Time to give thanks

I have a lot of things to be thankful for in my life right now... my wife, my family and friends, my health, my job, my home, just to name a few. But there are also things in Cleveland sports that I'm truly thankful for. And not surprisingly, none of them have to do with the Browns. Here's a quick list on this day before Thanksgiving:

• LeBron James - I've been thankful for LBJ for quite some time now. He is truly a one-in-a-generation athlete and we have him here for this season and next season at the very least. Don't forget that Cleveland, despite whatever you read, see, or hear anywhere else.
• Mo Williams - How great is it to finally have someone on the Cavaliers that can initiate his own offense independently from LeBron? Mo is taking this offense to another level.
• Delonte West - His hideous occasional cornrows aside, what Delonte is doing this year at the starting 2 guard spot is nothing short of brilliant. I love his game.
• A healthy Ben Wallace. Enough said right there. He is an animal.
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas - Basically for just being Z. He is a model of consistency and professionalism. Is he the perfect player? Of course not. But he's pretty damn good at what he does and he is so dependable. Many people forget this is the same player that missed almost three full seasons due to various foot injuries/surgeries/rehab.
• Mike Brown - In a town where it is always fashionable to dislike the head coach/manager, Mike Brown is bucking the trend. He is a players' coach that values defense first and has done quite a job in his first pro gig. A .600 winning percentage is nothing to sneeze at. And it will only get better this season.
• Dan Gilbert - Finally an owner that seems to care about winning as much as us fans. He is willing to do whatever it takes to keep LBJ in a wine and gold uniform and win multiple championships. We are blessed that Mr. Gilbert came along when he did.
• Danny Ferry - Always the hard worker in his playing days, he seems to be putting even more effort into his GM duties. He is methodical and calculating, but also not afraid to make a big splash. I'm very curious to see where the Szczerbiak expiring contract takes us this season.
• Cliff Lee - For the hell of a season turned out by the lefty. Winning the AL Cy Young was just icing on the cake in Cliff's turnaround year. I'm excited to see what he can do as the ace of this staff next year. And if you would have told me last Thanksgiving that I'd be thankful for Lee this year I would have said you were nuts. Bravo Cliff.
• Grady Sizemore - For playing every game like it's his last. There are quite a few athletes on a certain team headquartered in Berea that could take notes on the way Grady leaves it all on the field in every game.

You may have noticed that a certain team dominated the above list. They are currently plowing their way through the Eastern Conference and only seem to be getting better with each game. With their 119-101 dismantling (highlights) of the Knicks last night in New York the Cavaliers improved to 11-3 on the season. And the score wasn't nearly as close as that. The Cavs were up by more than 30 at one point, while the Knicks continued to make a mockery of the game of basketball. Why in the world LeBron would ever consider playing for that joke of a franchise is completely beyond me. But New Yorkers seem to eat it up so whatever. I'll just continue listening to Brian Windhorst on the subject:

Tonight he ruled nothing out and told the Knicks fans "to have an open mind." There is no doubt a basis for all this hype, LeBron has been thinking about his options. One of them is surely to play in New York in the future. But right now -- and everything can and maybe will change -- the needle is firmly pointed toward staying home no matter what anyone says.

I enjoyed this sign in the Garden last night

Of course this saga will continue for another 20 months until a merciful end to all the speculation in July 2010. Until then I'll choose to enjoy LeBron and the Cavs working their way towards a goal that seems to be more attainable than ever for this franchise - an NBA title.

Browns Update: A fitting end to the 2008 Browns season, even with five games remaining. Go Cavs.

Six in a row

The Cavaliers kept rolling along last night, winning their sixth straight game with an impressive 110-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets (highlights here). It was the team's best offensive performance of the young season (57% shooting) and they really clamped down on defense when they had to. After allowing Denver to pile up 61 first half points on 60% shooting, they held the Nuggets to just 38 points in the second half en route to their fifth consecutive home win.

Offensive Game Balls of the Night:

• LeBron James - As usual he stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in just 38 minutes. I can't stress how important it is to this team that they can now afford to rest the King for long stretches. This will pay huge dividends in May and June.
• Mo Williams - This was Mo's first real offensive outburst of the season. It reminded me of those hot shooting nights he would have as a Buck playing against the Cavs. And his 24 points meant that LeBron didn't have to shoulder the scoring load again tonight.
• Boobie Gibson - After going 0-for-8 in the win over the Bucks, Boobie really turned things around. He went 7-for-11 last night on his way to 15 points and showed off a vast array of strong drives to the basket, not settling for outside jumpers. His improved ball handling is a really pleasant surprise so far this season.
• Ben Wallace - No that's not a typo, Big Ben had a great offensive game tonight. He chipped in with 11 points on 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line (!!!) including his first one that he accidentally banked off the glass. I love what Ben brings defensively and you'll take these nights from him whenever you can get them because they are few and far between.
  

Mo is quickly becoming the Robin to LeBron's Batman

Defensive Game Balls of the Night:

• Delonte West - Delonte only tallied 8 points in his 33 minutes on the floor, but played stellar defense for long stretches when he was on Chauncey Billups. Billups torched Mo for 16 first quarter points and that's when Mike Brown switched Delonte to him. Billups ended up with 26 points, but it likely would have been much worse if Delonte wasn't making him work so hard.
• Sasha Pavlovic - You wouldn't know it from the box score (zero points on zero shot attempts in 11 minutes, but Sasha stepped in and played some nice spot defense in the fourth quarter. Mike Brown is still tinkering with his rotation, but as long as Sasha can come in and play tough defense and not turn the ball over I'm all for it. Wally Szczerbiak got burned pretty badly on a few drives last night and at least when Sasha comes in the game you know he'll stay in front of his man.
• Anderson Varejao - The mop-topped Brazilian was at it again last night. He baited Kenyon Martin into a flagrant foul-2 and an ejection late in the game when Martin threw a pretty tame elbow at Andy and he worked his flop to perfection. Martin then blew up when he was tossed out and it was a nice exclamation point to the night.

