News surfaced from baseball’s General Manager meetings that Kevin Millwood’s agent, Scott Boras, is seeking a five year contract for the righthander who led the American League in ERA in 2005.  Indians’ GM Mark Shapiro, who won the Executive of the Year Award from The Sporting News at the meetings, will never give Millwood that long of a deal, nor should he.

 

In fact, it would be a stretch to give the 30 year old pitcher a guaranteed four year deal as well.  Let’s face it, pitchers are more prone to injury than everyday players, and think about the payroll struggle the Tribe would be in if Millwood hurt his right arm in year one of a four year pact.  They would be seriously hamstrung on money for the remainder of the deal. 

 

Boras’ wish for a five year deal means the end of Millwood’s time with Cleveland, and I don’t have a problem with that.  So, Shapiro will have to look elsewhere for a front of the rotation hurler.  Matt Morris, Jarrod Washburn, Esteban Loaiza, and Paul Byrd are the best available options, but Morris and Washburn are the most consistent over the long haul. 

 

It has also been reported that reliever Bob Howry wants a three year deal.  If Howry signs, it means that Bob Wickman will not return to Cleveland.  You have to remember that the Indians have Arthur Rhodes and Matt Miller returning from injury, and Fernando Cabrera could be with the team all year.  I would ink Howry if the money is right. 

 

With the slim pickings in the free agent market, the Indians will probably have to look at making trades to obtain the first baseman or right fielder they seek.  They also could be in the market for a starting pitcher who will be a free agent at the end of the 2006 season, and whose current team doesn’t feel can sign him.  Cleveland still has a very good farm system. 

 

The front office has to be happy with the performance of Ryan Garko, Brad Snyder, and Brian Slocum in the Arizona Fall League.  Garko, my choice to play first base in 2006, is hitting .314 with 5 HR and 27 RBI.  His RBI total ranks third in the AFL.  The right handed hitter, who can also catch, has hit for power and average wherever he has played in the minors, and comes from a top notch college program at Stanford. 

 

Snyder, drafted out of Ball State in 2004, has been a big surprise, hitting .367 with 3 HR and 19 RBI.  Snyder will open next season at either Class AA Akron or Class AAA Buffalo, and may arrive in Cleveland next year.  He can play right field, so he may be the long term answer at that spot, competing with Franklin Gutierrez.  Snyder does strike out a lot (26 times in 98 at bats), which is something he must improve on.

 

Slocum, a right handed pitcher, has pitched well out of the bullpen compiling a 2-1 record with a 3.15 ERA in 20 innings.  He has struck out 19 and walked 8 in his outings, and hitters are batting just .192 against him.  He likely will start 2006 at Akron or Buffalo after a 7-5 mark in Class AA last season. 

 

MW 

 

 

 

It has been a long time since we have seen the toughness from a Browns’ player similar to what was seen yesterday from running back Reuben Droughns.  After his arrest on a DUI charge on Monday night and people wondering if he would be suspended (which was ludicrous), the former Oregon star put the offense on his back in Sunday’s 20-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

 

Droughns carried 20 times for 116 yards, and caught four more passes for 73 yards in a game played in windy conditions.  He got stronger in the second half as well.  He even retrieved the ball rookie Jason Wright carried when he scored his first professional touchdown in the second half.  He has demonstrated that he is the type of quality person, his DUI not withstanding, that Phil Savage wants on his team.  Speaking of the trouble the running back had, he didn’t make excuses about it.  He accepted the blame and responsibility.

 

In his last three games, Droughns ran for 100 yards against the Lions, 99 yards vs. the Texans, and yesterday’s 116.  He is on pace to rush for almost 1300 yards this season, which not only would be the first season of this type by a Brown since Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner in 1985, but it is also not a cheap 1000 yard campaign.  A running back can achieve this plateau by averaging just 63 yards per game, which isn’t a good game.  Droughns is currently averaging about 80 yards per outing.

 

The former Bronco is also durable, something needed since William Green has been unreliable since being drafted, and Lee Suggs spends more time on the injured list than actually carrying the football.  Granted, he left yesterday’s game with cramps, but he has been there for every game.  Droughns may not be the featured back when Cleveland is ready to return to the playoffs, but he has given credibility to the running game this season.

