The Ohio State University announced yesterday that sophomore guard Jordan Sibert and sophomore forward J.D. Weatherspoon have elected to transfer.

Sibert started the 2011-12 season as Ohio State’s sixth man -- coming off the bench in place of Lenzelle Smith, Jr. to provide a spark offensively. Unfortunately Sibert struggled with his shot, shooting just 30% from the field while averaging just three points a game. After seeing significant minutes through Ohio State’s first 17 games, Sibert was relegated to mop-up duty in favor of Sam Thompson shortly after conference play began.

"I've decided to transfer after discussing my future goals with family and my coaches," Sibert said. "I would like to find a school where I can make an impact on the court. I will miss my teammates, my coaches and the fans. I will always be a Buckeye."

Weatherspoon saw very little playing time last season, only notching 10+ minutes in five of Ohio State’s most severe blowouts of the year. The high-flying forward averaged three points and and one rebound a game while shooting almost 60% during his tenure at Ohio State.

"J.D. has done everything we've asked," Matta said. "I can relate to a young man's desire to play. I was in his shoes during my collegiate career. His teammates and our staff appreciate the hard work J.D. has put in to make our team better. We wish him nothing but the best."

The transfers leave Ohio State with just nine scholarship players remaining on the team.

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Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B-COL: 3-5, HR (4), 2 2B, 2 RBI, R

Gotta be honest...I'm starting to get sick of writing about Chisenhall in this space. He picked on former Rockie Jeff Francis again last night, collecting all three of his hits off of the southpaw. He's up to .380/.404/.720 on the season, with an out of this world 1.124 OPS. In his last 4 games, Chiz is 9-18 with a HR and 4 2B. He has 2 or more hits in 6 of his last 7, and is 14-31 with 3 HR in that timeframe. In 18 AB against LHP in Columbus this year, he's hitting .389/.389/.833 with 2 HR and 2 2B. Listen, I like Jack Hannahan as much as anyone; he's an amazing fielder (despite having booted a couple of balls already this year) and a great story, but Chisenhall is definitely the future at the hot corner, and you're going to have a pretty difficult time convicing me that he's not the present as well. He's collected 517 at bats above AA, and at some point if you want him to prove that he can hit major league pitching...well, he's going to have to hit against major league pitching (apologies to former 17-game winner Jeff Francis). If the Indians are serious about contending for a playoff spot this year, then Chisenhall needs to be in the lineup. He represents their best chance to win now, as well as in the future.

• Trevor Crowe, LF-COL: 3-4, 3B, 2B, RBI, R, K, CS. I'm also sick of writing about Crowe, but for a different reason. Hopefully some other team in dire need of an OF is fooled by this hot start and offers the Indians something of value for Crowe.
• Justin Toole, SS-COL: 2-4, 2B, RBI, K. Toole was in A ball late last week, and is now hitting .500 (4-8) with a 2B and 2 RBI for AAA Columbus.
• Bryce Stowell, RP-AKR: W (1-0), 3 IP, 2 H, 7 K. Don't look now, but Stowell is sounding an awful lot like the guy who took the system by storm back in 2010. He's thrown 5 innings on the season without allowing a run while striking out 11, walking none and has given up just two hits.
• Cody Allen, RP-AKR: 2 IP, H, 2 K. Called up from Carolina, Allen is unphased by Eastern League hitters so far. Between the two levels he's thrown 8 innings, struck out 12 and allowed just one hit.
• Chun Chen, 1B-AKR: 3-4, 2B, R. Chen has been off to a bit of a slow start at the dish, hitting just .250/.385/.313. Not sure if the position change has anything to do with it, but he's now played 6 games at 1B, DH'd twice and been behind the plate just once.
• Adam Abraham, 1B-AKR: 2-3, BB, 2 R. Abraham is 3-6 in his last two games after opening the season 1-12.
• Jared Goedert, LF-AKR: 2-4, R, K. Goedert has hit in 7 straight for Akron, and is 11-24 in that timeframe. With the Indians issues in the outfield, they're trying him in LF to see if he can hit his way to the bigs.
• Roberto Perez, C-AKR: 1-4, K. Perez gunned down Orioles top prospect Manny Machado attempting to steal 2B. You don't run on Roberto.
• Tyler Holt, CF-CAR: 2-4, 2B, R, CS. Holt has cooled off a little, but is still hitting .389/.463/.556 with a pair of doubles and a pair of triples on the year. Holt is repeating the high-A Carolina League, and is showing that he wants to be in Akron sooner rather than later with his early-season performance.
• Jeremie Tice, 1B-CAR: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI. Tice has hits in 4 of his last 5 games, and has been on base at least once in every game he has started for the Mudcats this season.
• Felix Sterling, SP-LCC: 6 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 3 BB. Three solid starts for Sterling to open the season, and three no-decisions. He's thrown 16 innings on the year and has a 2.81 ERA, 14 K and 6 BB.
• Alex Monsalve, C-LCC: 1-2, HR (2), RBI, 2 BB, R. Monsalve is 5-12 in his last 3 games, and is hitting a solid .270/.426/.486 overall for the Captains.
• Jordan Smith, RF-LCC: 1-4, 3B, R. ll Jordan Smith does is hit. He has at least one knock in every game he's played in this season, and is up to .323/.344/.581 overall for the Captains. His future is up in the air defensively, but there are fewer and fewer questions about his bat every day.
• Robel Garcia, 2B-LCC: 2-4, RBI. Garcia is young, talented and RAW. He's hitting just .195/.233/.220 on the season for the Captains with 14 K and one walk, but he's going to get an opprtunity to play every day because his ceiling as a player is so high. He turned 19 just a few weeks ago, so some struggles in the Midwest League can be expected.  

