Coaches stopping in Cleveland today at City Club.

AP PhotoPenn State head football coach Bill O'Brien speaks during the Coaches Caravan event in New York, Wednesday, May 9, 2012.

Bruised and battered Penn State is trying to rebuild its image and its credibility, one stop at a time.

New Nittany Lions football coach Bill O’Brien, traveling with three of the school’s other head coaches, pulls into Cleveland today to sell his brand of football and himself.

Their stop at the City Club of Cleveland comes on the tail end of a bus tour that is extraordinary: nine days and 18 stops, ranging from Hartford, Conn., to Cleveland while covering seven states and Washington, D.C.

Joe Paterno, the late legendary PSU football coach, would fly in and out of three or four select cities each spring, spreading his Nittany Lion gospel. But no athletic program in recent memory has loaded up multiple coaches and bused them from state to state to galvanize support as Penn State has.

At this point, Penn State is not just another athletic program. O’Brien has the added burden of propping up a program soiled by the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal that surfaced last fall.

Sandusky, the team’s former defensive coordinator, has pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing 10 boys over 15 years. His trial is scheduled for June 5. The accusations — and implications about an institutional cover-up — led to a rash of firings, including that of the legendary Paterno, who died in January at age 85.

The caravan, orchestrated by the school’s 165,000-member alumni association and the Nittany Lion Club, began in Philadelphia on April 30 and concludes in Buffalo, N.Y., on Wednesday.

O’Brien said he would have embarked on the caravan even without the messy circumstances that toppled one of college football’s elite programs and created a position for him. He left for Penn State after serving as Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots, where he worked with Tom Brady and former St. Ignatius and Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer.

“When you’re replacing a guy like Joe Paterno,” O’Brien said by phone recently from the road, “it’s important for you to get out there and meet people and talk about your mission. You can’t sit back in your football office and think that you don’t have to get out there and meet people.”

People like Eric Hamilton.

The 1982 Hawken graduate became a three-year letterman at Penn State as a receiver. He plans to attend today’s event — to meet the school’s first new head coach in 46 years and hopefully cool a lingering sting.

“I think we’re all biting at the bit to get back to some normalcy,” said Hamilton, 48, of Bainbridge Township. “We’re all still in a little funk, a little shock over what happened.”

The whistle-stop sessions O’Brien and other Penn State coaches are conducting might involve more questions from alumni and supporters about off-the-field issues, but the idea of a marketing tool on wheels isn’t all that rare. Representatives of the Big Ten and Big 12 conferences said they’re aware of several other such coaches caravans with a similar mission: to sell season tickets, connect with the fan base and generate excitement.

But most of those trips don’t also involve repairing reputations. Penn State reportedly is paying two public relations firms $2.5 million to help with damage control from the Sandusky scandal.

Having O’Brien and Penn State tell their story directly to donors and alumni — the lifeblood of any university — is a smart move, believes crisis communications specialist Matt Barkett of the Cleveland firm Dix & Eaton.

“The rule of thumb in any crisis situation,” he said, “is your most important constituents want to hear it from you.”

So do recruits. The tour also is aimed at impressing high school talent. O’Brien, who stepped into the job two days after the Patriots lost the Super Bowl, said the baggage hasn’t been an issue. Six of the eight recruits from the Class of 2013 who have orally committed to Penn State so far are four-star prospects, including Avon’s Ross Douglas, a 5-10, 180-pound receiver/defensive back.

“People have asked me about the damage repair,” O’Brien said, “but, really, in recruiting, I haven’t come across it one time. Recruiting has gone well. Now, obviously you don’t know about recruiting until they sign on the dotted line.”

Penn State has 12 to 13 returning starters. The scandal spooked a few high-profile 2012 recruits into switching from Penn State, but O’Brien said no players have transferred because of the controversy or the coaching change.

Stops along the coaches tour have drawn from 100 to 1,000 people, according to the school’s alumni office. About 150 are expected for the Cleveland session, many, like Hamilton, hoping to turn a tattered page.

“And it’s not so much, to me, about football,” he said. “It’s, ‘How do we go about feeling good about this program that’s been put on a pedestal for so long?’ ”

Today, O’Brien and his peers hope to answer that very question.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: blubinger@plaind.com, 216-999-5531

While nearly every league in Division I has teams coming and going with conference realignment, the MAC's 12-team full-sports membership has remained stable.

The Mid-American Conference league meetings will be in Cleveland beginning today and ending Friday, with the conference appearing to be in far more stable shape than the majority of its peers around the country.

While nearly every league in Division I has teams coming and going with conference realignment, the MAC's 12-team full-sports membership has remained stable.

Conference Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said league expansion will be one of the topics of discussion. But where the MAC once appeared vulnerable to poachers, it now seems stable and probably can be selective going forward.

“That could be because our folks are all on the same page,” Steinbrecher said.

Thursday will feature the induction of the latest MAC Hall of Fame class – including former Cavaliers General Manager and Miami University alum Wayne Embry – and the Reese Trophy and Jacoby Trophy awarded to the top men's and women's programs, respectively, for the 2011-12 seasons. Friday, the presidents will meet.

There will be no voting issues at this meeting, according to Steinbrecher. But other discussion points will include scheduling, Bowl Championship Series issues, bowl games and, Steinbrecher said, “We'll continue to talk about membership, which is as far as I will go with that statement.”

Also on the agenda is discussion about the MAC's new men's basketball initiative, implemented before last season. The initiative pays bonuses to teams for averaging 15 home games per season, having a high Ratings Percentage Index, winning the MAC's regular-season title, winning the MAC Tournament and having NCAA Tournament success.

“A couple of our folks are going to get a nice bump from that,” Steinbrecher said of a pool of roughly $250,000 that comes from NCAA Tournament revenue. Next season, thanks to Ohio University's Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament run, that pool could jump to $750,000.