 

The Browns finished the first half of the 2005 season with a 3-5 record, right on pace for the 6-10 record most felt would be the best the team could achieve.  This year’s team has character.  They responded to last week’s disaster against the winless Texans by winning their next game.  Getting players like Trent Dilfer and Droughns to teach professionalism to the young players will show up in the next few years. 

 

They will not let the Cleveland Browns quit until after the last game of the season.  That couldn’t be said in recent years.

 

JD

 

The Cavaliers opened the 2005-06 season with a 109-87 victory over the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets last night, and their performance was indeed the best thing about the evening at Quicken Loans Arena.  LeBron James was his usual incredible self, hitting four three pointers in a span of 1:44 late in the 2nd quarter and igniting the crowd. 

 

Newcomers Donyell Marshall, Larry Hughes, and Damon Jones also had solid performances.  Marshall is the type of player this team needs.  He is a very good player, who has played on several bad teams as of late.  He looks at this opportunity as his last chance to play on a team that can make some noise in the playoffs.  I think that is very important for a young team.

 

Hughes didn’t score much, but played good defense and passed the ball well.  There will be nights where Hughes scores more because James will set him up.  The team has more talent and is much improved from last season, which ended in disappointment after a fast start.

 

Now for the atmosphere at the game.  I realize I am "old school", but I go to the game to…WATCH A BASKETBALL GAME!  New P.A. announcer Ronnie Duncan is more annoying to fans like me than he is entertaining.  Every player does not need a nickname.  We all know LeBron is "The Chosen One" or "King James", but why is Larry Hughes referred to as "Boogie".  When Duncan referred to a basket by Zydrunas Ilgauskas as "Z-licious", I was creeped out. 

 

The music played during the game is fine, but is there anyone over the age of five that thinks Moondog is entertaining?  I get the reference to music, since Cleveland is the home of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he is a terrible mascot.  He makes the Indians’ Slider look good, which is saying something.

 

I understand the NBA in general and the Cavaliers what to entertain the casual fan, it detracts from the sport.  When your team is terrible, you might need antics like these.  The Cavs’ look to be a good team in 2005-06, so the front office should focus on that and get rid of the bad entertainment. 

 

JK

 

I realize I ‘m dating myself, but remember the early days of Saturday Night Live when Gilda Radner played a character named Rosanne Rosannadanna who ended her commentary by saying "It’s Always Something!"  That’s how the Cleveland Browns have to feel this morning after a 19-16 loss to the previously winless Houston Texans on Sunday.

 

This week it was the special teams that failed Romeo Crennel’s squad.  The defense played a solid game, allowing a first quarter touchdown and then only field goals despite being put in horrible field position.  Why the touchdown was not reviewed was a curious decision by the coaching staff.  It appeared that Jerome Mathis did not have clear possession of the ball.  The defense didn’t put a lot of pressure on the frequently sacked David Carr, but you cannot argue with the results, they allowed under 20 points again.

 

The offense made two critical mistakes, the fumbles by Trent Dilfer and Reuben Droughns, but you can’t say any player was horrible.  The only thing that sticks out in my mind is why the consistent insertions of William Green into the game in place of Droughns.  In fact, Green was the back the coaching staff went to on the last drive, even though Droughns had amassed 99 yards in the game up to that point.  Dennis Northcutt dropped a pass, but he has been a non-factor on offense recently.  The pass protection was good for the most part. 

 

However, the special teams were abysmal.  Punter Kyle Richardson may be looking for work after two shanked punts, the first giving the Texans great field position on their first touchdown.  The second led to a field goal miss by Houston kicker Kris Brown.  The return teams allowed Mathis to run wild on kickoffs, forcing Phil Dawson to have to attempt tackles, he made one and whiffed on the other. 

 

The fact that Crennel fixes one problem only to see another leak in the dyke makes for an obvious conclusion, the Cleveland Browns are not a very good football team.  The talent level just isn’t there at this point.  The team is still searching for an identity as well.  On defense, the " bend but don’t break"  approach has worked so far, but outside of Indianapolis, the team hasn’t stopped any very good offensive teams.  Andra Davis has showed he might be a Pro Bowl type player, but otherwise no one else really stands out.

 

Offensively, #1 draft pick Braylon Edwards looks like he will be a star, and Antonio Bryant has skills despite some ill timed drops. Barring injury,  Droughns will be the first Browns’ back to reach 1000 yards in a season since 1985.  Tight ends Steve Heiden and Aaron Shea are solid, but will be backups if Kellen Winslow Jr. ever takes the field.  The offensive line still needs to be improved, and Charlie Frye is the quarterback in waiting. 

