"16 hours and no serious progress? This seems like a monumental waste of time. It's all show and no go. The two sides can say, 'See, we're trying to get it fixed,' but it's a sham. They should just walk away until there is real interest in coming off their current positions by one or both sides." - Sorry, but you're wrong

View full sizeAP Photo | Seth WenigFederal mediator George Cohen is working with the NBA players and owners to try and come to an agreement.

In response to the story NBA union, owners to meet again after marathon session with federal mediator, cleveland.com reader Sorry, but you're wrong thinks nothing will come of the current negotiating sessions. This reader writes,

"16 hours and no serious progress? This seems like a monumental waste of time. It's all show and no go. The two sides can say, 'See, we're trying to get it fixed,' but it's a sham. They should just walk away until there is real interest in coming off their current positions by one or both sides."

Indians topped the Brooklyn Robins in 1920 and the Boston Braves in 1948, lost to the New York Giants, Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins in 1954, 1995 and 1997.

Plain DealerFans at Wellingers Cafe in Cleveland listening on the radio to the sixth game of the 1948 World Series. The Indians won, 4-3, over the Braves in Boston to clinch the championship, four games to two.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 2011 World Series begins tonight, with the American League champion Texas Rangers visiting the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals.

It's Major League Baseball's 107th Fall Classic.

The Cleveland Indians have been in five of them, winning the 1920 World Series over the Brooklyn Robins and the 1948 Series over the Boston Braves.

Maybe it says something about Indians history that the two teams they defeated for the championship have each been gone for more than a half-century from the cities they played in. The Robins became known as the Dodgers in 1932, then moved to Los Angeles in 1958. The Braves went to Milwaukee in 1953 and to Atlanta in 1966.

Cleveland's World Series losses were to the New York (now San Francisco) Giants in 1954, the Braves in 1995 and the Florida Marlins in 1997.

With help from Baseball-Reference.com, we look back to the Indians' World Series teams.

1920

The 1920 Cleveland Indians went 98-56 to win the eight-team American League by two games over the Chicago White Sox.

It couldn't have hurt the Indians' cause that the investigation into the White Sox -- infamously known as the "Black Sox" -- for throwing the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds was intensifying during the stretch drive of the 1920 pennant race.

Eight players -- including a few of the era's top stars -- from the 1919 White Sox received lifetime bans from baseball prior to the 1921 season, and seven of them were still on the White Sox team that battled with the Indians for the 1920 pennant.

The 1920 World Series between the Indians and the Brooklyn Robins, who won the National League with a 92-62 record, was a best-of-nine games match.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1920 World Series, won by the Indians, five games to two.

1948

The 1948 Cleveland Indians finished their 154-game schedule 96-58, tying the Boston Red Sox for first place in the eight-team AL and two games ahead of the New York Yankees.   

The Indians visited Boston for a one-game playoff for the pennant and a World Series berth. Click here for the boxscore of the Indians' 8-3 playoff game win over the Red Sox.

The Indians stayed in Boston to begin the World Series two days later against the Boston Braves, the NL champs with a 91-62 record.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1948 World Series, won by the Indians, four games to two.

1954

The 1954 Cleveland Indians hold the American League record for most wins in a 154-game schedule: 111, against 43 losses, to beat out the second-place Yankees by eight games in the eight-team American League. New York had won the World Series each of the previous five seasons.

(The 1998 Yankees broke the Indians' AL wins record with a 114-48 record, but within a 162-game schedule. The Seattle Mariners went 116-46 in 2001)

The New York Giants won the National League title with a 97-57 record.

The remarkable Indians' season would lose much of its luster.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1954 World Series, won by the Giants, four games to none.

1995

The 1995 Cleveland Indians finished 100-44, finishing a stunning 30 games ahead of the second-place Kansas City Royals in the five-team American League Central Division.

The schedule was shortened to 144 games as the players' strike which had cost baseball the last two months of the 1994 season and then the playoffs and World Series leaked into 1995.

Baseball had divided the American and National Leagues into two divisions each prior to the 1969 season, and to three divisions each prior to the 1993 campaign. Through 1968, the only postseason action was the World Series, unless the AL or NL pennant races ended in a tie, necessitating a playoff.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1995 American League Division Series, won by the Indians over the Boston Red Sox, three games to none.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1995 AL Championship Series, won by the Indians over the Seattle Mariners, four games to two.

The Atlanta Braves won the National League pennant, going 90-54 in the regular season, then defeating the Colorado Rockies, 3-1, in the NLDS and the Cincinnati Reds, 4-0, in the NLCS.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1995 World Series, won by the Braves, four games to two.

1997

The 1997 Cleveland Indians went 86-75 to win the AL Central by six games over the Chicago White Sox.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1997 AL Division Series, won by the Indians over the New York Yankees, 3-2.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1997 AL Championship Series, won by the Indians over the Baltimore Orioles, 4-2.

The Florida Marlins won the National League pennant, going 92-70 in the regular season, then defeating the San Francisco Giants, 3-0, in the NLDS and the Atlanta Braves, 4-2, in the NLCS.

Click here for the boxscores and play-by-plays of each game of the 1997 World Series, won by the Marlins, four games to three.

Holmgren coached the Seattle Seahawks, the Browns' Sunday opponent, for 10 years.

Scott Shaw, The Plain DealerCleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns host the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup of 2-3 teams on Sunday at Browns Stadium.

