Sports Illustrated reports Sabathia will opt out of remainder of 7-year, $161 million contract with Yankees. New York would remain a favorite to keep him.

Associated PressCC Sabathia has a 59-23 record and 3.18 ERA in three seasons with the Yankees.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There was little doubt among most observers that CC Sabathia would leave the Cleveland Indians as a free agent following the 2008 season.

That's why Cleveland traded Sabathia -- who had won the 2007 Cy Young Award -- to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 7, 2008 for Matt LaPorta, minor league pitchers Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson and a player to be named later.

The player to be named later, announced after that season, was outfielder Michael Brantley, now 24 and one of the Indians' top players. LaPorta, then an outfielder, is now 26, playing first base for the Indians and trying to establish himsself as a consistent major league hitter.

The right-handed Bryson, 23, has not yet pitched in the big leagues partly due to some arm problems, but is considered one of the top relief pitching prospects in the Cleveland system.

Jackson, a 28-year-old left-hander, went 2-3 in 12 games (10 starts) for the Indians in 2008-09. He went 13-5, though with a 5.51 ERA, for the Texas Rangers' Class AAA Round Rock Express this season.

Meanwhile, Sabathia has played the last three seasons with the New York Yankees, signing with them as a free agent after spending just the final three months of the 2008 campaign with Milwaukee.

Sabathia was 106-71 in 7 1/2 years with the Indians. Since then, he has won 70 games and lost 25.

Apparently, the large, large lefty believes he can make even more money than he's already getting.

Jon Heyman reports for Sports Illustrated's SI.com that Sabathia is planning to opt out of the rest of his contract with the Yankees by Monday night's deadline, and thus become a free agent.

Heyman writes that Sabathia:

(P)lans to opt out of his long-term contract with the Yankees by the Monday night deadline and become a free agent, SI.com has learned.

Sabathia, 31, has four years worth $92 million left on his current seven-year, $161 million deal but has the option -- until midnight Monday -- of voiding the final four years.

The Yankees have already made a new contract offer to Sabathia and remain the favorites to keep him, although the Cubs, Rangers, Tigers and Blue Jays are also considered possibilities. The Yanks' offer was made over the weekend, but no details have been announced.

Rookie receiver has just four catches for 28 yards --- and absorbs one big hit. Watch video

SAN FRANCISCO -- Greg Little was determined to be the Browns' impact player on Sunday, especially with Mohamed Massaquoi out with a concussion. But the gamebreakers never materialized.

With so few threats for the 49ers defense, Little received extra attention and never was able to make an impact. Colt McCoy threw to him 11 times, and he caught only four for 28 yards with a long of nine. He motioned into the backfield and took a pitch, but lost eight yards on the play.

McCoy threw deep to him in the end zone once, but the 34-yard pass was picked off by safety Dashon Goldson. Little was double-covered by Goldson and cornerback Tarell Brown.

In the second quarter, though, Little showed his toughness by popping right up after Goldson drilled him in the head to draw a 15-yard roughness penalty. The play led to a field goal as time expired.

"He battled," said coach Pat Shurmur. "We all saw, he took a good lick. I wouldn't change one thing I've said about him. ... He's a good, young player who's getting better everyday. Every one of these experiences is going to benefit him as he moves forward. And you'd better him hard because he's a big guy."

Little was unfazed by the hit. "It's just football. I've been hit before," he said. "We kind of joked about it [afterward]. I told him to keep playing hard."

But Shurmur didn't give Little a pass on the interception, even though he was doubled. "When the ball is up, we train our guys to get it, no matter if there's two, three or four," the coach said.

"We liked our matchup," said McCoy, "but the safety made a nice play. We didn't handle the protection as well as we should've."

Cribbs on his score: Josh Cribbs finally talked McCoy into a pass against split-safety coverage -- and it went for the 45-yard touchdown.

"I was asking for it all game," said Cribbs. "I told that the coverage they were playing, they were not getting wide enough on his cover 2. All game I told Colt, 'trust me!' And he said, 'if I throw it over, you better catch it.' It was really dramatic at that point.

