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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist likes the Cleveland Cavaliers, but 'I just want to get picked'

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Kentucky small forward is considered a strong choice to go No. 2 to Charlotte, but could fall to the Cavaliers at No. 4.

kidd-gilchrist-interview-predraft-2012-ap.jpgView full size"One of my best friends in life, period," NBA draft prospect Michael Kidd-Gilchrist says of the Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving, a former high school teammate. "He's a leader on the court. We talk a lot. I would love to play with Kyrie, but if not, oh well. It is what it is."

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Kentucky star Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has been working out in Cleveland for the past month, and it would be just fine with Cavaliers fans if he stayed.

But Kidd-Gilchrist is projected to be the No. 2 pick by the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA draft on June 28, so if the Cavs really are interested, they likely will have to swing a deal to move up. There is one scenario that has the Bobcats taking Kansas power forward Thomas Robinson at No. 2, followed by the Washington Wizards taking Florida shooting guard Bradley Beal at No. 3, leaving the Cavs to choose between Kidd-Gilchrist and North Carolina small forward Harrison Barnes.

Any of those scenarios are fine with Kidd-Gilchrist.

"I just want to get picked, to be honest," Kidd-Gilchrist said at the NBA combine. "One, two, 10, 11, 30, it doesn't matter to me."

And what does he think of Cleveland after spending so much time here?

"It's a good city," he said.

Kidd-Gilchrist's agent, Rich Paul, a Benedictine graduate and friend and business associate of LeBron James, scheduled workouts in several Cleveland-area gyms, including those at Garfield Heights and Beachwood, for his client leading up to the NBA draft on June 28.

Of course, Paul isn't Kidd-Gilchrist's only tie to Cleveland. He went to high school with Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving at St. Patrick's in Elizabeth, N.J., where the two won a state prep title together before Kidd-Gilchrist went on to an NCAA title with Kentucky last season.

"One of my best friends in life, period," Kidd-Gilchrist said of Irving, the NBA's Rookie of the Year this past season. "Just a great guy in life and a leader. He's a leader on the court. We talk a lot. I would love to play with Kyrie, but if not, oh well. It is what it is."

Irving and Kidd-Gilchrist share much more than an alma mater. Both lost a parent too early. Irving was 4 when his mother Elizabeth died of sepsis syndrome. Kidd-Gilchrist was 3 when his father Michael, a former prep star at Camden (N.J.) High School, died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Kidd-Gilchrist has memorialized his father in many ways. He still watches the movie "The Lion King" because he watched it with his father nearly every day. He wore his father's No. 31 in high school. He committed to Kentucky on April 14, 2010, which would have been his father's 44th birthday.

That day was a difficult one for him. After his father passed away, Kidd-Gilchrist turned to his uncle, Darrin Kidd, for guidance. He even changed his name to reflect his uncle's influence. But shortly before Kidd-Gilchrist announced he was going to Kentucky, Kidd died of a heart attack.

These are not easy subjects for him to discuss -- in part because of their personal nature and in part because of a stutter that makes public speaking in any venue difficult. Though he's completely comfortable on the basketball court and in the locker room, where he is viewed as a great teammate, speaking about his father takes more effort.

In fact, for a story in The Star-Ledger of Newark on August 11, 2010, Kidd-Gilchrist emailed his responses about his father to reporter Matthew Stanmyre.

"Everywhere he went, I went," Kidd-Gilchrist wrote of his father. "He was a great father. I can't explain how much I miss him. I just want to make him proud."

Workouts scheduled: Small forward Jeff Taylor of Vanderbilt said he was working out for the Cavs on Monday. Power forward Royce White of Iowa State, small forward Quincy Miller of Baylor, center Fab Melo of Syracuse, small forward Robbie Hummel of Purdue and center Festus Ezeli of Vanderbilt also said they were working out for the Cavs before the draft.

Shooting guard John Jenkins of Vanderbilt, small forward Tony Mitchell of Alabama, center Henry Sims of Georgetown, point guard Tyshawn Taylor of Kansas, shooting guard Jared Cunningham of Oregon State, shooting guard Reggie Hamilton of Oakland (Mich.) and point guard Marcus Teague of Kentucky said they already worked out for the Cavs.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider


Have the Cleveland Browns' receivers really improved? Hey, Mary Kay!

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The just-completed minicamp sparks plenty of conversation in this week's mailbag.

greg-little-minicamp-2012-horiz-cc.jpgView full sizeGreg Little impressed several observers with his work in the Browns' June minicamp.

Hey, Mary Kay: Jamison Hensley recently posted on ESPN that one of his observations from minicamp is that the receivers were still a glaring weakness -- a lot of drops from what he saw. What have you seen? Is he just trying to write these receivers off again? Just disappointed I guess, thought they would be better with Brandon Weeden throwing to them and all the hype they've gotten with their off-season improvements. Could you shed some light on what you have seen so far? -- Tony Hocevar, Atlanta, Ga.

Hey, Tony: I think all of the receivers have looked much better this off-season, including Greg Little, and of course Mohamed Massaquoi, who missed camp last year with a chipped foot bone. Fourth-round pick Travis Benjamin has also added speed. I do think the vets will step it up in their second year in this offense and with Weeden's gun.

Hey, Mary Kay: Still wish we would have taken Justin Blackmon? -- Joshua Hole, Plain City, Ohio

Hey, Joshua: In this pass-oriented era, I still think the best receiver in the draft trumps the best running back. I don't think Blackmon's DUI last week means he's a failure, but I'd send him to rehab right away if I were the Jags. I also question how great he's going to look with Blaine Gabbert throwing to him.

Hey, Mary Kay: Probably a little early in the preseason to really evaluate players, but just curious if any of the young returning guys, such as Jordan Cameron, James Dockery, Carlton Mitchell or Buster Skrine, have shown any indication that they're ready to step up and contribute. -- Jim Seigle, Prospect, Conn.

Hey, Jim: Jordan Cameron has stepped up his game and could challenge for playing time. James Dockery has been swatting down passes in camp and should see action at least on special teams. Buster Skrine will get plenty of playing time in sub-defenses, and Carlton Mitchell needs a great camp to earn time this year.

Hey, Mary Kay: Have the Browns shown any interest in signing Chase Minnifield as an undrafted free agent? -- Dave Ross, Maumee

Hey, Dave: Minnifield (Frank's son), tumbled out of the draft because of concerns over his microfracture knee surgery, but signed as an undrafted free agent with the Redskins.

Hey, Mary Kay: You are obviously too young to remember, but have you talked to anyone who has compared the size of Travis Benjamin to Webster Slaughter? -- Paul Thiel, Crescent Springs, Ky.

Hey, Paul: Yes, I'm definitely too young to remember Web (wink, wink), but my much-older beat writer friends remind me that Slaughter was about 6-1 -- three inches taller than Benjamin, but still 175, same as the Browns' new speedster out of Miami.

Hey, Mary Kay: So it appears the Browns will wear their brown jerseys "occasionally" at home this year. Why not all the time? What is it that Mike Holmgren has against the brown uniforms? Or does he just enjoy displeasing the fan base for no reason? -- H.E. Pennypacker, New York City, N.Y.

Hey, H.E.: The Browns will wear both white and brown at home this year, a team spokesman confirmed. Holmgren wants to honor the tradition of the white jerseys, but also please the brown-loving fans.

Hey, Mary Kay: Didn't you write last year you thought Colt McCoy would take the Browns to a Super Bowl in five years? Still believe that? -- Mike B, Dover, Ohio

Hey, Mike: I don't think McCoy will get the opportunity, because Brandon Weeden will be named the starter sooner rather than later. But I do still think McCoy can be a successful QB if he gets the right chance. Stepping in as a rookie and showing so much moxie against Pittsburgh, New Orleans, New England and the New York Jets still means something to me.

-- Mary Kay

To bend or not to bend the baseball cap -- that's the question: MLB Insider

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You've heard of the Cat in the Hat. Well, how about why Indians players wear their caps the way they do? You'll be surprised with some of the reasons.

perez-middeliver-2012-cc-vert.jpgView full sizeChris Perez counts on his sweat to keep his cap fitting (and looking) just right.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- It's not just how a player plays the game, it's how he looks doing it. Judging a player from the head down, it all starts with the cap.

Does a player wear it old school, new school, curved brim, flat brim, baggy, tight, tilted or straight ahead?

The original purpose of a cap hasn't changed. It protects players from the elements -- sun, rain and wind. In the old days some players used to put cabbage leaves, soaked in ice water, under their caps before they took the field to stay cool.

Now the cap has become a fashion statement. Here's how some of the Indians wear them and why.

Closer Chris Perez: "I try to use the same game hat all year. Right now, it's in good shape. For the brim I just touch the two sides together and it's ready to go. When the sweat gets in there and dries, it forms just perfect."

Left-hander Nick Hagadone: "I always stretch my hat out. When I do that, the brim bends a little. I wear a size 7 5/8. I refuse to go any bigger. It's already huge. I'm not going to get any closer to a size 8.

"If it's tilted, that's by accident only."

Right-hander Josh Tomlin: "I wear a different model [low crown] cap. It fits tighter on my head because I don't like looker like trucker on the mound." (Adam Everett was the first Indian to wear the low crown cap last year. Derek Lowe also wears it.)

Infielder Jose Lopez: "Everyone wears their hat a little different. I bend the brim a little. I don't like it flat. I want it looking good. That's the way I've worn my hat all my life."

Left-hander Tony Sipp: "I'm not a big fashion guy out there on the mound. Whichever way the hat falls on my head is fine with me. Hopefully, if you do your job, people think you look good anyway.

"Some lefties tilt their hat. Some do it so they don't have to look over at first base if there's a runner on. It gives some deception to the runner like you're looking over there. ... That's the theory and a lot of people have given me that advice.

"I wear my hat straight and just give the brim a little bend."

Outfielder Aaron Cunningham: "Some guys wear their hats so tight that they get those red lines on the sides of their head. When I get a new cap, I cut out all the padding inside it so it just rests on my head nice and comfortable.

"The last couple of years in the big leagues, I haven't played a whole lot. When you're on the bench, you learn about stuff like this. You learn ball tricks and what to do with your hat."

Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo: "I've always worn my hat with the bill bent. I've worn it that way since I started playing in Korea. It helps you focus straight ahead because you it blocks out the vision on the sides. Plus I want to look good."

Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez: "I don't do anything to my hat. I just put it on, twist the bill a couple of times and that's it. It has to fit perfect. Not too big, but not too tight.

"I don't like wearing it to the side and I've never worn my hat backwards. Not even joking around."

Outfielder Johnny Damon: "I just fold the bill a couple of times and I go with it. I'm old school. Your hat definitely has to fit right. If it's too big you feel weird. It it's too tight, you can't go."

Second baseman Jason Kipnis: "I just put it on and bend it a little. I wish I had more to give you."

Pitching coach and former left-handed reliever Scott Radinsky: "I always used to look at CC Sabathia and say, 'Man, do I wear my hat that way? Crooked and to the side?' But I guess that's who we lefties are. We probably walk funny, too.

"Hats are kind of special. I used to get it a size bigger, put it on my head and go into the shower to shrink it up a bit. I wanted it to form just perfect on my peanut head. Then I'd stick a towel in there.

"I like the bill a little curved. Not totally bent like a trucker, but not flat."

The week in baseball

Baseball is a game of threes. Three strikes and you're out and three outs in each half of an inning. Here are two more sets of threes to consider from last week in baseball. All stats are through Friday.

Three up

1. Atlanta retired right-hander John Smoltz's jersey (No.29) Friday after 20 years, 210 victories and 154 saves with the Braves.

2. Giants outfielder Angel Pagan went hitless Friday, ending his club-record 28-game home hitting streak. Despite an 0-for-4 against Texas, he's still hitting .345 at home.

3. Angels rookie outfielder Mike Trout has 17 extra-base hits and 28 runs in 37 games.

Three down

1. Adam Jones, who just signed a six-year, $85 million contract extension with the Orioles, had an MRI on his wrists Monday because of soreness. Just wondering, but shouldn't the Orioles have done that before he signed the extension?

2. For those who quibble about the Indians being overly protective of their injured players, the Dodgers' Matt Kemp and his strained left hamstring is a cautionary tale.

3. The Mets have three shortstops on the disabled list: Justin Turner (right ankle), Ruben Tejada (right quad) and Ronny Cedeno (left calf).

Stat-o-matic

Walk this way: Andrew McCutchen, according to MLBStats, is the first Pirates player since Barry Bonds in 1992 to have at least 10 homers and 10 steals through team's first 55 games.

Runs aplenty: The White Sox are averaging just under six runs in their last 23 games.

Overtime: Tampa Bay's David Price needed 38 pitches, including 17 against Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano, Thursday to get out of the fifth inning in a 7-3 victory over New York.

Union Rags surges in the final 200 yards to win the Belmont Stakes

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The finish was another thriller in the final leg of the Triple Crown, and hard-luck trainer Bob Baffert was on the losing end each time.

union-rags-wins-belmont-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeUnion Rags, with John Velazquez aboard, nips Paynter and Mike Smith at the wire to win Saturday's Belmont Stakes.

