Quantcast
Channel: Cleveland Sports News
Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live

Ohio State vs. Purdue has proven to be an unpredictable rivalry: Bill Livingston

0
0

The "Holy Buckeye!" play that beat Purdue in Ohio State's national title season of 2002 wasn't just a broadcaster's call. It became an enduring part of Buckeyes lore.

krenzel-purdue-tdpass-2002-ap.jpgView full sizeCraig Krenzel's fourth-down pass to defeat Purdue in 2002 was the most memorable moment in a rivalry that has had some drama over the last decade.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- With apologies to Johnny Cash, you hear the train a-comin'. It's rollin' 'round the bend. And you ain't seen the sunshine since you don't know when.

Or since 2007, anyway.

It frequently is a gloomy day for Ohio State fans when the Buckeyes play at Purdue. Ohio State can become (rail)road pizza, losing three times in the five games played here since 2000.

The steam locomotive the Boilermaker Special, which chugs, its whistle blowing, around the Purdue bench at Ross-Ade Stadium after Boilermakers scores is the mascot of the engineering school. Other familiar symbols are "The World's Largest Drum" in the band, although the University of Texas disputes that claim, and the Golden Girl, a majorette dressed in a costume King Midas would love.

Purdue seldom contends in the Big Ten race. But at OSU it is a symbol of how tough it can be on the road.

• In 2009, a Purdue team that finished with a losing record beat Ohio State, forcing five turnovers, four by quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

• In 2004, not even future Buckeye Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith was enough.

• In 2000, Drew Brees put the Boilermakers on the inside track to the Rose Bowl with a long, late, game-winning touchdown pass in John Cooper's last season as Ohio State coach.

And in 2002, well, Holy Buckeye! OSU's only other victory here since then was a solid 23-7 triumph in 2007.

"It will be pounded home [that] in '02 we went over there, we're 14-0, win a national championship, win on the last play of the game. It's going to be a battle," said Ohio State coach Luke Fickell.

Echoes of the 2002 game remain, undrowned by the train whistle's shrieking or the bass drum's booming. It was probably the most memorable Purdue-Ohio State game since the 1968 Buckeyes got their biggest push toward an eventual national championship vs. the Boilermakers. As 13-point underdogs at home, they blanked top-ranked Purdue and All-American running back Leroy Keyes, 13-0.

The play that won the 2002 game was a result of cohesion, recognition and precision. The Buckeyes trailed, 6-3, in a hard-hitting defensive game and faced fourth down-and-1 at the Purdue 37 in the last two minutes. Rather than call time out, coaches rushed in the play call, "King Right 64 Y Shallow Swap."



Explained quarterback Craig Krenzel, "King Right is the formation; 64 is the blocking scheme, with five linemen and two backs protecting; Y Shallow means the Y receiver, the tight end, runs a shallow cross; and Swap means the flanker, Chris Gamble, runs a dig [crossing] route and the split end, Mike Jenkins, runs a post."

Krenzel saw the strong safety and linebackers edging up to the line of scrimmage, so he knew the "train" was coming and the Boilers were going to blitz. He also knew both Jenkins and Gamble had single coverage.

The first option was just to get the first down. But Ben Hartsock, the tight end, was covered. "You mean that was fourth down?" a shocked Hartsock said later.

The second option, Jenkins' post route, was denied because cornerback Antwaun Rogers was overplaying the rangy wide out, forcing him to the sideline.

Gamble shortened his pattern, lest he bring his defender toward the middle of the field, where he could help Rogers, then ran straight downfield.

Jenkins, stutter-stepping off the line, quickly beat Rogers. "Throw it, Craig! Throw it!" shouted former Ohio State quarterbacks coach Joe Daniels in the coaches' box.

Throw it Krenzel did, with a defender in his face, off his back foot, into the wind.

As Jenkins neared the goal-line, he and Rogers were jostling, tussling and engaging in hand-to-hand combat as worthy of an octagon as a football field. Referees called nothing. When the ball nestled into Jenkins' hands for a touchdown and a 10-6 victory, television play-by-play man Brent Musburger blurted out, "Holy Buckeye!"

The 2002 season was one in which Ohio State won five of its 14 games by six points or fewer and two others in overtime. But Purdue is remembered best of all the close calls in the regular season.

That game certainly was different from the effectively chaotic execution of the winning play in the signature victory of this season, 33-29 over Wisconsin, on Braxton Miller's 40-yard touchdown pass to fellow true freshman Devin Smith in the last 20 seconds. Some of the players admitted they panicked and ran playground patterns instead of the disciplined sight adjustments their forebears made in 2002.

That's the great thing about college football, though. Both plays, in games of such different character, executed in such different ways, will always be part of the lore at Ohio State. "Holy Buckeye!" was not just a broadcaster's call, it was a password that opened the gates of legend.

On Twitter: @LivyPD


Akron QB Clayton Moore eager to experience Zips-Golden Flashes rivalry Saturday

0
0

The Zips' sophomore QB is ready to jump right into the midst of things on Saturday, even if he doesn't know a soul on the opposite sideline.

akron-qb-moore-ap-vert.jpgView full size"We're ready, I can tell you that," Akron QB Clayton Moore says of Saturday's game against arch-rival Kent State. "Intensity is not going to be a problem."

AKRON, Ohio -- Akron quarterback Clayton Moore isn't shy about playing in his first rivalry game against Kent State.

Fact is, the 6-1, 210-pound product of Louisville, Miss., who has played in numerous rivalry games, is ready to jump right into the midst of things, even if he doesn't know a soul on the opposite sideline.

"That's really true," the sophomore transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast junior college said after practice this week. "In all the others, there was somebody I could talk to across the line. But I don't know not one person there, in the league, really. But they don't know me, either."

According to Moore, that Southern-twanged cadence chirping today will be his, and he plans to be calling out more than signals.

"In a rivalry game, when you know somebody on the other side, in pregame you see them and start mouthing off, call them by name," Moore said. "I like to talk a lot, even when I play, and I haven't talked a whole lot this season."

That's due in great measure to the Zips' 1-8 record, 0-5 in the Mid-American Conference. KSU is 3-6, 2-3. But Moore said his mouthpiece will be in and out all game.

"This one, I'll probably talk a little bit, because I love football, and this is a rivalry," he said. "I love talking to the opponent. It brings out a different side to the game. I can't wait to go out there and see what they got to say, or if nothing else, let them hear what I got to say."

Saturday: Kent State at Akron, 2 p.m., SportsTime Ohio.

At the same time, Moore admits his lip service has not necessarily served him well in rivalry games over the years.

"Being a part of four different rivalry games, they're all different, but they're all rivalries," he said. "The fire and the passion is there. But believe it or not, my record in rivalry games is not that good.

"In high school I was 1-2. My first year in college I didn't play, but Mississippi State beat us [Mississippi]; and last year at juco, we got beat in overtime. I'm 1-4, and haven't won a rivalry game since I was a sophomore in high school, so I am itching to get one."

Akron's offense is its strong suit, with tailback Jawon Chisholm rushing for 819 yards and four touchdowns already this season; Moore has passed for 1,389 yards and nine TDs. But the Zips are coming off a 35-3 setback at Miami while Kent is on a two-game winning streak, sitting on the fringe of the MAC's East Division race.

It may appear Akron has little to play for. But that is not the case. Kent currently has the Wagon Wheel trophy via a 28-17 win last season.

"We're ready, I can tell you that," Moore said. "Intensity is not going to be a problem."

St. Louis Rams linemen Bell, Saffold bring their NE Ohio pride to Sunday's game against Browns

0
0

Two of St. Louis' offensive linemen hail from the Cleveland area, with seven others in the NFL.

rams-bell-saffold-horiz-ap.jpgView full size"I use some of the stuff we learned in high school even now," says St. Louis offensive guard Jacob Bell (63) who grew up in Cleveland Heights and attended St. Ignatius. "Taking on a bull rush is something I learned how to do in high school." Alongside Bell is former Bedford High School and Indiana University standout Rodger Staffold, now a tackle with the Rams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jacob Bell and the rest of his St. Louis Rams teammates like to refer to Rodger Saffold Jr. as his "little brother." There are obvious reasons for this.

The two offensive linemen have a hulking resemblance. Bell stands 6-feet-4, and weighs 300 pounds; Saffold is 6-5, 323 pounds. They play next to each other each game, with Bell at left guard, and Saffold lining up beside him at left tackle.

Both are from the Cleveland area, two kids who used their high-school coaching to learn foundational techniques that carried them to the NFL. Though they are separated in age by seven years, the two are facsimiles of the same player: hard-working, hard-playing big guys who learned to love the game and play football in Ohio.

They are not alone. Nine offensive linemen from the Cleveland area appear on NFL rosters across the country, and they say it's no coincidence.

"We grow them big and strong in the Midwest," San Francisco 49ers lineman Alex Boone joked.

More than that, they had strong coaching through their childhood years, providing a solid base for one of the most technical positions in the game. Opportunities for offensive linemen to learn and grow in Northeast Ohio abound, with various camps and veteran coaches who instruct the behemoths, and that's part of the reason so many have grown up to be professional football players.

"I use some of the stuff we learned in high school even now," said Bell, who grew up in Cleveland Heights and attended St. Ignatius before attending Miami (Ohio). "Taking on a bull rush is something I learned how to do in high school. I use the same technique now."

Bell played at St. Ignatius one year behind another future NFL player, LeCharles Bentley. The retired center opened the LeCharles Bentley O-Line Academy in Avon specifically for athletes at his position. Attendees learn not only specifics of run- and pass-protection, angles and hand placement, but also supplement old-school training with new ideas. Bentley's Web site boasts that training sessions include "pilates in order to build explosive core strength," and "martial arts to facilitate dominant hand movements."

Bentley says his is the only brick-and-mortar offensive linemen academy in the country, and part of the reason he wanted to open it near his hometown is because of the talent the area produces. Anyone from high school to NFL players can attend and benefit from the Midwestern linemen approach.

"I'll be honest with you, part of the reason I was able to go as far as I did was because of the coaching I received," Bentley said. "We have a lot of dedicated high school coaches, some really, truly committed coaches who helped me."

Saffold also credits the instruction he received and various football camps he attended when he was a little-noticed lineman entering Bedford High School. He attended five camps per year, he said, including one at Ohio State and one specifically for big men.

Then there's the matter of Ohio pride. Saffold, who played at Indiana University, idolized Ohio State and Sandusky product Orlando Pace as a child. He wanted to be just like the locally grown offensive lineman, just as successful. Bentley adds Korey Stringer to the list of notable Ohio products who played on the offensive line at a high level.

"It's definitely a lot of pride that goes with it," Saffold said. "There's a lot of pressure that I accept and that I want. I don't want it to just be a cakewalk. You always want to go out there and prove yourself time and time again."

So when Saffold and Bell first met at the beginning of last season, Saffold's rookie year, they bonded instantly. They had not only the hometown bond, but the offensive linemen pride that comes from hailing from Northeast Ohio.

"It's kind of like our little Cleveland," Saffold said of his friendship with Bell.

Everyone calls them brothers, and that's no coincidence.

"Big, Midwestern men. Big, Midwestern-grown," Bell said. "The Pro Football Hall of Fame doesn't just happen to be in Canton for no reason. It's there because football originated in Ohio and there's a lot of pride in learning the fundamentals and playing the game right."

OHSAA volleyball notebook: Walsh Jesuit wanted to win for Warriors' girls soccer team

0
0

Fairborn, Ohio -- Walsh Jesuit's volleyball team had payback on its mind when it squared off with Toledo St. Ursula in Friday's Division I state semifinal. After all, it was St. Ursula that ended the season for the Warriors' girls soccer team Wednesday night in a 1-0 Division I state semifinal win.

Walsh Jesuit volleyball player Brittany Zmyslinski is one of four former St. Rita Elementary School classmates competing in the state tournament. - (Special to The Plain Dealer)

Fairborn, Ohio -- Walsh Jesuit's volleyball team had payback on its mind when it squared off with Toledo St. Ursula in Friday's Division I state semifinal.

