PGA Master Professional John Fiander, from Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville, gives tips on how to avoid hitting drives high and to the right.

Local pros solve your golf problems in a weekly instruction video at cleveland.com/golf with Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw and videographer David I. Andersen.

This week, PGA Master Professional John Fiander, from Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville, gives you tips on how to avoid hitting your drives high and to the right.

Need help with your game? Explainyour problem to golf@plaind.com in an email. We will select one each week. All the videos dating back to 2010 are archived.

From Sonny Siebert to Graig Nettles and Andre Thornton, to Omar Vizquel and Fausto Carmona.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerBartolo Colon was fourth in the 1999 Cy Young Award voting but didn't make the all-star team that summer.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Part of Major League Baseball all-star lore is the history of players who have undeservedly made teams and those who have unfairly been left off rosters.

The Cleveland Indians - like any other team -have had numerous players fit either criteria over the years.

Here, we list 10 Indians who, since 1961, had seasons that should have been recognized with a spot on that year's American League all-star team.

(LestersLegends.com includes a former Indians star among its listing of the "Ten Most Laughable All-Stars in Baseball History")

Each of these seasons were consistent from beginning to end. We don't include (but do mention) a couple brilliant campaigns for players who didn't get enough done prior to the all-star selection process.

Also, the era is taken into consideration. The 1960s, 1970s and into the 1980s were more pitcher-friendly times than the latter half of the '80s, the 1990s and the first few years of the 2000s.

And, we don't take more than one season for any one player.

In chronological order:

Sonny Siebert, 1965, right-handed starting pitcher 

Third in the American League in ERA (2.43); fifth in wins with a 16-8 record; first in strikeouts to walk ratio (4.152); second in fewest hits and walks per inning (.981) and in strikeouts per nine innings (9.11); fourth in strikeouts (191).

Graig Nettles, 1971, third base

Hit .261, above league average, in a bad lineup, but....fifth in home runs (28); sixth in total bases (261); 10th in RBI (86); 10th in walks (82, to just 56 strikeouts); seventh in times on base (241). One of the greatest defensive third basemen ever, was first in assists (412); first in putouts (159); second in fielding percentage (.973).  

Andre Thornton, 1978, first base

Hit .261, above league average, in a terrible lineup, but....In just 145 games, was fourth in home runs (33); fourth in RBI (105); fourth in runs (97); fourth in on base plus slugging percentage (.893); fourth in walks (93, to just 72 strikeouts); fifth in slugging percentage (.516); ninth in on-base percentage (.377). One of best base-running big men, and played all of his 145 games at first base, finishing third in fielding percentage (.995); fourth in assists (106).  

Joe Carter, 1986, outfield-first base

First in RBI (121); third in triples (nine); third in total bases (341); fourth in runs (108); sixth in slugging percentage (.514); ninth in doubles (36); hit .302; hit 29 home runs; superb base-runner, stole 29 bases in 36 attempts. Split time between left field, where he was excellent defensively, and at first base.

Mike Jackson, 1998, right-handed relief pitcher

Was 1-1 with a 1.55 ERA. Fourth in saves (40). In 64 innings, struck out 55 and walked just 13. Did not allow any unearned runs. Held batters to a .195 batting avverage, .252 on-base percentage and .290 slugging percentage.

Bartolo Colon, 1999, right-handed starting pitcher

Fourth in the Cy Young Award voting. Second in wins with an 18-5 record; fourth in fewest hits and walks per inning (1.273); seventh in ERA (3.95). Would have likely made the AL all-star team in 2002, but was traded that June 27 to the Montreal Expos for pitcher Cliff Lee, outfielder Grady Sizemore, second baseman Brandon Phillips and first baseman-outfielder Lee Stevens. 

Omar Vizquel, 2000, shortstop

Hit .287, well above league average. Scored 101 runs, had 66 RBI, stole 22 bases and drew 87 walks One of the greatest defensive shortstops ever, won his eighth of 11 Gold Gloves. Was first in fielding percentage, with a third-best ever number of .995, committing just three errors.

Jim Thome, 2002, first base

First in slugging percentage (.677); first in walks (122); first in on-base plus slugging percentage (1.122); second in home runs (52); second in on-base percentage (.445); seventh in RBI (118). Played in 128 of his 147 games at first base.

Cliff Lee, 2005, left-handed starting pitcher

Fourth in Cy Young Award voting. Second in wins with an 18-5 record; first in win-loss percentage (.783). Had a better than league average 3.79 ERA.

Fausto Carmona, 2007, right-handed starting pitcher

Fourth in Cy Young Award voting. Second in wins with a 19-7 record; second in ERA (3.06); sixth in fewest home runs per nine innings (.670); 10th in fewest hits and walks per inning (1.209). 

Also among the best seasons for Indians players who didn't make the all-star team were those by outfielder Miguel Dilone in 1980 and right-handed starting pitcher and Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven in 1984.

Both players were hampered in their all-star chances because, although they had performed well, their appearances had been somewhat limited at the time the teams were picked.

Dilone finished third in the AL in batting average (.341) and stolen bases (a then-Indians record 61), but had just 176 at bats at the all-star break. The Indians had purchased his contract from the Chicago Cubs on May 7, two days before he made his Indians debut.

Blyleven finished second in wins with a 19-7 record, third in ERA (2.87) and in the top ten in numerous other categories. At the season's outset, he was still rounding into form two years after a serious elbow injury. He was 7-3 with a 3.54 ERA at the all-star break.

Only Indians who played a position in the field were considered for these seasons. That excludes Travis Hafner, whose 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons were certainly of all-star caliber. He played a total, though, of just 16 games in the field, all at first base, in the three-year span.

The point can be made that Thome, for instance, wasn't a sterling defensive player, although adequate at third base and then first base when he had some of his best seasons as a hitter.

Major League Baseball has been inconsistent, though, in how to recognize players who are strictly designated hitters.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bond was raised from $5,000 to $25,000 Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for Jamaal Harris, the former Cleveland State University basketball player accused of trafficking in marijuana. Harris made bail later in the day and was released. A preliminary hearing was set for Monday. Harris' 2006 Hummer was stopped for speeding Thursday by a...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bond was raised from $5,000 to $25,000 Monday in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for Jamaal Harris, the former Cleveland State University basketball player accused of trafficking in marijuana.

Harris made bail later in the day and was released. A preliminary hearing was set for Monday.

Harris' 2006 Hummer was stopped for speeding Thursday by a State Highway Patrol trooper. Thirteen pounds of marijuana were found in the vehicle. Harris also was charged with possession of criminal tools and drug possession.

The case will go to a grand jury.

Harris, 32, of Cleveland Heights, was released from prison October 2009 after serving four years following his conviction in the 2002 robbery of former Indians pitcher CC Sabathia. His parole term runs through 2014, according to prison records.