“As we continue to be successful, we'll continue to grow that incentive pool,” he said.

Steinbrecher added: “I would say, our folks regularly outperform their resources. That's nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, it's something to be proud about. Our people make prudent choices.”

And while the MAC is not currently reaping the great financial TV rewards of other leagues, Steinbrecher hints even that could be changing, because it is not exclusively about markets when it comes to landing TV contracts.

“We have a brand, and TV is buying brands,” Steinbrecher said. “Markets certainly play a part, but at the end of the day, it's about brands. Was the Big East interested in Boise State for its TV market or for its football brand?”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexander@plaind.com, 216-999-4253

Right-hander Jeremy Accardo tried to ignore what was going on with the Indians through the first six weeks of the season when he was at Class AAA Columbus, after coming close to making the big-league club out of spring training.

Clubhouse confidential: Right-hander Jeremy Accardo tried to ignore what was going on with the Indians through the first six weeks of the season when he was at Class AAA Columbus, after coming close to making the big-league club out of spring training.

He has spent a lot of time in Class AAA ball over the past three seasons and knows that can be counterproductive.

“You can’t control what happens above you, you can’t control what happens below you,” said Accardo, after joining the Indians on Monday as their newest reliever. “You just try to go out there, do your job, shut your eyes at night, wake up and do it all over again the next day and hope something good happens.”

Well-ranked: Asdrubal Cabrera has had a quiet, but productive start to the season. He is ranked in the top 10 in the following offensive categories in the American League: average (.315, ninth), doubles (11, tied for seventh), on-base percentage (.411, sixth), home batting average (.333, tied for ninth), night batting average (.371, fourth) and hardest to strike out (one strikeout every 14.3 plate appearances, first).

Stat of the day: Travis Hafner entered Monday’s game with 23 homers against the Twins and White Sox. Those are the most he has hit against any opponent.

The top-seeded Willoughby South softball team needed six runs over its final two at-bats but was able to get the big hits when it counted en route to an 8-3 come-from-behind victory over Premier Athletic Conference rival Eastlake North in a Division I district semifinal Monday at Mentor High School. The win moved the Rebels within one victory of...

Willoughby South's Lauren Blasinsky is safe at home against Eastlake North's catcher Morgan Brandt in the sixth inning on May 14, 2012. - (Scott Shaw/Plain Dealer)

The top-seeded Willoughby South softball team needed six runs over its final two at-bats but was able to get the big hits when it counted en route to an 8-3 come-from-behind victory over Premier Athletic Conference rival Eastlake North in a Division I district semifinal Monday at Mentor High School.

The win moved the Rebels within one victory of their second regional tournament appearance in three years and served as a measure of payback against Eastlake North. The Rangers (16-10) defeated Willoughby South (18-4) in the regular season.

"We played North a couple weeks ago on a Saturday night, and we had a lot of hits; we just didn't have a big hit," said Willoughby South coach Erin Dodson. "I said, 'We need one big hit.' That was the key. We put some hits together and put some runs on the board."

The Rebels held a 2-0 lead going into the top of the fourth inning, but the Rangers went to work with three straight singles.

Catcher Morgan Brandt reached on an error, while pitcher Bri Kiel, shortstop Halle McKinley and first baseman Natalie Arnold all registered singles. However, Kiel and McKinley were erased on plays at the plate.

McKinley drove Brandt in on a single to center field, but Kiel was thrown out by Willoughby South's Kayla Sidorski. McKinley advanced to second base on the throw but was thrown out at the plate by Sidorski following Arnold's single up the middle.

"That's why she's there," Dodson said of Sidorski. "She's got a great arm, and she's had outfield assists before. It's just the first time in this situation that she got two in a row."

Eastlake North coach Andrew Palermo said: "We did have some timely hits, but the center fielder made some good plays out there. The first one, I wanted to test her, and she came up good. The second time, I was like, 'Let me try it again.' They came up with some good defensive plays, and that's a good team."

After surrendering a lead to the fourth-seeded Rangers in the top of the fifth inning, the Rebels came back and went in front for good with two runs in the bottom half of the frame. South added four insurance runs in the sixth before closing out the game with a one-two-three seventh.

With her team down, 3-2, Willoughby South pitcher Nicole Motuza started the rally in the bottom of the fifth inning.

She reached base with two outs, and shortstop MacKenzie Burk followed with a walk. Cleanup hitter Mo Stohlman took the 1-0 pitch from Kiel to right-center field and plated Motuza and Burk.

In the sixth inning, sophomore Taylor Vencl delivered with a two-run triple after Adi Morgan laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Sidorski also registered an RBI in the inning with a single to left field.

Matt Florjancic is a freelance writer from Broadview Heights.

The more things change, the more they don't want to. That appears to be the dilemma again facing Ohio's 800-plus high schools and its athletic administrative arm, the Ohio High School Athletic Association, as another competitive balance referendum is in front of them.

Lake Catholic's princinpal is voting against the referendum. - (Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

The more things change, the more they don't want to.

That appears to be the dilemma again facing Ohio's 800-plus high schools and its athletic administrative arm, the Ohio High School Athletic Association, as another competitive balance referendum is in front of them.

Over the past two weeks, The Plain Dealer visited area principals who last spring told the paper they were voting against the referendum, which seeks to level the playing field between private and public schools.

The majority of principals who responded remain steadfast in their opposition despite some tweaks to the formula, which would determine playoff divisions in numerous team sports.

Of the 31 principals who said they were voting no last spring, 15 are casting a no vote again. Three principals have changed their minds. Thirteen principals could not be reached or said they had not yet decided.

"Ultimately, the referendum doesn't address the problem," Chagrin Falls Principal Steven Ast said.