After all, it was St. Ursula that ended the season for the Warriors' girls soccer team Wednesday night in a 1-0 Division I state semifinal win.

"We wanted to win this match for the soccer team," said Warriors senior libero Courtney Grdina. "But that game just made our school closer and gave us more backing down here."

It was a strong Walsh contingent in the stands -- but their job wasn't over. Their next stop was Twinsburg for Friday night's regional semifinal football game against Kent Roosevelt.

Walsh who?: Walsh Jesuit sophomore setter Kyra Coundourides was just 10 years old when the Warriors finished second in the 2006 Division II state tournament.

"My sister, Alyssa, was playing for Padua at the time, and I was usually in the gym hanging around with her and her teammates," said the younger Coundourides. "I didn't even know what Walsh Jesuit was at the time."

Planned pratfall: St. Ursula coach John Buck wasn't worried when senior Madison Stroll stumbled while making her way to the stage for the postmatch news conference.

"She told me she was going to do that," said Buck with a laugh.

Stroll's reply? "Yep, I planned it."

Officially speaking: Three area individuals are serving as referees at the tournament: Jean Dickey (Mogadore), Richard Pillar (Mentor) and Sanford Siegler (Novelty).

Three are line judges: Luann Lister (Akron), James Moore (Garfield Heights) and Joseph Polack (Kent).

Four equals three: Four former St. Rita Elementary School classmates played at the state volleyball tournament, but for three high schools: Brittany Zmyslinski (Division I Walsh Jesuit); Maria Ianni and Natalie Palumbo (Division II Beaumont); and Alex Walters (Division III Gilmour Academy).

Are Cleveland Browns fans at last growing weary of their NFL 'factory of sadness'?

0
0

Forgive Browns fans if they feel like Charlie Brown, and Lucy has yanked the teed-up football again.



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After the Browns' 30-12 loss last Sunday in Houston, Cleveland comedian Mike Polk Jr. captured fans' collective fury in a home-made video shot in front of Browns Stadium.

Pacing in his No. 64 "Pontbriand" Browns jersey, Polk rants about a team that can't even reach fans' low expectations.

"We don't even expect you to win the Super Bowl, we just expect you to look better than a Division III high school team," he wails.

Polk, whose family has had season tickets since the '80s, turns to the Stadium and screams, "You are a factory of sadness!" then bows his head, resigned to the reality of unrequited love. "I'll see you Sunday."

Forgive Browns fans if they feel like Charlie Brown, and Lucy has yanked the teed-up football again. It's been 11 1/2 seasons and a combined record of 67-133 since the city got its football team back.

At this season's midpoint, the Browns are an ugly 3-5 that feels worse in the shadows of turnaround stories in Cincinnati, Buffalo and Detroit. Fan frustration has provided fodder for sports talk show hosts to stir all week. Like Polk, some Browns fans are worn thin over what seems like 12 seasons on a hamster wheel.

"It's like 'Groundhog Day,'" said Gloria Kormos, of Solon.

Kormos, who still owns a Clay Matthews jersey from the '80s, has bought Browns season tickets for 47 years; her husband, Ray, for 50. For decades, they had never missed a game, and were devastated when the Browns moved to Baltimore. But now ...

She was asking $100 for her pair of $60 tickets to Sunday's game against 1-7 St. Louis.

"We just don't feel like going down there anymore," she said. "If they were winning we'd be going."

Kormos said she spent most of the Houston game clipping coupons instead of watching her Browns.

"Then I sat down Sunday night and watched the Steelers-Ravens game. That was a football game. We're nowhere near that," she said. "It tells me I've got a lot of years to wait. I don't see the playoffs for a long time, let alone a championship."

Browns spokesman Neal Gulkis said the frustration is understandable, given how passionate fans are about the team, and that the Browns are just as frustrated that wins aren't coming sooner. But, he added, fan feedback has been both positive and negative.

"I think there are a lot of people out there that understand and like what we're doing, what we're trying to build, and believe in what coach [Mike] Holmgren is trying to build here," he said.

The "new" Browns have been a story of consistent disappointment -- nine seasons of at least 10 losses, six coaching changes, a similar revolving door to the executive offices. But this season may carry a little more sting, Browns fans say, because of the optimism coming in.

browns-believeland-lose-bengals-jk.jpgView full sizeIn the first game of the season, the level of dismay was apparent with Browns fans eager to support their team left reeling after a loss to the Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The frustration has only grown from there.

Fans saw, finally, a united front office, with second-year President Mike Holmgren, General Manager Tom Heckert and their hand-picked new coach Pat Shurmur reading from the same NFL philosophy manual.

They saw rookie quarterback Colt McCoy thrust into a starting role to lead wins last season over potent New Orleans and New England and take the Super Bowl-contending New York Jets into overtime. And they saw ramrod halfback Peyton Hillis provide the team a blue-collar identity.

The Browns sold 1,000 more full-season ticket packages than last year, and more than 40,000 group tickets (for groups of 25 or more) -- the most ever.

"And that's despite the lockout," Gulkis said.

But injuries, an impotent offense and a lack of depth have some fans fed up. The Houston game was a low point.

"Every year we're rebuilding. Never been out of rebuild," complained Eric Cave, 40, of Garfield Heights. Cave is most frustrated that the team didn't beef up its corps of wide receivers in the draft or through free agency after it was clear last season the position was weak. A season ticket-holder since the Browns returned in '99 and once a habitual 8 a.m. tailgater, Cave hasn't attended a game since last season's opener. He either sells his tickets or lets the seats go empty.

"It's a brutal product," he said.

Some Browns fans insist they're through, but like Polk in his video, just can't write the team off.

The only time the Browns have cracked the top 10 nationally in merchandise sales since 1999 was that first season back, when they ranked third behind Dallas and Denver. But despite the string of losing seasons, Nate Cannell, manager of Cardboard Heroes, a sports apparel shop at Beachwood Place mall, said fans still keep the cash registers busy. Most are buying generic Browns jackets, T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats instead of gear with players' names on it.

"If we were in any other city, we would probably be in a little bit of trouble, but we're still chugging along," he said. "Look, they're 3-5. It could be a lot worse, they could be the Colts."

Since 1999, the ratings on WOIO Channel 19, which broadcasts most regular-season Browns games, have barely fluctuated. They've averaged a 50 share regardless of the team's record. That means half the people watching TV in this market on a Sunday afternoon are tuned in. Through the first half of this season, Browns games have a 52 share.

"One of the amazing things about the Browns in Cleveland," said Bill Applegate, Channel 19's vice president and general manager, "is that win, lose or draw, the audience shows up on television just as they do in the stadium."

Sunday's game against the Rams -- and a Thursday night showdown at rival Pittsburgh on Dec. 8 -- will be broadcast on WJW Channel 8, which has promoted the event nonstop. Greg Easterly, Fox 8's vice president and general manager, said Browns games are a boon to the station.

"They are consistently the most-watched program on the day they air," he said.

With the sluggish start and weak home schedule, some fans might be showing up for games simply because it's a buyer's market. Ticket brokers say they're buying PSLs -- the fee required to buy season tickets when the team returned in '99 -- for 50 cents on the dollar and sometimes cheaper. They're having to resell tickets for cost and even below.

"Never at the halfway point of the season have I seen prices so low," said Mark Klang of Amazing Tickets.

Through the first four home games, the Browns' announced crowds have averaged 66,640. That's 91 percent of stadium capacity, which ranks 27th of the 32 NFL teams.

Dave Handa, 37, of Berea, was so excited about the team's return that he and some friends bought season tickets in 1999 on a payment plan while students at Kent State.

"We had big dreams of taking our kids," he said. "It's not going to happen."

This season, he's attended just one game, sold two games below face value and gave his seats away to another game when he couldn't find a buyer.

"There's no way I can even give these tickets away," he said. "Nobody even wants them."

Despite such complaints, Gulkis said the four remaining home games are either sold out or will be, and that there was no concern about a local television blackout. NFL games are banned from local broadcast if they're not sold out 72 hours before kickoff.

But a sellout, for blackout purposes, doesn't mean every seat must be sold. Luxury seats -- club seats and those in suites -- aren't included in the count.

Browns Stadium has about 73,000 seats, including 10,000 to 11,000 luxury seats. Season tickets account for about 55,000 seats. That number is down from the first 10 years of the post-'99 expansion era, when season tickets fluctuated in the low- to mid-60,000s.

Nate Schick, of Cortland, was trolling online for cheap or free tickets for Sunday's game. He's 32, born and raised a Browns fan and fondly remembers watching games with his dad during the Bernie Kosar-John Elway era. He has two young children, has them put on their Browns gear to watch with him and, although the outcome in Houston last week was decided by halftime, stuck it out to the bitter end.

Schick said he's had it with the Browns' lack of competitiveness, but just can't quit them.

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can," he said. "That's just the way I'm wired."

Cleveland Indians reviewing options as winter meetings approach: Paul Hoynes analysis

0
0

GM Chris Antonetti, whose Indians showed an 11-win improvement from 2010-11, needs to find more offense to keep them headed in the right direction.

willingham-swing-oak-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeWould Josh Willingham be a good fit as an outfielder for the Indians? He certainly would help repair their need for power at a corner position. Free agent and trade talk figures to increase as the winter meetings get underway.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- MLB's general managers and owners meetings begin Monday in Milwaukee. There will be much talk about negotiations on a new basic agreement which is expected to be done before the Dec. 11 deadline.

The sale of the Houston Astros is still waiting for approval by the owners, while a new owner must be found for the Dodgers now that the tumultuous Frank McCourt era has seemingly ended. There are two free agent first basemen who will be the subject of much attention. Within the next two or three months Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder will go from being extremely rich to mega rich.

Then come the Indians, who already started the postseason by trading for veteran right-hander Derek Lowe from Atlanta to settle the starting rotation. GM Chris Antonetti will use his remaining resources, be it cash or players, to acquire offense.

"We're looking to improve the position player side of the roster," said Antonetti.

The Indians finished the 2011 season ninth in the American League in runs at 704, ninth in batting average at .250, tied for ninth in homers at 154, 10th in hits at 1,380 and 10th in slugging percentage at .396. Yes, that's a trend and, yes, there are still 14 teams in the AL.

Surveying the lineup, the only Indians player who could have started for St. Louis or Texas in the World Series was shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. He led AL shortstops in RBI, doubles and was tied for first in hits. Cabrera ranked second in homers. Thus Antonetti's concern.

The Indians finished second in the AL Central this year with 80 wins. It was an 11-win improvement from 2010. It's been four years since the Indians last took the division. In that time, it has taken an average of 91 victories to win the Central. The Indians need another 11-game improvement to get there, which is quite a leap, but not as big as Arizona (+29), Milwaukee (+19), Pittsburgh (+15) and Detroit (+14) made this past season.

By not exercising Grady Sizemore's $9 million club option, Antonetti was given some money to work with. He spent $5 million on Lowe. The remaining $4 million isn't going to go a long way on the free-agent market, which means Antonetti is going to have to make another trade if ownership doesn't slip him additional funds.

The payroll will jump from $49 million to close to $70 million for 2012. A big part of the increase will go to Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Cabrera, Justin Masterson, Jack Hannahan and Shin-Soo Choo. Tony Sipp didn't qualify as a Super Two player.

Chris Antonetti.JPGView full sizeChris Antonetti knows the biggest need for the Indians this winter: Some bats -- preferably right-handed -- for the middle of the lineup.

Antonetti and manager Manny Acta are looking for more production from the corner spots -- first and third base, left and right field. They need an outfielder to replace Sizemore and a first baseman, because it sounds as if incumbent Matt LaPorta is going to have a tough time keeping his job.

The Indians have flexibility at first because catcher Carlos Santana can play there. They have the same thing in the outfield because Michael Brantley can play left and center field. From an offensive point of view, Brantley is a better fit in center. He hit just .266 (120-for-451) with seven homers and 46 RBI. They can probably handle third with some combination of Lonnie Chisenhall and Hannahan.

