"Lets worry about winning the national championship and not promoting Pryor for the Heisman. If it comes, it comes. Personally, after seeing what it did for Troy Smith's prep against Florida I would prefer he not be in the running." - buckeyedaveinnc

View full sizeAP Photo | Matt YorkTerrelle Pryor is getting some preseason Heisman run, but Buckeyes fans are most interested in winning a national championship.

In response to the story P.M. Ohio State Buckeyes links: Terrelle Pryor won't be part of Big Ten Media Days, cleveland.com reader buckeyedaveinnc thinks the focus for Terrelle Pryor should be on a winning a national title. This reader writes,

"Lets worry about winning the national championship and not promoting Pryor for the Heisman. If it comes, it comes. Personally, after seeing what it did for Troy Smith's prep against Florida I would prefer he not be in the running."

The Baltimore Ravens signed former Pro Bowl quarterback Marc Bulger to either compete for the starting job or become the back-up quarterback to starter Joe Flacco. Former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who has been the Ravens' back-up quarterback for several years now, remains positive despite the competition. Carroll County Times reporter Aaron Wilson writes how Smith has been demoted on...

APTroy Smith

The Baltimore Ravens signed former Pro Bowl quarterback Marc Bulger to either compete for the starting job or become the back-up quarterback to starter Joe Flacco.

Former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith, who has been the Ravens' back-up quarterback for several years now, remains positive despite the competition.

Carroll County Times reporter Aaron Wilson writes how Smith has been demoted on the depth chart and his job security as far as a roster spot has taken a hit.

“I’m proud to have another teammate,” Smith said Wednesday morning during Ravens safety Ed Reed’s youth football camp. “He’s definitely a good guy. I’ve been a fan of his for a while. That side of what’s going on, I can’t control. I’ve said this time and time again: It’s definitely about me being back here. This is where I’ve been for a while getting better and working in our offense.”

If the Ravens don't keep Smith, a Glenville High School graduate, Wilson writes how the Philadelphia Eagles are interested in Smith. Safety Ed Reed supports Smith.

In a radio interview Tuesday, Reed said that Smith was more than capable of leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl title.

“I honestly think at the quarterback position Troy was the guy and is the guy, and he’s more than qualified to lead the team to a championship,” Reed said. “And I think that Marc Bulger is just another guy. He’s just another guy that has been in the league and been around.”

Plain Dealer's Cavs beat writer also updates on the team's pursuit of Matt Barnes and the trade status of Delonte West.

Associated PressMatt Barnes: Coming to the Cavaliers?

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 Mike Peticca. Let's go to the highlights:

• What is the biggest reason the Cavaliers are having trouble landing free agents this offseason? Is it Dan Gilbert's e-mail rant after LeBron James announced he was going to Miami? The Cleveland winters? Vote in the Starting Blocks poll posted now in the blog.

• Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst, today's guest, says that Gilbert's e-mail took some people aback when he sent it, but it shouldn't be an issue for the team long-term. He says Cleveland isn't a destination city for NBA players because of the weather and the fact the team won't contend for a title in the near future. Also, he gives updates on prospects Samardo Samuels and Christian Eyenga.

Starting Blocks TV will return Friday morning with Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi as the guest. Have a question you'd like to ask? Post it in the comments below and we'll pick the best ones for Friday's show.

The Indians have been playing well since the All-Star break. What's changed in the second half and can they keep it up? Paul Hoynes talked Indians baseball in his weekly chat earlier today.

• Who takes Aaron Laffey's spot in the rotation if he needs to go on the DL?

• Will Jason Donald play out the year at second or will we see Jason Kipnis or Cord Phelps before the year is over?

• Who is the odd man out in the outfield when Shin-Soo Choo gets activated?

• Will Jhonny Peralta still be on this team on August 1?

• What is Jess Todd's role going to be in the bullpen?

Click on the play button below to listen or download the MP3 podcast to listen on the go.

The Indians have won their last 17 games in Cleveland against Tampa Bay. Friday night, the playoff-contending Rays begin a three-game series at Progressive Field.

Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer The Indians' Fausto Carmona will go after his 10th win when he faces Tampa Bay on Friday night.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Call today's off day for the Cleveland Indians a reward for coming out of the All-Star break with a six-game winning streak.

Yes, the Indians lost, 6-0, to the Twins on Wednesday in Minnesota, but we'll take 6-1 any time.

Friday night, the Indians begin a three-game series at Progressive Field against an American League playoff contender, the Tampa Bay Rays. Remarkably, the Tribe has won its last 17 home games against Tampa, dating back to 2005. It hasn't mattered if the Indians were good and the Rays bad, or vice versa, but the Tribe has finished on top every time.

Unfortunately, the last Rays win in Cleveland helped cost the Indians a playoff berth. On Sept. 28, 2005, Tampa pitcher Seth McClung beat the Indians and Cliff Lee, 1-0. The victory made Tampa 67-91. The Indians became 92-66 and Lee got his last decision of the season, finishing 18-5. Cleveland's final 93-69 record was two games behind the wild card-winning Boston Red Sox.

MLB.com previews Friday night's Indians-Rays game. Alden Gonzalez writes:

Here's something else that could be playing to the Indians' favor this weekend: In their last 11 home games, the Tribe's pitching staff has posted a 1.76 ERA. And since June 16 -- a span of 13 games and 120 innings -- that pitching staff has allowed just one home run at Progressive Field.

The Rays hope Friday is the beginning of a trend reversal.

"It has to be one of those things where the numbers are way skewed out from where they should be," said Rays starter Jeff Niemann, who will oppose the Indians' Fausto Carmona in the opener. "Hopefully, it's our time to even some things out."

Covered

Plain Dealer Indians coverage includes beat writer Paul Hoynes' game story on Wednesday's loss at Minnesota; his Indians Insider; his Indians Chatter.

Comings and goings

The non-waiver trade deadline is midnight, July 31. MLB FanHouse tracks player movement, real or rumored.

