Plain Dealer columnist Bill Lubinger joined Kiley and Booms on WKRK FM/92.3 The Fan this morning to talk Indians baseball.

Bill Lubinger

The NBA trade moratorium expired just after midnight this morning. Is today the day Dwight Howard gets his wish out of Orlando?

AP photoWill Dwight Howard finally get his wish out of Orlando?

The NBA trade moratorium expired just after midnight this morning, opening the floodgates to the slew of signings and trades you've been hearing about over the last week or so. The biggest catch -- Magic disgruntled center Dwight Howard -- still remains in play. But for how much longer?

Here's a quick look at the rumor wire. Check back later for updates.

Chris Sheridan, SheridanHoops.com via Twitter: "Source on Dwight Howard trade: 'It's all coming to a head.' Translation: He's being dealt somewhere today."

Ken Berger, CBSSports.com via Twitter: "Despite changing dynamics, Magic are projecting confidence that Dwight Howard will be traded by the end of the week, league sources say. "

HoopsWorld: "HOOPSWORLD has learned that there have been preliminary discussions between the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets that would involve sending Andrew Bynum to the Rockets, Howard to the Lakers and a number of first-round picks, prospects and significant cap relief to the Magic."

ESPN: "Sources told ESPN.com that the Rockets are discussing a multitude of trade scenarios with the Magic, offering to serve both as the team that would acquire Howard in a direct trade between the clubs and also as a third team that would participate in a trade that lands Howard with the Lakers and brings All-Star center Andrew Bynum to Houston."

Los Angeles Times: "The Lakers have become more open to taking a fairly bad contract in a trade, the one for Orlando guard-forward Jason Richardson, though they still might need to involve a third team to acquire Howard."

Yahoo! Sports: "Restricted free-agent center Brook Lopez is progressing toward an agreement for a maximum contract with the Brooklyn Nets, league sources told Yahoo! Sports... Once Lopez signs the deal, he can’t be traded until December."

Orlando Sentinel: "The Cleveland Cavaliers might receive a standing ovation the next time they play in Orlando, because the Cavaliers, in a roundabout way, could prevent Dwight Howard from going to the Brooklyn Nets."

Akron Beacon Journal: "The Cavaliers were never really engaged in the trade talks initially and their involvement was overblown from the start, a league source with direct knowledge of the negotiations reiterated on Tuesday."

Sporting News: "Once the Philadelphia 76ers part with [Elton] Brand, 22 other teams still have the right to give out amnesty pink slips of their own." The Sporting News' list of possible players that could be amnestied includes Darko Milicic, Mike Miller, Carlos Boozer and Metta World Peace.

"Maybe he can be that WR that we didn't take in April who can help stretch the field for Weeden? (Or McCoy) It sounds like it may take a second round pick to get him...still have some concern though about character issues and the marijuana mess. Is he really worth spending a second round pick? I might spend a 3rd or 4th rounder." - pastorrick

View full sizeAP photoWill the Browns take a chance on Josh Gordon?

"Maybe he can be that WR that we didn't take in April who can help stretch the field for Weeden? (Or McCoy) It sounds like it may take a second round pick to get him...still have some concern though about character issues and the marijuana mess. Is he really worth spending a second round pick? I might spend a 3rd or 4th rounder."

Multiple reports have had the Magic calling off talks with the Nets, but in a press conference Wednesday, general manager Rob Hennigan said, “That’s not accurate.”

APDwight Howard is apparently staying in Orlando for now.

It's back to the drawing board on a Dwight Howard trade. And for Orlando, the frustration continues.

There have been glimmers of hope over the last couple of days that, somehow, the ongoing ordeal of Howard, the Magic and the Nets would be resolved, with Orlando and Brooklyn nearing a deal Tuesday that unraveled over where Nets power forward Kris Humphries would land and for how long. On Wednesday, it seemed that there was some determination on both sides to figure out what’s next.

Multiple reports have had the Magic calling off talks with the Nets, but in a press conference Wednesday, general manager Rob Hennigan said, “That’s not accurate.”

Still, it appears more waiting is what’s next. The Nets’ hand has been forced by the principal pawn in this drama, center Brook Lopez, a restricted free agent. Lopez has offer sheets on the table from other teams—reportedly the Blazers and Bobcats—for a maximum contract of four years, $58 million. If he were to sign, the Nets would not be able to trade him, and would have to either match the offer or let Lopez walk.

Faced with that option, and with no certainty that a Howard-to-Brooklyn deal could ever get done, Nets general manager Billy King had no choice but to begin to act on keeping Lopez. King went to Los Angeles to meet with Arn Tellem, Lopez’s agent.

With more delays, more foot-dragging and the increasing unlikelihood of anything getting done with Brooklyn, Hennigan—who was hoping to have the situation resolved this week—has turned his attention to the Magic’s other most pressing need, a new coach.

The Magic have a preliminary list of at least five candidates. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the Magic spoke with Jazz assistant Jeff Hornacek on Monday, and have also spoken with Warriors assistant Michael Malone and Pacers assistant Brian Shaw. Former player and Suns player development coach Lindsey Hunter is also a candidate, as is another former player, Spurs assistant Jacque Vaughn. Hennigan would like to move forward with the process, and the Howard situation has prevented that.

All of this is not to say that the Nets-Magic talks won’t be resurrected in short order—throughout the last eight months, we have seen teams come in and out of talks with the Magic for Howard, sometimes on the same day. But the Lopez contract angle means the Nets are likely to have to pull out of the deal for good, unless Lopez can somehow be delayed from signing. He has little incentive to do so, after having been punted around in trade talks with such frequency.

If the talks with the Nets truly do die, it might be advantageous for Hennigan, who has wanted to get Howard to widen his list of acceptable destinations. Working with a list of one team—a team with limited assets available at that—has proven as fruitless so far for Hennigan as it was for his predecessor, Otis Smith. If the Nets are out for good, expect a variety of teams, including Los Angeles (with both the Lakers and Clippers), Atlanta, Golden State and Houston, to get back into the bidding.