Here is a look at the free-agent market concentrating on the Indians' needs.

First base

Albert Pujols, St. Louis. 2011 salary: $14.5 million.

Skinny: He would solve all the Indians problems: right-handed hitter, good defender and base-runner. But at $25 million a year (or whatever he's going to get) it's not happening.

What are the chances? If Pujols played for the Indians in 2011 at his estimated 2012 salary, their payroll would have been only $75 million, at least $25 million short of Detroit, Chicago and Minnesota.

Prince Fielder, Milwaukee. 2011 salary: $15.5 million.

Skinny: Not as perfect a fit as Pujols because he hits left-handed, but the Indians would make due.

What are the chances? Not happening.

Michael Cuddyer, Twins. 2011 salary: $10.5 million.

Skinny: Another great fit. Right-handed hitter who can play first, second and the outfield.

What are the chances? Indians could go multi-year with Cuddyer, but not at over $10 million a year.

Carlos Pena, Cubs. 2011 salary: $10 million.

Skinny: Doesn't hit for average, but has big power. Coming off one-year deal with the Cubs.

What are the chances? Would Pena, 34, take less if the Indians gave him a multiyear deal?

Casey Kotchman, Rays. 2011 salary: $775,000.

Skinny: He hit .306 in 563 at-bats for the Rays. Good on-base and slugging percentage.

What are the chances? Doesn't look like much of an upgrade over Matt LaPorta, who had more homers and RBI in 211 fewer at-bats.

Derrek Lee, Pirates. 2011 salary: $7.25 million.

Skinny: He's a right-handed hit who still has pop at 36. Injuries are a concern.

What are the chances? If he's sound, might be worth a look. Broke his wrist with the Pirates late last season.

Outfielders

Carlos Beltran, Giants. 2011 salary: $19.3 million.

Skinny: Dangerous hitter, who is mostly a right fielder at this point in his career. Turned down proposed trade to Cleveland last season.

What are the chances? Zilch.

Yoenis Cespedes, Cuban defector.

Skinny: Indians watched him in a workout late last week and were impressed with combination of power, speed, strength and athletic ability. Probably won't be declared a free agent for another two months.

What are the chances? Rumors say Cespedes, a center fielder in Cuba, could sign a $30 million deal. Enough said.

Nori Aoki, Yakult Swallows.

Skinny: Swallows making three-time Central League batting champ available through posting process. Aoki, 29, is a left-handed hitting center fielder.

What are the chances? The Indians know Aoki because they have a working agreement with the Swallows, but posting price plus salary would be too high.

Grady Sizemore, Indians. 2011 salary: $7.4 million.

Skinny: Indians said they'd consider re-signing Sizemore for a smaller contract.

What are the chances? Unless no one else is interested, Sizemore is gone.

Jason Kubel, Twins. 2011 salary: $5.25 million.

Skinny: A foot injury limited Kubel last season, but he has power and run-producing ability. Played mostly right field and DH for Twins.

What are the chances? Worth a look. Sounds like he wants to stay with the Twins, but can they keep Cuddyer and him?

Josh Willingham, A's. 2011 salary: $6 million.

Skinny: Seeking multiyear deal. Doesn't sound as if he'll return to Oakland.

What are the chances? Indians would probably have to overpay to get him, but he'd look good in right field. Struggles against lefties.

Kosuke Fukudome, Indians. 2011 salary: $14.5 million.

Skinny: He played hard and well for Tribe after they acquired him from the Cubs. He just didn't hit a whole lot.

What are the chances? Indians like him, but they need more production.

Coco Crisp, Athletics. 2011 salary: $5.75 million.

Skinny: Crisp, healthy for the first time in four year, turned in a decent year for Oakland. Led the AL with 49 steals.

What are chances? Indians wouldn't have much punch with Crisp in center and Brantley in left.

Cody Ross, Giants. 2011 salary: $6.3 million.

Skinny: He can play all three outfield spots, bats right-handed and has decent power. What are the chances? Melky Cabrera trade probably means Ross isn't going to return to Giants.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Ohio State defense having a problem getting a grip on defense: Doug Lesmerises' Skull Session

0
0

Ohio State continues to struggle with missed tackles, as the defense remains vulnerable to offenses that spread it out.

purdue-bolden-bryant-horiz-mct.jpgView full sizeRalph Bolden (23) wasn't the only Boilermaker who was able to find open room to run against Christian Bryant and the Buckeyes on Saturday. "We go for kill shots a lot," said sophomore OSU safety C.J. Barnett, "and we're not being fundamentally sound and making the tackles that we miss."

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Ohio State safety Tyler Moeller dove at the feet of Purdue running back Akeem Shavers and came up with air as Shavers turned a quick pass into a 15-yard gain.

Boilermaker receiver Justin Siller grabbed the next pass and ran through two tackles and around a few others on the way to a 26-yard pickup.

Finally, running back Ralph Bolden avoided tackle attempts by Etienne Sabino and Orhian Johnson on the way to a 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter Saturday.

Those were three consecutive examples, but not the only ones, of the missed tackles that plagued the Buckeyes again in their 26-23 overtime loss Saturday. It seems Ohio State has regressed this season to the time when they had trouble stopping offenses that spread them out.

"They got us one-on-one in space, and you get one-on-one in space you've got to try to get them on the ground," defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said. "If you don't, it's going to look bad."

The defense appears to be battling two issues against offenses like Purdue and Indiana a week ago, teams that do some zone-read runs and fire passes at the softer middle of the OSU zone. Their older players -- Etienne Sabino, Storm Klein, Moeller -- don't have the speed to make tackles in space, and their younger players -- sophomore safeties C.J. Barnett and Christian Bryant -- sometimes lack the discipline.

"I feel like our tackling wasn't that great," Barnett said. "We were improving, but I think we were overaggressive. We go for kill shots a lot and we're not being fundamentally sound and making the tackles that we miss."

Five and six years ago, the biggest issue was the defense was built to defend power run teams than spread teams, primarily because their linebackers leaned toward big and tough than quick and agile. But the Buckeyes started to recruit to change that, and in recent years, stopping the spread almost become a specialty.

Not this year.

"It's on me. I missed a couple tackles today," Moeller said. "Some other guys did. We can't do that if we want to win the ballgame."

It's not a coincidence that the Buckeyes' best recent defensive effort was against what looks like the best team in the conference, Wisconsin. The Buckeyes stopped the Badgers' running game for much of that win because they're more comfortable playing that style of football.

"It's a little more obvious when it's for a touchdown and when there's not 10 other guys flying after the ball," coach Luke Fickell said of the missed tackles. "It's one of those things you work on year-to-year and you continue to harp on. Sometimes late in a longer drive you can see the fatigue and that shows up a little bit at the end."

That may have happened on those specific plays with missed tackles that ended a 13-play, 88-yard Purdue drive. But that's not the only time it happens. The tackles aren't the only problems.

As noted last week, Fickell talks about turnovers a lot, but the Buckeyes aren't forcing them -- on Saturday only getting a Johnson interception on a curious Purdue throw in the final minute of regulation. Earlier interception chances went through the hands of linebacker Ryan Shazier and Barnett.

All this is not good news, by the way, for the Buckeyes as they look ahead at Michigan in two weeks.

Line change: The experiment of playing true freshman Antonio Underwood at right tackle lasted until the final series before halftime. It's not the fault of a player just out of high school that he's not ready to start in the Big Ten, but after expressing confidence in their decision during the week, you had to wonder why the OSU coaches didn't go another way while replacing injured right tackle J.B. Shugarts, who had started 24 consecutive games.

"I don't think some of the people were on the same page," senior center Mike Brewster said of the Buckeyes' slow start offensively. "Those things can hurt you."

Underwood looked good against Indiana last week, when Shugarts went out with a knee injury, but was beaten on a handful of plays Saturday. The offense did seem to settle in after redshirt sophomore Jack Mewhort slid from right guard to right tackle and redshirt sophomore Corey Linsley moved in at right guard.

"Corey is a great player, so getting him in the game whenever you can is a good thing," Mewhort said. "I'll do anything I can, whatever the coaches think is best, so I had no problem scooting out there. You've got to be a little more mentally prepared for the speed rush, but after a couple plays you get used to it."

Snap quiz for Buckeyes' young defenders earns mixed results: Ohio State report card

0
0

Some early grades from Saturday's OSU loss to the Boilermakers.

hall-td-purdue-vert-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeJordan Hall (7) and Dan Herron had some limited success running out of the Wildcat formation Saturday against Purdue.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Some early grades from Saturday's OSU loss to the Boilermakers:

Ohio State defensive freshmen -- B

The Buckeyes lost senior linebacker Andrew Sweat in the first half, after he took a blow to the head and had concussion symptoms, and sophomore defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins to a leg injury in the fourth quarter. As defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said, "It's not something you'd like to happen."

When it did, the Buckeyes got their two best true freshmen defenders on the field more. Ryan Shazier, a player many have wanted to get more time, replaced Sweat while Michael Bennett, already in the defensive line rotation, took more snaps with Hankins out.

Shazier, like other Buckeyes, is a boom or bust player at the moment, lost at times but making plays at others. He ripped the ball away from one Purdue player and recovered the fumble, but the play was reviewed and the Boilermaker was clearly down. Still, with seven tackles, one sack (and a roughing penalty) he did enough to warrant a few more snaps even when Sweat comes back.

Bennett, meanwhile, is mature beyond his years, on and off the field. Clearly a future team leader, he had four tackles, including one tackle for loss, and then spoke about the Buckeyes' goals after the loss, sending a pretty impressive message for a first-year guy.

"It was a growing year, but at the same time no one expected it to just be a growing year. We had the same expectations for Ohio State football as every year," Bennett said. "With the Big Ten title, if we get a chance, we'll definitely make the most of it. If we don't, it's unfortunate for the rest of the teams on our schedule."

Ohio State's Wildcat -- B

Unable to throw to move the Boilermakers off the line of scrimmage, the Buckeyes used their Wildcat formation more than they had all season, snapping directly to running back Dan Herron or Jordan Hall.

"We were trying to get another guy out of the box," offensive coordinator Jim Bollman said. "When we took the quarterback out of there, they took a guy out of there and that evened up the numbers a bit."

That did also lead to quarterback Braxton Miller, when split wide, having his helmet knocked off by a Purdue cornerback. The formation also allows the running back to take his time a bit and read the blocking and find the hole before accelerating. Both Herron and Hall are quite comfortable in it.

"We tried that out and it worked a little bit," Herron said. "But we didn't get it done."

Ohio State's overtime -- D

The Buckeyes had the ball first and lost yards on their first two plays before kicking a 33-yard field goal. On defense, Ohio State twice forced Purdue to third down but couldn't get a stop. First came a six-yard scramble by quarterback Robert Marve on third-and-4, then a 14-yard pass from Marve to Gary Bush down to the 1 on third-and-12.

On that play, the Buckeyes admitted to problems in the secondary, not unfamiliar, that helped Bush get open.

"I think it was a communication issue to be honest with you," safety Christian Bryant said. "You've got to match up with receivers every time the quarterback scrambles, but it didn't happen that play."

Purdue coach Danny Hope said the Boilermakers had some trick plays ready for overtime but instead stuck with their "bread and butter."

"I ran an under route across the middle," Bush said. "I caught Marve's eye and went straight for the sideline. He made the throw and I just tried to get my feet down."


Would Cleveland Cavaliers pay a draft price for washed-out season? Hey, Tom!

0
0

There's little doubt Cavaliers fans should root for an end to the lockout if the team is to continue rebuilding.

Cleveland Cavaliers introduce Kyrie Irving and Tristan ThompsonView full sizeA lockout that costs the entire 2011-12 season isn't likely to give the Cavaliers additional high picks in next year's draft to match Tristan Thompson and Kyrie Irving.

Hey, Tom: I have seen a couple of questions regarding the 2012 NBA draft if there is no season. I have seen in several mediums (including yours) about what the NHL did when the season was lost, which was to take the win total for the past three years and average it out to determine in the draft order. Since most people might be wondering what pick the Cavs would have, I took liberty of figuring out what the draft order would be.