Linebacker Scott Fujita got his hands on a defensive playbook on the one day the lockout was lifted and has been instructing his teammates on the new 4-3 scheme.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerScott Fujita's decision to acquire a Browns' playbook for the new 4-3 defense has paid off during this week's players workout in Texas. "Based on what we did this weekend and what we have, we could play a game next week if we had to," he said Tuesday.

AUSTIN, Texas -- New Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron will happy to know that getting a defensive playbook into the hands of linebacker Scott Fujita on the one day the lockout was lifted was well worth it.

"Based on what we did this weekend and what we have, we could play a game next week if we had to," said Fujita on Tuesday's conclusion of Camp Colt IV. "It's not an ideal situation, but it's basic enough where we can just go play."

Fujita has been to the Browns' new 4-3 defense what Colt McCoy has been to the new West Coast offense: a player-coach. On the one day this off-season that players were permitted to receive coaching materials, Fujita called a friend in Cleveland who went to the Browns facility in Berea to pick up an abbreviated version of the defensive playbook.

"I then came into town a couple of days later for a charity event and got my hands on it," he said. "It was important to get it because it's a whole new defense for us. Some guys on this team have played in the 3-4 their entire careers, so it's definitely a transition."

Over the past several months, Fujita -- a member of the NFL Players Executive Council -- has alternated between keeping players informed on the lockout and his defensive teammates apprised of the new 4-3 scheme.

"At times, it can be a burden to have the one and only playbook, but it was important for one of us to have it," he said. "We're all just trying to make the best of a crappy situation."

During this camp, the first one that included defensive players, Fujita was able to put some of the new scheme up on the chalkboard and on the field. He also enlisted the help of cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong, who ran the same scheme in Philadelphia.

"It's one thing to talk to guys on the phone and tell them what to expect in the transition, but to actually get in and draw it up on the board for the first time and pass out some materials, it was invaluable," he said. "With me, Sheldon and Chris, we were able to put our heads together and say 'this is how it will play out.' At one point we were going through some of our coverages and someone had a question and Chris immediately jumped up on the board and said this is how you do it, this is a possible check."

Fujita said he sent a playbook to fellow linebacker D'Qwell Jackson just a few weeks ago, who dug right in.

"He came in and he already knows it from front to back, so it just makes it so much easier," said Fujita, who predicts Jackson will shine in the new front.

"I think a system like this is tailor-made for a guy with his skill set, his body type," said Fujita. "It lets guys just play fast. I'm talking about the hybrid Eagles/Chicago Bears defense. That's the kind of system I think [Jackson] was born to play in because his range sideline-to-sideline is so good.

"He doesn't have to two-gap and take on offensive guards who outweigh him by 120 pounds sometimes. He's going to have a chance to use his athleticism, run around, avoid blocks, shoot gaps, and make way more plays than he's ever made before -- and he's already a tackling machine."

Fujita, who passed out more playbook materials here, said McCoy appreciated having the defense on hand for the first time.

"For the offensive guys to go up against more than air and to actually be able to run some plays was great," said Fujita. "When camp finally starts, we'll be ready to go."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Links to what Maurice Clarett and even Jalen Rose, among others, have to say about Ohio State. Bill Belichick on Mike Vrabel. And, much more.

Associated PressA positive event for Ohio State, in most peoples' opinion, is the hiring of former Buckeyes and Patriots star Mike Vrabel as an assistant coach.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The scandal-ridden Ohio State program continues to be among college football's top stories as the 2011 season approaches.

The closer the Buckeyes' Sept. 3 season-opener against Akron's Zips gets, the more football-related topics emerge. Yet, the scandal continues to hover over OSU.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Aaron Marshall's report that Ohio State and ESPN are involved in a public records showdown over scandal-related e-mails; Joe Maxse's report that St. Edward senior lineman Kyle Kalis, who recently rescinded his oral commitment to Ohio State, has committed to Michigan.

Ironically, ESPN will televise the Ohio State-Akron game.

There's no shortage of what people have to say about Ohio State.

About the Buckeyes

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has been impressed with interim head coach Luke Fickell, writes Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.

Former Michigan linebacker Larry Foote isn't feeling bad for the Buckeyes, Angelique S. Chengelis writes for the Detroit News.

Gene Smith would like to see Jim Tressel get to coach again, Steve Wieberg writes for USAToday.com.

Some Big Ten predictions by Dave Berk for the Spartan Digest and scout.com.

An interview with controversial former Buckeyes star Maurice Clarett, on SportsRadioInterviews.com.

Aaron Wilson writes for the National Football Post that Patriots coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft are happy for former New England linebacker Mike Vrabel that he's joining Ohio State's coaching staff.

Luke Fickell and Mike Vrabel could be a good pairing, writes Rob Oller for the Columbus Dispatch.

Mike Vrabel played football the way it's supposed to be played, Jim Donaldson writes for the Providence Journal.

Fullback Zach Boren says the Buckeyes can't let the recent problems affect them, Craig James writes for snponline.com.

The Ohio State vs. Michigan recruiting battle, by Thomas Hanlon for the Bleacher Report.

Jalen Rose and Jimmy King, part of the "Fab Five" with the scandalous Michigan basketball program of the early 1990's, comment on Ohio State's problems. By Kyle Meinke for the Ann Arbor News. 

Why do the Indians need an outfielder? Because they have failed to grow their own.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerHis career interrupted by injury, Trevor Crowe has yet to show the all-around game that earned a first-round draft selection in 2005. He's just one of several apparent misses in the outfield that pushes the Indians toward a midseason trade, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Why are the Indians shopping for an outfielder to add some pop to their offense?

Because they can't draft and develop their own. That thought arrived Monday night at Akron's Canal Park, watching the Tribe's Class AA team play. In the outfield for the Aeros were John Drennen and Nick Weglarz.

Once upon a time, Drennen and Weglarz -- along with Trevor Crowe -- were expected to be playing in Cleveland by now. All were picked in the 2005 draft. Crowe was the 14th overall selection, Drennen was No. 33, Weglarz No. 94.

Crowe has played 190 games for the Tribe from 2009-10, batting .246 (.627 OPS) with three homers, 53 RBI and a .295 on-base percentage in 625 at-bats. Now 27, he is out for the year with shoulder surgery. Even before he was hurt, Crowe's big-league future seemed to be as a backup -- at best.

Drennen and Weglarz have yet to make it to Cleveland, six years after they were drafted. Weglarz is coming off knee surgery and just can't stay healthy. Drennen is a career .267 minor-league hitter who will be 25 in August and has yet to reach Class AAA. He also was suspended for 50 games this season for using an illegal substance.

OK, Tribe fans, who is the last significant outfielder drafted by the Indians? Try Manny Ramirez, the team's first-round pick in 1991. He arrived with the Tribe in 1994. He played in the same outfield as Albert Belle, a second-rounder in 1987.