Week 1: Philadelphia Eagles - Sunday, Sept. 9 - 1 pm

Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals - Sunday, Sept. 16 - 1 pm

Week 3: Buffalo Bills - Sunday, Sept. 23 - 1 pm

Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens - Thursday, Sept. 27 - 8:20 pm

Week 5: at New York Giants - Sunday, Oct. 7 - 1 pm

Week 6: Cincinnati Bengals - Sunday, Oct. 14 - 1 pm

Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts - Sunday, Oct. 21 - 1 pm

Week 8: San Diego Chargers - Sunday, Oct. 28 - 1 pm

Week 9: Baltimore Ravens - Sunday, Nov. 4 - 1 pm

Week 10: BYE

Week 11: at Dallas Cowboys - Sunday, Nov. 18 - 1 pm

Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday, Nov. 25 - 1 pm

Week 13: at Oakland Raiders - Sunday, Dec. 2 - 4:15 pm

Week 14: Kansas City Chiefs - Sunday, Dec. 9 - 1 pm

Week 15: Washington Redskins - Sunday, Dec. 16 - 1 pm

Week 16: at Denver Broncos - Sunday, Dec. 23 - 4:05 pm

Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers - Sunday, Dec. 30 - 1 pm

It is impossible and stupid to extrapolate teams' 2011 performance to the 2012 season, but it appears that the easier portion of the Browns' schedule is earlier in the season.  Before the Week 10 bye (a late bye this year), Cleveland has 5 home games and plays some of the more "beatable" teams like the Bengals, Bills, and Colts.

Logically, there is little chance that this year's Browns team will be as bad as 2011.  They lost practically nothing, and have at least 3 picks in the Top 37 to shore up some weaknesses.  And as bad as they were last season, their young Defense was solid and they could have easily won 9 of the 12 games they lost, including 5 of the 6 they lost in the division.

Naturally, that means nothing.

Going through game by game is almost the definition of uselessness, but if teams stay about as good as they were last year (which injuries and player losses/acquisitions laughs at), it feels like about a 6 win season.  This may or may not change after the draft.

Anyway, plenty of 1 pm games this year, so lots of chances to enjoy morning Bloody Marys.  It's usually safe to assume they'll be needed.

Luigi Rodriguez, CF-LCC: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R, 3 SB

Rodriguez has true leadoff hitter potential, as he has an above-average hit tool, a solid approach and is a true burner with 70-grade speed. He's not yet an elite baserunner, but his speed allows him to outrun most mistakes that he makes on the basepaths. The converted 2B has the potential to be an above-average defender in CF, but still needs plenty more reps in the OF in order to improve his reads and instincts. He's hit in 8 of the 9 games he's played in for the Captains so far, and is hitting an impressive .368/.419/.533 on the season. Most of the SLG is going to come from doubles and triples, as he has below-average power. He's already hit three doubles and a pair of triples this season, and is 4-6 in stolen base attempts so far this year. He's an exciting prospect, and will be a fun guy to follow through the system. He's still just 19 years old, so we're talking about a kid who's still pretty far from the majors but is finding success in what is traditionally a difficuly league for hitters.

Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 2-5, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R

Lavisky got off to a slow start for low-A Lake County last year, and hit just .207/.251/.391 with 8 HR in 49 games for the Captains. Moved down to short season Mahoning Valley when the New York-Penn League got underway in June, Lavisky had similar struggles with the Scrappers, hitting .201/.276/.328 in 68 games. The Indians were aggressive with the young catcher, assigning him to the Midwest League straight out of high school, and despide his struggles at the plate Lavisky recieved solid marks for his defense. Early in 2012, he's showing signs that his 2011 season is going to be just a memory, as he's hitting .323/.313/.581 for the Captains. He has at least one hit in 6 of the 7 games he's played in, has driven in 10 runs and socked 6 extra base hits. On the concerning side is his 8/0 K/BB ratio, but as long as he's hitting .300 with power, I don't think his walk rate is the most important thing in the world. He still projects to be a power hitting catcher with plus defense (think Jason Varitek with a better arm), and remains one of the top prospects in the organization.

• Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B-COL: 2-4, 2 2B, BB, R. Chiz has hits in 8 of the Clippers 11 games so far this year, and is hitting a robust .333/.362/.600. He even picked up his 2nd walk of the season yesterday.
• Beau Mills, 1B-COL: 1-3, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 BB, R. Mills popped his 1st HR of the season yesterday, and is hitting .278/.350/.444 in 7 games for the Clippers.
• Cord Phelps, 2B-COL: 1-5, 1B. Phelps has a 9-game hitting streak going, and is 15-41 over that timeframe. Overall, he's hitting .349/.391/.488 on the season, the 2nd straight year he's gotten off to a hot start in AAA.
• Trevor Crowe, CF-COL: 3-4, 2 2B, R, K. Crowe has been red-hot for the Clippers, hitting .429/.529/.750 on the young season with a pair of HR and 6 RBI in 9 games.
• Justin Toole, SS-COL: 2-3, RBI. Toole was called all the way up to Columbus on the 14th, and picked up a pair of hits and an RBI while playing SS yesterday.
• Eric Berger, SP-AKR: L (0-2), 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 4 K. A much better start for Berger this time out, but he still ended up with the loss. He has 9 K and walked one in 9 IP in his two starts for the Aeros.
• Rob Bryson, RP-AKR: 2 IP, 2 K, 2 BB. Bryson has just a single earned run in three appearances with the Aeros, and has struck out 10 and walked 3 while allowing just 2 hits in 5 1/3 IP.
• Jared Goedert, 3B-AKR: 2-4, 2B, R. Goedert scored the only run that the Aeros managed to push across yesterday, and has hit in 6 straight games. Overall, he's hitting .355/.459/.548.
• Roberto Perez, C-AKR: 2-4, 2 1B, 2 K. Perez also picked a runner off 1B. He's hitting .231/.259/.346 with a HR, all while providing elite defense behind the plate.
• T.J. House, SP-CAR: 6 IP, 4 R (0 ER), 4 H, 8 K, BB. Another outstanding start for House, although his defense did let him down to the tune of 4 unearned runs. He's now struck out 17 and walked just two in 13 innings of work this season.
• Jake Lowery, C-CAR: 2-4, R, 2 K.  Lowery has hits in 8 of 9 games this season for the Mudcats, and has been on base at least once in all 9. He's 12 for his last 27, and is hitting .382/.447/.559 overall in his first taste of full-season ball.
• Ronny Rodriguez, SS-CAR: 1-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, R. Rodriguez popped his 1st HR of the season yesterday, and is hitting .259/.333/.481 in 8 games for the Mudcats.
• Anthony Gallas, LF-CAR: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, K. The local product has only appeared in 5 games for the Mudcats, but is hitting a solid .267/.353/.600 with 3 2B and a 3B.
• Jeremie Tice, 1B-CAR: 1-3, HR (1), RBI, BB, 3 R. Tice, out of the College of Charleston, is hitting .207/.361/.414 for Carolina.
• Patrick Tolentino, C-LCC: 1-1, HR (1), 2 RBI, R. Tolentino's 1st at-bat outside of the complex leagues was a pinch-hit home run in yesterday afternoon's crazy 22-12 loss. Congratulations!
• Jordan Smith, RF-LCC: 3-5, HR (1), 3B, 2 RBI, BB, 3 R. A full stat sheet for Smith, who finally managed his 1st professional HR after not hitting one in Mahoning Valley last season. He's hitting an impressive .333/.357/.556 overall, and has a hit in all 6 games that he's started for the Captains.

Tim Fedroff, CF-AKR: 2-4, 2 2B, R, K.

