"Nice win! It is time to bring up and try LaPorta again. They need to give him another shot while he is hot. He replace Duncan or Kotchman. Like Kothman's defense, but he is not the 300 hitter he was last year and we can use someone that hits home runs and gets rbi's like LaPorta is right now. What does the Tribe have to lose - if he performs they just made their lineup that much stronger." - DBV

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerOne cleveland.com reader states it's time to bring up Matt LaPorta.

"Nice win! It is time to bring up and try LaPorta again. They need to give him another shot while he is hot. He replace Duncan or Kotchman. Like Kothman's defense, but he is not the 300 hitter he was last year and we can use someone that hits home runs and gets rbi's like LaPorta is right now. What does the Tribe have to lose - if he performs they just made their lineup that much stronger."

The Indians look to take the series tonight in Chicago as they finish up their series with the White Sox. First pitch is at 8:10 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes @hoynsie.

The Indians look to take the series tonight in Chicago as they finish up their series with the White Sox. First pitch is at 8:10 p.m. Get game updates on Twitter from Paul Hoynes @hoynsie or click here for a live game box score. You can also download our Cleveland Indians app for Android to get Tribe updates on your mobile device. Read on for a game preview.

View full sizeAP Photo/Charles Rex ArbogastThe Tribe look to take the third game of their series with the Chicago White Sox tonight.

Cavs could pick anywhere from first to sixth, though somewhere in the middle of that range is more probable mathematically. Beal, a shooting guard, excelled for Florida as a freshman.

Associated PressFlorida guard Bradley Beal during an NCAA tournament practice in March.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NBA draft lottery isn't quite four weeks away, and the draft is less than two months from now.

The re-building Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season with a 21-45 record, will be among the teams in the spotlight for both events.

Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Tom Reed wrote about the team's draft standing last Friday:

The club has two first-round picks and the lowest they will select after factoring in the May 30th lottery is sixth overall. They also own the 24th pick from the Lakers. In the second round, they have selections Nos. 33 and 34.

It's a strong mathematical improbability that the Cavaliers would drop to sixth in the draft order. The Cavs' positioning for both of their first-round picks was aided somewhat last Friday, as Plain Dealer reporter Mary Schmitt Boyer wrote that a couple tiebreakers went the Cavs' way:

They won two tiebreakers that will improve their position in the upcoming NBA lottery on May 30 and draft on June 28.

In the first drawing, Cleveland (21-45) won a tiebreaker with New Orleans (21-45) and now ranks third, with 138 chances out of 1,000, for the No. 1 pick in the NBA lottery. New Orleans, now fourth, will have 137 chances. Even if three teams behind them move up in the lottery, the Cavs will pick no worse than sixth.

The Cavs won the lottery last spring and used the No. 1 pick to select Kyrie Irving, the likely Rookie of the Year.

In the second drawing, the Los Angeles Lakers (41-25) won a tiebreaker with the Memphis Grizzlies (41-25) and now have the No. 24 pick in the NBA draft, a pick that was sent to the Cavs in the trade for Ramon Sessions.

As the draft approaches -- especially after the lottery is conducted and the playoffs end -- we will see more and more mock drafts.

Most mock drafts to date project the lottery teams' draft order based on how many ping pong balls they'll have working for them at the lottery.

For instance, mynbadraft.com has the Cavs picking third, and selecting Florida's freshman shooting guard, Bradley Beal.

Included in the mynbadraft.com draft profile for Beal:

He possesses nearly unlimited range and is dependable from the free throw line. Since his junior year in high school, scouts have compared Beal’s shooting ability to that of Ray Allen. His shooting prowess especially showed itself in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, where he shot 8-19 from three point land in four tournament games.

Two other key elements that set him apart from the average division one shooting guard are his unselfishness and intense work ethic. Beal is a natural basketball player--he does not take many forced shots, attacks the rim when the opportunity presents itself, and makes smart decisions on passes. Also, Beal devotes significant time to making his game better--even in high school, he would come before school to shoot and would stay after practice to work on his shooting most days of the week, proving that he has known the value of working hard since a young age.

Mynbadraft.com has the Cavs using their second first-rounder, at No. 24 overall, to pick Syracuse center Fab Melo.

More NBA mock drafts:

Cavaliers select Bradley Beal at No. 3 and a man in the middle at 24. (WalterFootball.com)

Bradley Beal and a forward for the Cavaliers in the first round. (nba-draft.com)

In the first round, the Cavaliers draft a small forward and a swingman. (DraftExpress.com) 

Not one, but two big men picked by the Cavs in the first round. (NBADraft.net)

Even though the Cavs need more outside shooting and players who can create their own shots, a center and a power forward go to Cleveland in the first round. (NBA Draft Room)

"Hopefully this will not be the case. Harrison Barnes is the most over-rated player on this list. He was highly touted out of high school, but he has not worked hard enough to improve his game significantly and especially to play defense." - Chitown Sid

View full sizeAP Photo/Gerry BroomeOne cleveland.com reader thinks Harrison Barnes would be a bad fit for the Cavaliers.

"Hopefully this will not be the case. Harrison Barnes is the most over-rated player on this list. He was highly touted out of high school, but he has not worked hard enough to improve his game significantly and especially to play defense."

First-round pick tells The Plain Dealer that he's eager for next week's minicamp and welcomes the chance to be the Browns' new starter.

View full sizePD file photo"I'm just really just champing at the bit to get to Cleveland," Browns rookie QB Brandon Weeden said Thursday, "and get going on learning this offense and meeting the guys around me and start working to win a lot of football games."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brandon Weeden knows he's on the fast track to be the Browns' starting quarterback, and it can't happen soon enough.

"I feel like I'm ready," Weeden told The Plain Dealer Thursday. "I have a long way to go, but I feel like I've taken the right steps to get to where I can play at that level.

"If I'm asked to be the guy Day One, I'm going to do everything on my part to put our team in position to win games and score points. I'm really anxious to get going and the season will be here before you know it."

Weeden, the No. 22 overall pick, said he's been inspired by the rookie quarterbacks who started last season.

"You see guys like Andy Dalton and Cam Newton and Christian Ponder that came in, these guys played relatively soon. That's what I mentioned to teams the entire time, that my maturity in baseball will help," he said. "There's going to be a learning curve. It's going to be a challenge, but I have a lot of faith in my ability to play football."

Weeden, who will attend rookie camp May 11-13, said he's been mostly insulated from the buzz his selection generated, including the impact on the status of Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.

"I understand how that works," he said. "It's a business and there's a lot that goes into it, but honestly, I'm still in Oklahoma trying to get all my stuff together, so I'm not in Cleveland, which probably makes it a little bit different.

"Those are two great quarterbacks and they've had a lot of success at that level. It's kind of something you need, kind of relying on them, getting help from those guys. Like I said, I'm just really just champing at the bit to get to Cleveland and get going on learning this offense and meeting the guys around me and start working to win a lot of football games."

Weeden also knows he's been asked to elevate the play of the current crop of receivers. The Browns also drafted Miami speedster Travis Benjamin.

"It's all about the chemistry," said Weeden. "It's all about comfort, trusting the guys you're throwing it to and letting them make a play. That's going to take some time, working with these guys and getting a feel for what each guy can do.

"I look forward to us pushing each other and getting the most out of each other."

One of Weeden's Oklahoma State targets, Josh Cooper, is coming to Cleveland as an undrafted free agent. Weeden was driving in the car with Cooper Thursday when he did the phone interview. Cooper was Oklahoma State's second-leading receiver last season behind Justin Blackmon, with 71 catches for 715 yards and three TDs.

"We came in the same year and he's a guy that's made a lot of big-time plays for us at Oklahoma State," said Weeden. "Josh is actually going to live with me, so we'll be able to help each other learn this entire system and get through this entire process."

Weeden, who went 23-3 the past two seasons, said it won't be a problem going from the spread's shotgun attack to the West Coast scheme and operating under center.