Here are what blogs from Cleveland and around the country are saying about the Browns, Cavaliers and Indians. Featured today are the AFC North Report, Waiting For Next Year and Fox Sports Ohio.

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

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerWill Browns' fans have something to cheer about this season?

"Yes, given the hard schedule one could actually suggest that we set aside the final win/loss record and be happy seeing improvement, an improvement that gives hope for 2013. The problem is--this is Cleveland, a town that has been waiting for next year since, well a whole lot of lasts years!

Browns fans are expecting a change this season with the addition of Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson and others added to the roster. They are also expecting an increase in the win column, I believe it was team president Mike Holmgren that stated 5 or 6 wins was not good enough. No more excuses, 5 wins and a "but we looked good doing it" just doesn't cut it."

Thomas Ondrey/The Plain DealerUbaldo started the season slow, but has pitched well lately.

"Ubaldo Jimenez (17 starts, 102 IP, 8-7, 4.50 ERA, 1.51 WHIP. 77 K’s/58 BB’s) - I’m pretty sure (OK, i know I did) I said that I was completely done with him while he was in his Mid-May dive towards the bottom of all American League starters. I believe I said something to the effect of “it doesn’t matter how good or bad Alex White and Drew Pomeranz become, the Rockies won the deal.” I figured they dumped their problem on someone else and had gotten away with it.

Boy am I glad to admit that I was wrong.

Credit both Ubaldo himself and pitching coach Scott Radinsky for the resurgence of arguable the most important pitcher on the team. In May, Jimenez had more walks (28) than strikeouts (20) in six starts, which averaged just over five innings per. His ERA for the month was 6.75. However in June, U was a new man.

Watching obsessive amounts of video, the pitcher and his coach were able to address some of the mechanical issues that plagued him. Jimenez got back to basics and got his delivery back to where it should be. He responded by posting a 2.78 ERA in his five June starts and reversed his horrific strikeout (32) to walk (11) ratio. Ubaldo finished the first half strong with a six inning, two run, eight K performance in Saturday night’s 7-3 win over Tampa Bay."

AP Photo/Mark DuncanChris Grant has been quiet this offseason.

"But I like how Grant handles his business. I like how he makes it very clear his business is not ours. I like how we always hear about the Cavs on the rumor mill -- but that we just never know anything for sure.

I like it because it drives people insane. The list includes everyone from opposing GMs to reporters to those dominating the Twitterverse.

I also like it because it’s how small-market teams such as the Thunder and Spurs manage their own teams. They do it without so much as making a peep to the press. And hey, the Thunder and Spurs are pretty doggone good.

Like those clubs, Grant seems content to build through trades and the draft. Free agency appears to be a distant third."

Game at KSU's M.A.C. Center will tip off at noon, and marks the Flashes' 3rd straight season as part of the marathon.

PD fileKent State coach Rob Senderoff and the Flashes will play Temple as part of ESPN'S Tip-Off Marathon in November.

Cleveland, Ohio -- For the third straight season, Kent State's men's basketball team will be in the early national spotlight, as the Golden Flashes will play visiting Temple in a noon game as part of ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 13.

The event is 24 straight hours of televised college hoops, beginning at midnight with West Virginia taking on Gonzaga, and ending with a doubleheader, Michigan State vs. Kansas at 7 p.m. followed by Duke vs. Kentucky.

"I think this is good for us," second-year KSU coach Rob Senderoff said Wednesday. "We will have an extremely young squad in terms of experience, so this will certainly get their attention.

"We're the only school in the league with this opportunity for three straight years. So it's something that our administration, our program and fans are appreciative of, that ESPN invited us once again."

Indeed, the only other Mid-American Conference school on the marathon slate is Northern Illinois, which will play an 8 a.m. game at Valparaiso. Valpo is one of two Horizon League teams in the marathon, with 2012 HL Tournament champ Detroit playing at St. John's at 2 p.m.

In the 2010 marathon, Kent State hosted Robert Morris at the MAC Center and won, 62-59.

Last season Kent traveled to West Virginia and scored a 70-60 upset.

Next will be the Owls, who finished last season 24-8, including an opening-round NCAA Tournament loss to South Florida.

"The exposure last year against West Virginia was great for our program and, I believe, for our league as well," Senderoff said. "This is a great opportunity for us to get Kent State and the MAC in the college basketball conversation early in the season."

Last season Kent State finished with a 21-12 record, marking the 12th time in 13 years the Flashes have won 20 or more games.

The games are as follows:

Midnight: West Virginia at Gonzaga

2 a.m.: Davidson at New Mexico

4 a.m.: Houston Baptist at Hawaii

6 a.m.: Stony Brook at Rider

8 a.m.: Northern Illinois at Valparaiso

10 a.m.: Harvard at Massachusetts

Noon: Temple at Kent State

2 p.m.: Detroit at St. John's

4 p.m.: Butler at Xavier

7 p.m.: Michigan State vs. Kansas in Atlanta.

9:30 p.m.: Duke vs. Kentucky in Atlanta.

"This is a great pick up by the Cavs. We was ranked top 40 by almost every media outlet and has one of the best Pt+Reb+Ast total of any player in the draft. No one would have batted an eye if the Cavs had taken him with one of the second round picks they traded. Clearly they liked him if they offered him a contract. I think he'll make the roster and contribute later in the year." - PbZeppelin45

View full sizeAP Photo/David SmithOne cleveland.com reader says Kevin Jones will be a steal for the Cavaliers.

"This is a great pick up by the Cavs. We was ranked top 40 by almost every media outlet and has one of the best Pt+Reb+Ast total of any player in the draft. No one would have batted an eye if the Cavs had taken him with one of the second round picks they traded. Clearly they liked him if they offered him a contract. I think he'll make the roster and contribute later in the year."