The Indians also picked Brian Giles in 1987, a steal in the 17th round. His best years were in Pittsburgh -- yes, the awful Ricky Rincon deal! But in two years with the Tribe, Giles batted .268 with an .840 OPS, averaging 16 homers and 65 RBI (.380 on-base) in 360 at-bats. If only the Tribe had produced one outfielder like that in the last five years. Or 10 years.

The current outfield is the product of trades: Shin-Soo Choo (Seattle), Grady Sizemore (Montreal) and Michael Brantley (Milwaukee). Backups Travis Buck, Austin Kearns and Shelley Duncan all came from other organizations.

While the Tribe usually picked pitchers near the top of the draft (other than 2005), they did make Brad Snyder the 18th pick in 2003. The outfielder from Ball State never made it. So the Indians kept filling the outfield with the likes of the Jason Michaels/Dave Dellucci platoon. Or with Kearns/Buck. Or with trades for players such as Franklin Gutierrez, Coco Crisp, Matt Lawton, Jody Gerut and Milton Bradley.

It's enough to make you scream, "They can't find one outfielder is the last 20 years?" OK, Ben Francisco was a fifth-round pick in 2002, but he is a backup with Philadelphia.

The interesting part of this discussion is that Jason Kipnis was picked as an outfielder -- in the second round of 2009 -- but has been converted to second base. The Indians plan to keep him there, believing he'll have the job no later than 2012.

At Class AAA Columbus, 24-year-old Ezequiel Carrera (.288, 723 OPS) is considered the best outfield prospect. He is an excellent center fielder. He can steal bases (35 of 39) and is a leadoff guy. But he's a left-handed hitter with no power.

Jerad Head is batting .291 (.864 OPS) with 14 homers and 44 RBI for the Clippers. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2005, and is 28. Head is batting .344 (1.078 OPS) in hitter-friendly Columbus, .245 (.681 OPS) on the road. The right-handed hitter may be worth a late-season look, but he doesn't seem to be an answer.

More intriguing is 24-year-old Tim Fedroff, who was hitting .338 (.846 OPS) at Akron. He was recently promoted to Columbus, where he's hitting .239 (.669 OPS), but that's only in 46 at-bats. The problem is Fedroff has only three homers in 312 at-bats this season -- and the Indians need power from the right side.

It's possible the Indians will trade for an outfielder who will help this season. But until they draft players who can make impact in the outfield, the Help Wanted signs will remain.

Palladino, a graduate of Mayfield High, is a sophomore at the University of Rochester and was named as Division III freshman of the year with a 73.6 scoring average.

View full sizeUniv. of Rochester photoIt's been a very productive summer on the amateur golf trail for former Mayfield prep standout Nick Palladino.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Nine questions with Highland Heights resident Nick Palladino, who recently set a competitive course record of 7-under 64 in winning a Classic Auto North Coast Junior Golf Tour event at Legend Lake (6,272 yards, par-71). Tournament officials said it was the lowest round in the history of the tour and it came on Palladino's 19th birthday, July 7.

Palladino, a graduate of Mayfield High, is a sophomore at the University of Rochester and was named as Division III freshman of the year with a 73.6 scoring average. He had seven birdies, including five on the back nine, in posting his career-low score. Proving his play was no fluke, Palladino followed with a 2-under 70 on Monday to win the Sand Ridge Junior Invitational.

Q: Seven birdies and a round of 64. Not a bad way to celebrate your birthday.

A: It was one of those days when nothing could go wrong. I just tried to be patient all day, staying in the moment. I didn't want to get ahead of myself.

Q: Talk about your birdies. Anything special?

A: I made a 10-footer on the 11th and putts of about 15- to 20-feet on the 12th and 15th. But I also lipped out birdie putts on four other holes. I could have shot 60.

Q: Sounds like your putter was on fire.

A: I had 28 putts, my best ever.

Q: You were the player of the year in the Northeast Ohio Conference as a senior at Mayfield but just missed going to the state tournament. What do you remember about that?

A: At the time I was really upset, but it's kind of funny now. I lost in a playoff in the districts to Holden Pahr from Chardon. I didn't know him that well in high school but we're good friends now. We play together a lot.

Q: What's the best part of your game?

A: Usually, it's my short game. But I got a new driver about four weeks ago and I'm really hitting the ball straight and long off the tee.

Q: Speaking of new drivers, what's in your bag?

A: TaylorMade driver, a Titleist 3-wood, an Adams hybrid, Titleist irons, Vokey wedges and a Rife Aussie-style blade putter. I play the Titleist Pro-V1x ball. The shaft on the 3-wood is a shaft from a driver that I cut down. It looks awful and it's all beat up. But, I love it.

Q: Do you have a favorite player on the PGA Tour?

A: I like Freddy Couples a lot. But, right now I'm high on Rory McIlroy. I like the way he handled the loss in the Masters and how he handled winning the U.S. Open.

Q: You are one of the successful young players who are learning under Bob Bourne. What makes him such a good swing coach?

A: I call him the miracle worker. I've been seeing him for about three years and he has been able to get me to take my game to a higher level. He teaches you just as much about the mental approach and how to win as he does on your swing.

Q: Who introduced you to the game?

A: My parents, Paige and Ken. They both play, but my mom taught me the fundamentals and she was the person taking me to lessons and getting me to tournaments because my dad was working. My mom might be the best golfer in the family.

Moss, 42, shot a 2-under 283 to tie for 16th at the PGA Club Professional National Championship.

View full sizePGA photoPepper Pike's Rob Moss will tee it up at the PGA Championship for the third time after qualifying with a top 20 finish last month in the PGA Club Professional National Championship.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Something about playing in the PGA Championship brings out the best in Rob Moss.

Moss, head professional at the Pepper Pike Club, will play in the 93rd annual PGA Championship at the Atlantic Athletic Club in August after finishing in the top 20 of the PGA Club Professional National Championship at the Hershey (Pa.) Country Club late last month.

Moss, 42, shot rounds of 69-71-72-71 to finish at 2-under 283 on the East and West courses. He tied for 16th, qualifying for the PGA for the second year in a row and for the third time in his career.

David Hutsell, director of golf at the Etheridge Golf Club in Baltimore, won the title on the second hole of a three-player playoff after finishing at 274.

"Making it to the PGA never gets old," said Moss, who has missed the cut at Whistling Straits last year (by 11) and at Baltusrol (by four) in 2005. "I will go with an open mind and soak it all in. The experience of playing in the PGA makes for some unforgettable memories."

Moss and his long-time friend and caddie, Andy Dorman, will make the trip to Atlanta a family affair, just as they did in Hershey. After Moss knew he would be playing in Atlanta, both families spent about six hours at nearby HersheyPark amusement park.

Moss, the reigning Northern Ohio PGA player of the year, credited swing coach and fellow NOPGA member Mike Heisterkamp and a new Titleist 910 driver for his play in Hershey.

"The driver is as solid as it can get," said Moss, a three-time winner of the Ohio Open. "And, Mike has helped me tremendously with my swing. I think I've made great strides over the last 18 months."