After reaching Columbus in the 2nd half of last season, Fedroff was assigned back to AA Akron to start of 2012. He's doing his best to show the Indians front office that they made a mistake, as he's hitting an eye-popping .500/.621/.636 in six games for the Aeros. Fedroff has hits in every game so far this season, and has already recorded a pair of 3-hit games. He led the Eastern League in hitting last year in his time at Akron, and seems poised to do so again if he's not moved up to Columbus soon. The OF situation in Columbus is crowded, but it is crowded with AAAA players who are pretty much known quantities at this point. Fedroff is still a prospect. He's a bit of a tweener in that his bat isn't considered powerful enough to play in a corner OF spot and he's not quite a good enough defender to consistently handle CF at the big league level, so he's never been considered a top guy in the organization. But all this kid does is hit, and at some point he's earned a chance to prove himself at a higher level. He's a career .293 hitter in over 1400 minor league at bats, and I'd much rather see what he can do against AAA pitching than say, Chad Huffman.

• Scott Barnes, SP-COL: L (0-1), 5 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 6 K. Barnes still managed to miss bats last night, but didn't have very good control, walking 4 in just 5 IP.
• C.C. Lee, RP-COL: 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 K. Lee has now recorded 8 K in 5 1/3 innings of work for the Cippers. The only runs he's allowed came on a 2-run HR back on April 8.
• Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B-COL: 2-4, 2 1B. Chiz is now 12-36 (.333) on the season, but still has just 1 walk against 6 K. One of the reasons he didn't start 2012 with the Indians was his plate discipline, and he hasn't really been showing that he's improved that aspect of his game just yet.
• Steven Wright, SP-AKR: W (1-1), 5 2/3 IP, ER, 2 H, 7 K, 4 BB. Wright's knuckler was clearly knuckling last night as he recorded an impressive 7 strikeouts in less than 6 innings of work. In his 2 starts this year, Wright has thrown 11 1/3 innings and allowed just 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 12 and walking 6.
• Nick Weglarz, DH-AKR: 2-4, RBI, K. He's on fire! Weglarz went from hitting .000 to hitting .136 with three hits in his past two games. Again, Wegz has always been a slow starter, and I remain convinced that he's going to hit.
• Jared Goedert, LF-AKR: 2-4, 2 1B, K. Goedert is hitting .308/.438/.385 for the Aeros in the early going, and is 6 for his last 15. The power has yet to show up though, as the slugger has just 2 XBH on the season (both doubles).
• Mike Rayl, SP-CAR: L (0-2), 7 IP, ER, 2 H, 5 K, BB. Rayl just wasn't good enough to win last night. He threw 7 innings of one-run ball, and has now registered 10 K in 11 innings of work for the Mudcats this season.
• Tyler Holt, CF-CAR: 2-4, 2 1B, 2 K. Holt's BABIP was a perfect 1.000 last night. He's cooling off a little after a sizzling start, but is still hitting an impressive .393/.469/.571 in 7 games for the Mudcats. Last night's 2-4 effort snapped a 7 AB hitless streak, his longest of the season.
• Jesus Aguilar, 1B-CAR: 1-3, 1B, BB. In a night where hits were hard to come by, Aguilar managed to get on base twice. He's collected at least one hit in all but one game so far this year, and is hitting an impressive .407/.467/.630. More importantly, he has 3 walks and just 3 strikeouts, showing an improved approach from last season.
• Jake Lowery, C-CAR: 1-4, 1B, 2 K. Like Aguilar, Lowery has hit in all but 1 Mudcat game this season. He's at .346/.414/.538 on the young season, and is showing that he can be a middle of the order run producer from behind the plate.
• Will Roberts, SP-LCC: L (1-1), 6 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 7 K, BB. The University of Virginia product is off to a solid start this year, throwing 12 2/3 innings while allowing just 3 runs on 9 hits with 9 K and 4 BB.
• Cole Cook, RP-LCC: 2 1/3 IP, H, 2 K, BB. Bouncing back from a rough outing to open the season where he allowed 5 runs (2 earned ) in just 1 1/3 IP, Cook has made back-to-back appearances without allowing a run. For now he's working exclusively out of the bullpen, and has thrown 4 2/3 innings allowing the 2 ER on 6 hits while striking out 4 and walking 3.
• Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 1-3, 2B, K. Lavisky is one of my favorite players in the entire organization, and he's now hit in 5 straight games to open the season. He's recorded at least one 2B in his last four consecutive outings, and is hitting .381/.364/.619. Only concern is the 7 K and 0 BB, but I'll take it.

T.J. McFarland, SP-AKR: W (2-0), 6 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 4 K, BB.