"I said, 'if you throw it over there, I'm going to score!' And he did. He had faith in me. Even though I wasn't his first read, he threw it to his playmaker. I commend him for that."

McCoy admitted Cribbs wasn't in the progression against that defense, but once he launched the ball, "I thought it was a touchdown."

Pondering the slow starts: The Browns have been outscored, 44-3, in the first quarter this season. But Cribbs focused on the finish.

"The fight in our dog is so strong," he said. "Our will not to be snuffed out is strong. It's still the beginning of the game that haunts us. Our coming out is awful right now. We finish like a Super Bowl team. We just start like the worst football team."

Early frustration: Right tackle Tony Pashos was disappointed about giving up the strip-sack on the second play of the game to Ahmad Brooks.

"I thought I sealed him enough but obviously no," he said.

Injuries: Linebacker Chris Gocong left with a shoulder injury and did not return, and Alex Mack walked out with an ice bag on his right calf, but said he was okay.

Going deep (leg division): Kicker Phil Dawson now has a career-high four field goals of 50 yards or more in one season. He has two 52-yarders and one from 53 after suffering a deep thigh bruise making a tackle on a blocked field goal last week.

"They didn't set the play clock and it was already at nine seconds," he said. "So I didn't take my steps. But maybe it was good because I didn't have time to get nervous."

Big day for Boone: San Francisco offensive lineman Alex Boone didn't want to spend time dawdling in the locker room Sunday.

He wanted to go meet his son, instead.

Boone's son, Jonathan Arthur, was born at 7:30 a.m., and the St. Edward and Ohio State product was absent as he prepared for Sunday's game. Worse than not being able to attend his son's birth was the fact that Boone still had not seen a picture of the newborn by game's end.

"Everybody's sent me texts saying congratulations, but nobody's sent me any pictures," Boone lamented. "I was freaking out this morning, but I'm headed home right now to see him."

Jonathan was 22 inches long and 7 pounds, 5 ounces. "Just like his dad, [number] 75," Boone beamed.

Edwards' day: San Francisco receiver Braylon Edwards returned to the field Sunday against the team that drafted him, but he swears that he didn't rush back from knee surgery simply because he wanted to face the Browns.

Edwards had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee Sept. 21, and said the Niners' bye week just before facing the Browns helped him recover in time.

"I know a couple guys over there, but it's not the same head coach, it's not the same organization," he said. "It's upside-down in regard that they've changed over a lot."

Edwards caught four passes for 42 yards, including an eight-yard reception in which he dove to snag the throw in outstretched hands.

The victory didn't lead to gloating.

"Cleveland as an organization gave me a chance, drafted me first overall, and I'm indebted to them for that," Edwards said. "We had some good times, and it's time to move forward. I'm now with the San Francisco 49ers, I play in the NFC. It's not even the same conference."

Plain Dealer reporters Tony Grossi and Jodie Valade contribute to this report.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Bo Van Pelt ran away with the Asia Pacific Classic on Sunday in hot and humid conditions, birdieing five of the last eight holes for a 7-under 64 and a six-stroke victory.

Bo Van Pelt of the United States tees off on the 11th hole during the final round on his way to winning the Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia golf tournament at the Mines Resort & Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin)

SELANGOR, Malaysia   — Bo Van Pelt ran away with the Asia Pacific Classic on Sunday in hot and humid conditions, birdieing five of the last eight holes for a 7-under 64 and a six-stroke victory.

"I've watched other guys coming down 18 with a big lead and I thought, 'That would be fun some day if I could do that.' And it was," Van Pelt said, "I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I get to do what I love to do for a living."

The winner of the PGA Tour's 2009 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, Van Pelt finished at 23 under at The Mines and earned $1.3 million in the second-year event sanctioned by the PGA and Asian tours.

"I've had a couple of chances to win this year, but didn't come out on top," Van Pelt said. "Canada was a tough pill to swallow. I just wanted to learn from that and do a better job when I had the lead. I take a lot of satisfaction in how I played today."

Fellow Indiana player Jeff Overton was second after a 69.