The two-week voting period ends today. The OHSAA is expected to announce the result Wednesday. A majority is needed for it to pass.

A year ago, principals voted, 332-303, against the competitive balance referendum. Surprisingly, 192 principals did not take the time to send in a ballot.

The basics of the proposal: If passed, schools would be placed in tournament divisions in team sports based on a sport-by-sport athletic count. Like last year, the athletic count formula would start with base enrollment, then be adjusted based on three factors: boundary, tradition and socioeconomics. The boundary and socioeconomic factors are unchanged from last spring.

The change occurred in the tradition factor, putting the emphasis on longer-term success instead of a four-year period, and enrollment being added just once instead of as many as four times.

The formula will test the powers of any math major.

However, the principals are not really voting on a definitive competitive balance formula. Instead, this vote is whether to give the OHSAA the power to come up with a new or improved formula.

If the referendum passes, a committee would give recommendations to the OHSAA's board of directors, and it can implement any changes without putting it up to a further statewide vote.

"The competitive balance issue hasn't been resolved in the past by this referendum and, if it's passed this time, it will give the OHSAA the right to determine competitive balance on a two-year basis," said Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin Principal Joseph Waler. "We're not comfortable with that because you have to ask how it will affect the schools which are in the minority of opinion. Obviously, the non-public schools are in the minority."

The OHSAA was proactive last month in adding a seventh division in football, with the state's largest schools forming a new Division I pool of 72 schools to close the large enrollment gap.

This time around, the association also released a sport-by-sport simulation of where teams will be placed if the proposal passes.

"Based on the formula that's presented, especially the tradition and socioeconomical part, we're voting no because there are things which still remain unclear," said Olmsted Falls Principal Robert Hill, whose football team would remain in Division II. "And if you throw in that new division alignment, it would throw the competitive balance issue even more out of whack and put up more barriers to overcome, as far as our school is concerned."

Even when it appears to help a school, there are misgivings when a public school will still have to play a private school at some point, with the playoffs always causing the most angst.

"My [football] coach is all for it," said Mayfield Principal Tony Loewer, whose school should drop to Division II in football with the added division. "However, I'm still against it. Look at the state [football] final games the last 4-5 years. When a parochial plays a public, you'd be amazed at the disadvantage the public schools are at."

On the other hand, there is plenty of support for changing the system, as the 303 affirmative votes a year ago confirm. While it may not solve all the problems, taking steps to make the playing field more level is a worthwhile goal to many.

"We are voting yes again," said Euclid Principal Charlie Smialek, whose enrollment would keep the Panthers in Division I. "It's a step in the right direction. The OHSAA is doing the right thing to hear us."

Lake Catholic Principal Rick Koenig has been on both sides of the public/private debate. He worked 25 years as an administrator in the Euclid and Mentor public schools before his current position, and said he understands the issue from each perspective.

However, he cannot accept this vote as solving much.

"We're voting against it," said Koenig. "We're opposed to any type of artificial tweaking of the enrollment numbers for sports.

"Even if it passes, it will not placate the public school superintendents who want to separate us into different tournaments."

Plain Dealer reporters Bob Fortuna, Tim Rogers and Tim Warsinskey contributed to this story.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

jmaxse@plaind.com, 216-999-5168

On Twitter: @JoeMaxse

Lowe throws 127 pitches in improving to 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA. Choo reaches base three times from leadoff spot.

View full sizeJim Mone, Associated PressDerek Lowe was in total control on Tuesday, getting the Twins to hit into four double plays in posting his first big-league shutout since 2005.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Derek Lowe just walked the leadoff man in the ninth inning Tuesday at Target Field. He was 2-1 on the next batter, Ryan Doumit, when catcher Lou Marson walked to the mound to try and put the brakes on Lowe, who prefers to pitch in fifth gear.

"'Hey, doesn't Manny [Acta] know I'm 39, not 19?'" Lowe kiddingly told Marson.

Marson, perhaps still chuckling, returned behind the plate and watched Lowe finish a six-hit shutout in the Indians 5-0 victory over the Twins. The victory completed a two-game sweep and gave Lowe his first shutout since Aug. 31, 2005 for the Dodgers against the Cubs.

While going through the Tribe's victory handshake line, Lowe told his manager the same thing he'd told Marson on the mound.

Like Marson, Acta laughed and later told reporters, "He was all in for it. He wanted to do it. A complete-game shutout is a rare feat that you don't see much nowadays."

Lowe, 39 on June 1, threw 127 pitches, walked four and didn't strike out a batter. He's the first pitcher to throw a shutout without the aid of a strikeout since Scott Erickson on April 28, 2002. Erickson is the Indians' pitching coach at Class A Carolina.

"The only time I ever struck anybody out in the National League was the pitcher," said Lowe. "I knew when they took that away from me I was going to be in a heap of trouble."

Lowe has 17 walks and 13 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings. Those aren't the kind of numbers teams want from starters, but that's OK because Lowe is 6-1 with a league-leading 2.05 ERA. After losing 17 games with Atlanta last year, those numbers will work in any rotation.

In throwing a career-high number of pitches, Lowe said he threw only "seven or eight" breaking balls. The rest were sinkers and the Twins spent a beautiful May afternoon beating them into the ground.

Of his 27 outs, 22 came on grounders. He induced 18 ground balls, including four double plays.

"He was a ground-ball machine," said Acta.

When the Indians acquired Lowe from the Braves on Oct. 31, the deal was met with a yawn. Not only had he lost 17 games, including five in the Braves' September collapse, but the Braves paid $10 million of his $15 million salary. They were in a hurry to see him go.

"It's been a really gratifying start," said Lowe. "Coming into the season, there were so many questions. 'Are you done? Are you going to retire?' Blah, blah, blah.