McFarland has started the season off right, throwing 11 innings while allowing just one run, striking out 6 and walking three. McFarland quietly had a solid season in Akron last year, going 9-9 with a 3.87 ERA in 137 1/3 innings for the Aeros. After the year he was sent to the Arizona Fall League, which is the top offseason league for advanced prospects all around baseball. It's typically a hitter's league, but McFarland was outstanding in the dry desert air, going 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA. He threw 28 1/3 innings in the AFL, striking out 22 and walking 13. McFarland isn't a big strikeout guy, but gets a ton of groundballs with his outstanding sinking fastball and does a nice job pitching to contact. He has excellent control, and when he's commanding his fastball well he keeps it down in the zone and is awfully tough to hit. McFarland is never going to be a dominant ace that anchors a staff, but he can be a solid, innings eater in the middle of a big league rotation. The lefthander is still just 22, and should be in Columbus at some point this season and in Cleveland as early as 2013.

Francisco Lindor, SS-LCC: 3-4, 2B, R

I can't tell you how excited I am about the Francisco Lindor experience. Remember, he's going to be just 18 for the entire 2012 season. A lot of the kids drafted in the upcoming June Rule 4 draft will be older than him. He's getting his first real professional experience in a full-season league that is notoriously tough on hitters. He's facing the best pitching of his life on a nightly basis. And all he's doing is hitting .353/.371/.529 with 3 SB in the first week of the season. Wow. I've been high on Lindor since before he was even drafted, and was extremely excited when the Indians selected him with the 8th overall pick last June. But even I didn't expect him to be this good, this fast. He's going to struggle at some point this season, he's going to hit a rough patch where he goes 0-15 or something like that, but he's already shown enough to have talent evaluators around baseball drooling over his potential. Since his opening day 0-4, Lindor is hitting an even .400 while playing solid defense at the 2nd-hardest defensive position on the field. I still think he spends all of 2012 in the Midwest League and there's really no reason to rush him, but I'm going to run out of superlatives really soon when trying to describe just how good Francisco Lindor is and could eventually be.

• Corey Kluber, SP-COL: W (2-0), 4 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K. Kluber's only mistake was a 2-out, 3 run HR in the 5th that came after a walk and a HBP. He's been missing a lot of bats in the early going, with 18 K in 10 innings pitched. Control is still an issue though, as he's also walked 5 in those 10 innings of work.
• Nick Hagadone, RP-COL: IP, 2 K. Dan Wheeler is living on borrowed time. Really can't see how Hagadone isn't a better option right now than the veteran.
• Cord Phelps, 2B-COL: 2-4, 3B, R. Phelps is hitting a solid .313/.371/.469, and has reached base in every game so far this season for the Clippers.
• Russ Canzler, 1B-COL: 2-4, RBI. Last night was Canzler's 1st multihit game of the season, and the defending International League MVP has yet to record an extra-base hit this year.
• Chad Huffman, RF-COL: 2-3, HR (2), RBI, BB, 2 R. One of several AAAA players currently populating the Clippers roster, the soon to be 27-year old Huffman is a non-prospect at this stage of his career.
• Bryce Stowell, RP-AKR: IP, 2 K. Stowell has 4 K in 2 perfect innings of work for the Aeros. Look for him in Columbus before too much longer.
• Preston Guilmet, RP-AKR: IP, H, 2 K, BB. It wasn't a save situation, but Guilmet recorded the final 3-outs of a 6-1 Aeros victory. It was his 2nd appearance of the season, and the first in which he allowed a baserunner or recorded a strikeout.
• Kyle Bellows, 3B-AKR: 2-2, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB. Amazing what a difference a day makes early in the season, as Bellows saw his OPS jump over 400 points in a single day. The slick-fielding 3B even managed to swipe a bag. He's shown a very solid approach this year, walking 7 times against just 4 K.
• Juan Diaz, SS-AKR: 2-5, RBI, K. Added to the 40-man this offseason, Diaz is hitting .304/.357/.348 for the Aeros in the early going.
• Nick Weglarz, LF-AKR: 1-4, R, 2 K. The notoriously-slow starter recorded his first hit of the season last night, and is 1-18 (.056) on the season.
• Elvis Araujo, SP-LCC: L (0-2), 5 IP, 4 R (3 ER), 5 H, 7 K, 0 BB. All in all, not a bad start for the big lefty. Araujo has started two games for the Captains this year and has pitched 9 innings, allowing 4 ER and 8 H while striking out an impressive 14 and walking just one. He's one of the highest-ceiling pitching prospects in the organization, and it's good to see him healthy and effective early in the season.
• Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 K. Lavisky has collected 2 hits in three straight games now and is up to .389/.368/.611 on the season. His 6/0 K/BB ratio is less encouraging, but I'll take the 4 2B in 4 games as a good sign. I'm still really high on Lavisky and think he can put up big #'s this season.