Dick Jerardi

Philadelphia Daily News

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Phyllis and Jamie Wyeth were alternately looking at the small monitor to their right and down the long Belmont Park stretch beyond the finish line to their left. The colt that had been raised at Point Lookout, Pa., their Chadds Ford farm, was just a few lengths off the lead with 200 yards to run in the Belmont Stakes.

From their second-floor vantage point, the same spot where they watched the Champagne Stakes last October, they could see Union Rags was gaining momentum with every stride. What they could not know was if there was enough room between front-runner Paynter and the rail or if the big colt would get there in time.

"I wasn't sure he was going to get through," Phyllis would say later while sipping champagne in the Trustees Room.

When Atigun and, ironically, jockey Julien Leparoux, ran at Paynter, Mike Smith had to guide his mount outside a bit to fight off the challenge. That was all John Velazquez needed. Union Rags, showing the toughness many doubted he had, pushed right through the hole and came out the other side in front a few strides from the wire.

As Union Rags was making up that ground, slowly but inexorably, the noise around the Wyeths went from hopeful to belief to a crescendo so loud nobody in the vicinity had any chance to hear anything.

Union Rags, the horse Phyllis had sold in 2010 and bought back in 2011, the horse she believed could win the Kentucky Derby (before whatever could go wrong did go wrong), had won the Belmont Stakes by a neck.

Phyllis' longtime friend and adviser Russell Jones wrapped her in a bear hug. Phyllis was somewhere between disbelief and euphoria.

It was just 20 minutes before when jockey Eddie Maple, who had ridden many of Phyllis' parents best horses, had come up to her in the paddock. It was Maple who would have ridden Devil's Bag in the 1984 Derby, a race the heavy favorite never got to run.

"Your parents would be really proud of you," Maple told her.

When it was done and she was asked about Maple who she did not think she had seen in decades, Phyllis said: "that was an omen."

It was, indeed.

"It's very emotional for her," Jamie said. "She was in tears before the race, saying, 'Can you believe we're here?' Her mother and father, the ghosts and all that, Eddie Maple coming up to us in the paddock. It's a tsunami of emotions right now."

Beyond the horse having to find a way to get through in the stretch, Phyllis, in her motorized scooter, had to find a way to the winner's circle. She got an elevator to the first floor grandstand and was going well over the scooter speed limit as she whizzed around fans who were scrambling to get out of the way, not really knowing who it was that was in such a hurry.

She tried to get in the winner's circle one way, but it was not accessible. She told the security with her that "I am going this way." She knew the way, rolling to a little incline that led to the place where her horse was waiting. Trainer Michael Matz greeted her at the entrance, with a hug -- of relief and joy.

"We needed every bit of it," Matz said of the stretch run.

Union Rags had run the mile and half in 2:30.42, a time that won't win any awards. But they don't pay off for time. They pay off for wins and 85,811 got to see a serious horse win a serious horse race.

Union Rags had more than $2.9 million bet on him to win. He was the second choice behind Dullahan. Those who still believed were rewarded with $7.50 for each $2 bet.

Paynter was second. Incredibly, owner Ahmed Zayat, trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith had the second horse in each Triple Crown race. Like Bodemeister in the Derby and Preakness, Paynter was loose on the lead, looked like a winner in the stretch and got run down in the stretch.

It was not Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another, retired with that tendon injury. It was the horse who would be king -- Union Rags.

Jamie led Union Rags into the winner's circle, the sweat pouring off his sides, his veins bulging. Phyllis had those white carnations in her lap, her right hand in the air, as she posed for dozens of cameras and a winner's circle picture she will be able to cherish forever.

Nothing went right in Louisville. Everything went right on Long Island.

"Your heart stops," Jamie said. "I'm so happy to get back to painting, I can't see straight."

Can Jamie paint a scene where he was in the middle? He said he could.

"I'm going to be the Gilbert Stuart of Union Rags' paintings," Jamie said.

Six years after he trained Barbaro to win the Derby, Matz had his second classic with a horse he loved from the moment he laid eyes on him last spring.

"Whether he could have done something against I'll Have Another, I don't know, but it sure would have been fun to see," Matz said.

Phyllis was taken to the interview room down by the jockeys' quarters, but she was more interested in the Trustees Room, a place to celebrate. As she cruised into the room, she went right past the corner where the pictures of all the Belmont Stakes winners hang. There is an open spot on the bottom right corner for the winner of the 2012 Belmont Stakes.

Hanging together with champagne glasses in their hands, they all watched the replay and heard track announcer Tom Durkin say, as the horses were running down the backstretch, that Union Rags now "51/2 lengths off the lead, not the 20 lengths back he was in the Derby."

Union Rags, under his new rider, had broken perfectly. "Johnny V" secured early position, in fifth, then fourth, third and second as the field hit the quarter pole.

Then, they all got to watch the stretch drive like it was happening for the first time. And got to scream all over again.

Is it worth it for the Cleveland Indians to keep waiting on Grady Sizemore? Hey, Hoynsie!

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Is there a quick fix to boosting the Indians' current roster? Paul Hoynes answers this week's mailbag.

sizemore-workout-2012-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeGrady Sizemore's return to the Indians may be slow, but there's no financial incentive for the team to get rid of the veteran outfielder this season.

Hey, Hoynsie: I see that trainer Lonnie Soloff has slowed Grady Sizemore's recovery process. This seems to be an annual event. We can't keep living on past performances. At what point do the Indians stop pouring millions of dollars into Sizemore's supposed recovery, and cut the apron string? -- Bob Carpenter, Glen Allen, Va.

Hey, Bob: Sizemore's $5 million salary for this season is guaranteed. At this point, cutting him makes no sense. They lose absolutely nothing by continuing to rehab Sizemore and see if he can help them on the field sometime this year.

You also can't release a player until he's been declared healthy.

Hey, Hoynsie: Two questions: No.1, will we see Zach McAllister replacing Jeanmar Gomez soon? No. 2, if the Matt LaPorta does not work out, will we see Jared Goedert next? -- Paul Welling, Rossford

Hey, Paul: One way or another, I think McAllister will be back in Cleveland sometime this year. Goedert certainly has had a fine start to the season at Class AA Akron and Class AAA Columbus, but right now LaPorta is ahead of him in time at Triple-A and the big leagues.Goedert keeps getting better each day. If he can sustain this pace for the next two months, he could change the Indians' mind. Right now, they want to see what LaPorta can do.

Hey, Hoynsie: With ownership committed only to significantly increase payroll when in contention, who would you speculate that the Tribe has on its radar? -- Steven Kent, London, Ohio.

Hey, Steven: Name a right-handed hitter or starting pitcher on a struggling team who is nearing free agency or is in the midst of a multiyear deal, and he's probably already under consideration by the Indians should they stay in contention in the AL Central.

Hey, Hoynsie: With Trevor Bauer lurking for Arizona, maybe the Indians could put together a deal to get quality reliever Dave Hernandez and starter Trevor Cahill. How about sending them Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley if Trevor Crowe can replace Brantley in the outfield? Hard to give up on Brantley, but we need to fortify the bullpen and Hernandez is excellent. We need a better starter than Josh Tomlin.

Would you take that trade? Would Arizona? -- Geoffrey Lee, Strongsville

Hey, Geoffrey: It doesn't matter what I think. If I'm Arizona, however, I think I would be giving up way too much pitching.

Hey, Hoynsie: Any evidence that there has been a philosophical change in the wigwam and that they will place more importance on the amateur draft? -- Will Monroe, Cleveland

Hey, Will: I think the Indians have always placed a big emphasis on the first-year player draft. For a long time, they just didn't draft the right players.

The new basic agreement, in which signing bonuses are slotted for each team's first 10 picks, and teams can spend only a certain amount of money or face tax penalties and potential loss of draft picks, should help even the playing field for all teams.

Hey, Hoynsie: I see Matt LaPorta has been called up to replace Johnny Damon. I thought LaPorta was out of options and would have to be exposed to waivers if the Indians tried to send him back to the minors. -- Edward Radatz, Sandusky

Hey, Edward: This is LaPorta's last option year, which means the Indians can shuffle him between the minors and Cleveland as many times as they want without fear of losing him on waivers. They won't be able to do that next year.

Damon was on the paternity list. He could not stay on there for more than three days. When he returned Wednesday in Detroit, catcher Luke Carlin was option to Class AAA Columbus.

Hey, Hoynsie: Whatever happened to Kevin Slowey? Aren't we paying him over $1 million this year? Did we give up cash for him? -- Len Harris, Cleveland

Hey, Len: Slowey is 3-3 with a 5.14 ERA in eight starts at Class AAA Columbus. He's currently rehabbing an injury to the right side of his back, but he should be pitching soon.The Indians acquired Slowey from Colorado on Jan. 20 for reliever Zach Putnam. Slowey is making $2.75 million this year with the Rockies picking up $1.25 million. That leaves the Indians on the hook for $1.5 million.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you know whose idea Snow Days was? Do you expect the front office to be spend more time dealing with free agency and trades in the off-season, now? -- Becky Thomas, Macedonia

Hey, Becky: It was an idea driven by the people in charge of the business side of the ballclub. It did not take away from the time GM Chris Antonetti and the baseball operations department spent on free agency and trades.

The Indians were looking for a creative way to use Progressive Field while it lay dormant over the winter. It was a good idea, but not enough people attended. It wasn't helped by this past winter, one of the warmest in Cleveland history.

Hey, Hoynsie: During a recent game against the Twins at Progressive Field, a couple of friends and I spent the eighth inning yelling at Josh Willingham to switch uniforms. We told him he'd be wearing Chief Wahoo on his jersey by July. Do you think this really is a guy the Indians could get? I feel he is just what they need. -- Max Siwik, Broadview Heights

Hey, Max: The Indians tried hard to get Willingham last winter when he was a free agent. Like you said, he seems like an ideal fit: He bats right-handed, plays left field and can hit for power. Plus he played for Manny Acta in 2009 in Washington.

He signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Minnesota. The Twins have a lot of money tied up in Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau and both players are almost untradeable because of injuries over the last few years. If they have to cut payroll, Willingham could be the guy to go, but would GM Terry Ryan trade him to a division rival and what would he want in return?

Hey, Hoynsie: Before nearly every game at Progressive Field the umpires pose for a photo at home plate. Who takes the pictures and what are they used for? I don't think I've ever seen them published. -- David, Orange Village

Hey, David: Went to the highest source possible to find this answer: Jack Efta, who runs the umpires' clubhouse at Progressive Field. Efta gets a picture of each crew of umpires and frames it for the clubhouse. Then he gives a copy to each umpire, compliments of the Indians.

Hey, Hoynsie: What is the status of Chen-Chang Lee? It has been six weeks since he pitched. Will he likely pitch again this year? We may need some reinforcements at the major-league level and I was hoping Lee would be available. -- Joe Eversole, Pelham, Ala.

Hey, Joe: Lee, who impressed the Indians in spring training, is out for the season following Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

-- Hoynsie

Denmark stuns Netherlands 1-0 at Euro 2012

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Denmark pulled off the first big surprise of the European Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands on Saturday in Group B.

denmark-vs-holland-euro-2012.jpgDenmark's Michael Krohn-Dehli celebrates after he scored during the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group B match between the Netherlands and Denmark in Kharkiv , Ukraine, Saturday, June 9, 2012. In the back are Ron Vlaar and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

KHARKIV, Ukraine - Denmark pulled off the first big surprise of the European Championship with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands on Saturday in Group B.

Michael Krohn-Dehli provided the finishing touch that the Dutch inexplicably lacked. He scored against the run of play when he picked up a loose ball close to the penalty area in the 24th minute, left two defenders standing and shot through the legs of Maarten Stekelenburg from a tight angle.

It was something Premier League top scorer Robin van Persie never got close to as he came to symbolize Dutch futility with a couple of bad mistakes. Denmark goalkeeper Stephan Andersen made several clutch saves to secure the most important Danish victory over the Netherlands since the Euro 1992 semifinals.

"It was the only dangerous action of Denmark," Netherlands captain Mark van Bommel said. "I'm speechless, because these three points are very important."

The Dutch had their best chance of the match when Andersen gave away the ball to Arjen Robben just outside the area in the 36th minute, but the Bayern Munich winger curled his left-footer onto the far post and out of danger.

Late in the match, a penalty appeal for handball was denied when the Dutch were running out of time. Lars Jacobsen appeared to touch the ball with his upper arm in the box in a duel with substitute Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

"It is such a clear penalty, and then you likely get a draw," Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said.

"There were maybe four, five six, players who had a lot of chances, and the referee also had a chance," Van Marwijk said of the penalty ruling of referee Damir Skomina.

The frustration came to symbolize the sticky night in eastern Ukraine and leaves the World Cup runners-up with two clutch games against top-10 ranked teams, Germany and Portugal.

Denmark, seen as outsider in the toughest group of the championship, can already take a huge step to the quarterfinals by beating Portugal in their second game.

"We know the Dutch, they can be very dominating. If you get scared of them, they play really good football. I think we played them in the right way," Denmark coach Morten Olsen said.

From the start, the tactics of the match were laid out for all 35,932 fans at the Metalist Stadium. The Dutch started with furious attacking and the Danes counted on a solid attack and a dose of luck to keep out of danger.