ProFootballTalk's rating of the Browns as last in its Preseason Power Rankings should show the organization that perceptions of the team are not good. More Browns story links.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns wide receiver Greg Little (15) after a last-play desperation pass fell incomplete, sealing the Browns' 13-9 season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 1 in Cleveland. The Browns finished the season 4-12.

It should show the organization’s front office and its marketing and public relations staffs just how far they have to go to restore faith.

Faith in the men running the show.

Faith in the talent they have failed to acquire that “earned” the odious tag of No. 32.

Faith in a five-year plan that already seems to have stretched on for 13.

Ridenour concludes her commentary by writing:

To those in the Browns’ front office, it should be a call to action, both to improve the national perception of a seemingly dysfunctional organization and to explore every avenue that can accelerate its roster’s excruciating reconstruction.

Browns story links

The offensive line could be a strength for the Browns this season. (By Fred Greetham, FoxSportsOhio.com)

Analysis of the Browns' offensive line going into the 2012 season. (By Chris Pokorny, Dawgs By Nature)

A look at eight supplemental draft prospects, leading off with Josh Gordon and Texas Christian running back Ed Wesley. (By Tony Pauline, Sports Illustrated's SI.com)

A poll -- Who should be the Browns' backup quarterback this season, Colt McCoy or Seneca Wallace? (By Steve DiMatteo, Dawg Pound Daily)

What looks to be, as of now, the most difficult three-game stretch for the Browns this season. (By Andrea Hangst, Bleacher Report)

The Browns do their homework on Josh Gordon, and info on another supplemental draft candidate, Carson-Newman linebacker Larry Lumpkin. (By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal)

Why rookie running back Trent Richardson will have a Hall of Fame career -- a slideshow. (By Barbara Bruno, Bleacher Report)

"I agree with the writer of the article. At this stage of the process the Browns lack the quality depth necessary for a legitimate playoff contender. That is going to take more than three drafts to achieve. It's beginning to come together; but there are still some major hurdles to cross to get to that status. Still, this expansion team is now finally heading in the right direction." - BigShowBacker

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerAre the Browns on the right track to being a playoff contender?

"I agree with the writer of the article. At this stage of the process the Browns lack the quality depth necessary for a legitimate playoff contender.

That is going to take more than three drafts to achieve. It's beginning to come together; but there are still some major hurdles to cross to get to that status. Still, this expansion team is now finally heading in the right direction.

GO BROWNS!!!!!"

A CBSSports.com report claims Redskins' sources said Griffin has been actively lobbying the front office and owner Dan Snyder for Gordon, and that, according to a team source, the Browns are also very interested.

Associated PressJosh Gordon caught 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns for Baylor in 2010, but missed the 2011 season after being suspended following a marijuana-related arrest.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NFL knows how to stay in the news.

Now, in the short lull between "Organized Team Activities" and the start of training camps late this month, the league has orchestrated the elevation of former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon from relative unknown to perceived future superstar.

Gordon is the focal point of Thursday's supplemental draft.

Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot writes in her report about Gordon and the supplemental draft:

The draft is almost like a silent auction, with teams submitting bids based on the pick they’re willing to sacrifice in the 2013 draft. The order within rounds is determined by how teams fared last season.

Only the team that acquires Gordon will surrender the draft pick that it bids.

Gordon caught one pass at Baylor in 2009. Then, in 2010, he emerged behind Kendall Wright as quarterback Robert Griffin III's second favorite receiver, catching 42 passes for 714 yards and seven touchdowns.

Gordon didn't play last season. Following a marijuana arrest, he was suspended by Baylor coach Art Briles. Gordon transferred to Utah, where he sat out the season because of NCAA transfer rules. Now, instead of playing for Utah this season, Gordon has declared for the supplemental draft.

Griffin was selected by the Washington Redskins with the second overall pick in April's draft. Wright, by the way, was also picked in the first round, at No. 20 overall by the Tennessee Titans.

Jason La Canfora writes for CBSSports.com about Gordon becoming the top player available in the supplemental draft, and about the teams -- including the Redskins and Cleveland Browns -- that seem to be most interested in him:

Among those interested, according to team and league sources, are the Browns, Redskins, Cowboys, Eagles, Colts, Dolphins, Panthers, Saints, Chiefs and 49ers.

The Redskins are particularly intriguing because of the RG3 connection and their lust for more weapons for him. Team sources said Griffin has been actively lobbying the front office and owner Dan Snyder for Gordon. Snyder will do whatever he can for his star players; he has a history of listening to them and the Redskins have employed the supplemental draft in the past. Griffin has also remained in contact with Gordon, and while the Redskins already lack a first-round pick from 2013 in the trade with St. Louis to acquire RG3, sacrificing another high 2013 pick to acquire a potential impact player now is hardly out of character.

The Browns are also high on him, according to a team source, and have spent a lot of time and energy around the Baylor program in recent years. They know it well. They worked hard on a trade for RG3 before losing out to Washington. They drafted Baylor tackle Phil Taylor in the first round in 2011. They coveted Baylor receiver Kendall Wright this year; they planned to take him with their second pick in the first round and quarterback Brandon Weeden in the second round. But when Wright was picked sooner, Cleveland ended up taking Weeden at No. 22.

Gordon has better physical gifts than Wright, and few teams are as needy for help in the passing game as the Browns.

Should the Browns bid a draft pick, and for what round, to try to acquire Gordon?

The Golden Flashes will be featured in the ESPN 24-hour marathon of basketball for the third straight year.

View full sizeSpecial to The Plain DealerKent State men's basketball coach Rob Senderoff.

KENT, Ohio -- For the third straight season, Kent State's men's basketball team will be in the early national spotlight, as the Golden Flashes will play Temple in a noon game as part of ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon on Nov. 13.

The event is 24 straight hours of televised college hoops, beginning at midnight with West Virginia taking on Gonzaga, and ending with a doubleheader, Michigan State vs. Kansas at 7 p.m., followed by Duke vs. Kentucky.

