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When it comes to leather, it's glove at first sight: Cleveland Indians 2012 preview

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Are big-league ballplayers really that crazy about their gloves? You better believe it.

hannahan-portrait-glove-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeYou may have a baseball glove in your closet that looks better than this, but Jack Hannahan won't go near the hot corner without his game glove, which is starting its 11th season as a professional. The glove, not the player. "I'm the type of guy that once I get a glove, and I get comfortable, I don't like to stray from it," Hannahan says.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When it comes to baseball players and their gloves, it's a pecking order of leather. They always have one eye on the present and one on the future. The in-between isn't forgotten, either.

The order usually goes like this -- gamer, backup glove and future gamer. For someone who plays more than one position, the order and number of gloves can become as numerous as the stars above.

The Indians' Jack Hannahan, who led American League third basemen in fielding percentage last year, has had his gamer since 2002. It's a 12-inch black Rawlings Pro MP5 model. The only time he uses it is to play games. No catch, no long toss, no infield practice. When the Indians travel, he packs it himself. He puts it in his equipment bag, places a ball in the pocket and encases it with his other gloves.

"I want to give it an easy ride," he said.

Hannahan said the glove is too old to risk in anything but a game. Marty Bokovitz, the Indians' assistant clubhouse and equipment manager, has helped Hannahan re-lace and patch it.

"Marty has been helping me get her back in shape," said Hannahan. "It's always good to have a guy who knows what he's doing with gloves. It could break in the middle of the game, and you've got to get them fixed up quick."

Hannahan has tongue depressors pushed up and into the fingers of the glove to keep them stiff.

"I push 'em up with needle-nose pliers," said Hannahan. "Break 'em off so you can't feel them. I do it just in case I get a ground ball that hits up on the fingers so it doesn't bend back. It stiffens the glove up a lot."

What would happen if the glove broke during the game?

"I'd have to bite the bullet," said Hannahan. "She wouldn't be too happy with me. I'd just have to go borrow someone else's glove until they got it fixed."

Hannahan's glove is his money maker. If he could hit as well as he fields, he wouldn't have spent most of his career in the minors. So proper glove etiquette is critical. It starts with the breaking-in period. He molds a glove by playing catch and rubbing mink oil into it.

"You try to make it yours," said Hannahan. "I'm the type of guy that once I get a glove, and I get comfortable, I don't like to stray from it."

alomar-glove-00-jk.jpgView full sizeWas Sandy Alomar always thinking about taking care of his glove during his big-league career? Maybe not to this extent, but he made sure to take good care of his leather.

He'll take it medium well, thank you

Bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. was a big-league catcher for 20 years. He spent 11 in Cleveland, going to six All-Star Games and two World Series, and winning the Gold Glove in 1990. He believes steam cooking is the best way to prepare a glove for the season.

In every big-league training room there's a Hydrocollator. It's used to heat the hot packs that trainers put on player's sore shoulders, elbows and knees. Alomar tested the machine's versatility.

"The Hydrocollator has a grill on it," said Alomar. "I'd open the top of it, put my glove on the grill upside down and put a towel over it."

Then he'd close the machine and hit the on button.

"The moisture goes inside the glove and softens it up," said Alomar. "It didn't make it heavy, just softened it up. Then I'd beat it up with a bat and go catch bullpens and balls off the pitching machine with it.

"I liked to break in a glove on the first day of camp. That's the glove I'd use in the bullpens, in the games and throughout the season. The one that I had from the prior year, I'd use as my backup."

Alomar used a Rawlings glove when he played.

"They were the toughest ones to break in," he said. "They come hard. But once you break it in, it's one of the best."

Hygienic? Maybe not

Casey Kotchman spent spring training breaking in a new first baseman's glove. His last gamer was put to rest.

"It just wore out," said Kotchman, who has led AL first basemen in fielding percentage for the past four years. "The thing was like a pancake. It got all flimsy. It probably had some viruses in it."

Kotchman said it lasted a couple of years. To break in his new glove, Kotchman caught balls off the pitching machine.

"I did that for increased velocity," said Kotchman. "I try to stand as close to the machine as possible without getting killed. I don't use too many conditioners. I just take a couple of softballs and a baseball and put it inside the glove and tie it with a sanitary sock."

Treat it well, and it treats you well

Dan Wheeler has spent nine years in the big leagues, pitching in 577 games, all but nine as a reliever. In all that time, he's used the same 12-inch Mizuno glove.

"I never let it out of my sight," said Wheeler.

Wheeler had it re-laced last year when he pitched for Boston. It was Wheeler's way of saying thank you.

"It didn't need it, but I treat it nice so it treats me good," he said.

When Wheeler breaks in a glove, he plays catch and then pounds the pocket with a mallet. Other players use a homemade device that looks like a war club -- a baseball taped to the sawed-off handle of a bat. Wheeler says the mallet helps him get a deep pocket in his glove so he can manipulate the ball before throwing a pitch.

Like Hannahan, Wheeler uses his best glove only in games. He uses a Mizuno leather conditioning oil on it a couple of times a year to keep it soft and supple.

A little nighttime cuddling?

The Science Channel shows the making of a glove



Mike Sarbaugh, the manager at the Tribe's Class AAA team in Columbus and a former infielder, used an old-school approach to break in his glove.

"I always like to put a ball in there and wrap a sanitary sock around it," said Sarbaugh. "Sometimes I'd put it under the mattress and sleep on it. I think the gloves now are a little different. They're a little closer to being [game] ready.

"Back in the day, we used Leeds foot oil [an oil used for sore feet]. You have to work the glove the way you want it. You pick up certain gloves and some feel good and some don't."

Not too soft, not too hard

Lou Marson went through two or three Wilson catcher's gloves last year. He would wear out the leather laces at the bottom of the pocket on the inside of the glove. This year Wilson replaced the laces for him with a leather patch.

"We'll see if it lasts longer," said Marson.

Marson uses Lexol, a conditioner for leather car seats, on his gloves.

"Some guys put it in water, but I think it makes it too heavy," said Marson. "I put Lexol all over it and just play catch with it. I don't like to break in the hinge (lower corner of the glove that lets you open and close it) too much because it makes it hard for me to make a good clean transfer."

Marson threw out 33.3 percent (24-for-72) of the players who tried to steal against him last year.

"I try to break it in up in the pocket by squeezing it more," said Marson. " You don't want it to be a taco shell because the ball moves around a lot."

A close relationship

Steve Smith, entering his third year as the Indians infield coach, says the relationship between a player and his glove is all about comfort.

"There have been guys who have used the same glove their whole career," said Smith, who has coached Gold Glove winners Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Jimmy Rollins. "All you have to do is keep tightening the laces. ... When something fits good, you're going to keep it.

"You wouldn't throw out your best T-shirt. It just fits you right. A glove is what you make your money on. ... Guys worry about their bats, but a glove is even more important. If it doesn't feel comfortable on you, you're not going to be comfortable playing."

A player's comfort level with his glove is determined by one thing -- his ability to catch and hang on to the ball. Hannahan understands that.

"I make a living with a glove," he said. "It's the reason why I got called up to the big leagues and the reason I've stayed in the big leagues. ... To get a glove that when you catch the ball, you know it's going to stay in there, it's a keeper."

On Twitter: @hoynsie


Breaking down the American League division races: Cleveland Indians 2012 preview

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Where will the surprises come this summer? Has the AL West stolen the high-priced thunder of the Yankees and Red Sox?

price-rays-vert-cc-2011.jpgView full sizeDavid Price leads a Tampa Bay starting rotation blessed by youth and talent. Is the deepest pitching staff in the AL East enough to hold off New York, Boston and rising Toronto?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The breakdown of the American League season by Plain Dealer beat writer Paul Hoynes.

AL EAST

Predicted order of finish: 1. Yankees, 2. Rays, 3. Red Sox, 4. Blue Jays, 5. Orioles.

The Skinny: Yankees GM Brian Cashman added right-handers Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda to his starting rotation in mid-January. Then he pulled Andy Pettitte out of his back pocket in March. Division titles are won by such moves. ...

The Rays have a great rotation in David Price, James Shields, Jeremy Hellickson, Matt Moore and Jeff Niemann. It's critical that they're once again supported by the best defense in the league. ...

Bobby Valentine finally found a stage big enough to manage on. The question isn't how he'll handle it. Everyone knows how he'll handle it. He'll make headlines, good and bad. The question is how will he help the Red Sox recover from September's collapse and the exits of Terry Francona and Theo Epstein? Just one thought: How can a team with as much money as the Red Sox not have a front-line shortstop? ...

Not sure about the Blue Jays' rotation, but the bullpen is stacked. GM Alex Anthopoulos traded for closer Sergio Santos and set-up man Jason Frasor. Then he signed free agents Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero. Now if young hitters Brett Lawrie, J.P. Arencibia, Colby Rasmus and Eric Thames (.262, 12, 37) can just help Jose Bautista. ...

Who takes Jeremy Guthrie's place as the Orioles' annual 17-game loser?

