The South African won his first major golf championship with a dominating seven-stroke victory.

View full sizeAP PhotoSouth Africa's Louis Oosthizen celebrates on the 18th green after winning the British Open Golf Championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Sunday, July 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Hardly anyone knew Louis Oosthuizen, much less how to pronounce his name. Not many will forget the performance he delivered at the home of golf to capture the British Open.

A week after the World Cup ended, South Africa had more reason to celebrate Sunday, this from a most unlikely source. Oosthuizen, a 27-year-old who had only made one cut in his previous eight majors, blew away the field at St. Andrews for a victory that looked as easy as when Tiger Woods first won here a decade ago.

Oosthuizen made only two bogeys over the final 35 holes in a strong wind that swept across the Old Course. He led over the final 48 holes and closed with a 1-under 71 for a seven-shot victory over Lee Westwood of England.

For all the craze about those vuvuzelas, the sweetest sound for Oosthuizen turned out to be the skirl of a bagpipe.

Oosthuizen could not think of a more special venue to capture his first major. He just had no idea it would be this easy.

He never let anyone get within three shots of him in the final round, and he answered that brief challenge from Paul Casey by knocking in a 50-foot eagle putt on the par-4 ninth green to restore his cushion. Casey's hopes ended with a triple bogey into the gorse three holes later, and Oosthuizen spent the final hour soaking up an atmosphere unlike any other in golf.

He finished at 16-under 272 and became the first player since Tony Lema in 1964 to win his first major at St. Andrews.

"Nobody was going to stop him," said Casey, whose adventures in the gorse sent him to a 75 and a tie for third with Rory McIlroy (68) and Henrik Stenson (71). "He didn't miss a shot today. I don't know if he missed one all week. That was four days of tremendous golf. He didn't flinch today."

No, there was only that gap-tooth smile that earned him the nickname "Shrek" from his friends. And there was amazement across his face when he cradled the oldest trophy in golf, a silver claret jug with his name etched alongside Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and the other South African winners — Player, Bobby Locke and Ernie Els, his mentor.

Jhonny Peralta hit an inside-the-park homer and Jeanmar Gomez was superb in his major-league debut as the suddenly sizzling Indians beat Detroit, 7-2, Sunday afternoon.

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerCleveland Indians' Jhonny Peralta slowly gets up scoring at home after hitting an in-the-park three-run homer as Detroit Tigers catcher Gerald Laird watches in the first inning July 18, 2010 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jhonny Peralta hit an inside-the-park homer in the first inning Sunday afternoon.

At that point, the Indians were obligated to win.

Peralta's lethal mix of power and speed backed a terrific major-league debut by right-hander Jeanmar Gomez in the Tribe's 7-2 dismissal of the Tigers at Progressive Field.

The Indians (38-54) are 4-0 since the All-Star break thanks to a series sweep. They won the opener Friday and a day-night doubleheader Saturday.

The last time the Indians were 4-0 post-break was 1995.

Detroit, which had been hot before being forced to sit for several days, slipped to 48-42. It is 16-29 on the road.

Gomez officially was promoted from Class AAA Columbus on Sunday morning to make what Tribe manager Manny Acta insisted would be a spot start, regardless of result. After what Acta and other decision makers saw, it wasn't easy to send him back.   

Gomez (1-0) gave up two unearned runs on five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out four.

The wiry righty showed no sign of nerves and was in control throughout. His fastball settled in the low-90s and featured late action. Gomez commanded the four corners in a performance that left many wondering how he is 6-8 with a 5.70 ERA in 18 starts for the Clippers this season.

Then again, Gomez is only 22.

"We don't expect a 22-year-old to dominate at Triple A,'' Acta said.

Gomez did, indeed, begin the process of returning to Columbus after the game. The Indians are expected to recall reliever Jess Todd from Columbus in time for a series in Minnesota beginning Monday. Gomez had taken infielder Anderson Hernandez's roster spot; Hernandez was designated for assignment.

"Jeanmar understood,'' Acta said. "He had the plane ticket in his hand when I went to talk with him. He relished this opportunity.''

Gomez, who once pitched a perfect game for the Class AA Akron Aeros, became the first Indians starter to win his debut since Scott Lewis on Sept. 10, 2008, at Baltimore. 

Peralta gave Gomez instant breathing room.

With two outs in the first, Peralta blasted lefty Andy Oliver's 0-1 pitch to deep center. Ryan Raburn, subbing for Austin Jackson, tracked it to the wall and leaped. His timing was off, though, and the ball caromed away. Raburn crashed through the Indians' bullpen gate.

By the time left fielder Brennan Boesch retrieved, Peralta was rumbling into third. Tribe third-base coach Steve Smith pinwheeled and Peralta made it easily. Peralta slid, but didn't need to do so. The throw was high.

It was the first inside-the-park homer by an Indian since Grady Sizemore did it on April 27, 2007, against Baltimore. The Indians have hit six inside-the-park homers at Progressive Field; opponents, two.

Third baseman Peralta returned to the lineup after being out Friday and Saturday because of a fever. He had not played since last Sunday in Tampa Bay.

The Indians made it 5-0 in the fourth. Jason Donald had an RBI grounder and Tigers third baseman Don Kelly threw wildly to first on Michael Brantley's grounder, allowing Trevor Crowe to score. Brantley was credited with a single.

The Tribe eventually loaded the bases with two outs. Reliever Eddie Bonine got Austin Kearns to line to third on a full-count pitch.   

Oliver, from Vermilion High School, lasted 3 2/3 innings. He gave up five runs on four hits, walked five and struck out four. He is 0-4 in five major-league starts.

The Indians tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth.

Hector Ambriz pitched the final two innings for the Tribe, whose relievers did not give up a run the entire series.

Peralta had one of four extra-base hits for the Tribe, whose hitters have at least one in 41 consecutive games.

The Indians had not swept a four-game series from Detroit in Cleveland since May 31 to June 3, 1991, at Municipal Stadium.

There was lots of movement on the Indians roster Sunday, and there promises to be more later this week.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerJess Todd has been called up from Class AAA Columbus to work out of the Indians' bullpen.

