The Tribune from Coshocton, Ohio • 11

Sports Coshocton Tribune Tuesday, Nov. 28, 20063B: McGwire goes on Hall ballot along with Gwynn and Ripken Veteran Cleveland sports broadcaster Casey Coleman dies of cancer at 55 champion with San Diego, and Ripken, a two-time MVP with Baltimore, are considered likely to gain election on the first ballot. Ripken played in 2,632 con-s i NEW YORK (AP) Mark McGwire, Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. headline the first-time candidates on the 2007 baseball writers' Hall of Fame ballot released Monday, sure to spark debate on Big Mac's place in history as the steroid era comes under renewed scrutiny. Jose Canseco, whose book last year led to a congressional hearing on steroid use in baseball also is on the ballot for the first time.

Canseco said he used steroids along with McGwire when they were teammates. McGwire denied using illegal performance-enhancing substances, but when he appeared before a congressional committee, he evaded questions. 'Tm not here to talk about the past," was his repeated response. McGwire finished his career with 583 home runs, seventh in baseball history while Canseco, a former MVP, is 30th at 462. Dave Kingman, 34th with 442, has the most home runs for a player who has been on the Hall of Fame ballot and was not elected.

Gwynn, an eight-time batting km A I. X. CLEVELAND (AP) Award-winning broadcaster Casey Coleman, who did play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns and covered the city's other sports teams for nearly 30 years, died Monday, his radio co-anchor announced. Coleman, 55, died at his home of pancreatic cancer, Bill Wills, who co-anchored WTAM's "Wills and Coleman in the Morning" show, announced on the air. Coleman's wife, Mary, called the station to tell his colleagues about his death.

Coleman was diagnosed with the disease more than a year ago but continued to work until the last few months. Coleman's voice was known to a generation of Clevelanders. Coleman also worked at WJW-TV, where he won four local Emmy Awards as the station's sports anchor. Last month, the Browns renamed their indoor practice facility in Berea "The Casey Coleman Field House." Coleman worked as the club's radio network sideline reporter during games the past few years. He followed his father into broadcasting.

Ken Coleman was the longtime radio voice of the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Browns, and young Casey worked as a ball boy during summer training camp for the NFL team. "Casey has been a longtime member of the Browns organization and he started off as a ball boy," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "I want to send out our thoughts and prayers to his wife and family. He seemed like a generally good guy in the short time that I knew him. There was a different love for the Browns on his part." Coleman began his broadcasting career in the Boston area before coming to Cleveland in 1978.

He hosted a radio show for the Giants ponder deal for Ramirez McGwire games, breaking Lou Gehrig's record. Bret Saberhagen, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, and former MVP Ken Caminiti also are among 17 players on the ballot for the first time along with Harold Baines, Dante Bichette, Bobby Bonilla, Scott Brosius, Jay Buhner, Eric Davis, Tony Fernandez, Wally Joyner, Paul O'Neill Devon White and Bobby Witt. Jim Rice, who was 53 votes short of election last year, heads the 15 holdovers. Rich Gossage finished one vote behind Rice. Reporters who have been in the BBWAA for 10 or more consecutive years are eligible to vote, Ramirez is owed $14 million and $16 million, plus a total of $8 million in deferred salary, over the final two seasons of the eight-year, $168 million contract he signed with Boston.

The Giants were willing to pay more per season for Carlos Lee, who signed a six-year, $100 million contract with Houston on Friday. According to a source close to the negotiations, the Giants had submitted an offer worth less than $100 million and told Lee's agent they were willing to go beyond that figure, perhaps $108 million, only to be told Lee decided to negotiate exclusively with the Astros. A bigger potential obstacle for the Giants acquiring Ramirez is his right to veto any deal because he has more than 10 years of major-league tenure and five with the same club. He would have to approve San Francisco, and 10 months ago, after he reportedly demanded a trade, he told AP File Photo Casey Coleman tosses a ceremonial first pitch to Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge before the Indians hosted the Minnesota Twins in their home opener Friday, April 7, 2006, in Cleveland. Coleman, who did play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns and covered the city's other sports teams for nearly 30 years, died Monday.

