By Jim Coffman and Steve Rhodes
Is this really happening? Plus: Are The Blackhawks, Um, Good?; The Cubs Are Having An Interesting Offseason!; Can Loyola Ramble Into The Dance?; and The World’s Greatest College Football Report’s Bowl Preview.
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SHOW NOTES
* 180.
* Wilbur Wood: “Wood was seriously injured in a game against the Detroit Tigers in Tiger Stadium, May 9, 1976, when Ron LeFlore, the Tigers’ center fielder, hit a vicious line drive back toward the pitchers mound. The ball struck Wood’s left knee forcibly, shattering his kneecap. He had surgery the next day, but the outlook was bleak. Many predicted that he would never pitch again, but after considerable rehabilitation, he did some pitching for two more seasons with the White Sox. However, he showed few signs of his former mastery. He retired in 1978, moving back to his native New England.”
2:50: Are The Bulls Really Happening?
* The game has slowed down for Fred Hoiberg!
* Trading and tanking.
* Sometimes it’s bad to be good.
13:43: Are The Blackhawks, Um, Good?
* Coffman: “Taking non-physical hockey to the next level!”
* Patrick Sharp-Brandon Saad reunion tour not working so far.
* Tommy Wingels:
23:30: The Cubs Are Having An Interesting Off-Season!
* The Machado Market.
* Watch, listen and read about how MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred lied to Dan Le Batard.
* Jesse Rogers: “Part of the thinking revolves around the Cubs’ 23-year-old current starting shortstop. Dealing Russell now might be selling him at his peak value. There’s no questioning Russell’s ability, but he lost much of a season to off-field issues in 2017 and the injuries that are starting to pile up. He’s had previous leg problems going back to before he was acquired from Oakland, and just last year he had a terrible case of plantar fasciitis, as well as a sore shoulder on more than one occasion.”
* In on Darvish, not so much Arrieta.
* Gonzalez: “The rebirth of Jake Arrieta and the dramatic ascent of Kyle Hendricks masked a disturbing trend recently in the Cubs organization.
“Its long-standing inability to develop several high-round draft picks into major-league pitchers shared negative attention last season with the club’s high-wire bullpen that struggled to throw strikes – especially in the playoffs.
“‘We needed to do something better,’ general manager Jed Hoyer said.
“The additions of new pitching coach Jim Hickey and special assistant Jim Benedict are designed to give the Cubs’ big-league pitchers a fresh voice as well as a fresh look to help turn a struggling or underachieving prospect into at least a serviceable pitcher.
“‘We have been open about the fact we need to do a better job with our evaluation and development of pitching, especially young pitching,’ President Theo Epstein said. ‘So finding the new voice or the right resource in the front office would be valuable to us.
“‘(Benedict) probably has as good a track record as anyone taking pitchers who are down on their luck or a low point in their career and building their confidence back up and retooling their deliveries and arsenal and giving guys a second crack at a career,’ Epstein said.”
* Justin Wilson still has a chance.
* Taylor Davis is a Cub again!
1:02:15: Can Loyola Ramble Into The Dance?
* It just got tougher.
1:04:19: The World’s Greatest College Football Report’s Bowl Preview
* Look for a new installment Friday afternoon!
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STOPPAGE: 7:06
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Comments welcome.
Posted on December 22, 2017