CLEVELAND -- People were coming and going in the Indians' locker room Sunday and it had nothing to do with the team leaving town for a three-game series in Minneapolis against the Twins following a four-game sweep of Detroit.

Infielder Anderson Hernandez was designated for assignment before the game to make room for right-hander Jeanmar Gomez, who pitched seven innings to beat the Tigers in his big-league debut. After the game, Gomez caught a flight to join Class AAA Columbus in Durham, N.C., while Jess Todd joined the Indians from Columbus to help their surging-but-overtaxed bullpen.

Meanwhile, Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera are headed to Class AA Akron on rehab assignments. They're both scheduled to play for the Aeros tonight and could be activated when the Indians return home to play Tampa Bay on Friday.

Choo is working his way back from a sprained right thumb. He said he's scheduled to play three games at Akron and anticipates then being activated.

"I want to go to Akron," said Choo, who took 50 swings Sunday morning. "I want to make sure my thumb is OK in a game. Practice is different.

"The last time I played was July [2]. I haven't seen a pitcher for almost 20 days. I've taken batting practice, but I want to see pitchers so I'm more comfortable."

Cabrera, recovering from a broken left forearm, could be activated by the end of the week as well.

"I'll play two more games in Akron and see what happens then," Cabrera said. "My arm is the most important thing, and that feels good."

Cabrera is hitting .313 (5-for-16) in five rehab games. Manager Manny Acta said he wanted Cabrera to get in the neighborhood of 30 at-bats during his rehab assignment.

It was the second time this season the Indians have designated Hernandez for assignment. He's hitting .246 (15-for-61) with three doubles and two RBI in 22 games.

"This is baseball," said Hernandez. "Anything can happen. It happened to me today."

The Indians have 10 days to trade, release or get Hernandez through waivers.

"If I clear waivers, I'll go to Triple-A [Columbus]," said Hernandez, who will stay in Cleveland to await his fate.

Mystery spot: During Thursday's workout, Acta said the Indians would need a spot starter for Tuesday's game against the Twins. It turns out they needed the spot starter Sunday.

The spot starter originally was going to be David Huff. The left-hander was undone by a stray tweet that upset some people in the front office, and the start went to Gomez. Lest anyone forget Grady Sizemore's pictures, Huff is the second Indian to run afoul of the social media since the end of last season.

The spot start was needed because of Saturday's day-night doubleheader. Still, why did the Indians suddenly need a starter Sunday instead of Tuesday?

During Sunday's game, WTAM's Tom Hamilton said Justin Masterson, originally scheduled to start Sunday, was pushed back to Tuesday because of a sore left ankle.

"I did it walking like anyone else," Masterson said. "That's why I didn't think it was anything serious, and it's not. I threw my bullpen [session Sunday]. Ran around. Everything is fine."

Masterson said he could have started Sunday, but the Indians were being cautious. By not pitching until Tuesday, he'll have been off eight days between starts. Masterson's most recent start was July 11 against Tampa Bay.

"It's not the first thing I want," Masterson said on getting pushed back. "You want to pitch. Eventually, this year, they're going to limit innings at some point, too."

Walking man: Rookie catcher Carlos Santana has 30 walks in his first 33 big-league games. The 30 walks are the most since Ferris Fain of the Philadelphia A's had 30 walks in his first 33 games in 1947. . . . Matt LaPorta hit his first big-league triple in the seventh inning Sunday. He's hitting .346 (18-for-52) with four doubles, one triple, four homers and 12 RBI over his past 15 games.

Jeanmar Gomez, doing nothing more exceptional than throwing strikes, pitches seven impressive innings as the Indians beat the Tigers, 7-2, to complete a four-game sweep at Progressive Field.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerIndians pitcher Jeanmar Gomez kept it simple during his spot appearance on Sunday, throwing strikes and limiting the Tigers to just two unearned runs over seven innings. Gomez will rejoin Class AAA Columbus on Monday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For once it happened to the other guy.

How many times over the years have the Indians faced a fresh-faced rookie in his big-league debut and acted like they had no idea what to do with the bats they were holding?

Meet Jeanmar Gomez, green as an Iowa cornfield and on a day pass Sunday from Class AAA Columbus to start against the Detroit Tigers. Gomez, doing nothing more exceptional than throwing strikes, pitched seven impressive innings as the Indians beat the Tigers, 7-2, to complete a four-game sweep at Progressive Field. It was the Indians' first four-game sweep of Detroit at home since 1941.

For winning his big-league debut, Gomez got a game ball, a lineup card and a one-way ticket to Durham, N.C., where Columbus opens a four-game series on Monday night.

"We couldn't have scripted it any better," said manager Manny Acta. "This kid was lights out basically for his first time in the big leagues."

And his eyes were wide open. Win, lose or draw, Gomez, 22, knew the only way he was going to stay in the big leagues for more than one day was to throw a perfect game. That's what Acta said at Thursday's workout.

At that time Acta wasn't sure who would make Sunday's spot start. If he'd known for sure it was Gomez, he might have kept his mouth shut. Gomez threw a perfect game last year for Class AA Akron.

"He pretty much knew he was going back down after the game," Acta said. "I went to talk to him before the game and he already had his plane ticket in his hand. I felt that was the best way to do it."

View full sizeJohn Kuntz/ PDTigers center fielder Ryan Raburn crashes through the door of the Indians' bullpen after missing a jumping attempt at a liner from the Indians' Jhonny Peralta during the first inning. Peralta turne the hit into an inside-the-park three-run homer.

Acta sent him out for the seventh inning with a 5-2 lead. Gomez was sitting at 80 pitches, but he'd just given up two unearned runs in the sixth because of an Andy Marte error at first base. The bullpen, however, had worked hard in the series and Acta was trying to buy them one more inning of downtime.

It took Gomez 14 pitches to retire the Tigers in order. He started the inning against veteran Carlos Guillen. The encounter lasted seven pitches at the following velocities: 85 mph, 84, 83, 87, 92, 84, and 91. Guillen grounded out to second on the 91 mph fastball.