Would Wood go?

Veteran Indians who could be of interest to other teams include starting pitchers Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona, reliever Kerry Wood, third baseman Jhonny Peralta and outfielder Austin Kearns.

Speculation is that the Indians would be less likely to trade Westbrook and Carmona than the others.

Jerry Crasnick writes for ESPN.com about nine accomplished relievers who could be on the move, including Kerry Wood, who is in the second year of a two-year, $20 million contract. Crasnick writes:

The obvious questions are: (1) How much money is Cleveland willing to eat to get a deal done; (2) how much can Wood help a team down the stretch? It's almost certain to be in a setup role, since the contending teams are pretty much set at closer.

Between Wood's injuries and the losing in Cleveland, he's had a hard time settling into a groove. Wood looked dazzling during a three-day stretch in late June, when he struck out six in three innings and notched three straight saves against Cincinnati and Toronto. But that was the exception to the rule. "I think he pitches a little tentatively at times and uses his cutter too much," a scout said. "When he stays with his fastball and curveball, he's still got knockout stuff. I've got to believe they can get him to a club that's in need of some depth."

Go at 'em

The series against Tampa begins a seven-game homestand for the Indians. In his report on Wednesday's Indians' loss to the Twins, Sheldon Ocker of the Akron Beacon Journal writes:

The negative: The opponents will be the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees, who occupy the top two spots in the Eastern Division.

''Hopefully, we learned from the way we played after that other winning streak,'' said Jake Westbrook, who took Wednesday's loss. ''That's how you get better. We have nothing to lose; we're in last place.

''We have a lot of young guys trying to get better. They're hungry to make a name for themselves and establish themselves in the big leagues. I think that's a good attitude to have. And we're playing loose.''

Taking a chance

In major league baseball's long history, many players who began their professional careers as position players found success after becoming pitchers. For instance, the late Bob Lemon, an Indians Hall-of-Famer.

Other players' careers were changed by leaving their mound duties and becoming everyday players. The extreme example would be George Herman "Babe" Ruth, a star pitcher who altered the sport when he went to the outfield and started clouting baseballs over fences more often, much more often, than anyone ever had.

For now, Carlos Moncrief would settle for someday making the major leagues. He's now playing shortstop for the Indians' New York-Penn League Class A team, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Tony Lastoria writes about Moncrief for Indians Prospect Insider:

Moncrief came to realize that pitching was just not in the cards for him and that his best chance to get to the big leagues would have to come from his bat instead of his arm.  He had a powerful fastball that sat 93-95 MPH and touched 96 MPH as well as a promising slider, but his mechanics still needed a lot of work and did not show much progress in developing his fastball command.

After taking some swings in the offseason in the cages and toying with the idea of moving back to the outfield, Moncrief approached the Indians about moving back to the outfield full time.  The Indians were receptive to the idea decided to take a tentative look at him in spring training in the outfield.  After evaluating him they quickly settled on the idea to move him back to the outfield.

Charlie Bernstein, editor of Jagnation.com, gives us his top five coaches that are on the hot seat for the upcoming NFL season. And guess who is No. 1? 1. Eric Mangini, Cleveland Browns- Eric Mangini’s job was spared due in part to a four-game winning streak by the Browns to finish the season. Mangini lucked out when the Cleveland...

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerEric Mangini

Charlie Bernstein, editor of Jagnation.com, gives us his top five coaches that are on the hot seat for the upcoming NFL season. And guess who is No. 1?

1. Eric Mangini, Cleveland Browns- Eric Mangini’s job was spared due in part to a four-game winning streak by the Browns to finish the season. Mangini lucked out when the Cleveland hired former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren to run their football operations, and Holmgren being a former head coach took pity upon Mangini and is giving him one more year to turn a stale franchise around. Mangini is going to have to see his Browns take major steps forward in a very tough division if he’s going to be able to sport his Browns polo shirt on the sidelines in 2011.

Is this true? Is Mangini truly in a must win situation?

Middleburg Heights police are praising Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers. Rogers called 911 last week  as he was driving south on Interstate 71 in Middleburg Heights when he saw an erratic driver.   On Fox8News.com: In his conversation with the dispatcher, Rogers said, "The occupants appear to be either very sleepy or drunk, he's run off the road...

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerCleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers .

Middleburg Heights police are praising Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers. Rogers called 911 last week  as he was driving south on Interstate 71 in Middleburg Heights when he saw an erratic driver.

In his conversation with the dispatcher, Rogers said, "The occupants appear to be either very sleepy or drunk, he's run off the road several times swerving across, they're driving on a flat tire right now."

Rogers stayed on the line with the dispatcher and continued to follow the car, which he described as driving on a blown front tire. When the driver finally pulled over near the exit to Pearl Road, Rogers told the dispatcher that the driver turned off his lights. The back end of the car was sitting partially in the fast lanes of the highway.

According to the story, police arrested the driver, John Nykiel, 20, of Euclid and charged him with driving under the influence and operating an unsafe vehicle.

The police said Rogers' actions saved lives.

A composite of pre-season football polls has two Big Ten teams in the top ten: Ohio State at No. 2 and Iowa at No. 7. Future conference member Nebraska is sixth. Also, Jaamal Berry, Terrelle Pryor vs. Vince Young, and more.

Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer Ohio State's Buckeyes and coach Jim Tressel run on to the field before their 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

(Updated at 2:52 with correct date for season opener)

Cleveland, Ohio -- Ohio State begins its 2010 football season on Thursday night, Sept. 2, against Marshall at Ohio Stadium.

And though the sport's first big Saturday is 72 days away, it's not too early for publications and websites to predict what teams will be the season's best.

Steve Helwagen of Bucknuts.com gathered several polls and came up with a consensus pre-season top 40.

