Farewell, EJ, Kenny and Sir Charles

Ah, the end of the broadcast season on TNT. My basketball viewing will drop off significantly, Finals or no.

That's because, like most other people, I tune in TNT on game nights not for the games, necessarily, but for the pre- and postgame shows, and halftime. There's simply no other studio show on TV quite like that of the NBA on TNT.

Simply put, these guys are great: Ernie Johnson, the traffic cop of a host who knows when to enforce the rules and when to let his guys off with just a warning; Kenny Smith, the straight man who has mastered the art of getting in his observation before all hell breaks loose; and Charles Barkley, the most refreshing voice on television, period. Charles is at once someone to be taken seriously for his basketball knowledge, and a comic relief from all the staid and stuffy commentary that takes place on televised sports.

Spencer Hall wrote a great piece about the trio in the June 2 issue of The Sporting News. It captures perfectly the controlled chaos that is the TNT studio set, and provides more than a few laughs. That's because the things he writes are things we can identify with, things similar to what we've seen and heard while watching the show over the years. And it all revolves around Barkley -- as Hall points out in the last few paragraphs by offering a few of Charles' best lines. (Perhaps my favorite, a reference to the constant stream of promos for "The Closer," TNT's hit series: "If I see Kyra Sedgwyck one more time, my head's gonna explode.")

Kelly Dwyer alluded to the same magic in a 2005 article in Sports Illustrated. As Dwyer pointed out, the TNT show is just fun (unlike ESPN's, which he called "depressing"). No pretense, no maliciousness, just fun. And Barkley's blatant honesty, which has rubbed off on Smith. During this year's Cleveland-Boston series, Barkley complained loudly about the Cavaliers' "crappy offense" and Smith quickly, and enthusiastically, agreed.

The key to Barkley's appeal is his total transparency, his willingness to be honest with himself and with others. As Phil Taylor wrote in the June 3 issue of SI, "Part of the reason Barkley gets away with outrageous statements and acts...is because he doesn't deny, deflect or dissemble, like so many other sports figures do when caught in a sticky situation." It's that singular characteristic that makes Barkley so genuine, so believable, and so successful.

Some critics have lamented the guest appearances by Magic Johnson next to TNT's dynamic threesome over the years, but he's clearly grown as a TV commentator, primarily because the TNT format (and personalities) encourage him to simply be himself. He doesn't have to carry the show; he need only fit in. In fact, Magic now comes across as an elder statesman, and his simple insights add to the show's appeal.

I'll be checking in on the rest of the postseason, obviously. But I won't go out of my way to watch the studio shows, which pale in comparison to the lively banter and honest insights of the guys on TNT.

A Snapshot of What Ails the Tribe

The Indians dropped another winnable game Wednesday, this one by a 6-5 score to the White Sox. Patrick McManamon wrote in today's Akron Beacon Journal that Eric Wedge was openly angry with his team after the game, as he should have been.

In addition to Wedge's frustration with reliever Rafael Betancourt -- something with which I have no firsthand knowledge but can't blame him for, either -- the skipper expressed disappointment, and rightfully so, with the final two at bats of the game, by Ben Francisco and Victor Martinez.

With one out in the ninth and runners at second and third, Francisco swung at the first pitch from Sox closer Bobby Jenks. The first pitch! Pop up, two outs.

Then Martinez, long the best hitter on the team, took a low and away pitch. On TV, Rick Manning mused that Jenks would waste another pitch and, if Martinez didn't bite, probably walk him to load the bases and create a force at any base.

He didn't have to. He wasted a pitch, alright -- high and outside, and Martinez bit. Pop fly to left, game over. You had to believe Manning's blood pressure rose a bit, watching that.

Let me issue a bit of a disclaimer here. I've coached sports at various levels for 30 years, most of it with kids. Yes, I've managed baseball teams. But I've never considered myself an expert at it. For that, I've attended seminars, and listened to those who have coached at levels far beyond mine. I also spent a couple of years broadcasting minor league baseball, and had the chance to talk about the game with coaches and players along the way.

One thing I've learned from it all, and tried to convey to teams I coached: When you've got a situation that's in your favor, be smart. Jenks was in trouble. Yes, he's good. But the Indians had the ideal situation. One out. Tying run on third. Winning run on second, in scoring position. Logic dictates that you work the count. Make Jenks throw strikes. Keep him on his heels. Wait for a mistake.

Instead, on three pitches, the game was over. No work. No sweat. No worries. Just, game over.

I was stunned, watching it. I'm sure Manning was stunned. The fans in the stands sure were. As Wedge himself put it, "They swung at pitches you're not going to be able to do anything with." And the Indians took that now customary long walk down the tunnel, while another opponent celebrated a win in a scene becoming all too familiar this season.