"I think this is good for us," second-year coach Rob Senderoff said Wednesday. "We will have an extremely young squad in terms of experience, so this will certainly get their attention.

"We're the only school in the league with this opportunity for three straight years. So it's something that our administration, our program and fans are appreciative of, that ESPN invited us once again."

The only other Mid-American Conference school on the marathon slate is Northern Illinois, which will play an 8 a.m. game at Valparaiso. Valpo is one of two Horizon League teams in the marathon, with 2012 HL Tournament champ Detroit playing at St. John's at 2 p.m.

In the 2010 marathon, Kent State hosted Robert Morris at the M.A.C. Center and won, 62-59.

Last season, Kent traveled to West Virginia and scored a 70-60 upset.

Next will be the Owls, who finished 24-8 last season, including an opening-round NCAA Tournament loss to South Florida.

"The exposure last year against West Virginia was great for our program and, I believe, for our league as well," Senderoff said. "This is a great opportunity for us to get Kent State and the MAC in the college basketball conversation early in the season."

Last season, Kent State finished with a 21-12 record, marking the 12th time in 13 years the Flashes have won 20 or more games.

The Indians named a street after Larry Doby and will erect a statue in honor of Jim Thome. It should be the other way around.

View full sizeAP fileThe Larry Doby way of pioneering was the same as the Jackie Robinson way in the National League, writes Bill Livingston, only Doby's debut occurred six short weeks later and with almost no advance preparation by either Doby or the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jim Thome once lashed a wailing baseball 511 feet into the Heritage Park section of the playing premises, then out of the whole ballyard onto the former Eagle Avenue. It was a reverse Apollo 11, the Eagle having been landed upon.

Now the Indians are determined to erect a statue of Thome, as soon as he retires, near the point where the ball reached escape velocity. The team changed Eagle Avenue's name to Larry Doby Way last weekend.

While the intentions are good, the dimensions of the honors are out of whack. Doby should have the statue, Thome the street.

For one thing, streets can be vulnerable to the revisionism of accidents. When the Nimitz freeway on the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland collapsed during the 1989 World Series earthquake, the family of Admiral Chester A. Nimitz said Nimitz, the top Navy man in the Pacific during World War II, had always feared that a tragedy would occur on the road and make that its collective memory.

Thome's qualifications as a player are, at once, both deep, with over 600 home runs, including the most here in franchise history, and shallow, with much of his career spent as a designated hitter.

Larry Doby Jr. talks with STO's Matt Underwood and Rick Manning

Doby's history, however, is much more meaningful because he was the first African-American player in the American League. The Larry Doby way of pioneering was the same as the Jackie Robinson way in the National League, only Doby's debut occurred six short weeks later and with almost no advance preparation by either Doby or the Indians.

Doby is the single most important figure in a long history of racial progressivism in sports in Cleveland. It includes Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Frank Robinson, Lenny Wilkens, Wayne Embry and the often overlooked John McLendon.

Doby had the most impact because baseball was easily the most popular sport in the first half of the last century in this country. The pioneers in baseball wrote their names in John Hancock-size scrawls. Everybody could see them.

As for Thome, some fans are still bitter about his departure. He did say, you know, that before he would leave, they would have to rip the uniform off his back. The players union merely stripped him of his principles, instead. Thome became just another guy who bowed to the pressure of union lobbying to chase every last dollar. Everybody was doing it. He certainly was not the man to stand alone.

Maybe a lot of untainted home runs in a sordid era is enough for a statue. Maybe Thome's relatively productive partial season in his 2011 return is enough to put the recriminations behind him.

Check out Bob Costas' Hall of Fame tribute to Larry Doby

But if the statue is to commemorate the great 1990s and early 2000s teams, my choice would have been a bronze of Omar Vizquel. Kenny Lofton was the team's flash in terms of speed, but Omar was flashier, in terms of style, of magic. Vizquel also was pushed out of town when he wanted to stay.

My statue of Omar would depict him with his hand cupped near his shoulder, waiting to bare-hand an approaching sizzler.

Among the other thrilling players of the era were Albert Belle, its signature player, but one with a toxic personality; Manny Ramirez, DQ'd because of later steroid abuse; Lofton, scoring from second base in the 1995 ALCS on a passed ball; Sandy Alomar Jr., who had a 1997 season straight out of "Damn Yankees" when the Tribe almost won the World Series; and Dennis Martinez, who won the biggest game of the 1995 season against Randy Johnson.

In other time periods, Rocky Colavito connected to the fans over a half-century ago even more effectively than he menaced pitchers with his pointed bat before a pitch had even been thrown.

Bob Lemon, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia joined Bob Feller, who has the only other statue, in the "Big Four." Lou Boudreau, the player-manager of the 1948 World Series champions, was that season's AL Most Valuable Player.

Tris Speaker, the player-manager of the 1920 champions, groomed the young Doby as an outfielder despite Speaker's membership in the Ku Klux Klan as a young man.

Nap Lajoie was a Hall of Famer for whom the team was once named.

Cy Young ... well, there has been much history made here.

The obvious choice would still have been Doby -- for what he did to change the hearts and minds of fans and players, for what he did in putting the game into the context of merit, justice and simple fairness.

No tape-measure homer will ever dwarf him.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

The 6-8 Harangody, 24, played in 21 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11 minutes per game.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerThe Cavaliers' Luke Harangody (44) has played two NBA seasons after a standout college career at Notre Dame.

"I used to care who won the all-star game and the World Series. I always pulled for the American League. That was the only time we could get bragging rights over the National League. Interleague play has taken away any interest in these games for me, especially the All-Star game." - fromthebackporch

View full sizeAP Photo/Charlie RiedelHas interleague play taken away interest from the All-Star Game?