Here's the top 10, with the large number representing the composite point system Helwagen devised:

(First-Place votes; last year’s record in parentheses) 1. Alabama (11 first-place votes; 14-0), 346 points; 2. Ohio State (1 first-place vote; 11-2), 329; 3. Boise State (1 first-place vote; 14-0), 320; 4. Texas (13-1), 276; 5. Florida (13-1), 269; 6. Nebraska (10-4), 253; 7. Iowa (11-2), 238; 8. TCU (12-1), 236; 9. Virginia Tech (10-3), 232; 10. Oregon (10-3), 228

Thad says

Plain Dealer Ohio State beat writer Doug Lesmerises reports men's basketball coach Thad Matta's thoughts on LeBron James in the Buckeyes Men's Basketball Insider.

On the run

Ohio State's running game last season fell short of its lofty standards. Jeff Svoboda of Scout.com looks at the Buckeyes running backs going into this season. Among them is red-shirt freshman Jaamal Berry, of whom Svoboda writes, in part:

Outlook: Berry was a highly touted four-star back coming out of Miami in the class of 2009 and runs with skill and tenacity. Perhaps the most talented back of the group, Berry will get carries in 2010, but just how many will be up to his play in fall camp. Like Hall, Berry is a breakout candidate if everything shakes out right for him.

Coach Comment: “What you’re seeing out of Jaamal Berry right now is the ability to have a little burst and a little juice, but he hasn’t played. He still has to go through a learning curve. You’re seeing the talent but you’re seeing a guy progressing through a learning curve.” – Running backs coach Dick “Doc” Tressel

Pryor and Young

Scroll well down the Big Ten Blog page on ESPN.com to see how Adam Rittenberg thinks Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor's progress might compare to that of former Texas great Vince Young.

Rittenberg writes:

One major connection between Pryor and Young is their performances in the final games of their sophomore seasons, the midpoint of most players' college careers. Both quarterbacks shined in Rose Bowl victories, Young against Michigan on Jan. 1, 2005 and Pryor against Oregon nearly seven months ago.

Tough task

Stewart Mandel writes about the Buckeyes, and a lot more, in his "Mailbag" for Sports Illustrated's SI.com. Comments Mandel:

But mostly, I think we're going to see a lot more competitive conference races. When I look at Ohio State, I see a team, on paper, that's talented and experienced across the board and an obvious national-title contender. But the Buckeyes will also be facing at least two other very good teams (Wisconsin and Iowa) on the road during conference play. They may still win the Big Ten, but I don't see them running away with it.

So-so

Curious about the prospects for that school up north? Pete Fiutak previews Michigan's Wolverines for Scout.com, writing, in part:

There’s a ton of experience returning on both sides of the ball, but is there any talent? Michigan has about 20 players who could be on the list of the team’s ten best players, but none, with the possible exception of guard Stephen Schilling and center David Molk (if healthy), appear to be certain preseason all-stars. There isn’t a sure-thing star of the defense, but there are plenty of decent veterans and promising risers, and there isn’t a sure-thing signature playmaker for the offense (at least until the quarterback situation is settled).

 

 

Bloomberg Business Week reporter Scott Soshnick has a message for Michael Jordan when it comes to LeBron James ---- shut up! Not another word. Not another syllable. Jordan has accomplished too much, on and off the basketball court, to become one of those finger-wagging graybeards who lecture the next generation on how things were done -- on how things...

Jason E. Miczek / Associated PressMichael Jordan

Bloomberg Business Week reporter Scott Soshnick has a message for Michael Jordan when it comes to LeBron James ---- shut up!

Not another word. Not another syllable. Jordan has accomplished too much, on and off the basketball court, to become one of those finger-wagging graybeards who lecture the next generation on how things were done -- on how things were better -- back in the day. The saddest stories in sports all begin the same way: When I played….

Soshnick writes how greats like Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley and Jordan piled on James. And unlike Johnson and Jordan, LeBron didn't have the cast that either of those players had.

James, 25, chose to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, who any basketball analyst worth his clipboard would have to admit, don’t exactly have a stellar supporting cast. Jordan, beginning in his fourth season, had seven-time All-Star Scottie Pippen. Johnson, meantime, had hall-of-fame running mates like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

James had, uh, let’s see, Daniel Gibson, Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao, who have combined to produce one All-Star appearance.

Soshnick writes that all LeBron wants is a teammate that he can count on with the clock ticking down.

“The moral of the story,” Steve Kerr said, “is it’s not easy being LeBron.”

Lelands.com president expected the bat of the all-time hits leader to fetch a bigger price. He believes the tough economy and Rose's controversies -- such as his lifetime ban for betting on baseball -- held down the price.

Associated PressPete Rose is first on the all-time hits list, but he's not in the Hall of Fame because of his lifetime ban for gambling on baseball games.

Cincinnati, Ohio -- The black Mizuno bat that Pete Rose used to get his final hit has been auctioned for $158,776, well below what was expected for the 32 ounces of baseball history.

Rose used the bat for hit No. 4,256 in 1986, the major league record.

Lelands.com auctioned the bat online this month. Seven bids were received.

Lelands.com president Mike Heffner expected the bat to fetch a bigger price. He believes the tough economy and Rose's controversies -- he's got a lifetime ban for betting on baseball -- held down the price.

The record for an auctioned bat is $1.3 million, paid for one that Babe Ruth used to hit his first homer at Yankee Stadium.

Bentley's attorney claims he "nearly died from the staph infection he got" at the Browns' training facility.

Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerLeCharles Bentley meets with reporters in 2008.

Bentley is the second former Browns player to sue the team as a result of a staph infection. Receiver Joe Jurevicius reached a settlement in his suit in June. Terms of the settlement were kept confidential.

Jurevicius also named the Cleveland Clinic as a defendant in his suit. Bentley's suit only involves the Cleveland Browns Football Club and Cleveland Browns Holdings, LLC.