Frankly, Gomez hasn't been that hot at Columbus. He's 6-8 with a 5.70 ERA. Catcher Carlos Santana, who has caught Gomez the past two years in the minors, said his two-seam fastball and slider moved much better Sunday than they did in Columbus.

"The kid is only 22," Acta said. "Most 22-year-old pitchers are still in Class A ball. Triple-A is a tough level to pitch at."

After the traditional shaving-cream pie in the face -- thank, you, Jensen Lewis -- and a group interview with reporters, Gomez still hadn't called home to Caracas, Venezuela.

"They were all at my grandmother's house," Gomez said. "She has a TV and they could watch the game."

Besides Gomez throwing 65 percent (60-for-93) of his pitchers for strikes, his relatives were treated to the rare sight of an inside-the-park homer by third baseman Jhonny Peralta. To call Peralta slow is to call Usain Bolt fast, but he made it home with the hit that made Gomez a winner.

Vermilion's Andy Oliver started for Detroit. Jayson Nix doubled high off the left-field wall with one out in the first. Santana walked and Austin Kearns struck out for the second out.

Peralta, who missed the first three games of the series because of a fever, drove a pitch off the center-field wall in front of the Indians bullpen. The ball bounced into left-center field, but Ryan Raburn couldn't give chase because he was stuck on the bullpen door. Left fielder Brennan Boesch was slow to react as Nix and Santana scored and Peralta gained speed.

Before Peralta even reached third, third base coach Steve Smith was waving him home.

"I wasn't expecting that," said a smiling Peralta.

He slid home as the relay throw came in high. It was Peralta's first inside-the-park homer, the Indians' sixth at Progressive Field and 271st in franchise history.

Peralta had to sprint again in the seventh when he scored from first on Matt LaPorta's double.

"We told Jhonny he sweated that fever out of him with all the running he did," Acta said.

Gomez hardly seemed to sweat at all.

The Indians hope getting Reyes back will let them monitor the innings of starters Justin Masterson and Mitch Talbot.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe Indians still consider Anthony Reyes, who is recovering from elbow surgery, a starting pitcher.

Clubhouse confidential: Remember Anthony Reyes? He had reconstructive surgery on his right elbow last year and began his rehab assignment Saturday in Goodyear, Ariz. Manager Manny Acta expects Reyes to be pitching at Class AA Akron soon and to join the Indians in the second half.

The Indians want to monitor the innings of starters Justin Masterson and Mitch Talbot. Reyes, if he has no setbacks, gives them that option.

He has not pitched in a big-league game since May 22, 2009.

"Our plan is to have Anthony up here at some time [in the second half]," Acta said.

Acta said the Indians still consider Reyes a starter.

Victory walk: Saturday, for the second time this season, Fausto Carmona walked six batters but still came away with a victory. (He beat the Tigers in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.) He's the only pitcher in the big leagues this season to win more than one game while issuing six walks, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

The most recent Indians pitcher to win two games in which he walked six or more batters was Rick Sutcliffe in 1982.

Stat of the day: The Indians' four-game sweep of the Tigers gave them two four-game sweeps at home this season. It's the first time they've done that since 2006.

-- Paul Hoynes

Never mind that everyone struggled to pronounce his name. All that mattered was the spelling on the bottom of the claret jug after Oosthuizen's seven-stroke victory.

View full sizeAlastair Grant / Associated PressSouth Africa's Louis Oosthuizen holds his trophy in front of the clubhouse of the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, after a British Open victory that was rarely in doubt on Sunday.

Doug Ferguson / Associated Press

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Louis Oosthuizen walked over the Swilcan Bridge toward a victory that was never in doubt Sunday at St. Andrews, another big moment in sports for South Africa.

This celebration, though, carried a different tune.

The drone of vuvuzelas, all the rage at the World Cup, was replaced by the skirl of bagpipes coming from behind the Royal & Ancient clubhouse. For the 27-year-old South African, the sound could not have been sweeter.

With a performance that rivaled the dominance of Tiger Woods at the home of golf 10 years ago, Oosthuizen led over the final 48 holes and blew away the field by seven shots to capture the British Open.

"To win an Open championship is special," Oosthuizen said. "But to win it at St. Andrews ... it's something you dream about."

The timing could not have been better -- one week after South Africa concluded a wildly popular World Cup, and the day Nelson Mandela celebrated his 92nd birthday.

"It felt a bit special, really," he said. "When I walked down 18, I was thinking about his birthday."

By then, the hard work was done. Oosthuizen (WUHST'-hy-zen) made only two bogeys over the final 35 holes in a strong wind that swept across the Old Course. He closed with a 1-under 71 for a seven-shot victory over Lee Westwood, who was never in the game.

The only challenge came from Paul Casey, who got within three shots after the eighth hole, then drove the green on the par-4 ninth. Oosthuizen answered by hitting driver onto the green and knocking in a 50-foot eagle putt to restore his cushion.

Three holes later, Casey hit into a gorse bush and made triple bogey, while Oosthuizen holed an 18-foot birdie putt.

Oosthuizen spent the final hour soaking up an atmosphere unlike any other in golf with his caddie, Zack Rasego. He finished at 16-under 272 and became the first player since Tony Lema in 1964 to win his first major at St. Andrews.

Just as Lema did when he won, Oosthuizen ordered bottles of champagne for the press.

Never mind that everyone struggled to pronounce his name. All that mattered was the spelling on the bottom of that claret jug. And yes, the engraver used the abbreviated version -- Louis -- not his given name of Lodewicus Theodorus Oosthuizen.

View full sizeAlastair Grant / APTiger Woods finished at 3-under-par for the tournament.

With the fifth victory of his career, Oosthuizen moved to No. 15 in the world. And as a sign of just how global golf has become, it's the second time this decade that the four major championship trophies reside on four continents.

"Nobody was going to stop him," said Casey, whose adventures in the gorse sent him to a 75 and a tie for third with Rory McIlroy (68) and Henrik Stenson (71). "He didn't miss a shot today. I don't know if he missed one all week. That was four days of tremendous golf. He didn't flinch today."

