The View from Pluto

Major League Baseball is relatively low-key when it comes to selecting its next superstars. The draft that happens each June gets little attention compared to the fanfare of the NFL and NBA. WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto says the Indians had a top-25 pick last week, but hardly anyone noticed.

The baseball coach at The College of Wooster is retiring after nearly 40 years. Tim Pettorini leaves as the fifth-winningest coach in Division III history, guiding his teams to the NCAA tournament more than two dozen times. WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto says Pettorini’s legacy is remarkable.

Northeast Ohio will be the center of the pro sports world over the next several years. This July, Progressive Field hosts the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. In 2021, the city has been awarded as the site of the NFL Draft. In 2022, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse will host the NBA All-Star Game.

The Cavs officially introduced John Beilein from the University of Michigan as their coach on Tuesday. His main goal will be to help develop this young team following next month’s draft. WKSU commentator Terry Pluto says all of the teams competing for an NBA title this year have done it by developing players. And that must be the Cavs new model, too.

The Cavs are getting lots of praise for hiring the University of Michigan’s John Beilein as their new head coach. The 66-year-old has spent the last 12 years with Michigan, leading the Wolverines to the NCAA Final Four twice.

The Browns draft picks this year didn’t generate the same buzz they did last year when Cleveland used its number one pick to get quarterback Baker Mayfield. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to talk about in this year’s group. It just takes a little more digging to get the details. And who better to do the digging than our sports commentator, Terry Pluto.

When the NFL draft begins Thursday it will be different for the Cleveland Browns. Typically, the draft is full of both excitement and anxiety for Browns fans used to losing seasons and a carousel of quarterbacks, coaches and general managers. But this year, WKSU sports commentator Terry Pluto thinks the Browns look more like a team headed for the playoffs than the bottom of the league. That means a lot of pressure is off the team come draft day.

Just about anywhere in the country at any time, you can find sports talk radio on the dial. It’s a format that has deep roots in Cleveland. One of its pioneers, Les Levine, is getting a lifetime achievement award from the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters this weekend. Sports commentator Terry Pluto says sports radio has withstood the test of time. The sports radio pioneers Levine has been on the air for 50 years. His show, "More Sports and Les Levine" airs on 92.3 The Fan and Spectrum cable

The Final Four is this weekend, and a lot of people will be watching the court. But off the court, there's a scramble underway that could dramatically change how teams look next season. Last fall, the NCAA launched the Transfer Portal , a website that’s a one-stop shop for athletes who want to play for a new team, and for the coaches who want to recruit them.

Indians fans will have to learn a lot of new names when the season opens Thursday. The team has overhauled its roster, as 13 players from last year’s team are gone, either through free agency or trades. The Tribe will also start the season without two key infielders. Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis are recovering from calf injuries.