GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Michael Brantley was smoothly sidestepping a question about whether he should have won the Gold Glove for going an entire season in the outfield without an error. His boss interrupted him in midsentence. "He should have won the Gold Glove," Cleveland Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. Brantleys response matched his "Dr. Smooth" nickname. He kept right on going, talking about everyone except himself. "Its about winning baseball games," Brantley said. His devotion to that answer helped him get a $25 million, four-year contract on Thursday as the Indians opened spring training. A player who was the last piece in the deal for pitcher CC Sabathia in 2008 is now recognized as one of the Indians core players. Brantley batted a team-leading .284 last season, when Cleveland ended a five-year playoff drought. The Indians lost to Tampa Bay 4-0 in the wild-card game. The challenge is to keep getting better. The Indians decided that the 26-year-old can be instrumental that way. He avoided arbitration by agreeing to the deal, which he signed after passing a physical. Brantley gets a $3.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million this year, $5 million in 2015, $6.5 million in 2016 and $7.5 million in 2017. Cleveland has an $11.5 million option for 2018 with a $1 million buyout. His 2017 salary would increase by $1 million if hes among the top five in MVP voting in any year from 2014-16 and would go up by $500,000 if he finishes sixth to 10th. The option price would be boosted by $1 million if hes among the top five from 2014-17 and by $500,000 if he finishes sixth to 10th. "He is a complete player," Antonetti said. "He is a tireless worker, a great teammate, a complete professional in every sense of the word. When youre making investments of this magnitude, those are the things you look for. He embodies everything we look for in our players. "His entire focus is on the team. A lot of guys talk about that and will give the surface, Hey, Im a team player. Michael lives that every day." He proved it last season. Brantley was slotted as the leadoff hitter and centre fielder until the Indians signed Michael Bourn. He agreed to move to left field and floated around in the batting order, hitting everywhere from first through eighth as manager Terry Francona rested regulars. Brantley set career highs with 26 doubles, 10 homers, 73 RBIs and 66 runs. He also stole 17 bases in 21 attempts. And he went the entire season without making an error in his new outfield spot. "Those are the players that you value because regardless of what their personal goals are or their aspirations, theyre able to put the team goals ahead of it," Francona said. "And thats a good example. We all know he wanted to play centre field, and he moved to left. And he probably preferred to stay in one spot in the order, but he moved around. "And he did it willingly." Brantley was part of a four-player package that the Indians got from Milwaukee on July 7, 2008. Originally, it was three players and one to be announced after the season. Brantley heard that he would be the final piece in the deal, which was completed on Oct. 3. Little did the Indians know he would end up being the biggest prize in the package, which included first baseman Matt LaPorta. "In bringing Michael over, we had some sense of those things," Antonetti said. "But Im not sure we could fully appreciate how great of a worker he was, how great of a teammate he was, how driven he was to be successful." Notes: Francona isnt sure where Brantley will bat this season, but said its possible he could move around in the order again. ... The Indians were prepared for an arbitration hearing Friday with RHP Josh Tomlin, who is asking for $975,000. The team has offered $800,000. RHP Justin Masterson also has an arbitration hearing pending. He is seeking $11.8 million, while the club offered $8.05 million. AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report. Brett Favre . Montreal defenceman P.K. Subban, who is black, was targeted for racial abuse on social media in the wake of his winning goal in Thursdays thrilling 4-3 double-overtime playoff win over Boston. Josh Robinson . Munchak replaces Jack Bicknell Jr., who was let go after just one season with the Steelers. Munchak, a Hall of Fame guard during his 12-year playing career with the Houston Oilers, went 22-26 in three seasons with Tennessee. http://www.nflvikingsus.com/Womens-Everson-Griffen-Authentic-Jersey/. Friday night, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson wrote the perfect ending to the Raptors 105-103 victory over the Boston Celtics that -- finally -- sent the Raptors into the playoffs for the first time in six years. Tom Johnson . -- Gustav Nyquist scored twice as the Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 5-2 in American Hockey League action Saturday. John Randle . Led by home runs from Jake Blackwood and Ray Sadler, the Goldeyes defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs 7-6 Saturday at Haymarket Park. The win moves Winnipegs exhibition record to 3-1 after losing to Lincoln Friday night.NEW ORLEANS -- Andre Drummond grabbed everything in sight, even that MVP trophy that came apart. Drummond had 30 points and a Rising Stars Challenge-record 25 rebounds, leading Team Hill to a 142-136 victory over Team Webber on Friday night. Coach Nate McMillan said general manager Grant Hill talked to his team before the game about performing like Denvers Kenneth Faried, who had 40 points and 10 rebounds while winning MVP honours last year. The message got through to Drummond, who grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. "Drummond had in his mind that he was going to go out and play the game hard," said McMillan, an assistant to Indiana coach Frank Vogel. "Every rebound that came off the board, he wanted. A few of them he took from his teammates, but I liked his aggressiveness." Besides an impressive tally of dunks and rebounds, Drummond even managed to make his free throws. A 41 per cent shooter during the regular season, the Detroit forward went 6 for 8, including a pair with 29 seconds left after chasing down Bradley Beals missed free throw to give his team a five-point lead. He eventually got to hoist the MVP trophy, though not before it fell to the court when a representative from game sponsor BBVA tried to hand it to him. It comes in two pieces, a star on top of the base, and the presenter was apparently unaware when he grabbed it by the top. "It happened last year, too, so I wasnt expecting anything less," Drummond said. "Usually a slip-up happens every year with the trophy. So I wasnt too shocked about that." Clevelands Dion Waiters had 31 points, mostly coming during a 1-on-1 duel with New Yorks Tim Hardaway Jr. in the second half. Beal finished with 21 for Team Hill, picked by former NBA star Hill. Hardaway scored 36 points and made seven 3-pointers for fellow former Michigan star Chris Webbers squad. Philadelphia rookie Michael Carter-Williamms had 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds.dddddddddddd Portlands Damian Lillard had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists in the victory, making him 1 for 1 during the busiest All-Star weekend ever. Last seasons NBA Rookie of the Year will take part in five events, three more on All-Star Saturday and the All-Star game on Sunday. All-Stars such as Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving watched the game, with Irving leaping to his feet at one point after watching Waiters, his Cavaliers teammate, try to take over the game with about 8 minutes to play. Waiters had two baskets and then two 3-pointers, one of them when he stepped back after faking a move to the basket that made Hardaway lose his balance. Hardaway answered back with two 3-pointers of his own as the crowd roared. "We were just trying to do a great job of just getting the fans involved," Hardaway said. "It was kind of dead in there and we just wanted to just start something, a little 1-on-1 battle here and there, and it was great." Waiters then clinched the duel when he knocked the ball free for a rare defensive highlight in the game, nailing his second straight 3-pointer to give team Hill the lead for good at 126-124 with 2:44 left. Drummond followed with a dunk for a four-point advantage, and Team Webber could never catch up. The game that began as a matchup of top rookies and later turned into rookies against second-year players now mixes the rosters. Thats probably a good thing, since this years crop of kids is so underwhelming. Only two of the top 10 picks in the 2013 draft, which has been hindered by injuries, were invited to this game, No. 2 Oladipo and No. 9 Trey Burke. Players were picked to play on Team Hill and Team Webber, which they wore under their numbers on the back of their jerseys. Drummond 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first 10 minutes and shot 12 of 21 for the game. ' ' '
