The Indians were outlasted by the San Diego Padres 11-8 today at Goodyear Ballpark in a three-hour, 21-minute affair that featured 30 combined base hits and 91 plate appearances between the two clubs. Cleveland is now 6-4 in Cactus League play.

(Cleveland Indians) The contest featured a pair of big innings, as the Tribe plated 6 runs in the bottom of the first only to see the club’s 6-0 advantage erased by the Friars’ 7-run third inning. ASDRUBAL CABRERA paced the Indians offense, falling a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. NICK SWISHER also went 3-for-3 with a double, while RYAN RABURN connected for his team-best 4th home run of the spring, a 3-run shot in the first inning. JASON KIPNIS and LONNIE CHISENHALL each drove in 2 runs apiece. BRYAN SHAW, RICH HILL and minor league reserve MATT PACKER all chipped in 1.0 scoreless frame each.

Cleveland will travel to Camelback Ranch on Sunday for a 3:05PM ET first pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers, as RHP COREY KLUBER is set to take the mound opposite RHP JOSH BECKETT. Tom Hamilton and Jim Rosenhaus will have the call across the Indians Radio Network and on WTAM in the Cleveland market.

The late winter trip to chilly Nashville was a heart-warmer for local radio morning show partners Scott Wynn and Sue Wilson, named Best Personality Show for medium market in the country by the Country Radio Seminar/Country Aircheck Awards.

The CRS voting was a reflection of country music and radio industry professionals.

"We've always know Scott and Sue were award-winners here in Akron," said Thom Mandel, president and general manager of WQMX. ""We're incredibly honored to have the recognition of our  colleagues across the country that confirms Wynn and Wilson truly are among the best in the nation."

"Wynn and Wilson" is heard weekday mornings on 94.9 WQMX. The station is owned by the Rubber City Radio Group, which also owns AkronNewsNow.com.

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(CRS - news release)The 2013 Country Radio Seminar/Country Aircheck Award winners are:

Station Of The Year: WUSN/Chicago (Major Market); KAJA/San Antonio (Large Market); WAMZ/Louisville (Medium Market); WUSY/Chattanooga (Small Market).

The Indians lost to the Texas Rangers 10-0 this afternoon in Surprise.

(Cleveland Indians) LONNIE CHISENHALL and RYAN RABURN each went 2-for-3 to account for 4 of the Tribe’s 5 hits. Chisenhall raised his spring average to .364 (4-11), while Raburn is now batting a team-best .615 (8-13; 8 hits are also team-high). On the mound, TREVOR BAUER faced the minimum over 2.0 scoreless innings with one strikeout, as the right-hander now has 4.0 spotless frames this spring with 3 punchouts.

Cleveland will return to Goodyear Ballpark tomorrow, where the club will host the Chicago White Sox for a 3:05PM ET first pitch. 

More bang for the buck out of the Indians this year -- because they're cutting prices at Progressive Field. Hot dogs down to three bucks, beers to four for 2013. They'll also have 15 Dollar Dog Nights, and soda prices will see drops in prices, too.

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(Cleveland Indians) Filling up on ballpark favorites will cost fans less this year at Progressive Field.

Prices for many top-selling items have been reduced for the upcoming 2013 season. Most notably, hot dogs will start at $3 -- a 33% reduction over 2012 prices -- and 12-ounce domestic beers will be $4, a drop of up to 24% over last year. Both of these rollbacks will be available to fans for every game of the upcoming 2013 season.

“We’ve asked our fans what they want most in their ballpark experience at Progressive Field, and more affordable concessions prices routinely top the list,” said Indians president MARK SHAPIRO. “This is a way for us to let fans know we’re listening to them and that we value them.”

Plus, on 15 occasions in the 2013 season, hot dogs will start at $1: The Indians will partner with Sugardale to present 15 Dollar Dog Nights at Progressive Field, an addition of 6 nights over the total number in 2012.

The $4, 12-ounce beer price extends to all draft and can domestic beer located throughout the ballpark, and also applies to the “Your Dad’s Beer Stand,” which features popular nostalgic beer brands.

In addition to the hot dog and beer price reductions, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, pizza and bratwursts will see a drop in prices up to 25%. Plus, soda refills will be only $2.

The Indians fell to the Seattle Mariners 5-1 today in Surprise, as Cleveland moved to 5-2-0 in Cactus League play this spring.

