A week away from being admitted to the National College Football Hall of Fame, former Browns tight end Milt Morin died of a heart attack.

George J. Heinz / The Plain DealerPowerful enough to handle blocking assignments like carving out room for Bo Scott in 1971 and nimble enough to grab a Bill Nelsen pass, Milt Morin (89) was a reliable tight end for the Browns for 10 years. He died last week in Massachusetts.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- "Oh, no. I just voted for him for the College Football Hall of Fame!"

Those were the first words from former Browns star Paul Wiggin, after learning Milt Morin had died of a heart attack over the weekend.

Morin was the Browns' first-round pick in 1966, and played 10 years for the team. He was set to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this weekend.

Wiggin said he had been voting for Morin for years, and urging some others who had votes to take a look at what the tight end did at the University of Massachusetts.

"He was a complete player, a proto-type tight end," said Wiggin. "Back then, they had 240-pound tight ends who couldn't catch the ball, and 200-pounders who couldn't block. Milt did both."

He did it well enough to make two Pro Bowls with the Browns. He was 6-foot-4 and 236 pounds, agile and aggressive.

In 129 games over 10 seasons, Milt Morin caught 271 passes and scored 16 touchdowns for the Browns.

"He could have played tight end in this era," said Paul Warfield, recently retiring as a Browns consultant. "He'd be worth his weight in gold because most teams have a tight end who can catch, or a tight end who can block. Milt was such a good blocker, we ran Leroy Kelly's sweeps around his end. He could run precise patterns, and he could blow you off the ball with his blocks."

Warfield paused, remembering Morin for their four years together with the Browns.

"He came back from a very serious back injury that required surgery," said the Hall of Fame receiver. "He was just a great teammate, a big fellow, a wonderful guy."

Morin was 67 when he died Friday at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Mass. Before retiring in 2003, he spent 15 years as a corrections officer in Hampshire County. Sheriff Robert Garvey raved about Morin to the Hampshire Gazette: "He had the respect of his colleagues as well as the inmates. You would think someone with his background would be just a tough guy, but he was a gentle man, tremendously understanding of people who were incarcerated."

Former Browns defensive end Bill Glass said he "had lost track" of Morin, but is not surprised that his former teammate became an effective corrections officer.

"Milt was just good with people," said Glass, who has spent nearly 40 years doing prison ministry. "He was very fair-minded, an impeccable guy. I loved to make fun of his New England accent, and he got a kick out of me being from Texas."

Wiggin added, "One day, we were at a place where Milt order a frappe. We looked at him strange, and he said it was like a milk shake. I'm from California, and I thought I knew everything. Never heard of a frappe."

Plain Dealer file photo"You could count on him to be where he's supposed to be," said Browns QB Bill Nelsen of Milt Morin. "He was a big target to throw to." Added Paul Warfield, "He was just a great teammate, a big fellow, a wonderful guy."

The Browns of Morin's era never made much money. They needed careers after football, be it Warfield and Wiggin working for NFL teams, or Glass in ministry. Morin never made more than $65,000 a year as a pro. He mostly worked the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift at the local jail.

In addition to his law enforcement work, Morin was a carpenter. He owned an antique store for a while.

One obituary said he met his wife, Ellen, while working as a bouncer at a bar on Cape Cod. They were wed when he was a senior at UMass and remained married for 44 years. In college, Morin lettered in lacrosse and was an outstanding wrestler, in addition to playing tight end and serving as the kicker.

"Money is nice, but money doesn't mean anything compared to ... relationships," Morin said in a 1993 interview. "I've just had the greatest in the world."

Morin caught 271 passes in his Browns career, many of them from Bill Nelsen -- the starting quarterback from 1968-71, when the Browns were 34-15-1 when he played.

"Milt died?" said Nelsen. "I'm afraid to answer the phone or pick up a newspaper. So many are not with us."

On the phone from Orlando, Nelsen's voice cracked as he said, "Such a nice guy. You could count on him to be where he's supposed to be. He was a big target to throw to. We had so many good guys on those teams, and it's a shame to keep losing them."

Hickson is adjusting to life without LeBron, starting with the Vegas Summer League, where the 6-9 forward surprisingly has decided to make an appearance.

Scott Shaw / The Plain DealerJ.J. Hickson has proven his ability to get to the basket and finish, as he displayed against Sacramento's Andres Nocioni last March. But he wants to develop a mid-range game to help the Cavaliers' offense this season.

LAS VEGAS -- When LeBron James left the Cavaliers last week, it required everyone in the organization to re-evaluate everything. That includes the players.

Even if it is uncomfortable for the team to discuss or fans to think about, getting ready for life after James is going to be the theme for many months.

J.J. Hickson was one of the Cavs who closest to James, bonding with him last summer and creating a strong on-court and off-court relationship. But Hickson is now taking steps to adjust. It starts with the Vegas Summer League, where the 6-9 forward surprisingly has decided to make an appearance.

It is unusual for players going into their third season to play in Vegas, especially after Hickson became a core player last season when he started 73 games at power forward and center.

Hickson said he's playing, basically at his own discretion, because he knows how important next season is going to be for him. He's coming into the five games -- the Cavs open at 6 p.m. Tuesday against the D-League Select on NBA TV -- with several goals.

"I wanted to come here to stay in shape but also work on my jump shot," Hickson said after practice at a Vegas high school on Monday. "I've been doing a ton of shooting both where I have been working out in Atlanta and back in Cleveland."

Last season, a breakout one for Hickson in many ways, he averaged 8.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.5 minutes. Those minutes and his shots are expected to go up as the Cavs rely on him for more scoring.

But two-thirds of Hickson's shots came in the paint and nearly a quarter were dunks. Hickson was the team leader with 130 of them, and he made 68 percent of those close attempts. When he ventured outside the paint, however, he shot just 30 percent.

When the league got Hickson scouted a few months into the year, they defended him by staying close when he was near the rim but leaving him when he was outside the paint.

So Hickson is working on footwork and his release with the help of assistant coach Chris Jent, who helped James improve his shot over the past three seasons. Hickson is going to test out his improvement during summer league, mostly focusing on 15- to 18-foot jumpers.

"I already know that I'm athletic enough to finish around the rim," Hickson said. "I'd like to be able to be able to be in some pick-and-pop plays, be able to convert jumpers as the trail man on fastbreaks and even open up out of the post. Guys were waiting for me at the rim and I've got to make them come out on me a little bit."

Hickson is also working on something else in Vegas. As the most veteran player on the team that includes roster players Danny Green and Christian Eyenga, Hickson is going to attempt to take on a leadership role.

At just age 21, that isn't exactly natural, especially for a player who was often treated like a rookie by older teammates even in his second season.

"I'm trying to learn how to be a veteran and I'm working on developing a leadership role out here," Hickson said. "It's funny, because I'm trying to work with the young guys but actually they're mostly still older than me."

Hickson won't have James or Shaquille O'Neal, who is unlikely to re-sign with the team, as mentors anymore. So the entire Vegas experience is aimed not just at developing his game but also developing his place on the roster.

"Last week was very hard, LeBron is my guy," Hickson said.

"But people get traded and they move from team to team all of the time, it is part of what happens in this league. He's going to be missed, but he's not here and I've got to move on. I've got to step up my role on the team. I learned so much from LeBron and Shaq and I was blessed to have played with them."

The NCAA decided against putting the lowest eight seeds into four play-in games. Instead, two early games will match the lowest seeds, Nos. 65 through 68. The other two games will match the last four at-large qualifiers.

Al Behrman / Associated PressFor years, the play-in game for the NCAA basketball tournament has been strictly limited to small-college programs such as Arkansas-Pine Bluff (whose LeBaron Weathers celebrated a victory last March against Winthrop in Dayton). But the new 68-team format will include two play-in games featuring the last four "at-large" teams, which will almost certainly mean well-known schools playing an extra game just to reach the 64-team opening weekend.

PUTTING 68 INTO 64
The NCAA on Monday released details of how the expanded 68-team format will work for the men’s basketball tournament, beginning in March 2011.

• The first round will now include eight teams playing to advance to the second round (the first Thursday-Friday of the tournament).