 

There is a long way to go, but real fans understood that going into training camp.  The previous administration left a mess to clean up, and Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel can’t scrub fast enough.

 

JK 

 

 

 

Boston outfielder Manny Ramirez recently told the Red Sox if they wanted to trade him, he would only accept trades to the Angels, Diamondbacks, and his former team, the Cleveland Indians.  Ramirez has this right since he is a 10/5 man, meaning he has spent 10 years in the majors, the last five with the same team.  Since Tribe owner Larry Dolan has said he would spend money when the Indians are contenders (playing a meaningful game on the last day of the season would mean you are a contender), this would be a good place to start.

 

Ramirez will be just 34 years old next season.  He is flaky to be sure, but he is in the lineup for 150 games every year, as he has been for the last three seasons.  He doesn’t have any long term injury problems that would scare management.  He is not a great defensive player, but he was better than his reputation when he played in Cleveland previously.  And he still is arguably the best right handed hitter in the game, with a lifetime average of .314, 435 home runs, and 1414 RBI’s.  His lifetime OPS is 1.008, which is an outstanding season for some players.  For example, White Sox 1B Paul Konerko had a .909 OPS this season.

 

Manny would fit nicely into the Tribe lineup as a clean up hitter, batting between Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.  Jhonny Peralta could drop to the sixth slot in the order.  While he wouldn’t be a Gold Glover in right field, I’m sure he could play there, and his defensive shortcomings wouldn’t be as noticeable with Grady Sizemore in center.  The Tribe could pick up a defensive replacement for Ramirez in the off season.

 

I’m sure Boston would want significant talent in return, but the more Dolan picks up of the contract, the less talent the Red Sox would accept in return.  They are looking for payroll relief more than anything else.  Perhaps one good prospect, one borderline prospect, and a guy like Ben Broussard might be enough to return Ramirez to the Wigwam. 

 

On the pitching side, since it is highly doubtful the Indians will resign Kevin Millwood, a free agent pitcher the Tribe should be intersted in is Cardinals’ righty Matt Morris.  Morris, 32 in August next season, has racked up over 170 innings the last five years, winning in double figures each of those years, capped by a 21 win season in 2001.  Morris also pitched better on the road in 2005. 

 

The big righty’s strikeout rate is a concern, in that he only fans 5.5 batters per nine innings, but he does have a low walk rate as well (1.7/9 IP).  Hitters batted .276 against Morris last year, which is a little high, but he doesn’t have to be a #1 starter with Cleveland.  He could be the third guy behind C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee. 

Barring a trade, Morris might be a nice fit in the Tribe rotation, and at less of a price tag and years on the contract as Millwood.

 

With the White Sox’ sweep in the World Series completed last night, the Hot Stove League season starts today.  Spring training starts in less than four months.  Let the roster moves begin!

 

MW

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday’s Browns-Lions game marked the return of Cleveland’s starting quarterback of 2004, Jeff Garcia.  Garcia was lustily booed at the start of the game, although I’m not sure why.  What was his crime?  He got injured, but I’m don’t think that was it.  He didn’t leave for free agency, the Browns didn’t want him back anyway.  Why the negative reaction.

 

The problem with Jeff Garcia last year was he was the proverbial square peg in a round hole.  Butch Davis wanted someone who would be patient with the running game, and work the play action pass.  (In reality, Davis wanted someone not named Tim Couch.)  Garcia is a west coast offense quarterback.  He is a guy who likes to run around and make something out of nothing.  He did that during the second half of yesterday’s game many times, as well as in the 37-34 overtime loss to the Eagles at Browns Stadium last season.   

 

Jeff Garcia didn’t do anything to irritate the fans.  If you want to boo someone, boo the decision to bring him here.  He was a poor fit from the beginning.

 

Speaking of quarterbacks, here’s hoping Romeo Crennel doesn’t play Charlie Frye this week against Houston.  The coach has to look at the big picture.  Let’s say Frye does well against the winless Texans on Sunday.  Crennel is then forced to continue playing the rookie for the rest of the season.  The Akron alum will have to see the Steelers defense twice, the Ravens again, as well as Jacksonville and Cincinnati.  Would Frye be helped or harmed by this exposure if he is not ready.  The last thing Phil Savage and Crennel needs is another Tim Couch situation.