Top arms: He has a great offense behind him, but here's what CC Sabathia has done with the Yankees in three years: 19-8, 21-7, 19-8 and 5-1 in the postseason. ... Tampa Bay's Shields is looking for his sixth straight season with 11 or more wins. ... Boston's Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have the track records, but neither reached 200 innings last year. ... In the past three years, Ricky Romero has gone from 13-9 to 14-9 to 15-11 for the Jays. ... Wei-Ying Chen, who won 36 games over the past four years in Japan, is Baltimore's ace.

Top bats: If Adrian Gonzalez (.338, 27 HRs, 117 RBI) enjoys his second year in the AL East as much as the first, things might be better than expected in Boston. ... Bautista has hit 97 homers in the past two years, more than anyone in the big leagues. ... It will be interesting to see if Curtis Granderson (.262, 41, 119) can repeat last year's showing for the Yankees. Granderson (119), Robinson Cano (118) and Mark Teixeira (111) finished first, second and fourth in the AL in RBI last year. ... From 2010-11, Tampa Bay's Ben Zobrist went from 28 doubles to 46, 10 homers to 20 and 75 RBI to 91.

Top gloves: Hard to believe anybody can play first base better than New York's Teixeira, but Gonzalez beat him out for the Gold Glove last year. ... Baltimore has 2011 Gold Glove winners in catcher Matt Wieters and right fielder Nick Markakis. ... Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury joined Gonzalez as Gold Glove winners.

Top newcomer: Boston acquired Andrew Bailey from Oakland to replace departed closer Jonathan Papelbon. All he has to do is be perfect -- but he's out most of the season following surgery on his right thumb.

Top rookie: Tampa Bay right-hander Matt Moore.

Crystal ball: Valentine is going to do good things for the Red Sox this year. Not sure about his shelf-life after that.

fielder-swing-det-2012-squ-ap.jpgView full sizeIt was 20 years ago when Prince Fielder's father, Cecil, put on a power show in Detroit. This season, the Tigers are counting on experiencing more than just fireworks.

AL CENTRAL

Projected order of finish: 1. Tigers, 2. Indians, 3. Royals, 4. White Sox, 5. Twins.

The skinny: Detroit's Miguel Cabrera weathered a bad-hop grounder near his right eye while playing the hot corner in spring training. You have to wonder if he's going to be able to play there regularly while making way for Prince Fielder at first base. Tigers could have the division won by July 4. ...

The Royals received a double dose of bad news in March, losing catcher Salvador Perez (left knee) and closer Joakim Soria (right elbow) to injury. ...

The Indians spent more than 40 days in spring training looking for an answer to their inept offense. They found none. In fact, it got worse with Grady Sizemore opening the year on the disabled list. ...

It's not easy to rebuild and contend at the same time. The White Sox are about to find that out even if Adam Dunn somehow is able to put last season behind him. ...

Josh Willingham was a nice signing by Twins GM Terry Ryan, but he won't be enough to replace the offense lost in the free-agent defections of Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel. First baseman Justin Morneau could open at DH to protect him from further concussions.

Top arms: Detroit's Justin Verlander (24-5, 2.40, 250 strikeouts, 251 innings) is the man. Win the AL Cy Young and MVP in the same year and that's what happens. If Doug Fister keeps pitching like he did after the Tigers acquired him in July (8-1, 1.79) he might repeat Verlander's performance this year. Don't forget the other "V" on Detroit's staff -- closer Jose Valverde. Is there any way he goes 49-for-49 in save situations against this season? ... Justin Masterson (12-10, 3.21) will open the season as the Tribe's No.1 starter after earning it last year. ... Bruce Chen, 34, is getting better with age. After consecutive 12-win seasons for the Royals, can he do it again? The bigger question is who replaces Soria as closer -- Jonathan Broxton or Greg Holland? ... Workhorse Carl Pavano, 642.1 innings in the last three years, is the best the Twins have.

Top bats: The embarrassment of riches continues for Detroit: Cabrera (.344, 30 HRs, 105 RBI), Fielder (.299, 38, 120), Alex Avila (.295, 19, 82) and Jhonny Peralta (.299, 21, 86). ... Along with Detroit, the Royals were the only other AL Central team to finish in the top half of the AL in runs. Alex Gordon (.303, 23, 87), Eric Hosmer (.293, 19, 78), Billy Butler (.291, 19, 95) and Jeff Francoeur (.285, 20, 82) give the Royals a chance to contend. ... Joe Mauer and Morneau should be on this list for the Twins, but there's just too many questions about their health. ... Paul Konerko (.300, 31, 105) is the rock of the White Sox lineup. ... If Tribe catcher Carlos Santana makes a little more contact, he's an MVP in waiting.

Top gloves: If Jack Hannahan can hit enough to keep the Tribe's third-base job, he should contend for a Gold Glove. ... Gordon won a Gold Glove for his play in left field last year and he deserved it. Francoeur didn't win one, but should have. ... When Mauer can catch regularly, he's a force behind the plate. ... The AL Central offers good shortstop play with Alcides Escobar, Alexei Ramirez and Asdrubal Cabrera. ... Does anyone cover more ground in center field than Detroit's Austin Jackson? Didn't think so.

Top newcomer: It has to be Fielder, the Prince of Motown. It better be, for nine years and $214 million.

Top rookie: Hard-throwing Addison Reed has a chance to help the White Sox bullpen at some point this year. Could be a closer in the making.

Crystal ball: Just a hunch, but look for Chicago lefty Chris Sale to have a big year in the rotation after spending his first 79 games in the big leagues as a reliever.

rangers-darvish-horiz-spring-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeA dominating power pitcher whose career ERA in Japan was 1.99 over six seasons, Yu Darvish is expected to immediately be a force for the two-time AL champion Texas Rangers.

AL WEST

Projected order of finish: 1. Rangers, 2. Angels, 3. Athletics, 4. Mariners.

The skinny: Usually the Yankees and Red Sox dominate the off-season. This past winter the Angels and Rangers handed them a tin cup and pushed them to the curb with the rest of the small-market teams. The Angels, after watching Texas go to the past two World Series, spent over $330 million on Albert Pujols and left-hander C.J. Wilson. The Rangers, who twice were within one strike of winning the World Series in Game 6, spent more than $100 million to acquire Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish. They needed a starter after Wilson, who didn't pitch well in the World Series, bolted for his hometown Angels. ...

Oakland, meanwhile, was going through another Billy Beane-induced identity crisis. They traded Gio Gonzalez, Trevor Cahill and Andrew Bailey because they were rebuilding. No, they weren't, they were adding Coco Crisp, Bartolo Colon, Seth Smith and Yoenis Cespedes to keep the interest of the few fans they have left until a move to San Jose, somewhere in the misty future, is approved. ...

The Mariners, who for the second straight year finished last in the AL in runs, hits, total bases, slugging and on-base percentage, may have finally acquired a hitter in catcher/DH Jesus Montero. All they had to do was send Pineda, one of the best young starters in the league, to the Yankees.

Top arms: The AL West could be decided by the Angels and Rangers' rotations. L.A. has Jered Weaver (18-8, 2.41), Dan Haren (16-10, 3.17), Wilson (16-7, 2.94), Ervin Santana (11-12, 3.38) and Jerome Williams (4-0, 3.68). Texas has Darvish (18-6, 1.44 in Japan), Colby Lewis (14-10, 4.40), Derek Holland (16-5, 3.95), Neftali Feliz and Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39). Feliz saved 32 games last year, but moved to the rotation this spring. ... There is lots of movement with pitching-rich Texas. Joe Nathan is the new closer and Alexi Ogando, 13-8 as a starter last year, is in the pen. ... The Mariners, with Pineda gone, still have No. 1 starter Felix Hernandez and prospects Danny Hultzen, Taijuan Walker and James Paxton a phone call away.

Top bats: Eight years from now, Pujols (.299, 37 HRs, 99 RBI) probably isn't going to be doing much for the Angels, but in 2012 he's going to help. L.A. finished 10th in the AL in runs last year. A healthy Kendrys Morales will help as well. ... The Rangers scored the third-most runs in the league last year and Michael Young (.338, 11, 106) was one of the reasons.

Top gloves: Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus and second baseman Ian Kinsler rival Omar Vizquel and Robbie Alomar at their peak in Cleveland when it comes to turning the double play. They're worth the price of admission. Gold Glove third baseman Adrian Beltre just makes the Rangers more fun to watch. Pujols is a great defender at first and will push Gonzalez and Teixeira in the AL East. Angels shortstop Erick Aybar, who won a Gold Glove last year, gets to work with Albert the Great in 2012.

Top newcomer: It has to be Pujols, who will receive $254 million over the next 10 years from the Angels to take them to the promised land.

Top rookie: Darvish isn't a rookie professionally, but he is when it comes to MLB. There's a lot of buzz around the right-hander with the orange hair. There are also 50 to 60 Japanese reporters who record his every move and word.

Crystal ball: Whoever loses the race for the AL West title between the Rangers and Angels will qualify for the second wild-card spot.