It needn't have been that way. But the Indians are shooting themselves in the foot with regularity. And it's mystifying.

I don't envy Wedge or Mark Shapiro right now. Who do you bench? Who do you send packing? What do you do to shake this team out of its lethargy before it's too late?

One is reminded of the two-bit carny hypnotist in "The Natural," who said, "Losing...is a disease."

He later added that it's "curable." For the Tribe's sake, let's hope so.

A Look at the Browns' Offseason Activities

While Clevelanders wring their hands about what Danny Ferry should do next to improve the Cavs, or what Mark Shapiro should do now to improve the Indians, Browns GM Phil Savage has somehow been flying under the radar as he has quietly added some key players to a team with high expectations for next season.

Think about it: You know the Browns are better. But you also haven't been giving it much thought, preoccupied as we all are with the other teams in town. Well, don't look now, but Savage has taken the Browns' newfound status -- and 2008 schedule -- seriously with some shrewd moves.

Start with the most significant of all. Faced with the prospect of losing Derek Anderson and forcing Brady Quinn into the starting role prematurely, Savage preempted other suitors and locked up Anderson with a three-year deal. I wrote about it in my May 16 post. It's a solid move because Anderson responded so well when given the opportunity last season. Nobody expected the Browns to click like they did, and few honestly expected it to be with Anderson at the helm. I know I didn't. When someone steps up and performs the way Anderson did, they deserve the trust and confidence that comes with it. I remain curious about what Quinn will contribute when his time comes, and I suspect it could be very good. But I have a good feeling about Anderson, and am intrigued to see what 2008 will bring.

If signing Anderson was offseason move number 1, then signing Jamal Lewis to a new three-year deal was move 1a. What's not to like? Here's a guy who has rushed for more than 9,000 yards in seven seasons. He's never gained fewer than 900 yards in a season. Doesn't exactly make you long for William Green, does it? Lewis showed up, suited up, and plowed his way to more than 1,300 yards (fifth in the league) and nine touchdowns in his first season in a Browns uniform. Running behind a revamped offensive line, Lewis helped propel the Browns rushing attack to 118 yards a game, tenth in the league. Gone are the days of Browns fans lamenting the lack of a running game.

Suffice it to say that having Anderson and Lewis on board stabilizes an offense that got even stronger with the signing of Donte Stallworth. Here's a legitimate NFL receiver, a complement to Braylon Edwards' emergence as a true number one guy. Joe Jurevicius wanted a reduced role, as his body can no longer withstand the rigors of a starting position. Stallworth's still can, and he's a solid option as the number two wideout, with excellent speed. Opposing defenses will have to pay attention to him, which will open things up for Edwards and Kellen Winslow. Stallworth has his doubters, in part due to reports that he is in the NFL's substance abuse program. CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco has already labeled Stallworth as the Browns' most overrated player -- this without having played a snap in the orange and brown -- because of his "inconsistency." Well, 279 catches and 31 touchdowns over six seasons will fit into the Browns' offense very nicely, I think. And with Jurevicius still around -- not to mention Josh Cribbs -- the receiving corps is that much better.

Shoring up the offense, Savage added Rex Hadnot to an already formidable offensive line. He was a sixth-round pick by the Dolphins in 2004 and has missed only one game in his career, logging time at guard and center. And that's the key. His versatility enables Romeo Crennel to use him at multiple positions on the interior line. That's already become important, because Ryan Tucker went down early with a hip injury that threatens his availability for training camp this summer. The projected line during organized team activity practices this month included Joe Thomas at left tackle, Eric Steinbach at left guard, Hank Fraley at center, Tucker at right guard and Kevin Shaffer at right tackle. The addition of Hadnot, and the offseason re-signings of Seth McKinney and Lennie Friedman, give the Browns veteran depth up front.

On the defensive side of the ball, trades in February and March brought defensive linemen Corey Williams from Green Bay and Shaun Rogers from Detroit. There's no question the duo will immediately upgrade the defensive line. Williams and Rogers had seven sacks apiece last season, and Rogers has recorded 29 sacks in his seven-year career. Williams will likely pair with Robaire Smith on the ends in the Browns 3-4 scheme, while Rogers will share time with Shaun Smith at the nose tackle position. Crennel has said, however, that Rogers may also see time at defensive end.

Continuing to focus on the defense, Savage quickly tried to offset the loss of cornerback Daven Holly to a season-ending injury by signing veteran Terry Cousin to a two-year deal. Cousin has appeared in 156 games, with 68 starts, in 11 NFL seasons. He'll likely backup Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald and see time in the Browns' nickel packages. Cousin's experience includes a Super Bowl XXXVIII appearance with Carolina, one of six teams he played for before signing with Cleveland.