The game is certain to stir memories for Browns president Mike Holmgren. He coached Seattle to an 86-74 record, and 4-6 in playoff games, from 1999-2008. Holmgren and the Seahawks reached the 2005 Super Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-10.

Holmgren was interviewed today on Seattle radio station KJR 950/AM, on the Mitch in the Morning Show.

Click here to hear Holmgren's interview on KJR's Mitch in the Morning.

A couple highlights of what Holmgren had to say, from the Waiting For Next Year blog:

Mitch: How long you going to do this?  In 10 years are you going to be the President of the Cleveland Browns?

Holmgren: Well, you know it’s hard to tell for sure.  I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be 10 years.  We still have our home in Seattle.  The kids are there.  The grandkids are there.  I don’t think they’re going to be moving anytime soon.  Our vision is to get back into that area at some point.  Exactly when that is?  I’d like to see improvement here and lay the foundation here so that they can feel good about the team again before I make any changes.

Mitch: What kind of team are the Seahawks going to face this week on Sunday?  Is it a good football team?  Is it an O.K. football team?  What’s your honest assessment of what kind of Browns squad you’ve got over there?

Holmgren: You’ll watch us play, and you know we’re a young football team.  You combine the youth we have on the team and a new coach and at times we kind of look young out there.  And then at other times we actually play pretty well.  I think we play pretty good defense.  Dick Jauron, who’s the defensive coordinator, is doing a heck of a job.  Ray Rhodes is on the staff who you know.  They’re doing a great job.

Offensively, we’re inconsistent.  That comes with having a young quarterback, young receivers, rookie starting at left guard and all those things.  But, when we can eliminate our own mistakes we aren’t bad.  So, you know. We’ll see.

About no longer being on the field as a coach, Holmgren said: 

After being on the field for so long and feeling like you have some control over the outcome or what’s happening out there, now I’m upstairs and I have no control over anything. I’m working through that. I’m better this year than I was last year. That’s a tough thing because that’s the chess game of calling plays and outfoxing the defense and the emotions of what’s happening on the field. That’s why you get into coaching in the first place….

 

 

"What do you expect? The offensive line is barely average on its best day and the receivers are the worst bunch in the NFL. The team can't establish a running game because they do not have anyone that is capable of being an every down back and the running game is an afterthought in the west coast offense. Plus, they are all learning the new offense. As the weather gets worse, so will the offense." - vet420

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerColt McCoy struggled last season as the defenses got tougher and the weather got colder.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns P.M. links: Offense has fewest plays of 20+ yards in the NFL, cleveland.com reader vet420 isn't optimistic about the offense improving. This reader writes,

"What do you expect? The offensive line is barely average on its best day and the receivers are the worst bunch in the NFL. The team can't establish a running game because they do not have anyone that is capable of being an every down back and the running game is an afterthought in the west coast offense. Plus, they are all learning the new offense. As the weather gets worse, so will the offense."

“Both the Head and Talbot moves are unsurprising. Could see both stick around, but not huge losses if they leave. Thome, Durbin and Fukudome will be gone, making up for the guys on the 60-day DL. Only leaves one open spot depending on what is done with Grady. Crowe shouldn’t get too comfortable. Same with Valbuena and possibly even Hermann or Weglarz.” - hermie13

View full sizeKosuke Fukudome is a player the Indians will need to make a decision on this offseason.

In response to the story Cleveland Indians 40-man roster, with contract status and other information, cleveland.com reader hermie13 offers these thoughts on the 40-man roster. This reader writes,

"Both the Head and Talbot moves are unsurprising. Could see both stick around, but not huge losses if they leave. Thome, Durbin and Fukudome will be gone, making up for the guys on the 60-day DL. Only leaves one open spot depending on what is done with Grady. Crowe shouldn’t get too comfortable. Same with Valbuena and possibly even Hermann or Weglarz."

Both teams are 2-3. Seattle is coming off its bye week.

Associated PressSeahawks quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has completed 99 of 157 passes (63 percent) for 1,012 yards and six touchdowns, with five interceptions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns host the Seattle Seahawks at Browns Stadium on Sunday.

Both teams are 2-3. It could probably be said, however, that the Seahawks' 2-3 is looking a little "better" than the Browns' 2-3.

Seattle began the season with two road losses: to the San Francisco 49ers, 33-17, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, 24-0.

The Seahawks won their home opener, 13-10, over the Arizona Cardinals, then lost at home, 30-28, to the Atlanta Falcons.

Seattle then went to New York on Oct. 9 and earned a 36-25 upset win over the Giants.

Now, Seattle is well-rested as it begins serious preparation for the Browns. The Seahawks are coming off their bye week.

Playing after their own bye week did the Browns no good on Sunday in Oakland, as they lost to the Raiders, 24-17.

Cleveland's two wins are over teams with a combined 0-10 record. After losing their season opener, 27-17, at home to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Browns won two straight: over the Colts, 27-19, in Indianapolis, and over the Miami Dolphins, 17-16, in Cleveland.

A 31-13 loss at home to the Tennessee Titans preceded the Browns' bye week and the loss at Oakland.

The Browns are 5-11 all-time against the Seahawks, who joined the NFL as an expansion franchise for the 1976 season. Cleveland is 2-4 at home against Seattle and 3-7 on the road.

The teams last met on Nov. 4, 2007, in Cleveland. The Browns won, 33-30, on a 25-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. Cleveland.com's Browns History Database includes Plain Dealer game stories on every Browns' regular season and playoff game in history. Tony Grossi wrote the Browns-Seahawks game story.