Move it up: In an attempt to speed up the pace of play and make golf more fun for the average player, the PGA of America and the United States Golf Association have combined to initiate Tee It Forward through July 17.

The program is designed to encourage golfers to play the course at a length that fits their playing abilities. As proof, consider that an average golfer playing a course that measures 6,700 yards is equivalent to a PGA Tour player playing a course that would measure 8,100 yards.

Four-star salute: For the second year in a row the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational will offer free admission to all active duty, retired and reserve military members and their dependents with valid identification.

The tournament will be played on the South Course at Firestone Country Club, Aug. 3-7. Sponsored by Lockheed Martin, the offer will be part of the Birdies for the Brave Patriots Outpost, where complimentary food and beverages will be available. The outpost will be adjacent to the 14th green and will be open for all competitive rounds of the tournament.

On Aug. 6, a Military Appreciation Ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Tickets to the Bridgestone Invitational can be purchased at worldgolfchampionships.com or by calling 330-644-2299.

Every trip to this Hudson course offers a hero opportunity at the challenging 17th.

View full size

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bold or conservative?

Fearless or cautious?

The hero shot, or the smart play?

Such is the challenge of our Hole of the Week for July 13, the risk-reward par-5 17th at Hudson's Ellsworth Meadows. It's hardly a backbreaker when played from the tips at just 521 yards, and can be as short as 487 from the front tees. But distance isn't what is being tested here.

It's your nerves.

Or perhaps you're not the type who worries about 235-yard carries over water to a mounded green. If that's the case, then enjoy.

The rest of us? We'll lay up and look for that heroic pitch.

Luth's career-low 5-under 67 is good for a three-shot lead over Dover's Ryan Troyer and a four-shot bulge over three others.

AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Medina junior Patrick Luth has given himself a second chance.

Luth climbed into the public golfing eye a few weeks ago when he was the first-round leader of the Ohio Junior tournament at Windmill Lakes. After shooting a final-round 79 and fading to a tie for 14th, he will not be looking for a repeat performance Wednesday when he tees it up in the final round of the Junior PGA sectional championship on the Legacy Course at Sweetbriar Golf Club.

Luth continued his first-round magic on Tuesday when he opened with a career-low 5-under 67 for a three-shot lead over Dover's Ryan Troyer and a four-shot bulge over three others, including Medina High teammate Sean Sherman.

Only two players -- one boy and one girl -- will advance to the PGA Junior Championship -- formerly known as the Westfield PGA -- to be played Aug. 2-5 at Sycamore Hills in Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Geneva's Danielle Nicholson birdied the final two holes to finish at even par and has a one-shot lead over former Plain Dealer player of the year Nicki Henry from Chagrin Falls.

Luth, who turns 16 in six days, had seven birdies and two bogeys in posting a round that he said left him speechless.

"I was hitting the ball the best I've ever hit it," he said. "I played well in the Ohio Juniors, but not nearly as good as today. I was right on the pin with just about all my approach shots. I had a lot of confidence coming in from the 69 [at the Ohio Junior]. To go lower, it's just crazy."

Luth, who helped Medina reach the Division I state tournament last fall and figures to be a key player on another strong squad this season, got off to a start almost as hot as the weather. He birdied three of the first five holes, including a chip-in from five yards off the green on No. 3.

"When I chipped in, I kind of knew the day was just going to get better," said Luth, who hit 11 greens in regulation and needed just 26 putts -- 12 on the back nine -- to negotiate Sweetbriar's 6,634 yards. "To play in Indiana would be awesome. It would be the biggest tournament of the year and probably the biggest of my career."

Indians manager is sore, but pleased by pitching to Boston's Adrian Gonzalez.

View full sizeDavid J. Phillip, Associated PressBoston's Adrian Gonzalez didn't need a bigger bat to go deep off Manny Acta in Monday's Home Run Derby -- the Indians' manager was up to the task of delivering gopher balls.

PHOENIX -- Clubhouse confidential: Indians manager Manny Acta heard Boston's All-Star first baseman Adrian Gonzalez telling his father before Monday's Home Run Derby that he had no one to throw to him.

"I told him, 'I'll throw to you,'" said Acta. The result was a sore right shoulder for Acta and a second-place finish for Gonzalez. Robinson Cano beat him, 12-11, in the third and final round for the derby championship.

"Once he got into it, he really wanted to win," said Acta. "My shoulder is a little sore. I haven't thrown that much this year."

Before Acta was hired by the Indians following the 2009 season, he underwent labrum surgery on his right shoulder.

Cano's pitcher was his father, Jose Cano. Acta and Cano were teammates in Houston's minor-league system.

Rule change: If All-Star closer Chris Perez had his way, the winner of All-Star Game would not determine home-field advantage for the World Series.

"I think it should go to the team with the best record," said Perez. "You work all year for a reason. You play all those games for a reason. Then to have home-field advantage decided by a rookie pitcher in the All-Star Game? I just don't think it's right."

Stat of the day: In the 81 previous All-Star Games, the AL has scored 340 runs and the NL 339.

Ianello sees last season's growth as a sign of how well the coaches were selling their message and the players were buying into it.

View full sizePhil Masturzo, Akron Beacon-Journal"I think our program is clearly green and growing," Akron head football coach Rob Ianello says after 2010's 1-11 record, "and as a coach you always need to be green and growing."

AKRON, Ohio -- The height of expectations to begin the Rob Ianello era as the University of Akron's football coach was matched only by the depths of reality of a 1-11 season in 2010.

Now, the second-year coach looks forward to a 2011 campaign with a clearer vision than when he went in.

"This is not a rebuilding job," Athletic Director Tom Wistrcill said after the dismissal of former coach J.D. Brookhart. "The cupboard is not bare."

Guess what? The Zips are now rebuilding.

• Akron's 2011 football schedule

"You can make significant improvement [quickly] in this league if you stay the course and believe in the message and don't make change for change's sake," Ianello said recently. He was pointing to Miami of Ohio's rise from a one-win team in 2009 to Mid-American Conference East Division champion last season.

Heading into 2011, Ianello's view for the Zips is not as dire as some may believe.

"We will be a much-improved football team in 2011," he said. "What that translates to in Ws and Ls, that's why you play the game. But we'll be much improved. People will see that."

Ianello said the biggest difference with his staff and players is this is the second time around. Everybody knows what is expected.

"We were much better when we ended spring practice than we were at any time last year," Ianello said.

He also noted, shy of victories, that first season was not as fruitless as it first appeared, even though the Zips lost a stunning 38-37 overtime home game to Gardner-Webb of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA).

"That loss really took the wind out of our sails," Ianello conceded. "I thought that game could have given us momentum, and reinforce some of the things we were asking the guys to do. That maybe could have catapulted us to a few more wins."

A 35-20 loss to Indiana that followed exposed the Zips' big flaws: depth and inexperience. Then, turnovers doomed Akron in a 28-17 loss to rival Kent State.

