Feature Articles

CAVS AND G.M. DAVID GRIFFIN GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS

The Cleveland Cavaliers and General Manager David Griffin have parted ways after 3 years and one NBA Championship. It was announced Monday night that the two sides could not agree on a new contract and had philosophical differences for the direction of the team.

 Here is the official press release from the Cavaliers:

Statement From Cleveland Cavaliers Chairman Dan Gilbert

The Cleveland Cavaliers and its General Manager, David Griffin, have mutually decided not to extend David’s current contract, which ends June 30, 2017.

On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Griff for his leadership and many contributions during his time here, including most recently, his role in the franchise’s first NBA Championship.

We have no announcement at this time related to new leadership of the Cavaliers basketball operations group, but we are confident our current front office will continue to aggressively explore and pursue opportunities to improve our team in the weeks ahead.

cavs.com

Names that have surfaced as potential front office candidates in varying roles according to WHBC sources include Chauncey Billups, Justin Zanek, Joe Dumars and Larry Harris.

Via Twitter, Cavs All Star and All NBA First Team forward LeBron James had this to say about David Griffin’s departure:

LeBron JamesVerified account @KingJames

If no one appreciated you Griff I did, and hopefully all the people of Cleveland! Thanks for what u did for the team for 3 yrs! We got us 1

11:32 PM – 19 Jun 2017

Tune in to the Kenny and JT Show on 1480 WHBC and WHBC.com Tuesday from 3p-7p for more on this developing story.

LeBRON JAMES ON GAME #1 WIN OVER PACERS

After leading the Cavaliers to a 109-108 win over the Pacers in the first game of the 2017 NBA Playoffs, LeBron James who scored 32 points, dished out 13 assists and grabbed 6 rebounds had these thoughts on beating Indiana.

CAVS TRADE FOR KYLE KORVER

CAVS SEND MIKE DUNLEAVY,  MO WILLIAMS AND FUTURE FIRST ROUND PICK TO ATLANTA

            CLEVELAND, OH – The 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guard Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard/forward Mike Dunleavy, guard Mo Williams, cash considerations and a protected first round draft pick (first possible pick is Cleveland’s 2019 first round pick), Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to add a player and person the caliber of Kyle Korver to our Cavs family,” said Griffin. “Among the most prolific and dynamic three-point shooters in NBA history, a selfless, and team first competitor, Kyle brings all of the elements of Cavs DNA that we covet on and off the floor. We look forward to welcoming Kyle, his wife, Juliet and their three children to Northeast Ohio and are certain our fans will embrace them with open arms.”

Korver (6-7, 212) played in 32 games (21 starts) for Atlanta this season with averages of 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.9 minutes. He is also shooting .889 from the foul line and .409 from the three-point line, while scoring in double figures 16 times in 2016-17. Korver has spent the last four-plus seasons with the Hawks and currently ranks first on the team’s all-time free throw percentage list at .887 (329-371) and third on the club’s all-time three-point field goals made chart with 818 triples. Korver shot .452 (818-1,811) from the three-point line in his career with Atlanta and hit at least one triple in 311 of 332 games played with the team.

Playing in his 14th NBA season, Korver has appeared in 996 games (417 starts) with Philadelphia, Utah, Chicago and Atlanta, owning career averages of 10.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 26.6 minutes per game. He was an NBA All-Star in 2015 and ranks eighth in NBA history with 1,952 career three-pointers (fifth among active players) and eighth all-time in three-point field goal percentage (.429). Korver has hit 100 threes or more 11 times in his career, including each of the last six seasons.

Dunleavy (6-9, 220), who was acquired in a trade with Chicago on July 7, 2016, played in 23 games (two starts) for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 4.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 15.9 minutes. Williams (6-1, 198) was part of the Cavaliers’ 2016 NBA championship team after signing as a free agent on July 10, 2015 and averaged 8.2 points and 2.4 assists in 18.2 minutes in 41 games (14 starts) last season.

TITO TOP MANAGER IN THE A.L.