"That was one of the best rounds of golf I've seen," Overton said about Van Pelt. "I didn't play a great round. I played a solid round. I kind of had a couple of hiccups. He birdied some holes that I bogeyed and those were huge momentum shifters."

Van Pelt pulled away with birdies on Nos. 13-15, hitting within a foot on the par-4 13th and par-3 14th and holing a 4-footer on the short par-4 15th after driving into a greenside bunker. He added a two-putt birdie on the par-5 17th.

"I played well all day," Van Pelt said. "I didn't make any bogeys. I just tried to play to game plan all week."

The 36-year-old former Oklahoma State player opened with rounds of 66, 64 and 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Overton into the final round.

"My swing felt good right at the first warmup and I kind of continued that all week and had confidence with what I wanted to do with my golf swing," Van Pelt said.

Fredrik Jacobson had a 68 to finish third at 16 under, and Cameron Tringale (64), Camilo Villegas (66) and Mark Wilson (69) were 15 under.

"I had a hard time getting the putter going yesterday and the front side today," Jacobson said. "I was lucky that I still shot 4 under on the back nine to finish third. Overall, a very good week after a month break."

For more Cinesport video, go here.

The heart of Ohio State's 33-29 comeback victory was built on a defense that didn't allow the Badgers to do what they were so used to doing.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerAndrew Sweat (42) and the Buckeyes had a disciplined plan to deal with Wisconsin's emphasis on running the ball and the Badgers' lead running back, Montee Ball.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Wisconsin had run on everyone. Ohio State had started thinking about Wisconsin's run game during preseason camp.

Saturday night, the wall went up and the Badgers went down.

In the end, cracks in the OSU defense nearly cost the Buckeyes a win over Wisconsin, but the heart of Ohio State's 33-29 comeback victory was built on a defense that didn't allow the Badgers to do what they were so used to doing.

Wisconsin entered Ohio Stadium on Saturday night averaging 252 yards per game on the ground and 5.8 yards per carry. The Badgers had gained at least 208 rushing yards in every game, with a high of 332 against Indiana. The Buckeyes kept them in double digits, 89 yards and a 3.1 average, and it wiped out the Wisconsin game plan.

"Our big focus on defense was to stop the run," OSU coach Luke Fickell said. "I think we did a heck of a job. The guys up front, the front seven, really learned a lot from last year and the last couple of years we played them and did exactly what we asked them to do at stopping the run up front."

A year ago, the Buckeyes had been run over early, as Wisconsin rushed for 184 yards and a 4.3 average in a 31-18 win. So senior middle linebacker Andrew Sweat said the defense had watched the film of that loss and started thinking about the Badgers in August.

"Even in camp we were working on things to stop Wisconsin," Sweat said. "We corrected things."

The Buckeyes' defensive line had to get penetration, and the linebackers had to attack the holes and not run laterally while chasing the play, which would allow the Wisconsin linemen to get out and block them.

"It was all about being physical and getting in gaps and staying in gaps and being square," Sweat said. "We knew if we could build a wall and make [the runs] leak out, our corners and safeties could tackle them."

That's what happened a lot. Safety C.J. Barnett was very aggressive and had seven tackles, while safety Christian Bryant had six. Sweat lead OSU with eight tackles. In the first half, Wisconsin was limited to 12 rushing yards on 10 carries. Examine, for instance, the Badgers' third-and-1 run on their second series of the game, after they had moved 69 yards down the field for a touchdown on their first drive.

On this third down, defensive end John Simon drove through two blockers to force running back Montee Ball to cut, linebacker Storm Klein attacked the hole and filled the first gap inside where Ball could have run, and Barnett stuck Ball with an open-field tackle a half-yard short of the first down. Just like the plan.

"Ohio State's defense was amped up and made plays," Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson said.

Offense taking flight? Offensive coordinator Jim Bollman knew it wasn't an air show, but it was a step. From one completion on four passes against Illinois, he was willing to take seven completions on 12 passes against the Badgers.

"You guys will never believe me, but as I've told you, we've been getting better at that aspect of the game," Bollman said. "I think we threw 12 passes, so we're improving."