"I told the guys after that game, 'It's right there in front of us,'" Ianello said. "We can see it, but we couldn't grab it."

More losses piled up until the season ended with a 22-14 victory over Buffalo. Now it's on to better things.

"Monday after Buffalo, when we met, I declared the transition over," Ianello said. "I thought we grew at the end of the season. It started at Temple. We got beat by a significant margin (30-0), but it was a 6-0 game at halftime, 16-0 the start of the fourth quarter. Then our lack of depth showed up."

Ianello sees last season's growth as a sign of how well the coaches were selling their message and the players were buying into it.

Now, the step up to respectability and beyond should be easier to make.

"Programs don't get turned overnight," Ianello said. "You can't just build a stadium, then hire a coach, and say, 'We're going to be a lot better.' There's a process you have to go through.

"I think you're either green and growing or ripe and rotting, both as a coach and as a program. I think our program is clearly green and growing, and as a coach you always need to be green and growing."

Jenny Stone thanks everyone who has reached out to help her and son Cooper, 6, since her husband Shannon died Thursday night after falling when catching a baseball tossed to him by Hamilton.

Associated PressShannon Stone, the Brownwood, Texas firefighter who fell to his death during a Texas Rangers game last Thursday night.

BROWNWOOD, Texas -- The widow of the firefighter who fell to his death at a Texas Rangers game says the team, baseball and Josh Hamilton remain precious to her and her 6-year-old son.

In a statement released Tuesday, Jenny Stone also thanked everyone who has reached out to help her family since her husband, 39-year-old Shannon Stone, died Thursday night.

Among those mentioned were team president Nolan Ryan and a man who helped care for young Cooper the night his father died, and then visited the grieving family on Sunday.

"We are also thankful for Nolan Ryan, Josh Hamilton, the Texas Rangers, the Rangers fans, and all baseball fans, which have showed such concern and compassion," Jenny Stone wrote in her first public comments. "While I was certainly surprised to hear Nolan Ryan on my phone on Friday morning, I was not surprised that he would act just like we all see him, as a true Texas gentleman. Josh Hamilton remains Cooper's favorite baseball player, the Texas Rangers will always be our team, and baseball will always be our favorite game. ... Shannon loved going to watch the Rangers and he loved Cooper. And, at the very end, he lived life to its fullest, doing something he loved."

Stone lost his balance reaching for a ball thrown by Hamilton — Cooper's favorite player — and fell headfirst 20 feet onto concrete. He died an hour later.

Hamilton, in Phoenix for the All-Star Game, said he plans to reach out to the Stone family at some point.

"Obviously, I want it to be personal, face to face," he said Monday. "I'd love to know what kind of man Mr. Stone was and just meet his wife and his little boy and see where it goes from there. .. Nothing we can do is going to bring him back. But the organization can take care of the family and see that everything is going in the right direction."

Two nights after Stone's death, Hamilton hit a game-winning, ninth-inning home run for the Rangers, a release of sorts for a man who was once addicted to drugs and lives with an abundance of Christian faith. He was simply tossing the ball toward a fan who had a young boy with him.

"Just a random act of kindness turned tragic," Hamilton said. "It just lets you know how quickly life can change, just in a blink of an eye, that quick."

Stone was remembered during ceremonies in Brownwood on Sunday and Monday. The memorial drew about 1,000 people, including firefighters, police and other emergency personnel from across the state, as well as Ryan.

"Shannon was truly a great husband, father, son, brother, uncle, firefighter, and friend," Jenny Stone wrote. "While we have been overwhelmed with sadness by his death, we have also been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and sympathy that we have received, from complete strangers as far away as New Zealand, to the former president of the United States of America (George W. Bush, who was at the stadium that night), to our closest friends and family. ... We will never forget all the firefighters and policemen and women and hospital staff who were there that night."

Cleveland's top three minor league teams are a combined 41 games above .500, led by the AAA Columbus Clippers' 58-33....Lake Erie Crushers host Frontier League All-Star Game on Wednesday night in Avon.

Columbus Clippers

MINOR LEAGUE NOTES

.....None of the teams played on Tuesday because of the major league All-Star Game and various minor league all-star breaks.....

AAA Columbus Clippers

Notes: The Clippers lead the International League West Division with a 58-33 record, 9 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Louisville Bats....Columbus hosts the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday night.

CF Ezequiel Carrera (.288) is 11-for-37 (.297) with eight stolen bases in eight attempts in his last nine games. He leads the IL with 33 steals. He has been caught stealing just four times, and three of those are on pickoffs....IF Jason Donald (.295) is 8-for-18 (.444) with one double and two home runs in his last five games....2B Jason Kipnis (.297) is 2-for-15 (.133) in his last four games, after going 11-for-22 (.500) with three homers and a double in his previous six games.

LH Scott Barnes (7-4, 3.68) is 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA, striking out eight and walking three in 11 1/3 innings in his last two starts, including Sunday's game, when he injured his left knee. Prior to those two outings, Barnes was 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his previous eight games, striking out 55, walking 16 and giving up 35 hits in 48 innings....RH Jeanmar Gomez (9-3, 2.40) is 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA in his last 10 games, during which he has fanned 52, walked 21 and yielded 58 hits in 70 1/3 innings....LH David Huff (8-2, 3.70) is 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his last seven games, fanning 36, walking 10 and giving up 36 hits in 46 2/3 innings.

RH reliever Josh Judy (2-2, 13 saves, 3.09) is 0-1 with six saves in his last 10 games. He has given up five runs -- all unearned -- struck out 17, walked five and allowed six hits in 11 2/3 innings....RH Justin Germano (0-1, three saves, 4.07) is 0-0 with two saves and has not given up a run in his last seven games, including one start. He has struck out 15, walked none and given up five hits in 12 2/3 innings.

AA Akron Aeros

Notes: The Aeros are 47-44, in fourth place and seven games behind the first-place Harrisburg Senators in the Eastern League Western Division....Akron plays at Harrisburg on Thursday night.

Catcher Michel Hernandez is 10-for-22 (.455) in eight games since joining the Aeros, with three doubles, seven RBI and no strikeouts....C-1B Raul Padron is 12-for-36 (.333) as an Aero, with three doubles, one homer and 10 RBI.

RH closer Cory Burns (2-3, 25 saves, 2.11) has not given up a run in his last 18 appearances. He has fanned 17, walked three and allowed nine hits in 19 1/3 innings....RH Paolo Espino (4-0, one save, 2.79) is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last nine games, including two starts. He has struck out 23, walked nine and given up 28 hits in 33 1/3 innings....LH reliever Eric Berger (2-0, 3.52) is 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last eight games, striking out 18, walking five and yielding 11 hits in 13 innings....LH T.J. McFarland (5-4, 4.30) is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last four games. In 25 innings, he has fanned 20, walked eight and given up 15 hits.