"I used to care who won the all-star game and the World Series. I always pulled for the American League. That was the only time we could get bragging rights over the National League. Interleague play has taken away any interest in these games for me, especially the All-Star game."

Gov. John Kasich caught a couple of walleye during Wednesday's annual Fish Ohio Day on Lake Erie, and signed an executive order banning the drilling of gas wells on Ohio's side of the big lake.

View full sizeGus Chan, PD fileGov. John Kasich on Wednesday said he is doubling funds for Ohio tourism in order to spotlight fishing and hunting, but did not offer additional funds for the state parks.

PORT CLINTON, Ohio -- Gov. John R. Kasich caught a couple of walleye during Wednesday's annual Fish Ohio Day celebration on Lake Erie, signed an executive order continuing a ban on drilling gas wells on Lake Erie and said he is doubling funds for Ohio tourism in order to spotlight fishing and hunting around the state.

Although Ohio's state parks and Lake Erie boating and fishing are major attractions, Kasich did not have plan for improving the underfunded state parks. State officials did host a public forum on Tuesday in Port Clinton to outline how $3 million from the Healthy Lake Erie Fund could ramp up programs to battle Lake Erie algal blooms, which were the worst in decades in 2011.

"We work very closely with Jim Zehringer, a great director [of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources], to figure out how to become more effective and efficient," said Kasich. "I'm a very big supporter of the parks. But parks never have enough money, whether they are state or national parks. A backlog of maintenance is always a problem."

Ohio's state parks have grown over the years, but come up short in support from the general fund. The result has been staff cuts and a lack of maintenance and repairs.

"Having conversations with Zehringer, we're making good progress in looking at all of this," said Kasich. "Particularly our effort to rescue [Lake Erie] from the algae blooms. It's going to take time, communication and a lot of effort."

Kasich said state management of Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio, which has experienced major algal blooms in recent years, is working -- and providing some answers. The runoff problems from farming and raw sewage from shoreline treatment plants that have triggered algal blooms around Lake Erie, he said, are a bigger problem than Grand Lake St. Marys, and need management on a bigger scale.

"We know we've got to fight the algae, and there are multiple ways to do it," he said. "We're aware of it, and are getting the word out that we won't take 'no' for an answer [in stopping phosphate pollution from farms, sewage treatment plants and industry]."

Don "Buffalo" Lawther, the 2012 Lake Erie Charter Boat Association's captain of the year did double duty. The Castalia fishing guide took out Kasich and Cleveland's George Voinovich, the former governor and senator. Voinovich has a summer home in Marblehead, and docks his boat in the West Harbor area.

The speculation as to whether Kasich, an Ohio River angler growing up, could ever find his walleye touch on Lake Erie was a major topic among guides, anglers and media Wednesday morning.

"I think 'Buffalo' was hyperventilating until I caught that first fish," said Kasich.

Shin-Soo Choo is trending up and Derek Lowe trending down in Paul Hoynes' Cleveland Indians roster breakdown.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerThe Cleveland Indians' Shin-Soo Choo, motoring to third base on a single by Asdrubal Cabrera on July 6, has sparked the Tribe since being moved to the leadoff spot May 14.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A breakdown of the Cleveland Indians' roster:

Trending up

1. OF Shin-Soo Choo: He's hitting .330 (69-for-209) with 47 runs since moving into the leadoff spot May 14.

•Skinny: Choo once again looks like the player from 2009 and 2010.

2. RHP Vinnie Pestano: Batting average against: .216 in April, .171 in May, .121 in June, .176 in July.

3. OF Michael Brantley: Went into the break hitting .340 (16-for-47) with two homers and nine RBI over the past two weeks.

•Skinny: Brantley looks more relaxed hitting in the middle of the lineup than he did in the leadoff spot.

4. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez: He's 3-3 with a 2.93 ERA (15 earned runs in 46 innings) over his past seven starts.

• Skinny: Jimenez is tied for AL lead with 58 walks, but he's walked just 16 in the past 46 innings.

5. RHP Justin Masterson: He's 3-4 with a 3.30 ERA (17 earned runs in 46 1/3 innings) over his past seven starts with 13 walks and 43 strikeouts.

• Skinny: Masterson is throwing more strikes but still needs better command. He's tied for seventh in the AL with 47 walks and leads the big leagues with 10 wild pitches.

6. INF Jose Lopez: He's on pace to drive in 84 runs in 500 at-bats. But he's not going to get 500 at-bats.

• Skinny: He's hit better over the past several days and gives manager Manny Acta options at third, second and first base.

7. C Lou Marson: He's hitting .386 (22-for-57) with three doubles and eight RBI since June 1.

• Skinny: Right now, he's out-catching and out-hitting Carlos Santana.

8. RHP Joe Smith: He's been used a lot over the past month, going 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA and a 0.882 WHIP in his past 11 1/3 innings.

• Skinny: When the Indians get a lead to the seventh inning, Smith usually pitches the first leg of the relay race before the ball goes to Pestano and Chris Perez.

9. RHP Zach McAllister: He's 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his past two starts. He has 19 strikeouts and four walks in 17 1/3 innings in those two games.

• Skinny: Let's give him more time before any conclusions are drawn. He's made only seven starts and hasn't pitched in the big leagues for an extended period of time.

10. OF Johnny Damon: Hit .171 in May, 254 in June and .278 in July.

• Skinny: He's moving the needle in the right direction. He's just not doing it with a lot of authority (four homers, 17 RBI).

11. RHP Esmil Rogers: Like McAllister, no conclusions can be drawn, but he's struck out 18 and walked one in 13 1/3 innings.

• Skinny: He's getting into more games when the Indians have the lead.

Holding steady

1. SS Asdrubal Cabrera: Slow start to July can't overshadow three months of heat: .302, two homers, six RBI in April; .296, three homers, 14 RBI and .297 in May; six homers and 20 RBI in June.

• Skinny: Indians can't afford Cabrera to repeat his second-half fade from 2011.