The creative skills of Robben, Van Persie and Ibrahim Afellay created plenty of chances, but finishing was off and Andersen would not budge.

With one counter, Krohn-Dehli showed some of Europe's best players how it should be done with his well-taken strike.

The Netherlands came into the tournament without key defender Joris Mathijsen and a questionable left defensive flank. Ron Vlaar and Jetro Willems confirmed the concerns as the back line did not look at ease when the Danes came pushing forward around the half-hour mark.

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk even had to come to the sideline to shout and wave his players forward. And on a difficult day, luck was not with the Dutch either, when Robben's shot bounced free.

Van Marwijk's decision to pick Van Persie over Bundesliga top scorer Klaas-Jan Huntelaar came into sharp focus. Two minutes from halftime, Wesley Sneijder set up the Arsenal striker in the center with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Uncharacteristically, Van Persie had a bad first touch and was forced too wide and shot at the goalkeeper instead of scoring an easy goal.

Early in the second half, too, he made a miss step on another great chance for goal as the Dutch pushed forward from the second half whistle. They forced Andersen into two fine saves on a half dozen occasions.

The thousands of orange-clad fans filled the air with shouts of "Holland, Holland," but to no avail.

The Danes didn't fully lock themselves up but showed poise by patiently pushing forward again. Still, the Dutch kept piling up the misses and Van Marwijk brought in both Huntelaar and attacking midfielder Rafael van der Vaart for defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong with 20 minutes to go.

Mario Gomez scores to give Germany 1-0 win over Portugal in 'Group of Death'

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The Bayern Munich striker made a surprise start Saturday against Portugal at the European Championship and knocked in a deflected cross from Sami Khedira in the 72nd minute to give the Germans a 1-0 victory in Group B.

germany-celebrates-vs-portugal-euro-2012.jpgFrom the left, Germany's Mario Gomez, Lukas Podolski, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm celebrate after they scored against Portugal during the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group B match between Germany and Portugal in Lviv, Ukraine, Saturday, June 9, 2012.

LVIV, Ukraine -- Moments before he was supposed to be taken off, Mario Gomez headed in the winning goal for Germany.

The Bayern Munich striker made a surprise start Saturday against Portugal at the European Championship and knocked in a deflected cross from Sami Khedira in the 72nd minute to give the Germans a 1-0 victory in Group B.

Gomez, who had created little before the goal, was due to be replaced by Miroslav Klose, who was already waiting on the touchline on his 34th birthday.

Gomez nearly got another goal before Klose finally came on in 80th.

Germany was the better team but found it hard to break down a defensive Portugal. The Germans, seeking their first title since 1996, are considered one of the favorites of the tournament despite being in the toughest group along with the Netherlands and Denmark.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo did little until late in the match, Portugal had a chance to equalize in the 84th when Nani hit the crossbar with a misdirected cross - the second time the team struck the frame in the match. And Silvestre Varela had another opportunity in the 89th but he shot straight at Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from close range.

Although Germany monopolized possession and chances, Pepe had the best opportunity of the first half, hitting the underside of the German crossbar late in the period after a Portugal corner. The ball hit the line and bounced out.

Despite indicating before the match that he would start the veteran Klose as striker, coach Joachim Loew went with Gomez. In another move against expectations, Loew also picked Mats Hummels as his starting center back in place of Per Mertesacker. Both Mertesacker and Klose came into the tournament after long-term injuries.

Boateng played at right back although Loew had been upset about newspaper stories about his private life.

In the end, Loew's decisions proved right. Hummels had a good game, Boateng dealt reasonably well with Ronaldo and Gomez scored the decisive goal.

---

Lineups:

Germany: Manuel Neuer; Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thomas Mueller (Lars Bender, 90), Mesut Oezil (Toni Kroos, 87), Lukas Podolski, Mario Gomez (Miroslav Klose, 80).

Portugal: Rui Patricio; Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao; Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Raul Meireles (Silvestre Varela, 80); Cristiano Ronaldo, Helder Postiga (Nelson Oliveira, 70), Nani.

Carlos Beltran says he talked with Tribe, but wasn't close to free-agent deal: Indians Insider

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St. Louis outfielder Carlos Beltran says he talked to the Indians over the winter about coming to Cleveland, but no deal was ever negotiated.

beltran-cards-reax-ap.jpgView full sizeCardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran received a hero's welcome in the St. Louis dugout after his third-inning homer game the home team a 1-0 lead over the Indians Saturday night.

ST. LOUIS -- There has been debate on how close the Indians came to signing Carlos Beltran over the winter when he was a free agent.

The critics say it was smoke screen, a PR gesture to try and placate fans. Reliable sources say the Indians went hard after Beltran, offering him a two-year, $24 million deal only to have him turn it down and sign with the Cardinals for two years and $26 million.

What does Beltran say?

"We had a conversation," said Beltran before Saturday's game. "We never negotiated any type of deal or years, but, yes, I did talk to them."

Beltran said it never came down picking between the Indians or Cardinals.

"There were more teams [than the Indians and Cardinals] involved," he said. "I just felt that this was team that had the most interest. At the end of the day, it worked out pretty good for me."

Manager Manny Acta and Beltran are friends. Acta was the Mets' third-base coach when Beltran played there.

"We had a conference call with Beltran, his agent and Carlos' wife," said Acta. "You don't get to have that with every player you're interested in. That's why I felt it was close. But at the end of the day, you never really know how close you are."

The general consensus is Beltran chose the Cardinals because they gave him the best chance to win a World Series. They'd won it in 2011 and needed a big bat to replace departed Albert Pujols.

It was the second time in less than a year that the Indians tried to get Beltran. They tried to acquire him through trade with the Mets in July, but the Mets sent him to San Francisco. That deal didn't fly because Beltran wanted to stay in the National League.

"For me to go to a team in the American League after being in the National League all those years, I felt the right thing for me was to stay in the league," said Beltran. "Changing leagues is an adjustment. They wanted me to go there and produce, but at the same time I didn't feel it was the right more for me to make."

Beltran, a switch-hitter, is the power hitter the Indians don't have. He entered Saturday's game hitting .275 (55-for-200) with six doubles, 16 homers and 44 RBI.

Grady II? Second baseman Jason Kipnis was back in the lineup Saturday after fouling a ball off his right knee in the first inning Friday.

"It hit me right on the bottom of the kneecap," said Kipnis. "I didn't sit down for the rest of the game. I kept moving around because I didn't want it to tighten up."

When Kipnis resumed the at-bat, he singled to right. Thursday in Detroit, he was taken out at second base on a slide after completing a double play.

"He's a pretty tough guy and our training staff does a very good job with our players," said Acta. "Kipnis is not going to let everybody know how banged up he is because he loves to play."

When asked if Kipnis could be the infield version of Grady Sizemore, Acta said, "That's a good assessment."

Acta said he'd never tell Kipnis to rein in his game. "Guys like Kipnis who can go all out every day are a breath of fresh air," he said. "You can't control injuries. When guys can play like Grady played and Kipnis plays right now, it's delightful to see for us as manager and for all the fans."

Kipnis entered Saturday leading the Indians in runs, homers, RBI and steals.

Family reunion: Shelley Duncan has a lot of family at Busch Stadium this weekend. Duncan's parents and brother are taking in the series.

Dave Duncan, the former long-time Cardinals pitching coach, is here with his wife, Jeanine. Duncan still works for the Cardinals in an advisory role after stepping down as pitching coach to be with his wife, who is recovering from cancer. Chris Duncan played for the Cardinals from 2005-09 and does sports talk radio in St. Louis.

Finally: Over the last four years the Indians are 82-70 in one-run games. It's the best record in the American League. ... Although news of right-hander Chen-Chang Lee's Tommy John surgery broke Friday, the Tribe prospect actually had the operation on June 1.

On Twitter: @hoynsie


Cleveland Indians suffer first shutout in 2-0 loss to St. Louis

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Justin Masterson suffers a hard-luck loss as he gives up one run in seven strong innings. But Kyle Lohse was just a bit better.

beltran-homer-cards-tribe-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeCarlos Beltran's solo homer in the third inning provided all the offense that Kyle Lohse would need in the Cardinals' 2-0 shutout of the Indians Saturday night at Busch Stadium.

ST. LOUIS -- Justin Masterson is pitching better, but still not winning games. A little help from the offense wouldn't hurt, but sometimes a pitcher can do just about everything right and still get beat.

Saturday night, Masterson struck out six, didn't walk a batter and threw 72 percent (65-for-90) of his pitches for strikes in seven innings. The one thing he did wrong was hang a slider to Carlos Beltran in the third inning and it turned into the only run St. Louis needed in a 2-0 victory over the Indians at Busch Stadium.

Beltran, the switch-hitting outfielder the Indians tried to sign as a free agent during the winter, ruined Masterson's night with his 17th homer of the season. It gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and Kyle Lohse and two relievers took care of the rest on a combined three-hitter to shut out the Indians for the first time this season.

"Masterson was terrific," said manager Manny Acta. "It came down to one swing."

In his last two starts, Masterson has allowed four runs in 13 innings and lost both games.

"This was a good one," said Masterson (2-6, 4.76). "I threw lots of strikes. Didn't walk anybody. I didn't even hit anybody. Perfect."

Except for that pitch to Beltran.

"It was just a little slider that was hanging out there and Beltran hit it," said Masterson. "You could tell it was his night."

Last year, the Indians were shut out 15 times. This year they were the second-to-last team in the American League to be blanked. The Tigers are the only team left.

"It's a step in the right direction," said Acta. "It's taken over two months for us to get shut out."

Friday night Acta used a lineup featuring eight left-handed hitters and came away with a 6-2 victory over Jake Westbrook. He tried the same tactic, with the same eight hitters, Saturday against Lohse with the opposite result.

Lohse (6-1, 2.90) threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings. He struck out four, walked two and allowed three hits. He's 8-9 lifetime against the Indians, but hadn't beaten them since Oct. 2, 2004.

"I just got done facing a lineup like this one against the Mets," said Lohse, a right-hander. "It's definitely a challenge. The big thing for me is to control the inside part of the plate and that's dangerous against lefties.

"If I can pound them in on their hands, that gets them off my change-up. Then I come back with my change-up down and away. That's my key to success against that kind of lineup."

Johnny Damon, 0-for-3 against Lohse, agreed.

"Once I was sitting on the change-up down and away and still missed it," said Damon. "I just feel bad for Masterson. He pitched great."

Lefties came into the game hitting .297 (41-for-138) against Lohse. The Tribe's lefties went 3-for-24. The Cardinals, who have lost seven of their last 11 games, added an insurance run in the eighth on Rafael Furcal's sacrifice fly off Jeremy Accardo.

The Indians finally knocked Lohse out of the game when Asdrubal Cabrera singled off the right-field fence in the eighth after Shin-Soo Choo lined out to third. Beltran, playing no doubles defense in right, quickly fielded the ball and held Cabrera to a single.

The inning ended when Cabrera was thrown out attempting to steal second.

Relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Jason Motte combined on the three-hitter. Motte pitched the ninth for his 11th save.

The Indians never had a runner reach third. Their only threat came in the fourth when Carlos Santana walked with one out and went to second on Michael Brantley's bunt hit. Lohse retired Damon on a foul pop and Casey Kotchman on a grounder to first.

Brantley had two of the Indians' three hits. The bunt single extended his major-league leading hitting streak to 17 games.

The Indians are 3-2 on this nine-game trip. The game flew by in 2 hours and 14 minutes.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers add a little Thunder to their offense? Hey, Mary!

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The Cavaliers' free-agent options are on the minds of several fans this week.

harden-thunder-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeJames Harden has provided instant offense off the bench for Oklahoma City. Could he do the same in 2012-13 for the Cavaliers? Mary Schmitt Boyer isn't buying.

Hey, Mary: Any chances the Cavs look at James Harden this summer? He is a restricted free agent and the Thunder may not be able to afford him and the Cavs have cap space. The Cavs would have a premier backcourt with Kyrie Irving and Harden for years to come. -- John Thompson, Cleveland

Hey, John: Nice try, John, but there's no way the Thunder are going to part with the reigning winner of the Sixth Man Award. After the season OKC has had, it is going to do everything it can to keep its core together and that includes Harden.

Hey, Mary: What process are the scouts using to evaluate draft prospects this year? -- Doug, Broadview Heights

Hey, Doug: The Cavs will use the same processes they've always used, which include massive amounts of videotape and statistical breakdowns, as well as personal observations from games and practices they've witnessed. But they also place a premium on the pre-draft interviews in which they believe they get to know the true character of the players who interest them.

Hey, Mary: Now that the draft order is set and people seem to be crazy for MKG, do you think that Alonzo Gee could be moved to shooting guard or will he need to move back to the bench? -- J. Smith, Rocky River

Hey, J: Gee can play both positions, and I'm quite sure the Cavs will use him at both if he stays. It's way too early to tell who might start or come off the bench. Let's wait and see who joins the team via the draft and free agency and then let them battle it out in training camp.

