorado State last Saturday.

The teams have played four times, but none of the contests are relevant to Saturday's game. The last time the teams met was on Sept. 20, 1986. Ohio State senior quarterback Joe Bauserman, who is 25 and was a minor league pitcher for three seasons after being picked in the fourth round of the 2005 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, had his first birthday two weeks (Oct. 4) after that last Ohio State-Colorado game.

This, though, is how those games played out:

1986: Ohio State 13, Colorado 10, at Ohio State; 1985: Ohio State 36, Colorado 13, at Colorado; Jan. 1, 1977 Orange Bowl: Ohio State 27, Colorado 10; 1971: Colorado 20, Ohio State 14, at Ohio State.

An event that has a Ryder Cup-like feel and has raised more than $450,000 for an area special needs hospital will be held for the 17th consecutive year this weekend at two courses in Akron.

An event that has a Ryder Cup-like feel and has raised more than $450,000 for an area special needs hospital will be held for the 17th consecutive year this weekend at two courses in Akron.

The Shaw Cup, which pits teams representing private clubs against those who play primarily at public courses and benefits the Akron General Edwin Shaw Rehabilitation Institute, will take place at Prestwick Country Club on Saturday and Weymouth Country Club on Sunday.

The event was the idea of the late Joe Ungvary, a former basketball coach at John Adams and the University of Akron, as well as the U.S. Senior Amateur champion in 1993. His son, Joe Jr., is in his third year as the captain of the public side.

The public team leads the series, 8-5-3, and is coming off an impressive 17-11 win last year. The two-man best-ball and alternate shot competition will be held at Prestwick on Saturday, with 14 singles matches scheduled for Sunday at Weymouth. Each match is worth one point, and the first team to 14 points wins. The event is free and open to the public.

The Private Club team includes senior players Dave Pulk (Lake Forest), Bill Downing (Fairlawn), Jim Corcoran (Weymouth), Larry Lahnan (Walden), Rick Areddy (Barrington) and Jeff Leonard (Fairlawn), while Mike Riley (Fairlawn), Ross Beal (Prestwick), Don Padgett III (Firestone), Ben Cavey (Medina), Brian Belden (Canton Brookside), Jeff Mallett (Canton Brookside), Kurt Peterson (Shady Hollow), Dan Belden Jr. (Canton Brookside), Ty Kovach (Medina), Anthony Yacovazzi (Lake Forest) and Mark Guadagni (Silver Lake) make up the rest of the team captained by Tim Edwards and assistant Brian Eichler, both of Fairlawn.

Members of the Public Course team are Rick Bryson, Chris Minear, Aaron Crewse, Drew Hanzel, Pete Skirpstas, John Bernatovicz, Mike Simpson, Dave Trier, Rob Schustrich and Jim Krivanek, as well as seniors Fred Miller, Rob Yanko, Jim Cea and Ron Bell.

Tip of the visor: Tippecanoe member Dick Marlowe had the best finish of any Ohioan in the recent U.S. Senior Amateur championship in Virginia.

Marlowe, the medalist at the local qualifier at the Country Club of Hudson, advanced to the match play portion of the Senior Am and defeated 2008 champion and former Walker Cup captain Buddy Marucci in the first round in 19 holes. He also won his second-round match before losing in the round of 16.

Canterbury tales: After the first round was rained out, Canterbury members Fred DiSanto and Larry Joseph shot a better-ball 66 on Friday and followed with individual rounds of 75 and 76, respectively, to win the 17th annual Henry Picard Canterbury Cup at Canterbury Golf Club.

The Canterbury has been one of the most popular national amateur events in the Midwest, drawing 58 entries this year from as far away as California, Texas and Florida. The event is named after the 1938 Masters champion and former Canterbury head professional.

Canterbury senior club champ Jeff Knox and partner Steve Paramore finished second, and Canadians Chris Kelos and Carl Nanni were the senior champs for the third year in a row. DiSanto and Joseph earned $500 in merchandise, while Knox and Paramore earned $450.

Yep, that’s her: The Lexi Thompson who became the youngest winner in the history of the LPGA when she won the Navistar Classic on Sunday at the age of 16 is the same person who, at the age of 12, became the youngest winner of the Junior PGA Championship when it was held at Westfield Country Club in 2007. She went by Alexis Thompson back then.