2. RHP Chris Perez: He's 7-7 in one-run saves and 10-for-11 in two-run saves.

• Skinny: Started first half with a blown save and ended it the same way. In between, recorded 24 straight saves.

3. 2B Jason Kipnis: He has extreme splits, .219 vs. lefties, .307 vs. righties, .235 at home, .321 on the road.

• Skinny: Kipnis leads the club in RBI (49), steals (20) and batting average with runners in scoring position (.381). He's tied for team lead in homers with 11.

4. RHP Jeremy Accardo: He's a right-hander who can get lefties out. They're hitting .121 (4-for-33) against him.

• Skinny: He's given a consistent performance in the unglamorous mop-up role. Needs to improve against righties.

Trending down

1. RHP Derek Lowe: After a 4-1 April with a 2.27 ERA, Lowe has gone 4-5 with a 5.40 ERA.

• Skinny: Indians don't need a repeat of Lowe's second half from last year -- 4-10, 6.20.

2. RHP Josh Tomlin: He pitched well and won his final start before the break, but he went 2-3 with a 6.89 ERA in June.

• Skinny: Tomlin has struggled to throw all four of his pitches for strikes, especially his changeup.

3. LHP Tony Sipp: Finished first half with five scoreless appearances, but what about the first 20?

• Skinny: The Indians need him to be more than a left-on-left reliever.

4. Carlos Santana: Last year's team home run leader hasn't gone deep since May 15 and hasn't homered at home since May 2.

• Skinny: Has he been asked to change too much in his swing?

5. 3B Jack Hannahan: He's hitting .180 (9-for-50) since coming off the disabled list June 15.

• Skinny: He's still hitting well in the clutch, .285 with runners in scoring position and .348 (23-for-66) with men on base.

6. DH Travis Hafner: He hit .295 in April but has faded since. Hitting .200 (3-for-15) since coming off the disabled list following right knee surgery.

• Skinny: Hafner's return makes the Indians' lineup deeper and should take some pressure of Carlos Santana.

Vacillating

1. Casey Kotchman: Production has been unpredictable -- .149 in April, .276 in May, .229 in June and .417 in July.

• Skinny: His defense at first base has helped, but he's usually a much steadier offensive player than he's shown.

2. OF Shelley Duncan: He's shown a brief spike in offense, hitting .370 (10-for-27) with four homers and nine RBI over the past two weeks.

• Skinny: Needs to turn this hot streak into more consistent at-bats.

3. OF Aaron Cunningham: Hit .243 in April, .150 in May, .048 in June and .364 in July.

• Skinny: It would be nice if Cunningham hit a little more, but he's doing exactly what the Indians ask -- playing late-inning defense and spelling the starters.

4. LHP Scott Barnes: Lefties are hitting only .091 (1-for-11) against him, but he's made only five big-league appearances.

• Skinny: This is his third trip to the big leagues this year, but he still needs time to settle in.

The Cleveland Indians need a hitter and could use a starting pitcher, but it would be difficult for GM Chris Antonetti to trade too much young talent.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerWhat players from other teams does Cleveland Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti, right, have his eye on? And which of those -- if any -- will manager Manny Acta get to pencil into his lineup and rotation?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians start the second half of the season three games out of first place in the American League Central with 77 to play. They're well positioned and have plenty of time to make their move, but they need help.

General Manager Chris Antonetti says he still has confidence in the roster he assembled in spring training. Closer Chris Perez and outfielder Shelley Duncan believe they have enough talent on the existing club to be playing in October.

Manny Acta, as most managers would in his position, thinks the team could use a boost from the outside. He concedes that it's not as easy as going to the grocery store and buying a can of tomato sauce, a sentiment he expressed just before the All-Star break.

No, it's clear it will take more than tomato sauce to solve the Indians' problems. But a prime cut of talent from their 25-man roster might along with some tasty morsels from the minors might.

There's no secret about the Indians' needs. They need a hitter, preferably one who swings the bat from the right side. If he plays the outfield, so much the better. If he plays first or third base, that would work as well. If not a hitter, then a starting pitcher would fit nicely.

What they really need is one of each. But that will be costly in terms of talent and salary.

Antonetti traded No. 1 picks Drew Pomeranz and Alex White to Colorado for Ubaldo Jimenez last year right before the July 31 trading deadline, so he's not afraid to play the high-risk, high-reward game. But would he go even younger this year and deal shortstop Francisco Lindor and first baseman Jesus Aguilar? They represented the Indians in the Futures Game on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., and might interest GM Theo Epstein as he attempts to rebuild the Chicago Cubs.

The Cubs appear willing to deal starters Ryan Dempster and Matt Garza. Outfielder Alfonso Soriano and his huge contract are available, and first baseman Bryan LaHair is another possibility.

It would be difficult for Antonetti to trade that much young talent, but he's running out of options. Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and left-hander Nick Hagadone, two trading chips, are injured. Chisenhall is probably done for the year with a broken ulna bone in his right arm after getting hit by a pitch. Hagadone, a promising reliever, could be done for the season after injuring his left hand in a fit of anger after a bad outing over the weekend.

Chen-Chang Lee, another potential piece to a deal, was lost to Tommy John surgery in the first half at Class AAA Columbus.

If Antonetti doesn't go young in a trade, he'll have to look at his 25-man roster to make a deal. Would a team bite on reliever Tony Sipp, who is starting to pitch better after struggling through much of the first half?

It would be hard to break up the A-side of the bullpen -- Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano and Perez, but if Antonetti wants to win the division, it might be necessary. With the emergence of Zach McAllister as a fifth starter, the Indians could move Josh Tomlin or Jeanmar Gomez into the pen. They might even get an assist from Rafael Perez, the forgotten man, should he recover from a lat injury that has sidelined him since late April.

While Antonetti says he has confidence in the current roster, he's been texting and calling his peers to see who is available for trade.

