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Cleveland Cavaliers might inquire about moving up in NBA draft, but will it happen? Hey, Mary!

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A lot of things could change before the draft on June 28.

bradley beal.JPGView full sizeThe Cavs probably would have to trade up to get Florida's Bradley Beal.

Q: Hey, Mary: Do you see the draft order going [Anthony] Davis, [Michael] Kidd-Gilchrist, [Bradley] Beal, then Cavs taking [Harrison] Barnes? Any chance Cavs try to trade up to take Beal? -- Dave Denison, Cleveland

A: Hey, Dave: If I had to make a mock draft today, that's how I see it. But a lot could change between now and June 28, especially after teams attend the NBA combine in Chicago this week and start to hold individual workouts for players. I've heard Charlotte could be interested in trading the No. 2 pick, so I do think the Cavs will inquire about moving up. But any of those players could help them.

Q: Hey, Mary: With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in town this week, what do the Cavs think of him and what are the chances they draft him? -- Kevin Zoul, Sagamore Hills Township

A: Hey, Kevin: Like everybody else, the Cavs can't help but like Kidd-Gilchrist. He's a defense-first guy and a good teammate -- a "glue" guy, as they say. Plus, he played high school basketball with Kyrie Irving. But I think in order to get him, the Cavs would have to move up from No. 4. I do think they will explore moving up.

Q: Hey, Mary: Do the Cavaliers have any past draft picks (which we still own the rights to) currently playing overseas or in Canton? If we do, any prospect of seeing them in the upcoming season or beyond? -- Chris O'Connor, Ramstein AB

A: Hey, Chris: Former Kansas center Sasha Kaun, who was acquired in a draft-day trade but not actually drafted by the Cavs, is still playing with CSKA Moscow. Last year, the Cavs drafted Milan Macvan with the 54th pick in the second round. He's playing in Serbia. Right now, no decisions have been made on bringing them to Cleveland. I can't see that happening this year.

Q: Hey, Mary: If the Cavs do not move up in the lottery and have the third pick in the draft, would you trade this pick to Portland for their two first-round picks -- Nos. 6 and 11? -- John Mayor, Marienville, Pa.

A: Hey, John: I see you sent in your question before the Cavs dropped to No. 4 in the lottery. I see where you're going with this, and you're right in that after Anthony Davis, the next eight to 10 players all have some flaws in addition to their skills. So this could be a draft in which it makes sense to trade down. But I don't see the Cavs doing that.

Q: Hey, Mary: Luke Walton and Daniel Gibson are showing up as free agents on some lists. Other lists show them under contract. Are they guaranteed salaries next season? -- Bally Elm

A: Hey, Bally: Luke Walton is signed to a guaranteed contract through next season. The team has an option on Daniel Gibson for next season, but his contract is only partially guaranteed.

Q: Hey, Mary: How much extra cap space will the Cavaliers have this off-season? Next off-season? Please only include rookie contracts, and their extensions. -- Mason, Seven Hills

A: Hey, Mason: The Cavs estimate they will be roughly $20 million under the cap. The cap for the next year has not been set, so there's no way to tell how far under the Cavs will be. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson are signed through 2014-15, although the Cavs can extend them this summer. Irving's salary the next three years is approximately $5.5 million, $5.9 million and $7.5 million. Thompson's salary the next three years is approximately $4 million, $4.3 million and $5.4 million.

Q: Hey, Mary: I know the Cavaliers are not planning on being big buyers this off-season, however do you think there are any free agents they will be going after? -- Sam, Old Brooklyn

A: Hey, Sam: You're correct in that the Cavs will not be looking to make a splash in the free-agent market. A lot will depend on who they're able to acquire in the draft. Their roster may still have holes at small forward, shooting guard and center, so they will need to plug those through free agency. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune has speculated that the Bulls might not pick up their option on Ronnie Brewer. He might be the sort of the player who would interest the Cavs. I'm not saying they're going after Brewer. I'm just pointing out he's the kind of player they need.

Q: Hey, Mary: How much do you believe the Cavaliers would be willing to pay Alonzo Gee this off-season? -- Tony, Cleveland

A: Hey, Tony: That's a good question. Many times last season, the Cavs talked about Gee being their most improved player. He did everything they asked in the off-season and more, becoming first a super sub and then a starter, although he tailed off as the season wore on. He's going to get a significant bump from the $884,293 he made last season, as the average NBA salary is in the $5 million-per-season range. Gee will attract attention from some other teams, and it's possible one of them could make an outrageous offer that the Cavs will not match. They would rather see him go than overpay him.

-- Mary


Many hurdles remain for Cleveland Indians pitcher Roberto Hernandez: Major League Baseball Insider

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The latest word on Hernandez, formerly known as Fausto Carmona, has him joining the Indians sometime near the All-Star break in July. Will it happen? Who knows?

roberto hernandez.JPGView full sizeIt's unclear when, or if, Indians pitcher Roberto Hernandez will be allowed to return to the United States, and it's also unclear how he will make the most of his second chance --€” if he gets it.

If and when Roberto Hernandez is allowed back into the United States to resume his pitching career, two questions must be asked of him.

• No. 1: Does he realize the magnitude of the second chance he's getting?

• No. 2: How will he take advantage of it?

Normally, if a person lies to the U.S. government to gain access to this country, and is caught doing so, that person can be banned for life. Hernandez, who pitched under the name Fausto Carmona for the Indians from 2001 through '11, did that. The U.S. State Department cares little about sad stories of poor young boys in the Dominican Republic changing their names and ages to chase the dream of playing professional baseball.

Not since 9/11 and the age of terrorism.

The latest word on Hernandez has him joining the Indians sometime near the All-Star break in July. Will it happen? Who knows?

Sources told me that Hernandez would be back with the Indians sometime in spring training. We all know how that worked out.

With the season entering its third month, the latest rumblings seem to have more substance. Juan Carlos Oviedo, another Dominican pitcher arrested for lying about his identity and age, has received a visa from the State Department. Oviedo, formerly known as Leo Nunez, must serve an eight-week Major League Baseball suspension, but could be back pitching for the Miami Marlins by July 23.

Oviedo and Hernandez were arrested for the same offense, but the State Department and MLB have always viewed them as separate cases.

If Hernandez receives a visa, it's unlikely MLB will suspend him. He has already forfeited a potential $7.5 million in salary because the Indians insisted on redoing his contract in spring training after being duped by a pitcher using a phony name and who is three years older than he said he was. Hernandez is 31, not 28.

Hernandez and his agents certainly weren't in a position to fuss. The Indians could have tried to void the entire contract. Besides nothing shows contrition more than a big-league ballplayer giving up millions of dollars. The Indians and Hernandez's agents knew that would play well in Washington.

With or without a suspension, Hernandez will have already missed spring training and half of the regular season if he returns during the All-Star break. It's hard to imagine he will be much good to the Indians this season. Baseball, at the big-league level, is an unforgiving game. Ask Johnny Damon how hard it is to play catch-up.

The Indians say Hernandez has been conditioning and throwing simulated games at their baseball academy in the Dominican Republic. Let's be honest, Hernandez was never a workout fiend. Anyone who saw him roll into spring training the past several years knows that. Who knows how long it's going to take him to get into game shape to actually help the Tribe this year?

As for his skills, let's just say it's not like Sandy Koufax is coming out of hiding to save the Indians. Hernandez was 7-15 last year with a 5.25 ERA. In 2010, he was 13-14 with a 3.77 ERA and made the All-Star team, but that's only because somebody had to make it from the Indians.

Hernandez's career rests on one good year, his 19-8 performance in 2007. He has lived off that for a long time.

Will it be different if he gets an opportunity to pitch under his real name? Will he be more confident on the mound because he doesn't have to fear a knock on the door in the middle of the night? What a case study it would make for a sports psychologist.

Should this second chance come Hernandez's way, let's hope he does more with it than just try to re-ignite his career. After he was arrested, Hernandez visited several independent baseball camps in the Dominican, warning young players about the dangers of changing their identities to play baseball. It was part of the show to help him get back to the big leagues.

Now he needs to do that for real and keep doing it. Everyone prays harder when they're on the hot seat. The true test comes when the hot seat cools and no one is watching.

Columbus Clipppers split doubleheader with Rochester: Minor League Report

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The Aeros, Mudcats, Captains and Crushers all lose on Saturday.

Chris Seddon.JPGView full sizeColumbus Clippers pitcher Chris Seddon.

AAA Columbus Clippers

Red Wings 3-0, Clippers 0-1 LHP Chris Seddon (6-3, 3.88) and RHP Chris Ray (2.35, nine saves) combined to throw a six-hit shutout to earn Columbus a split of two seven-inning International League games in Rochester, N.Y.

Seddon allowed six hits and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings. RF Chad Huffman (.258) drove in the Clippers' run.

Columbus righty Corey Kluber (4-5, 4.42) pitched six strong innings in the opener but the Clippers managed a mere three hits.

AA Akron Aeros

Mets 5, Aeros 4 Akron right-handed starting pitcher Paolo Espino (0-2, 3.43) allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings and the Aeros lost the Eastern League game in Binghamton, N.Y.

2B Matt Lawson (.357) had two hits and two RBI for Akron.

Advanced A Carolina Mudcats

Dash 3, Mudcats 0 Carolina managed just three hits in the Carolina League loss in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Michael Goodnight started for the Mudcats and pitched six innings. The right-hander allowed three runs on eight hits.

A Lake County Captains

Tincaps 3, Captains 1 Lake County RF Jordan Smith (.293) had three hits, including two doubles, but the Captains dropped the Midwest League game to visiting Fort Wayne.

Captains right-handed starter Felix Sterling (2-5, 5.86) gave up three runs on five hits.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Thunderbolts 8, Crushers 1 Windy City outhit Lake Erie, 10-4, in winning the Frontier League game in Avon.

Tiger Woods' fan Scott Stallings now playing rounds with him: Inside the Ropes at the Memorial Tournament

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Tiger Woods was pleasant to a one-time fan but solid and unspectacular during the third round of the Memorial Tournament before a gallery longing for that old magic.

tiger woods.JPGView full sizeTiger Woods hits out of the rough on the 15th hole during the third round Saturday of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

DUBLIN, Ohio — One fan who followed Tiger Woods for all 18 holes Saturday remembers devoting himself to golf 15 years ago because of Woods.

The day before his 12th birthday, Scott Stallings, a fan from Tennessee, recorded his first hole in one, and several weeks later, Woods won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes. The combination of events made Stallings decide to give up all other sports, shocking his father. When Woods popped a wedge out of a fairway bunker on No. 17, landing the 145-yard shot just 10 feet from the hole, Stallings was in shock, too.

"I knew there were going to be one or two shots he hit out here today [that] I was just going to be like, 'Wow,' " Stallings said. "You don't see that every day. He hit a wedge over a 20-story building out of a fairway bunker to 10 feet.

"I thought he was going to lay up, and the next thing I knew, I saw it come out and go right beside the flag, and that's why he's one of the best players that ever played. . . . I was about to pull my phone out and send a Tweet, like, 'Did you just see that?' "

It was a good thing Stallings didn't pull out his cellphone -- and not because the Memorial Tournament has cracked down on fans with phones in the past few days, but because Stallings wasn't just a fan, he was Woods' playing partner during the third round of the Memorial. Tweeting in midround could be a distraction.

scott stallings.JPGView full sizeScott Stallings

"I mean, I'm a player, but I'm a fan as well," Stallings said. "Even though I'm trying to beat the guy, I still respect his game and know how good he is."

As Stallings spent his day flipping his golf balls to children after many holes, whether following a birdie or a double bogey, and high-fiving the extended hands of youngsters that Woods typically walked past, the 27-year-old said he did it because he remembers.

"Man, I was one of those kids," Stallings said. "I got so frustrated when I went to tournaments and no one paid attention to me, so anytime a kid wants to put something out there, I'll definitely try to oblige."

What he remembers is a magical Woods. What the children who watched Saturday saw was a menial Woods, a fairways-and-greens kind of guy who didn't make a putt during a round of 1-over 73. If 12-year-old Stallings had been watching Saturday, save for that impressive bunker shot, there wasn't a lot about Woods that would have inspired him.