As for the draft, Savage claimed linebacker Beau Bell from UNLV and tight end Martin Rucker from Missouri with his remaining top picks, both fourth-rounders. Bell had 320 tackles during a four-year career at Las Vegas and earned 2007 Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference. He's known as a hard hitter, something the Browns felt was lacking on defense last season. Rucker's numbers improved each year at Missouri, capping off with an All-American season that included 84 catches, 834 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year. He caught 203 passes during his four years with the Tigers.

In all, it's been a productive offseason for the Browns, one that was needed considering the schedule they'll be facing in the fall. Non-division foes include: the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, plus Dallas, Washington, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Tennessee, all of whom finished above .500 last year; Philadelphia, who was 8-8; and Denver and Buffalo, both of whom were 7-9. The Browns were 10-6 a season ago, and the road to that record or better won't be as easy this season. But the new additions to the roster give them a much better chance to enter the ranks of the NFL's elite in 2008.

A Memorable Weekend of Youth Baseball -- and One Organization Doing Something for the African-American Community

A couple of simple observations today, after the Indians' fate was sealed Monday night against the White Sox when they couldn't hold a 3-1 lead in the seventh. (Did you really think they would score any more runs? Were you at all surprised that it was Chicago that pulled it out in the twelfth inning?)

A proud dad, and delighted fan

Over the weekend our youngest son played in a 13-and-under baseball tournament in Alliance. He plays for the traveling team from North Canton. Their most formidable opponent was a big team from Pittsburgh, and, sure enough, the Pittsburgh team outlasted them, 9-8, when they met in pool play.

The two teams met again in the championship game on Sunday. My son was asked to start on the mound, and he put together five solid innings that would make any dad proud. He had done well growing up in Little League, but this is different. The field is bigger, the pitching distance is further, and he hasn't really had his growth spurt yet. So when he was able to hold the strong-hitting Pittsburgh team at bay, it was no small feat, and our guys took a 7-4 lead into the sixth inning.

As they'd done the previous day, Pittsburgh came back to tie it in the bottom of the seventh. And they had a workhorse of a kid on the mound in relief who was throwing heat and looked like he'd be tough to get a hit off of, let alone score against. But in the tenth inning he allowed a couple of walks, then a wild pitch, and after a throwing error and a double by one of our guys, we ended up winning, 10-7. The picture that accompanies this was taken after they won the title game.

Obviously, winning beats the alternative, but I was struck mostly by how talented these two teams were, and by how they played each other down to the wire on consecutive days. Mind you, they're 13 year old kids. But they made plays, got key hits, and kept battling. It was entertaining -- and an enjoyable way to spend a holiday weekend.

I was also reminded of something else. Given the choice of watching millionaires play baseball in the majors, or these kids play on sandlots everywhere like the ones this weekend in Alliance, I'd take the kids any day. There was drama, all-out effort, courage, grit (more than one kid played despite bumps and bruises sustained during the weekend) and good sportsmanship.

That's not to say I don't enjoy the Indians and major league baseball in general. Of course I do. But this was just as entertaining, and just as hotly contested. There's nothing quite like watching people -- kids or otherwise -- playing for the love of the game.

African-Americans and baseball...

Much has been said and written in recent years about the declining number of African-Americans in professional baseball. One of the chief causes is the lack of emphasis on the game in urban areas, where kids typically play basketball, if anything. Programs have been launched in urban communities across America to try to rekindle interest in baseball.

That's why I was impressed over the weekend to again see a couple of teams from Canton in the annual Memorial Day Tournament sponsored by the North Canton Little League. The Canton teams were from the Mitey Mite program, which is operated by the J. Babe Stearn Community Center.

Babe Stearn was a legendary figure and former sheriff in Stark County. More than 50 years ago, Stearn launched the Mitey Mite baseball association in Canton, and over the years it has afforded thousands of kids the chance to learn and play the game. It's similar in many ways to Little League, but a separate entity. The picture featured here is from a Mitey Mite game in the 1960s.

Following my son's final tournament game in Alliance on Sunday, we made it back home in time to see the championship game of the tourney at the North Canton Little League complex. The game paired the North Canton Indians and the Mitey Mite Rangers. It was interesting to observe that the Rangers' roster was made up entirely of African-American players and coaches. Anyone who says that more programs are needed to sustain interest in baseball among African-American children need only to come to Canton to witness the fine work being done by the J. Babe Stearn Community Center and Mitey Mite baseball. Obviously, not all players in the program are African-American, but a large percentage are.