"I worked my tail off, not just to prove people wrong, but to get back to where I should be."

The complete game was the 10th in Lowe's career. The shutout was his fourth. Lowe and Marson took the approach that until the Twins were able to get hits from the sinker, they were going to keep throwing it. The Twins never really hit it that hard.

In the seventh, Minnesota loaded the bases with two out, but Lowe retired Alexi Casilla on a fly ball to the track in right.

"When he got out of that jam, that when we said, 'We've got to give this guy a chance to go for [the shutout],'" said Acta.

The Indians entered the fifth with a 2-0 lead against Jason Marquis (2-3, 6.68). It quickly grew to 5-0 as Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana homered. Choo, Acta's new leadoff hitter, opened with a first-pitch drive into the left-field seats. Marquis struck out Jason Kipnis, but Cabrera and Santana hit consecutive drives to right.

It was the first time the Indians have hit three homers in an inning this season and the second they've hit consecutive homers.

In his second game in the leadoff spot, Choo reached base three times on a double, homer and walk and scored two runs. In his leadoff debut Monday, he singled home the winning run with two out in the ninth inning.

The Indians finished this six-game trip at 3-3 to keep their hold on first place in the AL Central.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians.

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerShould the Browns trade or keep Colt McCoy?

"Weeden might be 28 years old—older than McCoy—but he's still an NFL rookie who needs mentoring. Yes, Wallace could assume that role, and he's already said he's up for it, but while Wallace may be able to provide Weeden with valuable professional knowledge, he's not the Browns' best choice to back him up.

In the months leading up to April's draft, the Browns were strong in their belief that McCoy could remain the team's starting quarterback, though they did so in the same breath as praising Weeden, whom they ultimately selected 22nd overall."

AP photoAre the Indians for real or just fooling us?

"For the second year in a row, Cleveland Indians fans should try and ignore their calendars to check out the Sports Section to see their beloved Tribe on top of the American League Central Division in the standings. Of course, every wet blanket from the south side of Chicago to that state up North is going to attempt to rob you of any joy you may have in regard to your first place Indians.

The point isn’t whether or not they have a point; they do, but to steal a line from the Indians marketing campaign, what if? What if, as in, what if their point is invalid? What if sitting atop the Central Division, just a game or two over .500 is their dry spell? Going into the day’s action on May 15 a year ago, the eventual Division Champions were 22-18 and looking up at a smoking hot Division leading Indians team. Of course, that Detroit team turned out to be for real, while the Indians hot start turned out to be Fools Gold."

Gus Chan / The Plain DealerCavs should look forward to years of excellent basketball from Kyrie Irving.

"yrie Irving is a special type of player—talented enough, young enough—who intermittently illuminates how inconsequential opinions about the NBA are in relation to the fluorescent streaks of skill that happen on the court. We can talk somewhat usefully about a lot of stuff, but talking about the moment when Irving dives into the lane off a pick, shows the ball to the best player in the league, then switches hands, double-clutches, and lays it in is futile. Seriously: try to be articulate about that thing. What’s great is that we get to talk about his highlights in incomprehensible shrieks and about Kyrie Irving as an electrifying talent like we did with Blake Griffin last year. He has only, as of yet, exceeded expectations. There’s no need to figure out his place in the natural order of point guards because we’re just so damned happy he’s here."

"I love that Acta kept Lowe in for the entire game (what he should have done with Gomez yesterday in order to avoid the drama). A very special moment for Lowe, the team, and the fans. He's proven to be a pretty good pick-up don't you think?" - rijo

View full sizeAP Photo/Jim MoneMany cleveland.com readers are happy with what Derek Lowe has done this season.

"I love that Acta kept Lowe in for the entire game (what he should have done with Gomez yesterday in order to avoid the drama). A very special moment for Lowe, the team, and the fans. He's proven to be a pretty good pick-up don't you think?"

Cleveland Browns host students at "Play 60 Field Day" event Tuesday. See a Scott Shaw photo gallery.

"Actually, it's worth mentioning because the three votes for the other players are just bizarre. There's no reason for anyone to vote for Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried or Iman Shumpert, who are all good players but play on teams where they benefit from many other good players around them. There is no statistical measure or intangible measure (other than perhaps Shumpert's powerful defense) that would merit putting them above Irving. It's absurd and, as John Hollinger said today, 'indefensible'." - northcoastcat

View full sizeAP Photo/Mark DuncanMany cleveland.com readers are wondering why Kyrie Irving wasn't a unanimous decision as Rookie of the Year.

"Actually, it's worth mentioning because the three votes for the other players are just bizarre. There's no reason for anyone to vote for Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried or Iman Shumpert, who are all good players but play on teams where they benefit from many other good players around them. There is no statistical measure or intangible measure (other than perhaps Shumpert's powerful defense) that would merit putting them above Irving. It's absurd and, as John Hollinger said today, 'indefensible'. Irving is the runaway winner and it should have been unanimous. We know it, and so do the idiots who voted for other players. Irving, thankfully, probably doesn't care."

Lowe, who slumped badly at the end of last season with the Atlanta Braves, has made between 32 and 35 starts each of the last 10 seasons -- leading or sharing the league lead four times.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerIndians right-hander Derek Lowe, who will turn 39 on June 1, has a 6-1 record with a 2.05 ERA.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Indians right-handed pitcher Derek Lowe will turn 39 on June 1, but it doesn't seem to matter now, the way he's baffling batters with his sinker, his control and his savvy.

Lowe pitched a complete game six-hitter in the Indians' 5-0 win over the Twins today in Minnesota. He walked four and didn't strike out a batter, but he was in charge by getting the Twins to pound the baseball into the dirt. Lowe got 22 ground ball outs to five fly ball outs.