No, there was only that gap-tooth smile that earned him the nickname "Shrek" from his friends. And there was amazement across his face when he cradled the oldest trophy in golf, a silver claret jug with his name etched alongside Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, and the other South African winners -- Gary Player, Bobby Locke and Ernie Els, his mentor.

Without the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation in South Africa, the son of a farmer could not have afforded the travel required to reach the game's highest level.

"It was great to have a South African winning it on Mandela Day," said Dennis Bruyns, the chief executive of the Southern Africa PGA. "And there was a great sense of satisfaction in having a South African caddie with him, too."

It was the fifth major for the Springboks dating to Retief Goosen winning the U.S. Open in 2001, and the first at the British Open since Els won at Muirfield in 2002, a victory that inspired Oosthuizen.

"Shrek is on the move," Goosen said. "I knew he had a lot of talent. He grew up in an area [Mossel Bay] that's very windy, so for him, these conditions are normal. The guy's got one of the best swings on tour. I think he'll be around for many years to come."

Some 45 miles away, Player was returning from a golf outing and listening to every shot on the radio, proud as can be. He saw the potential during a practice round they played at the Masters this year.

Player called Oosthuizen on Sunday morning and gave him a pep talk.

"I told him he's got to realize that lots of people are hitting bad shots," Player said, not knowing how few of those the kid would hit. "And I told him the crowd was naturally going to show a bias. But I reminded him when I played Arnold Palmer in 1961 at the Masters, only my wife and my dog was pulling for me. I told him he's got to get in there and be more determined to win."

View full sizeAlastair Grant / APLee Westwood finished second at 9-under-par, but he never challenged Louis Oosthuizen for the lead.

Oosthuizen was relaxed as he could be, putting his arm around Rasego after hitting off the 18th tee and walking over the Swilcan Bridge, thousands of fans packed into the grandstands, along the road and peering out the shop windows.

"It's a proud moment for us, especially with the Old Man, winning on his birthday," Rosega said. "Winning at St. Andrews, it's unbelievable. He deserves what he's just done."

The 150th anniversary of golf's oldest championship was memorable in so many ways.

It began with Rory McIlroy tying the major championship record with a 63 in some of the calmest conditions at the course. It ended with someone other than Woods hoisting the claret jug in front of the R&A clubhouse.

Woods tapped in on the final hole and removed his cap to salute the gallery, just as he did the last two Opens at St. Andrews. Only this time, the tournament was still two hours from finishing. Woods made two double bogeys on his way to a 72 and tied for 23rd.

It was his seventh tournament of the year without a victory, matching the longest drought of his career.

"I'm not going to win all of them," Woods said after his worst 72-hole finish in a major in six years. "I've lost a lot more than I've won."

No way he was going to win this one. Neither was anyone else.

Oosthuizen might have been nervous, but it didn't show. Charl Schwartzel, his best friend from their junior golf days in South Africa, ran into him on Saturday and said Oosthuizen was showing him comedy videos on his phone.

"This was about an hour before he teed off," Schwartzel said.

If anyone showed nerves, it was Casey. With the warm applause from a British gallery that had not seen one of its own holding a claret jug in 11 years, he hit wedge to 4 feet below the hole at No. 1 to send a message. The birdie putt caught the right lip, however, and it took until the sixth hole before Casey could make a birdie.

He wasn't alone. Of the final 10 players to tee off, only Goosen made a birdie on any of the opening five holes.

Oosthuizen plodded along with pars.

"He's doing all the things he needs to do," said Woods, who has more experience than anyone playing from ahead in a major. "He's being consistent, putting all the pressure on Paul to come get him. He doesn't need to go out there and shoot a low round today."

Oosthuizen went 24 consecutive holes without a bogey until his streak ended on the par-3 eighth hole by missing a 6-foot par putt. That trimmed his lead to three, and Casey hit driver onto the par-4 ninth green.

Whatever momentum he had didn't last long. Oosthuizen also drove the ninth green and holed his 50-foot eagle putt to restore the lead to four shots, same as when he started. And this Open effectively ended three holes later.

Casey drove into the gorse bushes left of the 12th, took a drop back toward the seventh fairway, came up short of the green and wound up making a triple bogey, dropping him eight shots behind.

Oosthuizen spent the final hour with a big grin on his face, although he started out that way, too.

The biggest smile came on the 18th green, with a hug for Rasego, and an embrace with wife Nel-Mare and 7-month-old daughter Jana. It will be years before the child can appreciate the magnitude of this moment.

"I will say, 'That's the day Daddy makes us the proudest,'" his wife said. "And we'll never forget it."

Engle adds to her list of records by becoming the only rider to win the Cleveland Grand Prix 10 times.

View full sizeLynn Ischay / The Plain DealerMargie Engle dominated the show-jumping competition at the Cleveland Grand Prix on Sunday, taking first and second place.

Marge Fernbacher / Special to The Plain Dealer

MORELAND HILLS, Ohio — Margie Engle was doubly good in the show jumping competition on Sunday, taking first- and second-place honors in the $30,000 Cleveland Grand Prix, the feature event of the six-day Chagrin Valley Hunter Jumper Classic.

Only nine entries out of a starting field of 21 horses completed the demanding first-round obstacle course without penalty faults.

Returning to the ring for the tie-breaking jump-off, leadoff rider Debbie Stephens of Palmetto, Fla., set the pace with a faultless ride in 37.76 seconds on Centennial Farm's All Star. Her lead was overtaken by Engle aboard Gladewinds Farm's Indigo, who crossed the wire fault-free in 35.39 seconds, a time that proved unbeatable.

Competing in the eighth spot in the order on her second mount, Hidden Creek's Pamina L, Engle missed the mark by a fraction of a second, finishing in 35.406 for second place. Stephens' time was good for third place, and Chuck Waters of Sparr, Fla., finished fourth on his mount, 747, with a jump-off time of 38.72.

Fifth place went to Lake Erie College graduate Jill Knowles on Lisa Greenspon's Timberly, and sixth went to Page Johnson on Chiron S, owned by Salamander Farm of The Plains, Virginia.

Engle, of Wellington, Florida, was pleased with her mounts.