• Two first-round games will match teams seeded 65 through 68 and the winners advance to play a No. 1 seed. These will almost surely be small schools; none of the 15 or 16 seeds in last season’s tournament were from a BCS conference.

• The other two first-round games will include the last four at-large teams selected, raising the possibility that teams from BCS conferences will have to play their way into the second round. These teams will be seeded where they would normally be placed in the bracket, meaning a first-round game between two No. 10 seeds would result in the winner advancing to play a No. 7 seed.

• Teams will continue to be assigned to the closest available geographic location while avoiding regular-season rematches and conference opponents.

• The tournament will have 31 conference automatic qualifiers and 37 at-large selections. The first round will be broadcast nationally on Turner Broadcasting’s truTV.
— Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS -- March Madness is about to get a little bit bigger; perhaps it will be better, too.

The NCAA unveiled its plans for the newly expanded 68-team men's basketball tournament Monday: Beginning next March, eight teams will play early the opening week in a "First Four" round, with the winners advancing to games on Thursday or Friday.

The NCAA decided against picking the lowest eight seeds. Instead, two of the early games will match the tournament's lowest seeds, Nos. 65 through 68, with the winners advancing to play a top seed. The other two games will match the last four at-large qualifiers.

The format will probably prevent mid-majors from being over-represented in the first round, and it could also mean that two teams from bigger conferences -- those generally seeded between 11th and 13th -- will be out before the tournament really gets going.

"You're not going to come up with the perfect model," committee chair Dan Guerrero said. "You're not going to come up with a model that is going to appease every constituency out there. But we felt that this model provided the opportunity to do something special for the tournament."

The NCAA announced in April that it would add three teams to the field, the first expansion since the tournament went from 64 teams to 65 in 2001 after going from 48 to 64 in 1985.

It was a hotly debated decision, with critics saying the tournament is already as close to perfect as any collegiate championship can be. Some pointed to Butler's run to last season's championship game and George Mason's Final Four run in 2006 as examples of parity.

The NCAA decided against a larger expansion to 80 or even 96 games. It settled on 68 teams and its new 14-year, $10.8 billion television package with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting not only ensures that every game will be televised but gives the NCAA sole authority to expand again.

All four of the "First Four" games will be broadcast on Turner's truTV cable channel.

There has been only one early "play in" game since 2001, when the expansion to 65 teams essentially added a 34th at-large team. Now, there will be 31 automatic bids and 37 at-large bids.

The at-large teams will be seeded where they would normally be placed in the bracket, meaning a first-round game between two No. 10 seeds would result in the winner advancing to play a No. 7 seed.

"I think some people are going to look at it and say it looks like a compromise," said Laing Kennedy, a retired Kent State athletic director who is on the men's basketball committee that developed the new format. "What we look at is that it really does preserve the integrity of the 31 automatic qualifiers."

Gene Smith, Ohio State's athletic director and a member of the committee, said there was no consensus on a favored format from the NCAA membership and "we were a little surprised."

"It also made it a little more difficult to come out to where we were," Smith said. "Where we ended up, we really feel good about."

Bernadette McGlade, the Atlantic 10 commissioner, called the final choice an "interesting approach" and said her members generally supported just having the bottom eight seeds slug it out to make the second round.

Daniel Gavitt, Big East associate commissioner, said he thought the "hybrid" plan under consideration was to put the last four at-large teams in games against the bottom four seeds -- an easier task, in theory, for the at-large teams. He also expressed some concern over whether the winners of the at-large games might have an advantage in the second round.

"The higher seeds in the second round may be at a disadvantage facing a team that had already played a game and won a game," he said.

Guerrero and NCAA vice president Greg Shaheen said the committee was sensitive to the fact that some big-name teams could be ousted shortly after the brackets are filled out.

"We took that into consideration," Guerrero said. "That would have been the consideration if all eight at-large teams had been a part of the 'First Four.' The expanded tournament allowed for three new at-large teams to get into the tournament. We felt it was appropriate since we had a 68-team model, that those three teams be a part of that equation along with the 34th at-large team."

The NCAA said there could be games on both Tuesday and Wednesday of the tournament's opening week. The Tuesday winners would play Thursday and the Wednesday winners would play Friday.

"In the end, we selected a format that we felt allows us to break new ground," Guerrero said.

There was concern that the new additions will always be smaller schools from the same leagues. Since 2001, a school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference has been sent to the early "play in" game five times.

Athletic director Skip Perkins, whose Arkansas-Pine Bluff team won last season's final play-in game, said he thought the committee did a good job.

Still, he couldn't help but offer a few suggestions.

"I hope it's not a situation where the MEAC and the SWAC always have the play-in games," Perkins said. "And No. 2, I would hope that it would never be two play-in games at one time. ... I would at least hope that out of those four, that each would have their own life."

Dates and locations for the first-round games have not been determined. Dayton, Ohio, which has hosted the early game since 2001, is under consideration to host all four "First Four" games.

In Las Vegas, the three-team addition isn't likely to make much of a splash among gamblers.

Jay Rood, race and sports book director for MGM Resorts International, said having at-large teams essentially play their way into the 64-team section of the tournament gives it some fresh "pizazz."

"There could be some significant, popular schools that fall in that category," he said. "It'll make it a definite wagering event for anyone that's interested in college basketball."

Ball State coach Billy Taylor said he hopes the NCAA isn't finished tweaking.

"What I'm still hoping for is that this is a step along the road of making more room to expand the tournament, and to allow more teams to participate within reason," he said. "I really see this as just a gradual step. This isn't where we're going to finish, but hopefully, we're going to evolve from here."

"At the time the deal was made with the Rays, I remember thinking, "Who is this guy we're getting for Shoppach?" Well, it turned out to be one of the better deals this front office has made in a good while. Mitch Talbot has been a revelation for this team." - theksukidd73

View full sizeAP Photo | Al BehrmanMitch Talbot is 8-8 with a 3.99 ERA in his first full big league season.

In response to the story Former Cleveland catcher Kelly Shoppach compares Rays to '07 Tribe: Indians Insider, cleveland.com reader theksukidd73 thinks the Kelly Shoppach trade may go down as one of Mark Shapiro's best. This reader writes,

"At the time the deal was made with the Rays, I remember thinking, "Who is this guy we're getting for Shoppach?" Well, it turned out to be one of the better deals this front office has made in a good while. Mitch Talbot has been a revelation for this team."

The teams participating in the World Lacrosse Championships in England represent 30 nations, from Argentina to Latvia to South Korea to Iroquois. The Iroquois helped invent lacrosse and, in a rare example of international recognition of American Indian sovereignty, they participate at every tournament as a separate nation. But they might not be at this year's world championship tournament because of a dispute over the validity of their passports.

View full sizeAssociated PressBrett Bucktooth, a member of the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team and Syracuse University's 2004 national championship team, visit Times Square, New York, Monday, July 12, 2010. The 23 players on the Iroquois Indian lacrosse team cannot fly to England for what's considered the Olympics of the sport because the U.S. government won't allow them to re-enter the country on Iroquois nation passports. "This is a world championship. I am hoping there is a resolution to this problem quickly," said Bucktooth.

NEW YORK - The teams participating in the World Lacrosse Championships in England represent 30 nations, from Argentina to Latvia to South Korea to Iroquois.

NBA commissioner David Stern congratulated LeBron James on his decision. He just wishes it came without "The Decision."

UPDATED: 10:24 p.m.

LM Otero / Associated PressDavid Stern endorsed LeBron James' move to Miami, but said the way he gave his decision "was ill-conceived." He said Dan Gilbert's diatribe was "a little bit extreme" and said Jesse Jackson's comments about Gilbert were "mistaken."

LAS VEGAS -- NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a stinging rebuke Monday to LeBron James, his management team and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert for the way all handled James' departure from the team last week.

He also rebutted Rev. Jesse Jackson's criticisms that compared Gilbert's comments to that of a slave owner.

Speaking after the league's summer Board of Governors meeting at The Palms Casino, Stern sharply criticized "The Decision" show on ESPN that James used to announce he was going to play for the Miami Heat last Thursday.

He was just as harsh in reviewing Gilbert's follow-up open letter to Cavs fans and slapped Gilbert with a $100,000 fine for the remarks.