Hey, Mary: Any chance that the Canton Charge could play a few home games at the Q? -- Steven Smith, Cleveland Heights

Hey, Steven: I don't believe that's in the cards for this year.

Hey, Mary: Does the upcoming free agency have a big factor on the Cavs' draft choice? I know Eric Gordon is going to be highly sought after, but if the Cavs thought they had a chance to land him doesn't this alter who they draft? -- Will Costello, Cleveland

Hey, Will: I actually think the reverse is true. The draft picks will determine who the Cavs might pursue in free agency, but they have made it clear they will not be going after players in Gordon's class.

Hey, Mary: Both Ramon Sessions and Mo Davis are unrestricted free agents this year. Any chance that the Cavaliers would be interested in either one of them? I am especially curious about the possibility of bringing back Sessions. -- Jim Kimbler, Seville

Hey, Jim: Do you mean Mo Williams? Or Baron Davis? Williams has a player option for the upcoming season and I can't see him giving that up. I think Baron Davis' ship has sailed as far as the Cavs are concerned. Sessions will be looking to remain a starter instead of being a backup (again) in Cleveland.

Hey, Mary: Andre Miller (mid-level exception) at 4, David Lighty at 1, Greg Oden at 1, 1, and option at 4 (play him in playoffs if we get there, only), and Gerald Wallace at 12-10-8 if we fail to get MKG, and we're still under cap if we make a few moves. Possible? -- Curtis Corbin, Dublin

Hey, Curtis: Not in this lifetime, although I'm not even sure what your numbers mean. Are they salary figures? For starters, the Cavs are not planning to be big players in the free-agent market, so that rules out Miller. Let's leave it at that.

-- Mary

Kelly Pavlik looking for bigger opponents after one-sided triumph on Friday

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The 30-year-old former middleweight champ from Youngstown had few problems Friday, halting Scott Sigmon after the seventh round.

pavlik-wins-sigmon-2012-toprank.jpgView full sizeReferee Jay Nady hoists the left hand of Kelly Pavlik after Pavlik's dominating TKO of Scott Sigmon on Friday night in Las Vegas. "I think we have to step up," the Youngstown boxer said afterward in seeking a bigger-name foe in his next bout. "I have 41 fights and I've been in there with the top dogs. It has to be [a big fight next]."

Andy Samuelson

Special to The Plain Dealer

LAS VEGAS -- There was little Scott Sigmon could do right Friday night, but playing the "Ghostbusters" theme song in an attempt to rattle Kelly Pavlik certainly wasn't the smart choice.

"Yeah, it [ticked me off]," said Pavlik of his Virginia-based opponent's pick for his walkout song. "His machines must have went down. They must have not been working. He didn't capture no ghosts," joked the man with the nickname "The Ghost."

The 30-year-old former middleweight champ from Youngstown had few problems in stopping his second straight opponent in his comeback tour, halting the 25-year-old Sigmon after the seventh round when a ringside physician ruled that a cut over Sigmon's right eye was too serious to continue.

"It was only a matter of time before I [stopped him]," said Pavlik, who improved to 39-2 on his career with 34 knockouts -- two months after a second-round knockout of Aaron Jaco in San Antonio, which ended a highly publicized 10-month layoff for Pavlik that included fight cancellations and alcoholism accusations.

"I'm glad they stopped the fight because I don't know what the long-term effect would have been for the kid."

Pavlik bloodied the lightly-regarded Sigmon's nose in the second round and things only worsened for the self-trained boxer from there. Much like the trash talking Sigmon did in order to gain the fight against Pavlik in the first place (Sigmon called Pavlik out on Facebook, Twitter and various media outlets when a spring bout between the two fell apart), Sigmon talked through his mouthpiece throughout the fight Friday.

It had little effect as Pavlik, despite stalling a bit through the third and fourth rounds, went to work with power punches in the fifth, sixth and seventh stanzas. He stumbled Sigmon, whose white shorts were stained red by the end of the night, on multiple occasions and forced referee Jay Nady to inspect the cut over his eye during the seventh round.

The bout continued but only for another minute as Sigmon never came out of the corner for the eighth.

"I loved it. He got rounds, he got work and he won every second of every round," said Pavlik's manager Cameron Dunkin. "He threw combinations, which I liked. He turned him a lot. I liked that, too. I thought he did very well. He looked great. [Top Rank's] Bob [Arum] and Todd [duBoef] were also happy."

So too was Pavlik, although he said he wished he wouldn't have been as complacent in the middle rounds.

"After the second and third rounds I kind of got comfortable. I was getting frustrated but [trainer Robert Garcia] told me after the fourth round to step back and keep the distance," Pavlik said. "I was being a hard head and wasn't listening, but in the sixth round I found that range again, was able to get back in for the uppercuts."

The victory, his third straight since losing a bloody decision to Sergio Martinez in April 2010, has Pavlik thinking of stepping up with his next opponent.

"I seen Bob Arum said he's not going to just toss me in there with anyone after two fights, but I think we have to step up," he said. "I have 41 fights and I've been in there with the top dogs. It has to be [a big fight next]. ... [Lucian] Bute, [Carl] Froch, that's the kind of fight I want at this stage of my career."

While the IBF has reportedly asked Pavlik to meet the sanctioning body's No. 2 contender, Adonis Stevenson (18-1, 15 KOs), in an eliminator bout on Aug. 11, Dunkin said he is also inquiring about bigger-named opponents.

"I've been called this week by a representative of Froch, Bute and [Mikkel] Kessler. Which of the three do you want after this?" Dunkin said.

"I said wait, hold on let me see what we're going to do with him. If he looks as great as he did the other day ... I want to rebuild him. I want him to be a champion again. I want him to fight on HBO, I want him to fight on pay-per-view. I want to do what we didn't do the first time."

Andy Samuelson is a writer based in Las Vegas.

Q&A with Cleveland Indians President Mark Shapiro: 'We haven't played our best baseball yet'

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The Tribe's president offers his thoughts on a variety of issues inside and outside of Progressive Field. Watch video

shapiro-interview-2012-horiz-li.jpgView full sizeIndians President Mark Shapiro sees reason to be excited over the remainder of the team's 2012 season: "We've got an exciting group of emerging young players along with some players in their prime [who] are star-type players."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the Indians took two of three in Detroit to keep pace with Chicago for first place before heading to St. Louis for the start of 15 inter-league games, team President Mark Shapiro sat down in the team's model suite at Progressive Field for an interview in which he assessed the club, fan support and the business of baseball.

As the grounds crew watered the field below, Shapiro, in a light blue golf shirt with the team's familiar red block "C" logo, was frank and upbeat. It didn't hurt that inconsistent Tribe pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez had just beaten the Tigers the night before, looking like the ace the club thought it had acquired in a risky stretch-run trade last season.

On the team...

Plain Dealer: What's your assessment of the team at this point in the season?

Mark Shapiro: I think the team has been one that demonstrates the values that we look for in Cleveland Indians players. They are tough. They've shown a resilience and a resolve -- we've had a lot of injuries in a short period of time. We've got an exciting group of emerging young players along with some players in their prime that are star-type players, like (shortstop) Asdrubal [Cabrera] and [right fielder] Shin-Soo Choo, some veterans who have made some unique contributions -- Derek Lowe and Travis Hafner, when he was healthy. And yet I think what is most encouraging about the team is that we haven't played our best baseball yet.

PD: What do you consider the core?

MS: Well, obviously, we've got emerging middle-of-the-diamond stars in [catcher] Carlos Santana and [second baseman] Jason Kipnis. We've got a guy, [center fielder] Michael Brantley, who's also establishing himself as a major-league player and a good major-league players. His upside's unknown because he's the youngest of the three ... [and] with Asdrubal signing an extension. You can define core in different ways, but Shin-Soo Choo has been a core player for us and will continue to be for the next couple of seasons, so you take Cabrera and Choo and mix them in, and obviously you've got guys like [Justin] Masterson and [Josh] Tomlin and [Vinnie] Pestano and Chris Perez on the pitching side.

PD: Can you grade the Ubaldo [Jimenez] trade, and what's been the problem?

MS: I don't believe you can grade trades along the way. You grade them at any juncture in time, you are going to make a mistake. What you have is snapshots in time in which you form opinions, and then you wait and evaluate once it's clear. You've got to evaluate on both sides -- what did you get, what did you give up. What I'm clear on is that the intent of the Ubaldo trade was our effort to seize an opportunity, our effort to demonstrate a sense of urgency to our fans that we want to win, we want to win now ... I think it's still premature to evaluate the trade.

PD: Why did you decide to pay [injured center fielder Grady] Sizemore so much? Couldn't you have gotten him for less?

MS: That's not a lot. If you look at the value of a major-league free agent, one win in major-league free agency is somewhere between seven and eight million dollars. When you look at what $5 million can get you on the major league free-agent market, before you say, "Why did you pay him so much?", go look at who's being paid $5 million. ... We got the right deal at that time and I still feel like there was no player available with his level of upside on the market at those dollars, without a doubt.

PD: Can you give us an update on Roberto Hernandez and whether he'll be in an Indians uniform this season?

MS: Unfortunately, it's a little bit frustrating when you're operating in a situation where you have zero control. It's in the hands of the State Department. We've been advocates for Roberto along the way. We certainly want him here, don't be mistaken about that. We feel that, with starting pitching, we'd love to add him to our rotation, so we're doing everything we can, but what we can do is limited. ... [Manager] Manny [Acta] has talked to him consistently.

PD: What are the club's long-term plans for bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr.?

MS: Our goal is to continue to provide him opportunities to grow and to learn and to continue to enhance his impact on our team and our organization. It's been extremely gratifying to see him make such an impact on the community here and on the field here come and transition into a staff role and to watch him grow over a period of time into a guy that's legitimately a major-league managerial prospect. In short, our desire is to continue to help Sandy achieve his goals and, unfortunately, it will probably be elsewhere because we love Manny and the job he's doing and the impact he's made here.

PD: Is there any chance of getting the All-Star Game back here?

MS: It's something we've talked about. It's not something that's rolled around all 30 teams since it's been here, but those are conversations that we've had -- not in any formal effort that we've requested or lobbied for. It's certainly something probably in the mid-term to long-term that we'd like to have happen again.

On the fans...

PD: What fan criticism do you think is fair?

MS: I think any fan criticism is fair. I think fans have a right to criticize. That's part of being a fan, is being passionate. Part of being a fan is not only celebrating, but also expressing disappointment. And I don't begrudge any fan to have the right to express himself or herself in any way as long as it's respectful and doesn't kind of violate a line of appropriate behavior.

PD: What about the anti-Dolan criticism?

MS: That's sort of two separate issues -- just the fan comments and fan criticism and then there's the ownership issue. When it comes to ownership, I guess what I feel is a sense of disappointment, but I do feel the criticism of ownership is unfair. I feel that our ownership is also penalized for the timing of when they bought the team, not for how they've run the team. I wish the fans could know the Dolans like I know the Dolans. I wish they could know how much they care about the city, how much they care about the Indians and how badly they want to win. They've operated extremely responsibly, they're respected in Major League Baseball, they're excellent owners and operators and, most importantly, why people like me have chosen to work here and stay here is because they're good people, they have impeccable character and integrity and they want the same things that every fan wants and that we all want.

PD: Why do you think the fans haven't responded to this team like some might expect?

MS: I guess I feel like the fans have. I think you're overlooking that our attendance is very similar to last year. It's marginally off, small percentage points off from last year. We've had a challenge weather-wise. I think our best days are ahead of us. I just continue to believe as these guys play the type of baseball they're capable of playing, as the weather gets better, as schools get out that we're going to look back at the end of the year and this momentary disappointment in attendance is going to be just that -- it's going to be momentary.

PD: Doesn't winning cure most of it?

MS: Winning can either mask your ills but it can certainly provide a boost, and when you look at the levers that provide a boost, there is no lever bigger than winning and there's nothing more important to this franchise, this organization, than winning.

PD: How do you define a "baseball town?"

MS: A baseball town to me has multi-generational fans [who] are passionate about the game, that care about the team, they care about winning, that have that generational connection and storytelling. So it's that father sitting down with his son. It's that grandmother sitting down with her granddaughter or grandson. It's that uncle sitting down with his nephew who can talk about a shortstop from three generations ago or the shortstop this year and how much they remind him of each other. ... That's the great thing about baseball, you can watch baseball footage from 100 years ago and, other than the fabric in the uniforms, it's the same game being played by similar types of players.

PD: Some people say Cleveland is not a baseball town.

MS: I disagree with that. ... I think to strictly judge a baseball town only by attendance at one juncture in time is a mistake. Cleveland is a baseball town. The demographics may not allow us to have as many people in the stands. The regional attraction may not allow us to equal what St. Louis is doing, but that doesn't limit the fact that this is a baseball town. It's a town that cares deeply about the Indians, it's a town that is passionate about the team, it's a town that has a historic understanding of a charter franchise in the American League and a generational appeal.

PD: What are fans supposed to think when they see free agents leaving and the team trading two Cy Young Award winners and not getting what they would expect in return?