(Cleveland Indians) Catcher YAN GOMES had the standout offensive performance of the day for the Tribe, going 2-for-2 with a double. Gomes has hit safely in each of his last 4 plate appearances (single, 2 doubles, HR) to raise his spring average to .571 (4-7) with 5 RBI, one shy of the team lead. JESUS AGUILAR drove in the Indians lone run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly. On the mound, starter BRETT MYERS became the first Cleveland pitcher to work 3.0 innings this spring, holding Seattle to a single run (3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R-ER, 1 BB, 0 SO, 1 HR). Relievers RICH HILL, CODY ALLEN, NICK HAGADONE and MATT LANGWELL each chipped in 1.0 scoreless frame each out of the Tribe ‘pen.

CARLOS PEGUERO carried the Mariners offense, going 2-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs in the third and fourth frames.

Cleveland will travel to Surprise Stadium tomorrow for a 3:05PM ET first pitch against the Texas Rangers, as RHP ZACH McALLISTER is set to take the bump opposite LHP DEREK HOLLAND. 

That includes a winning streak to start the Cactus League season. It was a fun five-game run, at least.

(Cleveland Indians) The Indians (5-1) took their first loss of the spring, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Kansas City Royals this afternoon at Goodyear Ballpark.

The starter-by-committee affair saw Tribe relievers CHRIS PEREZ, SCOTT BARNES, PRESTON GUILMET, EDWARD PAREDES, JOE MARTINEZ and JERRY GIL all turn in scoreless efforts, while the second base tandem of JASON KIPNIS and CORD PHELPS each chipped in a double for the offense.

Kansas City's offense was powered by Billy Butler, who went 2-for-3 with a first-inning RBI-single and 5th-inning 2-run homer.

Cleveland is set to host the Seattle Mariners tomorrow for a 3:05PM MST first pitch in Goodyear. RHP BRETT MYERS is scheduled to take the bump opposite M's LHP DANNY HULTZEN. 

Sunday's death of 46-year old Tami Wong following what appeared to start as a domestic violence case is, unfortunately, something that happens way too often in our society. Death at the hands of another, whether it be a stranger, a friend, or a family member. In this case, it appears by husband.

In this case, police were first called by the daughter of Tami and Glenn Wong. As with the case of 9-1-1 emergency calls across Ohio, the recordings of these calls are considered public record and are available not just for the news media but also the public at-large.

The issue for the media in Ohio is not whether these records are public; it's whether the publication or broadcast of 9-1-1 audio is responsible journalism.

Members of our news department discussed whether to use the audio either in part in our radio broadcasts or in the entirety online. The screams of the mother are clearly heard, as is the distress of her 10-year old daughter's voice. The sound of Glenn Wong's voice and the cries of his eight-year old son are clearly heard. The dispatcher's concern for the safety of the children, and fast response of police and an ambulance, is clearly heard. It is graphic and extremely disturbing. There is a raw power of audio going direct from speaker, to human ear, directly to the brain. And the heart. 

We discussed whether it was important for the public to hear for themselves the panic of a child witnessing the brutal attack on a parent. We talked about the public's right to know for themselves what kind of pressures 9-1-1 dispatchers are under when handling calls, and how their training is geared toward getting the information first responders need to deliver more effective service when those in trouble need it most. We discussed the impact on the Wong's daughter and son. 

We clearly have the right to air the audio, either in portions or entirety, including those graphic sections where the murder victim can be heard screaming and the reaction of the 10-year old child on the phone with the dispatcher. The fact the call includes a young child is a strong determinant in our decision, as is the very graphic content one can clearly hear. The question isn't whether we can air the audio, it's should we air the audio? In this particular case, our editorial judgment is to not air and not post the more graphic audio. We are using less-graphic segments so our listeners and web readers can gain a better understanding of the 9-1-1 system and some of the pressures dispatchers also operate under. We are pursuing the story line of counseling not only for the daughter involved, but also the dispatcher.

In the end, we concluded there was a public good for our listeners to understand what happened between the caller and the dispatcher, but there was nothing to be gained by hearing the graphic audio making up most of the call.

The media is not a monolith; each news organization has their own editorial standards. WTAM-AM News Director Darren Toms noted "...these always trouble me," responding to an email. WEWS-TV's Jill Manuel said "...we made the decision not to use any of the 9-1-1 tape due to the distressing nature of child's situation. We explained to our viewers why we did not air any audio from the call." Dan Salamone of WOIO-TV made the same call, noting "...we listened to the audio and are not using any of it. It’s too exploitive and disturbing." The links above go to each station's web coverage of the story.

