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VIDEO: Javier Baez And Joe Maddon Ejected After Bullshit Call By Umpire

By
Aldo Soto
-

Javier Baez had never been ejected, but that changed Saturday night, when Will Little tossed the Chicago Cubs all-star after calling a check swing strike three.

Joe Maddon ran out from the dugout to defend Baez and he was promptly kicked out of the game too.

The Cubs had runners at first and second with two outs and on a ball in the dirt it appeared that Baez checked his swing. He wanted an appeal to the first-base ump, but Little made the strike three call to end the threat. Baez had a short talk with Little, walked away and threw his bat and helmet to the ground in anger.

That’s when Little ejected Baez and then Maddon came out.

That was Baez’s first career ejection.

Oh, and for a break down of Maddon’s ejection, here’s his son with the analysis.

Jordan Howard Already Showing Improvement in His Weakest Area

By
Erik Lambert
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Credit: Zack Pearson

Jordan Howard has heard the critics all offseason. The main reason his name was even brought up in the trade rumors that came during the spring was that he had a flaw in his game. One that many perceived would make him appear not as valuable to an offensive coach like Matt Nagy. That being his somewhat inconsistency when catching the football.

Howard had 12 dropped passes during his first two years as starter for the Bears. Not exactly ideal but is that really due to poor hands or is there another explanation? The man himself thinks so. He believes there are two explanations. The first is he was never coached on proper hand placement when he started playing the position. The other was the simple fact he wasn’t used in the passing game much in either high school or college.

This is not something he’s used to. So why are people surprised he’s been inconsistent to this point? Either way, Howard seems intent on proving people wrong. He’s worked extensively on improving his mechanics during the offseason. When training camp opened, the Bears wasted no time testing him to see his progress.

Jordan Howard showing more consistency catching passes

It’s been two practices and there’s a long way to go. Still, the signs so far indicate that Howard seems more comfortable catching passes this year than before. Multiple times during their latest practice on Saturday he was involved in screens and check-downs and the ball never hit the ground. There were certain instances where it most definitely would’ve the year before.

It’s important not to get carried away. The Bears have yet to have padded practices. It will be interesting to see if Howard can continue this trend when defenders are able to get more physical with him. At the same time, if this is the start of a totally evolved Howard, the NFL has no idea what it’s in for.

Howard is already one of the best pure runners in the game. Defenses haven’t been able to stop him despite stacking the box almost constantly. So try to imagine what will happen when and if he’s able to incorporate pass catching into that arsenal. He could be in store for a breakout season similar to the one Todd Gurley enjoyed last year.

Either way, it’s just another piece of good news for this Bears offense.

These Two Bears Have Formed the Best Rivalry of Training Camp

By
Erik Lambert
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taylor gabriel

The entire point of Chicago Bears training camp is for the team to practice against each other to sharpen their skills for the upcoming season. This means rivalries are inevitable as players ramp up the intensity, seeing how far they can push each other before one or the other breaks. Lots of trash talk and lots of big plays. Two days into the action this year and one has already begun forming.

Among the things the Bears were anxious to unleash when camp began was their new wide receiving corps. GM Ryan Pace had spent months, millions of dollars and multiple draft picks overhauling the position from top to bottom. The effort was meant to give Mitch Trubisky as many weapons as possible to make his life easier.

This excitement likely wasn’t impressing the Bears secondary, including cornerback Kyle Fuller. They were among the best-performing units in 2017. If this new receiving group was supposed to be so good, they would have to earn it on the field. Fuller didn’t take long in finding his target in free agent addition Taylor Gabriel.

Based on what happened in the latest practice, the man known as “Turbo” was ready for the challenge.

Gabriel and Fuller making Bears training camp their battleground

Given that both men are designated to play outside in their respective schemes, a showdown was inevitable. They proceeded to trade nice plays throughout practice. Fuller seemed to have the upper hand early on. Trubisky fired a quick out pass to Gabriel towards the sideline. Despite giving plenty of cushion Fuller broke hard and managed to knock the ball away before the receiver could bring it in.

Gabriel continued to have problems shaking Fuller every time they went head-to-head, but true to his nature he found a way by going over the top. Late in a drill, Gabriel carried deep on a fade towards the right corner of the end zone. Fuller was right there with him. Trubisky fired the pass. For a moment it looked like the corner had an interception. Instead, Gabriel came away with the catch of the day for a touchdown.

This is exactly what the Bears were hoping for. It wasn’t just Gabriel and Fuller. The receivers and cornerbacks traded big plays all day long. In the end it doesn’t matter who got the better whom. It will only serve to make the entire team better for when the real action begins this September. Those two were merely the ones who got the juices going, to their credit.