A guy in a gray sweater, who took a couple of opportunities to rest on tee benches when he could and was sucking on cough drops and blowing his nose in his golf towel while not feeling well, wasn't spectacularly bad or spectacularly good. He was solid and average, and all the things that every other golfer on the tour often is before nearly empty galleries.

"I certainly probably shot the highest score I could have shot today," Woods said after the round, which left him at 4 under for the tournament and in fourth place, four shots behind leader Spencer Levin.

If you wanted spectacular, it was more often worth watching Stallings, who shot a 75 while knowing he was basically ignored by fans and media. He had two eagle putts, often outdrove Woods and made a double bogey on the par 5 at No. 7 after slipping on his drive and hooking it 10 yards into the backyard of a home hosting a gathering for Cardinal Orthopaedic Institute. As Stallings walked along the ropes, his caddie searched for the ball alone, ignored by fans getting ready for Woods' next shot. A wayward Woods ball would have drawn a helicopter-supported search party.

That's fine. Woods has earned his crowds, obviously. But on days such as Saturday, Woods is more like a band that fills an arena to play its greatest hits, not anything of note released recently. On No. 16, Woods hit his approach to 24 feet, and with a sizeable crowd around the hole, seemed to be setting up a highlight and surge to the clubhouse. But he missed the putt, pushing it 7 feet past the hole.

"The old Tiger would have made that," said 20-year-old fan Phillip Debbink. "He at least wouldn't have left himself that."

Woods missed the comebacker off the left lip for a three-putt bogey.

"I grew up idolizing him," Debbink said. "I remember the fist pumps and the 20-footers he rolled in. He's in contention. It's not like he's out of it. But there's no momentum. The crowd wants him to do well. It just hasn't happened yet."

At least Woods was pleasant. Stallings said he started out trying to leave him alone, but by the end, he was kidding Woods about not feeling well.

"He was super nice," Stallings said. "That's definitely not what I expected from him. I expected him to be courteous, but it was awesome. He could not have been a nicer guy to play with."

A nice, older guy who couldn't quite find the range. Hmm. Today, Woods will be paired in the final round with the young and popular Rickie Fowler. The gallery should be huge. But for whom? And why?

Stallings, by the way, did tell Woods an abbreviated version of the story of how Tiger got him into the game. He also told Woods, "Thank you."

"He was trying to do his thing, and I'm trying to do mine," Stallings said. "We're not trying to get sentimental out there."

Sentimental for the Woods who once inspired youngsters to pick up the game? It's hard not to be.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Carter scores in OT, Kings win 2-1

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Kings are headed back to Hollywood.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings are headed back to Hollywood, and the Stanley Cup is so close they don't even want to think about it.

Jeff Carter scored at 13:42 in overtime and the Kings moved within two wins of their first NHL title with a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 2 of the finals on Saturday night.

kings.jpgLos Angeles Kings' Dustin Penner, right, celebrates after teammate Jeff Carter scored a goal past New Jersey Devils' Martin Brodeur during the overtime period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals on Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Newark, N.J. Devis' Stephen Gionta, left, looks on. The Kings won the game 2-1.

"I think we have to reset, refocus," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who scored one of the goals of the entire postseason with an end-to-end rush. "We have to go back to L.A. as if the series is just starting. We have home-ice advantage and have to take the first two at home.

"We're happy that we got the first two. But going home on the plane tonight, we're trying to forget about those games. We're going to learn what we did right and wrong. But going back home, it's a whole new series."

Not really. Two more wins by Los Angeles and the NHL season is over.

The Devils face the daunting task of trying to win four of five against a team that is 14-2 in the postseason.

"They are a great team, but it's not like we got blown out the last two games," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "It will be really hard but we will give it our best shot."

The Devils played well in Game 2. But just like in Game 1, the Kings were a little better as Jonathan Quick made 32 saves to help Los Angeles earn its 10th consecutive road win this postseason, and its 12th in a row over the last two seasons. Both are NHL records.

"Yeah, it's tough." Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. "But, you know, you can't feel sorry for yourself. We played a much better game. I knew we would respond. We did it the right way. You know, came up one goal short."

Meanwhile, L.A. is beginning to dream about a championship finish to its amazing postseason run.

"I think you obviously think about that," Kings forward Dustin Penner said of the title. "Like now, we may get a little nostalgic and think, you know, two more wins and we make history. When it comes to Monday and Wednesday night, we won't be thinking that way. We'll be just thinking that game, that shift, that period, the next goal. That's how we've done it all playoffs."

New Jersey had won eight of 10 games in beating the Flyers and Rangers in the last two rounds in the Eastern Conference. Now the Devils are in desperate need of a victory in Game 3 at the Staples Center on Monday night.

"I thought we played well today," goaltender Martin Brodeur said. "We have to play better because we didn't win."

This marked the first time in 61 years that Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup finals were decided in overtime. The last occasion was the epic 1951 Stanley Cup matchup, where all five games between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens went to extra time. The Maple Leafs captured the Cup.

Carter ended this one with a great individual effort after the Kings outshot New Jersey 11-3 in OT, and only Brodeur kept the Devils in the game.

"It's a pretty special moment, " said Carter, who was acquired from Columbus midseason. "I think, obviously, any time you get a chance to play in the final, it's exciting. But scoring an overtime goal Game 2, puts you up 2-0, it's pretty special."

One of a handful of former Philadelphia Flyers playing for the Kings, Carter corralled a rebound from behind the net, preventing the Devils from grabbing a much-needed line change. He rolled around into the slot, from Brodeur's right-hand side, and let a wrist shot off that beat the standout goaltender along the ice on his stick side with Penner in front of the net as a screen, left unguarded.

"I wasn't scouting Marty at the time," Penner said. "I was just trying to get to the front of the net, and whenever a right or left shot is wheeling around the top of the circle, and shoots across the grain, it's got a pretty good chance of going in if there is traffic in front."

It was Carter's fifth of the postseason and it gave the Kings another big advantage in a series. The eighth-seeded Kings opened 3-0 leads in each of the first three rounds in the Western Conference.

That could come on Monday, when Game 3 is held in Los Angeles.

"Playoff hockey, you put it on the net as much as you can," Carter said. "It's usually a cheesy goal. But Penns did a great job of getting right in front of Marty there. To be honest, I don't even know if he saw around Penns, or if he saw the shot."

When it was over, the Kings all gathered around Carter just off the Brodeur's left in the faceoff circle. For the second time in as many games, Brodeur looked up to the sky, picked himself up, and skated off an overtime loser at home. He said he had trouble seeing the final shot.

The Devils' best OT chance came when Quick stopped a blast by Ilya Kovalchuk in the opening minutes. The Russian nearly won the game in the closing seconds of regulation after a turnover set him up in the right circle, but his shot banged off the crossbar after Kings center Anze Kopitar hurried the attempt.

Parise also had a jam shot on the edge of the crease with 4:08 to play and a shot from the left circle that Quick smothered with 90 seconds to go in regulation.

Brodeur also came up big in the third period. He stopped Kopitar, who had the overtime score in Game 1, in close with 10:30 left in the period, and Dwight King from the right circle less than a minute later.

Quick seemed headed for his third shutout of the postseason when the Devils suddenly found a way to beat him early in the third period, just seconds after a Kings flurry in the Devils' end. Of course, it was the fourth line that stepped up after contributing so much in the series win over the Rangers.

Steve Bernier kept the puck alive in the right corner, and passed to Marek Zidlicky on the point. Zidlicky's slap shot was tipped by an unguarded Ryan Carter in the slot and it went into the corner of the net behind Quick, who was screened by Stephen Gionta.

Until then, it seemed as if Doughty's spectacular goal was going to be the game winner. The defenseman picked up the puck between the circles, skated past David Clarkson at the Kings' blue line and sped through the neutral zone. He avoided a stick check by Carter entering the Devils' zone and fired a shot between defenseman Bryce Salvador's legs that beat Brodeur to the corner of the net.

Doughty let out a scream as the puck went in and then skated back to his bench to accept congratulations for his third goal of the postseason.

The Devils had the better of the play in the first period, thanks in part to better forechecking and two power plays. But Doughty's end-to-end rush and Quick's goaltending had Los Angeles ahead 1-0.

Quick's best saves came on a tip in front by Dainius Zubrus with just under eight minutes left in the period and a follow-up rebound by Parise.

The goaltender also seemed to make a skate save on a blast from the left circle by Kovalchuk on a power play, but the Russian was not given a shot in the box score.

Playing in his 200th postseason game, Brodeur faced six shots in the opening period but several were quality chances. The 40-year-old stoned Mike Richards on his doorstep with 6:45 left in the period and got him again late in the second after Penner set up the former Flyer in the left circle.

Brodeur also had snapping glove saves on Justin Williams and Colin Fraser in keep the Devils in the game.

NOTES: Brodeur is the 20th NHL player to appear in 200 postseason games and just the second goaltender. Patrick Roy played in 247 contests. ... The Kings have scored first in six of their 10 road games in the postseason. ... Kings D Willie Mitchell hit Clarkson in the face with his stick after fanning on a shot. Clarkson was stunned, but didn't seem to bleed. ...This was the 49th one-goal game of the playoffs, two shy of the NHL record set in 2007.


Durant powers Thunder past Spurs 109-103

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Durant scored 18 of his 36 points in a scintillating final 7 minutes.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When Lil Wayne turned down Kevin Durant's invitation to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, he missed quite a show by the three-time scoring champion.

spurs.jpgOklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) shoots as San Antonio Spurs' Tiago Splitter (22), of Brazil, and Danny Green (4) defend during the first half of Game 4 in the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals, Saturday, June 2, 2012, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Durant scored 18 of his 36 points in a scintillating final 7 minutes, Serge Ibaka added a career-high 26 points and the Thunder evened the series at two games apiece by beating the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 Saturday night.

After seeing his team's 15-point lead dwindle to four, Durant took over midway through the fourth quarter by scoring all 16 of the Thunder's points during a span of just over 5 minutes to keep the Spurs at bay.

"I didn't tell myself that I need to go score because what we were doing was working," Durant said.

"We were passing the ball and guys were making shots. ... I just wanted to stick with what we were doing, but it started to open up for me and I could see some lanes that gave me some opportunities to make some shots."

With All-Star teammate Russell Westbrook limited to seven points, Durant did almost all of the damage late to send the series back to San Antonio all square for Game 5 on Monday night.

Durant, who finished behind only LeBron James in MVP voting, hit three straight jumpers, the last one coming after he bumped into Tony Parker in the lane to draw a foul and set up a three-point play. Then he attacked the rim for his next three baskets, getting to the line again when he was fouled on a layup off of James Harden's alley-oop.

Durant hit another jumper after coming off a Westbrook screen for the last basket in his personal run — and the Spurs were still within striking distance. Rookie Kawhi Leonard bracketed a pair of 3-pointers around that Durant jumper, and the Spurs were only down 102-96 with 1:24 left.

The Spurs succeeded in getting the ball out of Durant's hands on the next possession, only for him to provide the assist on Harden's 3-pointer from the left wing that bumped the lead to nine.

"When a player that talented gets hot, it's really hard to contain," San Antonio's Manu Ginobili said. "We tried different things and they didn't work.

"He scored a bunch in a short period of time. When we tried to blitz or really help, he kicked it and they made big shots."

Durant hit two free throws in the final minute to help close it out.

"We tried to do a couple of different things but his play was better than anything we did defensively, that's for sure," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He finished it off in fine fashion."

Before the game, Durant said he still hoped to convince Lil Wayne to come see a game in Oklahoma City after the rapper created a stir before Game 3 by tweeting he was denied access and followed it up by saying he felt "unwanted" at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

With another big closing effort, Durant provided another reason to catch the Thunder in the playoffs.

"I just want to be calm and composed and poised in those situations and make the right basketballplay," Durant said. "I just try to calm down and go with my instincts."

Oklahoma City is trying to become the 15th team in NBA history to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a seven-game series, and the eighth to do it since 2004. The Thunder avoided an even trickier task by winning.