MS: I guess I'd say to them -- and the same thing I said at the time I made those trades -- they're not trades that we want to make. ... No one said to me, 'Do you want to trade CC Sabathia?' No one said to me, 'Do you want to trade Cliff Lee?' That was never the choice. It was, here's the circumstances, find a way to win. And those are tough decisions at any one moment in time. [They] may feel extremely painful; they do to us when we make them, but they're all done out of a relentless commitment to try to find a way to put a world championship team on the field. ... None of those decisions has ever been made because of finances. They were made because of a driving desire to get us a win.

PD: What is the club doing about the league's competitive balance problem? There are more small- and mid-market clubs than big-market teams, so why not band together for change? How far do you push to level the field?

MS: I think the system works well for most teams. Part of what's enabled baseball to thrive overall as a game has been the commissioner's ability to keep all 30 teams together despite things being better to some than others. Certainly, from our standpoint, we get frustrated with what we feel are clear objective reasons that competitive balance doesn't work as well for us. And, believe me, we don't just silently accept that. We spend energy, time and lobbying and explaining our situation and we engage with the commissioner's office and with other teams in an attempt to improve those conditions. ... There are things that we clearly and very specifically believe that will help, but we think it's more effective to keep those between us and (the league office in) New York.

On the business...

PD: What is suite occupancy?

MS: We've got just over 48 suites leased (of 110), which I think is a remarkable number. It's among the highest in baseball. Remember, the Yankees have a total of 65 suites, period, and that's New York. (Progressive Field was built with 130 suites).

PD: We've talked before about planned changes to the ballpark. Can you give me any specifics?

MS: When I think of the ballpark, I think of it in terms of short-, mid- and long-term. Short-term, it's maintaining. This ballpark is close to 20 years old, and that's remarkable because when you talk to people in the community, they still feel like it's a new ballpark. It still feels new. So short-term, it's maintaining. We spend millions of dollars a year -- over the last two years, over $5 million each year -- just in short-term maintenance and preservation of what makes this ballpark so special. Mid-term, where are the right scale of opportunities to enhance the experience here? So it's saying, we've got some inventory of space, what can we do that's reasonable. (For example, the Indians combined six suites into a kid's clubhouse, updated the Club Lounge and look for ways to create events in and around the ballpark) ... And then the long-term, it's how do we ensure that this remains a state-of-the-art facility for the next generation of Indians fans.

PD: Is it true that the Indians are among the top teams in spending on player development?

MS: Our model for achieving championship success ... is going to be the same model that we talked about for 20 years here. It's going to be relentless talent acquisition at every level, but most important, at the amateur level, through the draft, through Latin America, but also through aggressively making trades. Our player development system has got to be the best player development system out there. ... We rank in the upper quartile of Major League Baseball (in spending on scouting and player development) in any given year.

PD: How does STO help improve the team beyond marketing and exposure?

MS: They're a good partner for us. They're run totally separately from us. ... The fact that we have common ownership doesn't end up day-to-day manifesting itself. ...

PD: So it's not one of those situations where it generates more money to spend on players or development or whatever, like I've seen around the league?

MS: No, the only amount we get from SportsTime Ohio is our rights fee, which is in line with our market, which is a deal that was done a few years ago and is no disproportionate amount of revenue generated.

PD: That could change based on what the owner wants to do, right? If ownership wanted to throw more of the profits from STO toward the team, it could do that, right?

MS: I'm not privy to what those profits are, and my sense is there's not the profits in the magnitude that you're talking about, but that would be a question for ownership.

PD: Are the Indians profitable?

MS: The Indians are, from year to year, marginally profitable. So this year we will clearly not be profitable. This year, unless there's some huge surge in attendance, we will clearly lose a lot of money and we're budgeted to lose money. We're budgeted to say we're at a point in the wind curve where our owner was accepting outspending revenues in order to best ensure the chance to win. There have been other times in the front office where we haven't recommended that. We wanted to save those arrows in our quiver for the right time. But even when we have been profitable, it has not been on any Yu Darvish scale, and the entire time that I've been here with the Dolans, every single profit that we have taken have been put right back into the team the following year.

PD: But fans see stories like those about the Pittsburgh Pirates losing year after year while making a decent profit. How realistic is that?

MS: The articles that try to guess take a limited amount of information and guess a team's financials, those articles are dangerous because those articles do not provide the full picture. They do not look at every operating circumstance that goes into running the business, and I'm not going to get into specifics and refute it line by line, but I can tell you those articles take part of the information.

PD: But we read in sources like Forbes about $30 million in operating income last year.

MS: I don't make unequivocal comments very often. I tend to be very careful and guarded before I say anything, but I can unequivocally tell you that's not the profit that we made, and I'm sitting here every day responsible for running a major-league franchise that's not existing in those parameters.

On the Indians chances...

PD: Besides staying healthy, what has to happen with this team to be playing in October?

MS: Starting pitching. Justin Masterson has to move closer to the guy he was last year -- not the guy -- but move closer, Ubaldo has got to continue to move closer to the guy that pitched [June 5 in Detroit] ... Zach McAllister comes up and becomes a contributing pitcher for us and maybe that's it, I don't know. But I'm a big believer that starting pitching puts you in a position to win games every night, and I'm a huge believer that if our starting pitching gives us a chance, our lineup is more than good enough, our manager gets the most our of our lineup, creates an environment where our players play hard, and our manager puts them in a position to be successful. ... If that happens, I think we're going to be playing meaningful games here in September.

Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' QBs and growing LB depth, the Cavaliers' draft choices and the steady rise of the Indians' Michael Brantley

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It's fun to talk about, but there is no QB "competition" on the Browns, and fans need to understand that, says Terry Pluto.

weeden-throws-mini-2012-vert-jk.jpgView full sizeWhat? Brandon Weeden hasn't been named the starter yet for the Browns? Perhaps the team just wants to provide something for fans to obsess over for another couple of months?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's summertime, and the QB decisions are easy. So we're talkin'...

About the Browns preparing a quarterback ...

Realistically, do you believe the Browns would draft Brandon Weeden at No. 22 and then not prepare him to be the starting quarterback? Sure, they can talk about "competition," whatever that means. They have yet to anoint Weeden as a starter ... and in the name of Otto Graham, it's already the middle of June!

What are they waiting for?

I don't really care what they say in public, Weeden is their guy. Just watch the body language when coach Pat Shurmur discusses his new quarterback. He's like a teenager who just got his first new car -- and he thinks it's a Corvette.

I don't really worry much about Weeden not always taking snaps with the first team -- and it's June already! And these guys are in ... shorts! I trust the fact that when it comes to preparing quarterbacks, Shurmur and offensive coordinator Brad Childress know what to do.

When he was offensive coordinator in St. Louis, Shurmur put Sam Bradford in to start as a rookie. Childress was the head coach in Minnesota, the offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. He has handled more than a few quarterbacks.

You can be sure Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert -- two veteran football men -- are not about to allow anything in practice to sidetrack Weeden. They are heavily invested in making sure their 28-year-old quarterback is ready, because they were strongly second-guessed nationally for drafting Weeden too high.

This is not 2009 when Eric Mangini was the coach and was picking between Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Mangini really wanted to select "None of the above." Since that wasn't an option, he counted practice and preseason game snaps to make sure it was "fair" and evenly divided.

Nor is it Romeo Crennel "flipping a coin" between Anderson and Charlie Frye to select a starter for the first 2007 preseason game.

Shurmur already said Weeden has received the most snaps, and it sure appears that way at the OTAs and in minicamp the last few weeks.

About Colt McCoy ...

Questions about whether McCoy is happy are misplaced. He knows Weeden is destined to start, unless the rookie from Oklahoma State is injured or forgets how to play. McCoy wants to start.

The real question about McCoy is this: Is he disruptive around the team? The answer is no. Has he practiced as he should, done his work in meetings and everything else that is expected of him? The answer is yes. That's according to the coaches that I checked with.

There are better and more successful quarterbacks than McCoy (6-14 as a starter) who were starting a year ago and now are backups: Jason Campbell (Chicago), Rex Grossman (Washington), Kyle Orton (Dallas) and Vince Young (Buffalo). All but Campbell (31-39) have winning records for their careers as starters. Campbell was 11-7 in the past two seasons.

So it's not as if McCoy would leave here and compete for a starting job somewhere else.

Happy or not, he'd be wise to make it work here as a backup and be ready in case Weeden is hurt or severely falters.

About the Browns ...

johnson-tabor-minicamp-2012-squ-jk.jpgView full sizeRookie linebacker James-Michael Johnson (with special teams coach Chris Tabor) has the look of a fast-rising contributor as the Browns plan their defensive depth chart.

1. Fifth-round pick James-Michael Johnson has impressed at linebacker, which is important. With Scott Fujita likely suspended for the first three games -- and ending the past three seasons on injured reserve -- there is a need for depth at the position. Johnson (called "JMJ" by coaches and teammates) has looked good at middle linebacker and on the outside.

2. If Fujita is out, Kaluka Maiava joins D'Qwell Jackson and Chris Gocong in the starting lineup. Johnson becomes the top backup. The Browns also want him on special teams. They like how Johnson has been able to get the players in the right positions when filling in for Jackson at middle linebacker. It probably would not be wise to play Jackson 100 percent of the snaps, as they did last season because of a lack of depth.

3. It's early, but I hear undrafted rookie receiver Josh Cooper has been more impressive than Carlton Mitchell, who has spent most of the past two years on the inactive list. The Browns like Cooper's hands. He caught 139 passes from Weeden the past two years at Oklahoma State.

4. Seventh-rounder Brad Smelley of Alabama has looked good on special teams, and as a tight end/fullback. A player in his spot needs to show he can play a few positions and be important to special teams. Cooper also has shown that he can help in coverage units.

5. While the Browns are very upbeat about Mohamed Massaquoi, I have doubts because of how he's played the past two years and because he has had two concussions in that span. Greg Little looks strong. After that, the receiver positions should be wide open.

About the Cavaliers ...

barnes-lefty-layin-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeHarrison Barnes' offensive skills provide a sharp contrast for the Cavaliers, who are looking for a wing player in the draft. Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is more of a defensive stopper and hustle player.

1. A year ago, the Cavs entered the draft knowing they were well along the road to having a good day. They had Kyrie Irving on top of their draft board and believed he was a very good point guard. They didn't expect such a sensational first season, but they knew he'd be a player who could start immediately and make an impact. That allowed them to know the success of their draft didn't rest or fall with the No. 4 pick, Tristan Thompson.

2. As in 2011, most teams are really sold on only one player. Last year, it was Irving. This year, it's Anthony Davis (headed to New Orleans, which has the first pick). I keep hearing Thomas Robinson to Charlotte at No. 2. I also hear the Bobcats want to trade the pick. I know with Michael Jordan running the team, who knows what they'll do? But it probably won't be the wisest choice, based on his past draft moves.

3. I sense the Cavs may favor Jeremy Lamb over Bradley Beal, but it's close. And I also sense they are in a real dilemma when looking at Michael Kidd-Gilchrist vs. Harrison Barnes. They love everything about Gilchrist except his outside shot, which is very iffy. A small forward needs an outside shot.

4. Barnes looks like a better shooter than what the numbers show, as he made 47 percent of his 2-pointers. He shot 36 percent on 3-pointers last season and 44 percent overall from the field. He had averages of 17.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and shot 72 percent at the line. Beal (a 6-4 guard) averaged more rebounds (6.7 per game) than the 6-8 Barnes. Most fans also know Barnes shot 20-of-61 (including 6-of-23 on 3-pointers) in the NCAA Tournament and attempted only 14 free throws in four games.

5. No one told me this, but if the Cavs do have to pick between Barnes and Kidd-Gilchrist, I think they go with the forward from Kentucky because of his work ethic, defense and leadership. Kidd-Gilchrist shot only 25 percent on 3-pointers. He averaged 7.4 rebounds and shot 75 percent at the foul line. He is excellent when going to the rim on the fast break.

6. Don't be surprised if the Cavs consider Darius Miller in the second round. A 6-8 senior forward, he averaged 9.9 points and shot 47 percent. Those are modest numbers, but Miller played for Kentucky with all those first-round picks. Kentucky's Terrence Jones also may have late first-round value.

7. For a late first-round pick (the Cavs have the No. 24 choice), I like Andrew Nicholson from St. Bonaventure. I saw him in person against Cleveland State, and on television a few times. The 6-9 senior averaged 18.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and shot 57 percent from the field, including 43 percent on 3-pointers. He's not extremely athletic, but he's skilled.

8. I have been critical of Andre Drummond. This item from Draftexpress explains why some teams are very intrigued, despite Drummond shooting 29 percent from the foul line: "Drummond (6-9.75 without shoes, 7-6.25 wingspan, 279 pounds) breaks the mold at the center position. Drummond is a fraction of an inch shorter, 30 pounds heavier, and has a 4-inch longer wingspan than the average center in our database. Couple that with his stellar athleticism and you have one of the more unique players in this draft class. Drummond measured in as the heaviest and longest player at the 2012 combine. ... Drummond's combination of length and weight, and his body fat (7.5 percent) ties center prospect Samuel Deguara (7-3.4 without shoes) for having the lowest body fat in our entire database among prospects weighing over 270 pounds."

About the Indians...

brantley-swing-horiz-2012-cc.jpgView full sizeThe Indians' patience is being rewarded by the recent offensive surge of center fielder Michael Brantley.