Advanced A Kinston Indians

Notes: The Indians are 50-37 overall. They are 12-6 in the second half, in first place and two games ahead of the second-place Salem Red Sox in the Carolina League Southern Division....Kinston plays at Potomac against the Nationals on Wednesday night.

OF Abner Abreu (.227) is 9-for-23 (.391) with four homers, two triples and two doubles in his last four games....OF Anthony Gallas, of Strongsville High School and Kent State, is hitting .161 in 87 at bats since being promoted from Lake County. He is in a 1-for-28 slump over his last seven games, the hit being a home run. In Gallas' last 24 at bats, he has struck out just once, putting the baseball in play in his other 23 at bats, but getting just the one hit -- the homer.

3B Adam Abraham (.256) is 5-for-13 (.385) with two homers in his last four games....RH reliever Kyle Landis is 3-0 with one save and an 0.89 ERA for Kinston. He has struck out 24, walked four and given up 10 hits in 20 1/3 innings....LH reliever Francisco Jimenez (3-1, 3.64) is 2-0 and has not allowed a run in 10 1/3 innings in his last four games. He has struck out 12, walked none and allowed seven hits....LH Drew Pomeranz (3-2), Cleveland's first pick and the fifth overall in the 2010 draft, leads the Carolina League with a 1.87 ERA. In 77 innings, he has struck out 95, walked 32 and allowed 56 hits, including just two homers.

RH Brett Brach (6-5, 2.71) is 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA in his last nine games. In 54 innings, he's fanned 30, walked 13 and allowed 40 hits....LH T.J. House (6-7, 3.95) is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last six games, allowing just 19 hits in 35 innings.

A Lake County Captains

Notes: The Captains are 35-52 overall. They are 7-11 in the second half, in seventh place, six games behind the first-place Dayton Dragons....Lake County plays at Peoria against the Chiefs on Wednesday night.

Catcher Alex Monsalve (.283) is 14-for-34 (.412) with one homer and one double in his last nine games....OF Brian Heere (.231) has reached base in his last 13 games and is on an eight-game hitting streak, going 9-for-28 (.321) with two doubles....1B Jesus Aguilar (.294) is 16-for-43 (.372) with five doubles and two homers in his last 12 games....3B Giovanny Urshela (.233) is 18-for-56 (.321) with three doubles, one triple and one homer in his last 17 games.

RH reliever Dale Dickerson (1-1, two saves, 1.54) has not allowed a run in his last 11 games, fanning 10, walking three and allowing 10 hits in 14 innings....RH reliever Clayton Ehlert (1-2, 10 saves, 2.04) has given up one run on seven hits in his last 12 innings for an 0.75 ERA....RH reliever Bryce Stowell (0-1, 1.84) has struck out 20, walked eight and allowed six hits in 14 2/3 innings with the Captains.

A Mahoning Valley Scrappers

Notes: The Scrappers are 14-11 and in a second-place tie with Auburn, one game behind the first-place Jamestown Jammers in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division....Mahoning Valley plays at home against the Connecticut Tigers on Wednesday night.

OF Jordan Smith (.338) is 9-for-22 (.409) with four doubles, one triple, seven walks, four RBI and four runs in his last seven games....SS Tony Wolters (.300) is 14-for-41 (.341) with two doubles, one triple, seven runs and five RBI in his last 10 games.

LH Danny Jimenez is 1-0 with an 0.92 ERA in seven games, including three starts. He has struck out 14, walked 10 and allowed 17 hits (no homers) in 19 2/3 innings....RH reliever Cody Allen is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA in eight games. He has fanned 22, walked seven and given up 10 hits in 20 2/3 innings....RH reliever Enosil Tejeda (1-2, two saves, 3.60) is 1-2 with two saves and a 2.61 ERA in his last eight games, striking out 16 while allowing four walks and six hits (no homers) in 10 1/3 innings.

Independent Lake Erie Crushers

Notes: The Crushers are the host team for the Frontier League All-Star Game. It will be played on Wednesday night at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon.

The Crushers are 21-26, in fourth place, six games behind the first-place Joliet Slammers in the Frontier League East Division. Lake Erie plays at Washington (Pa.) against the Wild Things on Friday night.

RH reliever Kelyn Schellenberg is 1-0 with one save and an 0.61 ERA in 23 games. He has struck out 13, walked one and given up 20 hits in 29 2/3 innings....OF Kevin Kulbacki (.304) is on a 14-game hitting streak, going 22-for-52 (.423) with five doubles....3B Andrew Davis (.292) is on an eight-game hitting streak, going 17-for-30 (.567) with one homer, one double, eight runs and six RBI....C Joel Collins (.311) has hit in six straight, going 8-for-21 (.381) with five RBI.

Commissioner Bud Selig and Michael Weiner, executive director of the players association, discussed negotiations on a new basic agreement, replay, realignment and other issues.

View full sizeDavid J. Phillip, Associated PressNational League catcher Brian McCann easily tags out Jose Bautista at home plate after Bautista attempted to score on Adrian Beltre's single in the fourth inning of Tuesday's All-Star Game. Houston's Hunter Pence made the throw from left field to retire Bautista.

PHOENIX -- Commissioner Bud Selig and Michael Weiner, executive director and general counsel of the players association, talked to members of the Baseball Writers Association in separate interviews Tuesday before the 82nd All-Star Game.

Selig is concerned about the Tampa Bay Rays' attendance. The Rays have been a competitive team in the AL East, but rank 29th in attendance at the break with 802,849 fans.

"The demographics are good and it's a terrific organization," said Selig. "But I agree with [Rays owner] Stu Sternberg, you have to be concerned. If you want to put a competitive team on the field there has to be revenue to support it.

"They've done a terrific job, but this year has surprised me."

• The Indians, who went into the break a half-game out of first place in the AL Central, are 26th in attendance at 949,809. Selig, however, does not share the same concerns about Cleveland as he does about Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.

"Not that I'm a front runner, but the first two games I note with interest, and I have 15 games to watch on my satellite dish, are Pittsburgh and Cleveland No.2," said Selig. "I'm enjoying those two situations very much. I really think the demographics in the areas are strong."

• Selig said there has been little support among his advisors to increase the use of replay. He did say replay could be used to determine if hard grounders or line drives down the left- and right-field lines are fair or foul.

• Weiner said the players and owners have been meeting weekly since the first week of April in negotiating a new basic agreement. The current one expires in December. He said the labor strife in NFL and NBA has not affected negotiations.

"Our players monitor what is happening in the other sports and we support other unions," said Weiner. "The context, though, is undeniable. It's an opportunity to keep the game going and improve it."

As for the state of negotiations, Weiner said, "Nobody wants a shutdown. Nobody should take for granted that we have an agreement before we have an agreement."

• The 2012 All-Star Game will be held at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Selig added that the chances of the 2013 game being played at the Mets' Citi Field were looking good.