TERRY FRANCONA NAMED

AMERICAN LEAGUE MANAGER OF THE YEAR

CLEVELAND, OH – The Baseball Writers Association of America today announced Cleveland Indians Manager TERRY FRANCONA has been selected the American League Manager of the Year for 2016, beating out Texas’ Jeff Banister and Baltimore’s Buck Showalter.

Terry Francona Press Conference Photo Spring Training 2016

ACTIVE WIN LEADERS

MLB MANAGERS

Manager                                Wins

1. Bruce Bochy                     1789

2. Dusty Baker                       1766

3. Mike Scioscia                    1490

4. Buck Showalter                1429

5.            TERRY FRANCONA    1381

Francona, 57, recently guided Cleveland to its sixth American League pennant in 2016, compiling a regular season record of 94-67 (.584) followed by a postseason 10-5 mark.

During his four-year stint as Indians manager, the club has qualified for the postseason play two times and finished with a winning mark in each of those seasons.

He owns a 352-294 (.545) mark as Indians manager, the 6th-highest winning pct. in the 116-year history of the franchise.

He is 8th all-time in club history in managerial wins. He owns a 16-year career managerial mark of 1381-1209 (.533), the fifth-highest win total among active managers, and has led his clubs to 12 consecutive winning seasons, including all four with Cleveland.

He is one of 17 managers in baseball history to guide two or more clubs to the World Series.

Today’s award is the second earned by Francona over his 16-year Major League Managerial career after winning in 2013, his first season with the Indians.   Francona (2013, 2016) and ERIC WEDGE (2007) are the only Indians Manager of the Year Award recipients.

The BBWAA began voting on the Manager of the Year Award in 1983.

INDIANS WORLD SERIES BOUND

The Cleveland Indians are headed back to the World Series for the first time since 1997 after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 in Game 5 and winning the American League Champion Series 4 games to 1.

Indians ALCS Champs

Rookie left hander Ryan Merritt making his second ever major league start gave the Indians 4 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball and then the bullpen took over from there. Brian Shaw got the win, while ALCS – MVP Andrew Miller came on to record 8 outs and Cody Allen got the save.

Ryan Merritt

Carlos Santana and Coco Crisp each hit solo homeruns while Mike Napoli doubled and Francisco Lindor added 3 more hits to provide the offense for the Tribe.

The Indians will now play the winner of the NLCS between the Dodgers and the Cubs in the World Series starting Tuesday, October 25th in Cleveland, as the Wahoo Warriors own home-field advantage because the American League beat the National League in this year’s All-Star game. The winning pitcher in the All-Star game was the Tribe’s Corey Kluber who will be expected to start Game 1 of the World Series.

ROBERT GRIFFIN III PLACED ON IR WITH SHOULDER INJURY

9-12-16

Official Browns Press Release – Robert Griffin injury update

 BEREA, Ohio – Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III sustained a significant injury during the team’s season opener at Philadelphia on Sunday and has been placed on injured reserve.*

He is expected to miss an extended period of time during the 2016 season after medical tests on Sunday night and Monday morning revealed a fractured coracoid bone in his left shoulder. Although surgery is not required at this time, Griffin’s left shoulder will be re-evaluated in 3-4 weeks.

“It’s very unfortunate, Robert came in and has worked extremely hard to learn our offense and earn the respect of his teammates,” Browns coach Hue Jackson said. “This is a tough loss because everyone has seen how invested he has been in this team and his dedication to the work needed to improve his craft. We all know these are the realities of the NFL, injuries occur and you have to find ways to overcome them so they don’t impede your progress. Robert will do everything in his power to rehab and get healthy but Josh McCown is on this roster for a reason and we have great confidence in him. He is more than capable. His veteran presence has been an asset to our team throughout our process of preparing for the season. We look forward to him assuming the role of the starter and leading our offensive unit.”

Griffin signed with the Browns as a free agent in March. He completed 12 of 26 passes for 190 yards and added 37 rushing yards against the Eagles.

McCown started eight games for the Browns last season. He completed 186 of 292 passes for 2,109 yards with 12 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 93.3 rating in 2015.

* Under the new injured reserve rules for the 2016 season, each team can designate one player to return. Designation does not need to be made until that player is able to return to practice. A player placed on injured reserve is eligible to return to practice in six weeks and must miss a minimum of eight games.