View full sizeAPCole Hamels is 10-4 with a 3.20 ERA this season for the last-place Philadelphia Phillies, who might be persuaded to move him.

Outfielders potentially on the market include Justin Upton, B.J. Upton, Carlos Quentin, Josh Willingham, Michael Cuddyer, Shane Victorino, Soriano and others. Quentin and Victorino can be free agents after this season. Willingham and Cuddyer signed three-year deals with the Twins and Rockies, respectively, last winter.

When contenders make deals at this time of year, they're hoping that the player they acquire provides immediate help. Starting pitchers have a long history of doing that. Look at what CC Sabathia did for Milwaukee when the Indians traded him in 2008. The same thing happened when the Indians traded Cliff Lee to the Phillies in 2009. History repeated itself last year when the Tigers acquired Doug Fister.

Could Cole Hamels, Garza or Dempster do the same for the Indians?

Sometimes it's the smaller trades that create the biggest change. Shortstop Rafael Furcal was supposedly on his last legs when St. Louis acquired him last year at the deadline. But Furcal brought defense, speed and experience to a Cardinals team that overcame a 10-game deficit to win the wild card and the World Series.

Impact players. It's an overused phrase. But that's what the Indians need, and that's what Antonetti is trying to deliver.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving has been the star of the show for the U.S. Select Team.

View full sizeGus Chan, The Plain DealerCleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, who dropped jaws during his rookie season, has been showing off his dribbling skills against the U.S. Olympic team.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Kyrie Irving walked out of practice on Wednesday with his head through the straps of his USA Basketball Select Team jersey, making it look like he was wearing a blue Superman cape.

Frankly, he has looked like Superman in workouts against the 2012 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team here. Everybody seems to be talking about him, especially after highlights appeared in a recent YouTube video.

Asked who is standing out on the Select Team, LeBron James said, "Kyrie Irving is, definitely. For me, he stood out more than anyone. He's a great talent. I see him in a couple of years being one of the best point guards that we have in this league, one of the top five point guards.

"He has all the abilities that all the great point guards have now in our league -- ball-handling, quickness, shooting ability, and his mind is very smart, too."

Irving realizes he's become the toast of the Select team. "My friends have told me," he said. "It's a good feeling."

Irving turned heads by scoring 34 points and winning the MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge during the All-Star Weekend, but he feels as if this week really has enabled him to establish himself.

"I feel like everybody got a chance to see everybody play here," he said. "Being that everybody's in there -- all the GMs are here, all the representatives are here -- so it was a great chance for me to just go out there and play my game and show them why I won Rookie of the Year and why I'm going to continue to get better."

Though he repeatedly says he's most concerned about working hard and improving, he is a little surprised at the reaction to the videos showing him handling the ball.

"I've always had that in my game," he said. "We're just not as nationally televised as everybody else. It's kind of weird that everybody's saying, 'I didn't know Kyrie Irving had handles like that.' It has always been a part of my game. It's just that nobody's really gotten a chance to see it."

Irving has raved about the experience of going against All-Stars every day. "It's like a video game, seriously," he said.

See Kyrie Irving highlights beginning at 16 seconds

But seeing the kind of speed, quickness and physicality that leads to success in the league, especially from point guards like Chris Paul and Deron Williams, will help Irving's growth in the long run, according to Lakers star Kobe Bryant.

"I think it does wonders for it," Bryant said. Then the oldest player here couldn't help but tweak the youngest.

"He just graduated high school and here he is playing against some of the best guys in the world," said Bryant, who's actually a year off on Irving's development. "It can't help but help him."

Jamison sign-and-trade? Yahoo Sports reported the Brooklyn Nets were exploring a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavs for forward Antawn Jamison, and noted that Golden State and Charlotte also were in the mix. The Cavs declined to comment. An NBA source said nothing is imminent.

Harangody signs: Forward Luke Harangody signed his one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Harangody, 24, averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game in 21 games (one start) last season. He also started 16 games and averaged 19.4 points on .486 shooting and 12.6 rebounds in 36 minutes for the Canton Charge, the Cavs' NBA Development League team.

Canton exhibition game: The Cavs will face Milwaukee at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Canton Memorial Civic Center. The rest of Cleveland's exhibition schedule, and its regular-season schedule, will be released later. Tickets for the Cavs-Bucks game will be available at a later date.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

The Indians take a surprisingly strict stance with their injured young lefty, but Bud Shaw isn't sure for what good reason.

View full sizeAP fileFrustrated glances turned into something more painful for Nick Hagadone after a difficult appearance last week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unless there's more to the story -- and don't bet against it -- let's call the Indians' stance "self-inflicted overkill..."

The benefit in docking Nick Hagadone salary and service time is so small, why bother?

The Indians put the 26-year-old Hagadone, who pitches left and apparently punches left, too, on the minor-league disqualified list after he suffered what General Manager Chris Antonetti called "a self-inflicted injury."

Antonetti said Hagadone injured himself in a fit of frustration following a poor performance Friday against Tampa Bay at Progressive Field. He certainly wouldn't be the first athlete to get hurt in a fit of temper in the seconds or minutes after leaving the field of play. What would put Hagadone in the minority is the possibility he'll lose his salary because of it.

For exactly that reason, Michael Weiner, the executive director of the players association, told baseball writers at the All-Star Game the union is considering filing a grievance on Hagadone's behalf. Weiner made the argument that teams want players to play with intensity and passion. When it overflows, as it sometimes does, Weiner believes it should be treated as a workplace injury.

"That's part of the game," Weiner said.

OK, well, composure is preached, too. But Weiner's point is understood.

Antonetti said Hagadone expressed immediate remorse and that it happened after his own bad outing, not when the club informed him of his demotion to Columbus. So why teach him a lesson you admit he's already learned? The savings are paltry. Hagadone is already on a modest (by baseball standards) split contract.