Stern stopped short, however, of finding fault with James and new teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh meeting to discuss their free-agent future while they were still under contract with other teams.

"I would have advised [James] not to embark on what has become known as 'The Decision,'" Stern said. "I think that the advice he received on this was poor. His performance was fine. His honesty and his integrity shine through. But this decision was ill-conceived, badly produced and poorly executed. Those who were interested were given our opinion prior to its airing."

In announcing his fine to Gilbert, the most the Cavaliers have been publicly fined in Gilbert's five-year tenure, Stern said Gilbert went overboard in his criticism of James. He also referenced an interview Gilbert gave to the Associated Press following the release of the letter in which he branded James a "quitter" for his performance in the playoff series with the Boston Celtics in May.

"I think the remarks by Dan Gilbert, catalyzed as they may have been by a hurt with respect with the respect to his team and the people of Cleveland, though understandable, were ill-advised and imprudent," Stern said.

Marvin Fong / The Plain Dealer"I think the remarks by Dan Gilbert, catalyzed as they may have been by a hurt with respect with the respect to his team and the people of Cleveland, though understandable, were ill-advised and imprudent," David Stern said Monday.

"I think Dan Gilbert is a good owner and I think he was completely correct in expressing his disappointment and his determination to win. In fact, if he wants to guarantee a championship, more power to him. I'm going to tune in to watch to see if he can do it. But you would read the rest of the statement to see where I think it was a little bit to the extreme and his follow-on interview."

Then Stern turned his focus on Jackson, who issued a statement Sunday saying that Gilbert's "feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave."

Stern said he called Jackson Monday to express his disappointment.

"Equally imprudent are the remarks by my good friend Jesse Jackson, which purport to make this into a racial matter," Stern said. "And I find that, however well meaning Jesse may be with the premise on this, mistaken."

In a statement released Monday, Gilbert responded to Jackson.

"I strongly disagree with Rev. Jesse Jackson's recent comments and we are not going to engage in any related discussion on it," Gilbert said. "Going forward, we're very excited about the Cavaliers and the positive future of our region."

Despite complaints that James, Wade and Bosh's meetings before the start of free agency were a combination of collusion and tampering, Stern said they were not. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said before the meeting that he planned to bring up the issue and perhaps seek to create stiffer rules to prevent it from happening again.

Stern said the league would look at the issue in the future, but that no team had formally lodged a tampering complaint.

"The three players are totally within their rights to talk to each other," Stern said. "That is not tampering."

Since the announcement, there have been reports that the three stars agreed in advance to go to Miami and the drama built up in the first days of July was for a benefit of a documentary that Wade and Bosh were shooting and James' primetime special. Media and television critics from around the country have panned "The Decision."

Over the weekend, Advertising Age published an article with the back story of the production, saying it was in the works for nearly a month. Also that ESPN wanted James to wait until July 14 to make the announcement so it could do it in conjunction with the ESPYs show. The network then cleared air time when July 8 was "chosen" as the date. James' manager Maverick Carter put the show together with Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel.

The implication that James knew his decision and waited, causing the Cavs harm as they waited and missed out on other free agents, was targeted by Stern. The Cavs were not informed of James' choice until minutes before it was revealed on national television.

"I think [James] is both a terrific player and a very good person," Stern said. "Had he asked my advice in advance I might have suggested that he advise Cleveland at an earlier time than he apparently did that he was leaving even without announcing where he was going."

Though James' departure will likely have a severe impact on the Cavs' business, Stern said he was confident the team would get through it and remain a success.

"We value our players, they're human and they make choices sometimes that we wish they hadn't made," Stern said. "Based on Dan's record in this league and other business endeavors, I think the Cleveland market will do fine. As transcendent as any player is, they don't win games by themselves.

"LeBron didn't win 60-plus games for Cleveland, it was a team that did that."

A lot of people helped Fausto Carmona get from the Arizona Rookie League last year to the American League All-Star Game Tuesday at Angels Stadium. Carmona invited one of them, Julio Rangel, the Indians' mental skills coach, to Anaheim to show his appreciation.

Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer"We just tried to slow the game down for Fausto," said Indians mental skills coach Julio Rangel. "The game had sped up on him and he didn't know how to slow it back down." The work of Rangel and other Indians coaches helped Carmona earn a berth in Tuesday's All-Star showcase.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One of the first things Fausto Carmona did after being picked to represent the Indians in Tuesday's 81st All-Star Game at Angels Stadium was reach out to one of the people who brought him back from the edge.

"Fausto called and told me, 'I want to take you to the All-Star Game,'" said Julio Rangel. "I thought he was kidding around. I told him, 'Are you sure?' He said yes and I'm here."

Rangel's job title with the Indians is mental skills coach. As the title suggests, the former Yankees' minor-league pitcher deals with the side of the game that isn't physical.

Carmona needed all the help he could get last year. He was Humpty Dumpty, the skills that produced 19 victories in 2007 splintered by a second straight poor season. Carmona said he never lost confidence in himself, but his was in the minority.

When the Indians optioned Carmona to their Arizona Rookie League team in Goodyear, Ariz., on June 5, 2009, he was 2-6 with a 7.42 ERA in 12 starts. The day before, Rangel was at the Metrodome when Carmona allowed seven runs in two innings. Jason Kubel hit two three-run homers. Outside of a miracle, the odds on fixing Carmona did not look good.

What the Indians did was triple-team Carmona. Dave Miller and Steve Lyons, the minor-league pitching coordinators, worked on his mechanics. Rangel took care of everything else.

"A lot of people were involved in this," said Rangel, who started working for the Indians in 2007. One of the things they tried to change was to have Carmona stop rushing his delivery. He was a man in a hurry and was going nowhere.

Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer"I was never angry about getting sent down," said Carmona about his 2009 demotion. "I knew I wasn't performing well. I wanted to work hard to get back."

ON DECK: 81ST MAJOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME
Where: Angels Stadium, Anaheim, Calif.
When: Tuesday at 8 p.m., WJW, Ch. 8.
Series standings: National League leads, 40-38-2. The American League is 12-0-1 over the last 13 years since 1997.
Managers: New York’s Joe Giradi, American League. Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel, National League.
Pitching matchup: Tampa Bay’s David Price (12-4, 2.42) vs. Colorado’s Ubaldo Jimenez (15-1, 2.20). Price, 24, is the youngest All-Star starter since Dwight Gooden, 23, of the Mets started for the NL in 1988. Jimenez is the third pitcher from the Dominican Republic to start the All-Star game and the first from the Rockies.
Umpires: H Mike Reilly, 1B Mike Winters, 2B Brian O’Nora, 3B Laz Diaz, LF Bruce Dreckman, RF Jim Wolf. Reilly, crew chief.
Official scorers: Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, Ken Davidoff, Newsday, president of the Baseball Writers Association of America, and Ed Munson, MLB.
AL update: The Yankees have three of their five starting pitchers on the All-Star squad in Andy Pettitte, CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes. Sabathia will not pitch because he started Sunday’s game just before the break. Pettitte replaced Boston’s injured Clay Buchholz.
NL update: Seventeen players will be making their first All-Star appearance: Michael Bourn, Marlon Byrd, Matt Capps, Andre Ethier, Yovanni Gallardo, Jason Heyward, Omar Infante, Ubaldo Jimenez, Hong-Chih Kuo, Evan Meek, Brandon Phillips, Martin Prado, Arthur Rhodes, Troy Tulowitzki, Joey Votto, Adam Wainwright and Chris Young.
— Paul Hoynes

"We just tried to slow the game down for Fausto," said Rangel. "The game had sped up on him and he didn't know how to slow it back down."

They watched hours of video, studying not only the pitches Carmona was making, but what he did between pitches. They showed him how he reacted after good pitches and bad ones.

"Fausto didn't have a plan from pitch to pitch," said Rangel. "He'd throw one pitch and I'd ask him 'what are you going to do with the next pitch?' All he said was 'I'm going to try and throw a strike.'"

Carmona's comeback started with simulated games in the Arizona desert. Rangel, Miller and Lyons would try to distract him during those games. They'd tell him the umpire just called a pitch that split the plate a ball. They they'd ask him what do you now.

They were trying to get him to react better during in-game situations. They wanted him to be fluid.

