April 5, 2010; Game 1: Cleveland Indians (0-0) at Chicago White Sox (0-0) – White Sox 6, Tribe 0

It didn’t take long for the White Sox to get to Jake Westbrook today. Westbrook retired the first two batters in the first inning before giving up a double and homerun on back to back pitches before getting out of the 1^st inning. Unfortunately, that’s all the Sox needed to get past a lethargic Tribe offense that managed only four hits. The Indians probably asked a little too much out of Jake today, but to be honest; he’s probably also their best option. Today was Westbrook’s first start in almost two years and he looked a little….. rusty. The Indians are going to need Westbrook to do two things this year: eat innings and throw strikes and he did neither of those today. His final line was 4.0+ innings pitched 5 ER, 5 hits and 4 walks with only 1 strike out on 92 pitches; only 47 of which were strikes. Oh, and he only threw 4 wild pitches, which ties an Indian record. Needless to say, this is one that Jake would like to forget about. Aaron Laffey relieved Westbrook with no outs and the bases loaded in the 5^th inning, allowing one inherited runner to score on a timely double play. Laffey pitched two scoreless innings of relief, Jensen Lewis threw one and Tony Sipp pitched the 8^th giving up a solo shot to Alex Rios.

Chuck's Prediction

The Cleveland Indians enter the 2010 season with virtually no expectations on them.  The wounds from 2007 are still somewhat fresh if only for the fact that the core is gone; the run is done.  The heart of the team that nearly made the playoffs in 2005 and was within one game of their first World Series since ’97 are starting the season playing for new teams (two of which are now with the evil empires of Boston and New York).  The end seemed to sneak up on us; but as of last July 31^st, the Indians have officially packed it in on 2010. Financially strapped, the Indians were forced to make moves which, in the case of Victor Martinez, broke the heart of many fans (me included).  But, fortunately for us, they still have to play the games.  The Indians are young, but not that young.  They’re bad, but maybe not that bad.  They are a team full of question marks.  Is Hafner healthy enough for a full season?  Can Westbrook and Sizemore rebound from injuries?  Are Choo and Cabrera for real?  Is Jhonny Peralta still a resident of this planet?  Can we FINALLY have a decent bullpen in an even year?  I can’t answer all of these questions; quite frankly, I don’t even know if Jhonny knows where he is sometimes, or if he even cares.  But I think that some of these questions will be answered pretty early on in the season. 

On paper, the 2010 Cleveland Indians do not look like a team built to compete for a pennant and frankly they are not.  Three of the five members of their starting rotation break camp on a major league rotation for the first time in their career.  The combined innings pitched from these three (346) are only approximately 1 ½ years worth from an average starting pitcher.  They start the season with a 22 year old left fielder that has only played one season at AAA or above.  Due to the injury to Kerry Wood, Chris Perez will open as their closer; something he has never done before.  Lou Marson is not only asked to be an everyday MLB catcher for the first time, but also to manage an inexperienced pitching staff.  Finally, four of the nine members of their starting lineup have never opened a major league season on a major league roster.

But maybe they aren’t that bad.  They have one of the best players (and possibly the best centerfielder) in all of baseball in Grady Sizemore.  They have a right fielder that seems to be the real deal in Shin-Soo Choo.  They have two starting pitchers and four relief pitchers that have experienced success (and not that long ago: Carmona, Westbrook, Smith, Wood, Lewis and Rafael Perez).  They also are playing with no pressure and for a manager who seems to exude both confidence and excitement.  So here are my top five reasons why I think this year’s Cleveland Indians team gives their fans reason to believe.

Photo: Associated Press

It seems that the Cavaliers never really had a chance in this one, because they were the victims of some of the worst officiating I have witnessed in my entire life. Monty McCutchen and his crew stripped the Cavaliers of an opportunity to knock off the Celtics for a second time on their home floor. Give the Cavaliers credit for not phoning it in down 22 with their head coach ejected and the entire team thoroughly upset. LeBron James never believed the game was out of reach, and his body language and actions showed that. James’s 42-point contribution was in a losing effort, but it is crystal clear that the Cavaliers are no longer afraid of the Boston Celtics and their tired, grumpy, cocky act. Luckily for Cleveland, the San Antonio Spurs helped the wine and gold out by smoking the Lakers and thus wrapping up home court throughout the playoffs for the Cavaliers. Once again, the road to The Larry O’ Brien Trophy runs smack dab through Quicken Loans Arena, and this time, the Cavs are determined to not let that slip away from them.

Without Shaq and Andy today, the Cleveland frontcourt finally succumbed to a team where you cannot get away with a lack of physical play underneath. The Celtics’ gameplan was to get plenty of touches for Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins and it gave Boston the early advantage. Add in the fact that Rajon Rondo continues to own Mo Williams and Boston was flying high in the first quarter with plus 50% shooting. Anthony Parker extended his longest slump as a Cavalier by providing little defensive resistance on sharpshooter Ray Allen. Allen had one of his best games of the season, dropping in 33 points and lifting Boston to a win that they needed much more than the Cavs.