• Selig and Weiner said radical re-alignment is not close at hand. Weiner said the players are in favor of having two 15-team leagues in which division play would remain intact.

"The players have been in favor of that for over a decade," he said.

• Selig said it would take something "cataclysmic" for MLB to make adopt the DH in both leagues or drop it entirely. He said realignment could be that force.

• Selig and Weiner have taken steps toward easing tensions between players, manager and coaches and umpires. There were several altercations team members and umpires in games leading up to the break.

• Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who reached 3,000 hits Saturday, has been criticized for not attending the All-Star Game even though he was elected to the AL's starting lineup. Jeter bowed out, saying he needed to rest for the second half after just coming off the disabled list with a calf injury.

Selig supported him.

"There isn't a player that I'm more proud of over the last 15 years than Derek Jeter," said Selig. "As great as he has been on the field, he's a better human being off it. I know why Derek Jeter isn't here and I respect that."

Rumor central: It looks as if the Twins are going to be buyers, not sellers, in the AL Central when play resumes Thursday. They've told their scouts to look for relief pitchers in hopes of making a deal before the July 31 non-waiver deadline.

The Twins' top three relievers, Matt Capps, Joe Nathan and Glen Perkins, need help. Minnesota went into the All-Star break at 41-48, 6 1/2 games out of first place.

Pitching plans: Fausto Carmona, on the disabled list with strained right quadriceps muscle, is scheduled to throw simulated game Wednesday at Progressive Field during a voluntary workout for the Indians before they board a flight to Baltimore to start the second half.

If Carmona passes that test, he could be ready to pitch Monday when the Indians play the Twins in a day-night doubleheader at Target Field.

The Indians are getting close to a decision on struggling right-hander Mitch Talbot. He's scheduled to start Sunday, but his place in the rotation is shaky. Jeanmar Gomez was scratched from Class AAA All-Star Game, but will pitch instead for Class A Mahoning Valley on Wednesday and would likely be available for one of Monday's two games against the Twins.

Congratulations: Russ Schneider, former Plain Dealer baseball writer from 1964-77, is a finalist for the J.G. Spink Award, the Baseball Writers Association of America's highest honor. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun and Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News are the other finalists.

The winner, who will be enshrined in the writers' wing of the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, will be elected by a vote of BBWAA members with 10 or more years experience. The winner will be announced at the winter meetings.

National League aces shut down the American League's bats for a second-straight win in midsummer showdown.

View full sizeAP photoPrince Fielder's three-run homer off Texas' C.J. Wilson was the deciding blow of Tuesday night's All-Star Game, giving the National League a 3-1 lead on its way to a 5-1 victory at Chase Field in Phoenix.

PHOENIX -- The National League might be starting a streak of its own.

After going winless for 13 years in the All-Star Game, the NL won its second straight game Tuesday night with a 5-1 victory at Chase Field. The victory secured home-field advantage for the NL pennant winner in this year's World Series.

It's the first time the NL has won two straight All-Star games since it won three straight from 1994-96. Its longest streak before that was 11 straight from 1972-82.

The win went to Washington reliever Tyler Clippard, who relieved Cliff Lee and accounted for one out, although he had little to do with it. He gave up a sharply hit single to Adrian Beltre, which resulted in Jose Bautista getting thrown out at the plate by Hunter Pence for the third out.

San Francisco's Brian Wilson picked up the save after relieving Pittsburgh's Joel Hanrahan with two runners on in the ninth, retiring the last two batters to end it.

Asdrubal Cabrera and Chris Perez, the Indians' two All-Stars, worked their way through the game without incident. Cabrera, the AL's starting shortstop, went 0-for-2 before being replaced by Detroit's Jhonny Peralta in the fifth inning. Cabrera replaced Peralta at short when they were both in Cleveland.

Perez pitched a scoreless sixth. He gave up a two-out double to Yadier Molina, his former catcher with the Cardinals.

Prince Fielder didn't do much damage in Monday's Home Run Derby, but he certainly made his presence felt Tuesday night. After Carlos Beltran and Matt Kemp opened the fourth with singles, Fielder drove a three-run homer off the top of the wall in left center for a 3-1 lead off C.J. Wilson. Fielder went into the break hitting .297 with 22 homers and 72 RBI for the Brewers.

Fielder was the first Brewer to hit an All-Star homer. It was the first three-run homer in the game since Alfonso Soriano in 2004. Only five players have hit three-run All-Star homers since 1990.

View full sizeDavid J. Phillip, Associated PressIndians closer Chris Perez worked a scoreless sixth inning for the American League, allowing one hit.

The AL took a 1-0 led in the fourth on Adrian Gonzalez's two-out homer off Cliff Lee in the fourth. Lee, after retiring the side in order in the third, made it five straight outs as Curtis Granderson grounded out to second and Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to center.

Gonzalez, who finished second to Robinson Cano in the Home Run Derby, hit a 0-1 pitch into the right field seats. Bautista followed with a high-pop to first that Fielder probably should have caught, but dropped. It was ruled a single.

When Josh Hamilton reached on a broken-bat single, Clippard, who appeared in 41 games in the first half and compiled a 1.75 ERA, relieved Lee to face Beltre.

Gonzalez's homer was the first All-Star homer since 2008. It ended a homerless streak of 29 consecutive innings.

The NL made it 4-1 in the fifth on a pinch-hit single by Andre Ethier. Troy Tulowitzki started with a single off Jordan Walden. Starlin Castro pinch ran and stole second and third. When Rickie Weeks sent a slow roller in front of the plate, Walden fielded the ball and threw out Castro at the plate.

Weeks then stole second and scored on Ethier's single. Ethier was caught in a rundown between second and third for the final out.

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco's Kung Fu Panda, made it 5-1 with a double into the left-field corner in the seventh. Pence, who hit a leadoff single against Seattle's Brandon League and moved to third on a passed ball by Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters, scored.

Roy Halladay pitched two scoreless innings to start the game for the NL. He was the first All-Star to do that since Roger Clemens in 2001. AL starter Jered Weaver pitched only one inning at the request of his manager Mike Scioscia. Boston's Josh Beckett was scheduled to follow Weaver, but experienced soreness in his left knee and couldn't pitch.

Yankees reliever David Robertson, taking as much time as he needed, pitched a scoreless second before being relieved by Seattle's Michael Pineda.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Rembielak compiled more than 500 career wins at Wake Forest and Kent State. The Cleveland native graduated from Cleveland Central Catholic High and is a 1988 graduate of Akron.

Akron named Rick Rembielak its new baseball coach.

Rembielak compiled more than 500 career wins at Wake Forest and Kent State. The Cleveland native graduated from Cleveland Central Catholic High and is a 1988 graduate of Akron.

He won four MAC regularseason championships and three league tournament titles at KSU, where he remains the all-time winningest coach of any sport with a career record of 373-251-1 (.597).

In 11 seasons as the Golden Flashes’ coach, Rembielak was 200-100 (.667) against MAC teams.

