Chicago -
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Don’t believe the March Mirotic. Plus: The Bullshit Bears; Something About The Blackhawks’ Gas Pedal; The Cubs’ Smug Factor; White Sox Not Even Good At Being Secondary; The Chicago Fire Now World Cup Contenders; and NCAA Tourney Notes.
Posted on March 31, 2017
The hour is growing late, and the Cubs are about to embark on their defense of the 2016 World Series Championship, so these are my final pre-season rankings. Two more Cubs herein, and even a pretty good Pale Hose hurler (though he’ll probably be hurling elsewhere soon).
76) Billy Hamilton, OF, CIN; OF Rank: 25 – During the first half of last year, his value tanked as he couldn’t get on to steal bases and was hit by injury, but he hit .293 with a .369 OBP after the All-Star break and ended the year with 58 SBs. No other value here, but maybe he’s turned the corner.
Posted on March 31, 2017
By George B. Cunningham and Erin E. Buzuvis/The Conversation
Several cases working their way through the legal system have placed a national spotlight on the issue of transgender access to bathrooms.
While some states have taken steps to allow access based on gender identity, many are considering legislation that restricts bathroom use by the sex assigned at birth.
Most of these court cases also apply to student-athlete access to locker rooms and question schools’ obligations to provide appropriate facilities as well as the rights transgender athletes have to access these facilities.
The result has been considerable debate over how to accommodate the needs of transgender athletes. As researchers who focus on diversity and inclusion in sport, we see significant changes in the ways trans athletes are treated and believe there are pragmatic solutions available that will serve all athletes.
Posted on March 29, 2017
By Thomas Chambers
Man o’ War, the original Big Red, is considered one of, if not the, greatest Thoroughbred race horses who ever lived.
You’ll get a thoughtful debate by fans of the other Big Red, Secretariat, with one advantage being that there are still people alive who saw Secretariat.
We cry that horses don’t run enough over too few years, but Man o’ War himself never raced past three years old. He won 20, lost one, famously, to Upset. Man o’ War, carrying 15 more pounds, zigged, Upset zagged, and the race was pretty much over. Fifty more yards, however . . .
We still vicariously enjoy Man o’ War these days through Tiznow, a direct descendant and one of today’s best sires. And we can pop in the DVD any time we want to enjoy Seabiscuit, with the climactic match race with War Admiral, Man o’ War’s son and a great sire himself. The circular tidiness of this all is most satisfying.
As if they could, our jaws gaped that much more Saturday, when race announcer Terry Spargo, in the runout, declared “We are seeing the Man o’ War of the 21st century!”
Posted on March 26, 2017
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Lake Forest, Loserville. Plus: The Butt Fumble Bulls; Jerry Krause Was Right; Blackhawks Grinding Against Bad Teams; The Charmed Life Of Clean-Living Kris Bryant; Cubs Playing Match Game With Starters; Joe Maddon’s World Series Managing Even Worse Than We Thought; Contracting Tim Anderson; Fire Get Schweinsteiger; A Team To Root For; and UIC’s Tiny Dance.
Posted on March 24, 2017
We’re getting so deep into this fantasy baseball draft list that there are closers in this set of rankings – well, ok, not until the very end. But still.
51) Wil Myers, 1B/OF, SD; 1B Rank: 9 OF Rank: 18 – Breakout 2016 with 28 HRs, 94 RBI, 28 SBs, 99 runs, so this potential 30/100/30/100 man could get drafted much higher, but .250s average and a tendency toward long slumps between hot streaks makes him feast or famine.
52) Adrian Beltre, 3B, TEX; 3B Rank: 6 – He’ll turn 38 a few days into this season, but had nice visit to the Fountain of Youth last year, clocking 32 HRs, 104 RBI, his most in both categories since 2012. Stopped stealing long ago, but can still hit around .300.
53) Stephen Strasburg, SP, WAS; SP Rank: 12 – Injury-shortened season as usual, but still posted good numbers: 183 Ks/147 IP, .218 BAA and 1.10 WHIP (both his best since 2013) and stayed in the saddle long enough for 15 wins. Even just 175 IP should mean 200+ Ks.
Posted on March 21, 2017
By Jim Coffman
The Hawks are as hot as hot can be. It’s a wonder the ice at the United Center hasn’t . . . oh, let’s not do that. How about something along the lines of . . . they are as hot as a team in any sport can be after notching their 17th victory in their last 20 games Sunday over the Avalanche 6-3.
In so doing, the Hawks became the first team in the Western Conference to officially clinch a playoff spot. And they moved to seven points ahead of the suddenly ice cold – sorry – Minnesota Wild in the Central Division race, 99-92.
Posted on March 20, 2017
By Roger Wallenstein
According to Baseball Reference, there have been 698 major league managers, beginning (alphabetically) with Manny Acta and ending with Don Zimmer.
Of course, some only managed a game or two, such as White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, who went 1-1 after Ozzie Guillen was fired with a couple of games remaining in 2011.
The dean was Connie Mack, who skippered the Philadelphia A’s for 53 seasons and never got fired, which was understandable because he owned the ballclub.
Some men toil for years in the minor leagues awaiting a chance to lead a big-league team, while others, such as Guillen and the recently departed Robin Ventura, were knighted with one of the now-30 such jobs available without ever having managed previously.
Posted on March 19, 2017
By Thomas Chambers
The other guys in the Beachwood Sports Department have been doing all the heavy lifting lately.
When large animals attack, like the Bears and Bulls, the crew has hunted down the angles. We heard about the joys of spring training, wait in the paddock for the Cubs and Sox, the Hawks seem on cruise control, we hope, and even the departure of Elena Delle Donne. Also, I really enjoyed watching the Lady Vikings of Geneva High School take the 2-A title in last-shot, total clutch, thrilling fashion in both the semis and the final.
We also saw some real drama in Wrigleyville, even before the first nacho cheese melt.
Thank goodness, I don’t believe we’ve ever heard “Coming out of the (Bear)Cubs Den to pinch hit is . . . ” They’ll still be coming out of The Dugout, or will they? Not even Jon Taffer, America’s Barchangel, dealing with the biggest mook since Mookie Wilson, could save a Wrigleyville bar, within a Dave Kingman blast from home plate, that couldn’t make money during the season! It was a way better train wreck than Piratz, but then, we are the championz!
Posted on March 17, 2017
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Hard to root for from this precinct. Plus: Directionless Bulls Now Also Wadeless; Bears Sign More Guys; Joe Trump?; Blackhawks Still Blackhawks; Chicago Fire On Fire; and The White Sox Are Still Boring No Matter What Coffman Says.
Posted on March 17, 2017