1. When it comes to the Tribe making Tyler Naquin their top draft pick, many fans moaned, "Not another left-handed hitter!" This is not the NFL draft, where guys play right away. It took Jason Kipnis 2 1/2 seasons to make the majors, and that's almost a rocket pace. Baseball America had Naquin rated a low-first rounder, but also called him "the best pure hitter in the entire 2012 draft. ... He also has the best throwing arm among college outfielders." The magazine questioned his ability to play center, a position projected for him by the Tribe.

2. I have no clue if Naquin was the right pick. I do know the Indians need outfielders. I do know that just because they took a guy like named Trevor Crowe (first round, 2005) and flopped -- well, that doesn't indicate this selection will be a failure. In that same 2005 draft where Crowe was the No. 14 pick, the 23rd selection was another left-handed college outfielder without much power. His name is Jacob Ellsbury, and he's become a career .301 hitter for Boston. Naquin is expected to sign very soon.

3. The latest physical setback for Grady Sizemore shouldn't be a shock, not after surgeries on everything from both knees to his back to his elbow to two sports hernias in the last three years. The Tribe continues to defend its decision to sign Sizemore for $5 million this season -- the argument being you can't get much of an outfielder for $5 million. I was against it then, and my argument was this: "Keep the $5 million and perhaps you can use it around the trading deadline to add a talent (and a contract) during the season. Travis Hafner's ($13.5 million) contract also comes off the books next season, so perhaps a team would be willing to dump a talented but overpaid hitter on the Tribe."

4. Perhaps the best thing about Sizemore's latest setback is that the Tribe can simply leave Michael Brantley in center, which should have been the plan to open the season. Brantley turned 25 in May, and it is time for the Tribe to just let him play. It's doubtful he'll develop the power most teams want from a left fielder, the spot he played when Sizemore was active. But in center, his bat is not liability.

5. That's especially true if two things continue: A) He plays a respectable center field. B) He establishes himself as a .280 hitter with an OPS in the .750 range. Brantley went into Saturday night's game doing both. He has recently made a couple of spectacular plays in center, and his overall defensive performance has improved. He seemed shaky earlier in the season. He'll never have even an average arm, but he can hit the cut-off man.

6. Brantley is hitting .284 (.724 OPS) with a homer and 29 RBI. He's stolen nine bases. He hitting .286 vs. lefies, .284 vs. righties and .321 with runners in scoring position. His 16-game hitting streak has caught some attention, but Brantley has been improving in the last few years -- although rather slowly.

7. In 2010, a 23-year-old Brantley hit .246 (.623 OPS). Last season, it was .266 (.702 OPS) This guy is a career .303 minor-league hitter with the natural fluid moments of an athlete. Patience may be paying off for him. That's critical, because there are no real center field prospects (sorry, Zeke Carrera) at the upper levels of the farm system.

8. After his concussion, not only does Carlos Santana seem to wince very hard when he takes a foul ball to the face mask -- so do I. I really would not want him to catch more than 4-5 times a week, the rest he can DH or play first base.

9. Shelley Duncan (.200, 4 HR, 12 RBI) has really struggled. Since May 1, it's .167 with 2 HR and 4 RBI. He is out of minor-league options. If Matt LaPorta produces, he could take Duncan's spot as it doesn't make much sense for the Tribe to have two right-handed hitters who can play left field and first base.

10. The Indians want Lonnie Chisenhall (zero walks, 30 at-bats) to show patience at the big-league level. He walked only eight times in 223 plate appearances for the Tribe last season. He has a sweet swing, he has some power -- but pitchers will make life tough for him if he doesn't control the strike zone.

You can't do Twitter without finding a Twit: Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin

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With sports figures sharing so much on social media, a contest is born, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin column. Plus, a special musical interlude!

world-peace-bryant-2012-horiz-ap.jpgView full size"See here, Kobe. When it comes to Twitter, I know how to make things Memorial ... er, memorable. In a very religious and understanding way, of course."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's still time for Charles Barkley, who once claimed he was misquoted in his own autobiography, to stand up and be counted...

Spin's inaugural Mr. Twitterverse contest won't conclude until Dec. 31 with the roasting of Mr. Twit scheduled for early January.

Surprisingly, tickets are still available.

The entries are rolling in at the expected pace of 140 characters or fewer as our nation's sports figures embrace a media that offers an instant audience and no credible way for them to later claim they were misquoted. Some are 2012 contestants. Others are grandfathered in from previous years basically because their Twitter moments were too epic to be cast aside and forgotten.

Every so often, the contestants will be ranked so aspiring candidates will know exactly how low the bar is set.

This first list is in no particular order:

Denver Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams: What an off-season. Awaiting word on a suspension for a positive PED test, Williams tweeted a picture of the Broncos' defensive playbook.

According to the TheBigLead.com, Williams' 10,000 followers got an inside look at a few of Denver's pre-snap defensive shifts – "Pro Near I," "Z Motion to Far I" and "U3 to Trips Slot."

In a later post, he told fans that sharing "the fact our playbooks are now iPad was all for you." In other words, don't share with Romeo Crennel the next time he visits town.

Metta World Peace: Tweeted, "Happy Labor Day -- enjoy it" on the eve of Memorial Day and then explained that he doesn't know all his religious holidays.

Spin considers him a rose by any other name.

Carmelo Anthony: After "celebrity" groupie Kat Stacks tweeted something about Anthony, he offered $5,000 via Twitter to anyone with a video of Stacks being slapped. Or someone offered it. Anthony claimed his Twitter feed was hacked.

Pitt's All-Big East honorable mention basketball player Ashton Gibbs: After a loss to Louisville, he tweeted, "No way we should've lost to them bums."

"Them bums" being, you know, an affectionate term.

Running back Reggie Bush: During the lockout, Bush tweeted his relative delight in being temporarily out of work. "Right about now we would be slaving in 100 degree heat twice a day while putting our bodies at risk for nothing."

Then: "FYI, last tweet was a joke."

mendenhall-2011-face-ap.jpgView full sizeRashard Mendenhall wears a visor and a mouthpiece when he's on the football field. Now, if he could just come up with some sort of protection like that when he starts Tweeting.

Pittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall: The leader in the clubhouse based on his Tweets following the killing of Osama bin Laden: "It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak."

And on 9/11: "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take down a skyscraper demolition style."

There are harder things to believe. Like that tweet.

Cowboys running back Tashard Choice didn't go that far on bin Laden. But as a fan of the TV show "To Catch a Predator," he wasn't happy that one of his favorites was pre-empted that memorable Sunday night.

"No to catch a predator tonight. Not cool cnbc."

Choice quickly apologized, Tweeting, "My bad ... osama bin laden being dead is better news."

Ya think?

Logan Tuley-Tillman. The Michigan recruit posted a picture of a burning recruiting letter from Ohio State after announcing he'd play for the Wolverines. That alone wouldn't get him in the contest but his explanation – "I didn't think it would get this much attention" -- does.

(Note: I am still holding out hope for Ozzie Guillen, but for now the Marlins' manager -- quoted in Time Magazine saying, "I love Fidel Castro" -- has declared he is not a candidate. Guillen quit Twitter in May, citing the ugly responses to his grammatical and spelling errors.

"People out there are nasty," Guillen told reporters. "I don't need that. I don't need the aggravation. So many nasty people that don't have nothing better to do. I'm not Kim Kardashian."

Cappie Pondexter, who also isn't Kim Kardashian but who raises a question: Is it sexist to only crown a Mr. Twit? Pondexter, the New York Liberty guard, proved she can play with the guys on Twitter when after devastating earthquakes in Japan she tweeted this: "What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in there own country. Idk guys he makes no mistakes."

Pondexter's apology included this classic line: "I didn't realize my words could be interpreted in the manner which they were."

Of course not.

Happily, Spin doesn't have to make a choice today. Even better, the year is not even half over.

Roger Goodell hasn't yet punished a 6-year-old for a rules violation, has he?...

A young Giants fan sent former New York running back Brandon Jacobs, now with the Niners, a letter containing $3.36 after the boy's mother told him Jacobs might not remain with the team because of money issues.

Jacobs Tweeted a picture of the letter and the cash and vowed to take 6-year-old Joe Armento to Chuck E Cheese on his next trip to New Jersey.

"I almost cried," Jacobs Tweeted. "I am still trying to hold it in. I may have to pay him a surprise visit."

That, sir, is no way to get Mr. Twit consideration.

SPINOFFS

drummond-dunk-uconn-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeThis is Andre Drummond's comfort zone when it comes to scoring. From anywhere farther away than 10 inches ... well, that's a bit problematic.

The Pittsburgh Power was so moved by the sacrifice of a Gladiators players' strike they accepted the forfeit victory and beat it out of town. Nothing says solidarity quite like that...

NBA draft prospect Andre Drummond blames his 29 percent free-throw shooting at UConn last year on changing his shot during the season. Unless he changed it to a blind-folded drop-kick, coaches will continue to look for other explanations...

Belmont Park's on-site track veterinarian estimates that I'll Have Another, scratched from Saturday's race, will need a year to recover from tendinitis. For one brief moment in time, Grady Sizemore seems like a quick healer...

The Indians are offering a Father's Day gift in which dads can play catch in the outfield at Progressive Field. For anyone wanting to play catch with Johnny Damon it's BYORM: bring your own relay man...

The Browns denied a report saying the team "could be" for sale. In other "news," Mila Kunis has denied a report out of Cleveland that I "could be" dating her if I were the last man alive...

One of the Ohio State kids arrested for allegedly urinating on a building and then trying to run away reportedly told police "we thought you were our girl friends and we took off running in order to ditch [them]."

Make that one more thing in this story that doesn't hold water. The football players involved -- Jake Stoneburner and Jack Mewhort -- are looking for leniency from head coach Urban Meyer and, presumably, new girlfriends...

An email subject header this week – "Tressel named G-Mac Assistant Commissioner for compliance" -- turned out to be about Angela Tressel's appointment in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and not the man-bites-dog story it seemed...

HE SAID IT

"KJ's great, but Hondo's really the inspiration for that team," long-time Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, known for butchering names, on the keys to the Celtics' playoff run.

Or is it Thomas Mensa?

HE TWEETED IT

"Training on South Beach later with T.O. Crazy workout" -- Chad Ochocinco, recently released by the Patriots.

How could it be anything else?

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Bud:

"In Simon and Garfunkel's hit song 'Mrs. Robinson,' do you think it would have still been a hit had they considered the verse 'Where have you gone, Van Lingle Mungo' rather than Joe DiMaggio?" -- Jack Chase

Somebody please remind me why people think "You Said It" e-mailers have too much free time?

What, we're dissing Van Lingle Mungo? Not with the music of Dave Frishberg!



"Bud:

"When you decided to join the PD, did the music blare and were you thinking of a Pulitzer Prize. ... Maybe not one ... not two ... not three ...? -- Gary, Wickliffe

Yes, but getting a paper route at age 37 is pretty heady stuff.

"Hey Bud:

"What is higher: Justin Blackmon's GPA, Wonderlic score or blood alcohol level?" -- Dan Coughlin

His rank among his frat brothers at Delta Tau Chi.

"Hey Bud:

"Just like 'You Said It,' Johnny Damon is a hit in Cleveland!" -- Russ

Thank you. I think.

"Hey Bud:

"If the NFL uses replacement officials, will the Ed Hochuli replacement be required to have enormous biceps?" -- Paul C, Maple Heights

Yes. Similarly, my replacement columnist here at Spin must have an unusually small readership.

"Bud:

"Do you review the game tapes of Cleveland's arena football team? Or, as 'Airplane' Captain Clarence Oveur would put it: 'Do you like movies about Gladiators?'" -- Pat

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

"Bud:

"Do you think 'I'll have Another' had one too many?" -- Joe S

Repeat winners get put out to pasture.

On Twitter: @budshaw

Timothy Bradley scores a controversial decision win over Manny Pacquiao

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Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges' scorecards.

timothy-bradley-060912.jpgTimothy Bradley, from Palm Springs, Calif., reacts to his split decision victory over Manny Pacquiao, from the Philippines, in their WBO welterweight title fight Saturday, June 9, 2012, in Las Vegas.
LAS VEGAS — Timothy Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges' scorecards.

In a fight Pacquiao seemed to have in hand, two judges decided otherwise, giving Bradley a split decision Saturday night and ending the Filipino fighter's remarkable seven-year unbeaten run.

Promoter Bob Arum fumed, the crowd at the MGM Grand arena booed, and Pacquiao seemed stunned when the decision was announced. Arum said there would be a November rematch, though he blasted the way the decision went down.

"I'm going to make a lot of money on the rematch, but this was outrageous," Arum said.

Bradley came on strong in the later rounds, winning five of the last six rounds on two scorecards and four on the third. He won 115-113 on two scorecards, while losing on the third by the same margin. The Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111.

"I did my best," Pacquiao said. "I guess my best wasn't good enough."

Pacquiao tried to turn the fight into a brawl, using his power to hurt Bradley in the early rounds. But Bradley changed tactics in the middle rounds and used his boxing skills to win enough rounds to take the narrow decision for the welterweight title.