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

On Twitter: @TimRogersPD

Today’s essay by Ned Lauver of Wooster, who remembers watching games at old Cleveland Stadium with a dear neighbor.

Plain Dealer File PhotoNed Lauver of Wooster remembers going to Cleveland Municipal Stadium to watch the Indians.

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 Ned Lauver of Wooster:

It would be easy to say that a magical Indians comeback, capped by an Albert Belle walk-off homer in 1995, was my favorite night at Jacobs Field. More recent? I was in a rocking Progressive Field for a victory over the Boston Red Sox in an American League Championship Series game in 2007. Further back? I sat in left field with my dad and saw Nolan Ryan’s farewell tour at Municipal Stadium in 1993.

But those memories aren’t why I’m writing — I don’t want the autographed baseball for myself. The autographed ball should go to my former neighbor, a lifelong Tribe fan: Charlie O’Neill.

Growing up, my grandparents lived out of state. I rarely saw them. The O’Neills, who lived right across the street, became my “adoptive” grandparents. They were the linchpins of my old neighborhood — people would gather every night in the summer to talk and laugh on their front porch. Charlie, in particular, nurtured my love for the game of baseball. I spent countless summer nights swinging on the O’Neills’ swing, listening to Tom Hamilton and Herb

Score call games on the radio. And every now and then, we would head down to the stadium for a special day at a ballgame.

My most unforgettable Indians game is also the simplest expression of why baseball means what it means. I was young, so I don’t remember much. I remember Charlie showing me how to bang the wood seats in time with John Adams’ drum, and I remember him teaching me how to creatively heckle the other team. At the end of the game (at least I think it was the same one — they sort of run together), the Beach Boys were appearing in concert, and we enjoyed the music together. That’s a perfect childhood memory.

When I read that Bob Feller’s passing was the impetus for this giveaway, I had to write. You see, Charles O’Neill is, like Feller was, a veteran of the Pacific Theater of World War II. He was in the invasion of Saipan, Okinawa and the occupation of China as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was wounded on Okinawa. Like so many other vets, his story isn’t widely known, but his actions helped save the world. I can’t even begin to tell you what my family and neighborhood would have lost had he perished.

Kickoff may be days away, but we're already thinking about the big game. Join us this Thursday at 10 a.m. for "Browns Insider," a weekly broadcast on cleveland.com, featuring Plain Dealer beat writers and columnists.

After beating the Colts, can the Browns make it two in a row Sunday against the Miami Dolphins?

Kickoff may be days away, but we're already thinking about the big game. Join us this Thursday at 10 a.m. for "Browns Insider," a weekly broadcast on cleveland.com, featuring Plain Dealer beat writers and columnists -- AND YOU!

This week, Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot in Berea joins Plain Dealer sports reporter Dennis Manoloff and columnist Bud Shaw to discuss the latest news about the team and preview the game against the Dolphins.

They'll also answer video questions submitted by fans and take live questions from the chat room. Fans can submit their video questions each week by emailing sports@cleveland.com.

Can't make the live show? Post them in the comment section below and then come back Thursday afternoon to watch the archive.

Which quarterback will give the Buckeyes the most success on Saturday?

APOhio State coach Luke Fickell has a big decision to make.

At some point the Ohio State Buckeyes need to settle on a starting quarterback. Compared to last week's results, it doesn't look like coach Luke Fickell has an easy choice.

Against Miami, senior starter Joe Bauserman completed just 2-of-14 passes for 13 yards. Freshman Braxton Miller turned the ball over twice.

Fickell doesn't know for sure who his starting quarterback will be this weekend against Colorado, but he's open the competition reserves Kenny Guiton and Taylor Graham.

So which quarterback should start against Colorado?

There are still many non-conference games to be played by Mid-American Conference football teams, but a big league opener on the slate Saturday could tell a lot about the depth and quality of teams in the MAC’s East Division.

Dave Clawson's Bowling Green Falcons are a surprise 2-1.

There are still many non-conference games to be played by Mid-American Conference football teams, but a big league opener on the slate Saturday could tell a lot about the depth and quality of teams in the MAC’s East Division.

Considered the weakest of the two divisions, defending champ Miami is expected to be threatened only by Temple.

But as it stands now, Miami is winless (0-2, 0-0), Temple has lost one (2-1, 1-0), Bowling Green is a surprise to some (2-1, 0-0) and Ohio University (3-0, 0-0), while undefeated, is still a mystery. All are MAC East teams.

