The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Mayfield vying for Rookie of Year
Mayfield’s accelerated development in the second half of the season should make him a favorite.
Baker Mayfield already has thrown more touchdown passes in a single season than any Browns quarterback since Derek Anderson threw 29 in 2007, and with five games to go, Mayfield has a chance to surpass Anderson’s mark.
Mayfield has thrown 17 touchdown passes and seven interceptions — nine touchdown passes and just one pick in the three games Freddie Kitchens has been calling plays as offensive coordinator.
Mayfield’s accelerated development in the second half of the season should make him a favorite to be named Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year if he continues at this same pace. He would be the first Browns player to receive the honor if it happens.
The NFL started handing out Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards in 1967. Both recipients the first year were from the Detroit Lions – running back Mel Farr and cornerback Lem Barney.
Mayfield is leaving his fellow rookie quarterbacks — Sam Darnold of the Jets, Josh Allen of the Bills and Josh Rosen of the Cardinals — in the dust. His primary competitor heading into December games is Giants running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley is fourth in the NFL with 829 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 171 carries.
Not coincidentally, Mayfield was the first pick and Barkley the second pick of the 2018 draft.
I don’t believe it is being a homer to say Mayfield deserves the honor more than Barkley if both continue to excel. More to the point, a quarterback deserves it more than a running back if they have comparable seasons for the obvious reason quarterback is a more difficult position to play.
Running backs have been named Offensive Rookie of the Year 32 times. Quarterbacks have won the honor nine times.
Being named Rookie of the Year doesn’t always forecast future success. Remember Dennis Shaw? Neither do I. Shaw, a quarterback from the Bills, was named Rookie of the Year in 1970. He was 3-8-1 while throwing 10 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions that year. His career flamed out after three seasons with a career record of 8-27-2.
A quarterback didn’t win Rookie of the Year again until Dan Marino of the Dolphins was recognized in 1983. Marino, 7-2 as a starter with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, beat out quarterbacks John Elway (Broncos) and Jim Kelly (Bills) plus running back Eric Dickerson (Rams) for the award.
It would be another 21 years until a quarterback — Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers in 2004 — was Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Quarterbacks started winning the award more Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates a touchdown during the Browns’ victory over the Falcons on Nov. 11.
frequently after Roethlisberger. Vince Young (Titans) won it in 2006, Matt Ryan (Falcons) in 2008, Sam Bradford (Rams) in 2010, Cam Newton (Panthers) in 2011, Robert Griffin III (Redskins) in 2012 and Dak Prescott (Cowboys) in 2016.
• One Browns player was named Defensive Rookie of the Year. Can you name him? Hints: He was drafted in 1982. He went to USC. He was a linebacker.
Answer: Chip Banks.
Korver set example
Kyle Korver will be missed by the Cavaliers, which doesn’t mean General Manager Koby Altman was wrong to trade him to the Utah Jazz for guard Alec Burks, a second-round pick in 2020 and a second-round pick in 2021.
The Cavs aren’t going to be a playoff team this year, and at 37, Korver obviously doesn’t have many seasons left.
The NBA West standings are not what they were expected to be, in case you haven’t noticed. But Korver can help make the Jazz a contender.
The Houston Rockets, favored to contend with Golden State for the conference title, are 12th in the 15-team conference at 10-11. Utah is percentage points ahead at 11-12 and 10th in the West. The Dallas Mavericks hold the eight playoff spot at 10-10. So in a week or two the pecking order could be completely different.
Korver can help the Jazz get back into the playoff chase with clutch threepointers coming off the bench, just as he did for the Cavaliers when he was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks in January 2017. Korver scored 14 points on Nov. 30, hitting four of six 3-pointers, to help the Jazz beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 119-111.
Korver’s shooting isn’t the only reason the Cavaliers will miss him. He was a great example to the younger players of how hard work pays off.
As this season drags on and the Cavs sink further and further into the abyss in the Eastern Conference standings, it is going to get more difficult for some players to push themselves in practice. Copying Korver’s work ethic, the way he would get a ball boy to throw him catch-andshoot passes, would make show the young players how it’s done.