"I just bought Indigo in Australia in March, and it was very difficult getting him here, but he's been great to ride. I have to contain him a little," she said, "or he tends to get too eager. Pamina is actually the faster of the two."

Engle added to her list of records by becoming the only rider to win the Cleveland Grand Prix 10 times.

Marge Fernbacher is a freelance writer in Willoughby Hills.

Did someone leave town recently? Forget about that, Terry Pluto is trying to focus on a team and players that are still here.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerJayson Nix, top, has been playing well for the Indians, but it's too soon to count on the career .204 hitter becoming a regular starter.

Trying to talk to myself about the Indians . . .

Question: Why are you in such a good mood?

Answer: Because I'm not writing about LeBron James.

You're not going to write about . . .

The Indians.

The Indians?

You know I like baseball. You know I have a soft spot for the Indians, dating back to when my father took me to games in the 1960s. It's the middle of summer, the Indians are 4-0 since the All-Star break. They just swept the Tigers, shut them down with sensational pitching.

Aren't they still in last place?

Details, details. They are playing better, and most of the guys making an impact are young players who will be around for a while.

Come on, you know how it is . . . they'll get good and leave. Everyone leaves, including that guy from Akron . . .

I'm not talking about him! I'm writing about how Carlos Santana has the best swing of any young Tribe hitter since Manny Ramirez. Mr. Line Drive rarely looks fooled. His .274 average is solid, but look at his .432 on-base percentage. Look at the six homers and 18 RBI in 106 at-bats. If you'd never heard of him, you'd swear he's been in the big leagues for five years.

What about the ESPN special where LeBron said . . .

Jason Donald is growing on me. Not sure if he's a regular shortstop, but they have Asdrubal Cabrera coming back soon. Donald is hitting .272, with an decent .742 OPS for a rookie middle infielder. He could be the regular season baseman.

What about Jayson Nix?

That's the spirit. Let's see what he's doing a month from now as he'll be 28 at the end of August. He's a career .204 hitter in the majors, and batted only .224 (.716 OPS) with the White Sox in 255 at-bats last season. He does hit some homers, but I'm not ready to anoint him a regular.

When are the Indians going to trade Jhonny Peralta?

I hope it's soon, for his sake and that of the team. Since Opening Day 2009, Peralta is batting .253 . . . that's .254 last season, .252 this season. In 892 at-bats, he has 18 homers, 125 RBI. His on-base percentage was .316 last season, .314 this season. He's no longer the guy who averaged 22 homers and 80 RBI while hitting .264 (.790 OPS) in 2007-08. He's a .250 hitter with diminishing power and below-average range at third base.

Meaning what?

If the Indians find a team to take Peralta, don't worry about getting much in return. He needs a change of scenery. The Indians need to look at Jared Goedert at third. He has 16 homers in 149 at-bats at Class AAA Columbus. He's hitting .317, with a 1.103 OPS. Combined with his stats at Class AA Akron, this guy is batting .321 with 23 homers and 65 RBI (1.007 OPS) in 308 at-bats. He's 25, it's time to bring him up.

Doesn't he need work defensively?

Yes, Goedert has an alarming 10 errors in 30 games at third for the Clippers. But the Indians know what they have in Peralta. He doesn't have to play every day. DH Travis Hafner is hitting .200 against lefties. He can sit when lefties pitch. Peralta or Goedert can DH, the other can play third. Yes, they can find a way for Goedert to play three to four games a week once they create a roster spot.

Fine, with me, but don't you think LeBron would have . . .

I'm looking forward to Shin-Soo Choo coming back at the end of the month. Put him in the lineup with a healthy Cabrera . . . you have Choo, Matt LaPorta and Santana in the middle of the lineup. I'm hoping Michael Brantley can start to hit, because he has the physical gifts and speed to be a leadoff hitter.

Don't you think the Cavs should have . . .

I'm thinking the bullpen has been great lately. Love that Frank Herrmann . . .

Not Kerry Wood.

Out two weeks for a blister right before the trading deadline, great timing.

Speaking of timing, wasn't what LeBron did . . .

STOP! I'm talkin' Tribe here. This is a LeBron Free Zone, and boy, do we ever need it.

To reach Terry Pluto: terrypluto2003@yahoo.com, 216-999-4674

Jerome Dyson, a 6-4 guard out of UConn, leads the Cavs with 18 points.

AP PhotoDanny Green and the Cavaliers went 3-2 in summer league play.

Jerome Dyson, a 6-4 guard out of UConn, led the Cavs with 18 points. The Cavs' David Monds, a 6-8 forward out of Oklahoma State, scored 14 points and had a game-high 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end.

Christian Eyenga, a 6-4 guard and the Cavs' first-round draft pick in 2009, had 11 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Forward J.J. Hickson, who averaged 19.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in the Cavs' first four Summer League games, did not play.

With the loss, the Cavs finished Summer League play at 3-2. Milwaukee went home at 1-4.

Gammon logged more than 135 television and screen credits, from "The Wild Wild West" and "Gunsmoke" to "Grey's Anatomy" and "Monk," and delivered memorable performances in "Urban Cowboy," "Silverado," "Major League" and "Cold Mountain."

View full sizeRobert Gabriel / Los Angeles TimesActor James Gammon earned a spot in the hearts of Cleveland sports fans with his portrayal of no-nonsense Indians manager Lou Brown in "Major League" in 1989.

Hal Boedeker, The Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla. -- James Gammon, a graduate of Orlando's Boone High School who became one of the top character actors in movies, television and theater, including as crusty Indians manager Lou Brown in "Major League," died Friday in Costa Mesa, Calif. He was 70, and also had a home in Ocala, Fla.

"He had cancer two and a half years ago," his wife, Nancy, said Saturday. "It came back aggressively about a month ago in his adrenal glands and liver, and he was very weak. They couldn't do surgery or chemotherapy. He decided he wanted to come home, and we did hospice."

Gammon started his career by working at Channel 6 in Orlando and acting in local theater. He moved on to California, acted in TV series and made his film debut in "Cool Hand Luke," the 1967 classic starring Paul Newman.