The Rangers fell behind early and, despite a late rally, lost in the championship game, 7-3. But they were competitive, well-coached, and enthusiastic about the game. It was great to see. Congratulations to the Rangers and to all those who are working to rekindle enthusiasm for baseball among the children in Canton, particularly in the African-American community.

The Grandstand Managers Association

Check out my official Grandstand Managers Association membership card for 1973. I still have one from '72, and I'm sure I had them in the years before that. The Grandstand Managers idea was the brainchild of the late Hal Lebovitz, the legendary columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The name was borrowed, I believe, from a famous promotion by Bill Veeck when he owned the St. Louis Browns in the 1950s. All you had to do was send in a coupon that appeared in the PD, and you received your membership card and a general admission ticket for an Indians' game. Hey, tickets were expensive back then -- a whopping $2 for a general admission seat! But we loved it.

This was in old Cleveland Stadium, of course -- the home of the Tribe until they moved to Jacobs Field in 1994. What a cavernous place to watch a ball game. But it was the only stadium most of us knew back in those days -- certainly was for me. It's the only place I saw a major league game until I lived in Southern California in the late '70s and early '80s and took in games at Dodger Stadium and Anaheim Stadium.

I also came across a scorecard from an Indians doubleheader on July 12, 1970. They lost both games to the Red Sox, 6-2 and 8-2. Vada Pinson had a big day for the Tribe, going 2-for-5 in the first game and 3-for-5 in the second. But there wasn't much else to shout about. Tony Horton homered for Cleveland in game one, and Ted Uhlaender followed suit in the nightcap. Carl Yaztrzemski had a hit in each game for Boston.

More significant, to me, were my notes for game two. Remember, I was 13 at the time: "In the first inning Lasher hit Tony C. Yaz went to 2nd. Tony C. charged Lasher, exchanged punches. Both benches emptied. Tempers flared, Tony C. ejected, replaced by Fiore who went to 1st. Yaz to left field, Billy C. to right."

"Tempers flared?" Who did I think I was, Red Smith?

Of course, "Tony C." was Tony Conigliaro, who had an understandably short fuse when it came to beanballs, having been seriously injured when he was struck in the eye by a pitch from the Angels' Jack Hamilton in 1967. Conigliaro, a rising star at the time of that beaning, never achieved the level of stardom that was originally expected of him. So when Fred Lasher nailed him, out to the mound he went.

By the way -- "Billy C." was, of course, Billy Conigliaro, Tony's brother.

And now for some lighthearted fun -- some selected concession prices as listed in that program:

Beer .50
Soft Drink .25
Coffee .20
Peanuts .25
Popcorn .25
Pizza Slice .30
Hot Dogs .40
Hamburger .50

And so on. This was also a time when you could buy cigarettes in the stadium for 60 cents, and a cigar for 15 cents. Smoking was, of course, permitted everywhere.

Reading those prices confirmed one thing: If the Indians ever have a "turn back the clock to 1970" night at Progressive Field, with prices to match, I'm there.

Another Injury - and Memories of the Most Legendary Brown of All

The injury bug bit the Browns in a big way again on Tuesday, when cornerback Daven Holly blew out a knee during a practice at the team's facilities in Berea. Holly was expected to battle for one of the starting cornerback positions this season, but instead will apparently be lost for the year. Reports released Wednesday said Holly jumped for a ball during practice and came down awkwardly on the knee. His injury was the second serious setback for a Browns player in the past week. Right guard Ryan Tucker suffered a hip injury May 14 and had to undergo surgery. He'll miss most, if not all, of training camp, but is expected back in time for the season.

Remembering the glory days...

My brother suggested I post scans and photos from days gone by. There was a time when our dad had a couple of programs from Browns games in their pre-NFL days of the 1940s, when they were the dominant team (and only champion) in the four-season existence of the All-America Football Conference. Those programs may still be around, but we haven't come across them in several years. Maybe in a box somewhere.

Meanwhile, I went back to our old baseball/football card collections to pull out a few gems from the 1960s. The photo on the left is of the 1962 Jim Brown card from Post Cereal, one of an ongoing series issued on the backs of cereal boxes. That was a great idea for the time. We'd buy the cereal just to get the cards. Post did it for several years with baseball, but only 1962 for football. We didn't anticipate at the time that cards like this would ever be worth anything more than the stock they were printed on, so we cut them out with scissors and collected them, nothing more. The ones I still have are all cut unevenly and have rounded corners. Who knew? And who cared? It was Jim Brown, for crying out loud, and that's all that mattered. Look at him. Still the prototype for the NFL running back. 12,000+ yards in nine seasons. Everybody else takes a back seat. (Yes, you can see a cleaner image at the Vintage Football Card Gallery, but their cards obviously weren't mangled and worn with love like ours were. That's just boring.)