“If you look at the MAC East, six of the seven teams in the MAC East lost last week,” BG head coach Dave Clawson said on the MAC’s weekly teleconference. “Four of them lost on the last play of the game, or the last two minutes. In this league, it’s a matter of surviving the nonconference schedule, trying to find a way to get as many wins as you can and keep your team together, improving, and mentally tough so when the MAC season starts, you are ready to go. That’s football.

“This [Miami] game is the most important game on our schedule. We are playing the MAC East champs at their place in their home opener, and our goal is to be 1-0 in the MAC. Last week was disappointing [losing, 28-27, on a missed PAT to end the game], but in terms of what our goals are, this is a far more important football game.”

Two will still do: Toledo coach Tim Beckman said the Rockets will “most definitely” continue with a two-quarterback system as UT (1-2) heads into a game at Syracuse.

“We’re still second in the conference in passing offense,” Beckman said. “I think both quarterbacks [Austin Dantin and Terrance Owens from Glenville] have done a decent job. One has thrown for 95 yards more. The pass completions are 58 percent and 57 percent. They have both done a good job.”

Time to win: Several teams, most notably Ball State (2-1, 1-0) and Kent State (0-3, 0-0), put together some long, time-consuming drives last week that you rarely see in this age of pass-happy football. But it’s a great way to dominate the opposition without scoring 35 or 40 points.

Ball State had a game-ending, 18-play, 5:50 scoring drive against Buffalo to lock up a 28-25 win.

“The biggest key is you are able to maintain some time of possession and rest your defense,” Ball State coach Pete Lembo said. “In the Indiana game, we had the ball 36 minutes plus. That was huge keeping our defense fresh. In this game we had the ball 33 minutes. When you look at the South Florida game [a loss], our defense was worn out by halftime.

“It’s frustrating when your own offense is sitting on the sidelines. We’ll be dealing with that this week against Army. They had the ball 40 minutes against Northwestern [last Saturday], running their wishbone.”

Kent State had a 19-play, 70-yard drive late against Kansas State that took 9:23 off the clock, but penalties inside the 5-yard line foiled their chances to score.

“If we can establish some of those long drives, we are going to be a good football team,” Kent coach Darrell Hazell said. “One, we were able to run the football. Two, it keeps your defense off the field, and it messes with the psyche of the opposing team. It was good to see our football team do that. We hadn’t done that all year.”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Mayfield spread its senior wealth around as the undefeated host Wildcats got goals from five different players to defeat Lakewood, 5-2, on Tuesday night in boys soccer. Senior Michael Mesi had a goal and three assists as Mayfield improved to 9-0-2 and 1-0-1 in the Northeast Ohio Conference. The Wildcats, who led, 3-0, at halftime, got scores from seniors...

Mayfield spread its senior wealth around as the undefeated host Wildcats got goals from five different players to defeat Lakewood, 5-2, on Tuesday night in boys soccer.

Senior Michael Mesi had a goal and three assists as Mayfield improved to 9-0-2 and 1-0-1 in the Northeast Ohio Conference. The Wildcats, who led, 3-0, at halftime, got scores from seniors Nick Kane, Amari Williams, Nico Zullo and C.J. Tighe.

Eric Kunze had both goals for the Rangers (6-2-3, 0-1-1).

Brunswick 6, Stow 2

The Blue Devils spotted the host Bulldogs the early lead on an own goal, then rallied for three goals in the first half to take control of the Northeast Ohio Conference game.

Brunswick senior forward Justin Miller scored twice in the half, the second goal giving his club a 3-1 lead. The Blue Devils improved to 5-3 and 2-0 in the league.

Trevor Simpkins scored for the Bulldogs (4-4-2, 0-1-1) late in the first half.

Girls soccer

Kirtland 2, Independence 0

The visiting Hornets (5-3-2) got goals from Moran Choe and Claire Lofgren to hand the Blue Devils (7-1-1) their first loss of the season in the Chagrin Valley Conference contest.

Hawken 7, Gilmour 0

Five different players found the net as the Hawks improved to 10-0. Hawken is ranked sixth in the state in Division III. The Lancers drop to 3-5-1.

Volleyball

Bay 3, Rocky River 0

Claire Wilson had 11 kills and three aces, with teammate Katie McFeeley dishing out 26 assists as the visiting Rockets improved to 11-2 overall and 5-1 in the West Shore Conference. Ciara Kessler and Mary Kate Krajcer each had eight kills for the Pirates (3-7, 1-5).