He was 55. By HENRY SCHULMAN San Francisco Chronicle The San Francisco Giants are talking to the Boston Red Sox about acquiring one of baseball's best hitters, a big fish named Manny Ramirez. Sources on Sunday confirmed that the Giants are among the teams talking seriously to the Red Sox about their disgruntled, temperamental yet unquestionably talented slugger. Ramirez, 34, is a .314 career hitter who has swatted at least 33 home runs with at least 102 RBIs in each of the last nine seasons. If the Giants can pull this off, they would have one of the game's premier offensive forces in the middle of their lineup.

They also would have no room for Barry Bonds, as both are left fielders. There are many obstacles to such a deal although money might be the least of them. Browns' Edwards embarrassed about blow-up in Sunday's game www.coshoctontnbune.coml Your link to the classifieds Cleveland Indians, ending each broadcast by saying, "I'm rounding third and heading home." Coleman won several Associated Press broadcasting awards for excellence. embarrassed myself to some extent. That's not my character.

That's not me. Nobody knows me as that type of guy. I've always been the clean cut, quiet, well-spoken guy, so that wasn't me. I embarrassed myself a little bit and I feel I embarrassed this organization to some extent. "I wish I could do it back, but I can't." Browns coach Romeo Crennel said any discipline against Edwards would be handled internally.

His options would be to suspend, fine or bench the former first-round pick. Or, Crennel may choose to do nothing. "We are going to talk to Braylon and we are going to determine how we'll deal with it," Crennel said. "We are going to keep it in-house. It's family business and I'm not going to put it in the press." Even before his rant on Sunday, Edwards was already on thin ice with Crennel.

Last week, Edwards criticized Cleveland's conservative offensive play calling and then questioned teammate Brian Russell's hard hit on Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson earlier this season. Edwards insisted that Sunday's blowup had nothing to with Frye, who threw four interceptions in Holiday Gift idea Gwynn Ripken and the totals will be announced Jan. 9. The complete ballot: Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Dante Bichette, Bert Blyleven, Bobby Bonilla, Scott Brosius, Jay Buhner, Ken Caminiti, Jose Canseco, Dave Concepcion, Eric Davis, Andre Dawson, Tony Fernandez, Steve Garvey, Rich "Goose" Gossage, Tony Gwynn, Orel Hershiser, Tommy John, Wally Joyner, Don Mattingly, Mark McGwire, Jack Morris, Dale Murphy, Paul O'Neill, Dave Parker, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken Bret Saberhagen, Lee Smith, Alan Trammel Devon White, Bobby Witt. MLB.com, "I know the American League system.

That's one reason I don't want to go to the National League." Ramirez's agent, Greg Genske, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Another obstacle is the talent Boston would seek in return. The Red Sox are seeking relief help (so are the Giants), a shortstop (Omar Vizquel is staying put) and prospects (the Giants' best hope). One source said the Giants and Red Sox have discussed a trade between the teams and possible three-way deals. The talks were described as preliminary.

Boston is unlikely to move Ramirez before sewing up free-agent outfielder J.D. Drew, whom the Giants are not pursuing. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com. vJUr" PAYMENT METHOD Check or Money Order MasterCard Visa Discover Am. Express Eep date I Coshocton County I ff MRS i He is survived by his wife, daughters Chelsea and Kayla and stepdaughters Jackie, Kate, Carly and Taryn McDonell.

Funeral arrangements had not been finalized. the loss. "The emotions that I showed was not related towards Charlie Frye at all," he said. "I grabbed his jersey in reference to something else but as Romeo says, we'll keep that in house. I wasn't mad about something Charlie did." Edwards, who had just two receptions for 29 yards, doesn't believe he should be disciplined for his outburst.

"All I did was show I cared about the game," he said. "All I did was show my passion for the game. It's not like I fought anybody. It's not like I gave the bird to somebody in the stands or anything like that. I was just showing passion about the game." Maybe so, but Edwards' public display of frustration couldn't have come at a worse time for the Browns (3-8), who before being shut out by the NFL's lowest-ranked defense were showing some signs of progress in CrenneTs second year.

However, the Browns were overwhelmed by the Bengals, and the lopsided loss was made worse by Edwards' tirade, which Crennel called an isolated incident and not one indicative of an undisciplined team. games, the Bengals have given themselves an outside chance to win the AFC North for a second straight season, and a better chance to make the playoffs as a wildcard. A victory by Baltimore on Thursday would give the division title to the Ravens, who would have a four-game lead with four to play. Head-to-head results are the tiebreaker, and Baltimore would have swept the season series. Kansas City and Denver currently are in line for the two AFC wild cards at 7-4.