Bollman thought the balance was OK, though he said 19 carries for freshman quarterback Braxton Miller was a few too many. He also said the success of the run game and the game situation -- taking a 17-7 lead in the third quarter -- caused the Buckeyes to throw less than they thought they would.

At the very least, the Buckeyes threw enough to have confidence in it at the end of the game. After Jordan Hall's 42-yard kick return after Wisconsin took the lead, Bollman said he was confident that the Buckeyes would be able to move into position in the final 70 seconds to try a tying field goal. But he also asked head coach Luke Fickell if Ohio State should take a shot at the end zone.

"He said, 'If you get in some situations where you think you've got a chance,'" Bollman said. "And that's where we called that play."

That's when Miller and Devin Smith connected on the 40-yard touchdown for the win.

"We've had one of those up-and-down years and we're having a run in this Chase and now we're hungry," Tony Stewart said after his third victory in the first seven Chase races moved him within eight points of leader Carl Edwards. "

Tony Stewart celebrates his win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

MARTINSVILLE, Va.  — Tony Stewart hadn't won a race all season and didn't list himself as a championship contender when asked to handicap the field before NASCAR's 10-race playoffs got going.

Now, his third championship is there for the taking.

"We've had one of those up-and-down years and we're having a run in this Chase and now we're hungry," Stewart said after his third victory in the first seven Chase races moved him within eight points of leader Carl Edwards. "We're hungry for this. I feel like our mindset into these next three weeks, we've been nice all year to a lot of guys, given guys a lot of breaks.

"We're cashing tickets in these next three weeks."

Stewart won this one by passing Jimmie Johnson on a restart with three laps to go Sunday.

Stewart then playfully called out Edwards.

"He better be worried. That's all I've got to say," Stewart said in Victory Lane, a broad smile spreading across his face. "He's not going to sleep for the next three weeks."

Stewart moved from 19 points behind leader Edwards and in fourth place to just eight points behind in second as several contenders got caught up in a season-high 18 caution flags.

Even Stewart had trouble, at one point having to apologize to race leader Denny Hamlin for racing him hard to stay on the lead lap. And that was with less than 200 laps to go.

"I was pretty mad all day, but I was the only guy who didn't get in a wreck with somebody, so I was kind of proud of that," Stewart said, adding that crew chief Darian Grubber, his spotter and several team members told him before the race to stop being so nice on the track.

The winning pass, to Johnson's outside, surprised even him.

"I don't think anybody has ever passed Jimmie Johnson on the outside," he said, crediting Grubb for making the right calls and adjustments all race long. "I don't think we had the best race car today, by any means, but we had the most determined pit crew."

Johnson, for much of the day, looked like he might be the one making a huge gain in the points race, especially as Edwards floundered in the mid-20s and wasn't getting any better.

The cautions, which slowed things for 108 laps, also a season high, allowed Johnson to weather a call by crew chief Chad Knaus to stay out when all the leaders behind him pitted for fresh tires with just over 40 laps to go. But he couldn't hold on with Stewart pressing him at the end.

"I just could not get away from him on the restart," he said, adding that he tried to be cognizant of Stewart's better position in the championship battle. "I thought about going in there and leaning on him, move him up, but that is just not the right thing to do."

Stewart last won the championship in 2005.

Edwards laughed when told about Stewart's challenge.

"He's wound up. He won the race. We'll see what happens at Texas," Edwards said. "I told you guys I thought he was one of the guys that could win this race and be a guy that you'd have to beat for the championship and I think he's proving that right now. But yeah, we'll have fun.

"We'll go race hard. They're going to have to race us, too. I'm excited about the next three races."

Edwards struggled all day, twice needing the get a free pass as the first car a lap down. He made it pay off the second time, adjusting his car and rallying to finish an unlikely ninth.

"That's just a gift," he said. "We did not deserve to finish ninth."

Given his history at Martinsville, where he has struggled, Edwards felt like he'd won.

"I had become OK with the fact that we were probably going to finish 20th or 25th," he said. "I was thinking already about Texas and how we were going to have to go there and everything we were going to do, but my guys stuck with it and we got very, very fortunate."