Carmona made his first minor-league start for Class A Lake County on June 25. Rangel, who reached Class AA as a pitcher before retiring in 2002, was in the dugout. Miller and Lyons would be in the stands watching Carmona pitch.

"He'd be telling me to breathe and relax," said Carmona. "He was there every step of the way with me."

When Carmona was on the mound, Rangel would be talking to Miller or Lyons.

"You can see a pitcher better from the stands than the dugout," said Rangel. "They'd tell me, 'Tell Fausto to do this or do that.' I'd be telling him to slow down, don't rush and to stay in the moment."

Dr. Charles Maher is the Indians' sports psychologist. He established the program that Rangel used to help Carmona.

"It's a great program," said Rangel, born in Panama. "It's very basic. It's about staying in the moment. I'm not a psychologist. But I played, I know the game. I think I know what players are going through and I can talk to them."

Two or three starts into Carmona's tour of the minors, he started to get it. He told Rangel, "Now I feel it."

Carmona spent seven weeks in the minors before being recalled on July 31. He made one start at Lake County, two at Class AA Akron and five at Class AAA Columbus.

"I was never angry about getting sent down," said Carmona. "I knew I wasn't performing well. I wanted to work hard to get back."

He finished the season with the Tribe, going 3-6 in 12 starts after his recall. For the year, he went 5-12 record and a 6.32 ERA.

Carmona is 8-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 18 starts in 2010. If teammate Shin-Soo Choo didn't injure his right thumb just before the All-Star team were announced, Carmona probably wouldn't have made it.

But he's here now. So is Rangel.

"I owe him a lot," said Carmona.

A reunion of former teammates took place Sunday night at the headquarters hotel for the All-Star game. Can you guess who they are and what they talked about?

Jae C. Hong / Associated PressCC Sabathia says the Indians' fall from contention since their playoff run in 2007 remains "a tough thing to watch."

ALL-STAR CHATTER
Clubhouse confidential: The San Diego Padres, who went into the break with a two-game lead in the NL West, are one of the teams showing interest in right-hander Jake Westbrook.
Westbrook is one of several players the Indians are looking to move. He’s a free agent at the end of the season and has about $4.48 million left on his $11 million contract.
It would not be a surprise if the Indians kept Westbrook and tried to sign him after the season. Westbrook has said he’d like to stay.

Praise for Santana: Agent Scott Boras said as far as young hitters go, he puts Tribe catcher Carlos Santana in the same class as Manny Ramirez when he first emerged with the Indians.
“He’s had the best at-bats anybody has had against Stephen Strasburg,” said Boras, Monday at the All-Star festivities. “He was on every pitch.
“I don’t think he’s going to be a catcher for long. He’s too good a hitter to keep back there.”
What position could Santana end up playing?
“He’s an IDM player ... it doesn’t matter,” said Boras. “That’s how good of a hitter he is.”

Stat of the day: In the first 80 All-Star Games, the American League has outscored the National League, 339 to 336.
— Paul Hoynes

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Three All-Stars bumped into each other Sunday night at the headquarters hotel. There were two former Cy Young winners and an All-Star catcher.

As recently as 2008 they all played for the same team. Between then and now they've all been traded. The team that dealt them has fallen on hard times, finishing the first half of this season in last place after losing 97 games last year.

Can anyone guess the identifies of the three players? Don't bother, Victor Martinez will do it for you.

"When I got in last night after dinner, I saw CC [Sabathia] and Cliff [Lee] in the lobby," said Martinez on Monday. "We were just talking about being teammates two years ago. It's just amazing the way everything was taken apart."

The Indians traded Sabathia to Milwaukee in 2008. He used that as a springboard to sign a record-setting, seven-year, $161 million deal with the Yankees.

Last season the Indians traded Lee to Philadelphia and Martinez to Boston. Lee has since been traded two more times. Martinez is still in Boston, but won't play in Tuesday's All-Star Game because of a fractured right thumb.

The Yankees came close to reuniting Lee with Sabathia on Friday, but failed in their attempt to work a deal with Seattle. The Mariners instead sent Lee to Texas.

When asked about his history with Lee and the Indians, Sabathia said, "That wasn't our fault. They traded us. That's on them."

Sabathia feels the 2007 Indians, who reached the seventh game of the ALCS, had greatness in their future.

"If they had kept everybody at least for two more years, I think we had a chance of having a really good team," said Sabathia. "You look back on Cleveland and the only one that's left is Jake [Westbrook]. It's kind of sad to me.

"We all came up together. We grew up together. It's been a tough thing to watch."

Sabathia considers himself lucky that he was only traded once before being eligible for free agency. It's been a different road for Lee, a free agent at the end of the year.

"I don't think he should have had to go through that," said Sabathia.

No timetable: Martinez doesn't know when he'll be able to play again.

"I still can't put my hand in the glove because of the pain in my thumb," he said. "The fracture is just above the nail."

Eye on the prize: Drew Pomeranz, the Indians' top pick in the June draft, is one of the five finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, which honors the top college player in the country. The award will be presented as part of the All-Star Game festivities.

The other finalists are Bryce Harper of Southern Nevada; Chris Duffy of Central Florida; Yasmani Grandal of University of Miami and Chris Sale of Florida Gulf Coast.

No way: Josh Johnson, the NL's ERA leader, kept hearing from his teammates that he should start the All-Star game. Johnson certainly would have accepted the honor if manager Charlie Manuel named him, but he kept looking at Ubaldo Jimenez's 15-1 record.

"I thought I had a chance," he said. "My teammates kept telling me that I should start, but I definitely think Jimenez deserved it.

"How can't he start when he's 15-1? I just told my teammates, 'No, he's 15-1 ... 15-1. That's it.'"

Booster shot: Super agent Scott Boras has a high opinion of Manuel, who is managing his second straight All-Star Game after taking the Phillies to two straight World Series.

"He's a baseball genius when it comes to dealing with players and growing players," said Boras. "Look at the players who have played their best under him."

Finally: Cincinnati All-Star Joey Votto when asked who's the best big-league player from Canada didn't hesitate in his response.

"Justin Morneau," said Votto, born in Toronto. Morneau made this year's AL All-Star team, but can't play because of a concussion.

Fatigue was not a factor Monday night for Ortiz as he beat Florida's Hanley Ramirez to win the derby with 11 homers in the third and final round.

Chris Carlson / Associated PressDavid Ortiz had a consistent rhythm to his long-ball swing on Monday night, as he dominated his rivals in winning the Home Run Derby in Anaheim, Calif.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- David Ortiz said there is no strategy to the State Farm Home Run Derby.

"It's whoever gets tired faster," Boston's veteran DH said before the event.

Fatigue was not a factor Monday night for Ortiz as he beat Florida's Hanley Ramirez to win the derby with 11 homers in the third and final round. Ramirez had five.

Ortiz, who didn't commit to participating until Monday, hit 11 homers in the final round and 33 overall. The 34-year-old slugger, said to be on the downside of his career, could be changing some people's minds. He went into the break hitting .263 with 18 homers and 57 RBI for the Red Sox.

Ramirez, 26, looked overmatched in the final round. While he tried to hit line drives to left and center fields, the lefty-hitting Ortiz yanked balls down the right-field line for his homers.

Ortiz offered some help for his former Boston teammate in the final round. With Ramirez sitting at four homers, and down to his last four outs, Ortiz came off the American League bench to wipe the sweat off Ramirez's face.

The breather did not help.

Ramirez hit .301 with 13 homers and 53 RBI in the first half for the Marlins.

Ortiz hit eight homers in the first round and 13 in the second. Ramirez advanced to the finals with nine homers in the first round and 12 in the second.

Milwaukee's Corey Hart put on a show in the first round with 13 homers, but wore himself out. He didn't hit a single homer in the second round. Prince Fielder, Hart's power-hitting teammate, gave Hart some advice before the derby. He told him to take Sandy Guerrero, Fielder's personal derby pitcher, and to have a big appetite.

"He said eat a lot because it wears on you," said Hart.

Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, who advanced out of the first round with seven homers, didn't make it out of the second with five.

St. Louis's Matt Holliday (5), Nick Swisher (4) of the Yankees, Toronto's Vernon Wells (2) and Arizona's Chris Young (1) were eliminated in the first round. In each round every player's turn consisted of an at-bat that lasted 10 outs. Anything that wasn't a homer was an out.