 

This team is not going to make the playoffs.  The front office is not going to say this publicly, but they are making decisions geared toward 2006 and 2007.  That’s why Frye shouldn’t play yet.  He has to play before the season is over so Savage can evaluate him in case a Matt Leinart or Vince Young is there when the NFL Draft comes along.  But, next week is not the right time for Frye. 

 

Here’s another thing for the fans.  Quit bringing up Kelly Holcomb!  He is nothing but an average QB at best.  Wait a few weeks, and see what Buffalo is doing then.  Trent Dilfer is better suited to be a mentor to Frye than Holcomb.  Dilfer understands why he is here, Holcomb wants to start and has no interest in being a teacher. 

 

It’s tough to watch, but patience is the best thing for the Cleveland Browns.  And that patience means Trent Dilfer should keep his job.

 

KM 

 

I was saddened by the passing of former Plain Dealer sports editor Hal Lebovitz on Monday.  He was part of my youth.  I think I learned to read and do math by reading the sports page with much vigor, and Hal Lebovitz put that sports page together. 

 

When I got older, both as a teenager and in my college years, I thought he was an old fart, not sharing my views on how the Indians, Browns, and Cavaliers should be run.  However, I wrote him a letter detailing my plans for our baseball team and he mentionned it in his Sunday page two column.  It made me happy that he read it, and he said it was well written. 

 

As I got older, I realized that Lebovitz knew what he was talking about.  He was passionate about sports, especially baseball, which is my favorite.  When many fans were calling for drastic actions by the owners of Cleveland’s teams, Hal cautioned fans to be patient.  I agreed with him.

 

Several times in the 80’s, Hal sat next to me in my seats at the Cavaliers games at the Coliseum.  What I remember most is he sat with his legs wide, invading my space.  I’m smiling as I type this.  If you remember his "Ask Hal, the Referee" column, you knew you shouldn’t criticize the officials with Hal sitting next to you. 

 

After leaving the PD, Lebovitz wrote for the Lake County News Herald where his Sunday notes column was must reading.  He also appeared every Thursday on Les Levine’s Adelphia Cable show, where he imparted his wisdom of the world of sports. 

 

Think about it.  This legend of Cleveland sports actually witnessed the Indians winning the World Series, the Browns winning the NFL Championship several times, and was partially responsible for the Cavaliers existing.  He saw athletes ranging from Lou Boudreau, Bob Feller, Jim Brown, and Bernie Kosar to Jim Thome, Albert Belle and  LeBron James.  He was a walking encyclopedia of Cleveland sports history.

 

When I was a kid, Harry Jones did the Indians’ TV games, Jim Graner did the Browns radio broadcasts with Gib Shanley, and Pete Franklin was the king of sports talk.  All, except Shanley are gone.  And so is an era where fans could identify with the players on their teams. 

 

If you care about Cleveland sports, you will miss Hal Lebovitz. 

 

MW

 

After being encouraged after the victory over the Chicago Bears, Browns fans had to be scratching their heads following a dismal showing at Baltimore on Sunday.  The final score was 16-3 in favor of the Ravens, but in reality it was one of those games not as close as the score would indicate. 

 

In fact, the final score shows that the Baltimore Ravens are not that good of a football team.  The Cleveland Browns just were worse yesterday. 

 

The Browns came out throwing yesterday, in fact, they threw on every play early.  As I watched the game, I wondered when they would start running the ball.  Meanwhile, the Ravens were putting enormous pressure on Trent Dilfer, making the Cleveland passing game useless.  Despite recovering a Dilfer fumble inside the Browns 30 yard line, getting a long punt return by P.K. Sam, and a 59 yard run by Chester Taylor, Baltimore only managed 16 points in the first half. 

 

In the second half, Ravens’ Head Coach/self proclaimed genius Brian Billick kept giving life to the Browns by having QB Anthony Wright continue to pass.  In fact, Wright fumbled inside his own 10, and luckily recovered it himself or else Cleveland could have closed to within a touchdown. 

 

Yesterday’s game showed the Cleveland Browns are no where near being a playoff team. Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel already knew that.  The team’s fans may have figured it out during the first half.  This is not to say there is no hope.  In fact, the Browns’ future is probably brighter than it has been since the team returned to the NFL in 1999.  The 2005 Browns are an improved football team, but much more improvement is needed.

