Written by Thomas Moore

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So 2012 has come and gone without another championship from any of Cleveland’s teams.

While there were no titles to celebrate, there were still plenty of stories, from firings to trades, to too many losses and too few wins.

Our annual review of the year in Cleveland sports continues with the second quarter of the year. (In case you missed the First Quarter, click here).

Ubaldo Jimenez closed out spring training by hitting Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki with a pitch. It was the highpoint of Jimenez’ season as his poor performance in spring training – an ERA of 7.43 in 23 innings of work – left the Tribe wondering what to do with a problem like Ubaldo.

We welcomed the Tribe back for the 2012 season with hope – but also with fears for the Wahoos. And on Opening Day everything was right – up until closer Chris Perez entered the game.

Cleveland’s own Sean McLaughlin sat down with us (figuratively) for a Q&A about the joys of following Celtic football.

Since Opening Day went so well for the Tribe, they decided to follow the same script for Game 2. But while the team lost two-of-three to open the season, the starting pitching didn’t look all that bad (little did Tribe fans know).

The Indians got down to business with Carlos Santana soon after the season started, signing the catcher to a contract extension that should keep him in Cleveland through at least 2017.

As we hit the middle of April and NFL Draft talk heated up, we made a case for the Browns selecting LSU defensive back Morris Claiborne.

In less exciting news, the Indians decided that what they needed to fill the hole in left field was 38-year-old Johnny Damon.

Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Andy Carroll actually did something for Liverpool, heading in the winning goal as the Reds beat Everton and earned a spot in the FA Cup final.

Less than two weeks before the NFL Draft, and the rumors, speculation and misdirection about the Browns’ intentions were flying in all directions.

Speaking of heating up, the Indians finished off a sweep of the Royals to pull back to the .500 mark.

Just six days before the NFL Draft, we started to question the logic behind using a second-round draft pick on a quarterback (little did we know).

We also asked a question that is vexing newspaper across the country – is the daily sports section still relevant to today’s fans?

The Tribe returned home after going 7-2 on a nine-game road trip. One day later, they were in first place after defeating Kansas City.

The NFL Draft finally arrived and, with the Browns holding three picks in the first two rounds, it was important that general manager Tom Heckert not screw it up.

The Browns surprised some (many?) by trading up one spot to take Alabama running back Trent Richardson at No. 3 and then selecting 28-year-old quarterback Brandon Weeden from Oklahoma State with their second first-round pick.

While the Browns were busy making headlines in the draft, the Indians quietly worked their way into first place by the end of the month.

Once the dust had settled, it was time to take a look at the 11 players the Browns selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Scott Fujita and three other players were suspended for their alleged leadership roles in the alleged bounty program in New Orleans. There was a silver lining in the news for the Browns, however.

The month of May was shaping up to be an important month for the first-place Tribe, with a schedule that was heavy on games against the AL Central Division.

Liverpool dropped the FA Cup final to Chelsea, which may have been for the best.

Cold Hard Football Facts comes out with its draft grades and gives the Browns an A- because the team filled several important holes on the roster.

Being a Cleveland fan we realize that while patience is a good thing, we also need hope.

While we are not Manchester City fans, we enjoyed the scene when they won their first league title since 1968, an example of why sports are the best.

Browns fans got a glimpse of what will hopefully be a bright future at the rookie minicamp in Berea.

Derek Lowe’s 6-1 start helped the Indians remain in first place and had Tribe fans dreaming of an Indian summer.

Following Liverpool’s worst finish in 18 years and their lowest point total since the 1953-54 season, manager Kenny Dalglish exited Anfield.

Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman wants an NBA, but that’s not our problem.

Following a win over Miami, Indians closer Chris Perez criticized Tribe fans for booing and in the process lost the plot.

Browns legend Jim Brown took to the media to grind his axe against Mike Holmgren by questioning the talent of rookie running back Trent Richardson. For his part, Richardson showed he was the bigger man.

With HBO looking for a team for its annual Hard Knocks program, we wondered why the Browns would not be considered (not knowing that they would eventually wind up on their own Travel Channel show).

After watching the Tribe sweep a three-game series from the Tigers, we wondered if money alone was enough to buy a division title.

Things quickly took a turn for the worst, though, as the Tribe gave up 35 runs while being swept in a weekend series with the White Sox, then lost two-of-three to the Royals to close out the month of May in less than ideal fashion.

As May came to a close, it was time to start thinking about the Cavs and the NBA Draft, specifically which players they should avoid.

With the Indians reaching the one-third mark of the season, we wondered if the glass was half empty or half full for the local nine.

Kent State’s baseball team, ranked No. 25 in the nation, won the school’s first regional championship and earned a Super Regional date with Oregon.

The Euro 2012 tournament kicked off with Spain looking to win its third consecutive major championship.

The Tribe found the start of interleague play to their liking, taking two-of-three from St. Louis behind solid starting pitching from Josh Tomlin, Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez. In the process, the Indians pulled within a half-game of the White Sox.

The Indians select Texas A&M outfielder Tyler Naquin with their first pick in the Major League Draft, a good time to remind fans about the importance of maintaining a fertile farm system.

Browns team president Mike Holmgren addressed the Cleveland media about the media-manufactured controversy over Holmgren appearing on a Seattle radio station.

All the nonsense over so many unimportant things left us wondering why Browns fans are so dysfunctional.

After beating Oregon to earn a trip to the College World Series, Kent State took down no. 1 Florida.

At night at the Tribe game with The Cleveland Fan gang, where we were the only person without a smart phone, led us to realize how much social media has changed the sports world. That led to our four-part series on the 20 biggest Cleveland sports stories in the pre-blog and social media era.

Kent State is eliminated from the College World Series following a loss to two-time defending champion South Carolina. The Golden Flashes finished the year at 47-20, won the Mid-American Conference championship for the fourth consecutive year, swept through their regional and beat Oregon in the Super Regional to become the first MAC team to reach the College World Series since Eastern Michigan in 1976.

The Indians dodge a bullet by not trading for Boston’s Kevin Youkilis.

America started to fall in love with Uncle Drew.

With the Indians struggling to stay in the division race, closer Chris Perez decided it was a good time to rip on the fans (again).

Draft day finally arrived in the NBA, and while there were several different scenarios in play, the Cavs wound up selecting Syracuse guard Dion Waiters and North Carolina center Tyler Zeller with their first-round picks.

Coming tomorrow: The Indians struggle with a Detroit hangover and another second-half swoon, Spain makes its case for the best team ever, and Randy Lerner sells the Browns to Jimmy Haslam.