Lowe is 6-1 with a 2.05 ERA in eight starts for the Tribe this season. In 52 2/3 innings, he's fanned just 13, but he's gotten 125 outs on ground balls to 63 in the air, and when you keep the ball on the ground in the major leagues, you're going to get your share of wins. Lowe has given up just two home runs, those in the same game.

The Indians traded minor leaguer Chris Jones, a 23-year-old left-handed relief pitcher with some promise, to the Atlanta Braves last Oct. 31 for Lowe, who is in the final season of a four-year/$60 million contract. Terms of the trade have the Braves paying Lowe $10 million; the Indians paying him the other $5 million.

Lowe slumped badly during the final month last season, as did the Braves to miss the playoffs.

Now in his 16th big league season, Lowe is seventh among active pitchers with 172 career wins (against 147 losses). He pitched mostly in relief in his first five seasons -- leading the American League with 42 saves in 2000 for Boston. Lowe became a starter in 2002, when he went 21-8, and has made between 32 and 35 starts in each season since -- leading or sharing the league lead in starts in four different seasons.

Lowe went 3-0 in the 2004 postseason as the Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. But what Indians fans care about is what Lowe will do the rest of this season.

"I could not possibly disagree more with Manoloff. Weeden is supposed to be mature and be able to handle situations like this." - clewisx5

View full sizeAP Photo/Amy SancettaOne cleveland.com reader says Brandon Weeden should be mature enough to handle pressure of Colt McCoy as a backup.

"I could not possibly disagree more with Manoloff. Weeden is supposed to be mature and be able to handle situations like this. If as a 29 year old man;(notice I say "man", for the most part, many of these rookies are still "kids" at 21-22 years old and do a lot of growing from age 20-30), and the number 22 over-all selection in the draft. If he cannot out play McCoy and not worry about him competing for the job, this pick will be a BUST."

In his three years as Indians manager, Manny Acta has always used the infield shift, but he's never been as aggressive with it as this season.

View full sizeJim Mone, Associated PressWith some savvy positioning on the infield, Asdrubal Cabrera and the Indians were able to turn four double plays in Derek Lowe's shutout of the Twins on Tuesday.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Watch the Indians' infielders between at-bats by the opposition. They rarely stay in the same spot.

Sometimes the third baseman is playing shortstop and the shortstop is playing second base and the second baseman is playing shallow right field. They're not doing it because they're bored, it's all part the team's aggressive use of the shift based on statistical studies of where selected hitters hit the highest percentage of their ground balls.

The infield shift is nothing new. Lou Boudreau, former player manager for the Indians, started using it against Boston's Ted Williams in 1946. Now, with the increase of statistical data, big-league teams have been using the shift daily for the last few years.

This year, however, the Indians are using it more than normal.

"We're being aggressive with it," said manager Manny Acta. It's not just against left-handed pull hitters either. They shift against right-handers as well.

"Righties, lefties, it doesn't matter," said Acta. "That's the thing that has changed drastically in the game. In the past you would only see it against left-handed hitters. But if a left-hander hits the ball to right side of the infield 85 percent of the time and a right-hander hits it to the left side of the infield 85 percent of the time, why not do the same thing?

"That's where the game has really changed. Guys are thinking outside of the box a little more. The stats and the facts are there. It's a matter of you taking a chance on the 10 percent or 20 percent of the times you get burned."

The Indians have used the shift against Chicago's Adam Dunn, a left-handed power hitter, for the last two years. Their use of the shift against right-handers is more subtle, but it is a shift nonetheless. Tuesday, it paid off when Josh Willingham grounded a ball up the middle with Joe Mauer on first in the fourth inning off Derek Lowe. Jason Kipnis was shifted nearly behind the bag and easily began the double play.

Acta said the Indians' analytical department breaks down the data of where opposing hitters are most likely to hit the ball. The Indians also use outside statistical services.

It the past, shifts were based on a player's "spray sheets," that detailed where a ground ball was most likely to go. The information has become more refined. A recent story in Sports Illustrated said only four other teams use the shift more than the Indians.

"It's absolutely becoming more a part of the game," said Acta. "It's just like the cell phone. We got better cell phones now and we've got better information and data now."

Acta believes the use of shifts will make life hard on certain hitters. "You either make an adjustment or you're going to hit into a lot of outs," he said.

Back pain: Third baseman Jack Hannahan missed his second straight game Tuesday afternoon with a tight lower back.

"I felt it get tight through the game Sunday in Boston," said Hannahan. "Then it really flared up during the flight from Boston to Minneapolis. Monday it was tight and today it's a little better."

In spring training, Hannahan missed several days with back tightness. "The reports say it's not the same thing," said Acta. "He's improved some. We'll see have the flight back home will affect him. Then we'll re-evaluate him."

Hannahan is from St. Paul, Minn., and was looking forward to playing in front of his family and friends.

"It's disappointing just not being able to play, let alone not being able to play in my hometown," said Hannahan, hitting .287 (29-for-101) with six doubles, three homers and 18 RBI. "But it's baseball and I'll be back out there as soon as possible."

Jose Lopez made his second straight start at third.

Finally: The Indians are 7-4-1 in series play following their two-game sweep of the Twins. ... Cabrera, who had two RBI in Tuesday's 5-0 victory, has eight RBI in his last eight games at Target Field.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

A learning experience in Indiana cemented Kyrie Irving's relationship with Byron Scott and set the stage for all his future successes. Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- In a season filled with dazzling plays and superlative descriptions, Kyrie Irving said that when he looks back on his first NBA season, he will most remember a play that failed.

During Tuesday's press conference announcing his selection as the league's Rookie of the Year, the Cavaliers' young star -- not surprisingly for a young man whose motto is to stay humble and hungry -- spoke about the moment coach Byron Scott called his number near the end of a tie game at Indiana.