Ohio.com, the website of the Akron Beacon Journal, posted a story based on the Twinsburg Police Department account as of Monday evening, with a more detailed version published in Tuesday morning's edition. Editor Bruce Winges said "...the Beacon Journal believes that 911 tapes are public record. We also lean heavily toward protecting victims in crime stories in general. This one is different because the father has been charged and named in our coverage. While we did not use the names of the children, they can be identified through the father." The Beacon Journal coverage did not include audio. WKYC-TV included a photo of Glenn Wong but no multimedia as of Monday evening. WJW-TV included a video package from their noon newscast. As of Monday evening, the story had not been updated on Cleveland.com, the website of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

There have been attempts over the years by Ohio lawmakers to declare these 9-1-1 calls, and dashcam video, off-limits as public records.  Most recently, State Senator Frank LaRose (R-Akron) was spurred to offer legislation that would have restricted use of dashcam video in cases where it showed a public safety officer being fatally wounded. LaRose felt it was too painful and intrusive to the surviving family of officers lost in the line of duty, driven by the case of Sandusky, Ohio police officer Andrew Dunn. Dunn was shot and killed after stopping a man on a bicycle.

LaRose, an Iraq combat veteran of the 101st Airborne Division, told me he was aware there was Defense Department video showing fellow soldiers killed in action and wouldn't want the families to see those images. He proposed the public could view the video at a police station, or the period immediately before and after the violence be excised, but the graphic footage not be available for broadcast or use on the web. LaRose told me when he introduced the legislation his concern wasn't for conventional media such as newspaper, television or radio but directed at independent bloggers who may not operate under the type of ethics guidelines offered by industry groups such as RTDNA (The Radio Television Digital News Association link to 9-1-1 guidelines), SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists link to their Code of Ethics), PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Incorporated) and APME (Associated Press Media Editors) as well as other groups covering print, broadcast and digital journalists.

In 2010, State Senator Tom Patton (R-Berea) wanted to ban the broadcast of 9-1-1 calls on the grounds it may have led some to not get involved in a case. Some law enforcement officials argued the broadcast, as opposed to simply reading a transcript, dissuaded witnesses from coming forward. I was part of a group of journalists arguing public understanding of issues, including the credibility of the 9-1-1 dispatch system, was strengthened when the public actually heard what people said as opposed to seeing words on paper.

Why is it so important to hear and see the news for yourself? As an example, write down the phrase "I didn't take the money" on paper, and then read it back, adding emphasis on different words, moving from one word to the next in a new sentence. You'll soon hear the difference: 

1. "I didn't take the money" leads the listener to believe the person didn't take the money;
2. "I didn't take the money" infers innocence;
3. "I didn't take the money" could lead someone to conclude it was borrowed, not taken;
4. "I didn't take the money" might lead a listener to think something other than money was taken.

The transcript doesn't change; the meaning of the sentence does depending on how it's heard. There's more guidance on broadcast (or web) use of 9-1-1 calls in this post by Al Tompkins on the Poynter.org journalism site.

These are uncomfortable decisions to make, but certainly don't hold a candle to the pain families feel when tragedy and our system of open government (including reports from law enforcement) collide. As seen above, news organizations vary in their approaches to each individual story, taken on the unique situation each poses. Not using 9-1-1 audio on this occasion, or a decision to use it in limited fashion, may not be the same approach in the next issue. They are, by nature, considered on a case-by-case basis. Each is different.

There are 13 states listed by the National Conference of State Legislatures with some confidentiality restriction on 9-1-1 audio, including restrictions on first responders by Connecticut and New Jersey to penalize police, fire or ambulance workers from distributing photographs or video from accident scenes.

Updated 5:31 a.m. to include comments from the Akron Beacon Journal

First day did the charm -- and four straight wins in the opening weekend of the Cactus League didn't hurt, either.

Indians opening day game tickets went on sale today, and sold out in six minutes. The Tribe hosts the New York Yankees Monday, April 8th at Progressive Field.

The Indians open the regular season on the road at Toronto on April 2nd.

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(Cleveland Indians) The Cleveland Indians 2013 Home Opener, on April 8 at 4:05 p.m. against the New York Yankees, is sold out,  marking the 21^st consecutive home opener sellout and the 20^th at Progressive Field, which opened in 1994.

The game sold out in six minutes, one of the fastest sellouts in Indians history. Since the Indians in 2009 moved the public on-sale date to Spring, Opening Day sellouts have become official on March 30 (2009), April 8 (2010), March 24 (2011) and March 15 (2012), another reflection of the heightened attention for 2013.

Fans wanting to attend 2013 Opening Day -- which marks the Indians’ 113^th year as a charter member of the American League -- still can secure tickets by purchasing full-season ticket packages, which offer the best value and greatest savings over single-game ticket prices.