Polk, who also represented Jurevicius, said, "The Browns convinced LeCharles to rehab at their facility. Nothing required him to do it. That wasn't part of his job. They told him their facility was the best and that they had successfully helped others. But they never told him about a host of unsanitary conditions there, and they never told him about the list of others who contracted staph before he chose to rehab there.

"Had the Browns disclosed that stuff to him, had they been straight with him, he would have never agreed to rehab at their training facility. The man nearly died from the staph infection he got there."

Bentley, a Cleveland native and former star at Ohio State, began his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints. He returned to his hometown in 2006 when he left the Saints as a free agent and signed a six-year contract with the Browns worth a reported $36 million. He never played a down for the Browns.

He suffered a torn patella tendon in his left knee on the first team drill of the 2006 training camp. Bentley had surgery the next day at the Cleveland Clinic to reconstruct the tendon.

The suit says Bentley experienced flu-like symptoms and his left knee became swollen on or about Aug. 22, 2006, and he was diagnosed with staph infection shortly thereafter. It claims Bentley contracted the infection "during his post-operative regimen at the Browns' facility."

Bentley underwent "multiple surgeries and other medical procedures . . . and nearly lost his life," the suit says.

Bentley returned to compete at the team's minicamp in June of 2008. He asked for his release after one practice and never played again.

The suit alleges that the Browns "failed to disclose and actively concealed" from Bentley that "sterile techniques were not used at all times at the Browns training facility, (that) therapy devices . . . were not properly maintained, disinfected or cleaned" and that "equipment and surfaces with which multiple individuals, including Browns players, were routinely in contact were not properly maintained, disinfected, or cleaned, if at all."

The suit says that Bentley's surgical wound was routinely changed and cleaned at the Browns' facility.

Besides Bentley and Jurevicius, other Browns players who had bouts with staph infection from 2003 through 2008 included Kellen Winslow, Braylon Edwards, Brian Russell and Ben Taylor. Winslow has said he had two cases of staph.

Bentley, who now co-hosts a talk show on WKNR-AM 850, would not comment on the suit, Polk said.

Neal Gulkis, Browns vice president of media relations, said the team would not comment "at this time."

McCoy has a four-year deal in place for nearly $5 million, about 50 percent more than the average contract for when he was drafted.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain Dealer Colt McCoy at the Browns' rookie minicamp in early May.

(Updated at 6:06 p.m.)

CLEVELAND -- The Browns agreed to terms today on four-year deals for two third-round draft picks, quarterback Colt McCoy and guard Shawn Lauvao, a league source told the Plain Dealer.

McCoy, who like Lauvao is represented by Athletes First, has a deal in place believed to be around $4.96 million, about 50 percent higher than the normal slot for when he was drafted.

McCoy, the 85th overall pick out of Texas, worked as the third- or fourth-team quarterback in organized team activites and minicamp. The pick used to select him was acquired from Oakland for linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.

Lauvao, who will compete for a starting guard job, can make up to $3.22 million and will receive a $697,000 signing bonus. He was drafted out of Arizona State with the 92nd overall pick, acquired through the Jets as part of the Braylon Edwards trade.

Lauvao appeared in 42 games at Arizona State, finishing his career with 33 consecutive starts. He saw action at both guard and tackle, with 17 starts at left guard, 12 at left tackle and four at right tackle.

Tackling the Browns' quarterback ... situation.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz,
The Plain DealerJake Delhomme is either the salvation, the ruination or the infatuation of the Browns for now, depending on whom you ask.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Some pigs are more equal than other pigs, as George Orwell famously taught us in "Animal Farm."

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life," as Flounder learned in "Animal House."

What do these two things have in common besides the word "Animal" in the title? Nothing, on the surface. It's just that Starting Blocks, which is always looking for a reason to quote "Animal House," figured it was a nice pairing to say why the opinion of blogger/Internet analyst Dave Razzano is worth maybe a smidge more than, say, Bill the Bartender at the Drunken Clam (gratuitous "Family Guy" reference thrown in for free).

Razzano is PlaymakerMobile.com analyst and correspondent who has spent 22 years in the NFL as a scout with the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals under NFL coaches including Bill Walsh, George Seifert, Chuck Knox and Dick Vermeil. And has been a part of five Super Bowls with three Super Bowl wins (49ers, 1989, 1990; Rams, 2000).

Hence the Orwell reference.

He also thinks the Browns are going to be a decent, competitive team this year, and even better beyond that.

Hence the "Animal House" reference.

I think the Browns are going to be a solid 8-8 team. They'll be very competitive. Their defense is on the rise. Getting Jake Delhomme will help them. It will help them with the efficiency of their offense. It'll help them in the locker room. I think they'll go toward more of a West Coast offense. Short passing attack. They are a little light at receiver with some young guys just starting to come into their own. They have a young running back with Montario Hardesty, who I think is going to be there bell-cow back this year. They have a really good offensive line, a seasoned quarterback, and I think the running game and short passing game will keep them in games, and I think their defense is going to win some games for them. They don't have a lot of depth in their front three -- they're playing the thirty-four (3-4) -- but their linebackers and DBs? They have some impressive linebackers and corners on that team. I think they're going to play hard, they'll play solid, they'll surprise some people, but at the end of the season I don't think they're going to contend in the division they're in. But they're going to be competitive and play a lot of close games this year.

SB really likes this. Especially the part about playing hard, in a "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" sort of way.

How bad was the Browns quarterback situation last year?

Jake Delhomme is seen as an improvement.

And realize that Delhomme got huge, huge money to come to Cleveland.

It has been this kind of decade for the Browns. At times, you would think that Browns fans would rather the team had just left altogether and never come back.

They apparently have a plan in Cleveland, but nobody is quite sure what that plan is. Mike Holmgren was brought in as team president, and Eric Mangini survived for some reason. Well, the team did end 2009 with a four-game winning streak, but still.

. . . How sad it is for the Browns; the best case scenario is that the the team might be competitive in 2011. That is no way to live."