In the season's third game came a turning point in their relationship.

"It was really surprising for me," said Irving, who shows his affection for Scott by teasing him unmercifully. "We kind of knew each other -- kind of. I didn't really know the bald-headed man. I just knew that when he told me it was a high screen-and-roll, I was like, 'I'm going to do my best to get to the basket.'

"Although I missed it and we lost in overtime, it was just him having that confidence in me ... whether I missed it or even if I made it, it was a stepping stone.

"I wasn't mad that I missed the shot, or anything like that. Those game winners, you're not going to make them all. ... I got a great look, it didn't fall. Even though my left hand is my bread and butter, it just didn't happen. That was a learning experience and it just continued throughout the season. That's how I feel like we grew close, me and coach Scott."

Scott said he knew from the minute he set eyes on Irving that the youngster was headed for Tuesday's award. After all, he had seen a similar trajectory before.

"I wouldn't come out and say it like I did in New Orleans when I said Chris Paul would be rookie of the year," Scott said. "I really wanted to say that but I said, 'You know what? I'm not going to put that kind of pressure on this young man who has only played 11 college basketball games and has come in with a toe [injury] that we really have to monitor.

"But I really felt after watching him work out that he was going to be the clear cut rookie of the year."

Irving, who joined LeBron James in 2004 as the only Cavaliers to be so honored, received a total of 592 points, including 117 out of a possible 120 first-place votes, from a media panel throughout the United States and Canada. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for second and one point for third.

The three players to receive a solitary first-place vote were Denver's Kenneth Faried, San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard and New York's Iman Shumpert. Minnesota's Ricky Rubio finished second with 170 points, followed by Faried with 129, Leonard 47 and Shumpert with 33.

Irving, who thanked his family, his closest friends, his agent, his coaches, teammates and fans and the Cavs organization, led all rookies -- and his team -- with 18.5 points per game, as well as in fourth-quarter scoring with 6.4 points. Only All-Stars Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose and Kevin Love were more effective down the stretch.

He also led all rookies in scoring in the final three minutes of games (3.2) and trailed only Paul for the league lead.

"I love that moment," he said of fourth-quarter pressure. "I cherish that moment."

When Scott heard the question about a memorable moment, he knew immediately what Irving's answer would be. It was memorable for Scott, too -- although he wasn't entirely sure Irving was ready.

"What I wanted to find out was where his heart was, what type of player he was going to be," Scott said. "I thought that situation right there was going to let me know a lot about the type of guy he could be at the end of the season.

"I thought ... 'this is a great opportunity to find out what we have.' Obviously we found out."

All-Star host? Cavs owner Dan Gilbert told the Associated Press he plans to approach the league about hosting a future All-Star weekend in the next few years. The city last hosted the event in 1997, when the league celebrated its 50th anniversary. Houston has next year's game and New Orleans hosts in 2014 after doing so in 2008. The last time an Eastern Conference team hosted was 2003 in Atlanta.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Breaking down a quick two-game series against the Mariners at Progressive Field.

View full sizeElaine Thompson, Associated PressWith little offensive support from the Mariners' lineup, Felix Hernandez is 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA entering Wednesday night's game against the Indians at Progressive Field.

Where: Progressive Field.

When: Wednesday and Thursday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio on Wednesday, but no TV Thursday. WTAM will carry both games.

Pitching matchups: RHP Felix Hernandez (3-2, 2.29) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 5.18), Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Hector Noesi (2-4, 6.32) vs. RHP Zach McAllister (1-1, 4.15) Thursday at 12:05 p.m.

Season series: The Indians lead the Mariners, 2-1, this year. The Indians lead, 203-159, overall.

Mariners update: They were 4-2 at Progressive Field last year. At Safeco Field this year, the Mariners lost two out of three to the Indians, but outscored them, 13-12. Two of the games were decided by one run. Cleveland is the third stop in a four-team, 10-day trip for manager Eric Wedge's team.

Indians update: Hernandez pitched eight scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts against the Tribe in Seattle, but the Indians won, 2-1, with two runs off closer Brandon League in the ninth. Jack Hannahan hit .429 (3-for-7) with two RBI against Seattle in April. The Tribe just finished a six-game trip against Boston and the Twins at 3-3.

Injuries: Mariners -- RHP Blake Beaven (right elbow), OF Franklin Gutierrez (right pectoral muscle), C Miguel Olivo (right groin), LHP George Sherrill (left elbow) are on the disabled list. Indians -- RHP Josh Tomlin (right wrist), LHP Rafael Perez (left side), CF Grady Sizemore (back) and RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow) are on the disabled list. Hannahan (back) is day to day.

Next: Interleague play begins Friday when the Miami Marlins visit Progressive Field for a three-game series.

CHARDON, Ohio - Chardon's baseball team has its third head coach in a week heading into Wednesday's district tournament game. Interim head coach Pete Percassi turned in his resignation Monday, less than a week after being named to replace suspended coach Ed Mugridge. Percassi, who like Mugridge was in his first season with the Hilltoppers, did not want to...

Chardon's baseball team has its third head coach in a week after interim coach Pete Percassi resigned Monday.

CHARDON, Ohio - Chardon's baseball team has its third head coach in a week heading into Wednesday's district tournament game.

Interim head coach Pete Percassi turned in his resignation Monday, less than a week after being named to replace suspended coach Ed Mugridge. Percassi, who like Mugridge was in his first season with the Hilltoppers, did not want to go into detail about why he resigned.

"The only thing I'll say is it was for personal reasons and leave it at that," Percassi said in a phone conversation.

Percassi said he had been an assistant under Mugridge for four seasons at Wickliffe.

