Factory Lines: Wolves Owner Picks Fight With Kevin Love, Jose Abreu Owns the Indians, Legal Advice for Josh Gordon & J.T. Barrett Set To Start For Ohio State

The Factory loves feuds, and this fight shaping up between Wolves owner Glen Taylor and new Cavs forward Kevin Love is must-read stuff. Taylor feels burned by Love and basically said the three-time All-Star is the “third best player on the Cleveland Cavaliers, is injury prone, doesn’t play defense and is in a can’t-win situation by playing next to LeBron James,” via Sheridan Hoops.

Love basically told Taylor to focus on his own team.

So what’s worse? Dan Gilbert’s comic sans rant when James left, or Taylor issuing a calculated statement on Love? From a business standpoint, but guys are pretty dumb for letting emotions get the best of them. Remember, guys on TV are constantly telling us sports is a business.

But, and it’s a big BUT, didn’t it make you feel great that night James bolted Cleveland from Miami when Gilbert stood up for every single one of us who bleeds wine and gold with that comic sans slap? I needed it that night. You needed it that night. We all needed it that night.

If anything, Taylor galvanized a fan-base who also feels burned by Love.

In case your wondering, Love returns to the Twin Cities Jan. 31.

• The Tribe lost close one, 3-2, to the White Sox Wednesday night, and that made me cringe. The Indians need to win these close contests, especially against have-nots, such as Chicago.

Aug 23, 2014; Bronx, NY, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (79) hits the ball for a single in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

So where did go wrong? After all, this was supposed to be lock with The Klubot on the mound.

The sequence getting the most attention was the Indians decision to walk slugger and Tribe killer, Jose Abreu.

Terry Francona said it wouldn’t have been the worst move to make, but ended up pitching to Abreu, who made Corey Kluber and the Indians pay by smacking a 3-2 cut fastball back up the middle to give the White Sox the eventual win.

Entering this series, Abreu had 10 hits against the Indians, including five homers. He also owns a .500 (8-for-16) average against the Klubot with a homer and five RBI.

With runners on the corner, Francona decided against walking Abreu to load the bases for Adam Dunn, who’s had his own success against Kluber. The Indians’ newly minted No. 1 starter had struck out Abreu four times this season and has 213 on the year, but Abreu got the best of Francona, Kluber and the Indians again.

• Can we please not call Jose Abreu a rookie? Yes, he’s a rookie in the eyes of Major League Baseball and will win the Award running away this fall. It’s just ridiculous to call him a rookie, just as it was with Ichiro Suzuki in 2001. Ichiro was a pro player in Japan. Abreu was on the Cuban national team. What’s more of a pressure cooker? Matching expectations for a communist-led dictatorship, or belting homers for the hapless White Sox?? C’mon MLB, let’s get a little more rigid with how we classify these players.

• Kluber will get credited for another quality start (6 1/3 IP, 3 ER), but he wasn’t the ace the Tribe needed.  Klubot’s loss marked the second time the Indians have lost back-to-back games started by Kluber for just the second time this season. To make this news even more of a bummer, both defeats came to bad teams in Minnesota and the Chi Sox.

• Josh Gordon was suspended indefinitely, but there could be a way he finds his way back onto the field in 2014 and it starts with three letters: TRO.

• Welcome writer Jamyson Frierson to the Factory. His first post looked at the preseason rise of defensive lineman Armonty Bryant.

• What’s up with this Josh Shaw story? Now he did fall, but wasn’t saving his nephew from drowning. He went from hero to zero in about .05 seconds. Even Manti Te’o‘s girlfriend has more question for the Trojan senior. 

Aug 19, 2013; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) during practice at Ackerman Road Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

• The Countdown is on for the Ohio State and Navy game, but the Buckeyes were dealt a blow with news that Marshon Lattimore will redshirt this season after undergoing hamstring surgery. He’ll be sidelined for three months and was to compete for time at cornerback.

• J.T. Barrett will be one of the most watched quarterback in the country Saturday because he’s replacing one-time Heisman Hopeful, Braxton Miller.

Meyer on his pre-game message to Barrett, via Eleven Warriors:  “It’s not like in the second chapter of coaching 101. Everybody’s demeanors are different … I anticipate anxiety … Every player’s different. Tom Herman has done a really good job with J.T. It’s gonna be his first Thursday practice as a starting quarterback tomorrow.”