Terrys Talkin about the Cleveland Browns, Johnny Manziel, Cavs coaches, and the Indians CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about the Browns and the mania over Johnny Manziel, the Cavs coaching staff and the Tribe. Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins, Aug. 18, 2014: Johnny Manziel, Brian Hoyer still battle for top spot There was no plot by the Browns to hold back Johnny Manziel. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer ABOUT JOHNNY MANZIEL Imagine being Jimmy Haslam. You know what the drafting of Johnny Manziel has meant to your team. The media no longer dwells on you firing coaches and general managers. The talk is about Manziel, the national attention is on your team that hasnt won more than five games since 2007. Now imagine being team president Alec Schneiner. Since the drafting of Manziel, your ticket sales are up 10 percent from a year ago. The Browns are the No. 3 selling jersey in the NFL, Manziel is No. 1. You are in charge of the business side of the franchise, and the drafting of Manziel has lit a fire under those who care about the Browns. And imagine being Ray Farmer. This was your first draft as general manager. You have a lot invested in Manziel. Who wants to mess up the 22nd pick? This choice wont break a career. But if Manziel becomes a winning NFL quarterback, the man who drafted him will look very good. Finally, imagine being Mike Pettine. You are a rookie head coach. You have taken over a team that has started 11 different opening day quarterbacks since 1999. You have Manziel. Just think what it would mean for your career if Manziel could make an instant impact. Heres the point: The Browns are heavily invested in Manziel being a success. Thats why its so strange when I keep hearing from fans that the Browns were not being fair with Johnny, or they somehow want him to fail. Why would any team want their first-round draft pick to fail? Why would any team want to hold back that player when he could deliver so much in terms of ticket sales and other economic benefits? There is a very basic reason why the Browns picked Brian Hoyer to start the season. Its because they believe Manziel is not prepared to handle being an opening day quarterback -- for now. Thats it, period. There are no hidden agendas. If Manziel thrives, everyone in the Browns front office and coaching staff wins. Fans need to remember that. Im not going to pound on Manziel. I also give the Browns credit for not forcing the issue with him just to placate ESPN and a national fan base that cant wait to see him play. Cleveland Browns FirstEnergy Stadium renovation tour The Browns expect to put more fans in the seats this season...sales are up 10 percent. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF THE BROWNS 1. According to the Browns, they have increased their season ticket base by about 10 percent in each of the last two years. The season ticket base is now very close to whatever number (they keep it secret) they want -- meaning its possible a good year on the field could produce a waiting list for season tickets in 2015. 2. Here is some of the Manziel impact: Single-game tickets were made available to the public on Aug. 12. Within 15 minutes, games against New Orleans and Pittsburgh sold out, including all premium areas. Within 30 minutes, the Browns sold enough single-game tickets to ensure no home TV blackouts. That has been the case every year since the team returned in 1999. 3. The Browns have sold out season suites for 2014 and have only a few left for single games. 4. The average attendance for training camp was 3,364. The previous best was 2,652 -- although it has only been tracked since 2005. The team sold more merchandise in the first four days of workouts than through all of the 2013 camp. 5. Traffic on the team website is up 101 percent from a year ago. Just as there were fans from 40 states coming to training camp, lots of the web viewers were from out-of-state. That also is partly due to Manziel. Day four of Cleveland Browns training camp in Berea Joe Thomas and Alex Mack think the Browns will settle down on offense now that Brian Hoyer knows hes the starter. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer ABOUT QUARTERBACKS AND CONTINUITY Offensive linemen Alex Mack and Joe Thomas said all the smart things about the quarterback competition, but its not hard to realize the two veterans are glad its over. Mack said: Its good to see us choose one guy and run with that. That way you can have one guy get used to the one cadence and stuff. On the other hand, it is good to get a mix of everyone. This is what camp is for – different guys to rotate through and see (and) get used to everyone. Thomas said: Its nice to have consistency in the guy thats taking the snaps with the first team because I think its gives everyone a chance to grow. Thats how you get better. Its difficult switching between guys because you never really gain that consistency between the