Derek Anderson completed 29 of 48 passes for 364 yards as the Browns' quarterback that day, connecting with tight end Kellen Winslow, Jr., for 11 completions and 125 yards. Cleveland running back Jamal Lewis had a strange game, with 20 carries for 37 yards -- including a long gain of five yards -- but four touchdowns.

Matt Hasselbeck was Seattle's QB. He threw for 318 yards and two touchdowns, completing 30 of 47 passes. Wide receiver Bobby Engram caught 14 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy talked with the media following practice about starting off slow in the first quarter of every game so far this year. Watch video

During an erratic season for the team, Simon has become a mainstay, one of the Big Ten's premier defensive players. More Buckeyes links.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerSome observers believe tackle John Simon has been Ohio State's best defensive player this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State's defense has had its lapses this season, but it's been good more often than bad.

One player who has been good almost play after play is junior tackle John Simon.

Simon, in fact, has been so impressive that in the race for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, ESPN.com's Brian Bennett ranks Simon at Number....

4. Ohio State defensive tackle John Simon: He was brilliant last week against Illinois, earning Big Ten defensive player of the week honors. Simon has 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks and has been the best player on a Buckeyes defense that has kept its team in games this season.

The Buckeyes (4-3) are in the middle of their bye week. Their next game is on Saturday night, Oct. 29, at home against the nation's No. 4-ranked team, Wisconsin (6-0).

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' Ohio State Insider, featuring what OSU coach Luke Fickell thinks of freshman quarterback Braxton Miller's passing; Lesmerises' interview on Starting Blocks TV, where he gives Fickell a coaching grade; a Starting Blocks poll on whether the bye week is good or bad for the Buckeyes; and, more.

End arounds

Buckeyes updates during the bye week, by Brandon Castel for the-Ozone.net.

Analyzing Buckeyes football during the bye week, by Danny Flynn for the Bleacher Report.

Is the SEC pairing of LSU and Alabama at or near the top of the polls similar to the situation in 2006, with the Big Ten's Ohio State and Michigan? By Stewart Mandel for Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

Ohio State notebook by Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.

An analysis of what's going on with Ohio State's linebackers. By Brandon Castel for the-Ozone.net.

A Bleacher Report slideshow on the top 25 bowl games in Ohio State history.

Big Ten Week 7 review, on CollegeFootballNews.com.

The Big Ten Stock Report on ESPN.com, by Brian Bennett.

Colt McCoy needs to play more like he does in the second quarter for the Browns' offense to work. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Yes, the Browns are throwing way too much -- 43 times a game. But if they were completing, say, 30 of those passes, would anyone complain?

The bigger problem is the number of passes hitting the ground. Colt McCoy is averaging an astounding 19 incompletions a game. That computes to 304 missed passes over 16 games. That's 54 more incomplete passes than the Browns had in 2008, which is arguably their most tortured season of quarterbacking in their new era.

That was the year the Browns had to start four quarterbacks -- finishing up with Bruce Gradkowski -- and had team marks of 48.8 completion percentage and a collective passer rating of 54.8. Now, McCoy's figures in those areas are better (55.8 percent and a rating of 78.1). But the fact that 19 passes a game are going astray in an offense that demands and promotes accuracy underscores a fundamental problem.

And this is a guy who completed 70.3 percent of his passes while winning more games in four years at Texas than any college quarterback ever.

"He just needs to get better," coach Pat Shurmur said on Wednesday.

Shurmur joked that he could detail all the little things that are going wrong collectively with his offense. But he knows and Mike Holmgren knows that the West Coast offense they've installed depends on the quarterback distributing the ball.

"If you're going to win games, the quarterback needs to play well," Shurmur said. "I really believe that. What 'well' means is that he's got to play well throughout the game or, if he's not playing well early, find a way to get on track and finish the game strong."

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerColt McCoy has repeatedly been able to make plays in the second quarter this season. The Browns are trying to get him to be as productive in the other 45 minutes.

Everybody knows the Browns have struggled at the start of games. They have trailed in each of their five games and have been outscored, 34-3, in the first quarter.

The inexplicable statistic of the year so far, though, is McCoy's performance in the second quarter. He owns it. McCoy has thrown five touchdowns and no interceptions in the second quarter. His average yards per attempt is a robust 7.76. His passer rating is 114.58.

In the remaining three quarters, though, those numbers drop off considerably -- three TD and three interceptions, a miniscule average yards per attempt of 4.81 and a rating of 66.60.

"He's got great numbers in the second quarter and we find a way to score in the second quarter," Shurmur said, referring to the Browns scoring 45 of their 91 points in the second quarter. McCoy plays quarterback, well, like the offense was designed for him to play it.

"That's how our offense is supposed to work right there," McCoy said. "So we know we can do it."

The relapse in McCoy's game in the third and fourth quarters might be more easily explained by the scoreboard. The last three games, the Browns were behind entering the third quarter, 10-7, 21-6 and 14-7. Not insurmountable deficits, but enough to discombobulate a young offense.

Deficits make it harder to run. Failure to run allows defenses to cheat up and blitz. More pressure creates less time to throw. Passes are hurried and off the mark. Routes are shorter. Completions aren't long enough.

"You've got to make plays, gotta beat the blitz somehow," McCoy said. "Last week we tried making a big play deep. You also have to run the ball. When you run the ball, the pressure dramatically decreases. I think that will be a big part of what we try to do this week, try to establish that.