Major League Baseball isn't lacking for compelling story lines: Cleveland Indians 2012 preview

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Here it comes, another new year. Seven months of the stuff that enables baseball to grab people by the back of the collar and keep their attention until the end of October.

pujols-def-angels-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeThe greatest hitter of this generation -- Albert Pujols has averaged 42 homers, 126 RBI and a .328 batting average over his 11 seasons -- received a Midas-sized contract to bring a World Series title to Anaheim.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The time for the real games is here. It actually arrived in March, when Seattle and Oakland played the first two games of the regular season in Japan.

This crystal ball business just keeps getting harder. Things have already happened before a list of the coming attractions for 2012 can be hung on the refrigerator door by using a rubberized magnet from the 2011 season. Hey, that's how it works in my house.

So here it comes, another new year. Seven months of non-stop games, walk-off homers, blown saves, winning streaks, losing streaks, arguments between managers and umpires, players and umpires, players and players. All the stuff that enables baseball to grab people by the back of the collar and keep their attention, no matter how scattered it may be, until the end of October.

OK, since the clock is already ticking, here we go:

Last teams standing

Let's start where last season ended, with St. Louis beating Texas in a riveting seven-game World Series. The two teams enter this year once again as strong contenders to play late October baseball, but with new looks.

The Cardinals are without Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, his long-time pitching coach Dave Duncan and Albert Pujols, the team's relentless engine. La Russa retired and was replaced by rookie manager Mike Matheny. Duncan took a leave of absence to be with his ill wife. Pujols took $254 million and headed for Hollywood, Los Angeles Angels style.

The Rangers aren't all that different on the outside, but internally they have to be a wreck. They've reached the World Series the last two years and lost. Last year they came within one strike of winning it all, not once, but twice in Game 6. How will they respond?

Well, closer Neftali Feliz is now a starter. Feliz had two outs and two strikes on World Series MVP David Freese with a 7-5 lead in the ninth inning. Freese hit a two-run triple and the Cardinals won the game in the 11th inning to force Game 7.

Now what?

Pujols and Prince Fielder were the top free agents over the winter. They're both power-hitting first basemen and their final destinations, Anaheim and Detroit, were a surprise.

The time for surprises is over. Now it's time for production. How will they do after going from the National League to the American League?

The Bill James Handbook predicted Pujols will hit .316 with 40 doubles, 41 homers and 120 RBI, while Fielder will hit .285 with 34 doubles, 38 homers and 109 RBI. Such numbers should bring a smile to their new employers.

Good time Charlie

When the Phillies win their first game this season, Charlie Manuel will be become the winningest manager in franchise history with 647 victories. The Phillies have been in existence for 129 years.

Manuel has come a long way since the day he basically fired himself as Indians manager in 2002.

OK, we believe you



For two years, an unimposing former utility infielder-outfielder of the Toronto Blue Jays has hit more home runs than anyone in the big leagues -- 43 last year, 54 the year before.

A couple of months ago, Jose Bautista said he'd been drug tested 16 times since he started hitting balls to distant places. Random testing that is not, but the players association came out and said Bautista was not being unfairly targeted.

Bautista said he's OK no matter how many times he's tested. In an era where the long ball is disappearing, let's hope Bautista keeps testing clean and going deep.

New deal

Starting this year, under the new basic agreement, there will be a new system for determining free-agent compensation. It could mean changes in the amount of trades made at the July 31 and Aug. 31 deadlines.

The new deal eliminates all Type A and Type B free agents. Under the new system, only players who stay with their clubs the entire season can bring compensation to that club as a free agent. Don't nod off, there are a couple more corners to turn here.

To be eligible for compensation, a free agent's former club must offer him a one-year guaranteed contract at a salary equivalent to the average of the top 125 salaries from the prior year. The player has seven days to accept the offer.

A club that signs such a free agent would forfeit its first-round pick. If that team picks in the top 10, they'd lose their next highest pick. The player's former club would receive a first-round pick at the end of the first round.

verlandercc.jpgView full sizeThe American League's MVP and Cy Young winner in 2011, Justin Verlander may not need to reach such lofty heights with a Detroit roster full of talent this season.

What's next?

Detroit's Justin Verlander won the American League Cy Young and MVP awards last year. The last pitcher to do that was Oakland closer Dennis Eckersley in 1992. The last starter was Boston's Roger Clemens in 1986.

What can we expect this year from the hard-throwing Verlander?

In 1992, Eckersley went 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA and 51 saves. He had a WHIP (walks+hits divided by innings) of 0.913. In 1993, Eckersley slipped to 2-4 with a 4.16 ERA with 36 saves and a 1.194 WHIP.

Clemens went 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA in 33 starts in 1986. He pitched 245 innings, struck out 238 and had a 0.969 WHIP. The next year Clemens didn't win the MVP, but he did win the Cy Young by going 20-9 with a 2.94 ERA in 36 starts. The Rocket struck out 256 in 281 innings with a 1.175 WHIP.

Verlander undoubtedly would settle for such an encore.

New kids on the block

How soon before Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper are teammates on the Washington Nationals? Strasburg made the Opening Day rotation after missing all but five starts last season following 2010 Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Strasburg is 23 and a former No.1 pick in the draft. Harper is 19 and a former No.1 pick. People have been calling Harper the best prospect ever since he was drafted. That was right after they said the same thing about Strasburg until his elbow popped.

This year, Strasburg will be limited to about 150 innings because he only pitched 24 innings in the big leagues last year. Harper will start the year at Class AAA Syracuse. He strained a calf muscle and went 8-for-28 with 11 strikeouts in big-league camp.

Old man on the block

Left-hander Jamie Moyer missed last year, but he's back. It's hard to keep an old man down.

Moyer, 49, made the Rockies' starting rotation as their No.2 starter after missing last season with Tommy John surgery. He already has 267 victories and could become the oldest man in history to win a big-league game.

The record belongs to Jack Quinn of the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was 49 and 47 days when he won a game for the Brooklyn Dodgers on Sept. 13, 1932. Moyer doesn't turn 50 until November.

Happy 100th birthday

A segment from National Geographic TV's feature on Fenway Park



Fenway Park, the coolest ballpark around, celebrates its 100th birthday on April 20. Sure, it has some wrinkles, along with the smallest locker rooms in the big leagues, but what stories the place can tell.

Here are three:

• For the 1999 All-Star Game, Red Sox legend Ted Williams was driven onto the field in a golf cart to throw out the first pitch. Waiting for him on the mound were baseball's current All-Stars. Williams was supposed to take a bow, throw a pitch and wave goodbye.

Instead, the All-Stars wouldn't let him leave. They kept talking baseball with Williams. It wasn't scripted and it didn't look like the game was ever going to start.

• Before Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS between the Indians and Red Sox, right-hander Paul Byrd and GM Mark Shapiro were plastered against the red brick wall outside the visitors' locker room answering questions from about 150 reporters concerning Byrd's HGH use. The more Byrd talked, the worse it got.

No need to go into what team won and advanced to the World Series. Let's just say the Indians haven't been the same since.

• Then there was the time a rat ran on the field in front of the Indians' dugout. Bert Blyleven, I believe, caught it with his glove. Like the Indians in 2007, things did not end well for the rat.

Big thunder

Some home run milestones awaiting various players this year.

1. Jim Thome needs six to reach 610 and pass Sammy Sosa.

2. Alex Rodriguez needs two to reach 631 and pass Ken Griffey Jr.

3. David Ortiz needs 22 to reach 400.

4. Paul Konerko needs four to reach 400.

5. Miguel Cabrera needs 23 to reach 300.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Some very touching glove stories from the Cleveland Indians

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There may not be crying in baseball, but there's definitely sadness when that gamer is just too broken down to continue.

donald-glove-crow-2012.jpgView full sizeJason Donald needs to be a jack of all gloves this season, as he'll be a utility player seeing action at third base, shortstop, second base and the outfield.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tales of affection, regret, loss and recovery. There may not be crying in baseball, but there's definitely sadness when that gamer is just too broken down to continue.

Reliever Joe Smith

"The glove I remember the most is a Rawlings Shawon Dunston model. It was my first real glove. I had it from Knot Hole League into high school. I was a shortstop, but that didn't last very long. I ended up pitching and playing right field.

"We tried everything to keep that glove together. I had to have that glove for 10 years. I had it re-laced a couple times. I think it's still in my parents' basement. You get attached to a glove. You don't like giving them up.

"I just retired my gamer in 2010 when I got sent down [to the minor leagues]. I said it must be the glove's fault, it ain't my fault. So I switched gloves."

Utility man Jason Donald

"The first quality glove I had was a Rawlings. It was all black, heart of the hide and it was a fastback model. I was in fourth grade. I remember the catalog I ordered it from. Alex Rodriguez was [using] the same model. I said, "I've got to have that glove.'"

It was like $150 and $200. I begged my parents. It was a Christmas present. I had it from fourth grade [to] going into high school. I think it got passed down to my brother."