Mugridge was suspended indefinitely by Chardon superintendent Joseph Bergant on May 8. It was related to an undisclosed incident that took place during a hotel evacuation on the team's spring trip to Isle of Palms, S.C., in March.

"I'm not real able to comment at this time," said Mugridge, during a phone conversation on Tuesday.

Chardon officials could not be reached.

Chardon is 22-3 heading into Wednesday's Division I district semifinal against Youngstown Boardman at Struthers. The Hilltoppers are ranked 11th in the final Division I state coaches poll. Freshman coach and assistant Dave Toaddy will coach the team today, according to the News Herald.

"I love you, man," the Cavaliers' young star said to his father, Dred, his voice cracking. "I'm living my dream. Without you, I don't know where I'd be." Watch video

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving started with the jokes about his dad and Cavaliers coach Byron Scott.

"Both are bald, wear nice suits and nice socks," said the NBA's top rookie of 2011-12.

Then Irving talked about how his father and Scott "got rolls" in their bald heads when angry. You could see the veins almost popping, he said.

Standing on stage next to the Rookie of the Year trophy, Irving looked at his dad in the front row of the audience. "I love you, man," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm living my dream. Without you, I don't know where I'd be."

Drederick -- known as Dred -- Irving stared back at his son, his eyes blinking as he fought back the tears. Dred Irving was father and mother to 20-year-old Kyrie, now 20, and sister Asia, now 21, after their mother, Elizabeth, died when Irving was four from sepsis syndrome.

"I know she's looking down on me," Kyrie Irving said. "I wish she was here to accept this award with me, but I know she's here in my heart. ... I pray to her every single day."

Dred Irving was dressed in a sharp suit worthy of his position as a bond analysis for Thomson Reuters. Thin and standing about 6-2, he still looks like the guard who once was the leading scorer in Boston University history -- he left campus with an economics degree.

"This is an emotional moment for me," said Dred Irving. "When you see your kid up there. ... I just appreciate all that he's done."

A father's influence

View full sizeJulia Xanthos, New York Daily NewsIn 2011, Drederick Irving (right) posed with the future NBA Rookie of the Year at their New Jersey home. Tuesday, he shared the joy of his son's accomplishment. "This is an emotional moment for me," he said. "When you see your kid up there. ... I just appreciate all that he's done."

Scott praised Dred Irving as a father "who you know always has your back, but is not afraid to jump on you. A little tough love is good."

Dred said it was "a challenge getting the right balance" with Kyrie and Asia. He was a single parent, dealing with a stressful career on Wall Street -- and also taking care of the family at home.

"I'd cook, but the kids washed and dried the dishes," he said. "They took turns mopping the kitchen floor. They wiped down the appliances."

There was more at their home in South Orange, New Jersey.

"Their beds were made and their rooms were neat," said Dred. "That was mandatory."

Scott said Kyrie "is one of the easiest guys I've ever coached." He talked about Dred's influence, then mentioned how his own father insisted that he cut lawns, clean the house and do other chores.

"That discipline makes a big difference in a young man's life," said Scott, whose father worked at Hughes Aircraft.

Kyrie said his father was also his fifth grade coach: "My worst critic, my biggest fan. ... I can still hear your voice in my head."

Finding support from others

Dred talked about "so many others" who helped with Kyrie.

Irving donated the KIA Sorento SUV that he received for winning the award to Sandy Pyonin, his AAU coach of the New Jersey Roadrunners. Irving joked about his coach's "Windstream" van that he used to haul the players to games.

In the summer, the young Kyrie often spent six weeks with his grandparents. George Larson is a Lutheran minister, and Norma Larson worked in the health care field. They adopted Irving's mother when she was two weeks old.

When George Larson had Kyrie, the young boy helped work at the church. His grandfather sometimes called him "the little deacon."

Looking at Dred and Kyrie now, you'd never guess that Dred's father left his family when Dred was six. So Dred grew up in the projects of the South Bronx as one of six kids raised alone by his mother. As a father, he was going to make sure he stayed involved in the lives of his children.

It's not something Dred speaks about often, but he nearly died in the 9/11 attacks on New York City. He was getting off the train from Newark in the basement of the World Trade Center when a jet flew into one of the towers. He saw bodies dropping off buildings, the air filled with dust.

He had been working in that building only a few months earlier; first on the 105th floor, then the 40th. On that day, he was headed to his office a few blocks away.

Dred was not hurt. The family matured. Kyrie's sister is a junior accounting major at Temple. Kyrie had excellent grades in high school and attended Duke for a year before turning pro.

Dred told Kyrie that at the end of the season, the Rookie of the Year trophy would belong to him. Now it does, but as Kyrie said, "I'm bringing it back and putting it [on his father's mantle] ... with flashing lights."

The award belongs to both father and son.

LYNDHURST, O. - Josh Wells was approved as Brush's new football coach at Tuesday's school board meeting.  With his new assignment, Wells has resigned as the Arcs boys track coach, effective after the season.

LYNDHURST, O. - Josh Wells was approved as Brush's new football coach at Tuesday's school board meeting.

 With his new assignment, Wells has resigned as the Arcs boys track coach, effective after the season.

 "It's very exciting,'' said Wells, 29 and a ninth-grade history teacher. "This is where I want to be and I'm looking to only making the program better.''
 

The Arcs went 4-6 last season and 4-1 in the Northeast Ohio Conference Lake Division to share the title with Garfield Heights.
 

"My first priority for us is to win the conference and continue getting players into college,'' said Wells, the Arcs' former co-defensive coordinator. "We had six players signed to college scholarship this past year and we could surpass that number this year.''
 

Wells succeeds Rob Atwood, who resigned after four seasons because his position as a health teacher was being eliminated.
 

"Rob's a very good coach and I learned a lot from him,'' said Wells. "We're going to miss him.''