These next two cards are cool for different reasons. First is JB's 1964 Philadelphia card, part of a series that featured a hilarious set of player shots from the Browns. For whatever reason, unlike the other teams who appear to have had their shots taken at training camps per usual, the Browns players all had their card photos taken outside next to a parking lot. I'm guessing this might have been outside of Cleveland Stadium, or maybe at their training facility. But that Cadillac convertible (I think that's what it is) behind Brown is in the photo on every card of a Browns player I have from that season. (There's one of linebacker Galen Fiss that just cracks me up. Maybe I'll post it another time.) At any rate, the same season that this card was released, the Browns won the last major professional sports championship by any team from Cleveland, defeating the Colts in the 1964 title game, 27-0. I love Brown in this photo. Where the photographer tried to get guys to use typical football poses (like the one in the card above), you can tell Brown just thought, "Are you kidding? This is a sidewalk, with a car behind me! Just take the stupid photo," and crouched down.

Finally, there's the Jim Brown card from the season that never was. This is his 1966 card, and he never played in the 1966 season. The previous year, he ran for 1,544 yards and 17 TDs and averaged 5.3 yards a carry, leading the league (again) and just missing out on a second straight NFL title (the Browns were toppled by the Green Bay Packers). During the offseason Brown, an aspiring actor at the time, was in London shooting "The Dirty Dozen." The story goes that Brown intended to play at least one more season, although he admittedly had an eye on an acting career. However, when it appeared that the movie's schedule would overlap the start of Browns training camp, owner Art Modell proclaimed that Brown would be fined for every day of training camp that he missed. Bad idea. Never one to have things dictated to him, Brown simply retired, stunning the sports world. He had dominated the NFL for nearly a decade, but he walked away, and that was it. I remember feeling heartbroken at the time. Now, I can't imagine anything cooler. As Brown himself said, the way he went out was preferable to the way so many aging athletes do, "sitting on a bench, limping around, invoking sympathy."

Amazing, what memories a few old cards can invoke. Maybe over time I'll pull out a few other treasures to share.

Hole-y Bats, Batman!

Somebody at CBS Sportsline has been having some fun with the Indians.

In the site's article about last night's 4-1 loss to Chicago, they named Grady Sizemore as Cleveland's "Player of the Game." Sizemore went 0-for-4, but apparently earned the designation by driving in the Tribe's only run. Pretty meager stats, but what's an editor to do these days? The Indians' bats are as silent as a Charlie Chaplin film.

And so it goes in this strange odyssey that is the 2008 season.

Last night it was four hits, one run, and yet another wasted outing by a Cleveland starter. Once again it was C.C. Sabathia, who surrendered only two runs -- both on solo home runs -- in seven innings while striking out eight. The score looked worse because Jensen Lewis blew up in two innings of relief.

The problem with writing a column like this, during seasons like this, is that there's little to say that readers don't already know. Pitching's great. Defense is OK. Hitting stinks. Next?

However, some ominous signs are developing. Jhonny Peralta's on-again, off-again career is apparently in an off-again season. He went .292 with 24 home runs and 78 RBIs in 2005, dropped .257-13-68 in '06, rebounded to .270-21-72 last year, and so far is stumbling along at .225-8-15.

But hey, he should be really good next year.

Travis Hafner has been struggling for so long that it might be time to face facts. Either something's wrong, or he just can't hit like he used to. That's rather hard to fathom after the numbers he put up from 2004 to 2006, when he averaged 34 homers and 111 RBIs while batting over .300 each season. Given that track record, Eric Wedge has to wait for him to try to work out of it -- but how long can Wedge afford to wait?

Peralta and Hafner are symbolic of what ails the entire lineup. There may be no quick fixes, other than to bring Shin-Soo Choo up from Buffalo when he's ready and see if he can team with Ben Francisco to pump some life into the offense. Barring that, GM Mark Shapiro will have to consider a trade or two to overhaul what has become a shockingly anemic attack.

"I know coming up soon we're going to explode," said Sabathia after the game. Well, that was nice of him. Of course, he might also want to add that if "we" don't, "we" can all expect to see him in another uniform next season. It can't be satisfying to lose as many games as Sabathia has over the years because of no run support.

The hitters have to get it done. That's what they're paid to do -- millions of dollars a year, at that. Wedge and the coaching staff can only do so much. It's up to the guys in uniform.