"I thought I won the fight," Bradley said. "I didn't think he was as good as everyone says he was. I didn't feel his power."

Ringside punching statistics showed Pacquiao landing 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, who vowed before the fight to take the 147-pound title from Pacquiao. The Compubox statistics showed Pacquiao landing more punches in 10 of the 12 rounds.

Bradley was so confident that he had oversized tickets printed up for a Nov. 10 rematch that will now likely happen.

Bradley seemed hurt in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Pacquiao had trouble landing big punches after that. Still, he seemed in control of the fight everywhere but on the judge's scorecards.

"Can you believe that? Unbelievable," Arum said. "I went over to Bradley before the decision and he said, 'I tried hard but I couldn't beat the guy.'"

Bradley said he hurt his ankle in the second round, and that trainer Joel Diaz said he could either quit or try to take the fight to Pacquiao.

"I got my second wind in the sixth round," Bradley said. "I worked the angles, sticking and moving."

Pacquiao said he studied Bradley on tape before the fight and wasn't surprised by anything he did. He said he thought he was in control of the fight and was shocked when the decision went against him.

"He never hurt me with his punches, most of them landed on my arms," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao, who had won 15 straight fights on his way to becoming a boxing superstar, tried to brawl with Bradley and seemed to hurt him in both the fourth and fifth rounds. But Bradley started moving and counter punching, though he never seemed to land any shots that hurt Pacquiao.

Pacquiao had vowed to look impressive against Bradley after struggling in his last outing with Juan Manuel Marquez. And he did early, landing good long left hands while beating Bradley to the punch on most exchanges.

"He hurt me a couple of times with his left," Bradley said. "He's a beast."

Trainer Freddie Roach told Pacquiao after the 10th round that he had control of the fight, and urged him to fight hard the final two rounds.

"You have six minutes to go, son," Roach said. "It's your fight."

But it wasn't Pacquiao's fight, with Bradley getting credit for winning some of the close middle and later rounds. After the 11th round Bradley went back to his corner and trainer Joel Diaz told him he needed to win the final round.

"I listened to my corner," Bradley said. "I got to give him a rematch now."

It was the biggest fight of Bradley's career and it came with a minimum $5 million payday. The rematch will be even richer, though Pacquiao's loss could damage any plans for a fight with currently jailed Floyd Mayweather Jr.


Miami Heat reaches NBA Finals with fourth-quarter surge over Boston, 101-88

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LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade combine for 73 points in claiming Eastern Conference title for second straight year.

lbj-dunk-celtics-2012-ap.jpgView full sizeLeBron James was again the leading force for Miami as the Heat stormed to another NBA Finals berth. The former Cavaliers star led the Heat with 31 points and 12 rebounds, with plenty of support from Chris Bosh (19 points) and Dwyane Wade (23).

LeBron James finally got a Game 7 victory, on his third try.

Next up, the NBA finals — and his third try at that elusive first championship. A year after watching someone else celebrate on their home floor, the Miami Heat were the ones dancing at midcourt.

James had 31 points and 12 rebounds, Chris Bosh hit a career-best three 3-pointers — the last sparking the run that put it away — and the Heat won their second straight Eastern Conference title by beating the Boston Celtics 101-88 in Game 7 on Saturday night.

Miami opens the title series in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night. The Heat got there by outscoring Boston 28-15 in the fourth quarter, with the "Big Three" of Wade, Bosh and James scoring every Miami point.

"We decided to come together and play together for a reason," Wade said.

Wade scored 23 points, Bosh finished with 19 and Shane Battier added 12 for the Heat, who won a Game 7 for the first time since 2004 — Wade's rookie season. Now it's back to the finals, where Miami fell in six games to Dallas a year ago.

Rajon Rondo finished with 22 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for Boston, which got 19 points from Paul Pierce in what might be the last game of the "Big Four" era for the Celtics.

Boston took out its starters with 28.3 seconds left. By then, workers already had a rope around the perimeter of the court, preparing for the East trophy presentation.

"Give them credit," Rondo said. "They spread the points out as a team tonight. Give them credit. They played great tonight as a team and we just came up short."

When Heat President Pat Riley was shown on the giant overhead video screen in the moments just after the final buzzer, the crowd screamed. Riley finally acknowledged them with some claps, before the 2012 Eastern Conference champions logo was shown as players below the scoreboard high-fived and hugged, all wearing the new T-shirts and caps that marked the accomplishment.

The screams kept coming, first when Alonzo Mourning took the microphone — "We still got a lot of work to do," Mourning said — and then again when he handed the trophy to Heat owner Micky Arison.

"A roller-coaster ride," Arison said.

A roller-coaster game, too. In a roller-coaster season.

All worth it — for now, anyway. The next step awaits, another shot at the finals. In a championship-or-bust season, the Heat board a plane for Oklahoma City on Sunday.

"We have been through a lot," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

James and Celtics coach Doc Rivers — who teared up often postgame — shared a long embrace when it was all over. Before coming to Miami for Game 7, Rivers had packed for Oklahoma City, a trip he won't make, set to now spend his time seeing if James can win that first title.

"I told him to go do it," Rivers said.

Down by seven at the half and eight early in the third quarter, Miami started clawing back. An 8-0 run tied it at 59-all, capped by Wade hitting a jumper, and then the fun really started.

There were six lead changes and five more ties in the final 7 minutes of the third. Bosh scored with 29 seconds left for the last of those ties, and it was 73-all going into the fourth.

Six games decided nothing, and nothing was decided in Game 7 until the very last moments, neither team yielding much of anything. Battier's 3-pointer with 8:06 left in the third cut Boston's lead at the time to 59-57.

And back and forth they went.

For the next 13 minutes, a span of 46 dizzying, unbelievable possessions, neither team led by more than two points.

That finally changed when Bosh his third 3-pointer with 7:17 left. James made a runner on the next Miami trip, and suddenly the Heat had their biggest lead of the night to that point, 88-82 with 6:54 remaining.

They were on their way.

"He was big time — every shot, every defensive play, every rebound — we missed him," James said of Bosh. "We're just happy to have him back at the right time. If it wasn't for him and the rest of the guys that stepped up, we don't win this game."

Said Spoelstra: "Our most important player."

James made a 3-pointer — it went into the books as a 30-footer, as he leaped from atop one of the Eastern Conference finals stickers on the floor — as the shot clock was expiring with just under 6 minutes left, making it 91-84.

"Backbreaker," Rivers said.

Even mistakes were going Miami's way, as James lost a behind-the-back dribble, only to have the ball skip right into Battier's hands.

Bosh scored from inside the lane to end that possession. Wade scored on the next one, the lead was 95-86 with 3:23 left, Boston called time and the building was simply rocking. James did plenty of talking on the Heat bench in that stoppage, clearly saying the word "Finish" at one point.

They listened. A three-point play by Wade with 2:53 left all but sealed it, the Heat were up 12, and Oklahoma City beckoned.

"We had nothing left," Rivers said. "That's how it felt, as a coach. ... But overall, I don't know if I've ever had a group like this."

Brandon Bass scored 16, Ray Allen finished with 15 and Kevin Garnett scored 14 for the Celtics, who know next season could bring big changes.

A team that was under .500 at the All-Star break almost made the NBA finals.

Almost.

"One game away on the road, banged up. ... I don't know if we could have gotten any more from the group," Rivers said.

Boston's first score came when the Celtics were inbounding from under their own basket with 1.2 seconds left on the shot clock. Rondo surveyed the defense, then decided to simply toss the ball off Wade's back, catch it and score himself.

It was an omen — the Celtics got plenty of easy scores early.

Boston ran out to a 23-14 lead, before the Heat settled down and tied it twice in the second quarter, the last of those at 35-all with 6:50 left. It was then that Garnett left with his third foul. Heat on a run, Garnett going to the bench, so momentum Miami, right?

Not quite.

Bass scored 10 points in a stretch of just over 3 minutes to spark a 14-3 run, with the Celtics scoring three times off turnovers in that stretch. Allen waltzed in unbothered for a layup with 22 seconds left in the half, and Boston took a 53-46 lead into the break. And the least surprised person in the arena was Rivers, who sensed at the morning shootaround that his team would be sharp for Game 7.

They were.

Just in the end, Miami was sharper.

"That's what we talk about," said James, who lost Game 7 appearances with Cleveland in 2006 and 2008. "It has to be a collective group to win the championship. Everybody was in tune today. We wanted to give our fans a big win. We look forward to the next challenge."

NOTES: Strange but true: Celtics fans in leprechaun outfits — green glittery vests, bow ties and hats — posed for photos with fans during the game. They were seated directly behind Arison. ... Also strange but true: Manny Pacquiao — from the Philippines, the country where Spoelstra's mother hails from — planned to delay the start of his fight Saturday night so he could see Game 7. Pacquiao is a Celtics fan. ... It was Heat F Udonis Haslem's 32nd birthday. ... Former Heat forward Jamal Mashburn and former Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn chatted near the Boston bench before the game.

Sunday, June 10 television sports listings for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio

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Highlights include Indians at St. Louis and Kent State at Oregon in an NCAA baseball Super Regional Game, with Kent up, one win to none, in the best-of-three series.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV sports listings

Auto racing

NASCAR:

1 p.m., Sprint Cup, Pocono 400, TNT

Formula One:

2 p.m., Canadian Grand Prix, WJW Channel 8

Baseball

1 p.m., N.Y. Mets at N.Y. Yankees, TBS

2 p.m., Chicago Cubs at Minnesota, WGN

2:15 p.m., INDIANS at St. Louis, SportsTime Ohio, WKYC Channel 3; WTAM/1100-AM

8 p.m., Detroit at Cincinnati, ESPN

College baseball super regionals

1 p.m., Stony Brook at Louisiana State, ESPN2

1 p.m., North Carolina State at Florida, ESPNU

4 p.m., Arkansas at Baylor, ESPNU

7 p.m., Stanford at Florida State, ESPN2

7 p.m., Oklahoma at South Carolina, ESPNU

10 p.m., KENT STATE at Oregon, ESPNU

Cycling

Criterium du Dauphine:

7 p.m. (tape), Final stage, Morzine to Chatel, France, NBC Sports Network

Tour de Suisse:

10 p.m. (tape), Stage 2, Verbania to Verbier, Switzerland, NBC Sports Network

Golf

PGA Tour:

3 p.m., St. Jude Classic, final round, WOIO Channel 19

LPGA:

4 p.m., Wegmans Championship, final round, Golf Channel

Champions Tour:

7:30 p.m. (tape), The Tradition, final round, Golf Channel

Motorsports

2 p.m. (tape), FIM World Superbike, Speed Channel

Soccer

UEFA:

11:45 a.m., Euro 2012, group phase, Spain vs. Italy, ESPN

2:30 p.m., Ireland vs. Croatia, ESPN

Tennis

French Open:

9 a.m. Men's final, WKYC Channel 3

Kent State beats Oregon 7-6 in series opener of NCAA super regional

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Oregon, the No. 5 national seed, rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't overcome earlier mistakes. They had three costly errors and stranded 12 runners on base.

Super RegionalsOregon center fielder Vernell Warren can't pull in a diving catch in Kent State's two-run third inning during the opener of the Super Regionals of the 2012 NCAA Baseball Championships Saturday, June 9, 2012 at PK Park in Eugene, Ore. The Oregon Ducks fell to Kent State 7-6. (AP Photo/Brian Davies, The Register-Guard)

Eugene, Ore. - Kent State tried to give the game away, time and again against the Oregon Ducks. 

But some gutsy pitching, timely hitting, three critical errors by the host Ducks, and a game-saving last-out catch by center-fielder Evan Campbell saved a 7-6 victory for the Golden Flashes in the opening game of the NCAA Baseball Super Regional Saturday night in Oregon's PK Stadium.

The Flashes allowed the leadoff runner on base in six of the nine innings, including the ninth when they held a 7-4 lead.

Then they saw the Ducks load the bases twice, scoring a pair of runs, before Campbell saved the day with a diving catch, running with his back to the infield and leaping toward the wall in deep center.

"I thought it was a routine play,'' Campbell said as he tracked the ball off the bat. "But it kept carrying, and kept carrying, and at the end, it was 50-50.''

But it was 50 to the good for KSU, which is now one victory away from going to the College World Series for the first time in program history, if the Flashes can knock off the Ducks one more time. The teams play Game 2 of the series tonight at 10 p.m. EDT.

The No. 1 seed out of the Pac 12 Conference says it will not be easy.

"I was hoping we'd have Monday off, but we don't,'' Oregon coach George Horton said, meaning the Ducks would sweep the Golden Flashes en route to Omaha, themselves.

"If Kent State can hold us off, we'll tip our hat, because we're going to throw everything we've got at them."

Kent State's streak is now at 21 straight, but the biggest victory would be none of those, but the next one. If the Flashes can get it. They will need a cleaner effort than what they gave Saturday. But even with that, KSU still won.

"That just shows how tough our kids are.

It showed in Starn's 6 1/3 innings pitched for the victory, and it showed in freshman Josh Pierce coming on with the bases loaded, walking in a run, then getting the clutch out courtesy of Campbell's bit catch.