"They're not gonna get eight or nine [close to the line of scrimmage] when you can establish that. If they want to do it early, then you beat them with the pass. But if you can't get it going, then you're gonna see it a lot.

"I think defenses become pretty dynamic when they can kind of do whatever they want, and you see looks you haven't seen. Those are things we'll continue to learn from."

The burden shouldered by the quarterback in a typical NFL offense is a heavy one. But in a West Coast offense, the offense goes only where the quarterback takes it. That's the way it's designed. McCoy said his confidence isn't affected, but admits, "Obviously, the losses are very disappointing. I think about them a lot. It's hard to get them out of my head. I'm used to winning."

Tight end Evan Moore said McCoy is frustrated.

"But it's a healthy frustration," Moore said. "When he gets frustrated, he comes here more and watches more film. He's not the kind of guy to come in here and just mope. He works, corrects his mistakes and moves on. Guys with that kind of attitude, it's hard to break him. He'll be fine."

McCoy said he didn't think he had an incomplete pass in all of Wednesday's practice.

That's a start.

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

Not that anyone with the TV networks cares, but when the World Series moved to night games, it removed many of the chances for memorable prose.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the tangy air of autumn, in God's own light, the World Series was the best assignment there was in the sportswriting brotherhood.

Red Smith, who was probably the greatest of us (if it wasn't Red, it would have been Jim Murray), wrote a brilliant final paragraph in his column of Oct. 4, 1947, after pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto's two-out, ninth-inning double broke up Floyd Bevens' no-hitter. It would be called a "walk-off double" today, and it sent the Brooklyn Dodgers capering and back-slapping to the dugout after an astonishing victory over the New York Yankees.

"The unhappiest man in Brooklyn is sitting up here in the far end of the press box," Smith wrote. "The 'v' on his typewriter is broken. He can't write either Lavagetto or Bevens."

That is so good that all of us in the press box would woo every adverb until it deserted every adjective and ran off with our laptops just to write that.

But the deadlines couldn't have been as tough in the sun-splashed games of the 1940s. Nowanights, a columnist at the Rangers-Cardinals World Series faces problems with late starts and deadlines hurrying near that previous generations didn't. (Red Smith, however, did live long enough to write moonlight sonatas during the Fall Classic).

For the readers who wonder how we do the things we do, the answer at the World Series is: with desperation and prayer.

A columnist can't do a game story by another name. Editors frown on that. A rambling overview, while grudgingly accepted, steps on the toes of the sidebar flotilla that is deployed to cover every possible angle of a World Series game when the home team is in it.

But sometimes there's no great pitching matchup to command the focus and no dominant slugger to allow the writer to get a head start on his essay. So the columnist ("beleaguered" is the proper adjective here) has to wait to see what turns up. Deadlines prevent waiting until the game is over to write the column, so keys clickey-clack through the game.

The columnist seizes on the flotsam and jetsam that drifts by in the early innings, declares that one play or other "set the tone," and hopes, just once -- please, oh Great Deadline Scribe in the Sky -- let this "angle" hold up.

View full sizeAP photoFor a columnist with a pressing deadline, moments like this famous Bill Buckner mishap can wreck an entire night's work.

Such writers are really up against it. In Jim Murray's case, the Los Angeles Times columnist was in his seat in the "aux" box in the 1985 World Series in St. Louis, almost nose-to-paint up against the right-field foul pole. "Aux" means the auxiliary press box, because only major-league beat writers and columnists from the participating teams are in the main box.

"The game was just a rumor, played by a lot of dots on the horizon," Murray wrote. "The only thing I could see real clearly was the right-field foul pole. It's yellow and got this little screen attached to it. The only thing I got to see real good all night were foul balls and Gussie Busch riding around on a beer wagon. The pole kept getting in the way of everything else -- like the ball. Also, the pitcher."

He followed that with an absolutely spell-binding riff on young Kansas City pitcher Bret Saberhagen.

More often, it seems, Saberhagen or some other briefly dominant pitcher implodes in seven or eight pitches, usually around the eighth inning or ninth inning. Which is when sportswriters' fingers begin angrily hitting the "delete" key while their mouths begin muttering unkind expletives.

Bill Buckner Night was certainly that way. When the ball went through Buckner's legs in 1986, Encyclopedia Brittanicas of prose died about the Red Sox finally winning a World Series.

Patrick Reusse, the Twin Cities sage, had a pip of a piece going, keying on Dave Henderson's home run in the 10th inning to give the Red Sox the lead. Comparisons were made to another famous New England midnight ride, that of Paul Revere.

"God. It was beautiful," Reusse can still sob, all these years later.

My own biggest memory is of what could have been a really most sincere deadline. My aux box seat in 1989 in Candlestick Park was next to the current era's most decorated columnist, Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press and "Tuesdays with Morrie" book fame.

When the earthquake that disrupted the World Series between the Giants and A's began, my laptop started bouncing crazily across the makeshift work table in front of me. Albom and I traded wide-eyed stares as the light poles swayed.

When the shaking finally stopped, I thought of former NBA coach Billy Cunningham's comment, made after a private jet, on which he was flying to a sports banquet with college football legend Bear Bryant, had a near-miss with another plane on takeoff. "I could see the headlines: 'Bear, others die in fiery crash,'" said Cunningham, "Nobody wants to be an 'others.'"