Some of MLB's best glove work from 2011 season



Right-handed pitcher Derek Lowe

"It's funny how people are with gloves. You get kind of married to one. You feel like it's part of you. You've been out there before. It's like an old girlfriend. It's been with you. You talk to it on the mound. It's like you don't like to get rid of it.

"It's so weird how you feel about them. They've been through the wars with you. We're the only ones out there on the field. We talked to it. We caress it. We throw it. We apologize later to it."

Lowe on his first glove: "I still have it. It was a Rawlings, with Chet Lemon's autograph. He was my favorite player. Now my son has it. It looks terrible. But again it's pretty cool to have a glove as long as I've had it. Now he has it. I've had it since I was a Mighty Mite."

Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo

"I feel like my glove, bat, spikes are a part of my body. I play in the field so the glove and I are together. The glove is important. I have to trust it. If I drop a ball, I don't blame the glove.

"When I was in Korea in middle school and high school, I'd sleep with my glove, baseball, bat and spikes. Even my hat. Stupid me, I'd talk to them, 'Maybe you could help me tomorrow.' I don't do that anymore. Now I leave everything in the locker room, but I still clean bats, gloves and spikes."

Third baseman Jack Hannahan

"My first glove, ever? I think it was blue. I think it's still in my dad's garage. I got it, as far as I can remember, before I first started playing tee-ball. It's a little hard now. Since then I've had a couple of new ones."

More Hannahan: "How do you break in a glove? I've heard of people dunking them in water, putting them in ovens to warm 'em up. Put a ball in there, tie it up and put it under your mattress. I've heard just about every way to do it."

lofton-diving-catch-01-squ-jg.jpgView full sizeKenny Lofton wanted a glove soft enough to secure the ball and firm enough on the outside to withstand collisions with the ground and nearby walls.

Kenny Lofton, six-time Gold Glove winning center fielder

"I always used a Rawlings glove, 121/2 inches. I used a smaller glove than other people, but I had a deep pocket. I wanted a hard glove on the outside and a soft glove on the inside. So when the ball got caught up in there, it would stay in the soft part and the hardness on the outside would keep it from popping out.

"I've still got my gloves in storage. I've probably got about 20 of them. I might auction them off. Put them on eBay. To me my gloves were just as important as my bats. I made my bread and butter with my glove."

Rick Manning, Gold Glove winning center fielder

"When you get a glove you like, you stay with it for a long time. I didn't go through many of them. You have one that fits your hand that you love and you stay with it. Then you have a backup.

"I used a McGregor when I won my Gold Glove. I still have it at home. That's the glove Willie Mays used back in the day. I've still got most of the gloves I used in my basement. People would look at them now and say, 'You used that?' I'd say 'Yeah.' I could bring them out and show you and you'd say, 'No, I'll get something else.' Hey, man, this is my glove. This is what I used."

Wilson glove maker Aso makes quick work of breaking in Brandon Phillips' glove



Closer Chris Perez

"I've had my Nike gamer since 2009. Pitchers throw enough so you can break in a glove in spring training. Back when I didn't get free gloves all the time, I took better care of it. I'd use shaving cream on it and kept it real nice so it didn't get dried out.

"When I used to catch [in high school], the clay around home plate really made the glove dry. I used Mink oil on it. It really keeps a glove nice."

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, Gold Glove finalist last year

"I don't do anything special to break a glove in. I just play catch with it every day. In spring training, I'm breaking in my glove for the next season. I use Rawlings."

Steve Smith, Indians third base coach and infield coach

"I was a 24th-round pick with San Diego in 1976. I never got a bonus ... nothing for free. The scout came over to our house. My dad bought him a drink. The drink cost about $2.50. I always say that's what I signed for.

"I was playing instructional league and Mizuno had just started. I think I was the eighth guy to ever sign with them. Back in those days, the other gloves were just as hard as could be. It could take 10 years to break them in. The first glove I got from Mizuno, I used it in a game two days later. It was unbelievable."

Tribe's fate this summer? It doesn't look great, says Terry Pluto: Cleveland Indians 2012 preview

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Unless the Indians make a significant roster move, it could be a long year.

manny-bp-spring-2012-cc.jpgView full sizeManny Acta may have a good batting practice fastball, but Terry Pluto doesn't see enough hitters able to hit the big-league heater for the Indians to contend in 2012.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seventy-six wins. It pains me to write that.

But as the Tribe roster stands right now, I have the team with a record of 76-86 and a very frustrating summer. Why?

First, a word about my record when it comes to predictions. Last year, I had the Tribe at 74-88, and they were 80-82. For the past three years, I've had the Browns at 6-10. They haven't reached that yet. I've never predicted the Browns to finish better than 8-8 since their return in 1999.

The dumbest prediction was for the 2010-11 basketball season: The Cavs at 46-36. They were 19-63. This season, I had the Cavs at 26-40. It doesn't look as if they'll win that many.

So back to the Tribe, whose front office is talking about "playing to win this year." That's why they signed Casey Kotchman for $3 million to play first, rather than come back with Matt LaPorta once more. It's also why they are opening with veteran Jack Hannahan at third, rather than putting 24-year-old Lonnie Chisenhall in that spot.

It's why they traded for Ubaldo Jimenez last season, and 38-year-old Derek Lowe this winter. It's why they kept Jeanmar Gomez in the rotation and sent Kevin Slowey to the minors -- despite having to pay $1.5 million of Slowey's salary to pitch at Columbus. They picked Gomez because they believed he was the superior starter -- and it's the correct decision.

Here's the problem -- they did nothing in the off-season to help the offense. The major move was a $5 million gamble on Grady Sizemore, and he's out indefinitely following back surgery.

Last season, the Indians ranked ninth in offense. This came after they ranked 12th in 2010. Can the Indians produce more runs in 2012?

Possibly.

The positive picture has Shin-Soo Choo staying healthy and Jason Kipnis blooming in his first full big-league season. It has Carlos Santana hitting close to 30 homers with at least 90 RBI, and Asdrubal Cabrera coming close to his All-Star season of a year ago. It also has Travis Hafner (who hit the ball hard this spring) playing at least 100 games and Michael Brantley maturing into a solid leadoff hitter.

Most of those things may happen. But odds are something will go wrong. Someone will get hurt. There won't be enough offense to make a major change from a year ago, when they were below average.

What if? on offense ...

The Indians will stay with their "What if" promotional theme from last year. Well, "what if" the Tribe followed up its big trade for Jimenez with another major move for a reliable big-league hitter -- someone such as Michael Cuddyer or Josh Willingham?

Budget considerations came into play. But if the Indians had a legitimate left fielder who could hit 20 homers and drive in 75 runs, I'd feel better about the team.

Just so you know, I'm not playing the "split up the season game." Some people throw out the 30-15 start in 2011, saying the real Indians were the 50-67 team that followed. No, they were an 80-82 team. That's why they play 162 games. Just like the 2010 team was 69-93, not the 35-39 record after the All-Star break.

The 162-game schedule puts the premium on more than talent. It demands depth and grit. The Indians may have the determination. But other than Chisenhall, there are no top non-pitching prospects at the top of minors.

I don't even want to think about what happens if Brantley is injured ... well, here comes Zeke Carrera in center.

All of this can change (along with my prediction) if the Indians indeed make a big deal for a hitter. But so far, fans are still waiting.

What if? with pitching ...

Here's how the Indians can surprise once again. Pitching. Great starting pitching.

It takes Justin Masterson continuing to mature into the ace of the staff, and Jimenez remembering how he pitched when he was the ace of the Rockies' staff. It takes Lowe stealing one more summer from the relentless march of time, winning 12 to 15 games. It takes Josh Tomlin and Gomez making major strides forward.

Or perhaps it will be Scott Barnes or Zach McAllister coming up from the minors and pitching as if they belong in a big-league rotation.

Quick question: Where did the Indians rank in pitching last season? I guessed seventh out of 14 teams. They were 10th. So this is the area where there is some depth and some room for improvement. It's where the Indians should have a good bullpen again, especially with Nick Hagadone and Chen-Chang Lee in the minors and looking very big-league ready.

But it really comes down to the starting rotation. If those guys are just OK and pretty good, they will be lucky to win more than my prediction of 76 games.

But it's up to the starters, especially Jimenez. And they better start fast and strong if it's going to happen.

Indians preview by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci



For the incomparable Omar Vizquel, baseball remains a game of joy: Bill Livingston

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Omar Vizquel performed miracles daily at shortstop for 11 years with the Indians. At nearly 45, his biggest miracle yet is that he will still be playing the position this season in the major leagues. Watch video

vizquel-jays-2012-cc.jpgView full sizeWhen Omar Vizquel, 45 on April 24, next takes the field as a shortstop for the Blue Jays, he will become the oldest player ever to handle the position in the big leagues. "To me, he's the best shortstop in baseball history," says Toronto manager John Farrell.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baseball began for most of us with a game of catch and the parental instruction, "Keep your eye on the ball."

Growing up in Venezuela, Omar Vizquel was probably saying, "A que no eres capaz." Or, "Betcha can't."

Vizquel has made many plays on the field that proved his hands were quicker than the eye's insistence that he had no chance.