The Bengals, Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars are a game back at 6-5. The Bengals play at Denver on Dec. 24. The Bengals appeared to be out of contention after losing five of six and falling to 4-5. Palmer was still struggling to regain his touch after reconstructive knee surgery last January, and starters on offense were grousing about the game plans.

In the last three games, Palmer has led the revived offense to 41, 31 and 30 points and looked more like the quarterback who led the league in touchdown passes last season. Now, the defense shows signs of getting its act together, though there wasn't much time to ponder deeper meanings with only three days to get ready for the showdown with Baltimore. little time to enjoy shutout By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer BEREA Braylon Edwards walked into Cleveland's locker room nattily dressed in a dark, pinstriped sports coat instead of the usual sweats and sneakers he would normally wear the day after a game. He looked and acted cool Monday. On Sunday, he was anything but.

An embarrassed Edwards blamed "my passion for the game" for his showy sideline tantrum during the third quarter of Cleveland's 30-0 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a Terrell Owens-like display for the cocky second-year wide receiver. Following an interception by Browns quarterback Charlie Frye, an enraged Edwards lost his composure after leaving the field. He exchanged words with Frye and even grabbed the QB's jersey as other teammates tried to settle him down as he angrily stormed around. Edwards, who didn't speak to the media following the game, never directly apologized for his actions but he clearly regretted what happened. "I don't feel like I embarrassed my teammates," he said.

"I Bengals have By JOE KAY AP Sports Writer CINCINNATI Suddenly, the Cincinnati Bengals are back in the middle of the playoff chase, revived by one of the rarest of accomplishments. The NFL's worst defense produced a shutout. The Bengals pulled off their first shutout in 17 years on Sunday, a 30-0 victory in Cleveland the last team they blanked that left them with newfound confidence heading into their biggest game of the season. Cincinnati (6-5) plays at home Thursday night against Baltimore (9-2), which can snatch away the AFC North championship with a win. "For the defense, with a lot of guys playing in positions they're not used to playing, to get four turnovers and a big shutout is huge for us, for momentum and confidence, going into another big division game this week," quarterback Carson Palmer said.

Holding an opponent's offense to average numbers has been a noteworthy accomplishment for Cincinnati's defense, which ranked last in the league in yards allowed heading into the game in Cleveland. The Bengals gave up 42 points in the second half of a 49-41 loss to San Diego, then nearly 600 yards Looking for a unique holiday gift? We have the perfect idea Coshocton County The Early Years. Published by the Coshocton Tribune, this classic hard-cover book celebrates the early history of our area and features more than 250 historic photos selected from the archives of the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum, Roscoe Village, Coshocton Public Library, and the collections of individuals throughout the area. This book will be an heirloom-quality treasure to be passed down through generations. Books can be purchased for $26.70 tax included.

Only a limited number of copies of this collector's edition have been published. Don't miss out on this opportunity to give a gift that will be cherished for years to come. Get your books today! 3 COSHOCTON COUNTY A PICTORIAL HISTORY I wish to purchase: "Oa books at $26.70 per book and pick up my book at the Tribune office. books at $26.70 each plus $5.00 for shipping and handling per book and have my order shipped to the address below Total $31 in a 31-16 win in New Orleans. In those two games, the defense seemed to be starting another late-season slide just as the offense finally found its stride.

Now, there's hope. "We didn't do anything special," linebacker Landon Johnson said. "We just played as a team." The defense hadn't done that lately. With players switching positions and reserves taking on bigger roles because of injuries, the defense repeatedly gave up big plays and failed to get a turnover in three consecutive games. Lately, the defense has started to look more like the unit that led the league in forcing turnovers last season.

Cincinnati has gotten nine turnovers in the last two games, including four interceptions of Cleveland quarterback Charlie Frye. The Bengals scored touchdowns on their first two possessions Sunday, and the defense had its way against one of the league's sorriest offenses. Cleveland has scored the third-fewest points in the NFL. "The big thing is our offense got on the board right away," said safety Kevin Kaesviharn, who had two interceptions. "Once you get a team in the hole, they can't run the plays that they were going to run, and you're able to keep them there." By winning their last two Name Address City Phone State e-mail Signature Charge card no.

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