First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The Blade
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeFor 13 years, Todd Crandell struggled with life-threatening addictions. Now, the Sylvania native is an Ironman triathlete who promotes health and fitness through his organization, Racing for Recovery, and prevents others from going down the same self-destructive path. Todd Crandall takes one of his daily runs in preparation for an upcoming triathlon.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandell reflects on the years of drug abuse that ended with arrests and the loss of a promising athletic career.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall and wife Melissa play with son Mason, and daughter Skylar, 9, while making breakfast.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall plays with daughter Madison, 4, while trying to keep up with his email.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall and daughter Madison, 4, prepare to go for a ride around the neighborhood.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall and son Konor, 6, take a bike ride at home in Sylvania.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall speaks to eighth grade students at St. Rose Elementary School in Perrysburg, during Teens High On Life Week.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall signs autographs after speaking to eighth grade students at St. Rose Elementary School in Perrysburg, during Teens High On Life Week.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall gets a hug after speaking to eighth grade students at St. Rose Elementary School in Perrysburg, during Teens High On Life Week.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall swims lap after lap at Sylvania Northview High School, May 7, 2007.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeFrom addict to ironman is Crandall's theme, and it's even tattooed on his arm.
First Place, Sports Picture Story - Andy Morrison / The BladeTodd Crandall hits the pavement west of Sylvania, in training for yet another triathlon.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe 2007 baseball season for the Cleveland Indians put the baseball players through an emotional ride, from several late inning victories to the season ending dejection. Lead by pitching ace C.C. Sabathia, the Indians won the AL Central Division title to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2001, the first time for most of these young ball players. After defeating the New York Yankees in the divisional series, the Tribe lost in 7 games to the Boston Red Sox. Here is their Emotional Ride. Cleveland Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia, their ace pitcher who would the team all season, is fired up, growling after pitching a complete game to beat the Oakland A's 5-2 and tying Boston's Josh Beckett for the most wins in the American League with 11.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians Trot Nixon is about to squeeze the sawdust out of the bat after striking out with the bases loaded in the 4th inning. Travis Hafner also struck out, killing a big opportunity for the Tribe. The Chicago White Sox won the game.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians Casey Blake pumped his fist rounding first base after hitting a walk-off homer against the Detroit Tigers in the 11th inning to beat the Tigers 6-5 at Jacobs Field. Behind Blake is a bummed Detroit Tigers first baseman Carlos Guillen. The victory gave the Indians a commanding lead over the Tigers in The Central Division race that Detroit never overcame. Regular season game of the year for the Indians.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerA welcoming committee waits for Cleveland Indians' Kelly Shoppach at home plate after Shoppach hit a walk-off three-run homer to beat the Oakland Athletics 8-5 in a baseball game in Cleveland. Indians Jhonny Perolta is pointing to home plate, reminding that the play does not count until Shoppach touches home plate.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerWith the sold out Jacobs Field fans going wild behind him, Indians relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt celebrates after striking out the last Oakland A's batter as the Indians win to clinch their first AL Central Division title and playoff appearance since 2001.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe champagne and beer suds were flowing in the Cleveland Indians locker room after the Indians defeated the Oakland A's 6-2 to clinch the American League Central Divison Title at Jacobs Field on Sept. 23, 2007. Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia can be seen spraying some champagne.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerIn the Indians first playoff series since 2001, Grady Sizemore is safe at home, scoring on a wild pitch in the 8th inning as pitcher Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees covered home plate too late in the second game of the American League Division Series. This run tied the game, 2-2, and the Indians went on to win in the 11th inning and take a 2 games to none advantage.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians players, including closer Joe Borowski (center) and winning pitcher Paul Byrd (right) erupt in joy after getting the final out of the American League Division Series, beating the New York Yankees 6-4, and advancing to the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerAfter leading the Indians pitching staff all season long, (eventually winning the Cy Young award for the American League), pitcher C.C. Sabathia did not have it against the Red Sox and was yanked in the 5th inning of game 1 of the ALCS at Fenway Park in Boston. Boston won big 11-2.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians' Casey Blake runs off the field after making the final out of game 7 of the ALCS as the Boston Red Sox players jump for joy winning the AL pennant at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won 4 games to 3 and advance to the World Series.