Call me perplexed to say the least. I know the Indians have been trying to get their hands on a left fielder for some time now. Their efforts to nab Bobby Abreau (or at least, the rumored efforts) were well documented.

But I just don't get it.

I don't get, other than the slow start (after five...stinking...games) offensively, why the signing of Johnny Damon makes any logical sense.

You will sit there and say, but look at the offense, it needs a boost. For five games of lackluster performance? There's talent there, we know it. The can all hit, just give it more than half a week.

I guess I have no reasons to be upset, other than this is one of those moves that I simply just don't like. Is there a solid reasoning behind my dislike? No... In fact Johnny Damon hasn't played less than 140 games... Well, ever. Aside from his first season at 21-years-old with Kansas City when he played in 47 games at the end of the year. He has always collected at least 130 hits. He can produce from all accounts as he was doing it last year with Tampa Bay in a DH role.

I'm a little perplexed as to how it makes sense defensively as I'm sure everyone is, but if he hits, then let's go along the lines of the Prince Fielder/Miguel Cabrera thinking that, who gives a flying fruit fly. Aaron Cunningham will get cut, which means the backup center fielder is... Jason Donald, an infielder by trade. That isn't a horrible thing as Donald could probably be serviceable and it would only be for a few games here and there, but it's a little crazy, don'tcha think?

Then there is the element of the contract. It seems as if the Indians are "renting" Damon. Almost as if they want him to come in until Grady Sizemore returns. They're giving him the ability to opt out of his contract with the Indians on a "specified" date after Grady Sizemore returns. If he returns, I guess? He also has a full no-trade clause, not that the Indians would be trading him, unless of course they start to suck and some team would want him. But at that point, he'd probably be open to a trade to a team that will win.

But he could always opt out too. 

My biggest beef? Probably the fact that there's a perfectly capable player in Columbus ripping it up. I'm not talking about Chisenhall and certainly not Matt LaPorta.

But did we forget about Trevor Crowe? Never mind... You probably did. I mean, I can't blame anyone who has. But he might actually be blossoming into that first round pick the Indians thought they were getting. And no, I'm not going just based off six games in Triple A. I'm essentially arguing against myself if I were to do that.

However, Crowe is off to a great start. He's 7-for-18 with a pair of home runs and three walks. Beyond his numbers in just a few games though, we know he can do several things. We know he can play center field and play it well. We know he can run a little bit on the basepaths. And we know that if he is healthy, he can actually play baseball a little bit. He is not only healthy, but in spring, Manny Acta talked highly of the guy.

Almost as if it was a different Trevor Crowe. One who has matured and perhaps finally started to "get it" as a ball player. Plenty of players can suddenly "get it" after a few years of scuffling or mediocrity. I mean, the guy wasn't a first round pick for the hell of it, at some level he could play and he's always had a productive minor league career.

Maybe I'm a little too attached to the idea of giving Crowe a shot (for the record, I wanted to in spring, over Cunningham). Maybe I just don't like the name Johnny Damon when I hear it. Maybe I also think that Shelley Duncan needs to be given a chance offensively in left field. Again, he's done nothing to show he can't be a productive left fielder, putting up the numbers we think Damon is capable of (for a cheaper price tag, with no frills, AND maybe just maybe Duncan is a better defender because he can actually run around and make catches!?). I know it is a stretch to say Shelley Duncan is a better fielder than anyone, but a 38-year old Johnny Damon with 42 games in the outfield in two years may just be the one exception.

The Indians are acquiring a guy who's played just 42 games in the outfield in the past two seasons to play left field. They're replacing a guy in the offense that has actually been somewhat productive with someone who has not had a lick of game action since last season. And they're replacing their backup center fielder with a backup infielder.

I guess it all makes no sense to make perfect sense in the world of Cleveland. But if it works, I'll gladly eat my words.

LeVon Washington, LF-LCC: 2-4, R, BB, 3 K.

WASHITIME is off to a blazing start here in 2012, hitting .440/.563/.480 in 6 games so far. Washington hit just .218/.331/.315 in 79 games for the Captains last year, struggling with nagging injuries in spring training and never really getting untracked at the plate. His shoulder was still bothering him after having surgery to fix a torn labrum in college, and he came to Goodyear not really knowing what to expect or how to prepare for the grind of a full professional baseball season. All of that was different in 2012, as Washington reported early to Arizona and even went on a twitter hiatus this winter, determined to concentrate on preparing himself mentally and physically for the 2012 season. His shoulder is feeling better, he's in better shape and he was really humbled by his poor showing in 2011. Washington was used to being the best athlete on the field in pretty much every game he'd ever played, but learned that he can't get by as a professional on athletic ability alone. The difference between 2011 and 2012 Washington is dramatic, and it's showing up on the field and in the box scores. Washington could be the breakout prospect in the system this year, and be on top-100 lists from the national prospect gurus when it's all said and done. Get out to see him in Lake County soon, because he could be in Carolina by the all-star break.