Overall, it was another solid win for the Cavs and a fun game to attend. This team is starting to understand the importance of winning at home and winning in November. They look to be hitting their stride offensively and can turn it up whenever they need to defensively. This has been a very good start to the season and they will again be tested when our good buddy Carlos Loozer pays a visit to the Q on Saturday night. I'm looking forward to being there for that one...

Tribe Update: Congrats to Cliff Lee for winning the AL Cy Young, an honor that should surprise no one that followed the Indians this year. I've written about it enough here this season - Lee was better than anyone could have ever imagined. I'm looking forward to seeing how he can follow it up next season... And congratulations are also in order for Grady Sizemore who won his first Silver Slugger award yesterday. Lee and Sizemore are two reasons (other than the start of Cavalier playoff basketball) that I'm looking forward to next April.

Just Checking In...

As I said before, I hate the bye week for the Browns, especially when it happens to coincide with the end of the MLB season. And really, it has ended for me now that the Tribe is done. I'm only watching the playoffs in passing if my team isn't a part of the fun. And that's mainly just to root against the Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, and Brewers. The Red Sox for obvious reasons. The Cubs just because it's been 100 years for them and I like to see them suffer even more than us Tribe fans (And who are we kidding here? The Bulls won six titles in 8 years and the Bears even won a Super Bowl in '85. So F Chicago). The White Sox just because they're the White Sox. I can't stand Jim Thome, Ozzie Guillen, A.J. Pierzynski, or their annoying fans. And of course the Brewers because we gave them CC in a mid-season trade. But at least he is treating the playoffs this year in similar fashion to how he did last year. His rough outing yesterday has the Brewers on the brink of elimination. I hope their fans think it's worth giving up their two best prospects for a half-season rental that got you into the playoffs (for the first time in 26 years) only to be swept in the division series. This could end up being another stroke of brilliance by Mark Shapiro, a la trading Colon for Lee and Sizemore (yes, I'm purposely leaving out Phillips).

Tribe Update: Why are we still talking about Luis Isaac being fired??? He is (was) a bullpen coach. Enough already... A look at some former Indians in the postseason... And here's a comprehensive look at the Tribe's roster for 2009.

Cavs Update: 25 days and counting until the season tips off. I received word yesterday that Flash Seats will still work for our season tickets, we just won't be able to re-sell them via the Flash Seats website (which I never had much success selling with anyway)... Our two rookie big men seem to be making a good impression so far in camp... But Brian Windhorst says JJ Hickson is already experiencing some growing pains on defense.

We'll soon find out what Hickson can provide for the Cavs this year

"In the summertime, J.J. showed his talent level was really high. He's young, but his potential is unlimited. When you're as good an athlete at he is at that size, I think you can do a lot of things when it comes to running and jumping and getting by guys off the dribble. He can play with his back to the basket. He can step out and face up a little bit. He's a decent shooter." - Mike Brown

One season officially ends, another lives on (barely)

Well, the Tribe officially ended their 2008 season at .500, but more on that later. First order of business, how to feel after the Browns' 20-12 win in Cincinnati? (highlights here) On one hand it's definitely nice to be back in the win column. But on the other hand, this was a sloppy victory over an 0-3 Bengals team playing without starting quarterback Carson Palmer. Of course the Browns are a little banged up themselves, but I honestly just can't feel good about this win. It took 17 fourth quarter points from the Browns to pull this one out. And that's after the Bengals turned the ball over 5 times. They were practically begging the Browns to take this one and they still seemed reluctant to do so for much of the game.

Braylon found his way into the end zone on Sunday and celebrated with some air guitar

Derek Anderson was again very shaky and tentative on his way to 15-of-24 for just 124 yards, 1 TD, and another interception. If you're scoring at home, that's six picks in four games this year and sixteen in his last eleven games going back to last season. His interception just two minutes into the third quarter probably had every Browns fan expecting #10 to strap on his helmet and take the field on the Browns' next drive, but RAC again stuck with Anderson. I thought Paul Warfield summed it up nicely on "Sports Sunday" late last night on Channel 5 by saying, "If Romeo was the coach when I was playing, my 13-year career may have lasted 20."

"I decided to give him another chance," said coach Romeo Crennel, who considered replacing Anderson. "He went ahead and took advantage of it and finished on a good note."

Honestly, I really don't know what to take from this game. The Bengals are not a very good team. They had some guy named Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback. But we did enough to get a road win and keep both coach Crennel on the sidelines and Derek Anderson under center for the time being. Only time will tell if that's good or bad for this franchise. They now have two full weeks to design a game plan to try to take down the defending Super Bowl champs at home. That may even be enough time for Donte Stallworth to stop stealing Randy Lerner's money...

More Browns Notes: Tony Grossi says it wasn't pretty, but the Browns will take it. And don't forget Grossi's always entertaining chat at noon today at cleveland.com (or just download the podcast later, which I always do)... Terry Pluto says the win should calm the nerves and quiet the Cowher rumors for now... Braylon is happy to be back in the end zone again... Hey, at least we're not the Bengals.

Tribe Update: The Indians finished the year at .500 with their 5-1 loss in Sunday's season finale. Going into this season, if you would have told me that they would end up 81-81 and in third place in the AL Central it would have been a massive disappointment. But at the time I didn't know that CC Sabathia would end up taking the Brewers to the postseason, Jake Westbrook would spend almost the entire year on the DL, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez would also be shelved for much of the year, out bats would be lost for the first few months of the season, our bullpen would be a complete disaster until after the All-Star break, Casey Blake would be going to the playoffs as a Dodger, etc., etc. My point is that we need to put everything in perspective as Tribe fans. I couldn't be more proud with how this team finished the final three months of the season. Coming from 16 games under .500 to finish where they did is pretty remarkable.