Others deserved much better than what they got, namely Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski. They started the day second and third in points, and both were running near the front all day until getting caught up in late accidents. Kenseth finished 31st and Keselowski wound up 17th.

It seemed especially harsh for Kenseth, who was doing uncharacteristically well for him on the 0.526-mile oval until tangling with Kyle Busch on lap 464. Kenseth wound up in the garage.

"That ruined my day, along with his and whoever else got unfortunately collected in that mess," Kenseth said about Busch, who also ran up front all day but limped home in 27th place.

Kenseth was running eighth when he crashed. Keselowski also was running eighth.

Jeff Gordon finished third, and saw plenty of mayhem all race long.

"That was crazy. The racing was crazy," he said.

Kevin Harvick finished fourth and moved into third in the points race, 21 behind Edwards. Hamlin was fourth, followed by Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr.

Johnson, who started the day seventh in points, moved into sixth with his second-place run, but is still 43 points off the lead in search of his sixth consecutive championship.

For more Cinesport video, go here.

The Browns' offense struggled once again in a 20-10 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. How concerned are you about Colt McCoy's performance so far this season? What did you think of Pat Shurmur's play calling against the 49ers? Do the Browns have a shot next week at Houston?

Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy is grabbed by the neck and sacked by San Francisco 49ers Ahmad Brooks in the third quarter October 30, 2011 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The Browns went on to lose the game, 20-10. (John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)

The Browns' offense struggled once again in a 20-10 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. How concerned are you about Colt McCoy's performance so far this season? What did you think of Pat Shurmur's play calling against the 49ers? Do the Browns have a shot next week at Houston?

Talk about these topics and whatever you like with other fans in our open Browns Fan Chat room. Just remember to play nice with others.

Then Monday afternoon, listen and fire away with your questions for Tony Grossi as he'll join us for an audio chat at noon.

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If my IBS flares up again, I will hold the NFL largely responsible due to the application of two changes this season — the use of replay as an officiating tool on every scoring play and moving kickoffs five yards closer to the goal line.

AP File PhotoAfter further review, the NFL's new replay rule stinks, writes Norman Chad.

In watching NFL Sundays since I was, oh, 7 or 8 years old, I can safely say it has brought more joy to my life than anything other than my current wife, my current dog and my current remission from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

But if my IBS flares up again, I will hold the NFL largely responsible due to the application of two changes this season — the use of replay as an officiating tool on every scoring play and moving kickoffs five yards closer to the goal line.

Replay remains the most slippery of slopes in all of sport. Once you embark on that path, there’s no firm footing and no going back.

I lost the replay battle years ago. There are a dozen reasons it shouldn’t be used, but arguing against it is like trying to stop the tide from coming in. For Sports Nation has spoken — “If everyone can see it’s a bad call, it must be changed” — and I no longer will throw my increasingly frail body in front of that rudderless ship of fools.

In football, replay is tricky. It’s not as simple as in tennis, where you’re just checking to see if the ball is in or out and it takes only a matter of moments.

(By the way, tennis would be a greater game if the pros made all the line calls themselves, like recreational players do. The honor system might have made John McEnroe a better person.)

In a more perfect world — say, April in Paris — you would want to redress obvious mistakes, without stopping the game too often too unnecessarily. But the “challenge” system led to an uproar if an egregious officiating error occurred after a coach had run out of replay challenges. Which leads to now, where all scoring plays are reviewed, due to their outsized importance to the future of mankind.

But if you automatically review a touchdown in which the runner appeared to cross the goal line by one inch, why wouldn’t you automatically review a play in which the runner appeared to be short of the goal line by one inch? What’s the difference? Where does the officiating carousel end?

Another replay conundrum: When a replay ref is attempting to determine, say, a possession issue, if he sees a block in the back, it does not matter; it’s as if it did not happen. Nothing else in the play is reviewable.