During infield practice, which he made a must-see activity during his 11 seasons with the Indians, he would deflect the ball with the heel of his glove into his throwing hand with such speed and precision that the hop turned into a throw with hardly an interval of leather separating them. The eye could not follow the transfer. You had to see it to disbelieve it.

Now Vizquel's presence on the Toronto roster on Opening Day Thursday at Progressive Field might be his best trick yet. On April 24, he will be 45. The first time he steps on the field in a game, he will become the oldest shortstop in Major League Baseball history.

Blue Jays manager John Farrell, a former Indians pitcher, saw Vizquel play many times, both as a teammate and rival, then later as a Tribe executive. Said Farrell, "He can still make the plays. It doesn't matter if he gets them out by a quarter-step or a full step, he still completes the play. To me, he's the best shortstop in baseball history."

Vizquel was both more and less than the great players with whom he played here. He had more fans than most. He had more joy than most, too. He was the smiling face in an often sullen clubhouse.

After he made the Toronto roster, he said, "I love the game. I have a passion for it. I get up every day with the energy to go to the park. I love playing around with the guys. I love the smell of the game, the pine tar, the hot dogs. I love all the things around baseball."

Vizquel has less power than most other hitters. He didn't need to hit the long ball as a shortstop, although steroid abusers briefly threatened to turn it into a power numbers position. He also has less ego. He was willing to compete, as a certain future Hall of Famer, after winning 11 Gold Gloves, for a job as utility player.

Everyone loves the long ball, and so the Indians tried to keep Jim Thome by offering to name the home run porch after him. They failed. They named right field's second deck "Pronkville" for Travis Hafner. The sign is gone, and Hafner probably will be too after his contract is up this season. The place is a ghost town some nights.

It was the left side of the infield that belonged to Vizquel. In all of baseball history, only St. Louis' Ozzie Smith might have been better at the most demanding defensive position except catcher. The Indians should have named the patch of dirt between second base and third something, the "Little O-Zone" maybe. For it was there that authentic miracles grew. His stock in trade was amazement, every bit as much as were the tape-measure home runs of the steroid era.

Vizquel learned to play bad hops because he grew up with them. He bare-handed tennis balls thrown at odd angles off steps, walls and curbs around Caracas. He developed his reflexes by playing on fields that were little more than rock piles.

He made bare-handed plays during big-league games, but never for entertainment purposes only. The daring snags saved the split-seconds needed to shift the ball to his throwing hand. But he only took the bounce bare-handed when it was shoulder-high and on his right side. That way, he could keep his eye on the ball.

He didn't even need a glove. A skilled soccer player, he would enliven infield practice by deflecting the ball with his foot to the second baseman to start a make-believe double play. He could juggle the ball with his feet, too.

He is on the small side, hence the nickname "Little O," but he had the perfect build to play his position. Sinewy and quick, Vizquel is not encumbered by lots of muscles or thick thighs, as Cal Ripken was, which hurt Ripken's range. Same with Alex Rodriguez. Vizquel doesn't have an extraordinary arm, but his positioning, anticipation and ability to get his throw off from any angle made up for that. He was so good, he spoiled Clevelanders for everyone who followed him. With Jhonny Peralta, so many balls seemed just out of reach. Every ball seemed just within Omar's reach.

Asdrubal Cabrera, in a career year in 2011, bore a slight resemblance to Vizquel. Now Cabrera just has to repeat it, year after year, for almost a quarter-century.

"When you're 25, you wake up, get out of bed and you're ready to take an at-bat. You feel like you can hit a triple," Vizquel said. "When you're 45, you wake up and you have to go to the bathroom and you hope nothing is in the way. Every day, every hour, takes a toll on your body. I don't want to look worse than my age."

For so many years, Vizquel has cheated hitters. Now, on Opening Day in Cleveland, back where he belongs, the eternal boy of summer is cheating time, too.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

Joey Votto hits the lotto (or the Reds over the head): Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

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The signing of Asdrubal Cabrera is smart business for the Indians, especially compared to Cincinnati's $200 million-plus signing of Joey Votto, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

votto-reds-swing-2012-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeJoey Votto unleashes a swing worth nearly $20 million a year to the Reds. Which, says Bud Shaw, doesn't mean Cincinnati has suddenly become a suburb of New York.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's the first day of the new baseball season.

You just drove home from the car dealership in a newly leased family sedan to take the kids to the ballpark. Just as your neighbor pulls up in a brand new, tomato-red Lamborghini.

The look your wife gives you is the one some Indians' fans are unfairly shooting the Dolans Thursday.

The Indians trumpet (as they should) the signing of Asdrubal Cabrera to a two-year, $16.5 million extension while the similarly small market-challenged Reds announce a $200-million-plus deal for Joey Votto, who actually does drive a Lamborghini but who may soon drive six.

Votto's deal reportedly comes complete with a no-trade clause that could keep him in Cincinnati until 2024, at which point he might well be driving a Rascal out of town. Votto turns 29 in September. The extension carries him through age 40, giving him enough money and birthdays to experience and satisfy multiple mid-life crises.

Whatever your complaints are about the Dolans, Votto's deal shouldn't make the list. Votto is one of the game's great hitters. The Indians don't have one like him. The Reds have gone so overboard a search and rescue team couldn't find the logic in what they've done. Not only is it just the fifth $200-million contract signed -- two by Alex Rodriguez, one (so far) for Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder -- it's certainly the biggest deal ever signed by a player who was two years away from free agency.

The Reds are counting on a new and improved local cable deal in the next few years. They can also expect increased revenues from Major League Baseball's TV deal and new media sources. But even if their payroll some day climbs to $100 million as some projections go, they'll be paying one player 22 percent of that. A player who in the last half of the contract, if not longer, will be fighting diminishing skills (that phrase never gets old, does it?).

They've supposedly been negotiating with former Indians' infielder Brandon Phillips longer and less successfully than they negotiated Votto's deal. Votto, for good reason, took precedence. Can they keep Phillips now? Maybe they don't list it as a priority. But deals of this size seldom make sense even in bigger markets.

Milwaukee decided it could pay Ryan Braun but not Fielder. Now, the Reds have to pick and choose the players to keep. The context for every decision is Votto's inflated contract. While his signing was being confirmed in Cincinnati Wednesday, the Indians announced Cabrera's extension through 2014. The same splash was never possible simply because they're not the same sized fish.

Cabrera will make $4.5 million this season, $6 million in 2013 and $10 million in the final year of the deal. Those are reasonable numbers for both sides.

"This is the team I want to be on my whole career," Cabrera said.

We'll see. What kind of player Cabrera is in 2014. What kind of shape he maintains. What the market bears. If Cabrera turns into Votto in three years, there will be a comparison to make.

For now, the more appropriate comparison is the Reds acting like the Yankees.



HE SAID IT

"I can't get the ball to go where I want it every time." -- Ubaldo Jimenez, in the best defense he could possibly muster after hitting former Rockies' teammate Troy Tulowitzki.

HE SAID WHAT?

"I don't take part in the huddles. I'm resting ... getting my Zen on." -- Lakers' center Andrew Bynum on staying seated during a timeout after getting benched.

Apparently -- in addition to being exhausting -- standing up and listening is not covered in his $15.2 million contract for 2012.

SPINOFFS

Colorado manager Jim Tracy said he lost all respect for Jimenez after the Indians' right-hander hit Tulowitzki Sunday. Yes, it was the most questionable act since last summer, when the Rockies sent Jimenez out to pitch knowing he was being traded to the Indians...

Say goodbye to all those four-win and five-win Browns' seasons and say hello to the Super Bowl. Finally, a uniform that can breathe...

By the way, let's wait until the Browns are taken seriously again before anybody campaigns to put an elf on their uniform or helmet...

Couldn't think of anything crazier than people saying the Kentucky Wildcats could beat some NBA teams, until I watched Spurs-Cavs Tuesday night.

No, not the Spurs...

Robert Griffin III told the Colts (and other teams) he isn't going to go through personal workouts. In the Colts' case, it's more proof he's smart. First, he'd rather be in Washington, where Dan Snyder is likely to open negotiations on a contract extension after his first touchdown pass.

But even if that weren't the case, why let the Colts feign interest in him to put more pressure on Andrew Luck to get a contract signed?...

Baltimore's Joe Flacco says quarterbacks have to be confident. Said Flacco, "I don't think I'm top five, I think I'm the best."

Nobody ever got an hour on a leather couch for being confident, but they have for delusions of grandeur...

After the five-game suspension of Jimenez, Indians' manager Manny Acta said he's "disappointed [MLB] let themselves get swayed by the press."

If sports writers were that persuasive, we'd be making Votto money...

ryan-tannehill.jpgView full sizeRyan Tannehill, potentially drafted in the same position (with the same expectations) of Akili Smith in 1999? Oh, that has Bud excited.

Luck, Griffin and Ryan Tannehill going 1-2-3 in the draft would duplicate 1999's run of Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith.

So, go ahead and trade up to No. 3. That's a double dog dare.