Gammon logged more than 135 television and screen credits, from "The Wild Wild West" and "Gunsmoke" to "Grey's Anatomy" and "Monk." He delivered memorable performances in "Urban Cowboy," "Silverado," "Major League" and "Cold Mountain." He played Don Johnson's father on "Nash Bridges."

"He had this great voice," said actor and friend Tom Bower. "Onstage, he could do King Lear, but on film, he was more often thought of as the gnarly, western guy."

Gammon was a crucial influence on the playwright Sam Shepard.

Gammon acted in Shepard's "Curse of the Starving Class," "A Lie of the Mind," "The Late Henry Moss" and "Simpatico." Gammon was nominated for a Tony for the Broadway revival of Shepard's "Buried Child" and acted in Shepard's film "Don't Come Knocking."

Theater was Gammon's first love, he told the Orlando Sentinel in 1996. "If I could make the money you make in film doing theater, I would take theater," he said. "I've always been a theater person, and you kind of pay to do that. It's a cost to you personally to indulge your art."

His wife said, "He was very proud of his stage work. One time he was referred to as Sam Shepard's muse. He did a lot of plays for Sam and originated a lot of characters."

He also founded his own theater group, the MET, in Los Angeles, in the 1970s. His wife said there will be a memorial service at the MET in August.

Nancy said her husband's favorite films were "Major League," "Cool Hand Luke" (he forged friendships that lasted the rest of his life) and the western "Silverado" (he liked the director Lawrence Kasdan).

Gammon's other survivors include two daughters, Allison Mann of Costa Mesa, and Amy Gammon of West Hollywood, Calif.; two grandsons, Henry James Mann and Hudson Richard Mann; a brother, Phillip Gammon of North Ridge, Calif.; and a sister, Sandra Glaudell of Ocala.

The reason so many sports feats seem unbelievable is because they're all figments of our active, collective imagination.

View full sizeAssociated PressIf the choice came down to playing a game for the Yankees or staying home for some of his mom's strudel, it's well-known ... at least to Norman Chad ... that Lou Gehrig wouldn't hesitate to choose the strudel.

Every once in a while, your grandfather will tell you about some fabulous feat that happened before you were born, often to belittle whatever modern-day achievements some of us are celebrating.

Guess what? Often, they're embellishing the facts or just making stuff up.

Frankly, there are a lot of things -- some of them sports things -- I do not believe. Here now, Couch Slouch's first installment of History That Did Not Happen:

•Cy Young's 511 wins: This is one of sport's most unbreakable records, if it did happen. A pitcher could average 20 wins a season for 25 years -- and still be short of Cy Young's mark!

Young made his big-league debut at age 23, pitching a three-hit shutout; he was Stephen Strasburg before Strasburg, though, in all likelihood, less-hyped. In his second full season in 1892, Young threw 453 innings -- I guess he wasn't on a pitch count -- and allegedly was 36-12.

During a career that spanned from 1890 to 1911, Young pitched for the Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, Boston Americans, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Naps and Boston Rustlers. This is the only set of facts that seem plausible -- that not once, but twice, Cleveland gave up on Cy Young himself.

Anyway, my research shows that Young often was credited with two victories on the same day -- and they weren't even playing doubleheaders! Uh, 511? Balderdash.

•Lou Gehrig's streak of playing 2,130 consecutive games: OK, let's debunk the first myth -- that Gehrig replaced a slumping Wally Pipp for the Yankees on June 2, 1925. In actuality, Gehrig arrived at the ballpark two hours early and hid Pipp's glove, cleats and jockstrap, forcing manager Miller Huggins to insert the 21-year-old into the lineup.

View full sizeAPHave you ever seen any tape of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game? Norman Chad rests his case.

Then we're told "The Iron Horse" did not miss a game between 1925 and 1939. We're supposed to believe he played through countless injuries? They didn't even have pain relievers back then -- sure, you could get aspirin via mail order out of Peking, but it took 90 days to ship on a slow boat from China.

Plus, my Uncle Nathan was at a Yankees-Indians game at Municipal Stadium in 1932, and Gehrig wasn't even there -- he took a "personal day" because his mother had cooked strudel.

•Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game: No TV. No radio. No fans. You know how, like, 150,000 people claim to have been at the Polo Grounds for Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951? Well, nobody claims to have witnessed Wilt's feat.

It was March 2, 1962, and the Philadelphia Warriors beat the New York Knicks, 169-147. According to the box score, Wilt made 36 of 63 field-goal attempts and 28 of 32 free throw-attempts. What, he went to bed as Warren Beatty and woke up as Rick Barry?

The game supposedly was held in Hershey, Pa., which, to this day, does not have a regulation-size basketball court anywhere within city limits. Not to mention Wilt was playing the Knicks, which, even back then, had no front office and no defense.

•Bob Beamon's 29-foot, 2 1/2-inch long jump: Sure, it was on TV, but it's like Neil Armstrong's moon walk, which we now know was some Hollywood-generated sham.

The jump occurred during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and here are the stunning numbers: He broke the world record by nearly 2 feet, and Beamon never reached 27 feet again. It is a statistical improbability that anyone can exceed his average performance that much on a given day; it would be like Keanu Reeves walking onto a movie set and turning into Russell Crowe.

Do your own at-home test. Go outside and see how far you can long jump. Maybe 8 feet. And this joker went 29 feet? Please. I'm guessing they simply measured it wrong.

•David slays Goliath: Fable has it that Goliath, in full armor, met with David, wearing an oxford and khakis. David struck Goliath's head with a stone from a sling, then cut off Goliath's head and took it back to Jerusalem to sell at a weekend swap meet.

Great, great story, the stuff of legends, except David not only didn't own a slingshot, his parents wouldn't let him go beyond their driveway unaccompanied.

By the way, Goliath, unofficially, was 9 feet tall -- he dated Gheorghe Muresan's great-great-great-great-great-great-great aunt -- and David was 5-6 1/2 in Birkenstocks.

Norman Chad is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.

On July 19, 1910 ... 100 years ago today ... Cy Young won his 500th game, an unfathomable mark by any standard. Young's career is well-known, but the stories and connections to Ohio of the other players in the game are well worth noting.