guys youre playing with. Thomas also explained how the Browns have a new offense, different quarterbacks and a lot of new guys at skilled positions. There is a lot going on. Since coming into the league in 2007, Thomas has played for offensive coordinators Rob Chudzinski (2007-08), Brian Daboll (2009-10), Pat Shurmur (2011), Brad Childress (2012), Norv Turner (2013) and now Kyle Shanahan. The opening day QBs: Charlie Frye (2007), Derek Anderson (2008), Brady Quinn (2009), Jake Delhomme (2010), Colt McCoy (2011), Brandon Weeden (2012-13) and now Hoyer. Mack entered the league in 2009, enduring the same never-ending change. Its why both guys not only appreciate Hoyer being named the starter, but know how clarity is so important after so many years of change. russell wilson.JPG Russell Wilson started 50 college games between his career at North Carolina State and Wisconsin. AP ABOUT QUARTERBACKS AND EXPERIENCE I was looking at the top NFL quarterbacks and how many games they started in college. Manziel was a redshirt as a freshman, then started 26 games the next two seasons at Texas A&M. Thats really not much experience, despite it being in the rugged SEC. Here are some of the NFLs projected starters and the number of college games they started: Russell Wilson (50 games), Andy Dalton (50), Carson Palmer (50), Philip Rivers (49), Colin Kaepernick (48), Chad Henne (47), Eli Manning (45), Jay Cutler (45), Peyton Manning (43), Geno Smith (42), Robert Griffin III (41), Ben Roethlisberger (40), Matt Stafford (39), Andrew Luck (38), Drew Brees (37), Matt Ryan (36), Nick Foles (35), Hoyer (34), Tony Romo (33), E.J. Manuel (32), Sam Bradford (31). So most players have had more college experience than Manziel. Here some exceptions: Cam Newton had only 14 starts for Auburn. He began his career at Florida. Tom Brady had 23 starts over four seasons at Michigan. Joe Flacco was at Pitt for two years and seldom played. He transferred to Delaware and started 26 games. Brandon Weeden started 26 games at Oklahoma State. Ryan Tannehill started only 20 at quarterback after moving from wide receiver at Texas A&M. He was in the program for five years. Matt Cassel was a backup quarterback at USC. Aaron Rodgers started 25 games at Cal-Berkley. Alex Smith started 23 games at Utah. From this list, Newton, Weeden, Tannehill and Flacco were immediate NFL starters. David Blatt David Blatt has filled his coaching staff with former NBA players and NBA head coaches. AP ABOUT THE CAVALIERS COACHES No once can accuse new head coach David Blatt of hiring his friends. All of his coaches have NBA experience. None come from the Euroleague, where Blatt made his reputation coaching Macabbi Tel Aviv. When the Cavs interviewed Blatt, one of the first things he said was they needed a staff that knew the NBA, including former players. Blatt is an unknown to virtually everyone on the roster. With that in mind: 1. Tyronn Lue was named Associate Head Coach after being the job search runner-up. Blatt told me it took about 15 minutes of talking to want Lue on his staff. Lue is among the highest-paid assistants in the NBA, after a respected 11-year on-court career that ended in 2009. Hired before LeBron James returned, he was another positive for the franchise as James considered his options. Kyrie Irving also has developed a strong relationship with Lue, a fellow point guard. 2. Jim Boylan was retained from the previous coaching staff. He has twice been an interim head coach (Milwaukee and Chicago). 3. Former Milwaukee and Atlanta head coach Larry Drew was added to the staff last week. Drew is already in the office. A former player from the 1980s, he remains a workout fanatic. He wont be the strength coach, but his time in the weight room helps build relationships with players. 4. James Posey is only three years removed from the end of his 12-year NBA career. The Twinsburg native paid his dues on the coaching staff of the D-Leagues Canton Charge last season. The Cavs wanted coaches not far removed from their playing career, believing it will help them relate to the younger players. 5. They also retained Phil Handy and Vitaly Potapenko, both of whom work in the player personnel department. Potapenko played center for the Cavs and other teams, and will work with the big men. Handy recently held workouts with Dion Waiters and Irving in Los Angeles. The two guards were joined by some other L.A.-based pros. The new assistants have been traveling all over the country to work out the players. 6. Blatt knows that he has to establish credibility with players. He also knows they would be watching the choices for the coaching staff. Would it be friends from overseas, or guys who can help him learn the nuances of the NBA. His goal was to find the strongest staff, period. The Cavs also kept Bret Brielmaier from the previous coaching staff. 