•  Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B-COL: 2-4, HR (3), 2 RBI, R, 2 K. Chiz has now homered in back-to-back games, and is slugging .714 in the Clippers 7 games.
• Matt LaPorta, 1B-COL: 1-4, HR (4), RBI, R, K. Honestly, I almost wish LaPorta wasn't hitting. The fact that he can pound AAA pitching infuriates me. His career AAA OPS is almost 1.000. He's never had a full season in the minor leagues with an OPS under .900. Why can't this guy adjust to major league pitching???
• Trevor Crowe, CF-COL: 1-4, HR (2), RBI, R, K. Speaking of not being able to hit major league pitching...
• Clayton Cook, SP-CAR: 5 2/3 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 2 H, 6 K, BB. Cook is off to a solid start this season, allowing just 2 ER in 10 2/3 IP in his first two starts. He allowed 5 BB and struck out two in his opening-day start, but flipped those ratios yesterday in what was a much more efficent outing.
• Jesus Aguilar, 1B-CAR: 2-3, BB, R, K. Aguilar just keeps rolling along. He's one of the hottest hitters in the system, starting 2012 off with a .417/.462/.667 line for Carolina. More importantly, after striking out once a game last season Aguilar has been punched out just three times in 6 games this year.
• Jake Lowery, C-CAR: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K. Lowery is 7-15 in his last four games. Skipping low-A seems like a good move at this point.
• Felix Sterling, SP-LCC: 5 IP, 4 R (1 ER), 4 H, 6 K, BB. Sterling has opened the season with two solid starts, and has now compiled 10 K and 3 BB in 10 IP so far this year.
• Kyle Petter, RP-LCC: 3 IP, H, 5 K. Nine K in 5 IP for the lefthanded strikeout machine.
• Mason Radeke, RP-LCC: 3 IP, H, 4 K. Radeke was a 35th round pick in 2011, and is doing a nice job missing bats so far this year. The wiry righty has 6 K in 5 IP and has allowed just a single baserunner.
• Francisco Lindor, SS-LCC: 2-7, 2B, R, K. Lindor now has an XBH in three straight, and is sitting at .300/.323/.467 in 6 games for the Captains.
• Luigi Rodriguez, CF-LCC: 2-5, BB, R, SB, CS, 2 K. Speedy Rodriguez is hitting .333/.375/.476, but has struck out 8 times against just 2 walks. Shockingly, he's been caught stealing twice in three attempts. Expect that ratio to improve as his baserunning gets better.
• Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 2-6, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 K. Moved up to the cleanup slot for yesterday's game, Lavisky resonded with 4 RBI in his 6 trips to the plate. He also eliminated a baserunner with a snap throw to 1B.
• Robel Garcia, 2B-LCC: 2-6, K. Yesterday was Garcia's 1st multi-hit effort of the season, but he's still hitting just .190/.227/.238. As I noted in my spring writeups his plate discipline and pitch recognition have to improve, as he has 9 K to just 1 BB in 5 games for the Caps.

Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B-COL: 3-5, HR (2), RBI, R, K.

Chiz just keeps on hitting. Anyone who says spring training numbers are vital in judging a player needs to look at Chisenhall's 2012. Facing pitchers who aren't much better than what he was facing in spring training, Chiz is hitting .333/.360/.625 with 2 HR in 6 games for the Clippers. He's walked just once, but struck out just twice, and is doing his best to show that those spring training fears were unfounded. I fail to see how Chiz's 2011 spring where he lit up major league pitching and was sent down isn't relevant, but how his struggles in spring training in 2012 suddenly mean he can't hit major league pitching. If you were a believer in Chisenhall's tools in 2011 (I was) than you should be a believer in 2012 (I am), because nothing fundamentally changed when a 23-year old didn't immediately light up major league pitching in his first exposure to the show. Chiz is going to hit, and he's going to be ok in the field. With the way the Indians have been struggling to score runs in the early going, I think we're going to see a repeat of 2011 where the exceptional defense from Hannahan is going to be sacrificed for the additional offense Chisenhall brings to the table.