Indians shortstop has few difficulties in first action since broken forearm.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerAsdrubal Cabrera had a two-run double and fielded flawlessly in five innings for Mahoning Valley on Monday, his first baseball action since suffering a broken left forearm.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Renegades 10, Scrappers 5: Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, playing his first game since going on the disabled list with a fractured forearm on May 18, went 1 for 3 with a two-run double and played flawlessly in the field in five innings in front of 3,767 fans at Eastwood Field -- 500 more than average. But Hudson Valley scored six runs in the last four innings to power past Mahoning Valley in a New York-Penn League game in Niles, Ohio.

Catcher Diego Seastrunk hit his second home run for the Scrappers.

Cabrera flew out to deep right-center and grounded out before connecting on his bases-loaded double in the fifth inning. He left after five innings and is expected to be the designated hitter in Tuesday's game. He will then likely move to Class AA Akron for more playing time.

AAA Columbus Clippers

The Clippers return to International League action against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday after Wednesday's All-Star Game.

AA Akron Aeros

SeaWolves 4, Aeros 2: DH Matt McBride (.274) hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning for Akron, but it wasn't enough for the Aeros to come back in an Eastern League game in Erie. Rawley Bishop's three-run homer in the third inning was the game's decisive blow. Eric Berger (4-5) gave up six hits and three runs in five innings.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Keys 4, Indians 0: Luis Noel of Frederick (Md.) struck out seven Indians over six innings as Kinston lost on the road. Bo Greenwell had two of Kinston's three hits and is batting .370 with the Indians.

A Lake County Captains

Whitecaps 11, Captains 6: West Michigan's 14-hit attack overwhelmed Lake County in a Midwest League game. Brett Brach (1-5) gave up nine hits and five runs in four innings for the Captains.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

The Crushers return to Frontier League action against the Windy City ThunderBolts on Friday after Wednesday's All-Star Game.

Just when you thought the LeBron James saga could get no more ridiculous along comes Rev. Jesse Jackson with his message from the septic tank.

Associated PressPeople watch as the giant banner of former Cleveland Cavaliers NBA basketball star LeBron James is taken down in downtown Cleveland on Sunday.

What did we do before LeBron James got here in 2003? Did we even exist before the Cavaliers became an NBA franchise in 1970?

Were we actually incorporated as a city before the 18-year-old James dribbled a basketball ball up I-77 from Akron and promised to light us up like Las Vegas?

Did we have a history worth mentioning before he performed a "triple double" and turned legions into fawning sports idolaters?

Over the weekend, I turned off my television. I couldn't take any more. I felt as if I had become part of a "Twilight Zone" episode.

First there was all the shameless begging and singing. But then he left, and the groveling was replaced with anger and threats and tears.

The emotionally wounded and latent arsonists quickly came to dominate a dark conversation about James and his alleged treachery, cowardice, even slavery.

It all seemed like a sick joke.

But just when I thought that this spectacle couldn't get any more infantile, Jesse Jackson weighed in over the weekend with perhaps the worst race-baiting sermon he has ever delivered. It came straight from the septic tank.

He reduced James' free-agent defection to Miami, and owner Dan Gilbert's over-the-top reaction, to that of the abomination of slavery. In the recesses of his time-warped mind, Jackson somehow found a way to suggest that Gilbert viewed James as a runaway slave.

Gilbert, in a shockingly immature moment, did call James a coward and a quitter among other things. His inflamed rhetoric allowed James, the very definition of narcissism, the luxury of pretending to take the high road.

But at no point did Gilbert imply that No. 23 was property or a runaway slave. It's Jackson who is stuck on the plantation.

Jesse Jackson is now nothing more than a feeble parody of himself. Neither his message nor his rhetoric has the power to move or even to inflame any but the most reactionary.

Ever since he whispered into an open campaign microphone in 2008 that he wanted to lynch then candidate Barack Obama by cutting off his testicles, Jackson has been completely exposed as nothing more than a horribly abscessed mouth.

He is light-years past the point where he should simply be seen and not heard.

But Jackson is nothing more than a distraction in this ongoing saga. The more interesting story is the free agent status of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and the misplaced loyalties and priorities of sports fans.

As for Z, who is said to be flirting with joining James in Miami, one can only wonder whether Gilbert will label him a "quitter" or a "coward" if he chooses to sign with Miami.

Don't hold your breath.

Ilgauskas, who gave the franchise 13 quality years, is one of the greatest Cavaliers ever. He played for us with broken feet when the team was no threat to anything but the cellar. He loved this town and the Cavalier franchise more than No. 23 did in his most affectionate days.

But now Z is over the hill. That's why Gilbert was willing to trade him midseason to the Washington Wizards in the effort to obtain the services of Antawn Jamison.

And that's why they'll let Z go again with a "thank you for your services" if he choose to go to Miami now.

It's only business.

And that's what we fans must come to understand. We're only extras on the set.

The professional game belongs to the owners, the players and the television networks. So don't take it personally when the "personnel" leave or are traded.

It's not about loyalty. That's only a convenient myth to keep you loyal.

It's only about business.

Get your questions ready and join Terry Pluto today at noon as he talks Cavaliers, Indians and Browns. Hear Terry's thoughts on LeBron's departure and where the Cavs go from here, the Indians at the All-Star break and more.

Terry Pluto tackles your questions live every Tuesday at noon.

Hear Terry's thoughts on LeBron's departure and where the Cavs go from here, the Indians at the All-Star break and more.

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


You can jump in the chat room below to ask your questions or just listen. An mp3 of the chat will be made available shortly after its completion.

The NCAA revealed its format for an expanded March Madness tournament that boosts the number of seeded teams to 68. Is that a good or a bad thing?

View full size

The new format means that the "First Four" seeds -- the lowest seeds in the 68-team draw -- will have to play their way into the next round ... which strikes Starting Blocks as a little silly, since the entire tournament is pretty much the same thing. Basically, the final four seeds will face off to see who gets eliminated in the next round.

Why do it? That's a good question. Some wags say politics. Some say March Madness is the last remaining true "sport" in the United States. And some say, quite simply, "money."

What are your thoughts about the new format? And please, use the comments section to suggest other ideas and opinions.

"CC, just admit you wanted to get paid and wanted to play in a larger market. Yes, you were traded, but you gave us no choice. So while I don't share nearly the same hate for you as LeBron, don't say it was on Cleveland." - jddrummer23

View full sizeAssociated PressThe Indians traded CC Sabathia to Milwaukee in 2008. Sabathia signed with New York that offseason.

In response to the story From a distance, CC Sabathia says Cleveland Indians' demise is 'sad to me': All-Star Game Insider, cleveland.com reader jddrummer23 isn't a fan of CC Sabathia's revisionist history. This reader writes,

"CC, just admit you wanted to get paid and wanted to play in a larger market. Yes, you were traded, but you gave us no choice. So while I don't share nearly the same hate for you as LeBron, don't say it was on Cleveland."

"At some point, we'll all need to move on. But it's going to take some time. The sooner Gilbert takes - and stays on - the high road, the better for him and the team. I appreciate the passion that Gilbert showed after the announcement. As a fan, much of what he said really hit home. I've always been a Cavaliers fan, and Dan Gilbert makes me want to continue to be a Cavs fan." - rva123

View full sizeAmy Sancetta | Associated PressCavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.

In response to the story NBA's David Stern fines Dan Gilbert $100,000 for outburst, criticizes LeBron James' TV 'decision', cleveland.com reader rva123 liked Gilbert's passion but thinks it's time to move on. This reader writes,

"At some point, we'll all need to move on. But it's going to take some time. The sooner Gilbert takes - and stays on - the high road, the better for him and the team. I appreciate the passion that Gilbert showed after the announcement. As a fan, much of what he said really hit home. I've always been a Cavaliers fan, and Dan Gilbert makes me want to continue to be a Cavs fan."

Controversial New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner reportedly is dead at the age of 80.

View full sizeAP FileGeorge Steinbrenner, the free-spending owner of the New York Yankees, reportedly has died at the age of 80.

New York -- The Yankees say owner George Steinbrenner has died. He was 80.