No, but as we discussed before, it's better than fat, drunk and stupid.

Only time will tell how well all the changes work, but as training camp for the Browns draws near, there is no doubt the most radical shakeup made by team president Mike Holmgren in his first four months on the job was at quarterback.

Nothing else matters if Jake Delhomme in 2010 is no better than he was last season, when he went 4-7 as a starter with Carolina after taking the Panthers to the NFC championship game in 2008. His stat line of eight touchdown passes and 18 interceptions from last season will remain stuck to him like Super Glue until he shakes it off.

. . . Delhomme was clearly the best quarterback in the spring practices and minicamp, yet Mangini baffled reporters at the end of minicamp in June when he said Delhomme had not won the starting job yet. He modified that in an interview on the Dan Patrick Show earlier this week when he said: "It's really Jake's job to lose. ... I couldn't have been happier with him."

Seneca Wallace will get plenty of action in training camp. He will work with the first-team offense -- though not as much as Delhomme -- and practice in Wildcat formations, usually with Josh Cribbs in the same huddle.

Fans hoping for Colt McCoy to catch fire and emerge as the starter will have to be patient. The rookie third-round draft choice from Texas is fourth in the pecking order behind Delhomme, Wallace and Brett Ratliff.

Mangini said he might keep four quarterbacks, but that is unlikely. Mangini might do Ratliff a favor by cutting him early so Ratliff could catch on with another team.

That would have the added benefit of giving McCoy more practice time as the third quarterback.

Which begs only one question: If the primary function of the backup quarterback is to hold the clipboard, what does the fourth-string quarterback hold?

The Indians are 6-1 since the All-Star break. Part of the reason has been the improved performance of a bullpen that was battered and bruised for much of the first half.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIndians reliever Chris Perez, two earned runs in past 13 appearances, leads a resurgent Tribe bullpen.

Take Tuesday's 4-3 victory over the Twins at Target Field. Starter Justin Masterson left with one out, two on and a 3-1 lead in the seventh. Left-hander Rafael Perez, with three lefties and a switch-hitter waiting for him, relieved. Denard Span blooped an RBI single into left field. Then Orlando Hudson sent a slow bouncer through the hole at short to make it 3-3.

Same old Indians pen? No way. Things were just getting interesting.

Joe Mauer, the 2009 AL MVP and three-time AL batting champ, came to the plate. With runners on first and second, and the game waiting to be won, Mauer stunned the sellout crowd of over 40,000 by trying to reach on a bunt hit. Catcher Carlos Santana pounced on the gift and threw him out.

Jason Kubel followed with a grounder to first to end the inning.

Why did Mauer bunt?

"Perez on the mound is nasty," Mauer told Minneapolis reporters after the game. "He throws a cutter the majority of the time. It'll break away from a left-handed hitter and he induces a lot of double plays."

The bullpen was just getting started. After Travis Hafner gave the Tribe a 4-3 lead with an eighth-inning double, Joe Smith pitched a perfect eighth. The second out came on a grounder to short by lefty-swinging Jim Thome, who should have had the edge against Smith, a sidearming righty.

In Monday's 10-4 Indians victory, Thome hit the 575th homer of his career, a 444-foot shot over the right-field bleachers off right-hander Jensen Lewis.

"I figured he'd be trying to go big there," Smith. "That's what he's there for. You try to keep the ball down and away, and hope he rolls over on one. That's what he did."

Chris Perez, once again filling in for injured closer Kerry Wood, pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save.

The stats are improving:

•Rafael Perez has allowed two earned runs in his past 19 1/3 innings. His ERA has dropped from 7.20 to 3.67.

•Smith has not allowed a run in his past 12 appearances, covering eight innings.

•Chris Perez has allowed two earned runs in his past 13 appearances, covering 12 innings.

•Tony Sipp has allowed one run in his past 12 appearances, covering 12 innings.

•Frank Herrmann has allowed two runs in his past nine games, covering 9 1/3 innings.

The bullpen has allowed 15 earned runs in the past 61 2/3 innings for a 2.19 ERA. On July 3, the Tribe's pen had the highest ERA in the AL at 4.85. After Wednesday's 6-0 loss to the Twins, they ranked 12th at 4.47 in the 14-team AL.

"These guys have shown consistency over the last couple of weeks," manager Manny Acta said.

The consistency has defined roles and produced confidence in Acta and pitching coach Tim Belcher when plotting the late innings.

"The way they are right now, I could plan everything two innings ahead," Acta said. "That's how every manager and pitching coaches wants it."

Bullpens are often unpredictable.

The Indians are tied for 14th in the AL in saves, while allowing the second-most walks and third-most hits. Eleven relievers have been tested and that doesn't include Lewis bouncing between Cleveland and Class AAA Columbus three times.

Improvement, however, is being made.

Much of it has to do with the starting rotation pitching more innings. In their past 14 games, the starters have gone at least five innings 13 times. The one time it didn't happen, Aaron Laffey went 41/3 innings.

"It's just a lot easier to manage when you only have to cover three innings a night with the pen," Herrmann said. "You can use guys in roles -- Joe vs. righties, Raffie or Tony against lefties. Guys aren't getting overextended and put in situations where they probably shouldn't be.

"I think Manny is starting to figure out our strengths and weaknesses. He's done a real good job putting us in good spots."

Chris Perez, 9-for-12 in save situations, improved like this late last season. Perez added that first-year bullpen coach Scott Radinsky has helped as well.

"He works with the guys on the side," said Perez. "Sometimes it just takes a couple of months for stuff you're working on to actually show up in the game. He's a big part of that."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

The Cavs had offered Barnes a two-year deal worth $7 million to become the starting small forward, but he takes a two-year offer from the Lakers for $4 million.

View full sizeAPMatt Barnes has decided to sign with the Lakers.

Matt Barnes is choosing a role on a title contender instead of a spot in LeBron James' shoes.