• Zach McAllister, SP-COL: 6 IP, 4 R (0 ER), 6 H, 7 K, 2 BB. Another guy showing that a rough spring isn't necessarily a sign of things to come, McAllister had a solid start last night even though a Chisenhall error cost him a few runs.
• C.C. Lee, RP-COL: W (2-0), 2 IP, 2 H, K. Solid outing for Lee, bouncing back from a 2-run outing his last time on the bump. Nice to see him stretch out to two innings as well.
• Russ Canzler, 1B-COL: 1-6, RBI, K. The one was a big one, as Canzler lined a one-out, walkoff single to center in the bottom of the 12th to send the Columbus fans home happy. The defending IL MVP is hitting just .143/.250/.143 in 21 AB for the Clip Show.
• Matt LaPorta, DH-COL: 2-6, HR (3), RBI, R. It's only a matter of time before someone looks at the Clippers box scores and wonders why LaPorta isn't called up to the Indians to augment their anemic offense. Don't be that guy. I beg of you, don't be that guy.
• Eric Berger, SP-AKR: L (0-1), 4 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, 5 K, BB. Berger's return to the rotation didn't go well, as the lefty allowed 6 runs in the 4th inning of the Aeros loss last night. The 5 K are good, but 6 ER are never pretty.
• Rob Bryson, RP-AKR: 2 IP, H, 5 K, BB. Yet another example of a guy who struggled in Arizona but has been lights-out in the regular season. Bryson has recorded 10 outs on the mound, and a whopping EIGHT of those have been via the strikeout. I'll take an 8/1 K/BB ratio out of a reliever any day.
• Tim Fedroff, CF-AKR: 1-1, 3 BB, R. Fedroff's imposing size and strength is clearly intimidating opposing pitchers. He now has 8 hits and 5 walks in 4 games, good for a .650 OBP. That...might not be sustainable.
• Justin Toole, 2B-CAR: 3-4, 3 1B, CS. The jack-of-all trades defender is now 4-5 on the season after getting his first start yesterday.
• Jesus Aguilar, 1B-CAR: 1-4, HR (1), RBI, R. Jesus Aguilar is stronger than you. He's hitting .381/.409/.667 in 5 games for the Mudcats, and has struck out just twice.
• Carlos Moncrief, RF-CAR: 2-4, R. Another Mudcat off to a hot start, Moncrief is hitting .333/.471/.417 and has walked (4) more than he's struck out (3).
• Kyle Blair, SP-LCC: L (0-1), 4 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 5 K, BB. Not a great outing for Blair, but not a total disaster either. Missing bats is a good sign that his stuff is back to where it was prior to his injury last year. Health is the main thing with Blair, as 2011 was a lost season for him due to his knee issues.
• Cody Anderson, RP-LCC: 4 IP, ER, 3 H, 7 K, 2 BB. Anderson is a 6'4", 220 lb righty with a power arm that was on full display last night with 7 K in 4 innings of work out of the bullpen.
• LeVon Washington, LF-LCC: 3-5, 2 R, K, CS. WASHTIME came to work this offseason, and his effort is showing through in his hot start for the Captains. He's now hitting .450/.560/.500 in Lake County's 5 games this season.
• Francisco Lindor, SS-LCC: 1-5, 3B, RBI. Triples in back-to-back games for the young Lindor, who's at .304/.333/.478. And remember...he's only 18.
• Alex Lavisky, C-LCC: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R. Another guy looking for a bounceback season, Lavisky is off to a solid start in 2012. He's only played in two games, but is 3-8 with a double and 3 RBI. He's still massively talented and I really expect big things out of him in 2012 and down the road.

Ohio State athletics announced today that they will be installing a new High Definition scoreboard this summer at Ohio Stadium, along with an improved sound system and other enhancements. From the university's release:

A $7 million improvements project will replace the 11-year-old Ohio Stadium scoreboard and audio system with a larger, high-definition screen flanked by two clusters of speakers with new LED ribbon boards running the length of the South Stands. The project will commence April 23 with a completion date set for early August.

The new HD, Panasonic scoreboard will be 42-feet-by-124-feet – the current scoreboard is 30-by-90 and is not HD – and will utilize Surface Mount Diode LED technology that will provide a sharper, clearer and brighter picture with extra wide viewing angles of over 140 degrees.

Sound in the stadium will be significantly, if not dramatically, improved as a Pro Sound line array audio system will cluster a total of 25 speakers on each side of the scoreboard for improved directional sound. Additionally, speakers under the various decks of the stadium will be environmentally refurbished; older speakers will be replaced with new speakers fitted into the existing framework. A clearer, crisper and, in some cases, more intelligible audio sound will be present in all parts of the stadium this fall.