No Buckners, no broken "v's," no quakes. That's my wish for all of the men and women in the press box who are fighting the deadline beast in the World Series. It holds for both the legends and the others.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

ESPN ranked 500 NBA players. Former Cleveland Cavalier, now with the Miami Heat, finishes first.

Associated PressTwo of the NBA's best players -- Dwyane Wade (3) and LeBron James (right) -- after their Miami Heat lost, 105-95, to the Mavericks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Miami, clinching the championship for Dallas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- He has a reputation of becoming invisible during the biggest moments of the biggest games, but visibility for LeBron James in the eyes of ESPN has always been clear.

You probably recall ESPN partnering with James in July, 2010, when he used that network to infamously announce "The Decision:" that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent and "taking my talents to South Beach."

South Beach is home to the Miami Heat, which -- with James at the forefront -- folded and was upset by the Dallas Mavericks, four games to two, in the 2011 NBA Finals.

A year prior to that, James had presided over the Cavaliers' upset loss to the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference semifinal series. His play was erratic through much of the series, and it might be fair to term his Game 5 effort scandalous, when some observers felt he flat-out quit in the rather early stages of Cleveland's humiliating 120-88 loss at home.

Yet, ESPN has concluded its countdown of 500 NBA players, in order, and finished with James ranked first. The votes cast were by mostly ESPN personnel.

Maybe you think he's tops, too.

Our poll includes the top 10 players according to ESPN's voters. Pick one of them, or "other," as the best in your opinion.

After a historic perofrmance in the ALCS, manager Ron Washington moves Nelson Cruz up in the Rangers' lineup, but just barely.

Charlie Riedel, Associated PressAfter winning the MVP award in the ALCS, Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz received a promotion from his manager.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Right fielder Nelson Cruz has graduated from seventh to sixth in the Rangers' lineup.

Manager Ron Washington refused to move Cruz out of the seventh spot in the lineup during the American League Championship Series. All Cruz did was hit .364 (8-for-22) with six home runs and 13 RBI. The six homers and 13 RBI were the most ever hit by one player in a single playoff series.

Washington said he didn't want to disrupt the people in front of Cruz. When Cruz went on the disabled list in late August with hamstring problems, the Rangers took off and Washington decided to ease Cruz back into the lineup at the bottom of the order.

For Game 1 of the World Series, however, he moved Cruz into the sixth spot. One of the reasons behind the move probably had something to do with the Cardinals holding the home-field advantage in the World Series, meaning Texas pitchers are going to have hit in four games if the best-of-seven series goes the distance.

Washington had another reason as well.

"Everyone made a big deal about Cruz hitting seventh," said Washington, "but when he came back, my No.1 through No.6, were doing the job and Cruz struggled. That's why he ended up in the seventh spot.

"But now that he's found his stroke, and we're in the World Series, I just feel like I need to protect him. Mike Napoli is great protection."

Napoli, the Rangers' catcher, hit seventh Thursday.

Tonight's lineup for Game 1 of the World Series.

Rangers: 2B Ian Kinsler (R), SS Elvis Andrus (R), CF Josh Hamilton (L), 1B Michael Young (R), 3B Adrian Beltre (R), RF Nelson Cruz (R), C Mike Napoli (R), LF David Murphy (L), LHP C.J. Wilson (16-7, 2.94, 0-2, 8.04).

Cardinals: SS Rafael Furcal (S), CF Jon Jay (L), 1B Albert Pujols (R), LF Matt Holliday (R), RF Lance Berkman (S), 3B David Freese (R), C Yadier Molina (R), 2B Nick Punto (S), RHP Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.45, 2-0, 3.71).

Umpires: H Jerry Layne, 1B Greg Gibson, 2B Alfonso Marquez, 3B Ron Kulpa, LF Ted Barrett, RF Gary Cederstrom.

Hit me: Punto is hitting .600 (3-for-5) with one homer and two RBI against Wilson. Napoli is 3-for-3 against Wilson.

Lefty-righty: Lefties hit .251 (45-for-179) with two homers and righties .227 (146-for-644) with 14 homers against Wilson during the regular season. The Cardinals have seven righties, including two switch-hitters, in the lineup.

Lefties are hitting .259 (112-for-432) with seven homers and righties .268 (131-for-489) with nine homers against Carpenter. The Rangers have six righties in the lineup.

Next: The Rangers will start RHP Colby Lewis against Cardinal lefty Jaime Garcia in Game 2 Thursday night at Busch Stadium.

Federal mediator George Cohen said talks will resume Thursday afternoon. Owners had to leave to attend board of governors meetings Wednesday evening through midday Thursday.

Associated PressFederal mediator George Cohen (left) and deputy mediator Scot Beckenbaugh (right) leave a news conference on Wednesday after the NBA owners and players met in negotiations toward a new labor deal.

NEW YORK, New York -- NBA owners and players ended negotiations Wednesday after more than eight hours.

Federal mediator George Cohen said the two sides would resume bargaining Thursday afternoon. Owners had to leave to attend board of governors meetings Wednesday evening through midday Thursday.

"The discussions have been direct and constructive, and as far as we are concerned, we are here to continue to help assist the parties to endeavor to reach an agreement," Cohen said.

The two sides met for more than 24 hours in a 32-hour span.

Without a deal this week, Commissioner David Stern might have to decide when a next round of cancellations would be necessary. The season was supposed to begin Nov. 1, but all games through Nov. 14 have been scrapped, costing players about $170 million in salaries.

