The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Paul Hoynes on the Indians’ hopes to raise oodles of loot by re-naming the Jake (or keeping it as-is).

There’s a chance Jacobs Field still could be Jacobs Field in 2007. Then again, it could be called National City Bank Park.

When Dick Jacobs sold the Indians to Larry Dolan, Jacobs retained naming rights through 2006 as part of the deal. Well, it’s 2006, and the Indians have been negotiating with several Cleveland businesses, including National City Bank, about putting their name on the ballpark at the corner of Ontario and Carnegie.

Dennis Lehman, Indians executive vice president of business, said Jacobs has expressed an interest in keeping his family’s name on the ballpark.

“We’d love to keep it Jacobs Field,” Lehman said. “We’ve had some conversations with Mr. Jacobs, and he’s had some conversations with us.”

If a deal can’t be reached with Jacobs, Lehman says the Indians would like to sell the naming rights to a business with which they could form a partnership. He used the Philadelphia Phillies and Citizens Bank as an example.

Surely I’m not the only concerned reader who thinks The Crocus Coliseum is a far more fetching name for the venue?

At the Metrodome this afternoon, Cleveland’s C.C. Sabathia has stuck out 7 over 8 scoreless innings, as the Indians lead the Twins, 11-0. Casey Blake has hit a pair of HR’s, and Brad Radke looked very much ready for a change of scenery (ie. somewhere other than a baseball field).

The Cubs are on their way to dropping to ten games under .500, as they trail the Marlins 9-3. Always nice to be swept by a team with a $15 million payroll, especially when Dontrelle Willis didn’t start any of the 3 games. Greg Maddux (6 runs, 8 hits over 6 innings) is about to lose his 4th straight, which makes this as good a time as any to announce that contract extension for Dusty Baker.

The Sultan Of Surly doesn’t feature in the Giants’ starting lineup against the Cardinals today, which is just as well, as he’ll need the extra time to record additional commentary tracks for the DVD version of (the just cancelled) “Bonds On Bonds.” However, if lovers of day baseball are looking for a target they can unleash all of their frustrations upon, Scott Spiezo is playing left field for St. Louis.