Why when I think of Tannehill being overhyped, do I immediately think of Jimmer Fredette?...

A minor glitch in the Lake Erie Monsters' plan for Saturday's Patrick Bordeleau Bobblehead Night: Bordeleau is suspended for elbowing. The January announcement of the April 7 promotion came with this line: "It's not just a bobblehead, his fists bobble too." And apparently the elbow bone is still connected to the fist bone...

Could've been worse. The Milwaukee Brewers gave away 30,000 posters on Bob Wickman Poster Night back in the 2000 season. Exactly one day after they traded Wickman to the Indians...

It's a coincidence, I'm sure, how the Cavaliers seemed to lose their competitive edge after the Ramon Sessions trade. It was almost as if they thought the front office was telling them this season wasn't about making a playoff push...

How best for NFL draft prospects to show their smarts? Refuse to take the Wonderlic as long as low scores for players keep getting leaked...

YOU SAID IT

(The Regular Midweek Edition)

"Hey Bud:

"If the PD suspended your services, would you miss five days or five 'Spin' appearances?" -- Dr. Grinder

I would miss five Spin columns. Readers wouldn't miss any.

"Bud:

"What if the suspension causes Ubaldo Jimenez to just miss the AL All Star Game, which enables the Pirates to gain home field advantage in the World Series?" -- Bill Schmidt

Then the Mayans are right.

"Bud:

"When will John Calipari's national championship be vacated?" -- Chuck D

When they find out his one-and-dones were actually enrolled at the University of Phoenix.

"Bud:

"Any chance your column will be nationally syndicated someday, or does the Spin stop here?" -- Joe Percio

My column only works in sports towns built on hell mouths, the fires of which are fed by the sucked-dry souls of season ticket holders. So, you know, Cleveland or Buffalo.

"Bud:

"After reading your brilliant dissection of the mindless hype over Ryan Tannehill, I was tempted to call you the greatest writer ever. But then I remembered a few other ink-stained wretches such as Shakespeare, Dickens, Euripides, etc. But you're still in the Top Ten." -- Ignatowski

Not any more. In a disappointing Pro Day workout in which I tossed out 60 well-worn phrases, I choked and left 15 participles dangling.

"Bud:

"Is this the end of dollar dog nights in Cincinnati?" -- Joe S

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"Based on their top draft pick Chris Singleton justifying buying $10,000 worth of lottery tickets because he would have just blown it in the clubs anyway, I think the Washington Wizards are doing a great job putting the Gilbert Arenas years behind them." -- Jim, Shaker Heights

Repeat winners are 176 million-to-one long shots.

On Twitter: @budshaw

Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto talk Tribe at Opening Day Breakfast: Video

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For many fans, the day began at 8 a.m. at The Plain Dealer's annual Talkin' Tribe Opening Day Breakfast as Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto talked about the 2012 season and answered questions from fans. Tipoff columnist Michael McIntyre served as host. Watch video

It's Cleveland's National Holiday as the Indians return to the corner of Ontario and Carnegie to open the season at Progressive Field.

For many fans, the day began at 8 a.m. at The Plain Dealer's annual Talkin' Tribe Opening Day Breakfast as Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto talked about the 2012 season and answered questions from fans. Tipoff columnist Michael McIntyre served as host.

Click on the video to the right to watch.

Note: Due to low audio levels, it is recommended you listen with headphones.


Tom Reed talks about Cavs home woes and effort : Podcast

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hould the Cavaliers bring back Kyrie Irving this season after his injury? What is going wrong for the team during their current losing streak? Plain Dealer Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer Tom Reed answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Cleveland Cavaliers lose to Chicago Bulls, 93-82Veteran Anthony Parker has tried to lead this young squad through tough losses at home this season.

Should the Cavaliers bring back Kyrie Irving this season after his injury? What is going wrong for the team during their current losing streak?

Plain Dealer Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer Tom Reed answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Among other topics discussed:

• Why isn't the effort there from the younger players?

• Why have the Cavs played so poorly at home?

• Should Anderson Varejao come back if healthy this season?


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

The live chat with Tom is live every Thursday at 10:30 AM.


Be sure to also follow Tom Reed on Twitter.

Indians Opening Day 2012: Everything you need leading up to the game

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The Indians open the 2012 season today against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

The Indians open the 2012 season today against the Toronto Blue Jays at Progressive Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. Justin Masterson gets the start for the Tribe against Toronto's Ricky Romero.

Get complete coverage leading up to the game from The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com, including photos, videos and a live-in game chat from the press box.

Be sure to read The Plain Dealer's Indians preview section using the links below. You can also get Tribe news on your Android device with our new Indians app.

Essentials

Game preview and box score | Twitter updates

Weather forecast

Talk with other fans in our Tribe Forum


2012 INDIANS / MLB PREVIEW SECTION


Masterson gets the start: Indians pitcher embracing the moment as Opening Day starter
 
Glove at first sight: Preparing to play the field takes varied mitts, methods
 
How will the Tribe fare? 3 out of 5 Plain Dealer experts predict the Indians will have a winning record in 2012



MLB storylines: What to look for this season as the boys of summer get to work
 
Terry Pluto: Tribe's fate this summer? It doesn't look great
 
Bud Shaw: If Ubaldo Jimenez can't bring the heat, the Indians are sure to feel some



Your Opening Day Photos: Upload or email your photos from Opening Day. We could use them in The Plain Dealer or online
 
What's new at Progressive Field: Indians offer new food, promotions amid social-media messages at ballpark in 2012
 
Indians Opening Day Breakfast: Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto chatted with fans at annual Plain Dealer pre-game event





Gallery preview

Latest stories

Cleveland Indians offer new food, promotions amid social-media messages at Progressive Field in 2012

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This year at Progressive Field, Indians fans will have their choices of tasty food, new promotional items and more. Meanwhile, the team has turned its attention to social media in a big way. Watch video

06Y_01_.jpg

You knew the Indians finished 80-82 last season, good for second place in the AL Central. You saw they picked up pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez in a trade with Colorado last year, and that they re-signed Grady Sizemore.

But did you know they are considered one of the most Twitter-friendly teams? ESPN the Magazine recognized the team's emphasis on, of all things, social media.

Manny Acta (@mactriber_11) has more than 23,000 followers and spent time this spring Tweeting about '80s music. At 8,000-plus, Shelley Duncan (@shelldunc) has a way to go to catch his manager. Chris Perez and his fellow relievers started the "bullpen mafia" on Twitter. Frank Herrmann Tweets about everything from National Pi Day to the recent massive Mega Millions drawing. Even Slider the mascot Tweets at, not surprisingly, @sliderthemascot.

More than two dozen Indians players, front-office and support staff have Twitter accounts.

For those who don't Tweet, a primer: The microblogging site allows users to post brief messages about, well, anything -- in 140 characters or fewer.

What does this have to do with baseball?

"It's a number of things," says Anne Keegan, the Indians' assistant director of communications who is in charge of the team's social media and digital efforts. "It provides a lot of information, keeping fans up to date, whether in a game or for promotions."

The goal, Keegan said, is to "personalize" the game for fans. Unlike some celebrities, whose Tweets often come from publicists, the Indians are Tweeting themselves. "It's all them," she said. "If you get a reply from [President] Mark [Shapiro], it's from Mark. If you get a reply from Manny, it's from Manny."

"It puts their personalities out there," added Keegan, who is in her first season with the Indians.

All at 140 characters at a time. Actually, the number 140 holds some significance in Indians history. It was Herb Score's 1956 rookie card number. Earl Averill knocked in 140 runs in 1931. Slugger Juan Gonzalez pounded out 140 RBI in 140 games in 2001.



Twitter is not the only social-media platform the team embraces. It maintains a presence on Facebook, of course. The Indians have branched out to microblogging site Tumblr, photo-sharing and organizing site Pinterest, social network and profile site Google+, and TribeVibe, a Major League Baseball blogging initiative to offer fans behind-the-scenes vantages.

"We're not trying to duplicate what the beat writers are doing," Keegan said. "I think it supplements baseball. It gives you a look at things you may not know about."

Keegan added: "Baseball is very conducive to social media." In basketball, if you look down, you miss a shot, she said. Not so in baseball.

The Indians also are continuing their social-media suite. Fans who are active on various social-media platforms can apply for free admission to the suite, the first of its kind in professional sports. Keegan said a dozen fans each game are allowed in to the Wi-Fi-connected suite, and the number of applicants has been on the rise. (Go to indians.com/connect for details.)

In the works is a mobile food-order app, where fans can order food, then receive a text when it's ready to be picked up. The advantage: No lines.

With all this, and The Plain Dealer's coverage from beat writer Paul Hoynes and others, fans have a lot at their fingertips. If someone wants to find out about trade rumors, fantasy stats or injury reports, the information is as close as the nearest computer or phone keyboard.

So in light of the Tribe's attention to social media, we decided to offer this year's look at a few changes at Progressive Field in Twitter-speak:

cabrera.jpgView full sizeYou know you've made it when you get a bobblehead in your image, like Asdrubal Cabrera.