Barnes decided to turn down the Cavaliers' contract offer and instead will sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, he announced on his Twitter page Thursday night.

The Cavs had offered Barnes a two-year deal worth $7 million to become the starting small forward. But he took a two-year offer from the Lakers for $4 million.

Barnes was hoping the Cavs would increase their offer over the past several days. He had a two-year deal worth $9 million fall apart with the Toronto Raptors earlier this week.

Already the highest bidder, the Cavs didn't seem to want to increase their bid.

Barnes averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Orlando Magic last season.

Related story: LeBron James, are you listening? Old-guard NBA stars wanted to beat 'em, not join 'em: Terry Pluto

UPDATED: The Columbus Clippers and Akron Aeros both lose on Thursday, but the Kinston Indians cruise to a win.

Ken Carr, Indians Prospect InsiderDelvi Cid is one of the quickest players in the Indians organization.

Updated at 12:40 a.m.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Bulls 4, Clippers 2 Durham, N.C., got two-run hits in both the sixth and seventh innings Thursday, erasing a 2-0 deficit and taking an International League victory over visiting Columbus to earn a split of their four-game set. Columbus got home runs from Nick Weglarz in the second inning and Wes Hodges in the fourth, but only generated three other hits against Durham starter Heath Phillips (8-6). R.J. Swindle pitched the last 1 1/3 innings to earn the save, allowing only a two-out hit in the ninth.

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, OF Nick Weglarz (.289) was 16-for-40 (.400) with four doubles and three home runs in his last nine games....OF Jordan Brown (.291) was 11-for-46 (.239) in his last 10 games, but had five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI....2B Cord Phelps (.377) was on a 10-game hitting streak, going 16-for-38 (.421)....LHP David Huff is 4-0 with a 3.14 ERA in his five starts after being sent from the Indians to the Clippers....RH reliever Vinnie Pestano (1-1, seven saves, 1.86) hadn't allowed a run in his last eight games, pitching 9 1/3 innings and fanning 10, while allowing three hits and two walks.

AA Akron Aeros

Phillies 4, Aeros 1 Reading, Pa., beat visiting Akron in the opening game of their four-game Eastern League series. The loss snapped the Aeros' seven-game winning streak.

Notes: The Aeros were on a seven-game winning streak going into Thursday night's game....2B Jason Kipnis (.338) had multi-hit games in six of the previous seven games, going 16-for-28 (.571) with four doubles....OF Jerad Head (.296) had an extra-base hit in each of the previous seven games, going 12-for-24 with five doubles and three homers....RHP Shane Lindsay was promoted to Class AAA Columbus and LH Nick Hagadone, Thursday night's starting pitcher, was activated from the disabled list. In 10 relief outings for Akron, Lindsay had an 0.77 ERA in 11 2/3 innings, striking out 18 and allowing just two hits, but walking 12. Hagadone, considered a top prospect, had been on the disabled list since July 5 with left shoulder discomfort. Going into Thursday night's game, Hagadone was 1-0 with a 5.48 ERA in 23 innings pitched over six starts for the Aeros, after going 1-3 with a 2.39 ERA for Kinston. The Indians continue to be cautious with Hagadone, who underwent Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in June, 2008.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Indians 10, Blue Rocks 3 Tyler Sturdevant (1-0) picked up the Carolina League victory in Kinston, N.C., pitching a scoreless two innings of relief against Wilmington, Del. He struck out three.

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, OF Lucas Montero (.269) was batting .378 (14-for-37) with three triples in his last 10 games....OF Donnie Webb (.256) was hitting .324 (11-for-34) in his last 10 games with three doubles and one homer.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 8, Bees 1 RH starter and winner Clayton Cook (5-6, 3.68) held Burlington to one run on four hits in six innings for the host Captains, and RH reliever Antwonie Hubbard (3.12) pitched three scoreless, one-hit innings to earn his second save. OF Delvi Cid (.249) was 3-for-5 with two runs and three stolen bases, taking over the Midwest League lead with 46 swipes.

Notes: Captains 1B Adam Abraham (.220) lined a two-run double and singled, giving him a six-game hitting streak during which he's 10-for-26 (.385) with four doubles, two homers and seven RBI....SS Casey Frawley (.266) had an RBI double, a sacrifice fly and a run scored, making him 13-for-37 (.351) with three doubles, one triple, 10 RBI and nine runs in his last 10 games.... 3B Kyle Smith (.276) drilled a double and RBI single, making him 7-for-15 (.467) in his last four games....C Dwight Childs got his first hit -- he has just 12 at bats -- with the Captains, a two-run single....Cook is 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA in his last eight games, striking out 36 in 44 innings while allowing 11 walks and 35 hits.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Crosscutters 7, Scrappers 2 Mahoning Valley's Carlos Moncrief hit his third homer of the season in the loss at Williamsport, Pa., in New York-Penn League action.

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, LH reliever Nick Kirk (0-0, four saves, 2.77) had struck out 23 while allowing just eight hits and three walks in 13 innings....3B Giovanny Urshela (.250) was hitting .310 (13-for-42) in his last 10 games....1B Jonathan Burnette (.320) was hitting .342 (25-for-73) in July, with two doubles, three triples and two homers....2B Daniel DeGeorge (.247) was batting .310 (9-for-29) with two doubles and two stolen bases in his last 10 games.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers vs. Cruisers, suspended The Cruisers were leading Oakland County, Mich., 2-0, after four innings when umpires called the game because of heavy rain. The Frontier League game in Avon will resume at 5:05 p.m. today and followed by a seven-inning contest to begin 30 minutes after the suspended game.

Notes: Going into Thursday night's game, 3B Andrew Davis was second in the Frontier League in hitting (.346) and sixth in RBI (40). He was 8-for-22 (.364) in his last six games, with one double, two home runs and six RBI....RHP Matthew Smith (7-4, 3.62) was tied for the league lead in wins, and RHP Josh Roberts (5-1, 2.16) led the league in ERA.