"When I was at the Senior Bowl and I was under center, we ran the same exact offense as we run in Cleveland," he said. "I felt more comfortable under center than actually taking snaps in the shotgun.

"The biggest difference between the West Coast offense and what we did at Oklahoma State is the terminology. I don't think it will be a huge, huge, adjustment at all."

He also disputed critics who questioned his ability to throw under duress.

"You've just to get a feel for it," he said. "You have to stand in there and take a hit. If you throw a good ball and you take a shot to the chin, it's always a little more fun.

"To be the quarterback you've got to be a tough guy. You don't get to hit anybody, everybody just gets to hit you, so you've just got to take on that mentality."

Weeden said he appreciated working with former Browns offensive coordinator Marc Trestman for three days before the NFL combine and also meeting former Browns QB Bernie Kosar at the Senior Bowl.

"I've talked to [Kosar] from then on out," said Weeden. "Obviously he had a great career in Cleveland. When you get to this level you need guys like that to talk to and help get a feel for what you're about to go through."

For fans wanting to buy his jersey, he confirmed what everyone already knew.

"I'm letting the cat out of the bag," he said. "I was informed Friday I'll be wearing No. 3."

Thistledown opens its season with horse players and horsemen wondering where the thoroughbreds will run in the future.

View full sizeMarvin Fong, The Plain DealerAs Thistledown prepares to open its 2012 season on Friday, officials have been checking sites around Ohio where the new racino might be built, with the Akron-Canton region the most rumored destination.

NORTH RANDALL, Ohio -- Thoroughbred horse racing returns to Thistledown Friday for the 2012 season, but bettors and horsemen are wondering if this could be the last season at the track, and where the thoroughbreds will run in the future.

Thistledown was bought two years ago with the intention of turning it into a racino, with a combination of betting on horse racing and video slot machines, known as VLTs. The push for the new gambling money, however, would mean moving the track to avoid competing with the new Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, which opens May 14.

Thistledown officials have been checking sites around Ohio where another race track might be built, with the Akron-Canton region the most rumored destination. It has to be far enough from Cleveland so the much-anticipated video slots -- which have approved for Thistledown and Ohio's six other horse racing tracks -- won't draw money from the new Horseshoe Casino.

Thistledown's horsemen are generally happy with the prospect of racinos, which have led to bigger purses and more stakes races in Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. They hope it will happen in Ohio, where horse racing has been in a downward spiral for more than two decades.

And few owners, trainers or jockeys would mind a new location for Thistledown. The move could happen next year or be delayed until 2014, depending on a lawsuit challenging the slots at Ohio's seven race tracks.

The horse racing fans around Cleveland will miss the short trip to Thistledown, and the familiarity of their long-time gambling home where they can play the ponies for 122 days a year. Most won't miss the gloomy stands, empty clubhouse and lack of amenities at the lackluster brick fortress built more than a half-century ago.

"Because of the new gambling, most horsemen think better things are coming next year in Ohio, and in the future," said Tim Hamm of Blazing Meadows Farm in Ellsworth, a top trainer at Thistledown. Hamm is president of the Ohio Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners and a director of the Ohio Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association.

"We've got about $1.7 million in the Ohio Fund right now for races for Ohio-bred horses," said Hamm. "We're hoping that will jump to $6.5 million to $8 million in the near future. There are a total of 33 stakes for Ohio-breds this year. We'd like to get that back up to the mid-40s, the number we had 10 years ago."

There can be a darker side to all of that money. The New York Times reported this week on the deaths of horses entered in low-grade New York races, the type of thoroughbred competition common at Thistledown.

Raising purses too high in races designed for bottom-level horses can entice owners and trainers to risk horses' long-term health in exchange for the possible reward of a quick-fix payoff. In New York, The Times found that trainers and owners have been using a variety of drugs to mask horses' ailments, putting them at risk of further injury and even death.

Hamm, who has about 30 horses at Thistledown and another string of thoroughbreds at Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pa., agrees track officials and horsemen's groups must keep a close eye on purses.

"You can't run a horse worth $7,500 for a $30,000 purse," said Hamm. "The purse structure needs to be well thought out. Overloading the lower claiming races with high purses would be prohibitive. We need to return to a schedule that features quality Ohio horses as well as open stakes, which attract top racing talent from around the country."

"It is a problem, and it happened at West Virginia's Mountaineer Park in the late 1990s when that track first got VLTs," said Thistledown racing secretary Bill Couch. "We know we'll have to evenly divide the purse money throughout the race programs. That takes away the incentive to race a horse that isn't healthy."

The Ohio Derby is a prime example of Thistledown's financial slump. Once a $300,000 stakes race recognized around the country, this year's $100,000 Ohio Derby on July 7 will struggle to attract any of the country's premier 3-year-olds.

Hamm said he understands the need to move Thistledown.

"Geographically, it makes sense," he said. "[Horseshoe Casino Cleveland] doesn't need to compete against themselves."

Rock Ohio Caesars owns both the casino and Thistledown, and no one is talking horse racing. Thistledown General Manager Lee Dillard has not been available this week. Calls have not been returned from Jennifer Kulczycki, communications director for casino developer Rock Ohio Caesars.

Whether Thistledown stays or goes, Hamm believes the video slots will survive a court challenge from Ohio Roundtable, a Strongsville-based group that says a statewide vote is needed to allow them.

"I'm 99 percent confident the courts will rule in our favor," said Hamm,

The Thistledown of the future won't be much like the ThistleDown of July 20, 1925, when Roiville, a 3-year-old filly, won the first race at the new track. It won't be like the present-day Thistledown, an uninviting building that hasn't changed much since it was completed in 1957 after the old facility burned.

Youngstown's Edward J. DeBartolo bought the track in 1959. After he died in 1994, Canadian race track magnet Frank Stronach of Magna Entertainment purchased Thistledown in 1999. It quickly became a financial drain for Stronach's empire.

The possibility of video slots prompted Harrah's Entertainment Corporation, now Caesars Entertainment Corporation, to buy Thistledown for $43 million in July 2010.

When the starting gate rolls out for Friday's first race, the iron seats on the asphalt track apron overlooking the stretch will be crowded. There will be mostly older fans who relish this special rite of spring -- and the chance to bet $2 on the nose of a longshot, or toss a few bucks into a trifecta pool with their friends.

"It's opening day, and we're all hoping for a little magic," said veteran trainer Shirley Girten-Drake of Brecksville. "After a long winter off, we've got our horses ready and we're all rarin' to go again. The bettors have little formulas they hope will mean big payoffs. Horse owners and trainers are sending out young thoroughbreds with a clean slate, and all the possibilities in the world.

"Opening day is horse racing excitement around here, and I wouldn't want to miss it."

Manny Acta gives Travis Hafner a night off after he was hit in the right knee by a Phil Humber pitch in Wednesday's victory over the White Sox.

View full sizeChris Sweda, Chicago TribuneTravis Hafner, greeted by Asdrubal Cabrera, provided the insurance on Wednesday's victory over the White Sox with a two-run homer in the ninth inning.

CHICAGO -- If Travis Hafner spends the rest of the season jogging as much as he did Wednesday night, he'd be a happy man. Still, that didn't mean his right knee hurt any less after Chicago's Phil Humber hit him with a pitch.

Manager Manny Acta took that into consideration and gave Hafner a night off Thursday. Johnny Damon DH'd in Hafner's absence.

"Hafner is OK, but he could use a night off," said Acta before the game.

Humber hit Hafner in the third inning. He started icing the knee right after the inning and stayed in the game. It was a good thing. His two-out single in the fifth brought Carlos Santana to the plate and he promptly hit a long three-run homer to give the Indians a 3-1 lead. In the ninth, after Jack Hannahan's two-out double gave the Indians a 4-3 lead in the eighth, Hafner's two-run homer secured a 6-3 victory.

Hafner was able to jog home after each homer.