This wasn't Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg in a nightclub. This wasn't even former Indians' pitcher Neil Allen saying he broke his hand moving a trunk, when in fact he broke it trying to punch Ricky Henderson in an elevator and punched the closing door instead.

There's no reason to think Hagadone's injury happened after the Indians sent him to Triple A. But that scenario could prompt a club to punish a player. But Antonetti said Hagadone reacted to his own poor pitching, so we have to take him at his word.

Still it begs a question. The Indians enjoy a hard-earned reputation as an organization that treats players the right way. How does playing hardball with Hagadone fit with that?

What is the sound of one hand cracking...?

View full sizeAP fileGeorge Steinbrenner had a penchant for finding creative ways to punish Yankees who transgressed, but is that the model that the Indians should be following? Bud Shaw isn't sure.

Hagadone has company. Recent company, in one case.

Knicks superstar Amar'e Stoudemire punched a glass case housing a fire extinguisher after Game 2 against the Miami Heat and needed 15 stitches to close the gash -- and a lifetime to live down the New York Post headline: "Bloody Idiot."

In 2004, Kevin Brown punched a clubhouse wall and broke his hand. It wasn't his pitching hand, but the Yankees still threatened to check his contract language with the intent of docking his salary. Brown ended up donating $100,000 of his $16 million salary to charity.

Doyle Alexander, another Yankees right-hander, punched a wall in 1982 and broke his finger. With Alexander offering to forfeit his salary while he was on the disabled list, George Steinbrenner happily accepted. But Alexander refused to remain on his minor-league rehab beyond the required 20 days. He struggled upon his return, prompting Steinbrenner to order Alexander to New York for a complete physical.

Said The Boss, "I am afraid some of my players might get hurt playing defense behind him."

There are probably more instances in baseball's archives. But these two involved a notoriously combative owner and two veteran pitchers.

Those aren't the principals here. Just saying.

SPINOFFS

Residents of a London high-rise lost their appeal when a British judge ruled against their contention that having their building used as a missile base during the Olympics later this month could make it a target for terrorists. The judge ruled it posed no real threat.

A victory for Neighborhood Watch, as Neighborhood Watch will be defined in a post-Apocalyptic world. ...

AL All-Star starter Justin Verlander's admission that he wasn't trying to dot the corners in Tuesday's game, only to throw hard for the enjoyment of the fans, may not have won him a permanent place in future All-Star Games as a Home Run Derby pitcher. Getting shelled happens.

But it certainly didn't advance Bud Selig's bad idea to have the game decide home-field in the World Series. ...

When the Indians have to open the World Series at Pittsburgh, it's all on Verlander. ...

In his complaint to NBA commissioner David Stern last December, Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert protested the proposed trade of Chris Paul to the Lakers by saying that the league should just name 25 of the 30 teams the "Washington Generals."

Having an issue with super teams in the NBA was no reason for the Cavs to stay away from the Magic-Nets deal involving Dwight Howard. If a deal is good for the Cavs, it's good for the Cavs. ...

But helping facilitate another super team would've been reason for Gilbert to borrow an old SNL skit signoff and write, "Never mind."...

Karl Kissner found a rare collection of baseball cards in the attic of his aunt's house in Defiance. The collection dates to 1910 and is estimated at nearly $3 million.

"It's like finding the Mona Lisa in the attic," he said.

Since a Pulitzer isn't in the offing anytime soon, my journalistic goal is for someone to come across a bundle of "Shaw's Spin" columns years from now and proudly state the obvious.That it's like finding a velvet Elvis in the attic. ...

Vikings' running back Adrian Peterson, arrested for resisting arrest, secured the services of Rusty Hardin, the attorney for Roger Clemens. Hardin says he will prove Peterson was the "victim."

For Peterson's sake, hopefully it'll be more convincing than when Hardin "proved" Clemens never took 'roids.

HE SAID IT

"It's like Bird and Magic." -- Nationals' outfielder Bryce Harper on himself and the Angels' Mike Trout coming to the major leagues at the same time.

Just like it, except for not being anything like it.

Bryce Harper's non-Bird moment in the All-Star Game

HE SAID WHAT?

"Baseball is a game of pace." -- Selig, explaining one reason why MLB is not ready to embrace expanded replay.

Also a game of pace: Wooly Bear racing.

HE TWEETED IT

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." -- Vikings' RB Peterson after being charged with resisting arrest in a Houston nightclub. An athlete with a grasp of history is impressive enough to make you want to believe him when he says he did nothing wrong.

If you can make yourself forget that Mike Tyson has a tattoo of Chairman Mao.

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Midweek Edition)

"Bud:

"Does the PD require random testing for anything?" -- Tom Hoffner, Broadview Heights

No. Thankfully -- just speaking personally here -- there's no known test for shallowness and cynicism.

"Bud:

"The 39th annual Cherry Pit Spitting championship won by Ron Matt got very little coverage from the PD. He did launch a pit an impressive 69 feet. Why so little coverage?" -- Bob

We're waiting for the World Anti-Doping Agency to conclude its investigation.

Would we make up the Cherry Pit Spitting Championship? This isn't the winner, but it is a local clergyman -- with Tebowing included

"Bud:

"Was there ever a photo finish of you and another PD sportswriter racing to meet the deadline?" -- Michael Sarro

Only at last call.

"Hey Bud:

"What traits did your parents display when they were matched for the sportswriter breeding program?" -- Dan Coughlin

A keen sense of despair.

"Hey Bud:

"How's this for an AL T-shirt? "We Play For The National League"? -- Pat

I thought I saw one late Tuesday night that said "We Lay Down for the National League."

"Bud:

"When Spin doesn't appear, are you really on vacation or have you blown the "save" on your word processor?" -- Joe Percio

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

"Bud:

"I accidentally drove over The Plain Dealer in my driveway this morning. I then had to read the Cleveland Press." -- Jim Corrigan

Repeat winners receive an expired coupon.

On Twitter: @budshaw

Highlights include first-round play at the U.S. Senior Open.