They also helped themselves for the future through their mid-season trades that netted some serious talent for now and the future. There is still work to be done to be ready for next year - namely filling the huge holes at second base and bullpen closer - but the groundwork has been laid for 2009. There's no reason the Indians can't finish ahead of the Twins and White Sox next year. Hell, they may have pulled it off this year if the season was a few weeks longer.

More Tribe Notes: Eric Wedge plans on giving Grady Sizemore more rest next season... And Sheldon Ocker has one last look back at Cliff Lee's incredible season... I'll be back with a more comprehensive look at the Tribe's roster and what I expect next year later this week.

Cavs Update: Only 29 days until the Cavaliers season officially starts. Training camp does open up today and cleveland.com will give you a live look at media day starting at 3pm today. I also added a new poll to the right to gauge fans' expectations for this season. So go ahead and exercise your right as a Cleveland fan duty and vote today...

Finally a walk-off HR

It wasn't pretty on Tuesday night at the Prog, considering the Tribe gave up an 8-1 lead they held through four innings. But they did fight back in the 8th with a home run by Grady Sizemore to tie the score at 9-9 and push the game into extra innings. Then Victor Martinez finally gave the Indians the win with his first career walk-off home run (if you can believe that) and the Tribe's first walk-off home run of the season. The 12-9 win also dealt another huge blow to the Twins' playoff hopes, pushing them 2-1/2 games behind the White Sox. This was a game that lasted almost 4-1/2 hours and featured nearly 400 pitches and you know it kills the Twins to not win this one.

Martinez couldn't hide his excitement after his first career walk-off HR

I laughed when watching Victor slide into home after his trot around the bases (although it sure didn't look like Ron Gardenhire was laughing from the dugout steps). You can't blame him for being excited. It's been a long, difficult season for him personally and I don't think he could help himself. But I actually do feel bad for the Twins. I wanted to see them win the Central this year, given my extreme dislike for Ozzie Guillen, Jim Thome, and the rest of the White Sox. Don't get me wrong - I love beating whatever team we play, but if I had my choice I'd rather see the Twins win the division. I'm just hoping we can also play spoiler for the White Sox during the final series of the year on the 26th-28th.

The Indians will look to finish off the sweep tonight with Cliff Lee on the mound for the good guys. This will be Tribe fans' last chance to see Lee and his historic season at home so I'm hoping for a good crowd. He will be facing Scott Baker who is pitching on only three days rest. It, looks like the Twins might be a little desperate at this point, no?

Other Tribe Notes: The Tribe got some bullpen help from Taiwan yesterday, signing 21-year-old Cheng-Chang Lee to a contract. The ABJ also has some more info on the newest Indian. And Anthony Reyes has been shut down for the season. Probably a good move to avoid any long-term injuries. I'm hoping for good things out of Reyes in 2009.

Browns Update: The Browns offense believes it will be better on Sunday vs. the Ravens. I sure hope that's the case, because 16 points in two home games is pretty embarrassing, regardless of who we played. And if we can't beat a team led by this guy then we probably are as bad as our record says right now. The team did make a small roster move in the wake of Robaire Smith's season-ending injury. Too bad we'll still have the same linebackers and secondary in Week 3...

"They're darned good teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys,'' quarterback Derek Anderson said. ''There's nothing wrong with us. Remember last year? I've got to throw the ball better, and they have to catch it and make plays.''

Cavs Update: Just a quick note today... god forbid we have to go a couple weeks without more speculation on LeBron's future. My favorite is the huge picture of a smiling LeBron next to Jay-Z, as if that's the only place in the world that would make LBJ happy. Now I remember why I stopped watching ESPN. In fact forget I even linked to that story. The whole thing is so dumb. *Sigh* Just go read this instead. It's good to have Windhorst back.

No more day games, please

One look at the expanded MLB standings and you'll notice something very peculiar about the 2008 Indians... they are an abysmal 15-26 in day games (.365) compared to a very respectable 52-45 (.536) in night games. What's the reason for this oddity? Is it that we are now loaded with younger players that like to stay out late and party till the wee hours of the morning (I know I would be doing that)? Maybe they just can't get up for day games. Or were they cursed by Grady Sizemore losing that ball in the sun in Kansas City late September of 2005? Although that doesn't really check out since they did go 29-19 during the day last year. Or maybe it's just a random occurrence in a long 162-game season and there really isn't any relevance to it. Whatever the case, they need to start playing better during the day. (Note to self: If you do renew your 20-game plan next year, don't get one that includes 7 Sunday games like this year).

The Tribe couldn't complete the three-game sweep at the Prog yesterday afternoon, falling 4-2 to the White Sox. Sweeping the Central division leaders would have been a tall order, especially with the inconsistent Jeremy Sowers on the mound for the Tribe. Yesterday he was able to give the Indians only 5-1/3 innings and gave up all four runs, including 2 homers. But at least the bullpen did give the Tribe some solid work again, with four relievers combining for 3-2/3 scoreless innings.

The White Sox went all out for this one, giving Jenks a rare 5-out save

Obviously I'm not a fan of these weekday getaway games. But this one really boggles my mind, considering both the Indians and White Sox have an off-day today. What was the reasoning behind scheduling this one as a day game? So you could only get a half-capacity crowd to show up? If that was the goal, then good work. The Tribe will resume play tomorrow night as they embark on a 8-game road trip starting in Kansas City. Not only will they have a chance to get back over .500 this month, but they can also get their division record over .500 and that would be a major accomplishment to me. They currently sit at 25-31 in the division with 16 games left against their Central foes.

Other Tribe Notes: Cliff Lee was named AL pitcher of the month yesterday. And with a 5-0 record and 1.86 ERA in August, who could possibly argue that selection?... Newcomer Rich Rundles is excited for his chance to be in the big leagues. He debuted with a four-pitch walk yesterday... And this is Cleveland, so I guess it's time to start worrying about Cliff Lee's future here.

