Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Tony La Russa remains the White Sox’s biggest threat. Plus: Cubs Starters Are Perfect Subs; Weirdest Backup Catcher Trajectory Ever?; Bulls Pre-Post-Mortem; Blackhawks Post-Mortem; Sky Opening; Red Stars Opening; and Fire Continue To Be Terrible.
Posted on May 14, 2021
By Thomas Chambers
Sitting in the luxe (not, but decent) Shalimar OTB in Indio, California with Mother, I commented on a prohibitive favorite at Hollywood Park.
“Typical, that’s a Baffert horse.”
“I don’t like him,” Emily said.
“Why not?”
“There’s just something about him, the way he looks. I don’t trust him. I just don’t like him.”
With that kind of years-ago intuition that you can take to the bank, I’ve been wary ever since. And admittedly, still with one-quarter blinkers on.
Posted on May 13, 2021
By Roger Wallenstein
Why in the world would you ever walk Yasmani Grandal? Why not have the opposition simply plant a batting tee at home plate, place a ball atop the contraption, and ask the White Sox catcher, “Mr. Grandal, how’s that? A little higher or lower? Would you like us to bring the tee a bit closer to you? Maybe a bit more toward the outside corner?”
Rather than issuing yet another base on balls, at least the fielders would have a chance to get the guy out.
Perhaps I need to back up a bit. Grandal, who went 0-for-4 Sunday with three strikeouts in the Sox 9-3 win in Kansas City, has registered three hits in 47 at bats in his last 18 games, dating back to April 7. Check the calendar. That’s more than a month ago and computes to a .064 batting average.
Dylan Cease, one of the club’s starting pitchers and a battery mate of Grandal’s, never had batted in a major league game until last Tuesday when he collected three hits including a rousing double off the right field wall in Cincinnati. Cease probably will pitch in a National League park before the season ends, but for right now, in one afternoon he equaled Grandal’s hit production for an entire month.
Posted on May 10, 2021
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Don’t go near him! Plus: Cubs Might Be Forced To Keep Kris Bryant; The Rest Of The Bears Draft Not So Great; and more!
Posted on May 7, 2021
By Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
The fantasy sports market is expected to grow at approximately 14% during the period 2020−2026, according to a new report.
Key Report Highlights:
* Global fantasy sports market expected to witness an absolute growth of around 120% between 2020 to 2026 with an incremental growth of over $1 billion.
* The growing demand for improving online gaming infrastructure and the rise in application-based user experience is expected to boost the fantasy cricket market, which is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 13% during the forecast period.
* Owing to the popularity of the sport in the biggest fantasy sports market in the world, American football has been able to draw a significant audience. North America is expected to record an incremental revenue of around $539 million during 2020-2026 in the football fantasy sports segment.
Posted on May 6, 2021
By Roger Wallenstein
Bobby Winkles, who managed the Angels and A’s after winning three College World Series in the ’60s with Arizona State, used to tell the story about Nolan Ryan when the Hall of Famer was pitching for the Angels.
Seems that Ryan was tiring in the late innings of a close game when Winkles went to the mound to make a change. Before handing the ball to his manager, Ryan said, “You mind if I ask you a question?”
“No, of course not,” replied Winkles, who had great respect and admiration for one of the game’s all-time greats, especially since he won 21 games for Winkles’ club in 1973 while striking out 383 batters.
“Would you rather have a tired Nolan Ryan face the next hitter or that guy warming up in the bullpen?” deadpanned Ryan.
Posted on May 3, 2021
By Thomas Chambers
They ran a race and nobody got hurt, so that’s something.
Class willed out as Medina Spirit gave trainer Bob Baffert his record seventh Kentucky Derby victory. Earlier in the day, his Gamine gave him a record-breaker for Grade I wins, after the horse was reinstated to an Oaklawn victory from last year that was drug-disputed by what Baffert called “uncontrollable environmental factors.” It never ends.
After Medina’s Derby win, even Baffert seemed blasé, as if to say “HA! Chumps” as he walked to the winner’s circle.
Posted on May 2, 2021