Cohen said players and owners met in a variety of settings during mediation, sometimes in subcommittees, other times in groups as large as 40 people.

"Everyone is extremely focused on the core issues, the difficult issues that confront them," he said.

Stern left after talks surpassed the seven-hour mark to attend an owners' planning committee meeting at another hotel. He departed with Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, the planning committee chairman, and NBA president of league and basketball operations Joel Litvin. Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, the league's lead negotiator, and Spurs owner Peter Holt, who heads the labor relations committee, remained to lead the talks with players.

Stern hoped to bring a deal to his owners during their two days of board meetings; otherwise, he warned more games might be canceled. Already 100 games have been lost.

It was unclear whether the two sides were closing the divide between them on two main issues, the division of revenues and the structure of the salary cap system.

Players believe owners' attempts to make the luxury tax more punitive and limit the use of spending exceptions will effectively create a hard salary cap, which they say they will refuse to accept. Also, each side has formally proposed receiving 53 percent of basketball-related income after players were guaranteed 57 percent under the previous collective bargaining agreement.

Talks originally weren't planned Wednesday, the 111th day of the lockout, because owners had previously scheduled meetings. But the labor relations committee returned about 10 a.m. to resume negotiations with the players' executive committee, just eight hours after the sides wrapped up a marathon 16-hour session with Cohen on Tuesday night.

Owners then postponed the planning committee meeting that was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday so they could keep talking with players. That meeting was to feature a presentation on the league's plans for expanded revenue sharing among teams, which Stern said will be introduced after the collective bargaining agreement with the players has been completed.

Unable to make any real headway in recent weeks on the division of revenue and the cap structure, both sides welcomed the presence of Cohen, who also spent 16 days trying to resolve the NFL's labor dispute in February and March.

Their first day together produced a bargaining session that was more than twice as long as any previous one since owners locked out players when the old collective bargaining agreement expired June 30.

Neither side commented on Tuesday's and Wednesday's talks at Cohen's request.

Receiver and special teams star says he can help the Browns by being more involved in kick coverage and doesn't expect his offensive role to change. Watch video

Joshua Gunter | The Plain DealerCleveland Browns WR Josh Cribbs says he just wants to do whatever will help the team win and expects to be more involved in coverage on special teams.

BEREA, Ohio -- Josh Cribbs said he cleared the air with coach Pat Shurmur over the past few days about his post-game remarks in Oakland and says "there's no misunderstanding. Everything's worked out."

He added that he'll be used more on coverage teams while maintaining his role as the third receiver on offense.

After the loss to the Raiders, Cribbs said that he wanted to re-focus on special teams and that his role on offense was "very insignificant." He cited his two catches during the game as evidence that he's more needed on special teams -- which surrendered two touchdowns -- than offense.

"I don't feel I said anything wrong," said Cribbs on Wednesday. "I have no regrets. I choose my words carefully. What I feel is not necessarily emotion. Sometimes people say what they want to say without sugar-coating it."

Cribbs declined to provide details of his conversation with Shurmur, saying, "We're going to keep that between me and him, but it got handled."

Shurmur said he talked to Cribbs both Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I would say much like the case with any of my players, it's between me and Josh," he said. "We talked about the game, we talked about what was written, I read it and we talked about as we move forward. We had a nice talk, good talk."

Cribbs said some folks may have interpreted his remarks as selfish, but he intended just the opposite.

"We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror and say, 'What can I do to help my football team win?' and that's what I did," he said. "Some people were thinking I wanted the ball more, but those words didn't come out of my mouth. I let people come to their own conclusions."

Did Shurmur make him feel a valued part of the offense?

"I understand they're making efforts to get me the football, I've always said that," he said.

Cribbs reiterated that he might better serve the team by helping on kick coverage.

"We've got ample receivers [who] can get the job done," he said. "We've got an overload out there. What are we lacking in? What happened in that game? They ran a kick back on us and they faked a field goal on us. That's two special teams touchdowns."

He said he's up for more coverage duties even with returning punts and kicks and playing third receiver.

"We have enough time for me to do both," he said. "I can be part-time and still kind of full time because I don't start on offense. Mohamed [Massaquoi] is the starting X and Greg [Little] is the starting Z. We have enough time on offense, enough receivers, for me to be able to stay on coverage."

He added, "I'm on track to double my production as a receiver, but I don't care about my stats. I just want to win. I believe special teams is the most important unit. Games are won and lost on special teams."

Fujita sent home: Linebacker Scott Fujita, who suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of the Raiders game, was sent home Wednesday after experiencing symptoms. His status for the Seahawks game is uncertain.

"He wasn't feeling well so we sent him home," said Shurmur.

Kaluka Maiava will start if Fujita can't play.

"[Maiava] actually performed very well stepping in for him at the end of the game," said Shurmur. "I'm pleased with what he did, had a lot of production, was where he was supposed to be and he contributed."

Drawing upon Drew: Cornerback Joe Haden has hired well-known agent Drew Rosenhaus to represent him. Haden said he was happy with his previous agent, Malik Shareef, but wanted a bigger agency that could help him do more things.

"I'm excited about it," said Haden, who sat out practice again with his sprained left knee. "It's up in the air" if he'll play against the Seahawks. He has been running this week for the first time since suffering the injury Oct. 2 against the Titans.

"We're just taking it day-by-day still," he said. "I'm trying to do a little bit more than I did last week. It's getting better though. Hopefully I'll be ready on Sunday."