It's not good. The Cavs would have the 22nd pick. I guess Cavs fans should now be rooting for the CBA to be signed ASAP.

My order of teams:

1. Minnesota; 2. Sacramento; 3. Washington, 4. New Jersey; 5. L.A. Clippers; 6. Golden State; 7. Toronto; 8. Detroit; 9. New York; 10. Indiana; 11. Philadelphia; 12. Memphis; 13. Charlotte; 14. Milwaukee; 15. Oklahoma City; 16. New Orleans; 17. Houston; 18. Utah; 19. Phoenix; 20. Atlanta; 21. Chicago; 22. Cleveland; 23. Miami; 24. Portland; 25. Denver; 26. Dallas; 27. San Antonio; 28. Boston; 29. Orlando; 30. L.A. Lakers.

Note: Utah and Phoenix were tied at 18th and Atlanta and Chicago tied at 20th. I gave the higher draft pick to the team with the worse record in 2010. -- Dave C., Lyndhurst

Hey, Dave: Wow, you seem to have more time on your hands than a locked-out player. But well done, sir. The Cavs definitely must hope this is not the model used.

Hey, Tom: If the NBA were to cancel the season, you've written the league may use the NHL's post-lockout draft model. Wouldn't it be to Cleveland's advantage if a shortened season were played, (say 40-50 games)? The young guys would get some experience, the Cavs would inevitably lose two-thirds of their games, and the franchise would earn a definite lottery pick in a loaded draft. -- JT, San Diego

Hey, JT: We should all be rooting for the lockout to end. I'm sure fans are tired of collective-bargaining jargon, rumors of who's going overseas and who's playing in their buddy's charity game.

Hey, Tom: I know the prevailing sentiment of most Cavalier fans is for the protracted lockout to continue, either to hurt the players bargaining position or so we potentially don't have to watch another bad season. It had seemed that Dan Gilbert had been the voice of the little guy in this negotiation, making hard-line stances intended to allow competitive balance rather than allow big-name players (like one we still dislike in Miami) to completely destroy a franchise. What happened to Gilbert's stance? Was this just posturing for better financial compensation at the expense of what most Cavs' fans really wanted (i.e. a franchise tag)? -- Scott S., Philadelphia

Hey, Scott: I haven't talked to Gilbert since I arrived at the paper in September because he's unable to speak publicly about the lockout. The portrayal of Gilbert as the hawk determined to undermine the negotiation process to get his way always seemed a bit overstated. I'm assuming he's with the small-market owners on many issues, but might be willing to take a more moderate stance in order to get a deal done. I wish I had a pipeline into the negotiating room. I do find it curious that every few weeks it's a different small-market owner being highlighted for gumming up talks. It was Gilbert and Robert Sarver (Phoenix), then it was Paul Allen (Portland), lately it's been Michael Jordan (Charlotte).

-- Tom

Freed MLB player Ramos wondered if he would survive

0
0

Valencia, Venezuela - His eyes tearing up with emotion, Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos embraced his rescuers Saturday and said he had wondered whether he would survive a two-day kidnapping ordeal that ended when commandos swept into his captors' mountain hideout. ARIANNA CUBILLOS/ASSOCIATED PRESSThe people suspected in the abduction of Washington catcher Wilson Ramos are presented to the press Saturday...

Valencia, Venezuela - His eyes tearing up with emotion, Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos embraced his rescuers Saturday and said he had wondered whether he would survive a two-day kidnapping ordeal that ended when commandos swept into his captors' mountain hideout.

ramos.jpgThe people suspected in the abduction of Washington catcher Wilson Ramos are presented to the press Saturday in Valenzuela.

Ramos said that he was thankful to be alive a day after his rescue and that his final moments as a prisoner were hair-raising as police and the kidnappers exchanged heavy gunfire in the remote area where he was being held. He said his kidnappers had carefully planned the abduction and told him they were going to demand a large ransom.

"I didn't know if I was going to get out of it alive," Ramos told reporters at a police station in his hometown of Valencia, flanked by police investigators, National Guard commanders and Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami. "It was very hard for me. It was very hard for my family."

El Aissami said authorities arrested four of the captors, all of them Venezuelan men in their 20s. A 60-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were also arrested as accomplices for supplying the kidnappers with food from their home in the area, he said. The six suspects were led past journalists at the police station with black hoods over their heads.

The authorities were still searching for at least four Colombian men who escaped during the rescue, El Aissami said. He didn't say whether anyone was wounded in the gunbattle.

Ramos, 24, was seized at gunpoint outside his family's home Wednesday night and whisked away in an SUV. It was the first known kidnapping of a Major League Baseball player in Venezuela, and the abduction set off an outpouring of candlelight vigils and public prayers at stadiums as well as outside Ramos' house.

El Aissami said investigators' first break in the case came when they found the kidnappers' stolen SUV, a bronze-colored Chevrolet, abandoned in the town of Bejuma alongside the mountains of central Carabobo state. With that location pinpointed, he said, they studied past crimes in the area and ended up checking on a rural house that authorities believed had been used in a previous kidnapping.

An SUV parked outside had mud on it even though there was no mud in the area, El Aissami said. Investigators suspected that SUV was being used to shuttle food to another spot nearby, and eventually determined the house was probably being used by the kidnappers as a support base while holding Ramos elsewhere, he said.

El Aissami said authorities took over the house and detained the couple who had been cooking for the abductors.

Once investigators thought they had found the general area where Ramos might be, President Hugo Chavez personally authorized an aerial search mission and teams also set out on foot in the mountainous area, El Aissami said. He said the teams searched most of the day on Friday and finally came upon the remote house where Ramos was being held.

Chavez followed the operation "minute by minute," the justice minister said.

The two-day search involved about 200 police and National Guard troops as well as helicopters, said Joel Rengifo, former chief of a Venezuelan police anti-kidnapping unit who is now an investigations adviser for Major League Baseball. He said the group that rescued Ramos numbered about 30.

Rengifo accompanied the family during the ordeal and said he was ready to advise them on what to say if the kidnappers called, but they never did.

Ramos recently returned to his homeland after his rookie year with the Nationals to play during the offseason in the Venezuelan league.

When he was abducted, he was standing with his father and two brothers just outside the front door of his family's home in a working-class neighborhood of Valencia, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) west of Caracas.

Ramos said his captors drove him for five or six hours, and once changed from one SUV to another. He said they bound his hands at first, but later allowed him not to be tied up. The kidnappers didn't cover their faces and they spoke little to him, he said.

"They demanded only money," he said.

Ramos said some of his abductors spoke with Colombian accents and revealed they had studied his movements before carrying out the abduction.

"They told me many things they knew of my private life," he said. "They knew a lot about me. They had very good information, an informant who told them all that."

El Aissami said the Colombian informant lived near Ramos' family, and investigators believed he planned the kidnapping and studied Ramos' daily routine.

"This person is the one who gives the information to a criminal group," which in turn carried out the kidnapping, El Aissami said.

It wasn't immediately clear from his remarks whether the alleged informant was one of the four wanted Colombians, or an additional suspect. The number of suspects could grow as the investigation continued, El Aissami said.

He said the investigation also pointed in part to "Colombian paramilitary groups that could be involved in the kidnapping."

Ramos said he was kept in a room and passed the time lying on a bed. When the gunfire erupted Friday as his rescuers arrived, "I was on the bed and I threw myself directly to the floor."

"It was like 15 minutes of shots until the officials arrived and saw me in the room," said Ramos, who hugged the justice minister as well as police and National Guard officers at the news conference.

Chavez praised it as a "clean operation," noting that no one was killed.

Ramos said he was enjoying being back with his family, and planned to start training Monday to play with his Venezuelan team, the Aragua Tigres, on Wednesday.

He said he didn't plan to travel to Washington for now. "I want to stay here to give them that, to the Venezuelan people ... so that they can see me play here."

After his rescue was announced Friday night, Ramos' mother, Maria Campos de Ramos, celebrated, exclaiming on television: "Thanks to God!"

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo also celebrated the news.

"He asked me to thank all who played a role in his rescue, and all those who kept him and his family in their thoughts and prayers," Rizzo said in a statement. "I join Wilson in thanking the many law enforcement officials in Venezuela and investigators with Major League Baseball who worked tirelessly to ensure a positive ending to what has been a frightening ordeal."

Security has increasingly become a concern for Venezuelan players and their families as a swelling wave of kidnappings has hit the country's wealthy and middle class in recent years. Venezuela has one of the highest murder rates in Latin America, and the vast majority of crimes go unsolved.

Major League Baseball officials said it was the first kidnapping of a major leaguer that they could recall. But relatives of several players in Venezuela have previously been kidnapped for ransom, and in two cases have been killed.

Bodyguards typically shadow major leaguers when they return to their homeland to play in Venezuela's league.

"They didn't physically harm me, but psychologically I underwent very great harm," Ramos said. "I was always praying to God, and thanks to God he gave me the miracle of sending me these wonderful people."

He saluted his rescuers, saying: "I'm alive thanks to them."

Figure skating's Brandon Mroz performs rare feat

0
0

SAPPORO, JAPAN -- Brandon Mroz knew he could land this jump. There wasn't video of it two months ago in Colorado and it didn't come at a major competition, but it was a legitimate jump all the same. SHIZVO KAMBAYASHI/ASSOCIATED PRESSBrandon Mroz performs Saturday at the skating competition in Sapporo, Japan. He executed a quadruple lutz for the first...

SAPPORO, JAPAN -- Brandon Mroz knew he could land this jump. There wasn't video of it two months ago in Colorado and it didn't come at a major competition, but it was a legitimate jump all the same.

brandon.jpgBrandon Mroz performs Saturday at the skating competition in Sapporo, Japan. He executed a quadruple lutz for the first time in international competition.

This time, the 20-year-old American nailed the quadruple lutz at the NHK Trophy on Saturday, the first to do so at an international competition.

"I'm excited to get it done in an international competition," Mroz said. "Getting another jump done is awesome for generations of skaters to come."

Mroz's jump came on the same day that Akiko Suzuki of Japan won the women's title. Mroz was third after the men's short program with 74.83 points. Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, the Vancouver Olympic bronze medalist, led at 90.43, followed by countryman Takahiko Kozuka at 79.77.

In ice dance, Maia and Alex Shibutani of the United States rallied from third place to win their first Grand Prix title. The pairs was won by Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov of Russia.

Moroz first completed the quadruple lutz Sept. 16 at the Colorado Springs Invitational, a U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned competition. A little more than a month later, the International Skating Union gave the jump its stamp of approval.

Mroz, who lives and trains in Colorado Springs, is coached by Tom Zakrajsek. He was making his international debut at the NHK Trophy, the fourth event of this year's Grand Prix series.

Mroz opened his routine with the quadruple Lutz. The landing was not perfect, but it was on one foot.

"For me, it was little shaky, too. I was fighting," he said. "It was great to get the Lutz done. It was a step into the right direction."

Suzuki held off Mao Asada in the free skate to earn her first Grand Prix title in two seasons. Suzuki led Asada by 8 points after the short program. She made several mistakes in the final but scored 119.43 points for a total of 185.98, just 1.79 points ahead of Asada.

"I'm very happy to have won my first NHK Trophy, but I'm not at all satisfied with my free skate," Suzuki said. "I will reflect on my mistakes and try to improve them."

Alena Leonova of Russia was third (170.68) and Ashley Wagner of the U.S. was fourth (165.65).

As she did in the short program, Asada's failure to hit a triple axel on her opening element cost her. She tried the triple again Saturday but managed only a double.

"I skated my other elements well," she said. "I'm not yet at the level I want to be. I can level up."

Suzuki, skating to "Die Fledermaus" did a single lutz instead of a planned triple lutz later in her routine and singled a triple loop. But her lead from the short program was enough.