VIDEO: Javier Baez Is Awesome And Yadier Molina Is Slow, Really Slow

By
Aldo Soto
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Yes, the only reason this play was even possible is because Yadier Molina was the player running to first base, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Javier Baez made another awesome highlight reel play.

On a sharp ground ball to the right of shortstop, Baez ranged over and despite a slight bobble he easily threw out Molina at first base.

Great job to recover from the bobble by Baez and then to also have the awareness that he had plenty of time to throw to first because Molina was the runner.

One Bears Undrafted Free Agent Wasted No Time Dominating Camp

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears training camp

Chicago Bears training camp is off and running. Despite some inclement weather the first day, two practices are officially in the books. The pads haven’t gone on yet, but that hasn’t stopped certainly players from getting off to a fast start. It’s already becoming apparent that the competition between the Bears secondary and the new wide receivers is going to be the highlight of camp.

One name who has gotten a big jump in this isn’t one fans would expect. He’s a rookie undrafted free agent in Kevin Toliver. Diehard Bears followers will recognize him as the LSU product who was considered among the best undrafted players on the market after the draft ended. Somebody who experts were shocked didn’t get picked.

When he first spoke to the media about choosing to sign with the Bears, it was clear the young man carried a huge chip on his shoulder. He was not happy about teams overlooking him like that and he planned to make them all pay for their screwup. Chicago was merely the team he’d chosen to help get his revenge.

It seems he wasn’t joking about that either.

Kevin Toliver is already taking over Chicago Bears training camp

Through two camp practices thus far, no defensive back has been more active than Toliver. On opening day, despite pouring rain at times he had two interceptions of the Bears quarterbacks. Then on day two, before anybody had a chance to really settle in on that news, the rookie struck again with a third by jumping a route. He also came close to a fourth shortly before that.

Toliver went through some issues at LSU includes some injury setbacks and off-the-field concerns. None of which were bad but apparently were just enough mixed with his rather modest stat line to prevent him from getting drafted. Yet scouts and draft experts persisted that his tape showed a player with tons of untapped potential. Starter capability if he was developed properly.

So giving him to a coach like Vic Fangio who has a strong reputation for coaching up defensive backs must feel like stealing for the Bears. It’s probably a big reason Toliver chose to sign in Chicago to begin with. Fangio is widely respected. His work with Bryce Callahan, another former undrafted player has proven fruitful. Toliver has a chance to be even better. Especially if he can manage to stay focused and motivated as he has so far.

Cub Fans Might Be Focusing On The Wrong Mets Pitcher

By
Patrick Mooney
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The trade deadline is looming, and no, the Jesse Chavez addition won’t be Cubs biggest move.

Speaking of big moves, the best player that the Cubs have been linked to in recent weeks is Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

The “deGrom to the Cubs?” floodgates have opened and they won’t shut until the trade deadline passes.

The subject is worthy of discussion, but it would likely take at least two key players from the big league roster to get a deal done, plus prospects. Whether or not the Cubs would give up that much for him (they probably should) is a separate discussion, because there’s no guarantee that another team out there couldn’t beat that offer anyway.

With that being said, if the Mets do in fact trade deGrom, that means they’re open for business, and he’s not their only interesting arm.

“Wheeler is viewed, by far, as the Mets starter most likely to be dealt. He’s already thrown his most innings since 2014, timing health and a strong performance (3.50 ERA/.614 OPS against in his past 10 starts) at a good time, especially because without an ace in the marketplace .”

Thanks to injuries, the 28-year-old Wheeler hasn’t been able to live up to the lofty expectations that were set for him when he entered the big leagues.

But he’s healthy now and that’s what matters, and he fits this Cubs roster in more ways than one.

Besides walking too many people, the starting staff’s biggest issues have been not pitching deep enough into games and not getting enough strikeouts. Wheeler is averaging six innings a start while striking out a batter per inning.

He’s a free agent after the 2019 season, so the Cubs wouldn’t have to overpay for years of control in a trade. Most importantly, Wheeler could probably be had without trading anyone from the major league roster.

Also, speaking of 2019, assuming Yu Darvish enters Spring Training healthy, the Cubs will have just one open rotation spot for Wheeler, Mike Montgomery, or Tyler Chatwood. Obviously, Chatwood’s command may never come back (and it was never that good in the first place), but the team still has an additional $26M invested in him so he’ll get every chance to prove himself. Mongomery has shown his worth in the bullpen, but he’s been adamant about his desire to start and he’s shown to be plenty capable of being a productive #5 starter.