He said he's been getting eight hours of treatment after jogging "just trying to get it right."

He wouldn't expand on the injury, which he termed a sprained lateral collateral ligament during an interview on WKNR on Tuesday night.

Defensive back Ray Ventrone was limited with a pulled hamstring.

Hillis status: Missing from the outdoor drills was Peyton Hillis (hamstring), who worked inside. Shurmur thought he might be ready for some light running, but he wasn't.

On Ogbonnaya: Shurmur knew running back Chris Ogbonnaya from their year together in St. Louis. He also played with Colt McCoy at Texas.

"He played a lot for us and then he was on and off the active roster for Houston through last year, training camp and this year," said Shurmur. "He's a good zone runner, he's good in pass protection, he catches the ball well and I have some history with him.

"When he was available and we're not sure of Peyton's availability as we move forward, we felt like a need to go get a guy who has logged more time in the league than Armond [Smith] at this point. That's why we did it."

He added there's a chance Smith will end up on the practice squad.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Brown's return for 2011-12 is seen as a big positive by CSU coach Gary Waters.

View full sizeLisa DeJong, The Plain DealerCleveland State coach Gary Waters is expecting big things from D'Aundray Brown after missing the 2010-11 season with a wrist injury.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The missing link for the Cleveland State men's basketball team in 2010-11 was 6-5 swingman D'Aundray Brown, who sat out the season with a wrist injury.

His presence for 2011-12 is seen as a big positive by CSU coach Gary Waters.

"D'Aundray is doing fabulous," Waters said. "I expect a great year from D'Aundray in every aspect. That off year has really helped him, helped him more than even he thought it would. It helped him to get stronger. D'Aundray was right [hand] dominant. Over the off-season, he spent a lot of time working with his left hand, and that has really helped him."

Brown, from Youngstown, averaged 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds as a junior, but his real presence has defending and rebounding. That should blend in well with the five freshmen Waters has been eager to get into uniform since the Vikings lost to Butler last season in the Horizon League Tournament.

On the mend: The season hasn't even started, and Waters said CSU is banged up.

Forward Aaron Pogue, who has lost 15-20 pounds since last season, had off-season surgery on his right knee and is at about 85 percent, according to Waters. Guard Tre Harmon has had some foot tenderness.

This is it! While Ohio, Western Michigan and Kent State have all gotten their nods in preseason magazine and online basketball sites, the odds-on favorite to win the Mid-American Conference men's title seems to be the Akron Zips.

CBS.com's Jeff Goodman picked the Zeke Marshall-led crew to not only win the MAC, but also to upset Kansas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Marshall, now a junior, is expected to deliver as a scorer, rebounder and defender this season, indicative of his status as a Top 50 prep recruit. He is 7-0, 235 pounds with two years of experience, including last season as the MAC Tournament MVP with his record-setting nine blocked shots.

Marshall will have some help. Chauncey Gilliam, a 6-5, 230-pound transfer from Maryland-Baltimore County is a proven Division I scorer (13.3 ppg). Nick Harney, a 6-7 freshman from Benedictine, looks to have the offensive punch of the graduated Brett McKnight, but also the rebounding and defensive ability McKnight never displayed.

Status quo at Kent: The more things change around Kent State basketball, the more they stay the same, even with first-year head coach Rob Senderoff now at the helm.

Old faces circulated through the final days of conditioning, which also coincided with homecoming. Former players Trevor Huffman, Omni Smith, Rod Sherman, Anthony Simpson, Mike Scott, Chris Singletary and others were wrapping arms around old teammates and new faces, pointing out nuances of different drills to the newcomers, offering encouragement.

"Our last mile run, [freshman Devereaux Manley] had a pretty good lead, but about the last 220, [2008 graduate] Mike Scott picks it up and by the end just goes right by him to win it," Senderoff said. "Mike still runs like a deer, all day long."

The former Kent players, nearly all of present because the NBA lockout has affected their playing opportunities overseas, also graded film, sat in on team meetings, surrounded the court during the first few days of practice, and critiqued Senderoff in his first few days as the successor to Geno Ford, who is now at Bradley. Ford succeeded Jim Christian as KSU head coach after Christian left for TCU in 2008.

"Based on practice, I think he's more like Jim than Geno," Singletary said of Senderoff.

Plain Dealer's Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot preview the Browns' game against the Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday. Watch video

The Rangers' boss downplays a managerial showdown with St. Louis' Tony La Russa.

View full sizeMatt Slocum, Associated PressRon Washington expects his players will help him look smart in the World Series.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Clubhouse confidential: Tony La Russa is considered one of the smartest managers in baseball. Texas manager Ron Washington was asked how he was going to match wits with the Cardinals' skipper in the World Series.

"I don't think I can ever live up to matching a wit with Tony La Russa," quipped Washington. "What I will try to do is put my players in the right position. If my players perform, I don't have to worry about matching wits; they'll take care of things."

Flashy fingers: La Russa talked to the media during Tuesday's workout day, he wore his two World Series rings.

Asked if he was wearing them for a special reason, La Russa said, "When I wear them, I wear them both. They're hard to get, so I enjoy them. I didn't realize I had them on. I usually take them off when I get to the ballpark."

Stat of the day: When you talk World Series, you have to talk Molina. With Yadier Molina starting behind the plate for St. Louis in Game 1, it means that one of the three Molina brothers have played in six of the last 10 World Series.