Browns Update: More bad news on the injury front from Berea yesterday. Not exactly the way I was hoping we'd be going into the Cowboys game. But it sounds as if Jamal Lewis will be ready to go. As promised, I will have my Browns/Cowboys thoughts featured here tomorrow. Just don't take my advice to Vegas or your local bookie.

Cavs Update: LeBron made an appearance on ESPN yesterday. And Brian Windhorst says we are close to signing Lorenzen Wright as big-man insurance. I'd like to think of him as a slightly upgraded Scot Pollard, but of course without the fun hairdos and advice for the kids.

30/30 and a half-game behind

The Tribe just kept rolling along last night, collecting their eighth straight victory with a 4-3 win in 10 innings in Detroit. This makes it 14 wins in their last 17 games and they are creeping closer to 3rd place in the Central, now just a half-game behind the Tigers. Grady Sizemore became just the second Indian in team history to join the 30/30 club, adding two more HR's last night. He now has 31 homers and 34 steals, and actually a decent shot at the exclusive 40/40 club with 32 games still left to be played.

Welcome to the 30/30 club Grady - got enough left for 40/40?

"He's unbelievable," manager Eric Wedge said of the three-time All-Star. "You wouldn't know if it was his first or his 30th. In a low-scoring ballgame, he set the tone. That's what he does. He does it from a spot in the order that can give us a lot of energy."

Newcomer Zach Jackson gave the Tribe another good start, going 6-1/3 and allowing 3 runs. Then the bullpen (where have you been all year???) really came through with some solid work, aside from Masa Kobayashi's two hits allowed and no outs recorded. Rafael Perez and Brandon Donnelly kept the Tigers scoreless for 2-2/3 innings. And the suddenly hot-hitting Franklin Gutierrez gave the Indians the lead for good in the top of the 10th with a shot to left field. Jensen Lewis came on to close things out was able to register a 1-2-3 10th for his 7th save in 8 chances. It makes me wonder how good this team could have been with a semi-consistent bullpen all year...

The Indians will look for their ninth in a row tonight with ace Cliff Lee on the mound for the good guys. He will look to improve on his 18-2 record and his 2.43 ERA... although I'm not sure what else he can do at this point for an encore. He has simply been incredible all year. With a win the Tribe would also move ahead of the Tigers in the standings for the first time since June.

Other Tribe Notes: Victor Martinez may finally be ready to return before the rosters expand on Monday. But not so fast for Travis Hafner. And Matt LaPorta is back in town after his beaning in China. Let's hope he's able to finish out the season in Akron.

Browns Updates: Brady Quinn will likely get another start in the Browns' quest to avoid injury before the season opener (a.k.a. their final preseason game). This is good news for Brady, as I'm sure he can't be happy with his performance in the last game. Although I'm a little concerned that Derek Anderson's next snap he takes in a live game will be on September 7th against the Cowboys... BQ has also been putting in some extra time with Donte Stallworth... And don't expect to see much from the Browns again in the finale, as they will be without lots of players.

A grand day for Grady

(My apologies to the handful of faithful readers out there - I was busy yesterday and didn't have time for a post. As Bartles and Jaymes used to say, 'thanks for your support.')

The Tribe has again made the Royals look like... well, the Royals. The completed the three-game sweep of K.C. yesterday with a 10-3 victory at the Prog. It was the Indians' fourth win in a row and 10th in their last 13 games. Grady Sizemore had a banner day at the plate, going 4-for-5 and collecting 7 RBI. And more importantly, Cliff Lee continued his dominant season in collecting his 18th win, going seven strong innings and only allowing two earned runs.

"I didn't feel like I had my best stuff," he said. "I had to battle. The double plays were big. Give credit to the offense. When you get five runs in the first three innings, it gives you some cushion." - Cliff Lee

Grady watches his 3-run shot sail into the party seats in right

With their recent hot streak the Tribe has now escaped the basement of the AL Central and pretty much left the Royals for dead. It gets to the point where you almost feel bad for Kansas City and their miserable performances every year. This will likely be their fifth consecutive season finishing in last place with over 90 losses. But hey, better them than us. The Indians are now also only 2.5 games behind the Tigers for third place in the division. And to keep my dream of .500 baseball alive, they will have to go 22-14 down the stretch. Difficult but not impossible.

The Tribe opens up a six-game road trip tonight with the first stop in Texas. Fausto Carmona will be on the mound to face the Rangers at 8:05.

Other Tribe Notes: Eric Wedge will have to decide who gets playing time with the vets coming back. And apparently I'm not the only one enjoying these Olympic broadcasts... and some updates on the guys on rehab assignments.

Browns Update: The Browns will look to bounce back from the lackluster Monday night game and a shortened week with their Saturday night game in Detroit. Shaun Rogers is resisting the chance to take a shot at his former team. And a former Brown is happy to be paid, even if he is now a backup for Detroit.

Building a lead

There a few things to be happy about (aside from Cliff Lee's turnaround) during this 2008 season for the Tribe. But we should be thankful that they seem to have found a way out of last place and are now building a cushion on K.C. to keep them stuck in the basement. Last night's 9-4 victory at the Prog featured three home runs by the Indians (watch 'em: Sizemore, Garko, and Choo). It marked the Indians' eigth win in their last eleven games and gave newcomer Anthony Reyes his second victory with the Tribe. Even though only 18,946(!) were there to witness it, I'm starting to think that this team may actually be building something for the future. Obviously this is far too little and far too late to make any noise this season, but their goal should be to get back to .500. I had written that goal off a few weeks ago, but at 57-67 (.459) they at least have a shot again.

Grady swatted his 28th HR of the season in the 6th

They will need to go 24-14 over their last 38 games to reach .500, which is a stretch. But they have gone 20-18 over their previous 38 games amid the turmoil of all the trades and injuries. With Barfield, Martinez, and Hafner all hopefully back soon it is an attainable goal and could prove to be a springboard into a much better 2009 season. And it at least gives us some reason to watch every night, right? Zach Jackson will look for his first win as an Indian tonight as the series continues.