With all that, it will be interesting to see how quickly guard Burks fits
into the rotation of Coach Larry Drew. As with Korver, Burks will start games on the bench. Burks, 27, is in the final year of his contract.
Tribe trade rumors
Those rumors about the Indians trading one of their top three starting pitchers for outfield help won’t go away. Action on all fronts should pick up at the winter meetings Dec. 9 to 13 in Las Vegas.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com is reporting the Indians are discussing sending Corey Kluber to the Los Angeles Dodgers for right fielder Yasiel Puig.
The Indians got outfield help on Nov. 30 when they traded catcher Yan Gomes to the Nationals for minorleague outfielder Daniel Johnson, pitcher Jefry Rodriquez and a player to be named later. But Johnson is at least a year away. The Indians need outfield help in 2019.
Kluber plus starters Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer have been rumored as trade chips for weeks as the Indians try to repair their bullpen and outfield.
Indians president Chris Antonetti in a conference call discussing the Gomes trade shed no light on his plans for the three Tribe starters.
“We’re at the early stages of the offseason,” Antonetti said. “We’re focused on trying to build a team that’s capable of winning another Central Division championship in 2019 but is also positioned for things beyond that.
“We’re in a fortunate position that we have a lot of players on our team that other teams value. That makes for a lot of conversation at this time of year.”
Puig would fill a need, but the trade doesn’t make sense in a straightup deal because Puig is in his third year of arbitration and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2020. The Dodgers would have to include players under contract for at least two years for the Indians to make a deal.
History shows the Indians would be unlikely to re-sign Puig or any player in a similar situation; one reason they are scrambling for outfield help now because Michael Brantley is an unrestricted free agent.
Kluber is under Tribe control through 2021. He is due to make $17 million in 2019, a raise of 6.5 million from last year. He has club options of $17.5 million in 2020 and $18 million in 2021.
Carrasco is under Tribe control through 2020. Bauer is arbitration eligible in 2019 and 2020.
I don’t see Puig’s personality fitting in the Indians’ clubhouse. He seems to like attention, which is opposite of every other player on the Tribe’s 40man roster.
As flamboyant as Francisco Lindor is on the field, he dresses quietly in a corner of the clubhouse. He is courteous with the media, but he doesn’t seek the microphone.
Puig hit .267 with 23 home runs and 63 RBI in 125 games with the Dodgers in 2018, but the overriding fact is he’ll be a free agent next year. Breaking up the starting rotation that can be together for two more years for a oneyear rental doesn’t seem wise.
Other rumors have the Indians exploring trade talks with the Brewers and Braves. The Indians need bullpen arms as desperately as then need outfield help. It should be an interesting week in Las Vegas starting Dec. 9.
Learn hockey at Q
The Cleveland Monsters are offering a “Try hockey for free” program on Dec. 15 and Feb. 10 at Quicken Loans Arena for boys and girls ages 4 through 8.
The Mentor Ice Breakers conducted a similar event at Mentor Civic Ice Arena last month and it was a huge success. The youngsters had fun and so did the parents watching them.
The program on Dec. 15 runs from 2:30 to 4 p.m. There is no cost. All equipment will be provided, but those who have their own skates are encouraged to bring them.
Parents interested in having their children be part of the Dec. 15 program should go to ClevelandMonsters.com/TryHockey to register. Registration for the Feb. 10 program has not begun.
Instruction will be led by former Lumberjacks legend Jock Callander, now the Monsters’ Senior Director of Hockey Affairs, and former Monsters player Russ Sinkewich. A 30-minute equipment introduction will be provided to both participants and parents on each date prior to a one-hour on-ice session.
The Monsters host the Rochester Americans at 7 p.m. Dec. 15.
I didn’t know that
… Until I read my Snapple bottle cap
The Apollo 11 guidance system was no more powerful than today’s calculator. … There are more doughnut shops in Canada per capita than in any other country. … To make one pound of honey, a bee would have to tap about two million flowers. … Corn always has an even number of rows on each ear…There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Cracker zoo. … Galapagos turtles can take up to three weeks to digest a meal.