In June 2004, Rembielak became the 24th baseball coach at Wake Forest, where he spent five seasons.

Rembielak spent the 2010-11 season as a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia Tech. He owns a record of 515-393-1 (.567) over a 16-year career as a Division I coach.

McKee back at KSU: Kent State men’s basketball coach Rob Senderoff hired former Golden Flash Mike McKee as director of basketball operations.

McKee was a four-year letterwinner and member of three Mid-American Conference championship teams (2006, 2008, 2010) as a player.

He was a KSU graduate assistant during the 2010-11 season. McKee earned his master’s degree in sports and recreation management in May 2011.

Kmic named MVP: The United States and running back Nate Kmic, a former Mount Union standout, are headed to the championship game at the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championship.

The United States defeated Germany, 48-7, in Innsbruck, Austria, Sunday to improve to 2-0. The Americans defeated Mexico, 17-7, Tuesday to earn the right to play for the gold medal Saturday.

Kmic, the NCAA’s all-division career rushing leader while at Mount Union, earned game MVP honors against Germany. He had eight catches for 77 yards, as well as a rushing touchdown on five carries for 22 yards.

Nix on Bednarik list: Kent State sophomore defensive lineman Roosevelt Nix was one of 65 players named to the Bednarik Award Watch List by the Maxwell Football Club. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the nation’s top defensive player since 1995.

Nix is the lone representative for the Mid-American Conference. He was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman. The Reynoldsburg, Ohio, native led the MAC with 20 tackles for loss, and his 10 sacks broke Kent State’s freshman record.

Nagurski watch list: Akron junior linebacker Brian Wagner is one of 87 players named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s best defensive player by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Wagner led Akron in tackles each of the past two seasons (130 in 2010, 132 in 2009) and has been a starter in all 24 games of his collegiate career.

He is one of three MAC players on the Nagurski watch list, joined by Kent State’s Nix and Temple defensive end Adrian Robinson.

What is the best way to decide home-field advantage?

APNational League players celebrate after winning the MLB All-Star baseball game by defeating the American League 5-1 Tuesday, July 12, 2011, in Phoenix.

The winner of the All-Star game has determined home-field advantage in the World Series since 2003. And since the National League defeated the American League in Tuesday's game, the NL will have that advantage this fall.

This isn't fair to many, but it doesn't look like Major League Baseball will change this anytime soon.

But should baseball change the way it determines home field advantage? Or should MLB keep it the way it is?

There is serious doubt that a disruption to the preseason can be avoided. Although the regular season still appears safe, the situation isn't as simple as shaking hands and going back to business as usual, even assuming owners and players patched everything up when face-to-face talks resume Wednesday — an unlikely scenario.

Jim Irsay, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, talks to reporters as he arrives for meetings in Rosemont, Ill., Tuesday, June 21, 2011. NFL owners gathered to discuss the status of negotiations with the players for a new collective bargaining agreement. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

NEW YORK — Think back four months to that disappointing day in March when the NFL lockout began. The general opinion was the owners and players would reach a new labor agreement long before training camps opened.

They had plenty of time and about 9 billion reasons to get it done.

Well, some training camps open at the end of next week, and the two sides have not yet gotten it done. Yes, they are closer than ever, with several key issues — particularly how to split more than $9 billion in revenues — just about settled.

But there is serious doubt that a disruption to the preseason can be avoided. Although the regular season still appears safe, the situation isn't as simple as shaking hands and going back to business as usual, even assuming owners and players patched everything up when face-to-face talks resume Wednesday — an unlikely scenario.

Once an agreement in principle on the core economic issues is drawn up, there will be more work to be done. That's because there are certain issues that won't be addressed in full until after the NFLPA re-establishes itself as a union — a process that might take a couple of days — and can then serve once again as a collective bargaining unit for the players.

Items that could fall under that umbrella include the league's drug-testing program, health insurance, retired players' pensions and other benefits — none of which is likely to be resolved completely while the union is still dissolved.

Yet without a collective bargaining agreement in place soon, many teams will need to delay training camp. The New York Giants and Jets and Baltimore Ravens already have canceled out-of-town camps and will do all their preseason work at their home facilities, at a significant cost to the communities where they normally would have gone.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions will go on as scheduled on Aug. 6. But the game the following day between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears is in jeopardy, which certainly would put a damper on the festivities.

And with owners and players haggling over the rookie wage scale, guidelines for free agency and how benefits for retired players will be funded, the next few days are critical. Should the differences remain strong and prevent a timely deal, the first full weekend of preseason games could be canceled — at a cost upward of $60 million.

Even when an agreement is reached, it needs to be ratified by players and owners, a potentially time-consuming process.

There are a few court cases that must be resolved, including the antitrust lawsuit brought against the league by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and seven other players. Those plaintiffs were updated by the NFLPA on a conference call Tuesday.

There's even a chance the players still could pursue a lockout injunction for rookies and free agents after an appeals court ruled last week that the work stoppage could continue.

It might seem odd that the two sides are so close on sharing revenues, the most contentious issue back in March, yet are being held up by other topics. But the owners have been seeking more right-of-first-refusal tags for unrestricted free agents, and they want a rookie salary system to extend about halfway into the first round of the draft. They also seek longer rookie contracts for first-rounders.

The players are adamant about getting back to free agency rules similar to 2009, when a four-year veteran whose contract expired was unrestricted. That changed to six years in 2010 because there was no salary cap.

Extensive talks last week produced little progress on either issue. While attorneys for both sides spent the last two days clarifying language for a potential CBA, the owners and players will be discussing those same subjects again Wednesday.

Those negotiations do not include the mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who is on vacation this week. Boylan has ordered both sides to a meeting in Minneapolis next Tuesday, and the owners have a special meeting set for July 21 in Atlanta, where they could vote to ratify a new deal if one is reached.

That means there's intense pressure on Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith to keep things moving in a positive direction. Disruptions to the planned preseason schedule cost money, decreasing the overall revenue pie.

- Barry Wilner

___

AP Pro Football Writer Howard Fendrich contributed to this story.

"The vast majority of football players, prior to making it to the NFL, played a 4-man front. It's more of a transition to play a 3-4 . Fujita and Gocong came from teams that played 4-man fronts and Jackson is better suited to a 4-3, but of course his health is a bigger concern." - Rael4422

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerD'Qwell Jackson's health could go a long way in making the Browns' switch to a 4-3 easier.

In response to the story Cleveland Browns defense a quick study on the 4-3 scheme, says linebacker Scott Fujita, cleveland.com reader Rael4422 thinks the transition to a 4-3 won't be that bad. This reader writes,

"The vast majority of football players, prior to making it to the NFL, played a 4-man front. It's more of a transition to play a 3-4 . Fujita and Gocong came from teams that played 4-man fronts and Jackson is better suited to a 4-3, but of course his health is a bigger concern."