Other Tribe Notes: Grady Sizemore is happy to finally hit another home run... Ryan Garko is now more focused... Eric Wedge just wants all his guys back... and finally, there are plenty of reasons to avoid ESPN, but this article is worthy of a read.

"I'd have to say the down you get from failing is way worse than the up you get from being successful. It's something you've got to be able to get past and learn from. … You see people make excuses and you just don't want to be that guy." - Cliff Lee

Browns Update: Some injury updates in the wake of the Giants game, revealing that Cribbs and DA may be lost until the season opener (just what we wanted, ugh). Cribbs has the dreaded high ankle sprain and they are probably just going to be overly cautious with Anderson's concussion. This could spell trouble. I predict a full-blown QB controversy among some fans if Brady Quinn plays well in his start Saturday night. And Terry Pluto gives some thoughts on the team and some scribbles in his notebook.

Cavs Update: LeBron James chipped in 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals in Team USA's 116-85 whipping of Australia in the Olympic quarterfinals. The Redeem Team will move on to the semifinals Friday morning to face the winner of the Argentina/Greece quarterfinal game.

A little breathing room

The Tribe finished a nice weekend series win on Sunday, taking two of three from the Angels, the owner's of the best record in baseball. They really could have taken all three from L.A. (or Anaheim, whichever you prefer) if not for some very sloppy defense on Saturday. But as a hefty singer from the 70's once said, two out of three ain't bad, especially in a season like this one for the Tribe where most fans are just hoping to squeeze out any positive vibes.

My wife and I were at the Prog on Friday night to see Cliff Lee go the distance for win #17 in a 3-2 victory (even if it did cause us to miss this). Lee has found the winning formula for the Tribe this year - just keep the game out of the hands of the bullpen. He induced four double plays in that victory, and watching him pitch this year really is great if you followed his struggles last year. By my estimation (and barring any injuries) he should get about 7 more starts before the season is over, and if he pitches anywhere near the level he has so far, win #20 should be here around mid-September.

Sunday's 4-3 win featured a Houdini-like escape in the top of the 9th by Jensen Lewis to get Jeremy Sowers just his second win on the year. Grady Sizemore gave the Indians the lead for good in the 6th. And to illustrate how well the Angels have played this year, this was their first series loss to an AL opponent since May. That is pretty impressive. With the win the Tribe has now won 7 of their last 10 and they have opened up some breathing room in the fight to stay out of the basement in the Central. They currently stand a game and a half up on the Royals and only 3-1/2 behind the Tigers. They will enjoy a day off today to make room for the Browns on MNF :)

Jeremy Sowers finally notched win #2 on Sunday

Other Tribe Notes: The Indians will have some big names in the line-up on Tuesday night in AAA Buffalo. Martinez homered in Akron on Sunday. And Jensen Lewis wants to be the closer of the future. Personally I'll settle for dumping a boatload of money on K-Rod (and his 47 saves already) this winter.

Browns Update: The Browns finally get back on the field tonight for their second exhibition game, this one on Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Today's PD jokes about a possible Super Bowl preview, but is it really that far-fetched? There are plenty of reasons to watch this one, even if we will possibly play this team twice more after tonight. Want another reason? It's the debut of the Browns in brown pants. I'll admit, I'm excited for a peek at the new look. And of course, don't forget Tony Grossi's noon chat today.

"I've seen a highlight reel of Braylon [Edwards] catching the ball and me running for touchdowns. We're not the team to look over anymore. Cleveland is in the house. Put us on prime time and let's see what we can do." - Josh Cribbs

Cavs Update: LeBron and Team USA destroyed Germany today, 106-57 to finish pool play in the Olympics. His stat line reads 18 points (7-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range), 3 rebounds, and 2 steals in just 18 minutes of action. If you missed the game, it can be seen in its entirety here (not that I would ever condone watching something like that in the office). Team USA will continue play on Wednesday in quarterfinal action against Australia.

"Going against Greece and going against Spain, it was really easy to get up for," James said. "And we could have easily came in and had one of those games where we make excuses, but we didn't take a step backwards today and that was good, it was really good."

And speaking of LeBron, we've finally found an article about him in a national publication that is worthy of reading. Stop the presses, there is sanity out there. While I don't agree with everything in there (particularly the Ferry bashing - and granted, this was written before we acquired Mo), it is the first national story I've seen that presents valid points as to why LBJ would want to stay here. Imagine that.

There's the 'pen I remember

During the Tribe's recent five-game winning streak, the relievers actually started to look a little better. Jensen Lewis got a couple saves, Rafael Perez looked outstanding, and I was starting to have a little hope that our bullpen wasn't a complete disaster. Then came the last two games. Brandon Donnelly was shelled on Wednesday night, and Thursday it was Rafael Perez's turn, with some gas thrown on the fire by Edward Mujica for good measure. Those two combined to give up 8 hits and 7 earned runs in the top of the 8th inning, turning a 3-3 tie into an 11-3 deficit, and eventually an 11-6 loss.

No need to delve any further into the details of this one, but 13 hits and 6 runs should be enough to get a win on most nights - unless your bullpen gives you no chance, which has been an ongoing theme all season long. If this isn't evidence enough to Larry Dolan that he needs to spend a lot of money on the back end of this bullpen, I don't know what is. I'm usually not critical of Tribe ownership, but if they don't get something done to fix this over the winter I will be extremely disappointed.

The lone good news from Thursday night was that starter Zach Jackson looked pretty solid in his Indians debut and may end up being a key piece to our future as part of the Sabathia trade. He was the victim of some bad luck in the 5th inning when Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo lost a fly ball in the lights, allowing for one of Jackson's three runs allowed over five innings. At least the Royals lost again to keep us a half game out of last. The Indians will look to bounce back tonight as they start a 3-game weekend series against the best team in baseball. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Los Angeles, California in Anaheim (or something like that). Cliff Lee (yay!) gets the start tonight.