It was Suzuki's first victory at the senior Grand Prix series since the 2009 Cup of China. This victory, coupled with a second-place finish as Skate Canada, qualified her for the Dec. 8-11 Grand Final in Quebec City.

In ice dance, the Japanese-American Shibutanis scored a personal-best 92.83 points in the free dance to capture their first senior Grand Prix title with a total of 151.85.

"After the short dance, we felt pretty confident going into today's program," Alex Shibutani said. "It's great to get our first Grand Prix title here in Japan where the fans really support us."

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada were second with 151.76 while Russians Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov, first after the short dance, took the bronze.

The Shibutanis won the bronze medal at the 2011 world championships. Their previous best result at a Grand Prix event was second place at last week's Cup of China in Shanghai.

Lynn Kriengkairut and Logan Giulietti-Schmitt of the U.S. collided with Cathy Reed and Chris Reed of Japan in the warmup. Both couples performed their routines and finished sixth and seventh.

In pairs, Kawaguchi and Smirnov won the gold after receiving 122.49 points in the free skate. The Russians were fifth after the short program, then put on a nearly flawless performance to finish with 177.51.

Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran of Japan were second with 172.09. World champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany finished third.

Black River remains upbeat despite lopsided loss to Girard

0
0

UNIONTOWN, Ohio -- It's tough to see a successful season end. But after Black River fell to Girard, 56-14, in the Division IV, Region 13 semifinal, the Pirates can look back on an accomplished season.

UNIONTOWN, Ohio -- It's tough to see a successful season end.

But after Black River fell to Girard, 56-14, in the Division IV, Region 13 semifinal, the Pirates can look back on an accomplished season.

"It's just outstanding that we made it this far," said Austin Phillips, who rushed 24 times for 196 yards and a touchdown in the loss. "Even though we lost, it was a great accomplishment that we came this far."

Although Black River fell four games short of its ultimate goal, the Pirates can take solace in its first playoff appearance since 2003. Head coach Alan Young has recorded his 152nd win last week, which tied former Brunswick coach Rich Nowak for most victories in Medina Countyhistory.

Black River (9-3) boasted two dominant rushers in Andrew Vaughn and Phillips, who both rushed for over 1,000 yards. Vaughn, who tallied 1,675 yards and 22 touchdowns, and Phillips (1,087 and 14) both will return next season.

But, at least for now, Black River will suffer the sting of Saturday's loss against Girard (11-1).

"We weren't able to get into the end zone and unfortunately they caught up with it," coach Young said. "We just weren't able to finish our drives."

The Pirates traveled 76 yards in the last 2:47 of the half. With 0.7 seconds remaining, Black River's offense had one play to score from Girard's 3. But Branden Byrd, who caught two first-half touchdowns from Dan Graziano, was there to stump the Pirates chances as he intercepted the ball in the end zone.

That was the trend throughout Black River's lackluster first half. Besides a 3-yard touchdown run from Vaughn, the Pirates were stumped by the Indians defense. Vaughn's touchdown tied the game, 7-7, with 3:54 remaining in the first quarter, but the Indians scored touchdowns on their next five possessions.

Graziano accounted for two of those scores with touchdown passes to Byrd, 34 and 68 yards, respectively.

"They've got some really fast players out there," Phillips said. "Those guys could fly. Once they got into the open there was no stopping them."

Ahmad Eggleston, who ran nine times for 205 yards in the first half, recorded the other three scores. His first 34-yard TD run gave the Indians a comfortable 21-7 lead. Then, following the second scoring connection between Graziano and Byrd, Eggleston sprinted past the Pirates defense for a pair of TD runs of 58 and 70 yards.

Eggleston finished with 230 rushing yards on 12 attempts.

The Pirates started the second half with a quick touchdown on an Austin Phillips 50-yard touchdown. But the Indians countered after James Cupan scored from three yards out. Cupan closed the scoring with an 11-yard run.

Girard will face Creston Norwayne Saturday at a site to be determined in the Division IV, Region 13 finals.

 

Wadsworth uses Snowball to bury Hudson

0
0

CANTON, Ohio – The Jack Snowball show made its way to Canton Fawcett Stadium and – as it has most of the year – it equated to a Wadsworth win. Saturday, it came in the form of a 42-21 Division I, Region 2 semifinal victory over Hudson. The senior let Bret Baughman (15 carries, 75 yards, four TDs) grab...

CANTON, Ohio – The Jack Snowball show made its way to Canton Fawcett Stadium and – as it has most of the year – it equated to a Wadsworth win.

Saturday, it came in the form of a 42-21 Division I, Region 2 semifinal victory over Hudson. The senior let Bret Baughman (15 carries, 75 yards, four TDs) grab the glory in return for some hard-nosed running that equated to 254 yards rushing on 40 carries.

It came with a toss left, a toss right and some bull rushing up the middle. What it did even more was wear down a vaunted Explorers defensive line that had no answers in the second half.

"I don't know if we were in envy or what," Hudson coach Ron Wright said. "If I was in the [Mid-American Conference], I'd take a look at him."

Every time it seemed Snowball was ready to punch one in, Matt Alic handed off to his burly fullback and Baughman scored.

Crediting an offensive line that includes Jon Roberts, Brandon Palidar, Nick Tavanello, John Hamblen and Daryk Maki, Snowball finished the night by setting the Medina County single-season rushing record with 2,504 yards.

As for his lack of appearances in the end zone Saturday, it's all just part of the process.

"I'd rather have it that way to be honest," said Snowball, who has 32 touchdowns. "[Baughman's] such an unselfish player throughout the game, to get four touchdowns, it's special for him and special for us as a team."

Seventh-seeded Wadsworth (11-1) dodged disaster just before halftime with an 80-yard drive that took just 70 seconds. The third-seeded Explorers (10-2) looked like they were going to take all the momentum into intermission when Gedeon went in from 15 yards out at the 1:32 mark. But Baughman hit pay dirt with 22 seconds remaining to make it 14-14 at the break.

That set the wheels in motion as Wadsworth scored 35 unanswered points.

"I think that was the turning point of the game," Wadsworth coach Greg Dennison said. "It changed the momentum."

The Grizzlies will play top-seeded Toledo Whitmer (12-0) next week at a site to be determined.

Brad Bournival is a freelance writer based in North Royalton.

 

Akron breezes past Hiram in men's basketball

0
0

Akron head coach Keith Dambrot saw his team create a 47-31 edge on the boards as the Zips played above the rim all night.

AKRON, Ohio -- Amazing what a major victory will do. Akron's upset over Mississippi State on Wednesday led to a larger-than average crowd of 3,292 for its game against Division III Hiram on Saturday.

Perhaps it was the $1 hot dogs, but more likely fans looking for some good news. After a weekend that featured an upset loss in the MAC Tournament by Akron's defending national champion soccer team, then a humbling football setback to rival Kent State, the faithful were looking for something inspiring.

The Zips (2-0) were quick to oblige with a 95-65 victory, building a 57-35 lead at halftime.

The 3-point shooting that struggled against the Bulldogs of the SEC surfaced nicely against the undersized Terriers. After going 2-of-10 in the opening game, Akron was 7-of-10 behind the arc at halftime against Hiram, and 12-of-24 for the game.

Akron head coach Keith Dambrot saw his team create a 47-31 edge on the boards as the Zips played above the rim all night.

Hiram guard Aaron Stefanov had 14 points at halftime and 20 with 15 minutes to play before Hiram coach Steve Fleming pulled the 6-4 shooter, not to return the rest of the game. But he had little help as the bigger, taller Zips just had their way on the boards for the night.

Akron finished with five players in double figures, led by guard Alex Abreu with 15 points, Brian Walsh and Nik Cvetinovic with 14, Nick Harney with 13 and Quincy Diggs with 10. The game counts for the Akron Zips, but is deemed an exhibition for Hiram which officially starts its season next week.

Akron travels to Valparaiso on Friday, followed by Duquesne on Saturday.

Final-play field goal powers St. Ignatius past St. Edward, 20-17

0
0

BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- How many classics can they play? How many times can St. Ignatius and St. Edward push their fans to the edge of cardiac arrest? How many times can the two football teams push everyone's pulse rate to the max?

St. Ignatius kicker Tim Shenk (11) and holder Chad Aerni (5) react to Shenk's game-winning field goal over St. Edward's Saturday night. - (Tim Harrison, Special to The Plain Dealer)

BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- How many classics can they play?

How many times can St. Ignatius and St. Edward push their fans to the edge of cardiac arrest? How many times can the two football teams push everyone's pulse rate to the max?

How many times will the sun rise? How many times will it set? You get the idea. Endless might be the best answer.

On Saturday in front of the largest crowd in Brunswick Stadium history -- estimated at 9,500 -- St. Ignatius rallied from a two-touchdown deficit late in the third quarter and came away with a tense 20-17 victory when reliable senior Tim Shenk kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired.

It was the same score two weeks ago when the Wildcats defeated their arch-rivals at Lakewood Stadium. This time, however, the victory sends St. Ignatius (10-2) into next week's regional finals against Mentor, which held on to defeat Solon. Mentor defeated St. Ignatius, 38-24, on Sept. 9.

Shenk, perfect on 43 extra-points and 14-of-22 on field goals with a school-record 55 yarder on opening night, lined up with the ball at the St. Edward 15. His kick sent the St. Ignatius sideline into euphoria, the St. Edward sideline into disappointment and Shenk, an Air Force recruit, into the wild blue yonder.

"Not bigger than this!" Shenk said when asked if he had ever kicked a bigger field goal. "This was a big deal. It's what we do every day in practice. I had a lot of confidence in myself. I'm really glad the game came down to this. It's a great way to end my senior season against St. Ed's.

"Was I nervous? A little bit."

With its defense confusing the St. Ignatius offense with an unrelenting blitz and holding the Wildcats to a minus-5 yards, St. Edward (8-4) took a 17-3 lead when quarterback Ryan Fallon turned a broken play into a 45-yard touchdown run with 3:32 remaining in the third quarter.

The ensuing St. Ignatius possession was a wild one. St. Edward was penalized three times for pass interference and had an apparent interception by freshman Shaun Crawford waved off.

St. Ignatius took advantage as quarterback Eric Williams completed four passes on an 80-yard drive, with Tim McCoy pulling in two of those passes for 29 yards. The final completion was a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ohio State recruit Blake Thomas, who made a nifty adjustment on the ball.

The Wildcats tied the game on their first possession of the fourth quarter when Tim McVey turned the corner and raced down the sideline on a 34-yard scoring run. McVey, who finished with 72 yards rushing, made the last St. Edward defender miss with a stutter move at the 10.

St. Edward, led by Dwayne Aaron's 219 yards on the ground, fought back and moved to the St. Ignatius 33. A 14-yard completion from Fallon to Quincy Jones was the big play in the drive that came to an end when Thomas Fanning recovered a St. Ed fumble at the 33.

Three plays later, Williams was intercepted by Crawford but the Eagles gave the ball right back on a fumble, recovered by Rocky Zingale and setting up the winning drive.

Williams, who completed 16 of 32 passes to six receivers for 190 yards, drove the Wildcats to the St. Ed 15 with completions of 14 and 21 yards to Mooney and a 13-yarder to Conor Hennessey before coach Chuck Kyle called for the field goal.

The St. Edward defense sacked Williams nine times.

The first half was a tug-of-war with the defenses producing goal-line stands that forced field goals when touchdowns seemed imminent. St. Ignatius moved to the St. Edward 3-yard line on its first possession but the Eagles held and the Wildcats had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Shenk.

St. Edward moved to the St. Ignatius 6 late in the second quarter but the 'Cats returned the favor and the Eagles settled for a 21-yard field goal by Jake Wilhelm.

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

On Twitter: @TimRogersPD

 


Mentor outlasts Solon in wild 42-40 marathon

0
0

PARMA, Ohio -- There was no post-game celebration. Mentor fans didn't rush the field. Mentor players did not leap and scream, helmets held high, the way victorious football players often do. They weren't even smiling.