Only eight teams have ever overcome a 3-1 hole, and only two had done it while needing two wins on the road — the 1995 Rockets and 1968 Celtics.

"We've just got to go down there with the mindset that we're going to play hard every possession, play together like we've played in these last two games and we'll see what happens," Durant said.

"We've just got to keep believing, man, and we'll be fine."

Tim Duncan had 21 points for San Antonio, which had won 20 in a row before losing Game 3. Leonard added 17 points and nine rebounds.

The Spurs wiped away most of a 15-point deficit with a run that coincided with Popovich turning to DeJuan Blair, who's had some notoriously big games against the Thunder but had occupied a spot on the bench for most of the playoffs after starting 62 of the 66 regular-season games.

Blair sprung free for a layup early in an 18-5 comeback, and Ginobili's 3-pointer from the top of the key trimmed Oklahoma City's lead to 73-71 with 1:16 to go in the third quarter.

The Spurs were within four after Duncan's left-handed runner with 6:55 left in the game. That's when Thunder coach Scott Brooks called a timeout, and Durant came out of it firing away. He made seven of his last eight shots and also finished with eight assists and six rebounds.

"It was hard because were on a run, we were feeling good about ourselves and we just couldn't make a stop," Ginobili said.

Ibaka made all 11 of his shots — and all four of his free throws — to lead a strong performance from Oklahoma City's frontcourt while Durant's usual running mates, Westbrook and Harden, both struggled.

Ibaka, starting center Kendrick Perkins and reserve Nick Collison combined to go 22 for 25 from the field for 49 points. Westbrook missed eight of his 10 shots and Harden was limited to eight points.

The Thunder shot 56 percent and outrebounded San Antonio 41-31.

Oklahoma City pulled ahead to stay with a 12-3 run early in the second quarter with Durant and Westbrook both taking a break. Westbrook nailed a 3-pointer from the left side soon after returning to provide the Thunder's first double-digit lead at 43-33 with 4:44 to go before halftime.

NOTES: After committing a postseason-worst 21 turnovers in Game 3, San Antonio had 10 that led to 11 Oklahoma City points. ... Ryan Seacrest sat in the front row near midcourt.


Chicago White Sox managing to rebuild and contend at the same time: Paul Hoynes' Rant of the Week

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It might just be a hot streak. Or it could be Chicago's first push to separate itself from the rest of the division.

adam dunn.JPGView full sizeAdam Dunn

The White Sox are rolling. They went into Saturday's game having won 13 of their past 14 games. The streak includes a three-game sweep of the Indians that sent the Tribe reeling out of first place in the American League Central.

It's hard to rebuild and win at the same time, but so far, the White Sox are doing it.

OK, so maybe it's just a hot streak. Or it could be Chicago's first push to separate itself from the rest of the division.

What cannot be disputed is the production they're getting from veterans Paul Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski and Adam Dunn. Pierzynski leads the AL with a .429 batting average with runners in scoring position. Konerko is second at .400. Dunn is hitting home runs again after the worst season of his career.

General Manager Ken Williams has worked outfielders Dayan Viciedo and Alejandro De Aza into the lineup. Viciedo is a Cuban defector. De Aza was claimed on waivers from the Marlins. Together with Alex Rios, who is still lugging around one of the worst contracts in baseball, they have formed a potent outfield.

Chicago isn't perfect. Beyond Jake Peavy and Chris Sale, the rotation is shaky. Peavy's health is always an issue and Sale's innings are going to have to be watched because this is his first year as a starter. The pen doesn't have a true closer, but it has decent arms in Addison Reed, Hector Santiago and Matt Thornton.

Right now, they're the best team in the division and it's going to take some work to catch them.

Kent State baseball team beats Purdue, one win away from regional title

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Ryan Bores from Strongsville pitches a much-needed complete game for the Golden Flashes.

kent state baseball.JPGView full sizeKent State baseball players whoop it up Saturday after beating Purdue, 7-3, in a winners' bracket game at the NCAA regional tournament in Gary, Ind.

GARY, Ind. — Ryan Bores did his job and then some as the junior Strongsville right-hander went the distance in Kent State's 7-3 triumph over Purdue on Saturday night in the winners' bracket in NCAA baseball tournament regional play.

"We were hoping for seven (innings), dreaming for eight and wishing for nine," Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. "And we got it."

Bores' effort gave a much-needed break to a bullpen that was extended in KSU's 21-inning opening game victory over Kentucky on Friday. This game was shorter, but it had comparable drama at U.S. Steel Yard against the top-seeded Boilermakers.

A five-run second inning was the catalyst for Kent (43-17). The rally started with a two-out, two-strike single from Alex Miklos and did not end until after KSU had brought nine players to the plate.

"It was just one of those nights," Purdue coach Doug Schreiber said. "They bunched hits together with two outs. Give them credit. They're definitely a good offensive team." Kent finished the game with 13 hits and three walks, while limiting strikeouts to just five.

Second-seeded Kentucky rebounded from its loss to Kent State for an 8-1 victory over Valparaiso, eliminating the Crusaders and advancing the Wildcats to today's elimination game vs. Purdue (44-13) at 4 p.m. Kent will play the winner of that game and a KSU victory would give the Golden Flashes a regional title.

Kent entered the game with an 18-game win streak that started after an April 25 loss to Penn State, the only Big Ten team Kent played this season. Now the streak is at 19 thanks to Bores (9-2), who threw 112 pitches and was helped by three double plays.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning. Two singles and a wild pitch did the damage for the Boilermakers while a single and double aided Kent's cause.

Purdue did the same in the top of the second, scoring another run after a leadoff double. Kent then put together the two-out rally that produced a 6-2 lead. Derek Toadvine followed Miklos' two-out hit with another single, then a walk to Evan Campbell loaded the bases for shortstop Jimmy Rider.

He delivered a double that cleared the bases. David Lyon singled, then George Roberts drove him in with a double for the fifth run in the inning.

"They rattled off back-to-back hits and it just snowballed," Purdue's Tyler Spillner said.

That was a nice cushion for Bores to work with and he started to work on shutting down the Boilermakers. He promptly got a 1-2-3 third and survived some self-induced trouble in the fourth by loading the bases with a walk and two hit batters. But he got out of it with a big strikeout to end the threat.

Kent got another run in the bottom of the fourth after back-to-back singles put runners on first and third. Roberts then hustled on a grounder to short to prevent a double play, allowing another run to score for a 7-2 lead. Bores continued to dodge disaster in the top of the seventh as the Boilermakers opened with two singles before Kent turned its third double play, and the third out came on a long fly to right field.

In the eighth, Purdue scored on a triple and an infield out. The Flashes ran themselves out of a possible run in the eighth. Campbell hit a one-out triple but got caught in a rundown on Rider's chopper to third. Purdue then caught Rider in a rundown between first and second to end the inning.

That left the Boilermakers one last chance in the ninth. Bores got the first out on a dribbler back to the mound. The second out was a fly to left field. Then a fly to center ended the game.

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


For NBA conspiracy theorists, kick comes from spotting the fix: Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

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The playoffs and last week's NBA Draft Lottery are reminders that conspiracy theorists are alive and well. Maybe not mentally well, but well in other ways.

kevin garnett.JPGView full sizeIt's hard to imagine the Celtics' Kevin Garnett (5) actually doing something to earn a technical, isn't it?

There's a conspiracy among conspiracy theorists to make everything sound suspicious.

A Boston radio show urged Celtics fans to wear Tim Donaghy masks for Game 3 to demonstrate their belief that the Eastern Conference finals are rigged in favor of the Miami Heat.

Donaghy is the disgraced ref who bet on games he officiated and claimed the corruption in the NBA was widespread.

Celtics fans, on high alert after five technicals were called against Boston in Game 1 and made more skeptical by a free-throw disparity in Game 2, apparently didn't have so much to worry about, after all. Boston rolled over the Heat, 101-91, Friday.

The playoffs and last week's NBA Draft Lottery are reminders that conspiracy theorists are alive and well. Maybe not mentally well, but well in other ways.

Even some NBA team officials raised eyebrows (according to Yahoo Sports) when the New Orleans Hornets -- owned and operated by the league last year before Saints owner Tom Benson stepped forward as a prospective buyer -- won the lottery.

You cannot overstate the silliness or the convenience of conspiracy theories.

They have been popular at the NBA Lottery ever since Patrick Ewing landed in New York in 1985, prompting rumors of a frozen envelope.

Nobody can quite explain what was in it for the NBA when Orlando got the top pick in the lottery in 1992 and 1993. So it's best to ignore that one. It doesn't fit the narrative.

The Cavaliers, of course, won the lottery the year after LeBron James departed for Miami. Somehow, even that gets included in the too-odd-to-be-a-coincidence discussion at this time of year.

No one knows why the league would have reprimanded owner Dan Gilbert for his message to Cavs fans basically accusing James of conspiring to get out of town and join Dwyane Wade while at the same time rewarding Gilbert by rigging the lottery in his behalf.

When Yao Ming was the prize of the 2002 draft, pending his release by Chinese officials, suspicions mounted that Yao would end up in a market -- New York, Chicago -- with a large Asian population.

Chicago had a 22.5 percent chance of landing the first pick. New York had a 4.4 chance.

Houston got Yao, despite having the fifth-best percentage chance behind Chicago and Golden State, then Memphis and Denver.

Probably because of the city's large Tex-Mex-Chinese community.

Other examples -- and there are many -- would only serve to get in the way of a good Oliver Stone screenplay.

But let's not let facts or common sense get in the way of our suspicions. Conspiracies feed right into America's growing sense of victimization. We need them.

Never get a single call back after so many forays into speed dating, guys? Can't be the fresh neck tattoo and flip flops. It's got to be Collusion of the Sisterhood.

Maybe the craziest thing about the conspiracy theorists in the NBA is most consider themselves basketball fans.

Left unexplained -- along with so much else -- is why they would watch a sport they think is as staged as pro wrestling.

Spinoffs

I'll Have another.JPGView full sizeI'll Have Another.

• Triple Crown hopeful I'll Have Another was nearly slammed into during a workout at Belmont Park by a loose horse we'll call "Gillooly."

• To avoid any confusion, the sheep brought in to patrol a vacant lot on North Marginal Road in Cleveland and keep the grass at a manageable height will not -- repeat NOT -- be dressed as Browns fans.

• Yankees catcher Russell Martin claims home plate ump Laz Diaz "punished" him for arguing balls and strikes by not letting him throw new baseballs back to the pitcher during at-bats.

"He said it was a privilege I had to earn for me to throw the ball back," Martin told reporters. "That's never happened to me before." I loved Diaz as Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

• The Indians are projected to take a power hitter in the first round of this week's draft. But signability is always an issue, especially this time, since they hope to bat him cleanup the next night.

• Jose Lopez went from outrighted on May 1 to the Indians' cleanup hitter three weeks later. If he still has the job this time next month, a statue will be commissioned.

• Phil Mickelson withdrew after the first round of the Memorial citing "mental fatique," even though he said he believes in finishing the tournaments he starts. "I'm overruling that just a touch," he said. A touch? That's weaker than my slice.

• Ken "Hawk" Harrelson was reprimanded by Major League Baseball after an on-air rant against umpire Mark Wegner in the White Sox-Tampa game Wednesday. "I talked to Bud Selig yesterday," Harrelson told ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine on Friday. "We had a talk. Actually, Bud talked and I listened. If it was a prize fight, they would have stopped it in the first round."

If only Homer Harrelson could be stopped in the first inning of White Sox games.

• The reason the Cavs should stay at No. 4 and not consider trading up to No. 2: With Michael Jordan's Bobcats picking second and the Washington Wizards picking third, you would have to like your chances of getting the second-best player at No. 4.

• NBA Commissioner David Stern has voiced his concerns about flopping. Meanwhile, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell would welcome flopping in the Pro Bowl just to see somebody get his uniform dirty.

• Documentary film maker Sean Pamphilon says Browns linebacker Scott Fujita advised him to release the now famous Gregg Williams tape but then stopped taking his phone calls.

"No way is this intended to be a cheap shot, but there is no chance [in] hell I would allow [Fujita] to teach either of my sons an ethics class," Pamphilon wrote.