Through good seasons and bad, the Cavaliers have often had good play from their point guards.

Associated PressCavaliers point guard Mark Price (25) gets past Knicks center Patrick Ewing during a 1995 playoff game at Madison Square Garden in New York.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kyrie Irving, the NBA's Rookie of the Year, has continued the Cleveland Cavaliers' tradition of accomplished point guards.

Butch Beard, the Cavs' point guard in their second year (1971-72), made the Eastern Conference all-star team in that, his lone full season with the team. Beard was a solid player, but in those days, NBA All-Star Game rules stipulated that each team had to be represented by at least one player.

The Cavs' tradition of point guard excellence truly began the next season, when future Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens began a two-year stay with the team. Wilkens was near the end of his playing career, but was still one of the league's premier playmakers. Later, of course, from 1986-93, he coached some of the Cavaliers' best teams.

Wilkens' understudy as the Cavs' point guard, former Ohio State star Jimmy Cleamons, guided the team to its first two playoff berths.

The 1986-87 Cavaliers not only featured Wilkens as their new coach, but a brilliant rookie class that included that season's backup point guard, Mark Price. He would become the first player in Cavs' history to be named first-team all-NBA.

Terrell Brandon backed up Price for four seasons, before becoming an all-star in his own right. Later, Andre Miller would come along to run the Cleveland offense, though for bad teams. If the Cavs hadn't traded Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers prior to the 2002-03 season, they wouldn't have tied the Denver Nuggets for the NBA's worst record, and thus been positioned to win the draft lottery and select LeBron James. Miller just completed his 13th NBA season, playing for, ironically, the Nuggets.

Younger fans may not know that one of the game's all-time best point guards, Walt Frazier, was a Cavalier. When Cleamons left the Cavs for the New York Knicks following the 1976-77 season, the teams --according to NBA free agency rules of the day -- had to agree on compensation for the Cavaliers. New York agreed to send Frazier to Cleveland. Frazier, though past his prime, played well in 51 games before a foot injury ended his first Cavaliers' season. He played just 15 more games for the Cavs before they waived him early in the 1978-79 season.

Other point guards played some solid basketball for the Cavs over the years, such as Clarence "Footsie" Walker, John Bagley and Brevin Knight. Cleveland drafted future all-star Kevin Johnson in the first round of the 1987 draft, but Price dominated him in training camp matchups, and Johnson was sent later that season to the Phoenix Suns in a multi-player trade that brought all-star forward Larry Nance to Cleveland.

During James' seven seasons with the Cavaliers (2003-10), he played with several point guards, though the offense ran through him. The best of them were Larry Hughes and Mo Williams. In another irony, Williams was the centerpiece of a Cavaliers trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 24, 2011. As part of the transaction, the Cavs received, unconditionally, the Clippers' 2011 first-round draft pick. That asset won Cleveland the draft lottery for the first pick, used, of course, to select Irving.

Video: A brief biography of Lenny Wilkens NBA career:

Video: The final moments, including Jimmy Cleamons' inbounds pass to Dick Snyder for the game-winning basket, in the Cavaliers' 87-85 Game 7 win over the Washington Bullets in the 1976 Eastern Conference semifinals:

Video: Highlights from Mark Price's career:

Video: Highlights from Terrell Brandon's career, and an interview:

Video: Mo Williams scores 43 points during the Cavaliers' 117-110 home win over the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 27, 2009:

Video: Kyrie Irving wins the MVP award for the Rising Stars Challenge game, part of the All-Star Weekend events on TNT:

The 112th U.S. Women's Amateur is Aug. 6-12 at The Country Club in Pepper Pike. The tournament, which is run by the United States Golf Association, has a field of 156 players.

View full sizeThe Country Club photoWomen's Amateur co-chair Nancy Heinen.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nine questions with Nancy Heinen, co-chair of the 112th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, Aug. 6-12 at The Country Club in Pepper Pike. The tournament, which is run by the United States Golf Association, has a field of 156 players.

Age: 58.

Residence: Eastern suburbs.

1. How did you become co-chair?

A: I am a member of The Country Club, and I decided to volunteer for this event and become the co-chair because I have a business background.

(A 27- or 28-handicap the last time she checked, Heinen worked at Sohio and BP for 26 years in various marketing and operating roles. Heinen, whose family has a local chain of grocery stores, now serves on several local boards of directors.)

2. Who's your favorite golfer and why?

A: I've come to admire Bubba Watson. He's so genuine.

3. How about on the women's side?

A: I would say Paula Creamer. She has done a lot for the women's game of golf and is well-liked by the spectators.

4. What's The County Club's course like? Any especially cool features?

A: It's a William Flynn-designed course, and for the championship, it will play at 6,500 yards. It has fairly wide fairways, and the greens are surrounded by hazards.

5. How do golfers qualify for the U.S. Women's Amateur?

A: There are qualifying rounds throughout the United States about three weeks before this event. In 2010, a record 1,049 contestants entered. In 2011, contestants hailed from over 18 countries."

6. What's the expected attendance for the event?

A: We don't know yet. That will vary. Attendance is free, and parking is free, and we anticipate most of the attendance will be during the final weekend of the event, on Aug. 11-12.

7. What does the winner get?

A: The winner wins the Robert Cox Trophy and recognition from the USGA.

8. Have any past winners gone on to play professionally?

A: Danielle Kang won the last two years. She's now with the LPGA.

(Other winners who went pro include Juli Inkster, Morgan Pressel, Grace Park, JoAnne Carner and Beth Daniel.)

9. If I wanted to plant my stool somewhere instead of walking around and following the golfers, what's the prime spot?

A: I would put it between the ninth tee box, the eighth green and the 12th green. You'll be able to see two greens and one tee shot from your stool. And there's a little shade."