"The knee is a lot better now," said Hafner before Thursday's game. "The ball hit right where there's no fat. It's all bone -- so that wasn't a great spot. But, it felt better as I was icing it between at-bats and stuff. By the end of the game, it was doing better."

Acta's best advice to Hafner was to continue hitting the ball over the fence.

"That makes a lot of sense," said a smiling Hafner. "It was perfect, because I was on first and Carlos hit the homer. Then I hit a homer in the ninth. I didn't even have to worry about it."

Hafner is off to a strong start to the season. He's hitting .290 (20-for-69) with four doubles, three homers and 12 RBI. He's tied with Asdrubal Cabrera for the team lead in slugging percentage at .478 and leads the Indians with a .438 on-base percentage. He has 17 walks compared to 12 strikeouts.

"I've heard veteran guys in the past say if you play in the AL Central that you just try to survive April," said Hafner. "Then when the weather warms up, the ball carries better and you can put up better numbers and stuff like that.

"I feel like overall my approach and swing and everything feels really good. I can go up there every at-bat, no matter who I'm facing, and give myself a chance to do some damage and drive in runs."

Hafner's homer on Wednesday moved him into ninth place on the Indians' all-time homer list with 191. He had been tied with Rocky Colavito. He's one homer shy of tying Al Rosen for eighth place. Jim Thome is the all-time leader with 339 followed by Albert Belle (242), Manny Ramirez (236), Earl Averill (226), Hal Trosky (216), Larry Doby (215) and Andre Thornton (214).

Two-out trouble: Hannahan entered Thursday's game a dangerous man with two out. He was hitting .400 (10-for-25) with two outs. With two out and runners in scoring position, he's hitting .615 (8-for-13) with an MLB-leading 12 RBI.

"I love coming up with guys in scoring position," said Hannahan. "It's all about staying with your approach and not trying to do too much. It's easy to get excited and pull off a ball you should be able to drive."

Hannahan said in the past he's tried too hard in such situations. "I found this year that less is more," he said.

Hannahan hit a 97 mph fastball from Addison Reed for his go-ahead double Wednesday.

Let's try this again: Damon, after leaving his Indians debut on Wednesday with "general cramping" from dehydration, made sure he had plenty of fluids before Thursday's game.

"I'm anticipating he won't be cramping up DHing," said Acta. "That takes care of about 50 percent of the action."

Damon said he's been forced out of his season-opening games "three or four times" because of cramps. Trainer Lonnie Soloff told Damon it usually takes seven days for a person to adjust to the humidity after leaving a dry region like Arizona. The Indians sent Damon to their spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., to sharpen his game after signing him on April 17.

"That's only the second time I've trained in Arizona," said Damon. "Usually when you break camp, you go north where it's cooler, but the guys were telling me Wednesday was the most they sweated since the start of the season."

Damon popped up in his first at-bat Thursday, but doubled in his next. He came around to score on Jason Kipnis' triple to give the Tribe a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Ohio State senior hurdler Christina Manning, with the fastest 100-meter American time this year, has a college season to finish before setting her sights on London.

View full sizeOSU photo"They say track is 90 percent mental," says OSU hurdler Christina Manning, "and I believe that 100 percent. A lot of my teammates ask me about that -- how do I stay focused? But I don't stress myself out. I don't think I have to win. It's going to happen or it's not."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State track coach Karen Dennis calls it "Five Ring Fever," and it may be the only thing that can keep Buckeyes' hurdler Christina Manning from reaching the Summer Olympics.

An OSU senior, Manning has the fastest American time in the 100-meter hurdles this year with a 12.68, as well as a wind-aided 12.57. That also puts her among the fastest times in the world. A chance at the London Games will be there for her when she competes at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., with the heats and final in the 100 hurdles scheduled for June 22-23.

But first there are the Big Ten Championships in Madison, Wis., next weekend. Then the NCAA East Preliminary Round, May 24-25 in Jacksonville, Fla. Then the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 6-9.

Then she can think about those five Olympic rings.

"She has people come up and fill her head with visions of grandeur," Dennis said Thursday. "I don't want to bypass these steps and assume Christina is a lock on the Olympic team, because she is not. Anything can happen, and a lot of times things do happen.

"My role right now is to keep her grounded, healthy and fit so she can go through the necessary steps that lead to the Olympic trials. Don't get caught up in the hype; get caught up in the preparation. That's what will get her there."

But does Dennis expect to see her star athlete in London?

"I do," she said. "I really do."

Manning laughed at the mention of Five Ring Fever, well-versed in the Dennis philosophy. The Maryland native will try to adhere to the thinking, just happy now with the way she's running and the way she's feeling.

"It's hard for me to grasp how well I've been performing until my coach says it," Manning said.

Dennis said Manning may be the best female American in the 100 hurdles since Gail Devers, who never won an Olympic hurdle medal but won gold in the 100 meters in both 1992 and 1996. She believes Manning could break Devers' American record of 12.33.

Manning may be the best female OSU track athlete since Stephanie Hightower, who made the 1980 Olympic team but didn't participate in the Games because of the United States' boycott.

Dennis believes that talent fueled by a competitive nature sets Manning apart. Dennis has seen how much she can accomplish with it and what happened earlier in her career when it was missing.

"They say track is 90 percent mental," Manning said, "and I believe that 100 percent. A lot of my teammates ask me about that -- how do I stay focused? But I don't stress myself out. I don't think I have to win. It's going to happen or it's not."

So far in her OSU career, it has happened a lot. She was the NCAA champ in the 60 meter hurdles during this indoor season, after a second-place finish in the 100 hurdles outdoors last year. She is a seven-time Big Ten champ, a three-time Big Ten track athlete of the year between the indoor and outdoor seasons and holds school records in four events.

She said nothing at this level makes her nervous any longer. But the Olympics, which she's been asked about since she started running?

"Thinking about [the Olympic trials] is the only thing that gets me nervous," Manning said. "But I know I can make it. I really feel like in my heart I will be at the Olympics."

Indians capture rubber game of series as Justin Masterson gets first win of season.

CHICAGO — When Jason Kipnis made his first trip to U.S. Cellular Field in August as a member of the Indians, he was eager to play in front of family and friends. He's from Northbrook, Ill., and lives in Chicago during the off-season.

It didn't happen as Kipnis fell prey to something called "ballistic stretching" by Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff. Kipnis strained his hamstring during his own set of pregame stretches to put himself on the disabled list.

This season neither ballistic stretching nor Chicago's pitching could stop Kipnis as he hit a three-run homer Thursday in the seventh inning to lead the Indians to a 7-5 victory over the White Sox. Kipnis hit .545 (6-for-11) with one homer and five RBI as the Indians won the three-game series to stretch their lead in the American League Central.

Chicago had just cut the Tribe's lead to 4-3 when Kipnis hit a 3-1 pitch into the right-field bleachers with two out. Casey Kotchman and Jack Hannahan, who singled off loser John Danks (2-4, 6.51), scored in front of Kipnis.

It was Kipnis' fourth homer. He hit an RBI triple in the third.

"This trip was just a little bit better," said Kipnis, when asked to compare it to his August visit. "We were just laughing about it in the trainer's room. I made the adjustment.

"No ballistic stretch this time. No coming out in the cold and shooting down for a hamstring."

Kipnis started the season slowly, hitting .167 (8-for-48) in his first 12 games. In his past 11 games, he's hitting .439 (18-for-41).

"I had confidence in myself," Kipnis said. "I knew I didn't come out of the gates like I wanted to. I was still having good at-bats and had the right approach.

"I'm pretty happy it happened in Chicago. I had people here. There was maybe 10 or so ... parents, grandparents, cousins and a handful of friends. It's nice to play well, but it's also nice to play well in front of friends and family."

Justin Masterson (1-2, 5.20) went 6 1/3 innings for his first win of the season. He allowed three runs on eight hits in 96 pitches with six strikeouts and three walks. In his previous three starts, he walked 15 and struck out eight.