The Tribe gets disappointing split after taking the first two from the Orioles

Other Tribe News: Matt LaPorta hit a 3-run shot to help propel Team USA to their first Olympic win on Thursday over the Netherlands. His swing looks pretty nice to me (it can be seen around the 6:25 mark of the video on that link)... Josh Barfield could be back soon... And Travis Hafner finally made it back to Pronkville.

''I think he felt good and he looked good,'' Wedge said of Hafner, the Indians' designated hitter. ''We'll get him back out there Saturday, and hopefully he can go out (on a rehab assignment) next week.''

Browns Update: Kamerion Wimbley is trying out some new moves for '08. I can't wait to see what he can do now that he has some guys in front of him... Travis Wilson is giving credit to Joe Jurevicius for his improved play... and this Steve Sanders is turning into a favorite of mine, and not just because he's a fellow Bowling Green alum.

Cavs Update: LeBron seems to like the trade for Mo Williams (and I'm loving another article from Brian Windhorst). And Williams insists he can play defense.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to play here. I can reiterate, as far as defense is concerned, I know what it takes to win. It's no secret. It takes defense to win." - Mo Williams

At least we know Mo's D will be better than one former Cavalier...

Finally a 'getaway' win!

I've been harping on it all season here, but the Tribe finally accomplished what I thought was impossible yesterday - a win in the dreaded weekday 'getaway' game. The 9-4 win gave them a split in the 4-game series with the Tigers (although they really should have taken 3 of 4), and gave Fausto Carmona his first win since May 12. He was much stronger in this outing than his previous one, going 6-1/3 innings and allowing only 2 earned runs on 99 pitches. Grady Sizemore provided some offensive punch with his 27th home run (2nd in the AL), a 3-run shot in the 5th. And Ben Francisco made a terrific diving catch early in the game.

This picture just speaks for itself - Fasano & Kobayashi, an unstoppable battery

Granted, the Indians are still in last place in the Central - a full two games behind Kansas City - but they have played much better of late. Since the 10 game losing streak that seemed to last forever (June 28-July 9) they have gone 10-7. Not earth-shattering, but respectable given all the injuries, trades to key players, bullpen struggles, and pitching rotation scrambling. The trade deadline did pass without Paul Byrd being dealt yesterday, but he still could be moved sometime this month.

The Tribe pushes on tonight in Minnesota, beginning a 9-game road trip that will also take them to Tampa Bay and Toronto. Jeremy Sowers will get the start tonight and can hopefully improve his dreadful 5.86 ERA and 1-5 record.

Other Tribe Updates: Some info here about finalizing the CC trade and some early returns on the Casey Blake trade. And some updates from the farm. And Grady Sizemore is having a career year, in case you hadn't noticed.

''I just pace around the clubhouse,'' Sizemore said. ''My routine is so crazy; I don't really want to get into it. I think I do more running in the clubhouse than I would if I was playing in the field."

Browns Update: The first injury news of training camp hit yesterday. Not a huge blow but it's always nice to have depth on defense, so let's hope Peek is back for the regular season. Terry Cousin is one guy who's not worried about the Browns' secondary. And Andra Davis likes the talent all around him. Finally, Terry Pluto gives some views from Thursday's practice.

Of course no training camp report would be complete without a dumb video update:


Cavs Update: LeBron returned to action yesterday with 20 points (8-9 from the floor) to lead Team USA to a 114-82 exhibition win over Turkey in China. He then chipped in 15 points this morning (7-9 from the floor) as Team USA dumped Lithuania, 120-84. And LeBron is now using FIBA rules to his advantage in China.

You just know Loozer wishes he still had this guy on his team every night

Back in action

To the faithful readers out there, I apologize for slacking yesterday. I took a day off and enjoyed some fun at Cedar Point in Sandusky. For those of you that have never been there, or maybe have been there but haven't tried out Top Thrill Dragster, I highly recommend it. The best way I can describe it is an experience where you almost crap your pants and have an orgasm at the same time. Just standing there watching it is intimidating as it accelerates to 120 mph and ascends straight up to 420 feet, and then straight back down again for the 17 second ride of your life. It gives you that nervous/sick feeling in your stomach just waiting in line to ride it (very reminiscent of the feeling I had watching Joe Borowski warm up during last year's playoff run). But I digress.

My day away from the TV and computer did allow me to avoid the pitching mockery on display by the Tribe yesterday. All I know is that they lost 14-11(!), Grady Sizemore hit another home run, and Aaron Laffey has been mystifyingly bad in his last two starts. Oh, and Tom Mastny is still not good (1-1/3 innings, 4 earned runs, and a 14.90 ERA). I've harped on it here before, so I guess I will again today - the 2008 Cleveland Indians are just awful during the day this year (10-19). And in weekday 'getaway' games they are even worse. By my own unofficial count they are now 0-6 on the year, being outscored 40-25 in such games. And there are still four more of them left on the schedule, which gives me another dumb reason to keep following the year of futility. Ugh.

The sun is shining, so chalk up another Tribe loss

Thankfully the Tribe will be given a day of rest today to travel back home. They will resume play tomorrow night at the Prog for a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins. At this point I just want to see us embrace the role of spoiler in the Central and try to make things difficult for both Minnesota and Chicago. And of course end up ahead of the lowly Royals. Yes, I'm now inventing reasons to keep watching.

In other Indians news, Shin-Soo Choo owes his country something. And as we've been speculating for a while, Casey Blake appears to be on the trading block. Also, the bullpen will likely undergo an overhaul before next season.