Way.

• Jim Brown tells NFL Network's "Total Access" that if he's wrong about Trent Richardson being "ordinary," he will apologize.

Too easy.

For as many "mehs" as he has directed at Richardson's selection, he should have to apologize at a Browns game.

While standing arm-in-arm with team President Mike Holmgren.

He said it

"What is he talking about? Tell him to get out there and put a jersey on." -- Jets LB Bart Scott, reacting to Goodell's criticism of shoddy play at the Pro Bowl.

Here's the problem. Goodell could inadvertently trip an opposing running back and be the leading tackler in any Pro Bowl.

He Tweeted It

"KG is another one who lacks the #clutchgene always has." -- Wally Szczerbiak on former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Kevin Garnett.

Deleting that Tweet, Szczerbiak posted one that read, "KG . . . is fourth in line behind Pierce, Allen and Rondo to take clutch shot. Warrior all game though!!"

So the first Tweet was, you know, a typo.

You said it (The Expanded Sunday Edition)

Hey Bud: Let's say while you were playing golf I snapped your picture in your backswing. Would you quit? -- Doug, Westlake

I wouldn't quit the tournament. But if you showed me the picture, I might quit golf.

Bud: Will Brad Smelley see any right guard during training camp? -- Eric Kiska, Lorain

I suspected someday "You said it" would show signs of having run its course. Thanks for the advance warning.

Bud: I know he plays one on TV, but is Mike Holmgren a real NFL team president like some say? -- Michael Sarro

Yes, just not the kind you should ask for extra playoff tickets.

Hey Bud: Golf is a sport of concentration. Thus cellphone use on the course is a constant aggravation to the players. Does The PD allow cellphone use in the office while the sports writers are developing and fine tuning their stories? -- Dr. Grinder

I can only speak for myself. Losing total focus would only help my columns.

Bud: Did The PD photo caption guys mix up the owners' sons in Thursday's front page picture of the forlorn young man in bow tie and glasses? I would swear it was Paul D. watching Ubaldo's latest outing. -- Tom Powers, Chardon

First-time "You said it" winners receive a T-shirt from the mental_floss collection.

Bud: Now that the Indians have canceled Snow Days due to small crowds, when will they make a decision on the fate of the April 2013 home schedule? -- Vince G., Cincinnati

Repeat winners receive a rain check.

Bud: Was that sullen picture of Nick Gilbert in The PD taken after the NBA Draft Lottery or when he lost his First Communion money at the Horseshoe? -- Jim, Shaker Heights

Some repeat winners get barred.

To reach Bud Shaw: bshaw@plaind.com, 216-999-5639

On Twitter: @budshaw

Spencer Levin leads Memorial Tournament, but Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods stalking

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Levin shoots a 3-under 69 Saturday, tying Fowler and Vijay Singh for the low round of the day, to take a one-shot lead on second-round leader Rory Sabbatini.

spencer levin.JPGView full sizeSpencer Levin waves to the crowd after making par on the 17th hole Saturday during the third round of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Rickie Fowler and Eldrick Woods -- a 23-year-old Puma spokesman and a 36-year-old Tiger -- will be on the prowl today, chasing leader Spencer Levin in the final round of the Memorial Tournament.

Fowler and Woods, two of the more popular golfers on tour, will be paired for the first time in a final round before what should be a huge gallery, with Fowler in third place and three shots out of the lead and Woods in fourth place, four back.

Levin shot a 3-under 69 Saturday, tying Fowler and Vijay Singh for the low round of the day, to take a one-shot lead on second-round leader Rory Sabbatini, who shot a 71 and stands alone in second place.

"If you went out and played really well, there's still a low number out there," Fowler said. "But it's not easy to go low. Someone that's in the lead is going to have a tough time pulling away. I wouldn't say five or six [shots] is too far back, but obviously, three or four is kind of a good place to be."

After a fast and warm Thursday and a wet Friday, Saturday was defined by the wind that kicked up and dried out the greens a bit and made them faster. The average score of 74.3 was more than a shot higher than Thursday.

"I had a difficult time adjusting to the pace," said Woods, who struggled with his putter during a round of 73. "And also, I was trying to stay steady in this wind, which is a task in itself, too."

Woods will be trying for his 21st comeback win on tour, with his four-shot rally at the Memorial in 2009 one of his most recent. Levin will be trying for his first career PGA Tour win. Sabbatini is hoping his seventh PGA Tour win is just his second to come without a third-round lead.

And Fowler is trying to continue the best stretch of his career.

He won his first tour event in a playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship at the beginning of May and has four straight top-10 finishes.

"I've been swinging very well, so that's obviously helped me stay very calm and collected out there," Fowler said. "I'm very confident with my game and where I'm at mentally, so get ourselves in a good position being a few back, go out and have some fun and see what we can do."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Remembering Cleveland's Muhammad Ali Summit, 45 years later

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This is the story about an extraordinary meeting in downtown Cleveland on June 4, 1967, when some of the nation's best-known black athletes willing to risk their public images to support the beleaguered Ali, a lightning rod of controversy in a tumultuous time. Watch video




AP Images


On June 4, 1967 at 105-15 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, a collection of some of the top black athletes in the country met with -- and eventually held a news conference in support of -- world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali (front row, second from left), about Ali's refusal to be drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967. • Mouse over the picture to put names with the famous faces and read details. Tip: Wait a moment for the page to finish building. Mobile-friendly version

<strong>Bill Russell, Boston Celtics</strong> <br>  Russell became player/coach of the Boston Celtics during the 1966-67 season, becoming the first black man to coach a major American sports franchise. <br>  The Celtics, under Russell as a player or a coach, dominated the NBA from 1956-57 to 1968-69. Russell has 11 NBA championship rings and was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. <br>  Being one of the greatest players of his time didn't prevent Russell from encountering bouts of racism in Boston. He was active in the civil rights movement and marched with Martin Luther King Jr. Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2010.<strong>Muhammad Ali</strong> <br>  Born Cassius Clay, Ali is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time and one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. In 1967, Ali was stripped of his title and his boxing license was suspended because he refused induction to the Army during the Vietnam War. <br>  The Supreme Court ruled in Ali's favor as a conscientious objector in 1971. Ali regained his title in 1974 with a victory over George Foreman. Ali, diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome in 1984, has received numerous humanitarian awards from around the world.<strong>Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns</strong> <br>  Probably the greatest running back in NFL history. Brown, who retired in 1966, still holds several career records with the Cleveland Browns, including touchdowns and rushing yards. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. After football, Brown became an action star and appeared in dozens of movies. <br>  As an activist, Brown helped create the Negro Industrial Economic Union (later called the Black Economic Union), and Amer-I-Can, a program that helps gang members learn life management skills. The Browns ended Brown's role as executive adviser in 2010.<strong>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</strong><br>   At the time of this photo, Lew Alcindor was preparing for his junior year at UCLA, where he was one of the greatest college players in history. Publicly changing his name to Abdul-Jabbar once he turned pro, he won three NCAA titles with UCLA, five NBA titles, is the league's all-time leading scorer and remains the only NBA player with six MVP awards. He was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. <br>  Abdul-Jabbar is the author of seven books. His latest is a children's book, 'What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors.' His Skyhook Foundation is dedicated to inspiring youth to exercise their minds and realize the power of knowledge.<strong>U.S. Rep. Carl Stokes </strong><br>  Stokes was an attorney and a member of the Ohio House of Representatives in 1967. In 1968, he became the first black mayor of a major city -- Cleveland. <br>  As mayor, Stokes increased the city's income tax and helped improve schools, housing, and other city projects. Stokes was also responsible for the 'Cleveland Now!' program, a privately funded organization to aid a wide range of community needs. <br>  After serving as mayor (1968-71), Stokes was a broadcaster, judge and served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Seychelles. Stokes died in 1996.<strong>Walter Beach, Cleveland Browns</strong><br>  Beach's career as a defensive back began with the Boston Patriots in 1960. He played for the Browns from 1963-66. He was part of the defense that shut out Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship. <br>  Beach was out of football in 1967. He worked as a paralegal for the Legal Aid Society in Cleveland that year. Beach is the CEO of Amer-I-Can. His autobiography, 'Consider This,' is due out later this year.<strong>Bobby Mitchell, Washington Redskins</strong> <br>  The Browns drafted Mitchell in the seventh round of the 1958 NFL Draft. As a halfback, Mitchell teamed with fullback Jim Brown. Mitchell played for the Browns through 1961, then was traded to Washington in 1962 for the top draft pick, which the Browns used to select Syracuse running back Ernie Davis. <br>  Mitchell, who played his final season in 1968, remained with Washington as a pro scout and later became assistant GM. Mitchell left the Redskins in 2008. For 32 years, Mitchell has hosted the Bobby Mitchell Hall of Fame Classic, an annual golf fundraiser that benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.<strong>Sid Williams, Cleveland Browns</strong> <br>  Williams began his career as a linebacker for the Browns in 1964. He also played with Washington, Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Williams was a member of the BEU. <br>  Following his stint in the NFL, Williams started as a business developer with the Black Economic Union in Los Angeles, served as a legislative aide in the Los Angeles city council, and was project manager of an LA community redevelopment agency. Williams, who is married to California Rep. Maxine Waters, served as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas from 1994-98.<strong>Curtis McClinton, Kansas City Chiefs</strong> <br>  McClinton was a star running back in the AFL with the Dallas Texans and Kansas City Chiefs. He was the AFL's Rookie of the Year in 1962. McClinton scored the first AFL TD in a Super Bowl. <br>  Following his NFL career, McClinton became a registered banker. He graduated from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, received a master's degree from Central Michigan and a doctorate from Miles College. He served as deputy mayor for Economic Development in Washington, D.C. <br>  He owns McClinton Development Company in Kansas City. 'He also played football, the life of Curtis McClinton,' is a soon-to-be-released book by Riley Horne.<strong>Willie Davis, Green Bay Packers</strong><br>   One of the best defensive ends in NFL history. Davis began his career with the Browns, and was traded to Green Bay in 1960. Davis played with the Packers until he retired after the 1969 season. Davis played in five Pro Bowls, six NFL title games and two Super Bowls. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981. <br>  Davis, who received his MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1968, is the president of All-Pro Broadcasting, which runs five radio stations across the country.<strong>Jim Shorter, formerly of Cleveland Browns</strong><br>   The Browns drafted Shorter, a defensive back, in the 14th round in 1962. Shorter left the team after the 1963 season. He played three seasons with Washington, where he was a roommate of wide receiver Billy Hunter, now executive director of the NBA's players association. Shorter died in 2000.<strong>John Wooten, Cleveland Browns</strong><br>   The Browns drafted Wooten in the fifth round of the 1959 NFL Draft. An offensive lineman, he helped lead the way for Jim Brown. <br>  Wooten, executive director of the Black Economic Union, was in his last season with the Browns in 1967 and finished his playing career in 1968 with Washington. Wooten became the director of pro scouting with the Cowboys from 1975-91 and also worked for the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens. <br>  He's the president of Wooten Printing and serves as chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance.


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On a sunny Sunday afternoon in early June 1967, several hundred Clevelanders crowded outside the offices of the Negro Industrial Economic union in lower University Circle. None of those gathered, including a collection of the top black athletes of that time, realized the significance of what would happen in that building on this day.


Muhammad Ali, the most polarizing figure in the country, was inside being grilled by the likes of Bill Russell, Jim Brown and Lew Alcindor, who would later change his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They weren't interested in whether Ali was going to take his talents to South Beach or any other sports labor issues.


They wanted to know just how strong Ali stood behind his convictions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. The questions flew fast and furious. Ali's answers would determine whether Brown and the other athletes would throw their support behind the heavyweight champion, who would have his title stripped from him later in the month for his refusal to enter the military.



On June 4, 1967 at 105-15 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, a watershed moment occurred in the annals of both the Civil Rights Movement and the protest against the Vietnam War. Every cultural force convulsing the nation came together – race, religion, politics, young vs. old, peace vs. war. This is the story about how such an extraordinary meeting developed. How it transpired in Cleveland. And of what that meeting means now, looking back though the lens of 45 years.