Let’s look at a hypothetical situation (but one that is entirely plausible):

On a touchdown, the runner appears to fumble before he reaches the end zone. While reviewing the play on video, the referee notices that an offensive lineman pulled a chainsaw out of his jersey and cut off the head of one of the linebackers; the head, in fact, is rolling around near the 5-yard line. At the very least — I don’t have the rule book in front of me — I assume this is a personal foul, either unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct or, I guess, illegal hands to the face. But the ref cannot rule on this.

Does it seems fair that an act that likely would bring felony charges after the game — I don’t know the law, but we could be talking at least manslaughter — cannot even be penalized 15 yards during the game?

As preposterous as that sounds, it’s not nearly as preposterous as the NFL decision to shift kickoffs from the 30- to the 35-yard line, which might be THE DUMBEST IDEA IN THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED SPORTS.

Years ago, the NFL had moved kickoffs five yards back to the 30 to create fewer touchbacks. Kickers’ legs had gotten stronger, and the league didn’t want to eliminate the excitement of the kickoff return. Now, the league has moved kickoffs to the 35 to create more touchbacks in the name of player safety — it’s concerned about injuries on kickoff returns.

Alas, the most important element to the kickoff, I believe, is the kickoff return. They kick the ball off and you run the ball back; there’s no point in kicking the ball off if you’re not going to run the ball back. That’s like mailing a letter that has no recipient.

As for player safety, isn’t the whole point of football to hit the other guy really, really hard? If you don’t want people hitting each other, they should just play backgammon then.

Besides, if player safety is paramount, why wouldn’t you utilize replay to penalize a lineman who uses a power tool to decapitate an opponent?

Norman Chad is a freelance writer in Los Angeles.

Wearing a bow tie instead of shoulder pads, Gee was nonetheless playing defense for the scarlet and gray in a speech the day after OSU Athletics Director Gene Smith sat three players for accepting too much money for too little work at summer jobs.

Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee

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"We are the poster child for compliance, and whenever we discover possible infractions we resolve and report it to the NCAA no matter how minor the violations."

-- Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee

Wearing a bow tie instead of shoulder pads, Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee was nonetheless playing defense for the scarlet and gray on Oct 4. A day earlier, OSU Athletics Director Gene Smith sat three football players against Nebraska for accepting too much money for too little work at summer jobs.

More from PolitiFact Ohio

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It was the latest NCAA infraction in a string for Ohio State dating back to December 2010 that had now encompassed summer jobs, cash handed out a charity event and the infamous tattoos-for-trinkets scandal.

In all, 12 scholarship football players had been punished for infractions, former head coach Jim Tressel had been fired and a long-time program booster had been exiled.

After his annual talk to faculty members, Gee told the Columbus Dispatch that the school’s athletics compliance office — the folks in charge of discovering, reporting and preventing NCAA violations — was a model for other schools to follow.

"We are the poster child for compliance, and whenever we discover possible infractions we resolve and report it to the NCAA no matter how minor the violations," Gee said. "That’s what we have done here."

PolitiFact Ohio normally sticks to checking the statements of Ohio’s leading political figures, but it’s not much of a stretch to view Gee as a political figure of sorts. (Gov. John Kasich has referred to him as Ohio’s greatest politician.)

So we decided to buckle up our helmet and dig into whether Ohio State’s compliance office really is the "poster child" for universities across the country.

You can see the full story at PolitiFact Ohio. Then come back here to comment.

Do you bleed orange and brown? We want to know why you're such a dedicated Browns fan! Fifty lucky fans will win 2 tickets to the December 4 game against the Ravens!

John Kuntz, Plain Dealer file photoDoes the snow scare you away? It didn't scare this dedicated fan when the Browns hosted the Buffalo Bills December 16, 2007 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns won the game.

Browns' showing: Does have it have you asking, "Are you ready for some baseball?"

View full sizeAP FileAre Cleveland fans ready to wave the white flag yet?

The Browns were done after the second play of Sunday's game with the San Francisco 49ers, a strip sack of quarterback Colt McCoy by Ahmad Brooks after he beat right tackle Tony Pashos.