When asked about Kipnis, Masterson, borrowing from a Nike slogan that used to be popular in Cleveland, said, "We are all Kipnises of how great he's going to be as a hitter."

A two-run homer by Adam Dunn off Dan Wheeler in the ninth made it 7-5. Chris Perez relieved to earn his ninth save, striking out A.J. Pierzynski and getting Alex Rios to ground to shortstop with a runner on base. When Rios reached first, he turned and shouted at Perez.

"After I got the third out, I yelled like I usually do," Perez said. "I'm always pretty fired up. Maybe he thought I was yelling at him, but I wasn't. I was happy for my teammates, happy for the win."

Manager Manny Acta went with Wheeler in the ninth because he had a 7-3 lead and the Indians are in a stretch where they'll play 21 games in 20 days.

"Dan hadn't pitched in a week and I was trying to stay away from Chris and Vinnie Pestano," Acta said.

The Indians led, 3-0, after three innings.

Michael Brantley, with two out, sent a chopper over the mound in the second. Danks jumped and tried to grab it with his bare hand, but dropped it. He made an underhand throw to first that cleared Paul Konerko's head as Brantley went to second on the hit and error.

Casey Kotchman, who entered the game 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position, singled to make it 1-0.

The Indians added two runs in the third. Johnny Damon started the inning with a double to right for his first hit as an Indian. Kipnis followed with a triple to center for a 2-0 lead. Asdrubal Cabrera made it 3-0 with a single before Danks escaped.

Chicago made it 3-2 on Alejandro De Aza's two-out single in the fifth. Masterson, who had allowed just two hits through the first four innings, walked former Indian Kosuke Fukudome to start the inning. Gordon Beckham followed with a bunt single and Eduardo Escobar advanced them with a sacrifice bunt.

De Aza, 1-for-8 in his career against Masterson entering the fifth, lined a 1-1 pitch up the middle. Masterson seemed to be in position to field it, but it skipped off his arm and rolled into right field for a two-run single.

Cabrera started the sixth with a homer to left center for a 4-2 lead. It was Cabrera's third homer of the season and first since April 13.

The White Sox were not deterred. Masterson retired the first two batters in the sixth, but Pierzynski doubled. Pierzynski has been a nemesis for Masterson, entering the game hitting .400 (10-for-25) against him. Rios singled to center to score Pierzynski ahead of Brantley's throw home.

The start of the game was delayed for 19 minutes by the threat of rain.

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

On Twitter: @hoynsie

A quick look at the matchups for this weekend's three-game series.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressYu Darvish will pitch for the Rangers in the final game of this weekend's three-game series.

Where: Progressive Field.

When: Friday through Sunday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio, WKYC Ch. 3 Sunday; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: RHP Colby Lewis (3-0, 1.93) vs. RHP Jeanmar Gomez (1-1, 2.35) Friday at 7:05; RHP Derek Holland (2-2, 5.13) vs. RHP Derek Lowe (4-1, 2.27) Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Yu Darvish (4-0, 2.18) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-2, 5.02) Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Season series: The Indians went 1-9 against Texas last year. Texas leads, 234-189, overall.

Rangers update: They've lost two straight after going 17-6 in April. The Rangers hit .306 against the Tribe last year, going 4-0 at Progressive Field and 5-1 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. David Murphy hit .478 (11-for-23) and Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus drove in 16 and 13 runs, respectively. Holland and Alexi Ogando, now in the pen, were each 2-0 against the Tribe last year.

Indians update: They hit .214 against Texas last year. Carlos Santana led the way at .371 (13-for-35) with three homers and seven RBI. While Santana flourished, Asdrubal Cabrera was neutralized, hitting .162 (6-for-37). Of the Tribe's three starters, Jimenez was the only one to face Texas last year. He had a five-inning no-decision.

Injuries: Indians -- LHP Rafael Perez (left side), CF Grady Sizemore (back) and RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow) are on the disabled list. Rangers -- OF Josh Hamilton (back) and 3B Adrian Beltre (legs) are day to day.

Next: The White Sox arrive for a three-game series at Progressive Field starting Monday.

-- Paul Hoynes

Akron stumbles against Binghamton, but the Carolina Mudcats and Lake County Captains both win.

View full sizeAPColumbus shortstop Gregorio Petit.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Clippers 12, Braves 8 Columbus SS Gregorio Petit (.212) had three hits, including two doubles, and scored three times as the Clippers won an International League game Thursday over visiting Gwinnett.

Clippers DH Chad Huffman (.300) and CF Ezequiel Carrera (.262) each had two hits and two RBI. LF Matt LaPorta (.371) went 0-for-3 while walking twice.

Columbus right-handed starter Kevin Slowey (2-2, 5.68) got the win despite allowing six runs on seven hits in 5 innings. He walked one, struck out five and gave up three home runs.

AA Akron Aeros

Mets 7, Aeros 3 Akron trailed the Eastern League game, 7-0, in the eighth inning before getting on the board against visiting Binghamton.

Akron catcher Michel Hernandez (.353) had two hits, including a double.

Mason Radeke (1-1, 0.00) started for Akron and pitched three innings. The right-hander allowed three unearned runs on three hits and a walk. Righty Jose De La Torre relieved and allowed four earned runs in three innings of work.

Advanced A Carolina Mudcats

Mudcats 3, Hillcats 0 1B Jesus Aguilar (.333) hit two home runs and drove in three runs, and lefty Mike Rayl (3-3, 2.67) threw six scoreless innings to lead Carolina to a Carolina League win in Lynchburg, Va.

Rayl allowed two hits while walking two and striking out four.

Aguilar has five home runs on the season.

A Lake County Captains

Captains 5, Dragons 4 DH Alex Monsalve (.242), RF Jordan Smith (.254) and 2B Robel Garcia (.228) each homered to lead Lake County to a Midwest League win in Dayton.

Lefty Elvis Araujo (2.61) started for the Captains and gave up two runs (both earned) on six hits and a walk in 5 innings. He struck out three.

There never really was any doubt, at least not from the time Anthony Young began walking at 8 1/2 months. He was running at 10 months.

Anthony Young races toward the finish line as the anchor of St. Edward’s winning 4x100-relay team at the Berea Relays on April 27. - (Gus Chan, PD)

There never really was any doubt, at least not from the time Anthony Young began walking at 8 1/2 months.

He was running at 10 months.

At 12 months, he was sprinting for daylight.

One day, while his mother was in the shower, 1-year-old Anthony sneaked into the living room, pushed a chair against the sliding glass door, climbed up and opened it.

A few minutes later, the phone rang. A neighbor called to tell Jackie Young her son was running down the middle of their Medina street, butt naked.

"I got a frantic call at work from Jackie," said Mike Young, Anthony's father, still laughing at the memory 16 years later. "The neighbor had him, and he was fine. The call was made to get a deadbolt for the door."

Sixteen years later, Young is still sprinting, still turning heads and still eluding just about everyone. The confidence he displayed bolting out the door remains when he folds himself in to a track starting block.

"The first race I go into thinking that I might get beat, I will lose," he said.

A St. Edward junior, Young is the state's defending Division I state champion in the 200 meters, and he owns the fastest time this season in the 100. He has, those close to him believe, the ability to break some of Ohio's oldest sprint records and step on a fast track to the Olympics.

That's a mighty leap, but he has one thing most American sprinters do not -- Jamaican blood. Jackie Young was born in Jamaica and was a sprinter and jumper at the University of Maryland until injuries derailed her career in the 1980s.

Anthony is proud of his Jamaican heritage and wears the island nation's colors under his warmups. He compares himself to Jamaican world-record holder Usain Bolt.

"Bolt is a taller runner with long strides, and I'm a taller sprinter with long strides," said Anthony (5-11, 170). "We always have that extra gear."

Mike Young also was a high school track athlete of note in Maryland, but he and Jackie said they didn't push the sport on Anthony or their daughter Autumn, a promising Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy freshman who long-jumped 17-10 last year.