Spokesman Howard Rubenstein said he died Tuesday morning. He had a heart attack, was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and died at about 6:30 a.m, a person close to the owner told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not disclosed those details.

Steinbrenner, who celebrated his birthday July 4, had been in fragile health for several years.

Flags were immediately lowered to half-staff at Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees’ spring training complex. The Yankees say many employees there were in tears.

The death comes two days after the team’s beloved public-address announcer Bob Sheppard died at 99.

Rocky River-born George Steinbrenner, outspoken and free-spending owner of the New York Yankees, is dead at the age of 80.

George Steinbrenner, an aggressive Clevelander with a driving need to dominate and win, tried to buy the Indians in 1972.

The heir to a shipping fortune put together a syndicate that offered $8.5 million for the team to Indians owner Vernon Stouffer, who agreed verbally to the deal.

But before the papers were signed, Stouffer backed out and sold the club to Nick Mileti, whose group bought the club for $9 million.

Like a young man who is spurned by the girl next door and then marries a movie star, Steinbrenner got even for the snub, leap-frogging to New York and purchasing the Yankees for $10 million in 1973. The estimated value of the franchise is now more than $1.6 billion.

As principal owner of the most honored team in sports, he became famous. The Yankees won 11 American League pennants and seven World Series during his hectic stewardship.

Steinbrenner, born on July 4, 1930, died of an apparent heart attack this morning, a little over a week after he turned 80.

Longevity record

He bullied and fired managers and players at will. He made 20 managerial changes in his first 23 years, firing Billy Martin five times.

Steinbrenner, in his consuming passion to win, feuded with league presidents and umpires. He was banished from baseball twice and was convicted of a felony. He angered rival owners by paying outrageous salaries, practically cornering the market on great players.

He became known as The Boss. The New York Times called him "the most controversial figure in sports." He was on the cover of Newsweek Magazine. The Sporting News named him the most powerful man in sports in 2002. He became rich and recognized beyond his wildest dreams.

"I know I'm tough," he once said. "But I try to make it up to people. I don't like to hurt people. Sometimes I just can't help it."

Nice guy George

He had his soft side, too. He sent an $8,000 check to a benefit for ailing former Indians pitcher Mike Garcia, who was suffering from diabetes and kidney failure. "When I was a kid in Cleveland, Mike Garcia gave me many a thrill," he said. "I hate to see great players hurting. We've got guys in the big leagues who couldn't carry Garcia's jock."

Steinbrenner always appreciated the retired greats of the game, hiring people such as former pitchers Whitey Ford and Eddie Lopat to do not much more than stand around and be available for interviews. He kept an aged clubhouse man on the payroll, letting him sit around and spin stories.

Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, the football player who won the Heisman Award with Ohio State in 1955, was on his staff for more than 30 years as a physical training instructor.

Helped DiMaggio

When he found that Joe DiMaggio, one of the greatest Yankees, was driving a Toyota Corolla, he bought him a Cadillac.

He would pick up the tab for his entire Yankee team when they dined and drank at Cleveland's Theatrical Restaurant, the old downtown signature hangout for the sporting crowd.

Steinbrenner was a sociable man who was a regular at the Cleveland's legendary Table 14 at the downtown Pewter Mug, where prominent sportsmen gathered. He was invariably charming in interviews, but made no apologies for his rough-house management style. "Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing," he said.

Responding to a New York Times story in which he was called "arrogant and boorish," Steinbrenner said, "I get mad as hell when my team blows one. I'm obsessed with winning, with discipline. That's what New York is all about, fighting for everything, a cab in the rain, a table in a restaurant."

"There are too many underachievers in this country," he said. "I want my guys to perform to their capabilities. They're getting paid enough."

Staying healthy

Ironically, another time he said, "I will never have a heart attack. I give them."

When the TV camera caught him making a profane outburst during a Yankees loss, he called his mother in Bay Village, as he always did to explain a controversy. "Did you say what I thought you said?" she asked. He apologized and admitted he did.

Steinbrenner was born in Rocky River on July 4, 1930, and grew up in Bay. He was fond of recalling trips to Municipal Stadium to watch the Indians, especially when they played the Yankees.

His father, Henry, owned Kinsman Marine Transit in Lorain, his boats carrying grain and ore on the Great Lakes. He was a stern master who did not spoil his children. Steinbrenner had to sell eggs door-to-door for spending money as a youngster.

The father was a champion hurdler at Culver Military Academy in Indiana in the 1920s. George followed in his footsteps at Culver. If he won two races and lost the third, his father would demand to know why he lost. He also played football at Culver.

Fast man

Steinbrenner continued his athletic career at Williams (Massachusetts) College. He was good enough to once run the hurdles in the Millrose Games, a New York indoor track meet that attracted the nation's best runners. He was also sports editor of the school newspaper and played in the band.

After graduating in 1952 during the Korean War, Steinbrenner had a two-year stint in the Air Force, coordinating athletic programs at Lockbourne Air Base. Following his discharge, he was athletic director and coach at Aquinas High in Columbus for a year.

On May 12, 1956, he married Joan Zieg of Columbus. They eventually had four children, Henry, Jennifer, Jessica and Hal.

He served two more years as a football assistant coach at Northwestern University and Purdue University. Then he returned to Bay Village to work for his father at Kinsman Transit Marine, a business that had been founded by his great-great-great grandfather in 1842.

Rising young man

Steinbrenner was head of the national March of Dimes program and was named outstanding young man of 1960 by the Cleveland Junior Chamber of Commerce. He was active in the U.S. Olympic Committee most of his life.

In 1961, he was the leader of a group that bought the Cleveland Pipers, an industrial-league basketball team that had won a title the previous season. The Pipers joined the newly formed professional National Basketball League and played in Public Hall to tiny crowds.

Steinbrenner showed portents of what was to come when he fired the coach, John McLendon, in February 1962. Feeling he needed a bigger name to attract more interest in the team, he hired Bill Sharman, who had been a star player on the Boston Celtics.

Under Sharman, the Pipers won the National Basketball League championship, but they still drew small crowds. Steinbrenner complained all season about meager newspaper publicity.

Corraled Lucas

Steinbrenner then scored a coup, signing the most sought-after college player in the land, Jerry Lucas of Ohio State. But the Pipers folded before the season began. Lucas then became a huge NBA star.

Later in the 1960s, Steinbrenner and a group of investors bought one-third of the American Ship Building Co. in Lorain. He was named president. The company became immensely successful, with Steinbrenner following his father's advice: "Always work harder, or as hard as anybody who works for you."

He still had the sports itch, buying a piece of Northfield Park with Carl Milstein in 1972. He bought a pacer, Incredible Finale, for $300,000 and it won more than $1 million. After buying the Yankees, he sold his shares in Northfield.

When he bought the Yankees, his father said his son finally made a smart deal. Several Clevelanders, including lawyer Dan McCarthy and businessman Michael Friedman, were partners in the purchase.

Slow start

The Yankees had not been in the playoffs since 1965 when he took over. Steinbrenner's first three Yankee teams did not make the postseason either. Season attendance fell under 1 million in 1972.

Then, taking advantage of the new free agency rule, Steinbrenner signed pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter, a star with Oakland, to a five-year contract for $3.75 million in 1975. In 1977, he picked up slugger Reggie Jackson in a five-year, $3 million pact. Both were astronomical salaries at the time.

In 1976, the Yankees won the pennant, but lost in the World Series. The next two years they won the World Series.

It was an uproarious time. In his first 10 seasons, Steinbrenner changed managers 10 times. Martin quit in 1978, after making critical remarks about Jackson and Steinbrenner. "One's a born liar [Jackson] and the other one [Steinbrenner] is a convicted liar," he said.

Steinbrenner faced a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a $15,000 fine. He pleaded guilty to one count and got off with the fine.

Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspended him from baseball for two years because of the guilty plea. The suspension was lifted after 15 months for good behavior. President Ronald Reagan pardoned him in 1989.

Some of his enemies in the press continued to call him "a convicted felon," a label he hated.

As Steinbrenner continued to pile up managerial fatalities and battle everybody, the legend of the Yankees as "The Bronx Zoo" escalated.

Steinbrenner was called "Kaiser George," "Attila the Hun," and "Colonel Clink" by press and players.