Photo: Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer

You don’t even have to look at the calendar; you can just tell that the Cavaliers have an entirely different attitude in the final lap of the regular season. For the second straight game, the Cavs faced a potential second round opponent, and once again, the team finished strong in the final minutes to pull out a tight victory. Tonight, it was Cleveland’s domination of the boards and the fourth quarter freeze they placed on the Hawks for the third straight meeting this year that took them to win number sixty. In addition to reaching the sixty win mark, the wine and gold also clinched homecourt throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs with help from San Antonio beating the Magic tonight. The magic number for the number one overall seed is now just one with two chances to clinch it on Sunday afternoon.

Without arguably their top two rebounding presences, one would figure the Cavs were in trouble down low against the athletic, physical, offensive rebound-minded Hawks. But, the Cavaliers have had each other’s backs all season long, so J.J. Hickson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas really answered the call for their injured fellow big men in this one. Hickson posted a career-high 16 rebounds to go with his 8 points and 2 blocks, while Z had 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists in 27 minutes. I mention the minutes, because many, myself included, surmised that the big guy would be playing about half of those minutes against the fast-pace driven Hawks. Instead, Z played within himself and gave the Cavaliers some seriously productive minutes. Let’s not overlook LeBron James’s rebounding display, grabbing 13 of his own. In all, the rebounding numbers were in Cleveland’s favor by a shocking 55-36. The Cavs also picked up 14 offensive boards with half of them coming from Hickson.

Photo: Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

In what could be a preview of a 2nd round playoff match-up, the Cavs got help from video replay to seal their victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavs and the Bucks were involved in a grind it out game all night. Cleveland had a problem stopping John Salmons most of the game, but the Cavs forced Salmons to turn the ball over in the final minute when it counted most.

Jackson back in the Q and Injuries- Former Cavalier Darnell Jackson returned to the Q for the first time since he had been waived by the Cavaliers to make room for Z; the Milwaukee Bucks claimed Jackson off of waivers. The Cavaliers were without energy man Andy Varejao as he continues to rest his hamstring, and center Shaquille O'Neal was out as he continues to rehab his thumb. The Bucks were without Carlos Delfino (neck injury) and Michael Redd, who is out for the season.

Salmons Gets Going - John Salmons has been a terrific addition to the Bucks lineup, and he continued to play well in this game. Salmons got the Bucks started early; Salmons had 11 points in the 1st quarter on 4 of 5 shooting. Three of those baskets were layups and were uncontested. Much of Salmons's early success can be attributed to Anthony Parker's poor defense. Parker seemed to be wearing cement shoes; Parker's play is starting to become a growing concern... more on that later.

Mo Asserts Himself - Mo Williams must listen to the media because lately there has been much chatter about Mo not producing. In this game, Mo came out and was aggressive. Mo scored 7 1st quarter points and looked to push the ball early. Mo has recently lost some of his scoring opportunities to the addition of Antwan Jamison, but Mo needs to continue to play like he did in this game because he may be the X-factor to the Cavaliers winning it all.

Quick Fouls - The big names in this game were on the bench early in foul trouble. The Bucks rookie point guard, Brandon Jennings, picked up his 2nd foul four and a half minutes into the game and sat on the bench for over 12 minutes after that. LeBron James also picked up his 2nd foul early. LeBron committed his 2nd foul with 5:58 remaining in the 1st quarter but only sat until the start of the 2nd quarter.

Photo: Scott Shaw/The Plain Dealer

One of the most touching moments in my Cavalier fanhood came Sunday afternoon when the Quicken Loans Arena crowd welcomed their franchise center home from a six week absence with a Z-themed spectacle. The hoopla for Zydrunas Ilgauskas, including an intro tacked on the end of the starting lineup, Z posters, a tribute video, and Z-themed intros for his teammates (Zebron James and J.J. Zickson for exzample), was well-deserved if a little bit over the top. Nearly lost in all this was a basketball game, one where the Cavaliers battled a short-handed Sacramento lottery team that was missing its best player in rookie Tyreke Evans and several key contributors. Missing their bench sparkplug, it was up to Cleveland's top two scorers to bring home the proverbial bacon. The win lowers the magic number for homecourt throughout the postseason to just five with eight games remaining.