CAVS AND LEBRON JAMES SIGN NEW MULTI-YEAR DEAL

 THE 2016 NBA FINALS MVP RE-SIGNS WITH CLEVELAND AFTER LEADING TEAM TO ITS FIRST EVER NBA TITLE

LeBron Holding Both NBA Championship and MVP Trophies

CLEVELAND, OH – The 2016 NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James have signed a new multi-year contract, General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We are very fortunate to have a championship group together,” said Griffin. “One that has grown organically to trust, and sacrifice for one another – on and off the floor. At the core of that group is LeBron. His leadership, passion and tireless commitment are the hallmarks of our success and have inspired our entire franchise. His connection and dedication to his community and this fan base are absolute. We share his determination to win at the highest level and can’t wait to get back to work, together to defend our title.”

James, a four-time MVP, 12-time NBA All-Star and three-time NBA champion, appeared in 76 games (all starts) for the Cavaliers in 2015-16, averaging an Eastern Conference-best 25.3 points (fifth in NBA) on .520 shooting from the field (14th in NBA), 7.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists (ninth in  NBA) and 1.4 steals in 35.6 minutes per game. It was James’ 12th consecutive season averaging at least 25.0 points, which is a new NBA record (previous was 11 straight seasons by Karl Malone from 1987-88 to 1997-98 and Jerry West from 1961-62 to 1971-72). James, the only player in 2015-16 to shoot over .500 from the field with averages of at least 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists, was an NBA All-Star starter for the 12th straight season and All-NBA First Team selection for the ninth year in a row. He earned the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month a league-best three times in 2015-16 (February, March and April), as well as the Player of the Week award an NBA-high tying five times (weeks ending Nov. 22, Jan. 10, March 6, March 27 and April 3).

James started in all 21 games during the Cavs’ championship run in the 2016 Playoffs, recording 13 double-doubles (two triple-doubles) and averaging 26.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists, a postseason career-high 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 39.1 minutes per game. In the 2016 NBA Finals win against Golden State, James, who was named Finals MVP, helped the Cavaliers become the first team in league history to overcome a 3-1 Finals deficit while leading the series in points (208, 29.7), rebounds (79, 11.3), assists (62, 8.9), steals (18, 2.6) and blocks (16, 2.3). He was the first player in NBA Playoff history to lead a series in every major statistical category. James is just the fifth NBA player to have three Finals MVPs, joining Michael Jordan (six), Shaquille O’Neal (three), Tim Duncan (three) and Magic Johnson (three).

The 6-8 forward scored in double figures in all 76 regular season games in 2015-16, increasing his consecutive double-digit scoring streak to 717 (third-longest streak in NBA history). In addition to scoring in double figures every game he appeared in, James had 63 games of at least 20 points and 18 games of at least 30 points. He also registered 28 double-doubles and three triple-doubles. After concluding his 13th NBA season with 26,833 career points, James climbed all the way up to No. 11 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, passing Oscar Robertson (26,710), Dominique Wilkins (26,668), Tim Duncan (26,496), John Havlicek (26,395), Paul Pierce (26,316), Kevin Garnett (26,071), Alex English (25,613), Reggie Miller (25,279) and Jerry West (25,192) this past season. He also moved up to 18th place in assists (6,815), joining Oscar Robertson (9,887) as the only players in NBA history to rank in the Top 25 in both points and assists.

The Akron, Ohio native remains the franchise’s all-time regular season leader in points scored (18,914), scoring average (27.3), field goals made (6,776), three-pointers made (978), free throws made (4,384), assists (4,835) and steals (1,168), while ranking third in rebounds (4,842) and fourth in blocks (580). Over his 13-year NBA career, James has appeared in 987 regular season games (986 starts) with averages of 27.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 39.0 minutes, while shooting .498 from the floor, .340 from three-point range and .744 from the foul line. For his postseason career, James has appeared in 199 contests (all starts) with averages of 28.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 42.1 minutes per game.

 

ORLANDO PACE AND KENNY RODA TALK HALL OF FAME

Here’s my 1 on 1 interview with former Ohio State Buckeye, St. Louis Rams and now Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Orlando pace during the 2016 Pro Football Hall of Fame weekend in Canton, Ohio.