View full sizeAssociated PressCy Young's 511 victories are a major-league record that most likely will never be broken.

It took 11 innings in the nation's capital for the Ohio-born Young to earn the win, one that came at the tail end of a career that would close with 511 victories. While Young would be remembered forever as the standard bearer at his position, the names of most of the other players who played that day would fade. The stories behind who they were, and their many ties to the state of Ohio, remain footnotes at best. And surprisingly, it was many of the Senators who had connections to Ohio.

Of the players in that game -- the second of a doubleheader split -- two would wind up in the Hall of Fame. Two attended college in the Buckeye State. One took his antics to vaudeville. Two died young. Another pulled an amazing stunt, then went into broadcasting with a young Harry Caray.

And the man who would finish No. 2 all-time in wins, Walter Johnson, was on the bench.

The season would be christened April 14 when William Howard Taft became the first president to throw a ceremonial first pitch at a major-league game. From the stands, the Ohio-born Taft tossed the ball to Johnson, and eventually signed it for him.

Neither team was ever a threat to win the pennant. When that Tuesday in July rolled around, 6,000 fans showed up, enjoying temperatures in the mid-70s.

When he took the mound that day, Denton True Young was 43. He was a native, raised in, played in and died in Ohio. Born just two years after the Civil War on March 29, 1867, in Gilmore, Young's career would span 22 seasons after breaking in with the Cleveland Spiders in 1890.

He had a 2-1 lead in the ninth, but Washington tied it. Cleveland won the 11-inning game in about two hours, with Young going the distance for the 5-2 win.

In a grand understatement the following day, the Washington Times wrote "Young's record is good for years," a mark "that the present generation will probably never see overthrown."

"I just keep good care of myself in season and out of season," said Young, whom the paper called a "wonder of wonder and marvel of marvels."

The players that day constituted their own collection of marvels, for famous and other reasons.

Of the 23 players in the game, at least seven attended college, a remarkable ratio then. Two Senators -- right fielder Doc Gessler and pitcher Doc Reisling were just that -- doctors. Gessler had gone to Ohio University before moving to Johns Hopkins University, and the Martins Ferry-born Riesling, a dentist, attended Ohio University and Ohio State.

Clyde Milan, who played all of his 16 years with Washington, was a speedy center fielder who amassed 2,100 hits. He scored both of the Senators' runs in the game. A brother, Frank, acted on stage and in television for several decades, performing in "The Petrified Forest" and "Brigadoon," among others.

While Young was at the end of his career, the Senators' John Henry was beginning his. Henry's coach at Amherst College in Massachusetts was paid $600 for him; Henry reportedly got nothing. He made his major-league debut 11 days before Young set his milestone. The following year Henry would set his own mark: Four passed balls in an American League game.

Bob Unglaub would finish his career with the Senators at the end of the 1910 season. He would become the first of anyone in the game to die, crushed while working on trains in 1916. Railroad work ran in the family. Thirty-five years earlier, Unglaub's father, a railroad engineer, was operating a train between Washington, D.C., and Fremont, Ohio, when he spotted an oncoming train. They crashed, but he was lauded for his quick efforts. One of the lives he saved was President Rutherford B. Hayes, a day after the Ohio native left office.

Both managers hailed from Youngstown. Washington's Jimmy McAleer, who had helped establish the American League, spent most of his career playing for professional teams in Cleveland.

Like so many managers who would come after him, Deacon McGuire had been a catcher in his playing days -- which spanned 26 seasons. Early on, he shared catching duties in Toledo with Moses "Fleetwood" Walker, the last black player to play in the major leagues before Jackie Robinson. (Toledo played in the American Association, which was considered a "major league.") In 1910, McGuire actually played a game, at age 46. (He went 1-for-3).

A manager playing at 46 was far from the oddest achievement for players at Young's 500th win. Two years earlier, Washington's Gabby Street caught a ball tossed from the top of the Washington Monument -- more than 500 feet and more than 300 pounds of energy. He wasn't hurt. But while catching Johnson five days later, he broke a finger on a foul tip. Street eventually teamed in the broadcast booth at the beginning of Caray's career in the 1940s.

If Street's life were colorful, Germany Schaefer's was a kaleidoscope. The 5-9 infielder, who called himself "Liberty" when World War I began, is said to have inspired a rule change as a result of his "stealing" first base from second. His on-field horsing around led the way for other diamond clowns -- as well as his own vaudeville act that reportedly may have inspired a couple of musicals, including "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. Schaefer was good enough, though, to last 15 seasons before he died of a hemorrhage in 1919.

The Senators' Kid Elberfeld had an opposite personality. Elberfeld, yet another Ohioan -- born in Pomeroy on the Ohio River -- was nicknamed "The Tabasco Kid" for his temper. His leaning-in, at-the-plate stance led to him being plunked 165 times, 14th on the all-time list.

A final, tragic footnote: Fred Perrine, who umpired the game, suffered "sunstroke" at a game that several reports say took place in Cleveland. He was committed to a hospital for the insane, and reportedly killed himself a few years later.

While Young would dazzle hitters from the mound, Nap Lajoie would be the team's offensive force, leading the league with a .384 average while pounding 227 hits. Both were selected for the Hall of Fame in 1937.

Their teammate Jack Graney did not make the Hall of Fame, but the Ontario-born outfielder is in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He also went on to hold at least one distinction: He was the first batter to face a young pitcher named Babe Ruth.

For the rest of the season, the Naps (fifth place) and Washington (seventh) would make no run at Philadelphia, both finishing more than 30 games back.

Young retired after the 1911 campaign. He died Nov. 4, 1955, in Newcomerstown, Tuscarawas County, and is buried in Peoli. The award named after him, honoring the best at the position he mastered, was first awarded in 1956.

Research for this story came from newspaper accounts, Society for American Baseball Research, Shirley Povich's "The Washington Senators," baseball-reference.com, "Total Baseball" and others.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mbona@plaind.com, 216-999-5012

Vote on where to play a Big Ten football championship game.