Browns Update: In more hopeful news, the Browns did finally begin training camp yesterday morning in Berea. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for no devastating knee injuries, resulting staph infections, or any of the other problems that seem to have plagued training camps of the past. Officially, both Joe Jurevicius and Ryan Tucker were placed on the active PUP list. The Browns have until first roster cuts (August 26th) to decide their status for the start of the season. Even with the injury to Jurevicius, Braylon Edwards is ready for the huge expectations this season. But I'm not sure even he was ready for the 'Super Bowl' chants heard on Wednesday.

Can K2 and the rest of the Browns live up to the massive expectations?

''Around here for a long time there were no expectations. We're glad people have some confidence in us, and we're going to try to prove worthy of those expectations.'' - Romeo Crennel

Bill Livingston and Bud Shaw give their thoughts on all the optimism in Berea. And Tony Grossi will check in today at noon for a training camp chat.

Cavs Update: J.J. Hickson continues to receive positive reviews, writes the ABJ's Pat McManamon. And LeBron almost gave me a heart attack last night when I read that he sprained his ankle (thankfully only a 'mild' sprain). Now he is guaranteeing gold in Beijing and I think he will deliver. And finally, Bob Finnan gives us a Delonte West update.

13 years and counting...

Last night marked 13 straight non-wins (one tie if your memory stretches six years back) for the National League in baseball's mid-summer classic. Talk about domination. Cliff Lee started the game and worked two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and just one hit allowed. And Grady Sizemore figured prominently in the outcome. With the AL trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th, his 2-out single with nobody on started the rally. He then stole second and eventually scored on Evan (not Eva) Longoria's double into the left field corner. The score remained tied for what seemed like years, until eventually the AL won on Michael Young's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 15th.

Cliff worked 2 scoreless innings for the AL

I'm still trying to figure out why I actually stayed up for the final outcome. I think I was hoping for Grady to be the hero. Or maybe for both teams to resort to position players having to pitch. Actually, I think I just wanted to see Bud Selig throw up his hands one more time and declare a tie, then flip a coin to see which team got home-field advantage in the World Series. But it wasn't meant to be and so I stayed up until 1:30am Eastern for no good reason. Now we begin the great summer sports void for the next two days. It's gonna be rough...

A repeat of 2002 just wasn't in the cards

Cavs Update: Not really a surprise, today the Cavaliers inked guard Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson to a contract extension, keeping the restricted free agent sharpshooter in a wine and gold uniform for at least 5 more years. Boobie will always have a special place in my heart after his Game 6 heroics against Detroit in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. I'm glad he was so quick and willing to re-sign, especially after last year's ridiculous holdouts from Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic. Next up is Delonte West.

And Posey Watch '08 continues. It seems to me like he is just playing these other teams to get the Celtics to lengthen their contract offer:

James Posey, the Celtics' highest-priority unsigned veteran, is seeking a four-year contract, an NBA source said yesterday. Posey, 31, is treating negotiations as if this could be his final contract and has been in talks with Detroit, the Lakers, New Orleans, Cleveland, and Washington. No team has been willing to offer a deal beyond three years. (Boston Globe)

*Update* as of 4:00 pm Wednesday, it looks like Posey is going to the Hornets in a 4-year deal. That still hurts the Celts and won't strap us for the next four years, so I'm fine with it. *End Update*

Finally, the Cavs summer league team takes on the Rockets tonight at 10:30pm in Las Vegas. It's another chance to get a sneak peek at J.J. Hickson. And maybe one of your final chances to watch Tractor Traylor lumber up and down the court. Anything to fill the sports void!

Let's get this over with...

I have to admit I'm not a big fan of the All-Star break. I hate how it creates a big sports void for two days (this Wednesday and Thursday). But I guess this year I should be thankful for that given how much the Tribe has disappointed us. And what makes this particular All-Star game even worse for me is the fact it is in Yankee Stadium in its final season. I understand all the history of that park, but I really don't need it shoved down my throat for 3 or 4 straight days. But maybe that's just me. At least will be able to see two of our guys in prominent roles.

Grady started things off last night with his first appearance in the home run derby. Even though he didn't advance to the second round, I thought he performed well. He has deceptive power - you just don't think he will be able to drive a ball that far when you look at him - but he hit some monster shots to the upper deck in right field. If he could have kept a couple more of them inside the foul pole, I think he had a good shot to get to the finals. But it was still fun to see him out there representing the Indians. And I have a feeling it won't be the last time he is part of the festivities.

Grady showed that 23 home runs is no fluke this year

Now tonight we will get to see Cliff Lee start for the American League, concluding a very fine turnaround story for him personally after a disastrous 2007 campaign. Paul Hoynes put together a nice story in today's PD about Lee. I'm hoping for a couple of shutout innings from Cliff and of course, no injuries. And speaking of injured starters, Fausto Carmona made a solid rehab start for Lake County last night. It will be great to see him back on the mound for the Indians, hopefully soon.

Cavs Update: Thankfully the NBA understands the sports void I'll be soon feeling and they decided to start the summer league right on schedule. The Cavaliers had their first game yesterday afternoon, falling to the Knicks 97-94. The outcome isn't important, but what is important is that first-round selection J.J. Hickson looked very solid in his Cavalier debut, racking up 26 points and 9 rebounds. I haven't had a chance to watch the game yet but I did DVR it for my viewing pleasure later during the big void (probably tomorrow night).

26 & 9 in J.J.'s wine and gold debut

And finally, the James Posey saga still drags on. But I'm not really encouraged about the Cavaliers hopes of landing him by what I read here.

An unlikely sweep... and other thoughts

Well maybe the Indians are finally rounding back into form? Maybe the Rays really are just a fluke and are now crashing back to earth? Or maybe that team meeting before Thursday's game actually woke the Tribe up? We won't really know the answers until the second half of the season starts. But for now, the four-game sweep of Tampa Bay sure was a nice way to cap off an otherwise miserable first half of the 2008 season. And it was definitely unexpected coming on the heels of a horrendous 10-game losing streak.