"When I look at the situation in Florida (Trayvon Martin case) and when I look through all my adult life, there's always been a period where something happens that causes this country to struggle, be it racial or whatever," said former Green Bay standout Willie Davis. "I look back and see that Ali Summit as one of those events. I'm very proud that I participated."


The core of the summit was the NIEU, later named the Black Economic Union (BEU).


The organization was co-developed by Brown in 1966, a year after he retired from the NFL to become a full-time actor. The BEU served various communities across the country, mostly in economic development. The BEU also supported education and other social issues within the black community.


The BEU and this meeting with Ali stemmed from Brown's social consciousness. For the meeting with Ali, Brown brought together other socially conscious black athletes of the time. Besides Russell, Alcindor and Davis, there was Bobby Mitchell (Washington Redskins), Sid Williams (Browns), Jim Shorter (Redskins), Walter Beach (Browns), John Wooten (Browns), Curtis McClinton (Kansas City Chiefs) and attorney Carl Stokes.


"The principal for this meeting of course was Ali," McClinton said. "The principal of leadership for us was Jim Brown. Jim's championship leadership filtered to all of us."


The Sixties









The United States in the 1960s was ripe for political, social and cultural change. It was a time of upheaval, and re-awakening.


"The time dictated the passion in all of us," Brown said.


Forty-five years ago, the United States was in the midst of a Civil Rights movement. There was also an increase in protests against the Vietnam War. Malcolm X was killed in New York in 1965. Later that year, black football players refused to play in the AFL All-Star Game in New Orleans because of racism and discrimination in that city. The game was moved to Houston. In July 1966, riots erupted in the Hough neighborhood of Cleveland. Two major race riots erupted in Newark and Detroit during the summer of 1967. Opposition to the Vietnam War grew with protests on college campuses and in several major cities. And 10 months after the Ali Summit, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.


In many ways, Cleveland was also the epicenter of black political and social progress. In November of '67, Stokes became the first black mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected in Cleveland. The city became a destination for thousands of blacks who migrated from the south because of job opportunities. When it came to sports, the Browns were popular in the black community, mostly because of their history with black players, such as Marion Motley, Bill Willis and Brown.


"Black people were coming to Cleveland from all over the country to see what we were doing here politically and economically, because no other city was doing it like we were," said former BEU treasurer Arnold Pinkney, a long-time entrepreneur and political activist.


"Cleveland was a hotbed for black power, energy and Black Nationalism at this time," said Leonard N. Moore, University of Texas professor and author of the book, "Carl B. Stokes and the Rise of Black Political Power."


"In so many ways, it was fitting that the meeting happened on the East Side of Cleveland," he said.


A little over a month before the Cleveland gathering, Ali refused to step forward for induction into the U.S. Army in Houston. That set off a firestorm of criticism of the champ. Ali was also a member of the Nation of Islam, broadly seen as an anti-white cult, even in some circles within the black community.


Harry Edwards, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of California-Berkeley, said there was so much consternation concerning the war and Ali that the fighter became symbolic of almost every rift in society.


"He was already regarded as a loud-mouth Negro while he was Cassius Clay," said Edwards, referring to Ali's birth name before his conversion to Islam. "When he joined the Nation of Islam, that exacerbated it even more."





Ali's stance helped ignite the rising level of anti-war sentiment.


"The anti-war movement really hit the headlines when Ali refused induction and made his statement about not having any quarrel with the Viet Cong," Edwards said. "And then to refuse to comply with the draft, that lined up all of those people who were on one side or the other of the Vietnam War."


Enter Jim Brown









In 1967, Brown was in his second year of retirement after leaving the sport as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. His post-NFL career was spent as an actor, but Brown never lost his zeal as a social activist. When Brown helped form the BEU, the organization established offices in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Philadelphia, New York, Washington and Cleveland. His former teammate, John Wooten, became the executive director of the Cleveland office. Everyone in the meeting with Ali, with the exception of Russell, was a BEU member.


Ohio State graduate student Robert Bennett III, who will complete his dissertation thesis on the BEU later this year, said supporting Ali was not out of the ordinary for the BEU.


"Oftentimes when you look at the history of black athletes, it often looks at their achievements on the field," Bennett said. "And it's rare for someone to look at their social or political activism off the field. The athletes involved with the BEU were about defending and supporting issues that supported the black community."


Shortly after Ali's refusal to join the military on grounds of being a conscientious objector, Brown received a telephone call from Ali's manager, Herbert Muhammad. Several boxing governing bodies had already suspended or threatened to suspend Ali's boxing license. Brown said Herbert wanted him to help convince Ali to reconsider because of the potential loss of income, and because of the anticipated backlash.


Herbert Muhammad was torn because of his religious faith, but he was also in the business of helping Ali make money.


"Herbert wanting Ali to go into the service was a shocker," Brown said. "I thought the Nation of Islam would never look at it that way. But Herbert figured the Army would give Ali special consideration so he would be able to continue his career. But he couldn't talk to Ali about that, so he reached out to me and I had the dilemma of finding a way to give Ali the opportunity to express his views without any influence. I never told Ali about my conversation with Herbert. I never told anyone, really."


There was another backdrop to the meeting. Bob Arum and Brown were partners in Main Bout, Arum's company that promoted Ali's fights. Convincing Ali to go into the military would provide economic opportunities for the athletes in the summit.


"The idea was that these guys would become the chief closed-circuit exhibitors for Ali's fights all over the United States," Arum said. "Each of them would get a particular region and they would make a nice chunk of change every time Ali fought."


Subsequently, Brown reached out to Wooten and asked him to contact some of the top black athletes in the country to attend a meeting in Cleveland with Ali.


"Herbert wanted me to talk with Ali, but I felt with Ali taking the position he was taking, and with him losing the crown, and with the government coming at him with everything they had, that we as a body of prominent athletes could get the truth and stand behind Ali and give him the necessary support," Brown said.


Where and when









The athletes' response did not surprise Wooten.


"After I called all of the guys and explained what we were meeting about, they didn't ask who's going to pay for this or that, they just asked where and what time," Wooten said.


Alcindor, who had just finished his sophomore year at UCLA, didn't hesitate to make the trip.


"Muhammad Ali was one of my heroes," said Abdul-Jabbar, who was active in the BEU office in Los Angeles. "He was in trouble and he was someone I wanted to help because he made me feel good about being an African-American. I had the opportunity to see him do his thing [as an athlete and someone with a social conscience], and when he needed help, it just felt right to lend some support."


More importantly, the meeting wasn't just for Ali.


"Our assembling there was about Ali defining himself, because that definition was a part of us," McClinton said.


The athletes at the summit were not going to give Ali blind support. Many needed answers to exactly why Ali claimed to be a conscientious objector. There was some confusion regarding Ali's motives. Three years earlier, Ali failed the Armed Forces qualifying test due to sub-par writing and spelling skills. In early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified as 1A, making him eligible for the draft. Initially, Ali said he didn't understand the change and there was no reference to religion or being a conscientious objector. Many wondered if he was only upset because of the interruption to his boxing career.


At the summit, Ali also had to convince a group that had several members with a military background. Brown, as a member of the Army ROTC, graduated from Syracuse as a second lieutenant. Wooten completed his military obligation in 1960. Shorter served in a reserve unit, and Mitchell served with a military hospital unit in 1962. Beach spent four years in the Air Force. Stokes served in World War II, and McClinton served in the Army Signal Corps.


Making his case









Brown didn't set up a gauntlet for Ali. He also did not set up a meeting for Ali to waltz through.


"I wanted the meeting to be as intense and honest as it should've been, and it was because the people in that room had thoughts and opinions, and they came to Cleveland with that purpose in mind," Brown said.


"We weren't easy on him," Mitchell said. "We weren't slapping hands. In that room, especially early on, it got a little heated."


How heated?


"F. Lee Bailey [a famous trial lawyer] would've been proud in the way we questioned the champ," Wooten said. "Those guys shot questions at the champ, and he took them, and fought back. It was intense because we were all getting ready to face the United States public relations machine -- the media, and put our lives and careers on the line. What if this fails? What if he goes to jail?"


Although it wasn't discussed as a group before the meeting, many of the men planned to convince Ali to accept his call to the military.


"But after about 15 minutes of being there, I'm saying to myself, 'No way is this guy going to change his mind,'" Davis said.


Ali made it clear that he would not participate in the Vietnam War. He spoke on Islam, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, and black pride, but it all came down to his religious beliefs, and nothing was going to convince him otherwise.


"Jim told me that Ali talked for two straight hours," Arum said. "And you have to understand that at that time, Ali was functionally illiterate. And here he was in a room with these great athletes who were all college educated, but he was able to convince all of them that the path he was taking was the correct one. And people at that point and time didn't realize how smart Ali was."


In fact, Ali was so convincing that many in the room nodded their heads in agreement whenever Ali made several points.


"The champ stood strong," Wooten said.


"During those hours, he said he was sincere and his religion was important to him," Mitchell said. "He convinced all of us, even someone like me, who was suspicious. We weren't easy on him. We wanted Ali to understand what he was getting himself into. He convinced us that he was."


McClinton also noted how the summit was not entirely about supporting Ali as a conscientious objector.


"Our presence there was more to the freedom for Ali to go left or right," McClinton said.


"We didn't have a right to tell Ali what to do," Williams said. "All we could do is show our support for him in whatever he was going to do. That decision was up to him and he made it."


Following the meeting, Brown led the group to a press conference. Russell, Ali, Brown and Alcindor (Abdul-Jabbar) sat in the front row at a long table. Stokes, Beach, Williams, McClinton, Davis, Shorter, and Wooten stood behind them.


Brown said the group supported Ali and his rights as a conscientious objector. And they felt his sincerity.


'Absolute and sincere faith'


Russell declined to comment when approached for this story during the NBA All-Star Weekend in February, but shortly after the summit, Russell said this to Sports Illustrated in the June 19, 1967 issue:


"I envy Muhammad Ali. ... He has something I have never been able to attain and something very few people possess. He has absolute and sincere faith. I'm not worried about Muhammad Ali. He is better equipped than anyone I know to withstand the trials in store for him. What I'm worried about is the rest of us."


Supporting Ali certainly wasn't a popular move, but Brown and the others were willing to take the risk. None of the participants could cite any direct fallout when it came to supporting Ali, but being there for a friend was worth any risk.


"We didn't care about any perceived threats," Wooten said. "We weren't concerned because we weren't going to waver. We were unified. We all had a real relationship with each other and we knew we were doing something for the betterment of all."


In an even broader sense, the Ali Summit -- not known by that name at the time -- helped to validate Ali's religious beliefs. But those beliefs and the summit could not prevent the actions of the U.S. Government two weeks later when Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison, fined $10,000 and banned from boxing for three years. He stayed out of prison as his case was appealed. The Supreme Court would overturn the decision in 1971.


But the summit had other immeasurable benefits.


"We knew who we were," said McClinton of the athletes who stood united 45 years ago. "We knew what we had woven into our country, and we stood at the highest level of citizenship as men. You name the value, we took the brush and painted it. You raised the bar, we reached it. You defined excellence, we supersede it. As a matter of fact, we defined it."


Terry Pluto's Talkin' 'bout the Browns' Brandon Jackson, the Tribe's Lonnie Chisenhall and the NBA Draft

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Don't overlook running back Brandon Jackson, who missed last year with an injury, as he looks as if he will give a boost to the Browns' backfield, Terry Pluto says in Terry's Talkin'

jackson-talkin-browns-june3.jpgView full sizeA healthy Brandon Jackson would complement Trent Richardson in the Browns' backfield.

ABOUT THE BROWNS' RUNNING BACKS . . .

1. When the Browns' coaches look at their running backs, they smile. It obviously starts with rookie Trent Richardson. Yes, they believe he can be a three-down back, meaning he plays all the time. At least his pass-catching skills in college (and in the minicamps) indicate he can be on the field in third-down situations.

2. But another running back also has impressed, the forgotten man from 2011. Not Montario Hardesty. He's back, too. The player who has stood out to the coaches is Brandon Jackson, the veteran from Green Bay who signed a free-agent contract with the Browns last season. Jackson injured his foot in training camp and missed all 2011.