The 20-10 loss drops Cleveland to 3-4 ... and the Browns have looked even worse than their record. Nobody's clamoring for Romeo Crennel or Eric Mangini ... yet. But the grumblings are being heard.

So, Browns fans, we'd like to know: Are you about to give up on the team yet? Or is this just part of the growing pains of a young team with a first-year coach in a brand new offense? And moreover, a brand-new offense that really doesn't have the weapons it needs to be successful?

The Plain Dealer's Browns beat reporters Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot break down what happened in the Browns' 20-10 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco on Sunday. Watch video

The Plain Dealer's Browns beat reporters Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot break down what happened in the Browns' 20-10 loss to the 49ers in San Francisco on Sunday. Click on play to watch as they talk about what went wrong and what went right for the Browns, who dropped to 3-4 on the season. Cleveland travels next to Houston to play the Texans.

Join us for a live Browns chat today at noon with The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi. The Browns lost to the 49ers on Sunday. Is there any hope that this offense can get straightened out? Is the team's 3-4 record an accurate reflection of who they are? We'll answer those questions and more.

View full sizeChat live with Tony Grossi every Monday at noon.

Join us for a live Browns chat today at noon with The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi.

The Browns lost to the 49ers on Sunday. Is there any hope that this offense can get straightened out? Is the team's 3-4 record an accurate reflection of who they are?

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

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The World Series win over Texas was the third of La Russa's 33-year career. The manager guided the Cardinals to the championship despite being 101/2 games behind Atlanta on Aug. 25 for the final playoff spot in the National League.

View full sizeAPSt. Louis Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa is retiring.

ST. LOUIS — Tony La Russa retired as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals today, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers.

The 67-year-old La Russa announced his retirement at a news conference at Busch Stadium.

The World Series win over Texas was the third of La Russa's 33-year career. The manager guided the Cardinals to the championship despite being 10½ games behind Atlanta on Aug. 25 for the final playoff spot in the National League.

La Russa retires third on the all-time wins list, 35 behind John McGraw. In addition to this season, he won championships in Oakland in 1989 and St. Louis in 2006.

"Other than some of personal attachments, I feel good," La Russa said. "I feel good that this is the right decision and there's something out there."

Grady Sizemore is a free agent after the Indians declined his $9 million club option for 2011. The Indians picked up Fausto Carmona's $7 million option.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerGrady Sizemore can sign with any team after the Indians declined his option for 2012.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have declined the 2012 club for Grady Sizemore and  exercised Fausto Carmona's option.

Sizemore is a free agent. His option was worth $9 million.

Carmona's option is worth $7 million.

Sizemore, whose career has been slowed by injuries over the last three seasons, appeared in just 71 games last season. He hit .224 (60-for-268) with 21 doubles, one triple, 10 homers and 34 RBI.

Carmona went 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA.

Browns fans aren't quitting yet, says Plain Dealer reporter. Watch video

View full size1966 United Feature Syndicate

Are the Browns even as good as their 3-4 record? Who's to blame for the poor offensive performances? Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeNhat V. Meyer | San Jose Mercury News | MCTFrank Gore had plenty of room to run, especially in the first half of the 49ers' win over the Browns on Sunday.

Are the Browns even as good as their 3-4 record? Who's to blame for the poor offensive performances?

Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Among other topics discussed:

• Is there any legitamacy to Aaron Curry's assertion that a Browns' lineman is tipping run or pass?

• What did you think of the overall play of the defense yesterday?

• Would the Browns even consider giving the ball to Seneca Wallace if Colt McCoy's healthy?

• Is there any chance that this team could finish the year at 3-13?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

The all-out style of play that defined Grady Sizemore took a toll on his career.

PD fileGrady Sizemore's hard-charging style endeared him to fans, but took a toll on his body.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The thing that made Grady Sizemore nearly great also made the greatness short-lived. Sizemore played all-out, as hard as he could, day-in, day-out, until the walls he ran into and the doubles he legged out in a cloud of dust and the players he crashed into all took a toll on his body.