His most complicated relationship was with Martin. He alternated between calling him "a genius" and casting him adrift. He was rumored to be ready to hire him for his sixth term as manager when Martin was killed in a car crash on Christmas Day, 1989.

Steinbrenner bought a burial plot for Martin not far from that of Babe Ruth in Gates of Heaven Cemetery in New York.

When he fired the beloved Yogi Berra as manager after 14 games in 1985, he was called "the most hated man in baseball."

"I hate to blame Yogi, but at this time we need a kick-ass guy, not the fatherly image type," Steinbrenner responded. "I love Yogi. Everybody loves Yogi. But the fans want a winner."

Berra boycotted Yankee Stadium games and reunions for the next 14 years, when he and Steinbrenner finally made up.

In 1993, Kuhn fined Steinbrenner $250,000 for critical comments about American League President Lee MacPhail, who overturned an umpire's ruling on Ken Brett's notorious pine tar homer for Kansas City. Martin had complained that Brett's homer was illegal because he had the pine tar too high on the bat. The umpire agreed, giving the Yankees a 4-3 victory. MacPhail's ruling changed that into a 5-4 defeat for the Yankees.

"He better start house-hunting in Kansas City," Steinbrenner said of MacPhail. "I would not want to be poor Lee living in New York."

Ten years earlier, MacPhail had suspended him for a week for critical remarks about umpires Derryl Cousins and John Shulock.

Kuhn also fined him $5,000 for derisive comments about Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and $50,000 for questioning the integrity of National League umpires in spring training.

There was a method to Steinbrenner's madness. His antics gained so much publicity that the New York Mets, the National League team in town, found themselves playing second fiddle.

He enjoyed the attention. "When you're a ship builder, nobody pays attention to you," he said. "But when you own the Yankees, they do. I love it."

He was a ham actor at heart, making TV commercials in which he performed with shortstop Derek Jeter and manager Joe Torre. He allowed himself to be portrayed by an actor in a recurring role in the TV hit comedy, "Seinfeld." He once hosted a "Saturday Night Live" TV comedy show.

Steinbrenner was always interested in show business, backing several stage plays with his partner, Robert Nederlander. They won a Tony Award for the musical "Applause" in 1970.

After giving outfielder Dave Winfield a 10-year, $23 million contract in 1980, he called him "Mr. May," the opposite of clutch-hitting Jackson ("Mr. October.")

With the Yankees in second place at the All-Star break in 1988, he rapped superstars Winfield, Don Mattingly and Rickey Henderson, saying, "I'm not sure if they have what it takes to win."

Of Mattingly, a first baseman who had won batting and runs-batted-in crowns, Steinbrenner said, "He's the most unproductive .300 hitter in baseball."

He said Winfield was promoting his book every day and thinking too much about himself, rather than the team. Winfield was hitting .346 with 62 RBI.

He criticized Henderson for missing games with a leg injury and then going to the All-Star game. "It seems so stupid when he could have taken time off to rest his legs," the Boss said.

He respected catcher Thurman Munson and wanted to make him the Yankees' first captain since Lou Gehrig in the 1930s. Munson, who just wanted to be one of the boys, declined, saying some of his teammates were making mock salutes when he came into the clubhouse.

Steinbrenner insisted he take the title and the Yankees came from 14 games back to win the 1978 pennant and the World Series.

When Munson was killed in a plane crash the next season, Steinbrenner said, "This is the saddest day of my life. We fought like cats and dogs, but we got along great."

His colt, Bellamy Road, was the 5-2 favorite in the 2005 Run for the Roses, but finished seventh. Steve's Friend was fifth as a 29-1 shot in 1977. Eternal Prince (1985), Diligence (1997), Concerto (1999) and Blue Burner (2002) were his other Derby losers, none coming in better than ninth.

Steinbrenner's horses ran out of the Kinsman Stables, named in honor of his great-great-great-grandfather, whose first Cleveland home after emigrating from Germany was on Kinsman Road.

While most Clevelanders agreed the Indians would have won a World Series or two if Steinbrenner had bought the team in 1972, he was disliked in Lorain after moving the American Ship Building Co. to Tampa.

Steinbrenner closed the shipyard after demanding union employees take either a 25 percent pay cut or give up their health benefits. After the union gave in, Steinbrenner abandoned the yard a few weeks before Christmas.

James Unger, chief union negotiator, said the pullout was a national scandal. "AmShip isn't losing money," he said. "They've got a record backlog of work." He charged that the move was made to avenge a 10-month strike in 1979.

Steinbrenner claimed his company lost more than $30 million in the Lorain yard in the five years before he left. "Nobody feels worse about closing than I do," he said. "It's a part of me." Steinbrenner had already moved to Ocala, Fla., where he had a horse farm.

He celebrated his 60th birthday in 1990 with a lavish party in Ocala. The Tommy Dorsey and Les Elgart bands entertained the 300 guests.

Winfield had sued Steinbrenner for not paying him $300,000 a year for his charitable foundation, as stipulated in the player's contract. Steinbrenner hoped to discredit Winfield through Spira, who had worked for the player.

Steinbrenner charged that Spira turned on him and was trying to extort $110,000. Spira was found guilty and sentenced to 2½ years in prison.

The Steinbrenner ban was lifted in 1993 and he returned to running the Yankees.

Perhaps his most successful era came after he hired Joe Torre to manage in 1996. With Torre at the helm and Steinbrenner supplying an endless list of high-priced players, the Yankees won the World Series four times between 1996 and 2000.

Indians owner Larry Dolan charged that Steinbrenner's uninhibited spending was hurting baseball. "He is forcing other teams to overspend so they can compete," Dolan said.

Baseball owners, by a 29-1 vote, installed a luxury tax on teams that paid excessive salaries. Steinbrenner was the only man to vote against it. He was also against revenue sharing.

Steinbrenner complained. "It's like they're back in a communist nation," he said. He vowed to keep paying high salaries in order to win.

In 2005, he was giving third baseman Alex Rodriguez $26 million a season, shortstop Derek Jeter $19.6 million, pitcher Randy Johnson $16 million, outfielder Gary Sheffield $13 million and outfielder Hideki Matsui $8 million. The Yankees' payroll was $208 million. The Boston Red Sox were next highest at $127 million. The Indians were among the lowest at $42 million.

Most baseball people were expecting Steinbrenner's Yankees to win more championships.

Cleveland sports bloggers continue to discuss LeBron James' departure, look at NBA free agency and break down the Browns' cornerback position.

View full sizeAP Photo | Michael DwyerWhat would winning a title for Cleveland have done for LeBron James' legacy?

Cavaliers

Cleveland Frowns: "When LeBron James turned his back on Northeast Ohio, he turned his back on the rarest of opportunities to set off that kind of celebration with a mere NBA title, and in and for the place where such a celebration would have meant more in a real way than it could have meant anywhere else. For that, we've all lost. Not just Clevelanders, Ohioans or the NBA, but anyone who wants sport to mean more than just athletics, individuals, and schemes." » Read more

Land Loyalty: "I don't think anyone doubts that this new Miami super team will be able to multiple championships over the next few years, but the importance and meaning of those titles can and should be doubted. Specifically LeBron's legacy as a (potential) champion will surely be looked upon differently. He is clearly not aware of the impact presently, but with this decision I believe he longer has a chance to be considered the best to ever play the game." » Read more

WaitingForNextYear tells us what LeBron should have done to announce his move to Miami.

Stepien Rules takes a look at NBA free agency now that LeBron James has made his decision.

'64 and Counting shows us slew of anti-LeBron T-shirts making the rounds.

Browns

Cleveland Reboot: "Some weeks ago I threw out the possibility that Jake Delhomme was already the best Browns' quarterback of the expansion era – despite not having thrown a pass in Cleveland. While that post was more a reflection of the constant turnover and turmoil found at QB over the past decade, a part of me is wondering the exact same thing with Sheldon Brown at cornerback. After all, Brown's main competition would consist of Daylon McCutcheon's durability combined with a flash of Anthony Henry." » Read more

Above all, Cleveland native Steinbrenner left a legacy as a winner, former PD sports writer says.

Welcome to a special edition of Starting Blocks TV, our five-minute video sports show that appears each weekday.