The final chance at a comeback victory denied, Solon wide receiver Cory Stuart kneels dejectedly as Mentor celebrates their 42-40 win Saturday night. - (Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

PARMA, Ohio -- There was no post-game celebration. Mentor fans didn't rush the field. Mentor players did not leap and scream, helmets held high, the way victorious football players often do.

They weren't even smiling.

"Yeah, because we stunk in the second half," Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno said.

Such was Mentor's state of mind after its biggest victory in four years. The Cardinals defeated Solon, 42-40, in a wild, Division I regional semifinal Saturday night at Byers Field. Mentor (11-1) won despite committing seven turnovers and wasting a 35-7 lead. Solon (10-2) converted five of those turnovers into touchdowns.

Mentor advanced to its first regional final since its back-to-back state runner-up finishes in 2006-07. It faces St. Ignatius (10-2) next Saturday, in a rematch of a Week 3 game won by the Cardinals, 38-24.

Cardinals quarterback Mitch Trubisky's bizarre stat line summed up the game. He had six touchdowns and six turnovers.

"Bottom line is, we came away with a win, but me, myself, I don't feel like we won. We didn't play like winners," Trubisky said. "We expect more out of ourselves, and that's why we're not excited about this."

Trubisky completed 16 of 33 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, with five interceptions. He ran 27 times for 121 yards and two touchdowns. His fumble on Mentor's first offensive play was returned for a touchdown by Ryan Pastor.

After the fumble and an interception on Mentor's next possession, Trubisky produced five straight touchdowns -- three TD passes and he scored on runs of 62 and 24 yards for a 35-7 lead in the second quarter. Mentor wideout Cameron Kavan caught three touchdown passes.

Solon cornerback Justin Kresevic intercepted three passes, and returned one for a TD.

Of all the big plays on both sides of the ball, the decisive moment was Mentor linebacker Kurt Laseak's block of Alex Knight's extra-point attempt, which produced a 42-34 margin with 10:01 to play.

"I had to go all out because we needed that stop," said Laseak, who charged in from the left side.

Moments later, Trubisky threw his fifth interception, nabbed by Darian Hicks at the Solon 43. The Comets pieced together a 13-play drive and Patrick Kramer threw an 11-yard TD pass to Cory Stuart on third-and-goal.

Solon went for the two-point conversion. As he did all night, Mentor defensive end Tom Strobel chased Kramer out of the pocket and his pass to Nick Davidson fell incomplete.

Solon had one more chance after Mentor kicker Tomislav Derezic's 55-yard field goal attempt sailed just wide. The Comets' last possession wilted at their 45 with 1:45 to play.

Solon had 85 yards at halftime and trailed, 35-14. It finished with 374 yards. Kramer passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns -- two to Tres Barksdale. Tailback Khoury Crenshaw ran for 101 yards and a TD.

"They came to play hard the whole time," Solon coach Jim McQuaide said. "That's what we're supposed to do, right? I think it's a good example for people to think about, that when you go to do something, you do it for the entire time."

It's a lesson Mentor could use next week against St. Ignatius.

"We didn't play four quarters of football," Laseak said. "We played great at times and also played bad at times. It kind of gives me a nasty taste in my mouth when we play like that."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

 

Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' receiving corps (and O-Line), the Tribe's outfield options and how KSU's Flashes plan to stay golden

0
0

The Browns continue to pay the price for the lack of elite receivers.

little-catch-texans-vert-jg.jpgView full sizeGreg Little has made some athletic grabs -- such as this one against Houston's Kareem Jackson late in last Sunday's game -- but the rookie receiver has looked the part for most of the season. That should be no surprise, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's warm, it's cold, it's warm again. But the sports talk never ceases as Terry's talkin' ...

About the Browns' receivers ...

1. Guess which NFL team leads the league with 23 dropped passes? Yes, it's your Cleveland Browns.

2. OK, here's the asterisk. Six drops belong to Montario Hardesty, who had them in back-to-back games. The running back is now out with a calf injury.

3. But 23 drops is four more than any other team -- Miami and Chicago are next with 19. In a West Coast offense where the accent is on yards after catch (YAC), you need to catch it first.

4. Greg Little also has six drops. In the 30-12 loss at Houston, Colt McCoy was 2-of-8 on passes to Little, 12-of-14 to everyone else. Part of the problem is McCoy has been forcing the ball to Little when the rookie is not open. Little has dropped a few. He has been targeted 60 times, far more than anyone else on the team. Next are Ben Watson (46) and Joshua Cribbs (39).

5. This is not to pound on Little, who leads the team with 31 catches. It is to face the reality of him being a rookie who didn't play his final season at North Carolina -- and also didn't have summer minicamps because of the lockout. Asking him to be the prime receiver is asking a lot. Odds are Little will be a much better player a year from now.

6. So why is there so much pressure on Little? Because Brian Robiskie failed to prove worthy of his second-round draft status and was waived, as the Browns preferred to keep undrafted Jordan Norwood. Another issue is Mohamed Massaquoi had a foot injury in training camp and didn't play during preseason. He might miss his second game Sunday with a concussion. He really hasn't done much this season with only 18 catches.

7. So the two second-round receivers from 2009 (Robiskie and Massaquoi) have totaled 21 catches. Cribbs leads the team with catches longer than 20 yards with five, no one else has more than two. A year ago, Peyton Hillis (61 catches, no drops) was the second-leading receiver. He's played only parts of four games this season and is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury. He is missed nearly as much in the passing game as the running attack.

8. So yes, the Browns are finding out a lot about their receivers -- and they better find some for next year. The current group hasn't looked any better in the West Coast offense than the offenses run by Brian Daboll in 2009-10. So the problem is deeper than the offense being employed.

About the Browns' offensive line ...

ogbonnaya-lauvao-texans-jg.jpgView full sizeShawn Lauvao (66, right, leading Chris Ogbonnaya against Houston) has struggled in his second season in the NFL. His struggles reflect those of the offensive line in general.

1. Little isn't the only rookie being asked to carry a huge load. Jason Pinkston was the team's fifth-round draft choice, a left tackle at Pittsburgh. He is playing left guard in place of Eric Steinbach (back surgery). Pinkston leads the Browns in allowing quarterback hits (six) and pressures (13), according to ProFootballFocus.com. The Web site wrote after the 30-12 loss at Houston: "Pinkston gave up two pressures, was penalized twice and graded negatively as a run blocker. He didn't get much help from his linemates, as only [center] Alex Mack had a positive overall grade. ... Pinkston has received a negative overall grade in every game so far this season, and there are currently just two guards in the NFL with a worse cumulative rating."

2. A Web site grading linemen can be subjective. So who really knows if Pinkston has been the third-worst guard in the NFL. But there is no doubt he has struggled. Steinbach is missed not because he was an overpowering blocker, but for how he meshed with left tackle Joe Thomas and Mack.

3. Talking to an NFL scout, he mentioned that the offensive line is not communicating well. Losing Steinbach could be part of that. On top of that, Shawn Lauvao is at right guard, and he played only about 10 percent of the snaps last season. Lauvao has been inconsistent.

4. Another problem has been the Browns counting on Tony Pashos (who played only 11 games in the previous two seasons) to stay healthy. He has been in and out of games, not exactly a surprise. ProFootballFocus said Pashos has graded below average on run-blocking, but is ranked No. 3 in pass-blocking among right tackles; allowing "only two sacks and six pressures."

5. When Pashos is hurt, Oniel Cousins and Artis Hicks play, and you can see why both were cut by teams at the end of training camp. In 229 pass blocks, Pashos allowed six pressures. Compare that to 17 in 139 blocks for Cousins and Hicks combined. That means Lauvao is not getting much help when Pashos is out.

6. You know communication is an issue when Pro Bowler Joe Thomas leads the team with five penalties. There are times when he doesn't seem sure of the blocking schemes. Coach Pat Shurmur keeps saying the Browns have "hats" or blockers on the defenders -- but a number of defenders have been finding clear paths to the quarterback.

7. Good lines tend to have experience and continuity. That hasn't been the case this season, and odds are, the struggles will continue.

8. I will be speaking at the Middleburg Heights Library at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Admission is free, but you must call 440-234-3600. I will talk about my new book with Joe Tait and other topics. I also will be glad to sign any books you may bring along.

About the Tribe shopping for an outfielder ...

jones-yanks-swing-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeTurning 35 next April, would Andruw Jones be a good addition to the Indians' outfield?

1. The best way for the Indians to add an outfielder who can hit is through a trade. Yes, fans can demand that they spend a lot of money to sign a free agent such as Michael Cuddyer, but it's not going to happen. Nonetheless, the Indians may be able to find a veteran outfielder who can help off the bench in the free-agent bargain bin.

2. They may check out Andruw Jones, who batted .247 with 13 homers and 33 RBI for the Yankees last season. He will be 35 next April and is no longer an All-Star. But if you dig deeper into his numbers, there is value. He hit those 13 homers in 190 at-bats, compiling a strong .851 OPS. Most of all, he actually hits left-handers -- .286 (.923 OPS). He was .172 against righties, but the Indians are loaded with left-handed hitting outfielders.

3. I like Jones because he has 16 homers in 212 at-bats against lefties since 2010, eight in each season. Last year, Asdrubal Cabrera led the Tribe with six homers against lefties, Carlos Santana had five. Shelley Duncan batted only .245 vs. left-handers with one homer in 102 at-bats. Duncan's damage came against righties: 10 homers in 121 at-bats.

4. You may recall the Tribe tried to trade for Ryan Ludwick at the deadline. Instead, the Padres shipped Ludwick to Pittsburgh, where he had only two homers in 112 at-bats. Ludwick is 33, and is coming off a blah season (.237, 13 homers, 75 RBI in 490 at-bats). His .674 OPS is a yawner. He did hit .264 (.763 OPS) against lefties.

5. Yes, there is Josh Willingham, who is coming off a career year with 29 homers and 98 RBI, batting .246 (.810 OPS) in Oakland. He is a right-handed hitter -- and he batted only .208 against lefties. Obviously, there are reasons to sign him -- and he probably will receive a rather lucrative long-term deal. It would be a shock if the Indians are seriously involved in the bidding.

6. They may sign another left-handed hitter if they can't find anyone else over the winter. Kosuke Fukudome is not the first choice, but if he's still available in the spring, they may sign him. Another candidate is David DeJesus. He is coming off a miserable season at Oakland: .240 (.698 OPS) with 10 homers and 46 RBI in 442 at-bats. But he turns 32 next month and is a career .284 (.776 OPS) hitter.

7. The Wahoo Club Christmas Party will be Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. at Landerhaven. Among the guests will be Len Barker, Josh Judy and Joe Tait. Call 440-724-8350 or go to wahooclub.com for more information.

About Kent State men's basketball ...

kent-manns-akron-abreu-vert-mf.jpgView full sizeKent State is counting on a solid senior season from center Justin Manns (33, defending against Akron's Alex Abreu in last spring's MAC Tournament) if the Flashes are to chase another conference title.

1. Kent State plays at West Virginia on Tuesday night and coach Rob Senderoff says to keep an eye on Justin Manns and Chris Evans. KSU has returning Mid-American Conference MVP Justin Greene, along with three experienced guards in Randal Holt, Carlton Guyton and Michael Porrini (MAC Defensive Player of the Year).

2. But to win the MAC, the Flashes need a strong season from Manns, a 6-11 center. He's a senior who averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds last season. To battle rival Akron and 7-footer Zeke Marshall, Manns is important. The Zips served notice that they are strong again with a 68-58 victory at Mississippi State, a game where Marshall controlled the inside with 10 points, six rebounds and five blocks.

3. Neither Marshall nor Manns are monsters on offense, but they can impact the game with their shot-blocking and rebounding. That is what Senderoff is impressing upon Manns -- be that defensive presence who can take some of the pressure off Greene -- the 6-8 low-post senior scoring machine. Senderoff says Greene is "just so consistent," averaging 15.8 points and 8.3 rebounds last season.

