First Posted: 1/1/2015
The Great Lakes Collegiate League treated itself to expansion over the holiday season.
The wooden-bat GLCL have added teams in Northern Ohio (Strongsville), Galion and Lorain County.
The Lorain County Ironmen will play at the Pipe Yard, powered by First Energy. Lorain County will move from the Prospect League to the GLCL.
The Galion Graders will play at Heise Park. Galion will be managed by longtime coach of Sandusky Perkins High School Ray Neill. Neill formerly was the head coach of the Sandusky Bay Stars in the GLCL.
Northern Ohio Baseball returns to the GLCL, where it played from 1999 to 2004 and won three GLCL titles. While Northern Ohio will play at its former home, Mills Field, the group will have new ownership/management this time around.
The GLCL, which includes the Lima Locos, will have 12 teams for a 44-game season, which will start in June.
LeBron James out for next 2 weeks
CLEVELAND — LeBron James has been diagnosed with knee and back strains, injuries that are expected to keep him sidelined for the next two weeks and add to an already rocky time for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavs said Thursday that James will be treated with “anti-inflammatories, rehabilitation, training room treatments and rest.”
The four-time NBA MVP was examined on Wednesday, when the problems with his left knee and lower back were confirmed. James has never missed more than five straight games in his professional career; if the two-week timetable released by the team Thursday holds up, his absence could reach 10 games or more.
James has missed Cleveland’s past two games, and the Cavs are on a three-game losing streak. They play in Charlotte on Friday, host Dallas on Sunday, visit Philadelphia on Monday, are back home to meet Houston on Wednesday — then head out for a five-game road trip against Western Conference clubs.
“There’s not going to be too much on the court for me right now,” said James, who has the league’s second-best scoring average this season at 25.2 points.
James briefly left Cleveland’s game at Miami on Christmas Day after jumping into the stands to chase an errant pass, and was grabbing at his left knee in obvious discomfort not long afterward.
That was not the cause of the injury, just a recurrence of an ongoing issue, James said Wednesday before Cleveland played at home against Milwaukee.
“It was before that, but it reaggravated it,” James said. “It’s been hurting pretty much all year. I’ve been playing with it and it goes away, it comes back. The one in Miami kind of reaggravated it.”
Doug Marrone steps down as coach of Bills
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Turns out the Buffalo Bills aren’t “stuck” with coach Doug Marrone, after all.
Two weeks after informing reporters “you’re stuck with me, fortunately or unfortunately,” Marrone made the surprise decision to step down Wednesday after the team’s best finish in a decade.
In a statement released by the team, Bills owner Terry Pegula announced the second-year coach exercised the opt-out clause in his contract.
“We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization,” Pegula said. “We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure, and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives.”
Pegula said the team will immediately begin searching for a coach. One candidate might already be on the staff in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. He was hired a year ago after previously spending five seasons coaching the Detroit Lions.
Marrone’s decision to step down was a stunning one, coming after he led the Bills to a 9-7 finish.
“Surprised me. Didn’t see it coming,” center Eric Wood said in a text message to The Associated Press.
Starting safety Aaron Williams blasted Marrone in a tweet.
“Lost all respect!!” Williams said.