3. In 2010, he rushed for 703 yards and caught 43 passes for the Packers. In 2010, Profootballfocus.com rated Jackson as the No. 6 receiver among NFL backs as he caught 48 of 57 passes. He had only two drops. In the West Coast offense, in which backs have to catch the ball, this is important. Jackson had only one fumble in 190 carries in 2010. He has only three in his career. He was also flagged for only one penalty in 2010.

4. Jackson isn't a great back, but he's a solid one. He's 28, but he isn't beat up, as he was mostly a backup with the Packers. He'll be paid $1.65 million this season.

5. So what can be said of Hardesty? As of today, he says he's healthy. That appears to be the case. While the Browns are saying nice things about Hardesty, he has to prove he'll remain healthy once tackling starts in August. He's been with the Browns for two seasons but has had knee problems, calf issues and carried the ball only 88 times.

6. This is just my opinion, not that of the Browns: Hardesty's roster spot isn't safe. He makes $575,000 and it's not guaranteed. At best, he's third on the depth chart behind Richardson and Jackson. It's hard to go into the season with Hardesty because of all his health problems.

7. The coaches do like Chris Ogbonnaya, and it's easy to see him winning a roster spot. He gained 334 yards last season (averaging 4.6 yards per carry) and also caught 23 passes after he was picked up before Game 6 by the Browns. He hardly practiced, but he was pressed into duty and did a decent job filling in for the injured Peyton Hillis and Hardesty.

ABOUT THE BROWNS . . .

1. The coaches were thrilled with Marcus Benard arriving at 260 pounds. Not only is it the best weight for him, but it's ideal for their pass-rushing defensive ends. When Benard arrived at 280 pounds last year, he looked slow. Then he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. He is blessed to be completely healthy. In 2010, he had 7.5 sacks as a pass-rushing linebacker in Eric Mangini's 3-4 defense.

2. The Browns like quick defensive ends in their 4-3 defense. That's why 255-pound Jabaal Sheard was so effective, with 8.5 sacks as a rookie. The Browns added veteran free agents Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker as defensive ends, but there's room for Benard as they'd like four players for those two spots.

3. No need to dwell on it because it's so early, but Brandon Weeden continues to impress. When I asked him about what he feels most comfortable with going from college to the pros, he said: "Throwing the ball. . . . I'm not afraid of throwing the ball downfield. I'm not afraid of squeezing it into tight windows. I've always had a lot of confidence."

4. The Browns are anxious to see rookie receiver Travis Benjamin against defenses once tackling starts because his speed has been very impressive.

5. Greg Little has received a lot of praise for his conditioning (he lost 11 pounds) and performance in minicamps, and it's been well-deserved.

6. While Josh Cribbs is still in the mix as a receiver, the Browns are determined to upgrade their special teams -- especially the coverage units. And by far, Cribbs is best of the best at covering kicks and punts. He didn't even begin to cover kicks last year until the final 11 games, but he led the team with 14 special-teams tackles -- Kaluka Maiava (10) and Buster Skrine (nine) were next. Cribbs ranked sixth in punt returns and 12th in kickoff returns last season -- and the Browns also want to improve in those areas.

7. Free agent Josh Cooper has had some nice moments. He caught 68 and 71 passes from Weeden during the past two years at Oklahoma State. Cooper was one of the first undrafted free agents the Browns called after the draft with a tryout invitation. Weeden also lobbied for Cooper, who made a wise decision to pick the Browns over some other teams as there are plenty of chances here for receivers.

ABOUT THE TRIBE . . .

1. Is Lonnie Chisenhall ready to take over at third base? Could be. And not simply because he is 5-of-13 with two homers since being recalled from the minors. Consider that Chisenhall finished last season at .290, with four homers and 15 RBI in his final 100 Tribe at-bats. Then he hit .324 to open the season at Class AAA Columbus. He will play all year at age 23, the youngest player on the Tribe roster. Chisenhall is trending in the right direction.

chisenhall-talkin-indians-june3.jpgView full sizeAlthough it seems he's been around for a while, Lonnie Chisenhall is the youngest player on the Tribe's roster at age 23.

2. Yes, Chisenhall needs work at third base. That was part of the reason he opened the season in Class AAA. He also batted .205 in Arizona. He'll need to keep working. This also allows the Tribe to make Jack Hannahan a part-time infielder and defensive replacement at third. At 32 and with back problems that have haunted him for the past two years, that's his best role right now.

3. Heading into Saturday night, Derek Lowe owned seven of the Tribe's 28 victories. At 39, he's revived his career. In eight of 11 starts, he's allowed two or fewer runs. He's only been hit hard twice. While some stat geeks focus on the opposition batting .297 against him, consider that Lowe has allowed only three homers and issued 19 walks against the 288 batters he's faced this season. No free passes. And the opposition is 0-for-5 against him with the bases loaded.

4. Somehow, the Indians must fix Justin Masterson. Last season Masterson walked only 2.7 batters per nine innings. It's now 4.5. A year ago, his average fastball was 93.1 mph. This season, it's 91.3. That's a big deal because more than 80 percent of Masterson's pitches are sinking fastballs. He is obviously having problems with his delivery.

5. Like Ubaldo Jimenez, Masterson has a lot of moving parts, in terms of arms and legs flying around as he throws to the plate. Masterson has a whiplike, sidearm motion. If he drops his arm too low, he loses some velocity and sinking action. Masterson is 2-4 this season with a 5.14 ERA. He is fifth in the American League in walks. Jimenez (5-4, 5.79 ERA) leads the league in walks. Mostly because of Masterson and Jimenez, Tribe pitchers are No. 2 in walks this season.

6. Jason Donald is hitting .315 (.940 OPS) at Class AAA Columbus. But he has six errors in nine games at shortstop. He has also played some outfield. The Indians want Donald to regain his confidence in the field -- he struggled a bit with the Tribe earlier in the year.

7. The Tribe thought Donald was ready to become a super-utility man this season. He batted .318 (.765 OPS) last season, as he came back from wrist and knee injuries. But he opened this season 8-of-45, with no extra-base hits, one walk and 16 strikeouts in Cleveland before being sent to the minors. The Indians need Donald to establish himself as a big-leaguer. He is 27 and, at some point, he will be back. So will Matt LaPorta, as he's also 27 and it's time to see if he can become a viable power hitter in the majors.

8. Joe Tait and I will be signing copies of our book, "It was a Real Ball," at the Books-A-Million store in Cuyahoga Falls this coming Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. Yes, it's a shameless plug for someone looking for a Father's Day gift.

ABOUT THE CAVS . . .

1. As the Cavs look at the draft, they are open to acquiring anyone but a point guard. Why would they consider a power forward such as Thomas Robinson of Kansas? Don't they already have another No. 4 pick at that spot in Tristan Thompson? Isn't power forward the best position for Anderson Varejao?

talkin-robinson-kansas-june3.jpgView full sizeAlthough the Cavaliers drafted power forward Tristan Thompson with the fourth pick in last year's draft, a good case can be made for taking Kansas forward Thomas Robinson with the fourth pick in this year's draft.

2. Now consider the case of the current NBA when it comes to centers. There are very few 7-footers such Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum. Most teams are playing power forwards at center. The "centers" in the Final Four teams are Kevin Garnett (Boston), Tim Duncan (San Antonio), Kendrick Perkins (Oklahoma City) and Joel Anthony (Miami). Garnett and Duncan are future Hall of Famers, but they are really power forwards. The other guys are journeymen.

3. The top center in the draft is Andre Drummond, who shot 29 percent from the foul line and averaged 7.4 rebounds at UConn. Maybe Drummond develops, as he played only one year of college basketball, but so many big draft blunders have been made by teams needing a center and getting an underachiever such as Drummond.

4. If the Cavs take a power forward, the plan would be for Varejao to continue to start at center. Thompson played both center and power forward. Someone such as Robinson would be the third big man. And Cleveland also has Samardo Samuels. The Cavs want four viable big men to keep the minutes down for Varejao, who has had major injuries the past two seasons.

5. While the Cavs and some other teams are expected to make major trade offers to New Orleans for the draft rights to Anthony Davis, it would be a shock if the pick is traded. Davis is viewed as the one sure star in the draft. After Davis, it seems Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal and Robinson are being considered by Charlotte (No. 2) and Washington (No. 3). I've heard some rumblings about Kidd-Gilchrist slipping to the Cavs, who would be glad to take him.

6. Since Kidd-Gilchrist is a small forward with an iffy jump shot, his stock may fall. He shot only 26 percent on 3-pointers. He shoots 75 percent at the foul line and averaged 7.4 rebounds, excellent for a small forward. He's a fierce defender and was the leader of a championship team -- despite being only 18. In terms of work ethic and the "winning culture" attributes the Cavs like, Kidd-Gilchrist has those.

7. Watching the playoffs, one of the major ingredients required are players who can create their own shot when the 24-second clock ticks down and plays fall apart. Kyrie Irving brings that to the Cavs, but they really have no one else. The draft doesn't have many creative and extremely athletic shooting guards and small forwards. Florida's Beal is more of a jump shooter. The same goes for UConn's Jeremy Lamb, who is moving up most draft boards into the top 10.

8. It's so hard to find instant stars in the draft. Here are the top five picks from 2010: John Wall, Evan Turner, Derrick Favors, Wesley Johnson and DeMarcus Cousins. Only Wall and Cousins have averaged more than 10 points during their first two years. With so many young players entering the draft, the goal is to find one who develops during the course of a few seasons.

Where are the black athletes willing to speak out in 2012? Branson Wright commentary

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What would happen if some of the top black athletes in the country made it their business to stop gun violence? Or to encourage fathers to take a bigger role in the lives of their children? Watch video

newble-darfur-07-cavs.jpgView full sizeFormer Cavaliers forward Ira Newble (far right) traveled to the Sudan to bring public attention to the political turmoil and violence in the Darfur region. Few other NBA players openly shared Newble's concern.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Somewhere along the timeline that began with Paul Robeson, followed by Jackie Robinson, and stretched to Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali, a pattern of disconnect developed between the black athlete and his community.

What was once commonplace has often been reduced to turkey giveaways, and sponsorship-induced, made-for-television opportunities. Let's be honest, foundations for many athletes are used to shuttle funds for tax breaks, or a way to put cousins on a legitimate payroll.

Back in the day, guys like Robeson, Robinson, Ali and Brown made it their business to help the underprivileged. They were also not afraid to make a public stand when it came to defending or supporting social issues.

It wasn't about charity, it was about helping those get some of the same opportunities as many others to improve themselves and their community. This was a time when athletes used their celebrity to help force social change to develop a better country.

But for many modern athletes, silence has become their gold.

It is easy to blame higher salaries for the modern athlete's choice to widen the gap between themselves and the communities where they once lived, but several factors attributed to the decline.

Once young children are identified with athletic prowess, the sports culture -- defined by the media, coaches, parents and leeches -- begins the process of telling athletes how they are different. Individualism is the new focus, and the only family is the sports family.

The media's role in this indoctrination comes in how it rewards athletes who are focused more on being an entertainer, than on speaking about social issues. Who cares about political views, or social change? Stay silent and just hit the damn ball. In many players' minds, speaking out could cost endorsement money.

Colleges add to the divide between athletes and the community by keeping their athletes away as much as possible from the rest of the student body with separate dorms and separate academic centers. Many college coaches discourage their student athletes from pledging fraternities, claiming the athletic department is all the fraternity they need.

There's also no sense of history among many current athletes when it comes to what so many conscientious athletes did before them, which leads into the excuse for many that they don't have to deal with the same issues as those before them.

Some of that is true, but there are plenty of issues within communities that could benefit from high-profile attention provided by athletes. What would happen if some of the top black athletes in the country made it their business to help stop gun violence? Or what would be the impact if several superstars led a campaign to encourage fathers to take a bigger role in the lives of their children?