7. The only coach who knew Blatt before this season is Drew. In the summer of 2012, Drew went to Israel to spend time with Blatt and other Euroleague coaches. Drew and Blatt became friends, and thats why Drew turned down some other chances to be an assistant to Blatt. LeBron James, Shawn Marion LeBron James will be joined by Shawn Marion in Cleveland this season. AP ABOUT THE CAVS 1. The Kevin Love trade can finally be announced today. It has become a three-way deal with the Cavs sending Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett to Minnesota. The Cavs draft pick for 2015 (originally belonging to Miami) heads to Philadelphia. Minnesota adds Sixer forward Thaddeus Young to Wiggins and Bennett. 2. At one point, it appeared the Cavs would have to add some of their non-guaranteed contracts of players (such as John Lucas) to make the three-way deal work. But that turned out not to be the case. 3. The Cavs may not formally announce the signing of Shawn Marion until next month. The veteran forward is in the Philippines holding basketball clinics and helping victims from a recent typhoon and the 2013 tsunami. 4. In the short-term, signing Marion offsets the loss of Wiggins. The Cavs not only had Wiggins rated as the top player in the draft, the best choice to improve the sad condition of small forward ever since James left in 2010. Thats why they tried to keep him out of the Love deal. But Minnesota insisted on Wiggins. The Cavs decided keeping Wiggins wasnt worth the cost of losing Love. 5. The 6-foot-8 Marion provides depth at small forward, saving James from big minutes in the regular season. Marion and Love can easily blend in the front court. The problem will be center. Anderson Varejao is expected to start. Tristan Thompson is the other experienced big man. 6. The Cavs now have a lot of experience in the front line with James, Varejao, Love and Marion. Thompson is entering his fourth season. 7. There is 7-foot Brendon Haywood, who missed all last season with foot problems. When healthy, he is a shot-blocker and a solid backup. He has told the Cavs he wants to play. But no one is sure if his foot will allow that to happen. 8. Summer stuff: Matthew Dellavedova is playing for the Australian National Team. James is vacationing with his family in Europe. Blatt is with his family in Israel. Late August is when most players and coaches have their final vacations. Detroit Tigers 6, Cleveland Indians 4 Nick Swisher may end up spending a lot of time as a DH next season. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer ABOUT NICK SWISHER 1. The surgery on both knees supposedly doesnt preclude him from playing the outfield or first base next season. Maybe thats true. But Swisher will be 34 on Nov. 25. When the Tribe signed him before the 2013 season, they thought hed be able to play a few years in the outfield -- and then move to first base. But they also had a hole at first, so they plugged it with Swisher. 2. In the seven seasons before arriving here, he had never played fewer than 148 games and had been on the disabled list only once. That was in 2005, when he had a shoulder injury but still played 131 games. Part of the reason they gave him a four-year deal ($56 million) was his durability. 3. He did play 145 games in 2013. He had some shoulder issues, but knee problems didnt come up until this spring. It explained why he suddenly played so poorly at first base, as if he couldnt bend over. Swisher had arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus in each knee. Thats not as severe as an ACL injury. 4. Nonetheless, were talking about a 34-year-old guy next spring with recent surgery on both knees. Manager Terry Francona mentioned that Swisher will have to work very hard on his rehabilitation not only before spring training, but also on game days to keep his knees strong. 5. For most of his career, Swisher had to do the basics to stay healthy. He was physically gifted and simply had to watch his weight before going out to play. The shoulder became a problem last year. Now, its the knees. 6. What the Indians need to do is find a way to get more mileage out of Swisher. They dont have a regular designated hitter. He could fill that role, and perhaps play the field once or twice a week. Despite his struggles last season, he still led the team with 22 homers. Carlos Santana was next with 20. 7. Swisher was batting .208 with eight homers and 42 RBI when his 2014 season came to an end. Santana has become a good first baseman, much better than how Swisher played the position in the last two years. 8. Fangraphs rates Santana among the top three fielding first baseman in the American League. Not sure I agree with that. But he is pretty good with the glove. Santana has four errors in 65 games at first base. As for Swisher, they rated him No. 13 in the American League -- and that seems about right. Cleveland Indians 6, Baltimore Orioles 0 Zach Walters has five homers for the Tribe this month. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer ABOUT THE TRIBE OUTFIELD 1. The Indians have a history of small deals becoming big deals such as Esmil Rogers for Yan Gomes and Mike Aviles. In the past, this front office traded Eduardo Perez for Asdrubal Cabrera, Ben Broussard for Shin-Soo Choo, Jake Westbrook (at the end of his contract) for Corey Kluber and Casey Blake for Santana. 2. Thats why Im hopeful about the Cabrera/Zach Walters deal, along with Justin Masterson for James Ramsey. Tribe fans have already seen what attracted the team to Walters. He came into the weekend with four homers and six RBI in 35 plate appearances. He also had 13 strikeouts compared to two walks, a .212 batting average. But lets face it, the power is exciting. 3. In Class AAA, he had 47 homers and 139 RBI in 918 plate appearances. He strikes out a lot (229 times) and doesnt walk much (46). He batted .266 (.830 OPS). So there will be some real famine served up with a feast of home runs. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old switch-hitter is a shortstop by trade who can easily play the outfield. Walters gives the team real depth. 4. At Class AAA Columbus, Ramsey is batting .284 (.838 OPS) with two homers and 11 RBI in 74 at-bats. Hes hitting .359 in his last 10 games. He was batting .300 in Class AA when the Tribe acquired him. Ramsey is 24 and considered a good outfielder. 5. Tyler Holt was batting .308 (.817) with two homers and 16 RBI at Columbus. Hes a leadoff man, a speed guy who had 20 steals. He has looked good in the outfield in his brief trial with the Tribe. 6. The outfield starts with All-Star Michael Brantley. Then theres veteran Michael Bourn, although hell be 32 in December and has battled hamstring problems the last two years. Bourn is signed through the 2016 season. 7. Veteran David Murphy was hitting .262 (.708 OPS) with seven homers and 55 RBI when he suffered an oblique injury. Perhaps out for the rest of the season, he has one more year on his contract. So does Ryan Raburn, who is having a miserable season (.191, 3 homers, 21 RBI). 8. My point is the outfield finally has some depth. Odds are between Raburn, Murphy, Swisher and Bourn, more than one will be injured. But Walters, Holt and Ramsey are real possibilities. Its about time, because the Tribe hasnt had outfield depth for years. 9. The reason the Indians over-paid for Swisher and Bourn was the lack of outfielders and first basemen in the farm system. Jesus Aguilar is batting .293 (.867 OPS) with 16 homers and 68 RBI at Columbus. Hes a first baseman. 10. Ive heard whispers about the Tribe considering Lonnie Chisenhall and/or Jason Kipnis as outfielders next spring. Not sure if that happens, but they could be other possibilities. Cleveland Indians Pre-Game Activitites, May 31, 2014 At the age of 38, Scott Atchison has revived his career with the Tribe. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer ABOUT THE TRIBE 1. Scott Atchison was wise to sign that $900,000 deal for 2015. Hes 38, and was signed to a minor-league contract last spring. He was on the disabled list three times in the previous two seasons (2012-13). Hes 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA for the Tribe. He believes Terry Francona knows how best to use him, and the Tribes training staff has kept him healthy. 2. A year ago, Justin Masterson (14-10, 3.45 ERA) and Ubaldo Jimenez (13-9, 3.30 ERA) were the teams top two starters. Masterson is a combined 6-7 with a 5.64 ERA this season, Jimenez (4-9, 4.83) has been put in the bullpen by Baltimore. 3. The former Indian who has thrived is Scott Kazmir, now 14-5 with a 2.74 ERA. This is the best year of his career, even better than his early days of throwing 95 mph in Tampa Bay. He has never won 14 games before, never had an ERA this low. He was 10-9 for a 4.04 ERA for the Tribe last year. 4. The Arizona Rookie League is a galaxy away from the big leagues. But its fun to look at some of the young players. Last week, I raved about first baseman Bobby Bradley, and the 18-year-old continues to crush the ball: .374 (1.125 OPS), 6 HR, 47 RBI in 139 at-bats. This week, I mention Yu-Cheng Chang. Hes from Taiwan and was signed for $500,000. He turned 19 on Aug. 18. In his first pro season, the shortstop is hitting .343 (1.021 OPS) with six homers in 143 at-bats. Tribe scouts swoon over these two prospects. 5. In a story from a night watching Class A Lake County, I raved about Mitch Brown. He continues to pitch well. Brown started 0-5 with a 6.87 ERA. Since then, hes 6-3, 2.74. The Tribes second-round pick in the 2012 draft, the right-hander is 20 years old. 6. Remember when the Tribe cut Jeff Francoeur in training camp? He made it briefly back to the majors with San Diego, but was only 2-of-24. He is batting .293 (.778 OPS) with 15 homers and 68 RBI in Class AAA. 7. Im intrigued by T.J. House (2-3, 3.80 ERA). The Indians really need a lefty starter. He throws strikes and at the age of 24, seems to be figuring out how to pitch.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 16:31:07 +0000
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