Second Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians, Kelly Shoppach, Victor Martinez, and Josh Barfield, (front to back) look onto the baseball field at Fenway Park as the Red Sox celebrate after clinching the ALCS in game 7. The Red Sox were advancing to the World Series and the Indians were heading home, the end of their emotional 2007 season.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe Cleveland Indians had a season not be forgotten for a long time. For the first time since 2001, they made the playoffs, came within one game of making the World Series, lost a week of baseball due to snow, survived attacks from bugs and birds, and included baseball pranks and crazy plays. This is their wild and wacky season of baseball. Under warm blue skies of a spring day in Winter Haven, Florida, a bunch of baseballs pile up behind 2nd base on the first day of spring training.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge meets with the umpires and Seattle manager Mike Hargrove during the 3rd snow delay of the opening day game in Cleveland. The Indians were winning 4-0, in the top of the 5th inning, Seattle had the bases loaded, with 2 outs and the count was 1 ball and 2 strikes on Seattle's Jose Lopez. One more strike and the game is official, but the snow delay put the game on hold again. The game was eventually postponed and the Indians starting pitcher Paul Byrd lost a no hitter to boot.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerSeattle Mariners pitcher Brandon Morrow gets some throwing in on a snowy baseball field at Jacobs Field. A traditional double header between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians was postponed. The whole opening week of baseball was postponed due to a huge snow storm hitting northeast Ohio.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerWhen the weather finally warmed up in June, Grady Sizemore, centerfielder of the Cleveland Indians, took to Fogle's Field in Westlake for a little backyard Wiffle Ball game. He smacked a few high fly balls but found the ballpark tougher than his usual digs at Jacobs Field. The Fogle family of Westlake won a contest sponsored by Direct Energy. About 60 children got autographs.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerOn a hot summer day, fans reach for a baseball souvenir thrown by one of the Cleveland Indians before the sold-out game between the Indians and the New York Yankees.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians 3rd base coach Joel Skinner blows a bubble while tossing the baseball and keeping his eye on the ball during batting practice.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerA wacky play at second base as the Cincinnati Reds' shortstop Alex Gonzalez slipped covering second base and fell right on top of the base on a steal attempt by the Indians Dave Dellucci. Gonzalez amazingly caught the ball but Dellucci was safe on the play.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerBoys will be boys! Cleveland Indians outfielder/pieman Trot Nixon sneaks around the Tribe dugout as he stalks the next recipient of one of his shaving cream pies. Nixon, king of the pranks, "awards" his pies on live television by smashing the foamy whipped cream dessert into the face of whichever Indians player is interviewed after a win.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians Ryan Garko continued his TV interview after getting pied in the face from teammate Trot Nixon following an Indians' win over Chicago this season.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerNew York Yankee pitcher Joba Chamberlain gets some bug spray from a trainer as a swarm of small bugs just covered the baseball players on the field during Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Indians and the Yankees at Jacobs Field. The bugs appeared to bother Chamberlain as he gave up the tying run in the eighth inning and the Indians went on to win in the 11th inning.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerMatt Doerfler of Wooster with his own wild bugs in place, tried to rattle the Boston Red Sox during the ALCS but the Red sox prevailed to win the series and advance to the World Series, ending the Indians crazy season.
Third Place, Sports Picture Story - Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerFirst bugs, now birds as Cleveland Indians Grady Sizemore heads back out to center field after a huge flock of seagulls invaded a game. The season ended on a sour note losing to the Red Sox but the wild and wacky events will not let the baseball forget the 2007 baseball season.