There are and have been exceptions in recent years where black athletes have tried to make a change. In 2007, former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ira Newble spoke out against the genocide in Darfur. Former Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards developed a program where he helped 100 former eighth graders go to college. Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and former NFL cornerback Reggie Howard belong to a group of athletes involved in various communities around the country promoting mentoring, family, education, and financial literacy.

miami-heat-trayvon-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeThe Heat's symbolic protest following the death of Trayvon Martin is one of the rare cases of modern athletes commenting upon current events.

And Miami Heat players, including LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, spoke out against the shooting that resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin. In a show of solidarity, James posted a picture of all the Heat players wearing hoodies.

But these are the exceptions. The challenge is finding ways to get other athletes to engage. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, remains active. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named Abdul-Jabbar the U.S. Cultural Ambassador for 2012. Abdul-Jabbar has written the children's book "What Color is My World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors".

Abdul-Jabbar said we have to encourage athletes by reinforcing a sense of community. "It just takes a consciousness and an effort," he said.

That is easier said than done. Fear is also a driving force in the submissive behavior of many athletes. They can stand in the batter's box and not flinch when a fastball buzzes by, or in the boxing ring, take a 1-2 to the jaw without a second thought. But when it comes to continuing a legacy that made a positive imprint on so many lives, many of these modern gladiators choose to stand on the sidelines.

"These brothers have this warped idea that they've been given something," said Leonard Moore, history professor at the University of Texas. "Some of these guys are recruited to private schools in high school, and [this fear] starts right there. They're taught in many ways to stay quiet, just play ball, and make money because the system does reward that."

Maybe the sprinkle of conscientious athletes will help generate a flood of momentum, so the sacrifices made by many players from the past won't become ancient history.

Sunday, June 3 television and radio sports listings for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio

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Highlights include Twins at Indians and the final round of golf's Memorial Tournament.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

AUTO RACING

12:30 p.m.

FOX -- NASCAR, Sprint Cup, FedEx 400, at Dover, Del.

3:30 p.m.

ABC -- IRL, IndyCar Series, Belle Isle Grand Prix, at Detroit

4:30 p.m.

ESPN2 -- NHRA, Supernationals, at Englishtown, N.J. (same-day tape)

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Noon

ESPN2 -- NCAA Division I playoffs, regionals, game 5, at Gainesville, Fla.

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

1 p.m.

ESPN -- World Series, game 11, teams TBD, at Oklahoma City

3:30 p.m.

ESPN -- World Series, game 12, teams TBD, at Oklahoma City

CYCLING

9:30 p.m.

NBCSN -- Criterium du Dauphine, prologue, at Grenoble, France (same-day tape)

GOLF

8 a.m.

TGC -- European PGA Tour, Wales Open, final round, at City of Newport, Wales

Noon

TGC -- PGA Tour, the Memorial Tournament, final round, at Dublin, Ohio

2 p.m.

TGC -- ShopRite LPGA Classic, final round, at Galloway, N.J.

2:30 p.m.

CBS -- PGA Tour, the Memorial Tournament, final round, at Dublin, Ohio

7 p.m.

TGC -- Champions Tour, Principal Charity Classic, final round, at West Des Moines, Iowa (same-day tape)

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

1 p.m.

TBS -- N.Y. Yankees at Detroit

3 p.m.

SportsTime Ohio; WTAM/1100-AM -- Minnesota at INDIANS

4 p.m.

WGN -- Chicago Cubs at San Francisco

8 p.m.

ESPN2 -- St. Louis at N.Y. Mets

MOTORSPORTS

8 a.m.

SPEED CHANNEL -- MotoGP World Championship, Catalunyan Grand Prix, at Barcelona, Spain

3:30 p.m.

SPEED CHANNEL -- MotoGP Moto2, Catalunyan Grand Prix, at Barcelona, Spain (same-day tape)

11 p.m.

SPEED CHANNEL -- AMA Pro Racing, at Elkhart Lake, Wis. (same-day tape)

NBA

8:30 p.m.

ESPN -- Playoffs, conference finals, game 4, Miami at Boston

RUGBY

2 p.m.

NBCSN -- Sevens Collegiate Championship, semifinals, teams TBD, at Philadelphia

4 p.m.

NBC -- Sevens Collegiate Championship, third place and championship games, teams TBD, at Philadelphia

SOCCER

7 p.m.

NBCSN -- Men's national teams, exhibition, United States vs. Canada, at Toronto

TENNIS

1 p.m.

NBC -- French Open, fourth round, at Paris

5 a.m.

ESPN2 -- French Open, fourth round, at Paris

Matt LaPorta playing 1B and batting 7th for Indians against Twins today

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Matt LaPorta will make his season's debut with Indians today in game against Twins at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt LaPorta officially was added to the Indians' roster today. He will play first base and bat seventh this afternoon against the Twins and left-hander Scott Diamond at Progressive Field.

LaPorta was recalled from Class AAA Columbus after the Indians placed left fielder Johnny Damon on the paternity list. Damon can remain on that list for up to three days; he told reporters late Saturday night that he would return for Wednesday's game in Detroit.

LaPorta is hitting .307 with eight doubles, 14 homers and 32 RBI in 46 games for the Clippers. He is hitting .333 (19-for-57) with four homers against lefties.  

"I'm up here hopefully to help contribute to this ballclub,'' he said. "If it's two days, three days, a week -- doesn't matter.''

The LaPorta who met with reporters after batting practice was polite, as usual. But his words came with an edge.

"I just need to have fun, play the game the way I know how and not worry about what (the media is) thinking, what somebody else is thinking or what a fan is thinking,'' he said. "It's been a problem that I've had to overcome. I can't control what other people think. I'm not in control of somebody else's happiness. If they want to be upset about my performance, sorry.''

LaPorta, who has appeared in 19 games in left field and 18 games at first for the Clippers, cooled after a blazing start.

"At the beginning, his numbers were a lot better at home than on the road, but the overall numbers are there,'' Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He's been doing a good job. If you look at the amount of at-bats he's had in Triple-A the last couple of years, the numbers are pretty good.

"They felt that he was doing the right things over there. He was having success and hitting mistakes whenever (pitchers) made mistakes on him. We have to see that translate up here.''

Acta said there are is no set schedule for LaPorta's playing time, or where he plays.  

"We don't have any amount of games here and there,'' Acta said. "We want to see him have quality at-bats. That's all I can ask him to do.''

CSan update: Catcher Carlos Santana (disabled list/mild concussion) caught a bullpen session and took batting practice today.

Acta said Santana is feeling good, and that the club is optimistic he will be available for the Detroit series beginning Tuesday in Comerica Park. Acta said Santana might get some rehab at-bats Monday for the Lake County Captains, who play host to Fort Wayne.

Acta said he is fairly certain Santana has passed all the tests mandated by Major League Baseball for activation after a concussion.

Santana absorbed a foul off the mask May 25 in Chicago and later exited the game complaining of dizziness.

Lineups

Twins -- 1. Span cf; 2. Revere rf; 3. Mauer dh; 4. Willingham lf; 5. Morneau 1b; 6. Doumit c; 7. Dozier ss; 8. Plouffe 3b; 9. Casilla 2b; and Diamond lhp.

Indians -- 1. Choo rf; 2. Kipnis 2b; 3. Cabrera ss; 4. Lopez 3b; 5. Brantley cf; 6. Duncan dh; 7. LaPorta 1b; 8. Cunningham lf; 9. Marson c; and Masterson rhp.

 


It was a hot and thirsty night: Looking back at 10-Cent Beer Night

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Thirty-eight years ago Monday, fans got too boozed-up and interrupted the game repeatedly by streaking on the field and throwing fireworks. They eventually rioted, causing an ugly confrontation between fans and players of both teams.

jeff buroughs.jpgTexas Rangers' Jeff Burroughs, center, runs off the field with his teammates during the Beer Night melee at Cleveland Stadium June 4, 1974. The Indians forfeited the game to the Rangers after fans, fueled by 10-cent beers, stormed the field in the ninth inning.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Coughlin blames Pete Franklin.

Jackie York mentioned the full moon.

Art Broze put it on Billy Martin, and others cited the unseasonably hot weather.

But what about the beer?

You have to mention the beer. Some 60,000 cups of it at 10 cents each.

Yes, we're talking about the infamous 10-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on Tuesday, June 4, 1974. The short story: Thirty-eight years ago Monday, fans got too boozed-up and interrupted the game repeatedly by streaking on the field and throwing fireworks. They eventually rioted, causing an ugly confrontation between fans and players of both teams.

Jackie York was head of promotions for the Indians from 1971 to 1978.

"There are a few things to consider about that night," she said. "First, it was a repeat performance. The Indians had played in Texas the week before on their beer night. Beer nights were common throughout the league. Texas manager Billy Martin was, let's say, aggressive in addressing our players that night, and a bench-clearing brawl took place. Second, it was a full moon that night and it only added to the crazy atmosphere. And then of course the 10-cent beer can't be ignored."

beer night shirt.jpgDo you remember 10-Cent Beer Night? The event in 1974 was so popular, T-shirts have commemorated the night.

Former Plain Dealer sportswriter Dan Coughlin covered the game and was punched in the jaw by a random young fan while he stood on the Rangers dugout trying to do an interview.

"All week before that game, [radio host] Pete Franklin kept up a steady drumbeat with listeners about how we needed to get even with the Rangers for the brawl the previous week," Coughlin said. "He was priming the pump for an incident like the one that took place."

The high jinks began in the third inning with the then-current craze of streaking.

"It was all kind of funny at first," said York, who now is development marketing manager for PlayhouseSquare.

"A guy wearing only tennis shoes ran through the outfield along the fence. The fence was tall and he couldn't see that police with radios were running right along with him on the other side. When he jumped the fence, the police were there with a big black plastic bag and hauled him away."

A woman ran onto the field and, at home plate, bared her breasts to the delighted crowd. But things got crazier. A fair number of fans arrived having been drinking already.

"We had a pretty good head start," said Rob Waldheger, now a retiree. "We were all at Kevin McDonough's bar up on Madison in Lakewood. We even had a designated driver. Beer started getting thrown around early. There's nothing worse than having sticky beer thrown on you when it's a hot night. I remember feeling increasingly anxious to get out of there as the night went on."

Things became more serious when fans started throwing firecrackers and cherry bombs into the Rangers bullpen. Martin called his pitchers into the dugout for their safety.

A West Side sports gambling enthusiast who goes by the name of Will Cover went to the game after work on the spur of the moment.

"I was working downtown at Xerox when a co-worker and I decided to walk over from Superior. They were selling my special brand of beer, which is cold and cheap," he said. "It wasn't a big crowd. It was 25,000 in a stadium that holds 84,000. But I was surprised at how many underage kids were there drinking 10 beers for a dollar. The game started out funny as could be and then got scary."

The scary part came in the ninth inning with the game tied 5-5. Some kids jumped onto the field to shake the hand of Rangers right fielder Jeff Burroughs. One of them stole his cap and took off running. He chased the kid, slipped and fell. Players in the Rangers dugout thought he had been knocked down. Billy Martin led the charge on the Field, with his team carrying bats.

Then all hell broke loose. The Indians charged the field, too, to protect their opponents from their fans. Cleveland Indians organist Art Broze later wrote a letter to The Plain Dealer blaming the Rangers:

"The game should have been forfeited to the Cleveland Indians because of the Texas team taking the law into their own hands. They promoted the riot."

As it turned out, umpire Nestor Chylak called the game a forfeit, with Texas winning 9-0.

Though the night was condemned by pundits as a black spot in Cleveland sports history, the next beer night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium the following July 18 had more security and went off without a hitch.

Coughlin wrote in his book "Crazy, With the Papers to Prove It" that promotions director York was called into Indians President Ted Bonda's office after the game, expecting to be fired. Instead, he ordered her to go to the next beer night in Milwaukee to see how they did it.

And how did they do it?

"They drank the beer by the bucket," York recalled. "It must have been something in their DNA."

And here is a Ballad of 10 Cent Beer Night:

Dan Coughlin's 10-Cent Beer Night box score: 1 full moon, 2 bare moons

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Sportswriter and broadcaster Dan Coughlin covered the infamous 10-Cent Beer Night on June 4, 1974, for The Plain Dealer. Writing about that night in his book "Crazy, With the Papers to Prove it," he also created what he calls a box score for that night. 25,134 fans 60,000 Genesee beers at 10 cents each 50 cops 19 streakers 9...