4. Yes, KSU did win the last two regular-season MAC titles. But the Flashes want to return to the NCAA Tournament (Akron went in 2009 and '11). They missed the past three years under Geno Ford, now the coach at Bradley. While they don't build their team to beat Akron -- just as Zips coach Keith Dambrot doesn't construct his roster to just beat KSU -- both teams know they will face either other in high-stakes games during this season.

5. Which brings Senderoff to Evans, a 6-7 small forward who transferred from Wabash Valley Junior College. He was rated the No. 17 junior-college player in the country by Rivals.com, and he has almost shocked the KSU coach by how quickly he's adapted to Division I basketball.

6. Senderoff said there usually is a 3-month to 1-year period of adjustment for a JUCO player, but not with Evans. While not yet in the starting lineup, he is pushing for a spot. "I really believe he is one of the 20 most athletic kids in the country," said Senderoff. That may be the coach's excitement bubbling, but a 6-7 scoring athlete on the wing is a huge advantage in the MAC -- where many teams play three guards and two big men.

7. Senderoff also said sophomore guard Eric Gaines is pushing for playing time. "A year ago, he was great on defense but had trouble making a layup and a free throw," said Senderoff. "He's improved so much. Right now, Gaines and Evans are in our top seven and we expect them to play a lot."

What are the next moves for the Cleveland Indians? Hey, Hoynsie!

0
0

All the armchair GMs have their ideas as the Indians head to the winter meetings.

jason-bay-allstar-2009-squ-ap.jpgView full sizeJason Bay has been a disappointment with the Mets, but might he blossom back in the American League with the Indians?

Hey, Hoynsie: Much like the Indians did with Derek Lowe and the Braves, if the Mets were willing to pick up $16 million of the $32 million owed Jason Bay over the next two years, would the Indians be willing to pay him $8 million a year for two years to get the right-handed left fielder they need? He has been lousy in New York, but was great in Boston. -- Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: I can your the wheels turning, but the Mets are trying to drop payroll. If they moved Bay, I don't think they'd be willing to eat that much of his contract. The Indians, however, did come close to making a deal for Bay when he was with Pittsburgh.

Hey, Hoynsie: You know the Indians are looking for a first baseman, even if only to push Matt LaPorta. There are a few free agents of interest besides Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder. What do you think about Brad Hawpe, Casey Kotchman, Lyle Overbay, Carlos Pena and Derrek Lee? -- Ron Antonucci, Cleveland

Hey, Ron: You can be sure the Indians have had these names on the board for a while. I like Pena and Lee out of that group. Overbay is coming off a down year in which he was released by the Pirates before being signed by Arizona. Hawpe is coming off Tommy John surgery. LaPorta showed more power than Kotchman.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that Jim Thome will be remembered with a statue, whom do you think are the most likely candidates to have a Cleveland memorial? Mel Harder, Rocky Colavito, Nap Lajoie, Bob Lemon, Lou Boudreau, Tris Speaker, Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez or Charles Nagy? I feel all of those listed (and many others) have played a significant role in Tribe history. -- Rich Foltin, Winter Haven, Fla.

Hey, Rich: It depends what you mean by a memorial. All the players you listed, with the exception of Belle, Ramirez and Vizquel, are in the Indians Hall of Fame. It's located behind the wall in left center field at Progressive Field.

The numbers of Lemon, Boudreau and Harder, along with Larry Doby and Earl Averill and Bob Feller, have been retired and appear on the pillars in the right-field concourse.

Hey, Hoynsie: With all the ground-ball pitchers the Indians have in Justin Masterson, Fausto Carmona and Derek Lowe, don't you think Jack Hannahan might be the best fit at third? -- Bob Doffing, Mendota Heights, Minn.

Hey, Bob: Wouldn't be surprised if that's the way things worked out, but at sometime Lonnie Chisenhall is going to get a chance.

Hey, Hoynsie: Can you explain why the medium- and small-market owners aren't fighting for franchise equality that exists in other sports. They don't seem to be selling their teams despite their claimed financial woes. Are they being paid off? -- Tony Clifton, Solon

Hey, Tony: We'll see how hard they fought when the new collective bargaining agreement is announced. Nobody gets paid off in MLB. It's called revenue sharing.

Hey, Hoynsie: I had not realized that trading had opened again. Melky Cabrera might have been a nice add, a right-handed hitting quality outfielder. Can we expect some action out of the front office or are they busy with Snow Daze preparations, now? -- Herb Miller, Cleveland

Hey, Herb: The Indians already made one deal, the first of the off-season when they acquired Derek Lowe. I predict more action to come. By the way, Cabrera is a switch-hitter.

Hey, Hoynsie: I was curious about keeping Fausto Carmona. He has talent, but it's too inconsistent. How is Pronk's health? Is Derek Lowe, 38, a good pickup? His last couple of seasons, he's been terrible. -- Bill Goldman, Bakersfield, Calif.

Hey, Bill: Bench me or trade me. It's usually just one question to a customer around here.

The Indians kept Carmona because he's durable. Haven't heard anything to suggest that Travis Hafner isn't the picture of health. Lowe, like Carmona, was a good pickup because, if nothing else, he stays healthy.

-- Hoynsie

Is Peyton Hillis a sure thing to leave the Browns after this season? Hey, Tony!

0
0

Peyton Hillis' future, the struggling Browns offense and even a Tim Tebow question sneaks into this week's mailbag.

Browns beat the Patriots 34-14View full sizeWhat to do about Peyton Hillis? That's dominating many fans' minds as the second half of the Browns' season begins.

Hey, Tony: As good as it looked to get Peyton Hillis in a trade for Brady Quinn, how bad would it look if Hillis walked away and we got nothing in return? Knowing now what we do of the WCO, if you could call a mulligan and maybe just tweak last year's ground and pound instead of completely switching schemes, would you? This upcoming draft could either make our defense elite or make our offense watchable, what direction do you choose? -- Eliot Clasen, Cape Coral, Fla.

Hey, Eliot: You're forgetting the two sixth-round draft picks the Browns received in the trade, too. It's possible they could receive a compensatory draft pick if Hillis leaves in free agency. That wouldn't be until 2013, however. Last year's ground-and-pound evaporated in the last month of the season. The offense needed a complete overhaul. Unfortunately, the changes haven't been effective. The Browns know they have take offense in the upcoming draft.

Hey, Tony: Why do the Browns continue to display Al Lerner's initials on their uniforms nine years after his death? -- Tom Riggs, Athens, Ohio

Hey, Tom: They are honoring him. Is there supposed to be a time limit on such things?

Hey, Tony: For the past two seasons, everyone has defended Josh Cribbs saying that he was not 100 percent. It has now been over two years since he returned a kick or punt for a TD. Now what are the excuses for his lack of performance? -- Mark Hall, Avon Lake

Hey, Mark: Cribbs has had at least five big returns this year on kickoffs and punts. None has gone for a touchdown but each has had a profound impact and led to a score. Usually when he rips off a big return the opposing team stops kicking to him.

Hey, Tony: Why does Pat Shurmur start every game with a run up the middle, which yields no gain, and then pass on second down? The defense expects those calls and on second down they tee off on Colt McCoy so he has no chance. Then we don't convert on third and long. This sets the tone for the whole game. When is this incompetent coach going to change? -- Frank Huemmer, Brecksville

Hey, Frank: You are over-generalizing, of course. But your point is well made about the predictability in play-calling. I think it will change starting on Sunday.

Hey, Tony: I read that the Browns are second in the league in dropped passes. This seems to be a problem every year, regardless of who the receivers are. Was the receivers coach held over from the previous regime(s)? And do you think the problem is the coaches or the players they bring in? -- Brian Wheatley, Alliance, Ohio

Hey, Brian: Mike Wilson is the receivers coach and he was brought in by Shurmur. Dropped passes have been a problem with different receivers and it's been a problem with different coaches. It's emblematic of a bad team.

Hey, Tony: If the spread offense always beats the Steelers, why don't the Browns use it? -- Joe Schmidt, Pittsburgh

Hey, Joe: You're referring to a comment I made in my prediction the Steelers would lose to the Patriots. Enjoy.

Hey, Tony: How possible is it that all the Hillis drama may turn out to be a blessing in disguise? If he can refocus himself on football, he may have saved himself for the second half of the season so the team can maybe finish strong instead of wearing out like last year into the usual late season swoon. -- Larry Emerson, Mentor

Hey, Larry: Hillis has to get healthy and back on the field for that to happen. Personally, I think his season is close to being totally blown. However, I'd like the ending to this drama to be Hillis returning for a strong finish -- as you suggest -- and running wild in the division games at the end. Quite a story, that would be.

Cleveland Browns lose to Ravens, 20-10View full sizeBrian Robiskie was never a problem in the Browns' locker room, even as his playing time disappeared, says Tony Grossi.

Hey, Tony: What was Brian Robiskie like in the locker room? He seemed like a good kid that just didn't work out in Cleveland. As a Buckeye fan, I hope he finds success in the NFL. -- Vinnie Cupoli, Atlanta

Hey, Vinnie: Robiskie was well-liked in the locker room, never a problem and always a hard worker. This season he was very quiet with the media. We kind of dropped back and gave him his space rather than besiege him with the same, nagging questions that hounded him his first two years.

Hey, Tony: The question is no longer will the Browns win or lose. For me, it's will we see the Browns' offense click for at least three quarters in one game this year? I am setting my expectations to 75 percent. Is my expectation too high?-- Steve Hersh, University Heights

Hey, Steve: At this point, would you settle for a touchdown in the first quarter?

Hey, Tony: I'm amazed at the accuracy and longevity of Phil Dawson. Do you think he has any chance to make the Hall Of Fame? -- Dan Williams, Akron

Hey, Dan: No. Unfortunately for Dawson, he has never been selected to the Pro Bowl during his outstanding career. When a player is not judged to be the among the best of his era, he has no chance of being selected among the best of all time.

Hey, Tony: Do you believe that Peyton Hillis is a franchise-caliber back like Ray Rice or Frank Gore? As much as I like him, I would say no. I'm sure he'll be an asset to another team after he leaves, but Cleveland fans should just let go and cheer for the players that want to play here. -- Hoa, Los Angeles

Hey, Hoa: I think Hillis is a player who's had one good year. I believe he will leave as a free agent after the season.

Hey, Tony: Trading away multiple premium draft picks for Brady Quinn is obviously one of the reasons the Browns are lacking in talent. Do you ever think about how much worse it would be if, instead of taking Joe Thomas, Phil Savage would have traded away even more to acquire the awful JaMarcus Russell? -- Spike, Tampa, Fla.

Hey, Spike: I have enough trouble looking out and reporting the product on the field. I don't want to speculate on "what if's" that would have made it even worse.

Hey, Tony: How many more years of Tom Heckert's drafting before we can look forward to being consistently competitive? -- David King, Joelton, Tenn.

Hey, David: Look at this way. They need to find playmakers at the running back and wide receiver positions and they have to upgrade the tackle position. They need a couple young linebackers, another cornerback and a safety. Did I mention quarterback, too?

Cleveland Browns beat Green Bay Packers, 27-24View full sizeThere have always been critics of Phil Dawson's kickoffs, but most Browns fans have taken their longtime veteran kicker to heart.

Hey, Tony: I've often wondered if you and your crack staff can tell us since '99, how many games has Phil Dawson won for the Browns? -- Jason Parsons, Hilliard, Ohio

Hey, Jason: After your question arrived, we did a magnificent story on Dawson in Friday's Plain Dealer. He has 15 game-winning field goals in his Browns career.

Hey, Tony: What will be the call when someone is tackled by their long hair? Is the hair considered part of the body, just as an arm or leg? I would think it would be a legal tackle. -- Mike Kriausky, Rotonda West, Fla.

Hey, Mike: It is a legal tackle. I can tell you from covering NFL meetings over the years that some in the league believe the only way to get players to cut their hair would be a couple of well-executed, hair-pull tackles.

Hey, Tony: What do you make of Michael Lombardi's report of an ex-NFL guy being able to predict the next Browns offensive play based on the down and distance with 95 percent accuracy? When Lombardi left the Browns, was it ugly or do you think his criticisms are derived from just wanting them to improve? -- B. Schaffter, Casper, Colo.