Pleasant Prince and Hurricane Ike topped a list of 34 three-year-old thoroughbreds nominated on Thursday for the 76th running of the $100,000 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerRacing fans will be out in force on July 31 at Thistledown for the Ohio Derby.

Hurricane Ike, owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash and trained by John Sadler, captured the Derby Trial at Churchill Downs on April 24.

Pleasant Prince's claim to fame for Kentucky owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey was a second-place finish at this year's Grade I Florida Derby. He was beaten a scant nose by Ice Box, a horse that dazzled the Churchill Downs crowd with a late charge in the Kentucky Derby, finishing second to Super Saver.

Pleasant Prince is scheduled to arrive at Thistledown today and work out Saturday. Filling in for trainer Wesley Ward is Blake Heap, a former Thistledown trainer who will fly in from Del Mar Turf Club in California.

Also on the list is Ohio-bred That's a Heckofacat, the Ohio 2-year-old of the year for owner Barbara Johnson that earned a nomination by winning the $75,000 Cleveland Gold Cup on July 3. Also getting nominations were runners-up Nehru, another member of the Ramsey Farm stable, and Busha'.

Colizeo, Dixie Band and So Elite are additional stakes winners nominated. Colizeo won this year's Northern Dancer Stakes at Churchill; Dixie Band took the Arlington-Washington Futurity in 2009 at Arlington Park; and So Elite won the Charlie Barley Stakes at Woodbine less than three weeks ago.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: degan@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

It's no secret that purists of boxing, the "sweet science," frown on mixed martial arts. But those who follow MMA know the skill that's involved.

View full sizeIsaac Brekken / Associated PressRandy Couture, left, will take on boxer James Toney in a highly anticipated bout on Aug. 28 in Boston.

Jon "Bones" Jones takes on Vladimir Matyushenko in San Diego on Sunday, Aug. 1, in a UFC- sponsored card televised on Versus.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva will defend the belt he has had since 2006 against No. 1 contender Chad Sonnen, at UFC 117.

Ho-hum.

The fight to watch, the fight that will catch the attention of even mainstream media, is on the card of UFC 118, set for Aug. 28 in Boston.

It's not B.J. Penn trying to reclaim the lightweight title Frankie Edgar took from him in April, even though that is the top fight on the card. The fight to watch is James Toney going against former UFC heavyweight titleholder Randy Couture.

That's because the James Toney in question is a former three-division world boxing champion.

It's no secret that purists of boxing, the "sweet science," frown on mixed martial arts. Even on our own website, cleveland.com, one of the first comments on posts of this column usually begins: "Get this stuff off my sports page. It's not a real sport."

View full sizeJeff Chiu / APJames Toney has a record of 72-6-3 with 44 knockouts as a professional boxer, while his MMA record is 0-0-0. Yeah, this will be his first bout.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum is among those detractors. Witness his comments in a Los Angeles Times story setting up the Toney-Couture fight:

"If James hits [Couture first], he's going down. But if it goes to the floor, [Toney is] probably going to lose," Arum said. "If this was a boxing match, I'd be watching it, but this is the cockamamie martial arts, guys rolling around on the floor. It's not even a sport."

Sorry, Bob, but Olympic-style wrestling is a sport, and so is this. You're wrong, and so, with all due respect, is my detractor on cleveland.com. But I get where you're coming from, believe me.

Years and years ago when I was in Houston, I covered a local fighter named Maurice "Termite" Watkins. He was a good-looking kid who was riding the crest of a wave that began to curl when he became one of the youngest national Golden Gloves champions. He grew up to be a good man, too. He spent time in Iraq helping soldiers learn to box, and eventually helping the Iraqis get back to the Olympics. But that's a different story.

Anyway, at this particular fight, I watched a guy on the undercard get knocked out -- knocked out, mind you! -- by a low blow. That, to me, is brutality, and not "sweet science." Thirty years later, I still wince when I think about it.

And then I think about a man with unmatched skills in a ring -- and an interview room -- and seeing him go from being one of the most colorful, articulate people in the world to a man whose brain was so battered by head blows that he can hardly speak. Of course, I mean Muhammad Ali.

I figured MMA and UFC, with its spinning kicks and elbows to the noggin, had to be worse.

Then I watched. Then I learned. Nate Clark, a friend of my son-in-law, is a soldier who has done multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and some other places we in the general public don't really know about. Clark also does amateur MMA fighting outside of Washington, D.C. He and my son-in-law, Jon Martinez, showed me some of the moves and explained them to me.

Eye-opening is an understatement.

Rent some mixed martial arts DVDs and watch them at one-quarter speed. Try to follow the skill and timing it takes to execute a rear naked choke . . . or a guillotine choke . . . or an arm bar.

Look, MMA fighting is dangerous. Chuck Liddell broke Rich Franklin's arm with a kick before Franklin managed to knock out probably the biggest name in the sport. And the gloves they wear are 4-ouncers -- Easter Sunday gloves, I guess -- compared to the 10-ounce padded things pro boxers use.

One MMA insider told me that in the average 10-round boxing match, a fighter will throw more than 200 punches, and most of those are aimed at the head, with an average of more than nine a bout landing with some degree of effectiveness. But MMA, with its mixture of punches and grappling, doesn't so much rely on beating your opponent into unconsciousness.

And in boxing, there's no "tap-out" option. I confess I'm still a little new to MMA, but in the cards that I've watched, from bottom to top, I would guess 75 percent end with submission holds.

Part of that is, of course, the best fighters to watch in MMA are the lighter weights. They don't -- they can't -- rely on knocking someone out. They need the finesse.

For the record, I'm betting Couture, at 47, six years older than Toney, takes him out, and with a submission hold. It won't settle the debate, but there will be one thing going for it:

Toney still will be able to talk in the post-fight news conference.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: cyarborough@plaind.com, 216-999-4534

Competitive cycling is alive and well in Cleveland with a team by the name of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health -- RGF presented by Felt Bicycles that draws talented cyclists of all ages.

