By Roger Wallenstein

A chilling breeze was whistling through the ballpark last Thursday evening as two last-place teams, the White Sox and Rangers, faced off in the first of a four-game series. The temperature was mired in the mid-50s on this school night. Starting pitchers James Shields for the Sox and Doug Fister for Texas are both in their mid-30s with far more baseball behind rather than in front of them. If ever there was a ho-hum match-up, this was it.
Was there any rational explanation why 17,666 fans showed up as witnesses? Was it the “Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit” t-shirts? Or the opportunity to see if the Sox could break out of their slump at home where their record was 3-15?

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Posted on May 21, 2018

By Thomas Chambers

It’s a mantra, alright.
And like the best chants, you are required to repeat it, for true attainment is elusive, making its fulfillment the most satisfying moment.
The Beachwood gang even asked: “Can he win the Triple Crown?”
Like the Magic Eight Ball, the best I had was “all signs point to . . . ”

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Posted on May 20, 2018

By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes

Meanwhile, Mad Joe Maddon is driving us mad. Plus: Bulls: We Stanks; Captain Kane; Ryan Pace Still Sucks; Last Year Was Supposed To Be Rock Bottom; Mike Trout, GOAT?; C’mon, Ricky, More Nicky!; and Schweinsteiger!

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Posted on May 18, 2018

By Jennifer Roberts/The Conversation

On Monday, the United States Supreme Court invalidated the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, a federal law that prohibited states, aside from a few exemptions like Nevada, from allowing sports betting operations.
The court ruled that the law unconstitutionally interfered with states’ ability to implement their own legislation on the issue.
So now what? As someone who studies sports wagering and gambling law, I’ve been following the case closely. While the decision marks an end to years of legal action to challenge the federal law, it also now creates a host of issues for states, including Illinois, that are considering sports betting legislation and regulation.

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Posted on May 16, 2018

By Roger Wallenstein

The White Sox made it official on Saturday. When Jose Abreu’s bases-loaded ground ball in the damp, dusky evening at Wrigley squashed any hope of a miraculous comeback, this team became the worst in the 118-year history of the franchise to open the season. The 8-4 loss was the 27th in the ballclub’s first 36 games, surpassing the unspeakable 10-26 mark of the 1948 White Sox.
What would The Old Roman – to say nothing of Shoeless Joe, Zeke Bonura, Teddy Lyons, or Ol’ Aches and Pains – have to say about a team that has a mere five wins (they finally beat the Cubs 5-3 on Sunday) – against teams not named Kansas City here in the middle of May?
We hear how Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit, but even quitters might have been able to eke a few more wins than these guys have at this juncture.

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Posted on May 14, 2018

Plus: The Greatest Chicago Baseball Moment Ever & Illinois’ (Cross Our Fingers) Pot-Filled Sportsbooks

Featuring: Veeck As In Wreck; Ricketts As In Wrecketts; One Last Thing About The Cubs; A Very Special Schweinsteiger! And Much, Much More.

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Posted on May 13, 2018

By Steve Rhodes

One in an occasional series tracking the movements of those who have worn Cubbie blue.
1. Jorge Soler Is Mashing.
“Soler is now off to a great start in 2018, and the Royals control him at a low cost for the next four seasons, although there is a reasonable argument to be made that winning the trade is impossible at this juncture,” Craig Edwards writes at Fangraphs.
“After a .144/.245/.258 season with a 32 wRC+ in 110 plate appearances, Soler has authored a gigantic turnaround. In 133 plate appearances this year, the Royals right fielder is hitting .324/.436/.546 with a 166 wRC+.
“That batting line is greatly helped by a .411 BABIP; however, the 16% walk rate, a reduced 24% strikeout rate, and an ISO above .200 provide a solid base for Soler to be a productive hitter if fewer balls drop in for hits . . .
“As for how Soler has made such dramatic changes to his fortune, he lost some weight and reworked his swing. Maria Torres of the Kansas City Star discussed the change with Soler in the offseason.”

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Posted on May 10, 2018

By Jim Coffman

Last night I decided to take in the first few innings of the Cubs game on the radio while I sat on my front porch. The weather was perfect and baseball does so lend itself to radio – if the announcers aren’t distractingly bad, like the guys who broadcast from the South Side.
I have long been a Pat Hughes fan, although at least one of his weaknesses has become more pronounced over the last few years and it is a growing annoyance. I realize that the longtime play-by-play man needs to balance his broadcast given a decent-sized range of fans listening in, but too often he wastes time breaking down simple baseball strategy that 90 percent of Cubs fans listening on the radio don’t need him to break down. In other words, he needs to do a better job of not being Captain Obvious.

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Posted on May 8, 2018

By The American Poolplayers Association

A Hillside resident is $15,000 richer after a recent visit to Sin City. But his good fortune didn’t happen in the casino. Joe Gotch won the 2018 APA 8-Ball Classic Pool Championship held in late April in Las Vegas.

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Posted on May 8, 2018

By Roger Wallenstein

His photo graced the entire back page of the Sun-Times on Saturday. He’s been interviewed live during at least one game this spring. Every time he pitches, a graphic chronicles his exploits. He was the White Sox Pitcher of the Month in April.
In addition, there are other less-publicized factoids about 22-year-old fireballer Michael Kopech, baseball’s 10th-rated prospect. As a member of the Red Sox organization in 2015 – Kopech came over in the Chris Sale deal prior to last season – the right-hander was benched for 50 games for using one of the 134 banned substances on the MLB list. He missed time also at the start of the next season because of a broken right hand sustained in spring training, the result of an altercation with a teammate.

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Posted on May 7, 2018