By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
No more Maddon magic.
Plus: Cardiac Cutler & Schweinsteiger!
Posted on August 11, 2017
SportsMonday: The Cubs Are Back – To Shaky
By Jim Coffman
Willson Contreras is good enough to play a big role in the Cubs doing some damage in the 2017 playoffs. The rest of the team – not so much.
Sunday’s 9-4 loss to the Nationals, the one that gave the squad from the District a 2-1 series win and wrapped up the Cubs’ 2-4 failure of a homestand, showed again that Contreras can raise his game and do big things against big-time opponents. He bashed two more home runs on Sunday, giving him 10 since the All-Star break (and 21 overall).
It would be great if at least one teammate would start to significantly raise his game as well.
Posted on August 7, 2017
Exit Velocity
By Roger Wallenstein
Kids really do have it tough these days. Much tougher than we had it.
All we had to do was memorize batting averages, RBIs, home runs, pitching won-loss records and ERAs. If anyone wanted to know what Nellie Fox was hitting, we could immediately answer. Was Maris going to break Ruth’s record? We had the up-to-the-minute information. Was it possible that Denny McLain could win 30 games? We were the guys to ask.
The kids I hung out with, for the most part, struggled with the Periodic Table, but we sure knew how close Ted Williams was to .400.
Pity the youngsters of today. They are deluged with Batting Average on Balls in Play (BABIP), slash lines, Rbat (runs batting), Rfield (runs from fielding), and WHIP. We thought WAR meant the Russians were going to nuke us. Kids today ponder the real meaning of WAR: wins above replacement.
Baseball has always been a statistical smorgasbord, but the sabermetricians have gone slightly nuts.
Posted on August 7, 2017
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #164: Cubdumb, Sock Bottom & Peak Bears
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Steve Bartman, Crane Kenney and Dusty Baker – the gang’s all here! Plus: White Sox Suckage On Schedule; and Bizarro Bears.
Posted on August 4, 2017
Letting Our Boys Onto The Football Field Is A Losing Play
By Andre Perry/The Hechinger Report
As a former athlete in high school and college, I thought sports would play more of a role in my relationship with my son.
Athletics provided the father that I didn’t have. The daily routine of going to practice didn’t just enhance my physical abilities; I had a structured place to go when school wasn’t in session. Sports taught me how to communicate with others, especially with other boys, and instilled an appreciation of fitness that has stayed with me to this day. I learned the values of teamwork, loyalty and preparation with every practice and drill I completed, with every mile I ran. And where I’m from, it’s much better to learn courage on the field than in the street.
I played basketball and football, did track and field. Football in particular taught me how to overcome obstacles much larger than my diminutive frame could initially handle. It was coaches more than my guidance counselors who paved the way for me to go to college.
But I won’t allow my son to play football.
Posted on August 3, 2017
Leveling The Playing Field For Women
By Louise Mansfield, Belinda Wheaton, Jayne Caudwell and Rebecca Watson/The Conversation
Female athletes and leaders are undeniably more visible and increasingly successful in sport – putting in incredible performances both on and off the field.
But these achievements still occur in a male-defined sport sector where female stars have to tackle marginalization and sexualization of their sporting performance and leadership skills.
Recent research also suggests that coverage of women’s sports has actually become more sexist over the past four years – making it clear that in the current age, everyday sexism characterizes the culture of sport.
Posted on August 2, 2017
Dan Jiggetts Is Right About CTE
But Is Media Now Overstating The Risk?
It’s about repetitive hits – and linemen are the ones most at risk, as our very own Jim Coffman keeps pointing out.
Posted on August 1, 2017
SportsMonday: Cubs Fortify
By Jim Coffman
As well as the Cubs have played the last two-and-a-half weeks – and they played particularly pleasing baseball on Sunday to take the rubber game of the series in Milwaukee 4-2 to up their division lead to 2 1/2 games – goings on in the eastern and western regions of the National League have to still be giving them pause.
And so they did something about it late Sunday night.
Posted on July 31, 2017
Keeping Moncada Company
By Roger Wallenstein
It’s been 11 games now, and the kid has just four hits. He’s hitting .111. Of 36 official at-bats, he’s trudged back to the dugout 15 times having struck out.
Nevertheless there have been highlights, such as a line drive home run to centerfield off Jake Arrieta last Wednesday. And the two sensational plays on consecutive batters and pitches in Saturday’s 5-4 loss to Cleveland were the finest plays by a Sox second baseman since the famous Tadahito Iguchi gem back in April of 2006. In fact, he’s handled all 49 chances in the field without a flaw.
But Yoan Moncada was brought here to hit, and so far that hasn’t happened. However, history, along with his immense talent, dictates that it’s just a matter of time.
Posted on July 31, 2017
The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #163: EmBearAssing
By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
The media even more so than the team. Plus: Football Scrambles Brains; Crosstown Cubs; and Schweinsteiger!
Posted on July 28, 2017