View full sizeBob Grimm, Special to The Plain DealerJeremy Grimm, front, says the cycling team he is a member of offers welcome balance between his competitive drive and his desire to spend time with family.

Both are trying to achieve their seemingly disparate aspirations in the untraditional cycling hotbed of Cleveland while competing with a mouthful of a team named Cleveland Clinic Sports Health -- RGF presented by Felt Bicycles.

The elite team has been operating in Cleveland since 2006 as an evolving ambition of team owner Robert "Polo" Fernandez to create one of the elite cycling teams in the country.

"My goal is to have a team based in Cleveland that is invited to participate in the Tour de France someday," Fernandez said.

It's a lofty goal for an area that is a bit low on mountains to prepare for the trials of the Alps, but the idea is that the team aims high. So far this racing season, Cleveland Clinic Sports Health has won 20 of about 45 races; Fernandez's goal before the season began was 40 in the season.

"If you can win one-third of the races we enter, that's pretty impressive," Fernandez said. "I'm extremely happy with that."

The team is broken into segments that compete at different levels and races in a season that begins in April and lasts until September. The Elite Team is made up of six cyclists of various ages -- including Grimm and Leibovitz.

The U-23 team is five members strong, all under the age of 23. Regional and Masters Teams round out the 19-person team that operates under Jeff Braumberger, the team director who is a former pro who cycled at the highest levels.

The team was selected from about 60 applications, and has brought together cyclists like 19-year-old college student Leibovitz and 35-year-old Grimm.

Leibovitz, who is from Indianapolis, has raced for the USA junior national team and hopes to become a pro cyclist. While he's on summer break from Marian University, Leibovitz decided to join the Cleveland Clinic Sports Health team with hopes it could help him improve his skills.

"It looked like a good program and had a bunch of good guys and fully supported," Leibovitz said. "It was just ideal for what I wanted to try to accomplish."

Grimm, meanwhile, was a competitive cyclist from ages 6-12. He discovered baseball and focused on that as a teenager -- until Lyme disease derailed his athletic dreams in his late teens. He recovered and returned to cycling in 2001, finding Fernandez's team a welcome balance between his competitive drive and his desire to spend as much time with his family as possible.

"[Fernandez] had the sponsorship to help me and he knows my values," Grimm said. "He knows with my family that it's hard to travel all the time. With the money he has provided me through sponsorship and the hard work he's done, it's perfect."

Grimm still travels most weekends during the summer, as he did when he placed ninth in the July 10 Meijer Grand Cycling Classic in Grand Rapids, Mich. But the 30-35 sponsors for the team help offset the costs of equipment and travel, and help make Cleveland Clinic Sports Health one of the top teams in the Midwest.

"I treat this like a business," said Fernandez, who also races with the team. "Ultimately the goal is that our sponsors are super happy and our athletes travel together, look professional, act professional, and are committed to a pretty rigorous cycling schedule."

And maybe that schedule might one day include trips to overseas races.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654

LeBron James might win multiple titles in Miami, but when he left Cleveland, he gave up his chance to carve a unique niche in the NBA and join the true greats.

View full sizeJohn Swart / AP file photoNBA legend Michael Jordan on current NBA stars teaming up: "It's an opportunity these kids have today. I was trying to beat those guys." And Magic Johnson said, "From college, I was trying to figure out how to beat Larry Bird."

There was a message that most fans appreciate -- those teams really didn't like each other.

And another message: Losing hurt.

There was a third message when Jordan won his first title and hugged the championship trophy and openly wept: Winning means a lot to me because I did it the hard way.

It took Jordan seven years to win his first championship, and he remained with Chicago through coaching changes, bad trades and an utterly awful roster the first few years of his career. Yes, Jordan wanted help, and was never shy about telling former General Manager Jerry Krause about trades he wanted made or roster moves he didn't like. But Jordan was all-in when it came to winning big in Chicago.

As he said at a celebrity golf event recently, "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.' "

Then Jordan said something interesting: "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."

Some of James' defenders mention how Jordan had Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. Fine. Those guys are like Bosh -- very good players who need a real star to truly glitter. How many playoff series did Grant or Pippen win without Jordan?

How many did Bosh win in Toronto?

Grant went to the Finals twice after leaving Chicago -- both times playing next to Shaquille O'Neal.

Pippen survived the first round only twice in the six seasons he played without Jordan.

Bosh has never been out of the first round.

Charles Barkley said this about James: "He'll never be Jordan. This clearly takes him out of the conversation. He can win as much as he wants to. There would have been something honorable about staying in Cleveland and trying to win it as 'The Man.' . . . LeBron, if he would've stayed in Cleveland -- and if he could've got a championship there -- it would have been over the top for his legacy, just one in Cleveland. No matter how many he wins in Miami, it clearly is Dwyane Wade's team."

You can say that Barkley jumped from Philadelphia to Phoenix to try and win a title. Fine. But he didn't go from the Sixers to the Bulls to play with Jordan -- he was trying to knock off Jordan.

The Lakers and Celtics still don't seem to like each other much -- but those rosters are of older players. While Kobe Bryant threatened to leave the Lakers and demanded the roster be upgraded, he stayed in L.A.

He didn't scheme to play his final years with James or Wade -- he signed an extension with the Lakers. He wants to knock them off to win his sixth title -- tying him with Jordan.

But after Boston and the Lakers, there doesn't seem to be many rivalries.

Some younger fans and players are used to athletes switching teams. What James did makes perfect sense. It's like all the kids joining forces for summer all-star teams. Many of James' supporters were not offended by the ESPN special where James picked Miami. It seemed like just another reality television show.

For James, the battle cry seemed to be, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

It doesn't matter where "they" may be, or who is left behind -- something the older stars and many fans will never quite understand from a player in his prime at age 25.