10-CENT-BEER-NIGHT-INJURED-UMP.JPGInjured umpire Nestor Chylak, right, leads his crew: Joe Brinkman, left, Nick Bremigan, center, and Larry McCoy off the field during the Beer Night melee at Cleveland Stadium June 4, 1974. The Indians forfeited the game to the Texas Rangers after fans, fueled by 10-cent beers, stormed the field in the ninth inning. (Cleveland Press, Paul Tepley)

Sportswriter and broadcaster Dan Coughlin covered the infamous 10-Cent Beer Night on June 4, 1974, for The Plain Dealer. Writing about that night in his book "Crazy, With the Papers to Prove it," he also created what he calls a box score for that night.

25,134 fans

60,000 Genesee beers at 10 cents each

50 cops

19 streakers

9 arrests

7 emergency-room injuries

3 stolen bases — literally (and never seen again)

1 full moon

2 bare moons

2 bouncing breasts

1 sportswriter punched in the jaw

1 ballgame forfeited: Texas 9, Indians 0

Twins defeat Indians, 6-3

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Twins defeat Indians, 6-3. They win series, 2-1.

 CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' six-game homestand against Kansas City and Minnesota was supposed to be a time to get fat on the AL Central Division's lesser lights.

 Instead, the Tribe played like one.

tribeteeth.jpgCleveland Indians pinch hitter Casey Kotchman reacts after grounding into a double play off Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Matt Capps in the ninth inning of a baseball game on Sunday, June 3, 2012, in Cleveland. The Twins won 6-3. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

 The Indians lost to the Twins, 6-3, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field to finish 2-4 on the homestand. They are 28-25, second place, 2 1/2 behind the White Sox.

 The Twins (20-33) have won five of six. They won the last two against Cleveland.

 Minnesota left-hander Scott Diamond gave up three unearned runs in seven innings. Shortstop Brian Dozier went 2-for-3 with an infield double, bunt single and two errors.

 The Twins scored in the first.

 Leadoff batter Denard Span walked after being down in the count, 0-2. On a 3-1 pitch to Ben Revere, Span stole second. Revere grounded to right-hander Justin Masterson, who held Span at second.

 Joe Mauer, coming off a three-hit night, singled into the hole at second. As Span beat the throw home, Mauer advanced to second. Catcher Lou Marson's throw was in time to get Mauer, but the tag was not made in time. The Mauer play did not hurt because Masterson struck out Josh Willingham and got Justin Morneau to ground to first.

 Shin-Soo Choo led off the Tribe first by flipping Diamond's pitch into shallow left. Willingham made a bare-hand pickup and fired to second to erase Choo.

 With one out in the top of the first, Dozier hit a chopper down the line toward third. Jose Lopez avoided the ball in hopes it would kick foul, but the ball hit the corner of the base and rolled into foul territory. Dozier alertly took second for the infield double.

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 Masterson retired the next two.

 Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third.

 After Span and Revere grounded to the mound, Mauer walked on five pitches. Willingham doubled Mauer to third. Morneau shattered his bat on a grounder up the middle that caromed off Masterson's leg for an RBI infield single.

 The Twins used super-small ball to a 3-0 advantage in fourth. Dozier bunted the first pitch for a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on Trevor Plouffe's bunt single. Dozier scored on Alexi Casilla's fly to center; Michael Brantley's throw was a tad late.

 The Indians pulled within 3-2 in their half.

 Jason Kipnis led off with a grounder to the left side. Dozier picked it but threw wildly for the error. Kipnis scooted to third on Asdrubal Cabrera's single and Lopez's sacrifice fly. Shelley Duncan later had an RBI single.

 The Twins scored twice in the seventh off reliever Nick Hagadone to make it 5-2. The Tribe answered with one in the seventh on Lou Marson's RBI double. Marson has a six-game hitting streak.

 An unearned run for Minnesota in the eighth accounted for the final margin.

 Masterson (2-5, 5.09 ERA) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings.

 Mauer exited late in the game because of a mild right thumb sprain.
  

Cleveland Indians lose again to Minnesota Twins; Tribe goes 2-4 on homestand

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Cleveland Indians fall again at home, 6-3, to Minnesota Twins

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians' six-game homestand against Kansas City and Minnesota was supposed to be a time to feast on the American League Central Division's lesser lights.

Instead, the Tribe played like one.

The Indians lost to the Twins, 6-3, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field to finish 2-4 on the homestand. They are 28-25 and in second place, 21/2 games behind the White Sox.

The Twins (20-33) have won five of six. They took the last two against Cleveland.

"Not a good homestand, especially after we won the first game of both series," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "We continue to struggle as a team. We really wanted to play well at home because June is going to be a challenge for us.

"We're going to have to pick it up a notch. That's all there is to it."

The Indians, who have lost seven of nine, begin a nine-game trip Tuesday in Detroit. They follow it with six interleague games at Progressive Field, then play nine more on the road to close the month.

Home games are supposed to be fun; road games, difficult. But the Indians are 16-16 at Progressive Field and 12-9 away.

"It probably will be good to get on the road, for the different lifestyle that it brings and the nice change of pace," Tribe right-hander Justin Masterson said. "We can kind of reset and renew, because it's not like we've been playing terribly."

Masterson (2-5, 5.09 ERA) gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out three. He rebounded from a rough start against the Royals.

"Justin got inside against the left-handed hitters and did a pretty good job," Acta said. "He threw his four-seam fastball. He's on the right path."

One big problem for Masterson was beyond his control: The Indians faced a lefty starter, meaning he likely would not get much support. Scott Diamond (4-1, 1.86) gave up three unearned runs on seven hits in seven innings. Diamond walked none and fanned two.

The Tribe slipped to 4-12 against left-handed starters.

Its hitters own a major-league-low .214 average against all lefties.

"We do have a lot of lefties in our lineup, and the majority of them are better hitters against right-handers," Acta said, "but the issue is not only that. When we try to sneak in some right-handed bats that are supposed to help us out, they're not hitting, either."

Lefty reliever Glen Perkins threw a scoreless eighth ahead of righty closer Matt Capps, who earned his 12th save. Twins relievers have held the Indians to a .172 average (11-for-64) in five games this season and own a 15-inning scoreless streak.

The Twins scored in the first. Leadoff batter Denard Span walked after being down in the count, 0-2. On a 3-1 pitch to Ben Revere, Span stole second. Joe Mauer, coming off a three-hit night, grounded a run-scoring single through the hole at second.

Shin-Soo Choo led off the Tribe first by flipping Diamond's pitch into shallow left. Josh Willingham made a bare-handed pickup and fired to second to erase Choo.

It was going to be that type of day for the home team.

With one out in the top of the second, Twins shortstop Brian Dozier hit a chopper down the line toward third. Jose Lopez, moving in, avoided the ball in hopes it would kick foul. But the ball hit the corner of the base and rolled into foul territory. Dozier alertly took second for the rare infield double.

Masterson retired the next two.

"Jose made the right play in letting the ball go, because he didn't have a play at first base," Acta said. "It was a bad break."

Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the third. After Span and Revere grounded to the mound, Mauer walked on five pitches. Willingham doubled Mauer to third. Justin Morneau shattered his bat on a grounder up the middle that caromed off Masterson's leg for a run-scoring, infield single.

The Twins used super-small ball to build a 3-0 advantage in the fourth. Dozier bunted the first pitch for a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on Trevor Plouffe's bunt single. Dozier scored on Alexi Casilla's fly to center; Michael Brantley's throw was a tad late.

"You can defend bunts all you want, but on ones like those, there's nothing you can do about it," Acta said.

The Indians pulled within 3-2 in their half. Jason Kipnis led off with a grounder to the left side. Dozier picked it but threw wildly for the error. Kipnis scooted to third on Asdrubal Cabrera's single and scored on Lopez's sacrifice fly. Shelley Duncan later had a run-scoring single.

The Twins scored twice in the seventh off reliever Nick Hagadone to make it 5-2. The Tribe answered with one in the seventh on Lou Marson's run-scoring double.

Minnesota's unearned run in the eighth accounted for the final margin.

Mauer exited late because of a mild right thumb sprain.

Cleveland call-up Matt LaPorta focuses on results, not reactions: Indians insider

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Matt LaPorta tries not to listen to others' opinions in his return to Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt LaPorta is back in Cleveland. How long he remains is uncertain.

The Indians officially recalled LaPorta from Class AAA Columbus on Sunday after placing left fielder Johnny Damon on the paternity list. Damon can remain on that list for up to three days; he told reporters late Saturday night that he would return for Wednesday's game in Detroit.

LaPorta played first base and batted seventh in his season debut with the Tribe. He went 1-for-4 with a single and a run in a 6-3 loss to Minnesota.

At the time of his promotion, LaPorta was hitting .307 with eight doubles, 14 homers and 32 RBI in 46 games for the Clippers. The numbers included .333 (19-for-57) with four homers against lefties.

"I'm up here hopefully to help contribute to this ballclub," he said. "If it's two days, three days, a week -- doesn't matter."

The LaPorta who met with reporters after batting practice was polite, as usual. But his words came with an edge.

"I just need to have fun, play the game the way I know how and not worry about what [the media is] thinking, what somebody else is thinking or what a fan is thinking," he said. "It's been a problem that I've had to overcome. I can't control what other people think. I'm not in control of somebody else's happiness. If they want to be upset about my performance, sorry."

LaPorta, who had appeared in 19 games in left field and 18 games at first for the Clippers, cooled after a blazing start.

"At the beginning, his numbers were a lot better at home than on the road, but the overall numbers are there," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He's been doing a good job. If you look at the amount of at-bats he's had in [Class AAA] the last couple of years, the numbers are pretty good.

"They felt that he was doing the right things over there. He was having success and hitting mistakes whenever [pitchers] made mistakes on him. We have to see that translate up here."

Acta said there are is no set schedule for LaPorta's playing time, or where he plays.

"We don't have any amount of games here and there," Acta said. "We want to see him have quality at-bats. That's all I can ask him to do."

LaPorta, acquired from Milwaukee in the CC Sabathia trade in July 2008, played a combined 113 games with the Clippers the previous three seasons. As a member of the Indians in that span, he was a .238 hitter in 269 games.

"I think Manny's mentioned that it's [Class AAA], that it's different than in the big leagues," LaPorta said. "We'll see what happens up here."

LaPorta said he "saw the writing on the wall" that he would not break camp with the Tribe. He refused to let another trip to Columbus get him down.

"I mean, I'm still blessed personally," he said. "I have a great family, a healthy kid. I can't complain."

Big-league Choo: Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo is restless.

Choo's base numbers -- .270 with three homers, 17 RBI, 29 runs in 47 games -- are serviceable, but they are far below the standard he sets for himself and, for that matter, what his team expects from him.

Choo is itching to return to paces consistent with 2009, when he batted .300 with 20 homers, 86 RBI and 87 runs in 156 games. Or 2010, when he batted .300 with 22 homers, 90 RBI and 81 runs in 144 games.

Last year, he batted .259 in a season shortened to 85 games primarily because of injury.

"I know there are still four months left, and it's not how you start but how you finish," Choo said. "Still, it's a little frustrating right now because I haven't been able to make that big jump. I haven't really gotten hot. A month ago, I thought I was getting there, but I didn't get it going the way I know I can."

Days such as Sunday should help ease the mind. Choo went 2-for-4, including a ringing double to right-center off of lefty Scott Diamond.

Choo has gotten better since being moved to the leadoff spot in May. Choo, though, is not convinced that simply batting leadoff will be the elixir.

"People see the numbers get better and think, 'Maybe he's more comfortable in the leadoff spot,' " he said. "But really, I don't feel any different. I'm not going to lead off every time I come up, and I haven't changed my approach. I'm still swinging at first pitches when necessary."

Other than minor aches and pains that come with a season, Choo said, he feels healthy. But he is not especially comfortable in the box.

"Maybe I'm thinking too much," he said. "When you feel good, you don't think about anything. You just hit the ball. I know what that's like. Right now, I'm probably thinking too much about mechanics, stuff like that."

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