Orlando Pace and Kenny Roda 2016 Hall of Fame Weekend

TRIBE ADDS BIG ARM AND RIGHT HANDED BAT AT TRADE DEADLINE

The Cleveland Indians were one of the most active teams heading into the Major League Baseball trade deadline, and while one trade failed (Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy vetoed a trade to the Tribe), the Wahoo Warriors did acquire left-handed closer Andrew Miller from the Yankees and outfielder Brandon Guyer from the Tamp Bay Rays.

A MLB Baseball on Ground

Here are the official press releases on both trades from the Cleveland Indians.

INDIANS ACQUIRE LHP ANDREW MILLER

FROM THE NEW YORK YANKEES 

CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Indians today acquired LHP ANDREW MILLER from the New York Yankees in exchange for RHP J.P. FEYEREISEN, OF CLINT FRAZIER, RHP BEN HELLER and LHP JUSTUS SHEFFIELD.

Miller, 31, has gone 6-1 with 9 saves and a 1.39 ERA in 44 relief outings in 2016 for the New York Yankees (45.1IP, 28H, 8R/7ER, 7BB, 77SO, .174AVG). He currently owns the 6th-lowest relief ERA in the American League while his .174 average against is also the 6th-lowest relief mark in the A.L.  He owns an 11:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, is averaging 15.3 strikeouts per 9.0IP and is 2nd in the league with 77 relief strikeouts. He has allowed runs in just 8 of 44 outings and has not allowed multiple runs in an appearance this season.

Miller owns a career relief ERA of 2.72 (274.2IP, 180H, 83ER, 412SO, .183AVG) in 297 career appearances with the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. He was Detroit’s first round pick (6th overall) in the 2006 draft out of the University of North Carolina. He is currently signed thru the 2018 season.  His combined relief ERA of 1.98 over the last 5 seasons since 2013 (44ER/200.0IP, .168AVG) is the 7th-lowest mark in Major League Baseball over the span.

 

INDIANS ACQUIRE OF BRANDON GUYER

FROM THE TAMPA BAY RAYS

CLEVELAND, OH – The Cleveland Indians today acquired OF BRANDON GUYER from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for OF NATHAN LUKES and RHP JHONLEIDER SALINAS.

Guyer, 30, has spent the entire season to date with the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting .241 (51-212) with 12 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs and 18 RBI in 63 games. He has appeared in 25 games in left field, 18 games in center field and 12 games in right field this season after making at least 15 starts at all three positions last season for the Rays.  The Herndon, VA native spent most of June on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain and currently leads the Majors with 23 hit by pitches. The right-handed hitting outfielder is currently hitting .344 (22-64) off left-handed pitching this year with 4 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI and a 1.082 OPS.

The University of Virginia alum began his professional career in 2007 after being selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fifth round of the First-Year Player Draft.  He was acquired by Tampa Bay along with Chris Archer in January 2011 in a seven-player deal that sent RHP Matt Garza to the Cubs. He is under club control thru the 2018 season currently.

Juan Uribe 2

 

The Indians today also designated third baseman Juan Uribe for assignment.

CAVS OWNER DAN GILBERT’S LETTER TO CAVS SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

Cavs Press Release Logo

June 24, 2016

Thank You, Cleveland    

52 years. 18,802 days. 451,248 hours. 27,074,880 minutes. 1,624,492,800 seconds. Any way you cut it, that’s a long time to wait between major professional sports team championships. We are honored to have ended the drought, the curse, or whatever it was called, this past Sunday, June 19th, at 10:37 p.m. eastern time. No fan base, and no city, deserved this championship more than Cleveland, Ohio, and not because it had been so long since the last one.

But because you are the most loyal and passionate fans on the planet.

Your spirit and refusal to never stop believing is what fueled every single one of us at Quicken Loans Arena at One Center Court. Thank you for being the source of all that motivated so many great people to work together to reach our dream.

So, this city is no longer “Believeland.” It is now “Achieveland.” I’ve got a feeling this new era has just begun…

Dan Gilbert & The Entire Cleveland Cavaliers Family