Hey, B.: If Lombardi said today was Sunday, the first thing I would do is check my calendar.

Hey, Tony: I know the season is not over yet, however, I was thinking about next year's draft. What do you think about the Browns drafting running back Trent Richardson from Alabama and then receiver Michael Floyd from Notre Dame with their first two picks, and then grabbing an OT and shoring up the rest of the defense with the remaining picks? -- Brian Aikens, Richmond Heights

Hey, Brian: Sounds good. Now, what about the quarterback position?

Hey, Tony: I am wondering what your thoughts (and those of the Browns staff) are on the Hillis situation? How could someone go from cult hero to prima donna so quickly? Are we being too tough on him or is he a victim of a series of unfortunate events? -- Scott S., Philadelphia

Hey, Scott: Personally, I think Hillis' one good year went to his head. Winning the popularity contest for the Madden NFL 12 cover didn't help. The contract dispute, the strep throat game, the mid-week marriage on an off day, the hamstring injury, the football throwing contest in pre-game warmups in San Francisco, the snub of the charity event on Halloween -- these were not media-driven events. I think he's gotten some real bad advice, too.

Hey, Tony: If the Browns have been fed up with Hillis and his antics, why didn't they trade him earlier this year? At least they could have gotten something for him then. Now he will simply walk in free agency. Isn't this a very notable mistake by a regime that has still yet to prove itself? -- Rob Hill, York Township

Hey, Rob: At the time, nobody could have predicted Hillis would be missing so many games with a hamstring injury. Trading him without a suitable replacement would have been irresponsible. As it turned out, Montario Hardesty went down with an injury, too, and the running back situation was left in shambles. They will lose Hillis in free agency for nothing in return, except possibly a compensatory draft pick in 2013.

Hey, Tony: I know this is going to bring some heat but I just have to ask! Tim Tebow, it seems that the Broncos coach John Fox doesn't want him, even though the fans do. Is there a chance we could get him in a trade? Also maybe bring Urban Meyer in to not coach cause we all know he will never coach again but give him a role with the team to work with Tim and other guys on the team. -- Tim Umpleby, Toronto, Ohio

Hey, Tim: Pass the Maalox, please.

Hey, Tony: Are you pleased with the current regime? Based on what you've seen, would it have been better to start a third year in the same system vs. what the Browns currently have? -- Mike B., Dover, Ohio

Hey, Mike: Am I pleased with the way things have gone this year? Absolutely not. Did I welcome a change after two 5-11 seasons with a very old team? Absolutely. The Browns' bumbling ways this season are helping to make Eric Mangini a mythical figure in the minds of some.

Hey, Tony: Regarding Joe Flacco, a couple of years ago, you mentioned the Browns were the only team in the AFC North without a franchise quarterback (when Carson Palmer was still in Cincinnati). You consistently heap praise on Flacco as if he is destined to be a longtime stud in the NFL. Well, he's in an offense that features Anquan Boldin, Ray Rice, Lee Evans, and speedster Torrey Smith yet he's on pace to have the lowest completion percentage and most interceptions of his four-year career. Let's be honest with ourselves, all this Flacco kid has on our own Colt McCoy is a stronger arm. Nothing else. You fall in love with the big arms, don't you Tony? -- Joshua Jones, Fullerton, Calif.

Hey, Joshua: Did you watch Flacco outplay Ben Roethlisberger in the Ravens' win in Pittsburgh on Sunday night? Flacco has won playoff games on the road. Don't look at his stats. Watch his spirals pierce the wind and hit his receivers in the hands. Not his fault they often drop the ball. Flacco is a big-time quarterback.

Hey, Tony: You have mentioned on a handful of occasions that the current Browns leadership just doesn't value a kicker all that much. Given that the offense is allergic to the end zone, Phil Dawson is perhaps the only threat the Browns have to score points. Of course they expect the offense to improve, but why not suck it up and pay Dawson? -- Andy H., Chagrin Falls

Hey, Andy: The answer lies in your first sentence. They don't value a kicker all that much. Maybe they will franchise Dawson another year. They decided not to extend him a new contract offer.

Hey, Tony: My advice is for the Cleveland writers to make more excuses for McCoy. They can then add some more excuses for the inept coaching. When that is finished, they can tell us how great the defense is. I suggest they take a break and tell us how wonderful the GM and the president are. After all, we just need to give them more time. We should watch this garbage next year, and the year after, and the year after. Great job to all. -- Tom Rogers, Philadelphia

Hey, Tom: Thanks for the advice.

Hey, Tony: Do you foresee any way that we do not use one of our two first-round picks next year on a WR? If they use one on a receiver, what position do you think they'd address with the other first-rounder? -- Josh Reed, White Oak, Pa.

Hey, Josh: Wide receiver, offensive tackle, quarterback, running back. They need them all.

Hey, Tony: Do you think Mike Holmgren is trying to out-think himself? Eric Mangini was on to something, he gets fired and the offense disappeared just like Pat Shurmur will, I hope. -- David Taras, Parma

Hey, David: Out-think himself? I just think Holmgren wanted an offensive-minded coach and didn't believe the team was advancing under Mangini. You can debate whether or not Shurmur was the right replacement. I don't think a coach who goes 5-11 and 5-11 with a team of retreads hand-picked by himself is "on to something."

Hey, Tony: After enduring the Texans game and watching everyone but Josh Cribbs giving up, do you think Shurmur is loosing the locker room? Secondly, at least twice, TV color commentator Dan Fouts said that there is no "hot receiver" concept in the Browns' game plan. Why would a team with no pass protection, no running game and trying to implement the WCO not have a hot receiver when the defense is blitzing on every play? Lastly, do you think we're once again witnessing a "runaway train" in Cleveland? P.S.: All my Browns stuff is officially back in a box in the garage. -- Steve Jones, Youngstown

Hey, Steve: Losing the locker room? No. No hot receiver? Unfathomable. Runaway train? Let's hope not. I've been on that ride before and it ain't pretty.

Hey, Tony: Do you agree that the Browns' offense is getting worse, to the point of setting the team back indefinitely? Also, after this season, how much do you think McCoy's "evaluation" will be affected by all the garbage-time prevent defense yards and points he was responsible for? I think that we should all tailgate until the start of the fourth quarter, then file in. -- William Deverse, Sandusky

Hey, William: I think the team and the offense is at a critical juncture. If it doesn't show improvement in the next two games, the season could deteriorate badly. McCoy's evaluation will not be affected by the garbage time yards and points. I think his evaluation is nearing completion, and it is not looking good.

Hey, Tony: In your opinion, at this halfway point of the season, how would you characterize the impact thus far of Phil Taylor? Personally, I'm underwhelmed. -- Marty Cutter, Jersey City, N.J.

Hey, Marty: Taylor had an impact earlier, but certainly has leveled off. It's a long season for a rookie and he could still have another surge before the season's over. I don't know what everyone expected from a nose tackle who didn't dominate at Baylor.

Hey, Tony: I watched a good part of the first half against Houston until I couldn't stand it any more and turned it off. As best I can recall, the Browns called a running play on every first down. I thought the WCO was supposed to be more imaginative than that. Am I wrong? -- Mike Ristau, Sylvania

Hey, Mike: I'm at a loss to explain their game plan. They must have felt with two young and relatively new players at running back that they were severely limited in what they could call.

Hey, Tony: Will Randy Lerner ever address the fans? Obviously Tom Heckert has failed in two drafts. Mike Holmgren obviously is past his prime. His hiring of Pat Shurmur is a joke. Lerner should refund season-ticket holders. This franchise embodies ineptitude at all levels and they don't even seem to care. Why is that? Obviously the only chance for us to succeed is to force Lerner to sell the team. -- James Heneghan, Swedesboro, N.J.

Hey, James: Somebody once told me, "Never chase away a billionaire."

-- Tony

Manny Pacquiao wins narrow decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in welterweight title fight

0
0

Pacquiao continues his remarkable run with the win, but it doesn't come easy.

welterweight fight.JPGView full sizeManny Pacquiao, right, lands a right on Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez during Saturday's WBO welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao escaped again, in a decision that left Juan Manuel Marquez fuming once again.

The Filipino sensation was taken to the limit Saturday night before winning a majority decision that infuriated Marquez and most of the sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena. While close, the win helped Pacquiao continue a remarkable run that has made him the most exciting fighter in the sport.

In a bruising battle against a counterpuncher who was both accurate and fast, Pacquiao needed the final round on two scorecards to pull out the win. He got it, even though a third judge scored the round in favor of Marquez.

As boos -- and cans and bottles -- rang down on the ring, Pacquiao celebrated another victory and another huge payday.

"My fans are very happy because they thought I won," Pacquiao said.

He did, but on the narrowest margin. That, perhaps, was to be expected considering the previous 24 rounds the two had fought were just as close.

Pacquiao won on two scorecards, while the third ringside judge had it a draw. It was a narrow escape for the Filipino congressman, who took as much punishment as he got over 12 rounds, and Marquez was so upset he stormed from the ring.

"This was the second robbery and this one was the worst," Marquez said. "We won with clearer punches."

The third fight between the two was as close as the previous two, and by the time they finished 12 rounds the outcome was still in doubt. Pacquiao won some rounds with sheer aggression, while Marquez won others with brilliant counterpunching, keeping Pacquiao from getting inside.

Marquez was a 7-1 underdog, but it was clear early he would be in this fight. He picked Pacquiao apart with right hands almost every time he tried to get inside, and landed good hard flurries throughout the fight.

Pacquiao was the aggressor throughout, and landed some sharp punches of his own. But when the decision was announced, the crowd booed roundly and, once again Marquez had lost a close fight.

One ringside judge had it a 114-114 draw, while two others favored Pacquiao by 115-113 and 116-112. The Associated Press had it 114-114.

"It's hard when you're fighting your rival and the three judges, too," Marquez said.

The sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena threw bottles and cans toward ringside after the decision was announced, with one full can hitting a ringside writer.

Pacquiao found out early he would be in for a long night, taking counter punches from Marquez in the opening rounds while looking for his own opening. He had trouble all night finding his range and, when he did get inside, Marquez often moved to the side and landed a counter right hand.

It was the third close fight between the two men, though this one was fought at 144 pounds instead of 125 as was their first fight seven years ago. That fight was a draw, while Pacquiao won a split decision in the second bout in 2008 at 130 pounds.

Marquez fought going backward all night, and that might have been his undoing. While he landed well at times, Pacquiao was in his face most of the night.

Ringside punch stats showed just how close the fight was. Pacquiao was credited with landing 176 of 578 punches, while Marquez landed 138 of 436.

The power punches were even closer, with Pacquiao connecting on 117 to 100 -- though Marquez seemed to land the harder punches.

Pacquiao was behind on one scorecard and only ahead by a point on a second going into the 12th round, and the crowd was on its feet roaring for what they expected to be a classic last round. But both fighters were tentative, brawling only toward the end of the round, and two judges gave Pacquiao the round while the third gave it to Marquez.

"He was ready for my punches," Pacquiao said. "I thought I blocked a lot of his punches."

The fight was fought at a hard pace, and both fighters fought in spurts that brought the crowd to their feet. Pacquiao won the first three rounds on two scorecards, then Marquez came roaring back with some crisp right hands of his own.

It was evident early that both fighters were so familiar with each other they knew what the other was going to do, and they compensated by fighting in spurts when each had the advantage. Neither ever seemed seriously hurt, though Marquez landed several right hands that snapped Pacquiao's head back and stopped him from coming forward.

The two clashed heads in the ninth round, opening a cut above Pacquiao's right eye, and he was also cut inside his mouth. Marquez wasn't cut but his face was swollen and his eyes were closing in the later rounds.

It was the 15th straight win for Pacquiao, who earned a minimum of $22 million while improving his record to 54-3-2. Marquez, who earned $5 million, fell to 52-6-1.

-- Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press

Viewing all 53367 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images