Still, it was hard to ignore the signs. As a 4-year-old, Anthony chased the family's dog around the yard for an hour without stopping. As a youth soccer player, he ran goal-to-goal before his teammates passed midfield.

He had some early local success running for the West Akron Track Club, but did poorly in regional meets until the summer before eighth grade.

"In the regional final, all of a sudden some kind of epiphany hit him. He blew them all away, and when he crossed the finish line in the 100, he screamed," Mike Young said.

Anthony's breakout year at St. Edward last spring nearly ended in disaster. At the state meet, his track shoes went missing. Following a mad scramble to find and buy him size-12 spikes an hour before the finals, he placed fourth in the 100.

He said that disappointment fueled his dramatic win in the 200. He edged Berea's Donovan Robertson by 0.05 in a race run 25 minutes after Robertson won his second hurdles final. The top four were separated by 0.10, and all four are back this year, in addition to Cleveland Heights' Shelton Gibson, who was eighth.

Since then, Anthony's start has improved dramatically. His 10.74-seconds, 100-meter time at the Medina Relays last month ranks as the fastest in Ohio this season, according to milesplit.com. He beat Robertson in that race, again by 0.05.

Anthony's best 200 time is 21.34, which he ran this year indoors. It ranked third nationally among indoor runners. Outdoor times usually are faster, but he has not run many outdoor 200s this spring.

Anthony's best event might eventually be the 400, which he has only run in relays and has recorded 48-second splits.

Young and Robertson, a senior, have developed a friendly rivalry. They elbowed for room in a relay final last week, with Robertson winning, and hugged afterward. They have two more likely showdowns at the Amherst regional and the state meet in the 100 or 200, and possibly one relay.

"Everybody comes to see the Anthony and Dono show," Young said. "We test each other, and it's great because Dono is the nicest person I've ever met."

Young, Robertson and Gibson, a junior, communicate frequently between meets wishing each other luck. After the Medina Relays, Young and Robertson and several others ended up at a Medina athlete's house for a movie night. The two have become close.

"We joke around on and off the track," Robertson said. "Even at a meet, it's like we're at a mall hanging out until, of course, 10 minutes before the finals and things lock down and we go silent.

"I'm really excited to have Anthony as my rival as opposed to some big cocky guy. He's very sportsmanlike. He's not a stressful rival. He actually takes off pressure before a race, which helps us run better."

St. Edward sprints coach Bill Menz cautions that Young's friendly nature should not be confused with a lack of killer instinct on the track.

"It's an aggressive sport and Anthony is an aggressive runner. There's nothing timid about him," Menz said. "When he lines up, everybody else is running for second place, except for Donovan and the kid from Hudson [Leighton Antonio]."

Menz sees a bright future for Young, comparing him to state 200 and 400 record holder Chris Nelloms, and his 1980s rival, Euclid's Robert Smith.

"As a senior, he'll be close to Chris Nelloms and Robert Smith," Menz said. "If he goes to a college that allows him to run track, and play football, he'll be on the Olympic team in 2016 running 45s and 46s in the 400."

Young's future is uncertain, but not without choices. A wide receiver on a football team that runs far more than it throws, his speed and athleticism are garnering attention. Six colleges have offered football scholarships, including Minnesota and a handful of Mid-American Conference schools.

Young tells recruiters he must be able to do both sports in college, and most say they will allow it. The reality often is different once athletes arrive on campus, but Young is insistent.

"It's the two sports that I love," he said. "They [recruiters] are serious about letting me do both."

His parents believe if Anthony continues to progress on the track, his choices might expand to include Southern track powers.

As a junior, he still has time to let that play out.

"Personally, I really hope he focuses on track because he could be world class," St. Edward track coach Steve Stahl said.

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

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Top times

Here are the season-best times for a selection of the area's top Division I sprinters, with career personal bests in parentheses.

100 meters

Anthony Young, St. Edward 10.74 (10.72)

Donovan Robertson, Berea 10.79 (10.71)

Khoury Crenshaw, Solon 10.79 (10.79)

Leighton Antonio, Hudson 10.93 (10.93)

Shelton Gibson, Cleveland Heights 11.06 (10.72)

Ernest Levert, Rhodes 11.08 (10.61)

200 meters

Donovan Robertson, Berea 21.6* (21.53)

Ernest Levert, Rhodes 21.84* (21.84)

Leighton Antonio, Hudson 21.87 (21.71)

Anthony Young, St. Edward 21.99 (21.34)

Khoury Crenshaw, Solon 22.39 (22.33)

Shelton Gibson 22.68 (21.35)

* -- Handtimed

SOURCE: oh.milesplit.com

Following the U.S. national team's exit from the 2010 World Cup, there was much consternation surrounding the inability of American forwards to make an impact on the sport's biggest stage.

AP photoLiverpool's Sebastian Coates, left, and Martin Skrtel, right, fight for the ball against Fulham's Clint Dempsey during their English Premier League soccer match at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Tuesday, May 1, 2012.

Highlights include Texas Rangers at Indians and NBA and NHL playoff games.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerJeanmar Gomez will make the start for the Indians tonight at 7:05 when they host the two-time defending American League champion Texas Rangers. The game will be televised on SportsTime Ohio and broadcast on WTAM/1100-AM.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

AUTO RACING

Noon Aaron's 312 qualifying, ESPN2

2 p.m. Aaron's 499 practice, Speed Channel

3:30 p.m. Aaron's 499 "Happy Hour Series," Speed Channel

5 p.m. International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250, Speed Channel

BASEBALL

7 p.m. LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS at Dayton, AM/1330

7 p.m. Chicago White Sox at Detroit, MLBN

7:05 p.m. AKRON AEROS at Bowie, AM/1350

7:05 p.m. Texas at INDIANS, STO; AM/1100

BOXING

11 p.m. Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Eduardo Lazcano, FSO

COLLEGE BASEBALL

8 p.m. Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, FSO

GOLF

8:30 a.m. Open de Espana, Golf Channel

3 p.m. Wells Fargo Championship, Golf Channel

7:30 p.m. Insperity Championship (tape), Golf Channel

HORSE RACING

5 p.m. Kentucky Oaks, NBCSN

NBA PLAYOFFS

7:30 p.m. Atlanta at Boston, ESPN2

8 p.m. Chicago at Philadelphia, ESPN

10:30 p.m. L.A. Lakers at Denver, ESPN

NHL PLAYOFFS

7:30 p.m. Phoenix at Nashville, NBCSN

The Ontario commercial fishing boat ADCO II, which has a history of fishing violations, was caught setting a gill net in Ohio waters on Thursday by U.S. Coast Guard and Homeland Security forces

The Ontario commercial fishing boat ADCO II, which has a history of fishing violations, was caught setting a gill net in Ohio waters on Thursday by U.S. Coast Guard and Homeland Security forces.

"We have a couple of Division of Wildlife officers out there pulling the boat's gill nets from the waters north of the Bass Islands," said Lake Erie law enforcement supervisor Gino Barna. One of three gill nets set near the Ohio-Ontario boundary was in Ohio waters, and so was the ADCO II and its crew. 

 The Coast Guard and Homeland Security had the seven-man crew of the Wheatley, Ontario-based ADCO II in custody late Thursday morning. They will be cited before the boat and crew are released. Gill nets are not allowed in Ohio waters, and neither are Canadian commercial fishermen.

Two different captains of the ADCO II and commercial license owner Pisces Fishery Incorporated of Wheatley had been cited at least three times in the past seven years, and fined more than $15,000 in Ontario courts. 

 Just a patch needed: Ohio wildlife officials put a patch on a new regulation that required Ohio fishermen to leave the entire skin on a filleted fish until they get home.

 "There was too much confusion among fishermen, so we decided to issue a directive that only a small patch of skin needs to be left on a fillet," said law enforcement supervisor Ken Fitz of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. "A one- or two-inch square will do nicely. And fishermen can remove the scales from the patch of skin."