71 promo dates @ the park, from dollar dogs to a TON of fworks. #buckdogs

About 90 percent of Indians' home dates -- 71 -- will include promotions ranging from nine Dollar Dog nights to more than a dozen fireworks nights.

Tribe rocks old school, giveaways celebrate Carter, Baerga, Perry, others. #bobblebobblebobble

Bobblehead promos include Joe Carter (Sunday, May 20, vs. Miami Marlins), Carlos Baerga (Sunday, June 3, vs. Minnesota Twins), Sandy Alomar (Wednesday, July 4, vs. California Angels) and Gaylord Perry (Sunday, Aug. 12, vs. Boston Red Sox). We just wonder if the Perry bobblehead comes with an active spitter.

Dogz in the house!!! #poochparty

Not one but two Puppypaloozas are scheduled, for a pair of Wednesday-night games. When Seattle comes to town May 16, former Tribe manager Eric Wedge won't be the only old dog in the park. And when Oakland visits Aug. 29, the pooches are invited back. This is the first time the Indians have had more than one Puppypalooza in a season.

Want to leave the park, then come back? OK at Gate A. #inandout

In the past, if you left a professional ballgame of any kind, you would be like a starting pitcher who is taken out by the manager; no way can you come back. This year, the Indians have instituted a re-entry policy. Fans can have tickets scanned, leave the park and return. So on a cold day, right after you go through the turnstile, don't sweat about leaving that Wahoo hoodie in your car.

Fans: H2OK! #quenchmythirstforfree

Fans now can bring in one sealed bottle of water, no more than 20 ounces. A break from concession prices on a hot day.

sausage and onions.jpgView full sizeWe're a long way from just hot dogs and peanuts at the ballpark. Onion choices, sausage options and a lot more await fans at Progressive Field this season.

Onion CHOICES??? #badbreathatgame

Like onions on your dog or on, well, anything? Two sections will offer multiple types -- white, yellow, even Vidalia -- as well as onion relish and hot sauce.

Move over dogs, gourmet choices at the park. #mouthwatering

It's been years since hot dogs or peanuts were the only options at a ballgame. This year's new items include Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese, pulled-pork sliders and cannolis. There's also a hot dog and sausage bar, gluten-free snacks, veggie options and spicy popcorn toppings.

School daze pay off at the park. #break4students

There are more dates this year with ticket discounts for high school and college students.

It's going to be breezy at Prog Field every game now. #windycity

That big thing high up in the right-field corner is a wind turbine. Thanks to a partnership with Cleveland State University and grants from the Department of Energy, the energy- producing turbine is the first one to be used by a Major League team. Progressive Field also was the first American League park to have solar panels installed, in 2007. Wonder if they can turn it on high when opponents are at the plate . . .

Bona on Twitter: @mbona30

Cleveland Cavaliers A.M. Links: Kyrie Irving's out, but Sloan and Hudson are in; Cavaliers fall again; a lesson in leadership

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Reserve guards try to make their points.

Kyrie IrvingKyrie Irving

Jason Lloyd writes on Ohio.com how Kyrie Irving's shoulder injury has created opportunities for guards Donald Sloan and Lester Hudson.

The guards who were both recently in the Development League will now be asked to carry a heavy load in the Cavs’ backcourt, at least for this road trip that also includes stops in Toronto and New Jersey.

“It’s a golden opportunity,” Cavs coach Byron Scott said. “They’re not only auditioning for us. There’s 29 other teams out there, too, that need backup point guards.”

Sloan started Wednesday against the Bucks and will remain there in Irving’s absence, but Scott also used Hudson extensively at the point in the loss to the Spurs in an effort to get a look at him, writes Lloyd.

Both Hudson and Sloan are competing for a roster spot on the Cavs next season, although Scott said it was entirely too early to say if the team can carry both of them on the roster next season.

  

More Cleveland Cavaliers

Short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers fall to the Milwaukee Bucks (Cleveland.com).

A lesson in leadership for the Cavaliers (Cleveland.com).

Monta Ellis displays dazzling game against the Cavaliers (jsonline.com).

Kyrie Irving could miss 10 games (WFNY.com).

 

 

 

 

Cleveland Browns P.M. Links: Which direction in the NFL draft? Buster Skrine helps out; grade the Browns; Randy Lerner gives a pep talk

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The Browns could go in several directions when it comes to the NFL Draft.

randy lerner.JPGRandy Lerner

Jayson Braddock writes on opposingviews.com how the Cleveland Browns could go in any direction when it comes to the NFL Draft.

On defense, the Browns could go with a cornerback like Morris Claiborne.

Braddock writes how Claiborne wouldn’t be a horrible decision and could actually be beneficial in the long run, but the Browns have to improve their offense and give this team a push to be more of a complete franchise:

Colt McCoy hasn’t done much to limit concerns regarding if he could be a franchise quarterback. He also hasn’t been given a fair shot. In his first two years in the league, he’s witnessed coaching changes and dealt with a running back that basically put his own best interest over that of the team. Colt doesn’t have a receiving threat that he can rely on in any situation. AJ Green helped Andy Dalton’s growth immensely, and McCoy has lacked that. Still, the Browns organization may view Ryan Tannehill as a franchise guy that makes the system click. Ryan can make everything throw and has anticipation beyond his years.

Braddock writes how receiver Justin Blackmon would give Colt McCoy that ideal presence in the passing offense. The problem with drafting Justin with the fourth pick is the fact that this team could still find a talented starter with their 22nd pick overall, in the second round, and even later.

 

More Cleveland Browns

Buster Skrine helps former college teammates (WRCBTV.com).

USC offensive tackle visiting the Browns this week (Cleveland.com).

Randy Lerner gives his "other team" a pep talk (MailOnline.com).

Grade the Browns during free agency (ESPN.com).

 

 

 

'PD Sports Insider': Mary Kay Cabot talks Browns and NFL Draft

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On today's PD Sports Insider, The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore were joined by Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot to talk Browns and the NFL Draft. Dennis Manoloff was off today. Watch video

Is the Browns backing of Colt McCoy really a smokescreen? Should the Browns think about drafting offensive tackle Matt Kalil if he falls to No. 4?

On today's PD Sports Insider, The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw and cleveland.com's Glenn Moore were joined by Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot to talk Browns and the NFL Draft. Dennis Manoloff was off today.

Hit play on the video to watch the program as the PD Sports Insider team talks about:

- Does Seneca Wallace deserve a chance at quarterback?

- Who are some players the Browns might take in the later rounds?

- Mary Kay will also talk about her latest Mock Draft 2.0, in which she has the Browns still taking wide receiver Justin Blackmon.

Watch as the team also talks about new rule changes and what would be realistic expectations for the Browns this upcoming season.

Today's PD Sports Insider is brought to you by Ed Tomko Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Avon Lake. Stay tuned for the next show Monday, April 9 at noon.

Be sure to like PD Sports Insider on Facebook

About the show: "PD Sports Insider" airs live every Monday and Thursday at noon. Co-hosted by Bud Shaw and Dennis Manoloff, the show features a timely and lively debate of the biggest sports topics of the day and gives readers a chance to interact directly with PD sportswriters and columnists.

Viewers have to the opportunity to ask questions and post comments in a live chat room during the show. They can also their video questions during the week. Fans who miss the live show can watch the archive, available a few hours later.



Byron Scott staying upbeat despite Cleveland Cavaliers' losing streak, says Mary Schmitt Boyer (SBTV)

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Plain Dealer reporter says coach is still trying to push the right buttons so Cavs will compete every night. Watch video


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.


The NBA's regular season is starting to wind down. One highlight was Wednesday night's showdown between LeBron James' Miami Heat and Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder. Which player do you think should be voted league MVP? That's our question in today's Starting Blocks poll.


In other news, the Cavaliers lost another game Wednesday night, this time on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks.Today's guest is Plain Dealer reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer, who covered the game last night. She says Byron Scott has handled the Cavs' losing ways extremely well considering how short-handed the team is


She also talks about the Cavs' newest backcourt additions; and whether Anthony Parker and Antawn Jamison will be wearing Cavs uniforms next season.


SBTV will return Friday with Plain Dealer Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot answering fan questions from her weekly Hey, Mary Kay! feature.






Brandon Weeden talks about visit with Cleveland Browns; and why he will not attend NFL Draft

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"I hope to go in the first round, but there are a lot of unknowns," says Oklahoma State QB.

brandon-weeden-justin-blackmon.jpgOklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, right, and wide receiver Justin Blackmon, left, during their pro day last month in Stillwater, Okla.


Brandon Weeden has agreed to share his NFL draft preparation with the AP with weekly interviews.

Brandon Weeden passed on a chance to attend the NFL draft in New York, choosing instead to find out his future from the comfort of his parents' home in Edmond, Okla.

The Oklahoma State quarterback is being projected as a possible late first- or second-round pick.

He received an official invite to the draft from the NFL last week, but the thought of spending a night -- or more -- backstage at Radio City Music Hall waiting for his name to be called wasn't appealing.

