CLEVELAND, Ohio — It’s been a few months since channeled my inner Jimmy Cannon, the New York sportswriter who sometimes authored a column titled “Nobody asked me, but … ” Then I read about the defense of Cleveland pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase in the sports gambling case:
Nobody Asked Me, but … So Emmanuel Clase wasn’t betting on baseball at all. It was cockfighting, which is legal in the Dominican Republic. In fact, Clase is a cockfighting kingpin in the Dominican Republic, according various reports.
Nobody Asked Me, but … I’ve never used the word “cockfighting” in a story before. That covers about 50 years. But here is how cleveland.com’s Adam Ferrise explained it: “The indictment said that Clase, Ortiz and the bettors texted in code words about betting on pitches. Defense attorneys countered that the texts should be read literally and that they were really texting about cockfights, home repairs and horses that both Clase and Ortiz own. The filing says Clase is a well-known horse breeder and ‘participant in rooster fighting activities in the Dominican Republic.’”
Nobody Asked Me, but …I guess that explains everything. Never mind. Play ball. All those bets were on roosters, not pitches. How could we have missed that? FYI: Not that anything unsavory could ever happen in the cockfighting business.
Kyle Tucker
The Dodgers made Kyle Tucker the second-highest paid player in the majors. AP
Nobody Asked Me, but … I’m glad the Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker to the outrageous $240 million deal for four years. I’m glad they gave him about $20 million more per year than superstar Aaron Judge ($40 million) is paid with the Yankees. I’m glad they made Tucker, who hit .266 (.841 OPS) with 22 homers and 73 RBI, the second-highest paid player in the majors behind Shohei Ohtani ($70 million).
Nobody Asked Me, but … I’m glad the Dodgers paid a $169 million luxury tax for 2025 and acted like it was $1.69 – pocket change. The top five teams paying luxury tax for 2025 according to the Associated Press: Dodgers ($169 million), Mets ($91 million), Yankees ($61 million), Phillies ($56 million) and Blue Jays ($13 million).
Nobody Asked Me, but … Why am I glad the Dodgers are spending so much money? Because it even shocks the Yankees! That’s because FINALLY, the owners will DO SOMETHING in terms of a salary cap and salary floor. The current labor agreement expires at the end of the 2026 season. Things have to change and the actions of the Dodgers should be enough to inspire the owners to do what is necessary to bring baseball in line with the NBA, NFL and NHL – all with very workable forms of salary caps.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, December 3, 2025
With Darius Garland dealing with a foot injury, the Cavs need more from Lonzo Ball.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Nobody Asked Me, but … Craig Porter Jr. is a far more valuable player to the Cavs than Lonzo Ball. Most Cavs fans would probably agree. So do the coaches. Ball has played in only five of the last 10 games – never more than 15 minutes. But with Darius Garland having foot problems again … Ball will be needed in the backcourt.
Nobody Asked Me, but …Why does Ball spend so much time standing in the corner on offense? His strength is ballhandling and passing. Put the ball in his hands. Let him create shots for other players. Ball is shooting 31% from the field, 28% on 3-pointers. He has taken 130 shots from 3-point range (mostly from the corner) and only 28 shots from 2-point range. Tell him there is no law against driving to the rim. He was brought to the Cavs for a time such as this. They need him to be a solid backup point guard, perhaps even a starter depending on Garland’s foot injury.
Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day, September 29, 2025
The Cavs have a 16-8 record when Sam Merrill plays. It's 7-11 when he is hurt. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Nobody Asked Me, but … The most underrated player on the Cavs this season is Sam Merrill. When he plays, the Cavs have a 16-8 record. When he’s been hurt, they are 8-11. He is averaging 13.8 points, shooting 47% (45% from 3-point range). He is an above average defender. Just a solid and dependable shooting guard/small forward.
Nobody Asked Me, but …After looking at Merrill’s numbers of how the team plays with him, I checked Darius Garland. The Cavs are 13-13 when Garland plays, 11-6 when he’s been hurt. Garland has had a few games this season when he’s played up to previous All-Star form, but it has been rocky for him ever since having major turf toe surgery in the summer of 2025. That’s especially true on defense, where he’s never been very good even when healthy.
Nobody Asked Me, but ... It was so much fun watching Jaylon Tyson score 39 points while Porter delivered 11 assists to help the Cavs dump Philadelphia 117-115 Friday night. Tyrese Proctor scored 13 points in 11 minutes. The young Cavs delivered big time. Coach Kenny Atkinson and his staff have done a great job developing the younger players. That also included Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who had nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes.
Nobody Asked Me, but ... Donovan Mitchell is such a great team player. Philadelphia was determined to stop him from scoring. The Cavs star was often double-teamed. Sometimes, three defenders chased him. Mitchell scored only 13 points (4 for 13 shooting). But he led the Cavs with 12 assists. He led them with nine rebounds. He kept feeding the ball to Tyson, who was wide open because of the defense on Mitchell. The two wins in Philadelphia are a major step forward for the Cavs.
Nobody Asked Me, but … I really liked John Grisham’s new novel, The Widow. Along with C.J. Box, Grisham is my favorite mystery writer.
Hear me talk:
January 28: I will be doing a faith-based talk with Regina Brett at the Music Box in the Flats. Doors open at 5:30, the show is at 7 p.m. It is a benefit for Akron’s Haven of Rest. Here’s where to get more information: https://musicboxcle.com/event/inspiring-stories-jan28
January 29: I will be speaking and signing books at the new Barnes & Noble Strongsville store. The talk begins at 6:30 p.m.