With fifty losses already this year, the Kings were in even worse shape with only seven healthy bodies by the end of the game. Evans, Francisco Garcia, Jonathon Brockman, Sean May, and Spencer Hawes were already out when Dominic McGuire left due to injury after just five minutes. Luckily for the 'Mentos, the players they did have performed above their regular levels. Exhibit A is Beno Udrih, who registered a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists in playing all 48 minutes, one of two players to do so (Jason Thompson). Andres Nocioni, a classic pest in countless matchups against Cleveland when he was a Bull, had 21 bench points as well. The other noteworthy performances for Sac-town were a double-double for Jason Thompson (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Carl Landry (17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists). What the Kings did have was an excess of athletic players, especially big guys like Thompson and Landry, and it allowed them to beat the Cavaliers in transition on multiple occasions in the second and third quarters. The obvious issue was the lack of a closer, which the Cavaliers definitely had.

Photo: AP

I'm going to preface this article with the admission that I was less than intrigued by this game due to the fact of my heart being ripped out by the Buckeyes, but I will do my best.

You had a feeling it was coming, it was necessary, but you didn't really want it in this particular game. The San Antonio Spurs played much like they did on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The difference, you ask? They finished this game, pressured LeBron James, and made their free throws for their 43rd win of the season. Meanwhile, the Cavs shot well and got great contributions from their frontcourt, but their backcourt struggled and they missed their free throws, leading to loss number 16. It ends the Cavs' eight game win streak, but the Lakers' loss in Oklahoma City decreases the Cavalier magic number to homecourt throughout to just six.

Photo: Neal C. Lauron/Columbus Dispatch

"In the blinking of an eye, that moment's gone..."

The 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes' one shining moment has come and gone all too soon, done in by a tough matchup for them in the transition-heavy, deep, quick Volunteers and an atrocious defensive gameplan. Coach Thad Matta rested his hopes of winning on a 1-3-1 zone that the Bucks have used quite a bit this year, but it backfired relentlessly, allowing Tennessee to own the paint with 50 points there and 20 offensive rebounds. The officials had a role in this one crippling the Buckeyes, but Ohio State did themselves in with lack of team play, matador defense, and just not enough effort.

In the opening minutes, things looked positively great for the scarlet and gray. They got a couple of buckets right at the rim, and their first seven offensive possessions were nearly flawless, scoring on six of them. From that point, though, the Buckeyes never found their comfort zone again. The officiating crew, who in medieval times might be hanged for their role in this one, took David Lighty out of the game with two incredibly cheap fouls, including one where I'm pretty sure there was similar contact on every single play the whole night. I'm referring to the over-the-back foul Lighty picked up for his 2nd foul at the 13:44 mark against Brian Williams, his second in 23 seconds. That forced the Bucks' defensive leader to sit for the remainder of the first half and pressed Jeremie Simmons into the fray. To his credit, Simmons actually did a solid job, knocking down 3-of-4 three pointers for 9 points, but there's no question that Lighty sitting affected the Bucks' defense, and it kept Lighty out of the flow of the game, from which he and the team never recovered. Lighty finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 26 minutes. With the way things were going and the Buckeyes still tightly contesting the Vols, I feel it was alright to sit Lighty, but at times, like a single elimination tournament, you have to gamble and bring Lighty back in. After all, he only picked up one second half foul.

Photo: Bill Haber/AP

On a day where the Cavaliers welcomed their franchise center back into game action, the Cavaliers continued business as usual, dispatching of the Hornets in New Orleans for the first time since 2006, ending their longest win drought in any NBA arena. They won their eight straight thanks to a highly-efficient scoring night from LeBron James, a forceful statement game from J.J. Hickson, and 57% shooting on the road, which is almost always good enough for a W. Coupled with Orlando's loss to Atlanta, tonight's win decreases the magic number to Eastern Conference homecourt to four, and the overall magic number is down to seven.

The Hornets are fighting a losing battle in regards to making the playoffs, largely due to missing their All-Star Chris Paul for several weeks. Paul returned Monday night, but in his second game back, he was largely held in check (5 points, 7 assists in 31 minutes). New Orleans's top two scorers were the same as the last matchup: Matt Thornton and Darren Collison. Thornton had 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, down from his career-high 37 last time, and Collison added 17, 4 boards, and 7 assists, also lower than his 22 a month ago.

Photo: Morry Gash/AP

Against one of the largest frontcourts they've faced all season, Ohio State played their way through an incredibly slow start and showed their experience in eliminating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, marching on to the Sweet 16 next week. They are going to St. Louis because their star Evan Turner returned to form and carried them through the first half, sharpshooter Jon Diebler is having some of his best games all year in this tournament, and David Lighty continues to be the veteran leader and defensive glove of this squad.

Icicles on the rims: Ohio State's a team that shoots it at about 49%, so it was shocking to see them come out shooting so frigid after a 41% game against UCSB. The Buckeyes hit just 1 of their first 8 shots over the first 7:46 of the game and did not score until the 17:03 mark. Fortunately for them, Tech was having their own issues and were only up 10-2. Georgia Tech started in full court pressure after seeing that it had pestered Evan Turner to a point in the previous game, and the Bucks responded by turning it over four times in the first four minutes.