"I really contemplated going," he said. "I hope to go in the first round, but there are a lot of unknowns."

Through the years, several high-profile quarterbacks have become the story of the draft because of when they weren't drafted.

Aaron Rodgers was perhaps the most famous draft day slider. San Francisco considered taking him first overall out of California, but instead chose Alex Smith of Utah. Rodgers, who was at the draft, waited hours before being picked No. 24 by Green Bay.

Brady Quinn had a similar slide in 2007 and ended up going to Cleveland with the 22st overall pick.

Weeden is not in the conversation to go at the very top of the draft. No. 1 will likely be Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck to the Colts and No. 2 is penciled in to be Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III to the Redskins.

There has been, however, more and more speculation about Weeden being selected in the first round, especially after he visited the Cleveland Browns earlier this week.

The Browns own the No. 4 pick -- which could be used on Weeden's teammate, receiver Justin Blackmon -- and the No. 22 pick. Cleveland also picks early in the second round, No. 36 overall.

The 28-year-old Weeden spent Sunday night and almost all day Monday at the Browns' facility in Berea, Ohio. He met with coach Pat Shurmur and general manager Tom Heckert and even spent some time with team president Mike Holmgren, the former Packers and Seahawks coach.

Getting to see where NFL players go to work got Weeden's competitive juices flowing.

"It makes you hungry," he said. "You get chomping at the bit to get to one of these places and go play."

The trips serve as second interviews of sorts of the players and teams. The first time they meet is at the combine in February. When a team brings a player in for another face-to-face meeting it can only speak to the player. No workouts allowed.

If a team wants another look at a player performing, the team must go to the player.

Weeden said he's had at least one team come to Stillwater, Okla., to watch him throw again, and he's set to make another trip early next week.

On Wednesday, he found out from his agent, Sean Howard, that two more teams want to bring him in -- though those details are still to be worked out.

Before Weeden takes another business trip, he's got one scheduled for pleasure this weekend.

Weeden, along with his father, brother and wife, are heading to Augusta, Ga., for the Masters.

Weeden, a former minor league baseball player who also walked on Oklahoma State's golf team, attended the final round of last year's Masters. He's excited to take his dad to the most famous golf course in the country.

"I always wanted to have a way to get him there," he said. "He's tickled to death."

The Weedens have already started mapping out draft day plans, and it won't be a totally private party. ESPN will have a camera in the house to check in throughout the process and capture Weeden's reaction when he gets picked.

The Masters trip will be a welcome distraction for Weeden with the three-day draft, which starts April 26, getting closer.

"When it starts to settle in that it's only three weeks out, I get pretty anxious," he said.


Cleveland Indians P.M. Links: Justin Masterson is ready; leaving the bad in the past; game preview

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Justin Masterson looks to build on his breakout season.

justin-masterson3.jpgJustin Masterson

Cleveland Indians pitcher Justin Masterson will start today and he's looking to build on the breakout showing he had in 2011 with the Tribe, writes reporter Jordan Bastian on MLB.com.

Last season, Masterson finished 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 appearances. He didn't get a lot of support. For instance, he received just 22 runs of help from the lineup during one 11-start stretch.

Don't worry, be happy.

"That's OK," Masterson said with a shrug. "We still win ballgames when we don't score many runs."

The joke is that Masterson's laid-back take on things stems being born in Kingston, Jamaica. The truth of the matter is he was only there for a few years, while his dad -- a pastor -- worked in ministry on the island. Masterson's family moved to Indiana when he was very young, and then to Beavercreek, Ohio, where he spent most of his youth.

The question early in Masterson's career was whether he was best utilized as a starter or reliever, writes Bastian. A second-round draft pick by Boston in 2006, Masterson climbed to the Major Leagues with the Red Sox in '08. They told him he could pitch in the big leagues if he was willing to work out of the bullpen.

Deep down, Masterson still believed he could be a starter, though there were plenty of evaluators that looked at his style -- primarily sinker and slider -- and felt his future in the game was in relief. At the July 31 Trade Deadline in 2009, Cleveland acquired Masterson from the Red Sox as part of the deal that sent Victor Martinez to Boston.

Masterson was thrown into the Tribe's rotation and he went 1-7 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 outings down the stretch.

 

More Tribe news

Everything leading up to today's game between the Tribe and the Jays (Cleveland.com).

Tribe hope to put poor spring training behind them (The News-Herald).

Preview of today's game between the Indians and the Blue Jays (CantonRep.com).

Masterson can make believers out of the doubters (Ohio.com).

Sorry folks, but this guy in Toronto says the Blue Jays look good (Toronto Sun).

The Tribe's fate doesn't look good this season (Cleveland.com).

Talkin' Tribe with Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto during Opening Day Breakfast (Cleveland.com).

Cleveland Indians talk about their gloves (Cleveland.com).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gregg Williams audio from New Orleans Saints pregame meeting does not help his bounty case with NFL

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In audio, Williams tells players to target players with concussions, injuries; offers to pay for a shot on 49ers QB Alex Smith.

gregg.jpgGregg Williams was the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville prior to joining the Saints.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams tells his players to target opponents with concussions and makes other not-so-kind comments on an audio obtained by Yahoo.com.

The recording was done the night before the Saints played the San Francisco 49ers in a playoff game.

Michael Silver of Yahoo writes:

In the speech at the team’s hotel near the San Francisco Airport, Williams – according to documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon – at one point made a hand signal suggesting he would personally pay for a ferocious shot on 49ers quarterback Alex Smith.

Williams also referenced the prospect of his players inflicting a severe knee injury upon San Francisco wideout Michael Crabtree and exhorted them to “put a lick on” backup receiver Kyle Williams in an effort to “find out” if he was still suffering from the effects of a late-December concussion.

Here's the audio of the speech. Due to the profanity, parental discretion is advised.

 

 

 

 

Live Cleveland Indians Opening Day chat with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore

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Join cleveland.com's Glenn Moore as he will be taking your Tribe questions and comments during their Opening Day matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays.

tribe-opener-2011-gugliotta-overhead.jpgIn good seasons or bad, Opening Day offers a chance to create memories for Indians fans that may have very little to do with what happens on the field.
Join cleveland.com's Glenn Moore as he will be taking your questions and comments during Opening Day 2012 from Progressive Field.

The Cleveland Indians will be taking on the Toronto Blue Jays to start the 2012 campaign at 3:05 EST.

Justin Masterson will take the hill for the Tribe as Ricky Romero will throw for the Blue Jays.

Be sure to follow Cleveland Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes (@hoynsie) and Dennis Manoloff (@dmansworldpd) as they will be tweeting live from the game.

Fans flock and hope at Indians' home opener

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It was the 20th straight sellout for Indians' home openers, including all the ones at what's now Progressive Field. The weather was brisk but a big improvement on many past openers, especially 2007's, snowed out one pitch from an Indians win. Watch video


 Maybe we call this time of year spring for what the hopes of baseball
fans do.

    A sellout crowd mobbed Progressive Field today for another season of
"What if?"

    "We're undefeated!" Jim Kleinfelter boasted before the home opener.

    Fans said there's no game like the opener.

    "This is my favorite day of the year," said Rachel Walker of Shaker
Heights. "It's the start of the spring. It's real festive. Everybody's
hopeful."

    Jodi Spiker of Montville Township in Medina County came with two
grandchildren. She likes seeing each year's roster debut.

    "It's sad that we lose players, but it's exciting to see the new
players."

    Today's game was the 20th straight opening sellout. The weather was
brisk but sunny. Fans considered it a big improvement on many past openers,
especially 2007's, which snow postponed one pitch from an Indians win.

    "As long as it's not raining or snowing, it's perfect," said Greg
Essman, who came with his father and his son.

    Jim Lyman drove from Washington, D.C., this morning to return to his
old town and root for its team. He said no one roots like Clevelanders.
"The fans are crazy here."

    Sellouts mean traffic. Mike Mackow said he had to park at E. 40th St.
and get a ride to E. 21st, which was as close as the crush allowed.

    The opener began with plenty of ceremony. Two warplanes flew overhead.  An
American flag was unfurled from foul pole to foul pole. Red, white and blue
balloons sailed away. Singers performed two national anthems, including the
Canadian one, which honored the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

    The Indians eased two security rules this year. Each fan may bring one
factory-sealed plastic bottle of water up to 20 ounces.  And anyone may
leave the park and return, both through a dedicated spot at Gate A.

    The club has also added more "Dollar Dog" days and beefed up other
promotions.

    Cleveland had its warmest winter on record, but the Indians had a tough
few months. Injuries struck Grady Sizemore and several teammates. Fausto
Carmona turned into Roberto Hernandez and persona non grata with
immigration officials. The Indians notched the major leagues' worst record
in spring training.

    But cold facts couldn't chill many hearts today.  Fans recalled the
team's surprisingly long run at a division title last year, despite
injuries that never seemed to end. They shared the spirit of the Indians'
"What If?" campaign, now in its second season.

    "They could go a lot further this year," said Jim Lyman.

    Said Lorenzo Endres, 13, "They're going all the way!"

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