Friday night's game featured more solid pitching from Cliff Lee, who notched his 12th win on the year with a 5-0 victory. With a 12-2 record and a tidy 2.31 ERA, today Lee did get the nod as the All-Star Game starter on Tuesday night in New York City. Quite a turnaround from his dismal performance in 2007. On Saturday the Indians won 8-4, behind Ryan Garko's career-high 5 RBI night. And yesterday's game featured a very bizarre stat line, one I thought I'd never see again to be perfectly honest. And Jhonny Peralta seems to be finally reaping the benefits of his laser vision correction surgery (7 hits and 2 home runs this weekend). We even had an Andy Marte sighting! And Ben Francisco is playing well again, raising his average by 14 points with a 12-for-19 series. The only bad news I could find after the Tribe's weekend was the fact that they allowed the Red Sox back into first place in the AL East...

A truly backwards weekend: Tribe sweep & a Mastny win!

More Tribe: American League home run leader Grady Sizemore takes his swing up against the short porch in right tonight in New York for the Home Run Derby. And we got a glimpse of the future with new prospect Matt LaPorta on Sunday in the Futures Game. And of course, I will miss seeing this in a Tribe uniform during interleague games. That is a hell of a swing for a pitcher.

Gladiators Update: The fun ride ended on Saturday afternoon as the Philadelphia Soul beat our Gladtiators 70-35 in the National Conference championship game. Early offensive mistakes and a turnover really put them in trouble in the first half and they just were never able to recover. But 2-14 to 9-7 and two playoff wins is nothing to take lightly. Good job by Bernie Kosar, the entire coaching staff, and the players. I'm now a fan and will be looking forward to more indoor football next spring.

Cavs Update: No news yet on the neverending James Posey saga. But Terry Pluto has some thoughts on what is happening behind the scenes in Cavalier-land.

Moving On...

My Cleveland Gladiators (affectionately called 'mine' after my recent jump onto their bandwagon) got a big playoff win last night in Georgia and they will now advance the conference championship game... but they aren't the only ones moving on. The really big story over the holiday weekend actually became official yesterday. CC Sabathia is now a Milwaukee Brewer, traded Monday for 1B/LF Matt LaPorta, LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Rob Bryson and the always popular player-to-be-named-later. The Tribe insists that this player will have a chance to be a big leaguer so we will wait and see on that one.

Listening to the radio and reading responses online, Indians fans are obviously less than thrilled with the move. And I understand that. I loved watching CC grow from a solid-but-inconsistent young pitcher into a Cy Young winner last year. There were always questions about his weight, but none of us can deny that CC was a durable pitcher while he was here and he actually liked being on the Indians. That goes a long way for fans in this town. Yet with that said, I just cannot rip the Indians for this move. This is what Major League Baseball has become over the last decade. With no hard salary cap in place, the rich stay rich and mid-market teams are forced to make agonizing decisions about their own players. Do you risk everything and give him a huge, long-term contract that he will likely never live up to and will strap your team financially for years? Or do you trade him for prospects and hope that those young guys pan out and become stars?

In this case I really think Mark Shapiro made the right decision. We've seen it too many times in the past where we thought we could keep our own players, only to see them bolt to greener (as in dollar signs) pastures. Did we get ripped off in this deal? Who knows? But to me, the Brewers are giving up four prospects for a pitcher they are renting for maybe 15 starts this season. And they are currently behind two teams in their own division. So by no means does this guarantee them anything. At least the Indians know their season is already over and building for the future begins now. We can only hope that this deal can come remotely close to the Bartolo Colon trade that netted us Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Brandon Phillips. I'm not expecting that this time around, but I just hope one of these players will end up being solid for us. I'd honestly rather see it go down this way than CC just walking away for nothing after this season.

And ripping the Dolans for this move is just silly in my view. CC was offered a 4-year deal at $72M before this season started. Given the history of long-term huge money deals for pitchers (Barry Zito immediately comes to mind) I would have really been upset if the Tribe went for more years and more money. It just wouldn't have made any sense and would have hurt the long-term potential for this team. I wish CC the best and I'm looking forward to seeing him hit in the National League. But I'm not looking forward to him wearing a Boston or New York cap next season when he chases the almighty dollar. And that's why Major League Baseball in 2008 drives me crazy. This scenario will play out again and again and again until the system is fixed.

We'll definitely miss the big lefty

Trade Reactions:

• Terry Pluto
• Bill Livingston
• Paul Hoynes
• Pat McManamon
• Buster Olney

Other Tribe Updates: Life without CC begins for the Tribe tonight in Detroit when Jeremy Sowers and his 7.53 ERA try to end the team's current 8-game losing skid. In case you missed it over the long holiday weekend, our favorite punching bag closer Joe Borowski was designated for assignment on Friday. Thinking back to last year, it now truly seems miraculous that we were able to squeeze 45 saves out of that right arm. And Jeff Weaver was picked up off the scrap heap to plug the enormous hole left by CC in the Tribe's rotation. That ought to be fun to watch. And Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee will be the lone members of the Tribe in NYC for the All-Star Game. Oh, and Grady will even be in the Home Run Derby, thanks to his AL-leading 22 HR's (18 of them solo shots by my own unofficial count - lots of clicking on individual box scores there).

Gladiators Update: Big win for the Gladiators last night. Once again our receivers basically caught everything thrown to them and they squeaked out another big playoff win, this time on the road. And QB Raymond Philyaw added 8 more TD passes, now giving him 16 for the postseason to go along with no interceptions. My personal favorite moment from last night's game was team president and CEO Bernie Kosar hovering behind the officials as they tried to review a play near the end of the game on instant replay. You can see he is pouring everything he has into this team and it's fun to watch. The Gladiators now advance to the National Conference Championship game against the Philadelphia Soul this Saturday at 1:00pm on ESPNHD.

One win away from ArenaBowl XXII...