A particularly fond memory is of Sizemore scoring in a clatter of spikes and a swirl of dust on a wild pitch in the "Bug Game" in the playoffs against the Yankees in 2007, when he upended pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who was covering the plate. It was a symbol of the way the Indians upset the best-laid plans of baseball’s highest-paid team in a divisional series upset.

Sizemore endured five operations on everything from his knees to his groin to his elbow, with the accompanying drop-off in performance. The small-market Tribe had little choice but not to renew his contract Monday when Sizemore was resistant to re-doing it.

But at his best, Sizemore was a 30-30 man in home runs and stolen bases and, for a brief time, he was the Central Division’s best player. It didn’t last, like the unseasonable weather at the midge game, but it was something to see while it did.

The Indians, looking for a veteran starter, have traded for right-hander Derek Lowe.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians have acquired veteran right-hander Derek Lowe from Atlanta for minor league left-hander Chris Jones.

The team has yet to make the trade official. 

Lowe, 38, went 9-17 with a 5.05 ERA in 34 starts this past season for the Braves. Atlanta will absorb all but $5 million of the $15 million he'll earn next season. Lowe signed a four-year $60 million deal with Atlanta headed into the 2009 season.

One of the Indians goals in preparation for next season was to add a veteran starter to the rotation. Lowe will be joining a rotation of Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Josh Tomlin and Fausto Carmona.

Earlier today, the Indians exercised a $7 million option on Carmona for 2012. Their starting pitching depth has been thinned with the Carlos Carrasco's right elbow injury and the trade of Drew Pomeranz and Alex White for Jimenez in July. Carrasco will miss 2012 with Tommy John surgery.

Lowe, a sinkerball pitcher, has pitched in the National League for the Dodgers and Braves since 2005. Before that, he pitched with Seattle (one year) and Boston in the American League from 1997 through 2004. He had his best season with the Red Sox in 2001, going 21-8 with a 2.58 ERA.

Lowe's career record is 166-146 with a 3.94 ERA.

This year Lowe tied Baltimore's Jeremy Guthrie for the most losses by one pitcher in the big leagues at 17. Carmona's 15 losses this year for the Tribe, ranked third in the AL.

Jones, 23, went 7-1 with a 3.36 ERA in 43 appearances this year at Class A Kinston. He struck out 66, walked 30 and allowedx 65 hits in 72 1/3 innings.

Browns running back Montario Hardesty will miss multiple games with a moderate tear in his calf. The Browns will work out backs on Tuesday.

View full sizePD fileBrowns running back Montario Hardesty.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns running back Montario Hardesty "will miss games'' with a moderate tear in his right calf, coach Pat Shurmur said.

Shurmur said he's not sure how many games Hardesty will miss, "but it's going to take some time to heal.''

He said running back Peyton Hillis is still being evaluated day to day with a pulled hamstring and that the Browns will try out running backs Tuesday.

He said "there are no excuses'' even though the team has been without Hillis, Hardesty and Brandon Jackson (toe) for all or parts of the season.

The Browns are currently down to Chris Ogbonnaya, who was signed off the Texans practice squad Oct. 18. Shurmur said if Ogbonnaya had been hurt, fullback Owen Marecic would've been the lone tailback.

The Browns also have running back Armond Smith on the practice squad. Shurmur said Josh Cribbs can do a lot of things, including playing in the backfield.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Welcome to a high school football playoff edition of Starting Blocks TV, cleveland.com's daily video show.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Welcome to a high school football playoff edition of Starting Blocks TV, cleveland.com's daily video show.

Today's guest is Plain Dealer reporter Tim Rogers, fresh off Sunday's announcement on the 192 teams that qualified for the playoffs. On today's show, hosted by high school sports editor Kristen Davis and reporter Chuck Yarborough, Rogers looks back on Saturday's regular-season finale between St. Ignatius and St. Edward and a possible rematch between the rivals next week in the regional semifinals.

Don't miss the end of the show when Rogers makes predictions on the most intriguing regional quarterfinal matchups, as well as his picks on who will win state championships in all six divisions.

Join us each week of the football playoffs for an SBTV show analyzing the field and predicting the most compelling matchups. Reporter Joe Maxse will be next week's guest.