The new Wrestling Factory in Lakewood will offer coaching for wrestlers of all ages.

View full sizeUFC photoGray Maynard will hold a clinic, question-and-answer session and sign autographs on Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Gray Maynard, who two weeks ago suffered a fourth-round technical knockout in his UFC lightweight title fight with champion Frankie Edgar, is returning to Lakewood on Saturday to help his best friend and former St. Edward High teammate Mike Kulczycki launch the Wrestling Factory of Cleveland.

The enterprise offers coaching and mentoring for wrestlers of all ages, with emphasis on strength, conditioning and nutrition.

Kulczycki coached at Michigan, his alma mater, for eight years and is back in his hometown.

Maynard, who remains a top contender in UFC, now lives in Las Vegas. He will be at the school at 13000 Athens Ave., Suite 204, Lakewood, at 11 a.m. Saturday for a clinic, question-and-answer session and to sign autographs. For a portion of his career at St. Ed, he lived with the Kulczycki family, while his own family remained in Las Vegas.

After losing the Oct. 8 fight to Edgar in Houston in UFC 136, Maynard has vowed to fight his way back into title contention.

Kulczycki, a two-time state champion for the Eagles, coached three NCAA champions and 25 All-America wrestlers during his time with the Wolverines.

For more information, go to thewrestlingfactoryofcleveland.com or call 734-730-6292.

McCoy has made 13 starts in two seasons as an NFL qaurterback, sometimes looking good, sometimes not. More help around him would help. And, more Browns links.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns quarterback Colt McCoy is sometimes under pressure and other times can't find an open receiver.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy is in his second NFL season, having played in 13 professional games, all of them starts.

Occasionally, McCoy has shown a potential to be the long-term answer for the Browns at the sport's most important position.

At other times, he's certainly struggled.

Eventually, and the Browns and their fans hopes sooner rather than later, McCoy will need to establish himself as a consistent, effective player.

Fred Greetham writes for Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report that Browns coach Pat Shurmur agrees that McCoy "needs to get better."

Shurmur says positive things about McCoy, too.

And, Greetham writes that McCoy needs some more help from the rest of the Browns' offense...for instance:

There are many variables as to the play of the quarterback. The line suffered a big blow early when left guard Eric Steinbach was lost for the season after having back surgery. The offensive line has one true rookie (left guard Todd Pinkston) starting and one who didn’t play until this season in Shawn Lauvao at right guard. McCoy has only been sacked eight times, but he has been hit hard and knocked down many more times. He was knocked down six times by the Raiders.

“(The offensive line) unit is like having two rookies on the defensive line,” Shurmur said. “(The guards) have to get better. I think it’s fair to say that those guys have made incremental improvement. We feel the guys we have in there have a chance to be good players. It’s fun to work with those guys.”

The Browns (2-3) host the Seattle Seahawks (2-3) at Browns Stadium on Sunday.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Tony Grossi's story that the Browns hope to get McCoy playing throughout the game like he often does in the second quarter; Mary Kay Cabot's Browns Insider, highlighting receiver-kick returner Josh Cribbs; a report on Browns president Mike Holmgren's interview on a Seattle radio station, including the link to the audio of the interview; Grossi and Cabot previewing the Browns-Seahawks game, via a David I. Andersen video; video by Andersen of McCoy talking about the offense after Wednesday's practice; a Starting Blocks poll on the Browns-Seahawks game; and, much more. 

Goal to goal

Update on the Browns' injuries, by Scott Petrak for the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and Medina County Gazette.

The worst thing about the Browns' losses is how they've lost, Jamison Hensley writes for ESPN.com.

Pat Shurmur must figure out a better way to use Josh Cribbs, Bob Frantz writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

The Browns were right to keep Peyton Hillis, Mike Wilkening writes for ProFootballWeekly.com.

What running back Chris Ogbonnaya, signed by the Browns this week, could give the team. By Daniel Wolf for the National Football Authority.

A key matchup in the Browns-Seahawks game. By Mike Wilkening of ProFootballWeekly.com.

About the Browns and Seahawks. By Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

The Seahawks are a confident team going into their visit to Cleveland, Vic Carucci writes for clevelandbrowns.com.

St. Louis strikes first with two runs in the fourth to stake Chris Carpenter to a 2-0 lead over Texas in Game 1 of the World Series.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Lance Berkman hit a two-run single past first base Thursday night to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead over Texas in Game 1 of the World Series after four innings Busch Stadium.

C.J. Wilson started the inning by hitting Albert Pujols in the foot with a pitch. Matt Holliday followed with double to right to move Pujols to third. Berkman, who came into the game hitting .237 with six RBI in the postseason, followed with his single.

Until the fourth, the game featured sharp starting pitching by Wilson and Chris Carpenter.

In the first two rounds of the postseason, the Rangers and Cardinals relied on offense and their bullpens to advance to the World Series. Starting pitchers were an afterthought. Wilson and Carpenter seemed bent on changing that trend.

Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler opened the game with a single off David Freese's glove at third. Elvis Andrus sent a slow bouncer to Pujols at first. Pujols made a bad throw to Carpenter, who caught the ball with a dive and tagged the bag just before Andrus stepped on it.

Adrian Beltre hit a one-out double in the second -- again the ball skipped off Freese's glove -- and Nelson Cruz walked. Mike Napoli ended the inning by hitting into a double play.

Wilson held the Cards scoreless through the first three innings even though he walked two and gave up a leadoff single to Nick Punto in the third.