"It was tough, but it was fun,'' Pierce said. "The odds were against us. It was nerve-racking, but we got it done."

The Golden Flashes entered the game making both school and Mid-American Conference history, advancing to the Super Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

The Flashes (45-17) entered the game ranked No. 13 in the country, the highest KSU has been ranked this season, and in the history of the program. The No. 1 seed Ducks (45-18) entered the game ranked No. 8.

It was a tough outing for Starn, who struggled most of the night before a record Oregon crowd of 4,177. But he still managed to hold a 5-4 Kent lead after 6 1/3 innings and a career-high seven walks, plus a balk. Yet he still had a no-hitter through four innings.

"That was one ugly no-hitter going,'' he said.

The big thing for Kent was it held the lead throughout the game, scoring two runs in the third, another in the fourth, two more in the fifth, and a big deuce in the eighth after the Ducks had closed a 5-1 lead the top of the fifth down to 5-4 at the end of seven.

A one-out double by T.J. Sutton, then a walk, was followed by a sinking liner from Alex Miklos into right field that Oregon's Aaron Jones could not handle for an error. Two runs scored giving the Flashes a 7-4 advantage that held up to the bottom of the ninth.

Oregon once again got its lead batter on base with a walk, followed by a pair of singles to load the bases, a big strikeout, then a sacrifice fly for one run then another walk to make it 7-6.

Then Campbell stretched out for the play of the game, giving Kent State a chance to make history today, with yet one more victory.



New Jersey Devils stay alive, force Game 6 in Stanley Cup Finals

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Forget the Stanley Cup coronation for the Los Angeles Kings. The New Jersey Devils suddenly have made things a lot more uncertain.

Kings Devils Hockey Stanley Cup FinalsA New Jersey Devils fan holds a sign in the third period during Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals against the Los Angeles Kings Saturday, June 9, 2012, in Newark, N.J. The Devils defeated the Kings 2-1. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

NEWARK, N.J.  — Forget the Stanley Cup coronation for the Los Angeles Kings.

The New Jersey Devils suddenly have made things a lot more uncertain.

How uncertain?

While the Kings are still a victory away from the first Cup in the club's 45-year history, the Devils are only two wins short of pulling off a feat in the finals that no team has managed for 70 years, rebounding from an 0-3 deficit.

The Devils moved halfway to matching that greatest finals comeback as Bryce Salvador scored on a deflection off a defenseman to give New Jersey a 2-1 victory over the Kings in Game 5.

It was simple hard work by New Jersey.

The first goal came on a smart play by Zach Parise, the second on a deflection and the club got yet another clutch performance from Martin Brodeur.

Parise ended a five-game goal drought on a rare mistake by goalie Jonathan Quick, and Brodeur stopped 25 shots to help the Devils end the Kings' 10-game postseason winning streak on the road and 12-game run over the past two years, both NHL records.

"We survived out there," Brodeur said. "I don't think we played our greatest game, but we found a way to win. These are important games to win, especially at home knowing these guys play really well on the road.

Parise said the 40-year-old Brodeur was the difference.

"That's how a goalie wins the game for you," Parise said about Brodeur.

Justin Williams scored for the Kings, whose once seemingly insurmountable 3-0 series lead has been cut to 3-2. Game 6 is Monday night in Los Angeles.

More importantly, the Devils have the Kings wondering what's going on for the first time in the postseason. This marks the first time they have lost consecutive games in this year's playoffs.

The Devils, meanwhile, have already made some finals history and now have the chance for more.

Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs came back in a best-of-seven finals and won. Three years later, the Detroit Red Wings rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the series, but they lost Game 7 to Toronto. Those were the only other two teams to come back from 0-3 to force a Game 6 until the Devils.

"It's a difficult thing to get yourself ready for games like that," Brodeur said. "Now it's been two (must-win) in a row. It takes a lot out of you but it is worth it. I think that's what the guys have been concentrating on all day, leaving nothing out there.

"... Now we are going to LA again to try to ruin the party again," the 40-year-old, three-time Cup winner said. "They are so close to winning the Stanley Cup that I am sure it is getting to them a little bit, having all these chances and not being able to capitalize a little bit. We're looking just to stay alive."

The Kings haven't played terribly in losing the last two games, but the Devils have made the plays when it counted or gotten the breaks when they needed them.

Take Salvador's winner, his first goal in seven games. His shot from the left point was deflected right in front of Quick, hit off the chest of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov and rebounded into the net at 9:05 of the second period. It was the second time in this series that a point shot by a Devils defenseman hit off Voynov and caromed past his goaltender.

This one turned out to be a winner because Brodeur stood tall the rest of the way and had one shot hit off the goalpost and had a goal by Jarret Stoll on a second-period power play waved off because he hit the rebound with his stick too high.

Brodeur's biggest save might have been with 7.6 seconds to go in regulation when he stopped a slap shot by Mike Richards from the right circle.

The Kings, overtime winners in the first two games in the series in New Jersey, never got another shot and Brodeur took a patented victory swig of the Gatorade bottle on top of his net, as he has done for 18 years.

However, there was no overwhelming celebration from the home team. Slaps on the pads, a few head nods, then it was off to the locker room.

The Kings meanwhile, heads down, made a bee line for their locker room.

Quick said the losing streak hasn't changed the way the team feels. It's the same as it was after winning three in a row.

"It's the time of the year, you're going to lose games, you're going to win games," Quick said. "It's the same as after we swept St. Louis, same as after we beat them three in a row. You stay right here, you don't get here, you don't get there."

As the crowd filed out, again to the 1984 Bruce Springsteen hit, "Glory Days," the chants of "Mar-tee! Mar-tee! were loud and long.

The Kings seemingly had the territorial advantage in the opening period but they also made the biggest mistake.

And it came from a guy who has been almost flawless in the postseason — Quick.

With Willie Mitchell serving the final 20 seconds of a penalty for interference, Quick played a puck in front of his net and tried to send it around the net into the corner. The puck slid off his stick, went around the net and barely made it to the right edge of the crease.

Parise, who had not scored in five games, darted to the edge of the net and stuffed it home a split second before Quick could cover the corner of the net.

"I didn't put the puck where I wanted to," Quick said. "Parise got it and put it in the net."

Earlier in the penalty, Quick made a stop on a point-blank blast by Travis Zajac. The puck momentarily got through his pads and lay in the crease, but Drew Doughty quickly cleared it.

While Quick made the bad play that led to the goal, he also made a big stop on a point-blank shot by Zajac in the opening seconds of the power play that kept the Devils off the scoreboard.

The Kings were unlucky not to have the lead in the opening minutes. Williams picked up a loose puck in the Devils' zone and hit the right goalpost dead on with a blast that could be heard throughout the sold-out Prudential Center.

Williams tied it early in the second period, with a great individual effort. He avoided a check skating into the Devils' zone, cut to the center of the ice and ripped a 30-foot shot into the upper corner of the net past a screened Brodeur.

Minutes later, Brodeur stopped Stoll with a sliding save on a breakaway.

Quick, who made 17 saves, stopped Zajac on a backhander in close before Salvador gave the Devils the lead with his fluky goal.

NOTES: Devils veteran C Patrik Elias took a hard fall into the end boards in the first period and lay on the ice for several minutes. He returned to action, but looked slow most of the game. ... Devils D Anton Volchenkov was cut late in the second period after being hit in the face by a stick as Richards followed through on a shot.


Fret not, U.S. fans: World Cup qualifying a treacherous path for all

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Carlos Bocanegra and the U.S. men's national team didn't play all that well against Antigua and Barbuda, but it's not the end of the world—or the end of World Cup qualifying.

herculez-gomez-vs-antigua-wcq.jpgUnited States forward Herculez Gomez (9) gets taken down by Antigua and Barbuda defender George Dublin (17) during the first half of a FIFA World Cup qualifying soccer match Friday, June 8, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. The United States won 3-1.

TAMPA, Fla.—In case the words and warnings from the men who’ve been through it weren’t sufficiently convincing, just take a look at Friday’s World Cup qualifying scoreboard.

Costa Rica, which traditionally trails only the U.S. and Mexico on the list of CONCACAF heavyweights, blew a two-goal lead in San José and settled for a 2-2 draw with visiting El Salvador.

Carlos Bocanegra and the U.S. men's national team didn't play all that well against Antigua and Barbuda, but it's not the end of the world—or the end of World Cup qualifying.

Honduras, which earned a spot at the 2010 World Cup, was beaten 2-0 at home by Panama.

And powerhouse Mexico, entertaining 104th-ranked Guyana at the imposing 105,000-seat soccer Death Star that is the Estadio Azteca, managed only a 3-1 victory. El Tri coach José Manuel de la Torre admitted, “This was definitely not a good game for us.”

Viewed through the prism of international pedigree, name recognition, rankings and demographics, the U.S. national team’s 3-1 win over tiny Antigua and Barbuda at Raymond James Stadium on Friday night appears troubling.

But viewed through the prism of the reality that is World Cup qualifying, it doesn’t look bad at all.

Friday night’s results, both at home and abroad, confirm what the American players who’ve been through the qualifying gauntlet already knew—the road to the World Cup is never a smooth one.

“You can talk beforehand about, ‘This team is ranked this. This team is ranked that. This country has this many people. This country has that many people.’ It’s still, when you step on the field, it’s 11 against 11,” U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley said following the win over 105th-ranked Antigua. “You see it all around the world. On every single night, it doesn’t always go 100 percent to plan. That’s the reality.”

In the end, of course, the favorites typically advance.

Both the U.S. and Mexico have been successful in each of their past five World Cup qualifying campaigns. But for the Americans, at least, there always have been hurdles along the way.

Treacherous trips to forbidding Latin American venues, notoriously inscrutable CONCACAF refereeing, injuries, suspensions and opponents motivated by the sport’s highest stakes have kept the margins thin. The same is true in South America, where mighty Brazil won only half its qualifying matches ahead of the '10 World Cup. Two-time champion Argentina went 8-6-4 and earned the last of the continent’s four automatic berths.

The U.S. expects a fight, and although Antigua and Barbuda is a country of just over 88,000 people represented by a national team comprised primarily of players who toil for a club competing in USL Pro, the American third division, no U.S. player seemed surprised by the relatively narrow margin of victory.

In soccer, an overmatched team willing to do the dirty work can pull nine or even all 10 field players into its own half and focus on defending in order to keep a game close. In qualifying, where goal differential can come into play and where second place is sufficient, teams like Antigua are incentivized to do so.

“Teams like that are going to come in, they’re going to defend,” Bradley said. “They’re going to put a lot of guys behind the ball. It’s a challenge then to find the right movement, to make sure the timing is right, to make sure the execution is right.

"If on a given night now all these things aren’t at the level that maybe they normally are or that they should be, it can be difficult.”

Faced with such obstinacy, a favorite can overthink the situation, get frustrated or lose track of what it does best. On Friday night—perhaps bewildered by the difficulty they were having producing a goal from open play—the Americans appeared to lose confidence in their own ability to finish, frequently passing up decent shooting opportunities in a misguided attempt to forge an even better one.

“We just wanted to get the perfect opportunity,” Landon Donovan said. "We should have been better about probably shooting. We were a little unlucky with a few plays that didn’t come off.

“These games are always like this. Rarely do you play a qualifier where everything goes your way and everything’s easy and whatever. Tonight, there was some really good stuff. There were some things we could be better at.”

Finally, in the 72nd minute, the U.S. scored from open play and restored its two-goal advantage (the U.S. built a 2-0 lead off a corner kick and a penalty kick, then saw it halved by Antigua’s Peter Byers). Donovan’s pass from the right resulted in a shot, a couple of deflections and an opportunistic finish by forward Herculez Gomez.

It was an ugly goal against a team of relatively green minor-leaguers, yet on this night, it was cause for some celebration. Critics will argue that the U.S. should have poured it on, but history suggests that rarely happens.

“This is what it’s going to be like in CONCACAF, this is what it’s going to be like in qualifiers,” Gomez said. “We have to keep our heads up and learn from this.”

To a man, the Americans simply were happy to start off with three points. They’re all precious, whether they come against a team like Mexico or against an island nation competing at this stage of the competition for the first time in its history.

Now the U.S. will jump from what, on paper, was the easiest of six games scheduled in this semifinal round to what should be the toughest—Tuesday night’s match at the Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City.

The conditions, the crowd and the occasional gamesmanship employed by Los Chapines—now desperate following Friday’s 2-1 defeat in Jamaica—will present coach Jurgen Klinsmann’s team with a formidable challenge.

“We’ll take it the way it comes. Things will happen there. We will adjust,” Klinsmann said. “You adjust, and you give everything you have.”

If the U.S. doesn’t, it could well lose. No matter that Guatemala is ranked 85th in the world and never has qualified for the World Cup. Still, the Americans have won there just once in the past 20 years and, as Friday’s results demonstrate, the games aren’t played on paper.

“You know going into this, it’s a long process,” Bradley said. “You know there are going to be ups, there are going to be downs, good games, bad games, but the most important thing is just the commitment to do whatever takes to get results and to make sure at the end of it all, you’re in the World Cup.”

-- This article originally appeared on SportingNews.com

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