Today's special edition features former Plain Dealer sports writer Bob Dolgan as the guest, and he talks with hosts Bill Lubinger and Chuck Yarborough about the passing of George Steinbrenner. The Cleveland native nearly bought the Indians in the 1970s before heading to New York and turning the Yankees into one of the world's most valuable sports franchises.

Dolgan got to know Steinbrenner during his years as a PD columnst and says he was the only sportswriter in Cleveland who could get a phone call back from Steinbrenner within 24 hours. Indeed, the two old warhorses of the baseball world very nearly rode off into the sunset together, figuratively speaking: Steinbrenner gave one of his last interviews to Dolgan in 2006, which Dolgan called the last big story of his career.

Dolgan remembers when Steinbrenner owned the old Cleveland Pipers basketball team of the industrial league and tried to persuade Ohio State star Jerry Lucas to join the team.

Steinbrenner had fainted at a memorial service for former Browns star Otto Graham in 2003, appeared weak in 2006 at the groundbreaking for the new Yankee Stadium and later became ill while watching his granddaughter in a college play. In recent times, Steinbrenner let sons Hal and Hank run more of the family business.

Click here to read Bob Dolgan's full obituary of Steinbrenner.

George Steinbrenner looks back and ahead in one his last interviews, a 2006 conversation with The Plain Dealer's Bob Dolgan.

George Steinbrenner, also known as "The Boss,'' died Tuesday morning, apparently of a heart attack. One of his last interviews was also one of the last big stories for now-retired Plain Dealer sportswriter Bob Dolgan.

View full sizeAP FileGeorge Steinbrenner, pictured in 2004, gave one of his last interviews to Plain Dealer sportwriter Bob Dolgan.

Some baseball fans are blaming owner Larry Dolan for the Indians' current troubles. Others point to General Manager Mark Shapiro or manager Eric Wedge.

They are wrong. Vernon Stouffer is the chief culprit.Before the 1972 season, Stouffer turned down George Steinbrenner's $8.5 million offer to buy the Indians. Stouffer sold the team to Nick Mileti for a slightly higher price instead.

Steinbrenner, like the young swain who was rejected by the girl next door and married a movie star instead, leapfrogged to New York and bought the Yankees, the most famous franchise in sports history, in 1973.Since then the Yankees, who come to town Monday for a four-game series against the Indians, have won 10 American League pennants and six World Series.

It could have happened here

Steinbrenner -- who once said that winning is the most important thing in life, next to breathing -- restored the Yankees to dominance by acquiring some of the best baseball players in the world, largely through free agency."If we had bought the Indians, we would have tried to do the same things we did in New York," Steinbrenner said by phone from his office in Tampa, Fla.

Steinbrenner, a Rocky River native who turns 76 Tuesday, has been unusually quiet lately. An associate said he has not been interviewed in a year and a half. With the Yankees lagging in second place, the old Steinbrenner would have been making noise, perhaps even firing a manager or two.

"I'm mellowing a lot," he said. "I'm getting old."

"I don't know if he's mellowing," said Cleveland attorney Dan McCarthy, his longtime friend who owns 4.5 to 5 percent of the Yankees. "He yells at me."

Asked if he ever thinks about retiring as principal owner of the Yankees, Steinbrenner replied, "Yes, I do. I think I will, maybe next year. I think the young kids are ready."

Steinbrenner was referring to his son, Harold Steinbrenner, 37, and son-in-law Stephen Swindal, 51, general partners on the Yankees.

"Steve will take over," George Steinbrenner said. "He's running the team right now."There have been some concerns about George Steinbrenner's health ever since 2003, when he fainted at a funeral service for his friend, Otto Graham, the great Browns quarterback.

"It was very emotional," Steinbrenner said. "Otto and I were very close."

Steinbrenner was taken to a hospital as a precautionary measure and was released in about an hour."I took a physical this morning," he said during the interview this week. "I'm doing OK."

Game looks good

Unlike many who are concerned with steroids, soaring salaries and high ticket costs, Steinbrenner is optimistic about baseball.

"I don't think the game has any problems," he said. "Attendance is better than it's ever been. The Yankees sell out nearly every game."

The Yankees, who went over 4 million at the gate for the first time last season, are on pace to do it again. They are averaging 51,048 fans at home and 39,499 on the road, best in baseball in both departments.

It wasn't always that way. When his group bought the Yankees in 1973, he inherited a club that drew 966,328 the previous year. They pulled in only 1.2 million in each of the next two years.

"The first couple of years were terrible," McCarthy said. "We had to pay a radio station to carry our games. We didn't start to draw until we signed Catfish Hunter."

Steinbrenner signed Hunter, a pitcher, to a five-year, $3.75 million contract in 1975. It was one of the early free-agent deals and was an astronomical price at the time. Hunter responded by winning 23 games. Less than two years later, Steinbrenner signed another future Hall of Famer, outfielder Reggie Jackson, paying him $3 million for five years.

Steinbrenner says his biggest thrill came when the Yankees played the Cincinnati Reds in the 1976 World Series."When we bought the team, I promised the fans we would win a pennant within four years," he said. "To stand there on the field with the Yankees playing that great Cincinnati team, and realizing we had done it, was something."

The Yankees were swept by Cincinnati that year but won the Series the next season, beating Los Angeles in six games.

From there on, Steinbrenner became one of the most famous and powerful men in sports."Owning the Yankees is like owning the Mona Lisa," he once said.

Huge profit margin

Steinbrenner had paid $10 million for the Yankees franchise. Now its estimated value is $1 billion.

That dwarfs the money made by Richard Jacobs, a successful Indians owner who bought the club in 1986 for about $35 million and sold it to Larry Dolan for $322 million in 2000.

Jacobs liked baseball, but he was more of a businessman, enamored by the bottom line. He had no trouble cashing in after winning a couple of pennants. Steinbrenner was more driven by the need to win and keep winning.

He made 23 managerial changes in his first 20 years as Yankees boss, firing pal Billy Martin five times. For the past 11 years, Steinbrenner has had Joe Torre in the Yankees pilot's seat.

"He's calm and collected," Steinbrenner said. "He has a good staff, and he's a very popular guy. I like him."

Torre has managed the Yankees to four World Series titles. He has worked for Steinbrenner longer than any other manager.

Steinbrenner always has found time to mix some fun into life. He hosted an episode of the television show "Saturday Night Live," acting in a sketch in which he dreamed he played all of the positions on the Yankees and also managed the team. He made humorous TV commercials with Torre and shortstop Derek Jeter.

"They took only a day to make; it was a lark," said Steinbrenner, who showed some good acting talent. He was portrayed by an actor in a recurring role in the hit TV show "Seinfeld."

"I enjoyed it very much," he said. "They asked me if they could do it. I got to know the cast."

The sportsman

Steinbrenner is still heavily into thoroughbred racing. He has about 100 yearlings, mares and stallions on his farm in Ocala, Fla. So far he has not achieved his goal of winning the Kentucky Derby, despite having sent six horses to the post in Churchill Downs. Bellamy Road, his colt, was the Derby favorite in the 2005 Run for the Roses, but finished seventh.

"He'll be running in the Breeders' Cup this year," Steinbrenner said.

Steinbrenner won't be coming to Jacobs Field to watch the Yankees take on the Indians this week, but he still has four seats in the ballpark.

"My sisters live in Cleveland, and they use them," he said.

He also has four seats at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

The Yankees' main problem this year has been a string of injuries, leading to a 45-33 record, second best in the AL East. "We're going down left and right," Steinbrenner said. "These are not the real Yankees."

Outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield, who are making $13 million and $10.7 million, respectively, have been on the disabled list most of the season.

"They might be back in September," Steinbrenner said, not sounding very hopeful.

Second baseman Robinson Cano recently joined them on the DL.

Third baseman Alex Rodriguez, the American League Most Valuable Player last year, is being booed because the Yankee Stadium fans perceive he is not hitting in the clutch.

"He'll come out of it," Steinbrenner said of baseball's highest-paid player at $26 million. "So much is expected of him. New York is tough, but very rewarding. It's a great city."

Nobody has been rewarded more in New York than Steinbrenner, who could go into the Baseball Hall of Fame someday.