The law as written in the Ohio Fishing Regulations for 2012-13 had two strikes against it. The regulation was not printed in red, which would designate a new regulation, and wasn't publicized. As a result, it was a surprise to most anglers and many of the fish-cleaning operations along Lake Erie this spring.

 The Ohio regulation was patterned after a similar rule in Ontario. It was designed to prevent people from cutting fish fillets into unidentifiable pieces to disguise the species of fish, or catching more than the daily bag limit. 

 Friendly weather: A windy opening day hampered Ohio's turkey hunters, but they made up for it by the end of the first week of the season.

After a drop in opening day numbers, the turkey totals for the first week showed hunters bagged 8,898 male turkeys, a jump from last year's 7,744 gobblers. Ashtabula County was the leader with 315 turkeys, followed by Guernsey (276), Tuscarawas (269),, Coshocton (266), Muskingum (265), Belmont (262), Meigs (223), Knox (Harrison (221), Harrison (220) and Adams (213) counties. Only Ashtabula County is in northern Ohio.

Turkey hunters will have an advantage starting Monday, with hunting expanding to half-hour before sunrise to sunset through May 20, the final day of the four-week spring season. Through Sunday, sportsmen must wrap up their hunting day at noon.

Coming right up: The Catawba Island Boat Show opens today and runs through Sunday, a free event at the Catawba Island Club on Catawba Island . . . If you're thinking of wetting a line at Mosquito Reservoir, you might want to wait until after the big Mosquito Madness Tournament on Friday and Saturday . . . the Lone Eagle Bowmen have an archery shoot on Sunday at their East Sparta grounds . . . Pro walleye fishermen from around the country are invading Port Clinton this week for the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour event on Lake Erie on May 10-12.

Questions for fishermen: The Division of Wildlife wants Ohio anglers to help them with a variety of topics on Buckeye State fishing. Fishermen are asked to complete an online survey covering hybrid striped bass, lake horsepower limits and other angling issues at ohiodnr.com/creel.

Bird center open: The is prime time for bird watchers, with the spring migration in full swing. Finally ready for visitors is the Sportsmen's Migratory Bird Center at the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, between Port Clinton and Toledo, which had been closed for a few weeks to fix a water leak. The center is open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday. Magee Marsh is consider one of the country's premier birding destinations.

Cast a fly: Kids 10 to 15 years old can learn to cast a fly and have the chance to catch a fish at the Youth Fishing Area at the Division of Wildlife district office, 912 Portage Lakes Dr., Akron. The one-day fly fishing clinics are May 2, May 16 and May 30 from 6-8 p.m. Adults must accompany the kids. Space is limited. Contact Ken Fry (330-245-3030, Kenneth.Fry@dnr.state.oh.us) to reserve a spot.

Slugs for deer: The majority of Ohio hunters carry shotguns and shoot rifled slugs to bag their deer. The average deer hunter is a fair shot, but few practice regularly with the pricey, shoulder-busting deer loads. That hasn't stopped ammunition makers from encouraging hunters to extend their range, even if the average hunter isn't up to the task. This year, Federal has debuted the Vital-Shok Trophy Copper sabot slugs.

The company claims they're accurate to 200 yards. Unfortunately, a large percentage of Ohio hunters, and their shotguns, aren't accurate to 200 yards.

The warm weather has turned on the crappie fishing all around Northeast Ohio. Walleye are being caught in near-shore Lake Erie waters, with the yellow perch fishing just starting to heat up.

 It's crappie time at most lakes around Northeast Ohio, from little Oberlin Reservoir to sprawling Pymatuning Reservoir and everywhere in between. Lake Erie crappie fishermen are scoring in the marinas, bays and even along the piers and breakwalls from Cleveland to Port Clinton. The walleye night bite has been very good from Lorain to Cleveland, with daytime walleye fishermen doing best around Western Lake Erie and off Huron and Vermilion.

 CLEVELAND AREA

 The walleye night bite has been very good most nights from Cleveland Harbor to Lorain. Trolling Husky Jerk lures and other minnow-style plugs has been best, with some walleye being caught casting from the piers and breakwalls after dark. The daytime walleye fishing has been fair to good from Huron to Sheffield Lake in 15 to 25 feet of water while trolling both diving lures and spinner rigs.

 The Cleveland Harbor crappie fishing has been very good along the breakwalls, especially East 72d St., and in and around the marinas.

 The yellow perch fishing is still slow. The best perch action has been reported off the Lorain Lighthouse, where some jumbo perch and limit catches have been caught.

 Rainbow trout are being released today in the Ohio & Erie Canal waters in Cuyahoga Heights. Trout have been released over the past couple of weeks at Hinckley Lake in Medina County; Punderson Lake in Geauga County; Little Turtle Pond in the Firestone Metropark in Akron; Veteran's Park Pond in Mentor;  Forest Hill Pond in East Cleveland; Shadow Lake in the South Chagrin Reservation in Solon; and Silver Creek Lake in Norton's Silver Creek Metro Park.

 The Wallace Lake stocked trout fishing has been very good, with trout to five pounds reported. Rainbow trout stockings in the East Branch of the Rocky River were suspended after a major fish kill.

 LAKE ERIE

 Daily bag limits are changing on Lake Erie. The walleye limit has increased to six fish per day. While it's legal to cast for smallmouth and largemouth bass on Lake Erie, it is illegal to keep a bass until June 30. The steelhead trout limit will jump to five fish on May 16.

 The walleye fishing around the Western Basin has been slow this week, but is heating up with the calmer waters and warmer temperatures. Some walleye are still being caught on lead-head, hair-skirted jigs with stinger hooks on the reefs, but most of the post-spawn walleye are now moving to deeper waters off the reefs. Trolling fishermen have been doing well with minnow-style plugs and spinner rigs tipped with nightcrawlers off the main reef complex, and in deeper waters west of the Bass Islands.

 The yellow perch fishing should heat up again this weekend off the Marblehead Lighthouse and around the southeast side of Kelleys Island.

 RIVERS AND STREAMS

 The rivers are low and clear, with some smallmouth bass being caught in the lower stretches of the Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers. Some crappie are being caught around the downstream marinas and along the brushy river banks.

 The white bass run is in full swing on the Maumee and Sandusky rivers, where water levels are about average. A few smaller walleye are still being caught from the Sandusky and Maumee rivers. Some crappie are also being caught.

 INLAND LAKES, RESERVOIRS

 The crappie hots spots are everywhere right now, with lots of bluegill and walleye being reported caught.

 The top crappie waters are West Branch, Berlin, Mosquito, Pymatuning, Wingfoot and LaDue reservoirs and the Portage Lakes. Smaller crappie waters include Spencer Lake and Oberlin City Reservoir. Crappie are commonly found around weed beds, shoreline brush and docks.

 The top technique is to suspend a lively minnow on a No. 10 short-shanked hook under a float, the line weighted with lead split shot. Some anglers prefer tiny jigs with twister tails or small tube jigs, casting to weeds and cover and working baits under a float. The best depths in recent days have been from 2 to 8 feet of water.

 Mosquito Reservoir will be filled with bass anglers on Saturday and Sunday for the annual Mosquito Madness tournament.

 Pymatuning Reservoir walleye are biting, with anglers trolling the north end of the lake with Hot-N-Tots and Shad Raps. The yellow perch fishing has been very good, with numbers of jumbo perch being caught. Ohio anglers will have to be a little creative to reach Pymatuning bait shops and launch ramps. A stretch of Ohio 85 east of Andover, Ohio, has been closed for repairs.

 TOURNAMENTS

 Lake Erie Walleye Trail/Waldo Peppers Tournament (Lake Erie at Lakevue Marina): 1. Dennis Kitchen and Kevin Kirschner, 5 walleye, 36.40 pounds; 2. Gary Zart and Nicholas Zart, 5, 31.82 pounds; 3. Jason Pelz and Matt Clifton, 5, 28.97 pounds. Big Walleye: Ryan Valentine and Michael Brookina, 10.43 pounds.

