Cleveland Cavaliers

Injured Reserve. * * * Owner. Bench. * * Manager. Starters. * Player and manager. However, the franchise also sees great hope in rising star LeBron James, whom many have compared to basketball-great Michael Jordan. * Manager.

The team will have a pick in the top 14 of the NBA Draft; also, they must look for a new coach. Coaches. The 2005 offseason brings both hope and despair for the Cavs. Manager. The Cavs failed to make the playoffs that year, tied with the resurgent New Jersey Nets for the eighth (and final) playoff spot (the Nets owned the tiebreaker over the Cavs). Future addition. After a promising start when the team seemed to be locked firmly into the Eastern Conference's 5th playoff spot, the Cavs began a downward spiral that eventually led to the firing of coach Paul Silas and general manager Jim Paxson. There is some hope that having competition in the larger Baltimore-Washington metro market will spur the Orioles to field a better product to compete for fans with the Nationals; there may be some truth to this speculation as the retooled 2005 Orioles have been in first place since early in April.

Despite the loss of Carlos Boozer, James teamed with Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas to form the core of the Cavs team. The new Washington Nationals (who begin play in 2005) threaten to carve into the Orioles fan base and television dollars. James blossomed into a superstar, increasing his points average, shooting percentage, assists average, and rebounds average. - for which Angelos has demanded compensation from Major League Baseball. Hope was even greater for the 2004-2005 season. Further complicating the situation for the Orioles is the relocation of the Montreal Expos franchise to nearby Washington, D.C. The 2003-2004 season offered great hope for the future, as James rose to become a dominating player, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Going into the 2005 season, the Orioles have had seven consecutive sub-.500 seasons without a post-season visit - the combination of lackluster play of the team’s part and the ascent of the Yankees and Red Sox to the top of the game - each rival having a clear advantage in financial flexibility due to their larger media market size.

The Cavs selected high school phenom Lebron James. With the decline and eventual departure of two local teams - the NFL's Baltimore Colts and baseball's Washington Senators, the Orioles' excellence paid off at the gate, as the team cultivated a large and rabid fan base at old Memorial Stadium. After another disappointing season in 2002-2003, the Cavs landed the number one draft pick in the NBA Lottery. As the Robinson boys grew older, newer stars emerged including multiple Cy Young Award winner Jim Palmer and switch-hitting first baseman Eddie Murray. Those seasons saw the Cavs drop to the bottom of the league, becomming a perennial lottery draft team. They played baseball the "Oriole Way", an organizational ethic best described by acerbic manager Earl Weaver as "pitching, defense, and the three run home run.". However, after the Cavs' glory days came several losing seasons. The Orioles farm system had begun to produce a number of high quality players and coaches who formed the core of winning teams; from 1966 to 1983, the Orioles won three World Series titles (1966, 1970, and 1983), six American League pennants, and five of the first six American League Eastern Division titles.

The pinnacle of the Cavs' dominance came in the 1991-1992 season, when they compiled a 57-25 record and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, losing to the Chicago Bulls 4-2. Robinson went on to become the first player to win the Most Valuable Player award in each league while hitting for the Triple Crown (leading the American League in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.) The Orioles won their first ever American League championship in 1966, and in a major upset, swept the World Series by out-dueling the Los Angeles Dodgers aces Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. These players formed the core of the team that led the Cavs to eight playoff seasons in the next nine years, including three 50-wins plus seasons. In 1966, the Orioles traded with the Cincinnati Reds and acquired slugging outfielder Frank Robinson. In 1986, under the Gund brothers as owners, the team acquired, either through trades or the draft, Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper, and Larry Nance. By the early 1960's, stars such as Brooks Robinson, John "Boog" Powell, and Dave McNally were being developed by a strong farm system. However, brothers George Gund and Gordon Gund purchased the franchise in the mid 1980s and decided to keep the team in Cleveland. The new AL Orioles took about six years to become competitive.

In the 1980s, new owner Ted Stepien quickly hired and fired a succession of coaches and even threatened to move the franchise to Toronto. The team immediately took on the nickname "Orioles", a name with a long and storied history in the city:. The Cavs won the series against the Washington Bullets, 4-3. Because of the many heroics and last-second shots, the series became known as the "Miracle of Richfield." However, hampered by injuries, the Cavs proceeded to lose to the Boston Celtics in round two of the NBA playoffs. Following the 1953 season, Veeck sold his controlling interest to Clarence Miles, and the American League owners approved the relocation of the team to Baltimore. He received the league's Coach of the Year award as the Cavs made their first-ever playoff appearance. Louis based American League pennant in 1944, but they faced their local rivals, the more successful Cardinals, and lost the 1944 World Series, 4-2. In the 1975-1976 season, with Carr, Bingo Smith, Jim Chones, and Dick Snyder, Fitch led the Cavs, as the team is commonly nicknamed, to a stunning 49-33 record, which was the best record in the Central Division. During the war, the Browns won their only St.