Clearview 3, Fairview 0

Kelsey Fortney had 34 assists as the host Clippers (8-4, 7-1) handled the visiting Warriors (1-8, 1-4) in the Patriot Athletic Conference.

Kirtland 3, Fairport Harbor 0

Alicia Ponzani had 20 service points, six aces and five kills as the Hornets (8-2, 4-0) swept the Skippers in the Chagrin Valley Conference match.

Boys golf

Columbia 168, Buckeye 198

The Raiders had four players in the 40s, with Zach Stopper shooting 40, to win the Patriot Athletic Conference match at Dorlon Golf Club.

Medina 146, Elyria 159, North Royalton 163

Pat Luth took medalist honors with an even-par 35 to help the Bees win at Forest Hills Golf Course in Elyria.

Strongsville 150, Brunswick 163, Mayfield 175

Strongsville's Matt Krause shot an even-par 36 at Pine Hills Golf Course to tie for medalist honors and help the Mustangs win the tri-match. Tim Monroe of Brunswick also shot a 36.

Sean Meyer and Paul Minko each shot 37 for the winning Mustangs.

Walsh Jesuit kicker and Plain Dealer All-Star Ross Martin has been selected to play in the ESPN Under Armour All-America Game. The All-Star game is Jan. 5 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Game representatives will visit Walsh Jesuit on Tuesday to present Martin with a jersey.

Ross Martin, a Duke recruit, is ranked as the top kicker in the nation by Rivals.com. - (Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer)

Walsh Jesuit kicker and Plain Dealer All-Star Ross Martin has been selected to play in the ESPN Under Armour All-America Game.

The All-Star game is Jan. 5 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Game representatives will visit Walsh Jesuit on Tuesday to present Martin with a jersey.

Martin, a Duke recruit, is ranked as the top kicker in the nation by Rivals.com.

Basketball players showcased: Garfield Heights is hosting a boys basketball showcase for college coaches Thursday that will feature more than 100 players from across the state.

The showcase starts at 6 p.m. and general admission is $4.

The participants are sophomores, juniors and seniors from across Northeast Ohio, as well as Toledo and Columbus. Among the registrants are Devon Carter of John Hay, Tony Farmer of Garfield Heights, Curtis Oakley Jr. of Brush, Eric Truog of Kenston and Maurice O'Field of Cleveland Heights.

About 40 college coaches from Division II, III and junior college programs are expected to attend, in addition to coaches from prep schools.

Spots are still available for players. The walk-in rate is $30. Registration is from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Eagles move up in poll: Defending Division I state football champion St. Edward improved from No. 34 to 30th in the latest Rivals.com national poll. The Eagles, 4-0 and ranked No. 1 by The Plain Dealer, stayed No. 8 in ESPN's poll and dropped from fourth to ninth in USA Today and from ninth to 12th in MaxPreps.

Solon remained 42nd in Rivals, while Mentor slipped two spots to 57th.

Cincinnati Moeller stayed at 13th in Rivals and St. Xavier, in Cincinnati, is down 10 places to 28th in ESPN. Cincinnati Colerain stayed at 44th in ESPN but is 32nd in Rivals compared to last week's ranking of 23rd.

Ohio State needs to work through its issues in time for Saturday.

Terry Gilliam, Associated PressBraxton Miller (No. 5) and senior Joe Bauserman (14).

It's obvious that the Buckeyes have quarterback issues, but John Kampf of The News-Herald writes how OSU has more issues to deal with on the field.

OSU could also use help from a receiving corps that dropped too many passes over the past three games, and defensive unit that misses tackles.

Fickell isn't looking that far down the road. He said he wants to get the 11 best players on the field on both sides of the ball and simply get better.

"The thing that I can't do, the thing that coaches on the team can't do, and the team can't do is worry about what's going to happen in three weeks, three months (from now)," Fickell said. "For the seniors, what's my draft status? Am I hurt? As a coach, what's going to happen in three months? You know what? That will eat you alive." 

 Around the Horse Shoe 

Matt Markey of The Toledo Blade writes about the quarterback issues at Ohio State, and so does Columbus Dispatch reporter Bill Rabinowitz.

John Henderson of The Denver Post writes how the Buckeyes are under pressure against Colorado.