Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Cubs manager moves in mysterious ways. Plus: Mediocre Media Moralizers; White Sox SNAFU; Bears’ Foxhole; The Chicago Fire Did Something This Week; Jimmy Butler > Derrick Rose; The Return Of Epiphanny Prince; A Beer Note; and We Already Miss You, Junior Lake.
Posted on August 7, 2015
By Steve Rhodes
Junior Lake burst on the scene in 2013 like no other Cub this side of Tuffy Rhodes and Emilio Bonifacio. While his red-hot start cooled to an eventual .284 with a .332 OBP over 64 games in that rookie campaign, he proved Theo Epstein prescient in his warning to then-manager Dave Sveum that Lake would do some things that would amaze – for both better and worse. Now he’s in the Baltimore organization, having been traded for reliever Tommy Hunter. We here at the Beachwood loved Junior Lake; he provided multiple moments of happiness and made our lives better because of it. Let’s take a look.
1. Rookie Year Highlights.
Posted on August 6, 2015
In an increasingly pass-happy league, the depth chart for fantasy QBs looks deeper than ever.
1. Andrew Luck, IND.
In his prime, and an upgrade from a hobbled Reggie Wayne to a less hobbled Andre Johnson (and from a gaping hole at RB to reliable old Frank Gore) could push him over the 5,000 yard mark. If he cuts down on turnovers, could we expect a 50 TD season?
Posted on August 5, 2015
By Steve Rhodes
Thank God for Russ in Los Angeles!
Russ wrote to the Tribune’s Mark Gonzales for his mailbag feature and asked:
I watched the All-Star lineup introductions, and who is the National League starting second baseman but DJ LeMahieu. I looked up who the Cubs got when he was traded in 2011: Casey Weathers and Ian Stewart. What a horrible trade – who is responsible for that?
Maybe because Russ is in Los Angeles, he doesn’t know you aren’t allowed to question Theo Epstein. Every word he utters is the gospel – the Theospel. And he’s infallible!
Posted on August 3, 2015
By Roger Wallenstein
In the week that former Sox pitching legend Billy Pierce died at age 88, it was fitting that the Yankees were in town.
When “Little” Billy Pierce, the 5-foot-10, 160-pound lefty, led the White Sox staff throughout the 1950s, it was a big deal when the New Yorkers invaded. Between 1949 and 1964, the distasteful, despised, agitating Yanks were American League champions all but two seasons. Cleveland interrupted the streak in 1954 but had to win 111 games to do it. And, of course, in 1959 the White Sox went to the World Series while the Yankees finished third.
But throughout the decade the White Sox fought to remain in contention, which created high expectations and anticipation and huge crowds almost every time Casey Stengel led his crew to the South Side.
Posted on August 2, 2015
By Jim Coffman, Roger Wallenstein and Steve Rhodes
Post-trade deadline edition. Plus: The Starlin Castro Saga; Len Kasper, Company Man; Bill Veeck, TV Bartender; The Journesia Of Training Camp Narratives; The Chicago Fire Continue To Disgust Us; and Eleane Delle Donne Emerges As The Face Of The WNBA.
Posted on August 1, 2015
By Thomas Chambers
Checking the horse racing crawl, as often happens, it’s much more than just a great horse returning to the track. We see good, bad, sad and suspicious.
I know it’s the Sabbath for a lot of people, but set your DVR to 4 p.m. Sunday, NBC, as our newly minted Triple Crown winner American Pharoah faces seven challenged challengers in the William Hill Haskell Invitational Stakes (Grade 1, 9 furlongs, and more on the $1.75 million purse later) from beautiful Monmouth Park, hard by Springsteen’s Asbury Park promised land. You’ll see the term “invitational” in the quiz later.
Posted on July 31, 2015
By AP
“No blaming or booing the umpire for a questionable called third strike at a Northern California independent league. A computer will call balls and strikes as the home plate umpire handles all of his other regular duties.”
Posted on July 30, 2015
By Dan O’Shea
It’s an exciting week in the fantasy baseball world, as the looming trade deadline means that several players are changing their uniforms and possibly their fantasy fortunes.
However, it’s also a critical week for fantasy football, with a handful of NFL training camps already open and the rest set to start in the next couple of days.
For those of you who want to hear about how much more fantasy value SP Johnny Cueto has after leaving Cincinnati, please skip to the end of this column. If you’re more interested in Matt Forte’s fantasy value, let’s begin:
Posted on July 29, 2015
In the wake of the first player from Major League Baseball’s three development centers in China signing with a Major League team, young players from MLB China look to impress scouts. Nathan Frandino reports.
Posted on July 28, 2015