However, the team began to build around the 1971 draft pick, Austin Carr. Just before World War II, the Browns came close to moving to Los Angeles, nearly two decades before big league baseball eventually arrived in California. Under the direction of coach Bill Fitch, they compiled a league-worst 15-67 record. Louis - the AL Browns and the NL Cardinals - eventually forced Browns majority owner Bill Veeck to consider moving his franchise. The Cavaliers first began play in the NBA in 1970 as an expansion team. Half a century of sub-par baseball and the existence of two major league teams in St. The Cleveland Cavaliers are a National Basketball Association team based in Cleveland, Ohio. Louis Browns of the fledgling American League.

Lenny Wilkens (Inducted as both player and coach.). The modern Orioles can trace their franchise link back to the Milwaukee Brewers of the Western League, who in 1902 became the St. Wayne Embry (Current team president and first African-American to serve in that role in the NBA; inducted as a contributor.). They are owned by attorney Peter Angelos. F/C - #47 Scott Williams (North Carolina). They are in the Eastern Division of the American League. G - #2 Dajuan Wagner (Memphis). The Baltimore Orioles are a Major League Baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

SF - #33 Luke Jackson (Oregon). Bluefield Orioles
Sarasota Orioles. SF - #44 Jiri Welsch (Czech Republic). Frederick Keys
Delmarva Shorebirds
Aberdeen IronBirds. PF - #17 Anderson Varejao (Brazil). Bowie Baysox. SG - #3 Sasha Pavlovič (Montenegro). Ottawa Lynx.

F/C - #32 Robert Traylor (Michigan). American League
. SG - #12 Lucious Harris (Long Beach State). Pitching strikeouts: Mike Mussina, 218 (1997). C - #52 DeSagana Diop (Senegal). Pitching Wins: John McGinnitty, 26 (1901). Mary's HS, Akron, Ohio). Hitting streak: Eric Davis, 30 games (1998).

Vincent-St. Stolen bases: Luis Aparicio, 57 (1964). SF - #23 LeBron James (St. Triples: George Sisler, 18 (1920-1921-1922). PF - #90 Drew Gooden (Kansas). Doubles: George Sisler, 49 (1920). C - #11 Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Lithuania). Hits: George Sisler, 257 (1920).

SG - #14 Ira Newble (Miami, OH). Runs: George Sisler, 137 (1920). PG - #0 Jeff McInnis (North Carolina). Runs batted In: Miguel Tejada, 150 (2004). 43 Brad Daugherty. Home runs: Brady Anderson, 50 (1996). 42 Nate Thurmond. Batting average: George Sisler, .420 (1922).

34 Austin Carr. Bluefield Orioles (Rookie, Appalachian League). 25 Mark Price. Aberdeen IronBirds (Short-Season A, New York - Penn League). 22 Larry Nance. Delmarva Shorebirds (A, South Atlantic League). 7 Bingo Smith. Frederick Keys (High-A, Carolina League).

Hot Rod Williams. Bowie Baysox (AA, Eastern League). Campy Russell. Ottawa Lynx (AAA, International League). Shawn Kemp. Jon Miller - Voice of the Orioles during the 80's and 90's. Free. Frick Award recipient.

World B. Ernie Harwell - Voice of the Orioles in the late 50's and Ford C. Jim Chones. Frick Award recipient. Terrell Brandon. Chuck Thompson - Voice of the Orioles for 50 years and Ford C. Carlos Boozer. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball).

Lenny Wilkens (Inducted as both player and coach.). 33 Eddie Murray. Nate Thurmond. 22 Jim Palmer. 20 Frank Robinson.   8 Cal Ripken, Jr.

  5 Brooks Robinson.   4 Earl Weaver. 54 Sammy Snider (bullpen catcher). 44 Elrod Hendricks (bullpen).

48 Terry Crowley (hitting). 34 Ray Miller (pitching).   2 Sam Perlozzo (bench). 55 Tom Trebelhorn (third base).

24 Rick Dempsey (first base). 12 Lee Mazzilli. (Expected to enter Hall of Fame in 2007 on first ballot). Cal Ripken, Jr.

Hoyt Wilhelm. Earl Weaver. Louis Browns). Rube Waddell (St.

Louis Browns). George Sisler (St. Frank Robinson. Brooks Robinson.

Robin Roberts. Louis Browns). Branch Rickey (St. Jim Palmer.

Eddie Murray. George Kell. Reggie Jackson. Rick Ferrell.

Hugh Duffy (Milwaukee Brewers). Luis Aparicio. The huge post-season crowds at their temporary home, Municipal Stadium, caught the attention of the big league brass and helped open the door to the return of major league baseball to Baltimore. The Orioles of the IL won several league championships, including 1944 after they had lost their home field Oriole Park in a disastrous mid-season fire.

Baltimore's own George Herman Ruth - nicknamed "Babe" - pitched for the Orioles before being sold to the AL Boston Red Sox in 1916. As a member of the high-minor league level International League, the Orioles competed at the AAA level from 1903-1953. In 1901, Baltimore and McGraw were awarded an expansion franchise in the growing American League, but the team was transferred to New York City in 1903 and, after some early struggles, eventually became baseball's most successful franchise - the New York Yankees. Despite its on-field success, it was one of the four teams contracted by the National League after the 1899 season.

That team had started as a charter member of the American Association in 1882. In the 1890's, a powerful and innovative National League Orioles squad included several future Hall of Famers, such as "Wee" Willie Keeler, Wilbert Robinson, Hughie Jennings and John McGraw, and won three straight pennants.