 

They need to be able to run the ball and stop the run better.  They need to put more pressure on the passer.  They need to cut down on the numerous penalties in the kicking game.  Dennis Northcutt continues to have good punt returns called back.  But, they have the right people in charge to correct these problems.  And that is something Browns’ fans haven’t been able to say since Ernie Accorsi was running the show in the mid 1980’s. 

 

JD

 

I was skeptical when Cavs’ owner Daniel Gilbert chose Danny Ferry as the team’s new General Manager.  I still think about the Ron Harper trade when I hear Ferry’s name, a trade which could go down as one of the worst in NBA history.  Why bring up the sordid past of this franchise by naming Ferry to lead the team in a critical period for the Cavaliers.

 

It looks like my opinion was misguided.  The initial returns are that Ferry is off to a better start as an executive than he did as a player.

 

The new GM’s first free agent pick up was Larry Hughes, who is a complete player, not a one dimensional shooter that some wanted the Cavs to sign.  Since Hughes can pass, score, and defend, he is the perfect complement to LeBron James.  To me, Hughes is a similar player to Michael Jordan’s Robin, Scottie Pippen.  The former Duke standout did not stop there, however.  He knew the team needed outside shooting, so he signed Donyell Marshall, a veteran big man who can stroke the three. 

 

He knew enough to resign Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who is one of the best centers in the league to maintain an inside presence offensively.  He trusts that new coach Mike Brown, a defensive specialist, can improve the team defense sufficiently so that the big man’s weaknesses can be hidden. 

 

Lastly, he signed another three point shooter, Damon Jones to play the point.  With playmakers in James and Hughes, running the offense isn’t as big a priority for the Cavs lead guard as it is for other teams.  Jones ability to stretch defenses with his shooting is more important than his playmaking. 

 

The Cavaliers need more depth up front, especially with second year man Anderson Varajao out until the All Star break with a shoulder injury.  At the wing spots, Sasha Pavlovic and last year’s first round pick, Luke Jackson are ready to contribute.  Eric Snow is still around to provide defense at point guard. 

 

Although Brown was hired before Ferry, there seems to be a bond between the two men, which should allow them to work well together.  Ferry refers to Brown as his partner, much like Indians’ GM Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge’s relationship.  That bodes well too.  Especially after the cantankerous relationship former GM Jim Paxson and coach Paul Silas had. 

 

The future looks bright for the 2005-6 edition of the Cavaliers.  It had better, because LeBron James can be a free agent after next season, and he may need an incentive to keep wearing the wine and gold.

 

JK

 

There were publications that predicted a 2-14 season for the Cleveland Browns in 2005, and after yesterday’s 20-10 victory over the Chicago Bears, the team would have to lose all of their remaining games for those predictions to be accurate.  The Browns will still only win about 6 games this season, but you can see the progress being made in just four games this season.

 

There are no excuses or moral victories for Head Coach Romeo Crennel, just wins that count in the standings.  He takes accountability for the teams record, and expects his players to take responsibility for their performances.  Yes, the Browns have beaten two teams from the woeful NFC North Division, but they did not get blown out by the 5-0 Indianapolis Colts and the came up a couple of big plays short against a Bengals team that is off to a 4-1 start.

 

GM Phil Savage made many personnel decisions, but he didn’t get rid of all of Butch Davis’ people, just the ones he deemed could not play.  Guys like Ben Taylor, Chris Crocker, Aaron Shea, and Steve Heiden, all brought in by the former coach are big contributors on the 2005 Browns.  It also has to be pointed out, and credit given, that Davis traded Quincy Morgan to Dallas to get Antonio Bryant, a very good wide receiver.  The TV announcers, Ron Pitts and Tim Ryan pointed out several times that Trent Dilfer said Bryant is the best wide out he has played with in his long career. 

 

The best thing about the new structure of the team is that the coach is not in charge of the drafting.  No more long snappers taken in the 5th round.  No more projects taken in the 2nd round.  Savage evaluates the talent, brings it in, and let’s Crennel coach it.  There is no more falling in love with a guy and forcing him in the lineup despite indications the guy can’t play (see Morgan, Quincy).  If you can produce, you will play.  If not, you won’t be wearing the brown and orange.

 

With games coming up against the struggling Ravens (isn’t that too bad) and the Lions (another NFC North team), the Browns could be 4-2 in a couple of weeks.  This isn’t a playoff team, but they are on the current path this time.

 

KM