View full sizeAP FileCould Terrelle Pryor cap his senior year in 2011 by playing in a Big Ten title game at Cleveland Browns Stadiuim?

But it does seem likely, and when it does, there are several contenders for just where that game will be played, all neatly laid out by Lesmireses. The easy and obvious choices involved domed stadiums, like Indianapolis and Detroit.

Still, several folks, including Greater Cleveland Sports Commission boss David Gilbert, think the Big Ten is a Midwest league, where football is played outdoors and in all kinds of weather. That's one reason why Gilbert is pushing Cleveland Browns Stadium as the Big Ten title game site.

It's an intriguing idea, for sure. And given that no Big Ten team plays its regular season games in a domed/climate-controlled stadium, maybe it IS the best option. But what do you think? Be sure to use the comments section below to explain your reasoning ... or maybe offer other alternatives.

"There is a 99.9% chance he will get dealt. Guys who throw that hard with experience are not abundant. Assuming he's not Adam Miller, his blister will heal and someone will value him as a late inning set up guy." - tribefever32

View full sizeAl Behrman | Associated PressIndians closer Kerry Wood is back on the disabled list.

In response to the story Blister on finger puts Cleveland closer Kerry Wood on the DL: Indians Insider, cleveland.com reader tribefever32 is almost certain the Tribe's closer will be dealt, even with his latest injury. This reader writes,

"There is a 99.9% chance he will get dealt. Guys who throw that hard with experience are not abundant. Assuming he's not Adam Miller, his blister will heal and someone will value him as a late inning set up guy."

Ohio State beat writer says league shouldn't just settle for indoor stadiums in Detroit and Indianapolis.

Plain Dealer fileCleveland Browns Stadium is one of several venues that will bid for the Big Ten Championship football game in 2011.

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Bill Lubinger. Let's go to the highlights:

• Now that the Big Ten Conference has announced it will have a championship game in 2011, where should it be played? Cast your vote in the Starting Blocks poll posted now in the blog.

• Plain Dealer Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises, today's guest, wrote a story Sunday detailing what options the Big Ten has as venues for the title game. He says on today's show that he hopes the Big Ten doesn't just take the easy way out and put the game at indoor venues like Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and Ford Field in Detroit. He says Big Ten football should cultivate its image as a rough, bad-weather conference by taking the game to outdoor venues like Cleveland Browns Stadium and even Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Doug also talks about the development of Terrelle Pryor and how last year's Rose Bowl win over Oregon has helped boost his image - and the Buckeyes' image as a team - heading into the 2010 season.

Starting Blocks TV will return Tuesday morning.

"On what basis do you repeat, year after year, that this will be the year the Browns stop the run? Given the track record, and given Mangini's soft 3-4, why jump the gun yet again? Let's wait and see what we have here - and if history under Mangini is in fact our best indicator of future success, I'll believe it when I see it." - randyosu

View full sizeThe Plain DealerThe Browns run defense has not exactly been stout since their return in 1999.

In response to the story Terry Pluto's Talkin' . . . about the Cleveland Browns defense, Mel Turpin, and kids' reaction to LeBron James' departure, cleveland.com reader randyosu will take a wait-and-see approach on the Browns' run defense. This reader writes,

"On what basis do you repeat, year after year, that this will be the year the Browns stop the run? Given the track record, and given Mangini's soft 3-4, why jump the gun yet again? Let's wait and see what we have here - and if history under Mangini is in fact our best indicator of future success, I'll believe it when I see it."

"My question is, after all we have 'witnessed' in the last few months, how can anyone with a right mind continue to support the NBA, whether it be the Cavs or any other team? Where is the logic there? You have been bamboozled, hoodwinked and duped by this league yet continue to embrace it."

View full sizeAP Photo | J.Pat CarterThe teaming up of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James has soured some fans on the NBA in general.

In response to the story Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott reminds players that LeBron James wasn't a one-man show: Terry Pluto, cleveland.com reader killybay can't support the NBA anymore. This reader writes,

"My question is, after all we have 'witnessed' in the last few months, how can anyone with a right mind continue to support the NBA, whether it be the Cavs or any other team? Where is the logic there? You have been bamboozled, hoodwinked and duped by this league yet continue to embrace it."

"If they want a dome, it will be Indy. They have already proven they can handle the Final Four and Super Bowl. If they want an outdoor game, it will be Chicago. They can offer everything Cleveland does and more. In my opinion, the only way Cleveland has a shot is if they rotate the site from year to year." - cbi

View full sizecleveland.comSome fans find it's hard to see Cleveland beating out other Midwestern cities for the Big Ten championship game.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns Stadium one of big five competing for Big Ten title game, cleveland.com reader cbi can't see Cleveland landing the Big Ten championship game. This reader writes,

"If they want a dome, it will be Indy. They have already proven they can handle the Final Four and Super Bowl. If they want an outdoor game, it will be Chicago. They can offer everything Cleveland does and more. In my opinion, the only way Cleveland has a shot is if they rotate the site from year to year."

Dwyane Wade is apologizing for using the words "World Trade" while answering a question about the upcoming Miami Heat season.

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade controls the ball during the Summer Groove All-Star Basketball game Sunday, July 18, 2010 in Miami. (AP Photo/Miami Herald, Andrew Uloza)

"We're going to be wearing a bullseye. But that's what you play for," Wade said. "We enjoy the bullseye. Plus, there's going to be times when we lose 2-3 games in a row, and it seems like the world has crashed down. You all are going to make it seem like the World Trade is coming down again, but it's not going to be nothing but a couple basketball games.

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,'" Jordan said after playing in a charity golf tournament this pasat weekend.

Michael Jordan, left, majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats and general manager Rod Higgins watch an NBA summer league basketball game between the Bobcats and the Orlando Magic in Orlando, Fla., Friday, July 9, 2010.(AP Photo/John Raoux)

But what does Jordan think about LeBron leaving Cleveland to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami?

"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry [Bird], called up Magic [Johnson] and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,'" Jordan said after playing in a charity golf tournament this pasat weekend. "But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."

You can watch the interview below and post your comments.