 Walmart Bass Fishing League/Buckeye Division (Indian Lake): Pro Division - 1. Curt Fiessinger (Ft. Loramie), 5 bass, 11 pounds, 7 ounces, $4,498; 2. Dirk Davenport (Delaware), 5, 11-4, $2,249; 3. Zach Maisch (Lima), 3, 10-2, $1,492. Co-Angler Division - 1. Cody Wayne Hall (Xenia), 5, 7-13, $2,193; 2. William Redmond (Sciotoville), 4, 7-11, $1,096; 3. Christopher Iredale (Bethel), 5, 7-5, $621.

When the dogwood bloom and the turkeys gobble, it's time to get out the crappie fishing tackle says Sheffield Lake fishing guide Jim Chamberlin.

D'Arcy Egan, The Plain Dealer Jim Chamberlin of Sheffield Lake lands a black crappie while fishing this week at Oberlin Reservoir in Lorain County.

 OBERLIN, OHIO

 See the dogwoods in bloom? Hear the turkeys gobbling?

 That's a spring double header, and the signal it's time to go crappie fishing.

 Jim Chamberlin of Sheffield Lake, a steelhead trout guide on the local rivers and streams, had not put away his trout fishing rods yet. With the same rigs he uses to float spawn bags and tiny marabou jigs tipped with bait through the deep pools of the Vermilion or Rocky rivers, Chamberlin took me along to one of his crappie hot spots on Wednesday morning.

 We visited Oberlin Reservoir, a big deep dish of a 56-acre fishing lake in Lorain County. There isn't much structure here, other than the boulder-strewn sides of the reservoir, but different species fish seem to school together in spring. 

 "The crappie like to hang around right here in the spring," said Chamberlin, heading to the fishing platform closest to the small parking lot. Boats and electric motors are allowed, but Chamberlin finds wandering the shoreline to cast is the most productive way to fish this lake.

 "If we were after walleye, I'd head down the bank a couple of hundred yards," he said. "Bluegill gather on the east side of the lake, especially the bigger ones."
 If you're adventurous, and want to keep moving and casting, you can easily spend the day walking the shoreline of the Oberlin Reservoir and have a very good chance of setting the hook on chunky panfish.

 "Just make a cast about 10 feet out, let the wind push your float towards the shoreline, and expect to get a bite as it gets close to the rocks," said Chamberlin. "The reservoir drops off pretty sharply just a rod's length from shore, and that's where I generally find the big crappie."

 The float on my line, which had a band on top and bottom for easy adjustment, was set to suspend the hook and sparkling emerald shiner minnow about six feet deep.

 After his first cast, Chamberlin watched his float ride small, wind-swept waves and quickly disappear. It wasn't a crappie, but rather a big, bull bluegill bigger than my palm. The next dozen fish we caught were all black crappie - and one very tiny largemouth bass hungry for a minnow.

 While Chamberlin's 9-foot spinning rods were designed for trophy trout, they were also perfect for panfish. Reels spooled with 6-pound test fluorocarbon line would fool even a very shy fish. The floats used for steelhead were easy for an unsuspecting bluegill or crappie to pull under the water.

 "I like to put three or four lead split shot on the line right under the float, then add another single split shot about a foot above a No. 10 short-shanked hook," said Chamberlin. "That way, the rig is balanced and doesn't provide much resistance when a fish bites. The floats are easy to adjust so I can fish at different depths. Shiner minnows are a crappie's favorite snack, but they'll catch almost any fish in this lake."

 Chamberlin was quick to admit he's addicted to fishing, whether he's after small panfish or jumbo-sized trout and salmon. He'll be working on Lake Erie with Gary Carpenter of Sara-J walleye charters in Lorain this summer, then slip back into waders and launch his drift boat when the steelhead trout return to the rivers next fall.

 "I grew up in Monroe, Mich., catching salmon, trout and walleye, but I've fallen for this area of Ohio," he said. "I have so many good steelhead streams close to my home now. And I'm really learning to be a muddy water trout fishermen so I can successfully fish the river waters so many fishermen avoid."

 While crappie aren't going to test your tackle, they are fun to catch.

 "They're also great to eat," said Chamberlin. "Crappie are one of my favorites for dinner.

 "I like the smaller crappie best. The bones along the lateral line of a small to medium-sized crappie aren't very developed, so you can fry up a batch without worrying about them."

 Crappie are easy to find in spring, but don't ignore Lake Erie

D'Arcy Egan, The Plain DealerWhen the dogwoods bloom and the turkeys gobble, it's a signal that crappie - and bluegill, too - are biting in area lakes and reservoirs.

 There are lots of crappie waters around Northeast Ohio that attract fishermen when the dogwoods bloom in spring.

 Mosquito and Pymatuning reservoirs are noted for their plentiful crappie. West Branch and Berlin reservoirs are hot spots this week. Small water fishermen like Spencer Lake and Oberlin Reservoir.

 For the best in Ohio crappie, fishing guide Jim Chamberlin of Sheffield Lake will send you to Lake Erie, and its many tributaries.

 "The big lake has lots of big crappie, and they school up during the spring spawning season," said Chamberlin. "I like to fish the Western Lake Erie harbors and marinas at this time of year. The bays and boat docks can be loaded with big crappie, and there's little pressure from other fishermen. Even a large harbor area like Cleveland can produce surprising numbers of big crappie."

 Don't pass up the rivers, said Chamberlin. The brushy areas along the shoreline, marina docks and long breakwalls and rip-rap shoreline can be havens for crappie in late April and early May, but the bonanza doesn't last. By the end of May, crappie time is all but over.

To see Mariano Rivera's season and perhaps career jeopardized by an injury suffered while shagging batting practice flies is beyond cruel. Unfair, devastating, even tragic. They all fit.

AP Photo/YES NetworkIn this image taken from video, New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera, left, lies on the field after twisting his right knee shagging fly balls during batting practice before a baseball game with the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, May 3, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo. The Yankees closer was carted off the field and sent for further tests.

Feel sorry for Mariano Rivera. He is one of the game's great people as well as the undisputed greatest closer of all time. To see his season and perhaps career jeopardized by an injury suffered while shagging batting practice flies is beyond cruel. Unfair, devastating, even tragic. They all fit.

According to preliminary exams, Rivera suffered a torn ACL, which would end his season. The Yankees closer had expected to announce his future sometime at midseason, with most expecting he'd announce his retirement at the end of the 2012 season.

Watching the video of the great Rivera crumbling to the warning track at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City Thurdsay evening turned my stomach. Rivera warrants and deserves our sympathy.

His team, however, doesn't. Well, not more than a little, anyway. The Yankees already have endured more than their share of pitching injuries. They have lost reliever Joba Chamberlain and starter Michael Pineda for who knows how long and they went into spring training knowing they wouldn't get an inning of return on the $8 million spent on lefty reliever Pedro Feliciano.

— Watch what happened to Rivera

But the Yankees will be fine, and not only because of their deep pockets. No team is better equipped to replace its closer. David Robertson is not Rivera, of course, but the 27-year-old righthander actually has pitched better since the start of last year. The numbers, including playoffs:

Robertson: 79 2/3 innings, 0.90 ERA, 120 strikeouts, one homer allowed, .272 opponents' on-base percentage.

Rivera: 71 innings, 1.90 ERA, 69 strikeouts, three homers allowed, .243 opponents' OBP.

Yes, the ninth inning is different from the eighth and putting up dominant numbers for one-plus seasons isn't like dominating for 18 years. But Robertson's numbers say this: He has become one of the game's elite relievers and already was well on the track to succeed Rivera if he retires after the season, as he has hinted. Robertson even has learned how to implement Rivera's trademark pitch, the cutter, into his arsenal.

An All-Star last year, Robertson has pitched even better in 2012. In 11 innings, he has not allowed a run while striking out 18 and walking only three.

If he's not available, the Yankees can turn to $36 million setup man Rafael Soriano, who was the AL's top closer in 2010 with the Rays. They also have Cory Wade and lefty Boone Logan, both of whom sport sub-2.00 ERAs while making double-digit appearances. New York's bullpen, in fact, has been its No. 1 strength, with a 1.97 ERA in 82 1/3 innings; both numbers that rank second in the majors.

They also have been stockpiling relief depth, having signed former Mariners closer David Aardsma (Tommy John surgery) during spring training with the idea that he could help after the All-Star break. In a tweet, Aardsma said he hoped to be ready by July. The Yanks also have former Red Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen pitching well at Class AAA.

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, left, lies on the field after twisting his right knee shagging fly balls during Thursday's batting practice. (AP Photo/YES Network)

"It's not what you want, but it's not season over. ... You have to find a way to overcome it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters after the Yankees' loss in Kansas City.

The Yankees have enough in relief that they should be able to avoid the bullpen woes of other clubs that have lost their closers. Two division rivals, the Rays and Red Sox, rank 29th and 30th in the majors with bullpen ERAs over 5.00 after injuries sidelined Andrew Bailey and Kyle Farnsworth, respectively, during spring training.

Rivera, 42, had been pitching as well as ever since he blew a save chance and lost to the Rays in the season opener. In his past eight outings covering eight innings, he had allowed only three hits without giving up a run.

Before each of those games, Rivera spent part of batting practice chasing flies like he has been doing since early in his career. He moved in the outfield with such a grace that could have mistaken him for a center fielder. His routine should not be faulted, either, because Rivera has not been on the disabled list since 2003.

As much depth as the Yankees might have, Girardi didn't mince words about losing his star closer.

"You lose a Hall of Famer. If that's what it is, thats as bad as it gets."

-- Stan McNeal, Sporting News

This story originally appeared on SportingNews.com

The Cavaliers have the third best chance of any team since the 1992-93 Magic to win the NBA Draft Lottery in back-to-back seasons.

View full sizeAP fileCavs GM is in prime position to put Cleveland on the winning track by doing well in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The Orlando Magic selected Shaquille O'Neal with the first overall pick of 1992 NBA Draft. During his rookie season, the Magic went 41-41, and finished that year with a 1.5 percent chance of picking first again heading into the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery. 

Despite the long odds, the Magic would win the right to pick first again anyways, and go on to select Chris Webber before anybody else in 1993.

Orlando would then send Webber to Golden State in a draft day trade which returned them Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, and three future first round draft picks. To reiterate, that's the fourth overall pick that year in Hardaway, along with THREE future first round picks in exchange Webber. 

Hardaway and O'Neal would go on from there to form a Point Guard and Center duo known simply and forever as Shaq and Penny too. The core of a team that would represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals before Shaq dipped for LA was also formed as a result, and since then no NBA team has won the Draft Lottery in back-to-back years. 

The Cavaliers will look to do specifically that on May 30^th, however, and they'll do so with a 13.8 percent chance of picking first again this season. Markedly better than the 1.5 percent number Orlando cashed in on just about twenty years ago, with the potential for a similar Point Guard and Center combination in Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis looming in the balance. As a result of all that tanking, the Cavaliers currently have the third best chance of any team since Orlando to win the Lottery in successive seasons.

The Magic were not in the 1994 Lottery after picking Chris Webber first the previous year, and in the 17 Drafts from 1995 through 2011, the team who picked first the previous season has been in the Lottery that next year 13 times. The Cavaliers in 2012 make it fourteen. I compiled the list below to help illustrate...

Below are the chances to win the NBA Draft Lottery each team who picked first the previous year has had that following season, and the subsequent pick they made in that next year's Draft:

• 2011 – Wizards had 4^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting John Wall and drafted 6^th
• 2010 – Clippers had 8^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Blake Griffin and drafted 8^th
• 2009 – Bulls were not in Lottery one year after drafting Derrick Rose 
• 2008 – Trailblazers had 13^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Greg Oden and drafted 13^th 
• 2007 – Raptors were not in Lottery one year after drafting Andrea Bargnani 
• 2006 – Bucks were not in Lottery one year after drafting Andrew Bogut 
• 2005 – Orlando had 11^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Dwight Howard and drafted 11^th 
• 2004 – Cavaliers had 9^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting LeBron James and drafted 10^th 
• 2003 – Rockets had 13^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Yao Ming and traded the 13^th pick they won that year to Memphis 
• 2002 – Wizards had 11^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Kwame Brown and drafted 11^th 
• 2001 – Nets had 6^th best chance of picking first one year after drafting Kenyon Martin and drafted 7th 
• 2000 – Bulls had 2^nd best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Elton Brand and drafted 4th
• 1999 – Clippers had 2^nd best chance of picking 1^st one year after drafting Michael Olowokandi and drafted 4th
• 1998 – Spurs were not in Lottery one year after drafting Tim Duncan
• 1997 – Sixers had 5^th best chance of picking 1st one year after selecting Allen Iverson and drafted 2^nd  
• 1996 – Warriors had 11^th best chance of picking 1st one year after selecting Joe Smith and drafted 11^th 
• 1995 – Bucks had 9^th best chance of picking 1^st one year after selecting Glenn Robinson and drafted 11th
• 1994 – Orlando was not in Lottery one year after drafting Chris Webber

The only two teams since the Magic with a better chance than the Cavaliers have now of winning the Lottery in two consecutive years are the 2000 Bulls and the 1999 Clippers.  Each of those two teams had the 2^nd best chance to pick 1^st one year after drafting Elton Brand and Michael Olowokandi that previous season respectively, but they each ended up picking 4^th.

Beyond those two teams, only the 2011 Washington Wizards, 2001 New Jersey Nets, and 1997 Philadelphia 76ers had the 6^th best chance or better of picking first one year after they did so. The Wizards had the 4^th best chance last season, after selecting John Wall in 2010, and they picked 6^th. The Nets had the 6^th best chance after taking Kenyon Martin and they picked 7^th, while the Sixers had the 5^th best chance to select first one year after drafting Allen Iverson and they ended up picking 2^nd.

Most people don't remember Philly going back-to-back with pick numbers 1 and then 2 in successive years primarily because that pick to follow Iverson was Keith Van Horn. Assuming Kidd-Gilchrist's career doesn't end up being Van Horn-ish, that wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to the Cavaliers at the end of this month. They'd have a better shot of doing that than Philly did too, just like they have a better chance than Orlando did back then to go all the way up into Anthony Davis territory.

After those five teams, the other eight back in the Lottery one year after picking first overall had chances to pick first again ranging from 8^th to 13^th that following year. Those eight teams ended up picking 11^th on average, with just about all of them picking right around where they were supposed too based on wins and losses. If the Cavaliers did just that much, by picking third, they would draft higher than any team has picked in Draft Lottery Era after selecting 1st with the exception of only Orlando and then Philly.

While Kyrie Irving's game isn't technically similar to Penny Hardaway's, the similarities do exist in how dominant Kyrie has the potential to be at the same position. Penny was an All Star PG, an All NBA player, and pairing that type of ability from the Point Guard position with a dominant Center is rare, if not extinct, in today's NBA. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis have the potential to be that though. They maybe wouldn't have the flair, the rap albums, or puppet commercials, but the potential to be great together certainly exists.

If Nick Gilbert can cash in on odds that are maybe a little better than you might think later this month, and go back-to-back for the first time in almost two decades, we just might find out how good too.

Follow Brendan Bowers on Twitter: @StepienRules

How dominant will Trent Richardson be for the Browns this coming season?

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerTrent Richardson

The so-called experts rate Trent Richardson as the best running back in the NFL draft since Adrian Peterson in 2007.

Richardson dominated last season for Alabama and he was one of the main reasons why Alabama won the national championship.

Since the Cleveland Browns will feature Richardson at tailback this coming season, and since Richardson is the best since Peterson, how many yards will Peterson rush for this coming season. How close will Richardson get to Peterson's rookie rushing yards of 1,341 yards?