With a history of injury issues and a fastball that he throws over 96mph on average, a move to the bullpen for Wheeler would make sense. He probably wouldn’t be crazy about the idea, given that starters tend to make more in free agency, but a move to the pen could end up being the best thing for the longevity of his career. Look no further than to 34-year-old Cubs closer and former top prospect Brandon Morrow to find an example of this plan working out.

There haven’t been any reports (yet) that have specifically linked the Cubs to Wheeler, but if they’re asking about deGrom they’re surely inquiring about Wheeler’s availability as well.

It wouldn’t be quite as surprising or impactful as last season’s Jose Quintana trade, but I sure wouldn’t mind waking up to the news that Zach Wheeler is a Cub.

“Riverdale” Star Vanessa Morgan Has A New Boyfriend, White Sox Prospect Michael Kopech

By
Aldo Soto
-

Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech has allowed two earned runs or less in nine of his last 12 starts at Triple-A, which includes a nine-strikeout, six-inning outing Thursday night. While Kopech is focussing on his next promotion that will land him in the majors, he’s also balancing a new relationship.

In news that some of you claim not to care about, Kopech has a new girlfriend, actress Vanessa Morgan, who’s best known from the CW’s “Riverdale.”

Kopech flew up to Canada during the Triple-A All-Star break to visit Morgan, as she began filming for the new season of the show.

And how did they meet? In the most 2018 way possible.

Via the Chicago Tribune.

“She found me on Instagram,” Kopech told the Tribune. “And then she followed me on Twitter. When a verified account follows you, you get a notification. So I got one and instantly followed her back and messaged her a few days later.”

Kopech said he and Morgan met up in Chicago “for a brief minute” in early June.

And he flew to Vancouver last week during the Triple-A All-Star break to spend time with Morgan as she filmed the CW teen drama “Riverdale.”

Kopech referred to her as “my girlfriend” and said of the trip: “It’s beautiful out there. I got to blow off some steam.”

Oh, we bet you did, Michael.

Just another reminder that the next generation of “how did you guys meet” stories to kids will start off with, “I slid into your mom’s DMs.” Not that Kopech and Morgan are at that stage in their relationship yet.

Take. Me. Back 🌴👙🌞

A post shared by Vanessa Morgan (@vanessamorgan) on

Somehow managed to have a full year of summer 😋👙🌴🌺🌊

A post shared by Vanessa Morgan (@vanessamorgan) on

Anyway, Kopech isn’t too shy about being in the spotlight, obviously being a pro athlete, but he’s now dated two TV stars.

Back in March, Kopech and Brielle Biermann of “Don’t Be Tardy” fame split up after dating for nearly two years.

Getting my vibe back for Coachella✨🦋💕

A post shared by Brielle Biermann (@briellebiermann) on

It turns out that they broke up because of the whole playing baseball and being away for much of the year. At least that’s what her mom claimed.

“Brielle just turned 21 — that’s exactly what happened, I think,” she said. “She’s been out. He’s 21 as well, but he’s kind doing his whole training, and that’s nine months out of the year.”

Hopefully things go better between Kopech and Morgan.

Asked about the plusses and minuses of dating celebrities, Kopech referred to Morgan in saying: “She has more of an understanding of the schedule. She lives a very busy life, films pretty much day in and day out for 10 months of the year, just like we’re here for most of the year. We’re both very supportive.”

Just another reminder that no matter who you are, long-distance relationships are hard.

“The downfall is that we don’t get to see each other as much as people in most relationships do.”

Morgan was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

💗🐍✨

A post shared by Michael Kopech (@mikop34) on

So, good luck on the new relationship. Just gotta get Vanessa a White Sox hat.


By the way, apparently Kopech’s break up with Biermann will be covered in the upcoming season of “Don’t Be Tardy” on Bravo. Although they broke up before filming started, so maybe he won’t be in the new season.

Kopech has been on the show before.

Jay Cutler has become a reality TV star, but Kopech almost got to star in a show of his own. Well, that was if he and Biermann got married.

Obviously that never happened.

We’ll settle for Jay on TV.

Hey Hey! Another Yu Darvish Update…

By
Aldo Soto
-

Ever since Yu Darvish made a rehab start with the South Bend Cubs on June 25, the updates haven’t been great. It started with the bad bullpen session in Los Angeles three days later that led to a trip to Dallas, where Darvish got a second opinion and a cortisone shot for right elbow impingement.

Since then, the Cubs haven’t been able to pinpoint a date for Darvish’s return, as pitching coach Jim Hickey first said Darvish could be back at the end of July at the earliest. 

The very next day Theo Epstein said the Cubs weren’t putting a time table on Darvish’s return.

That was two weeks ago and as the trade deadline approaches, the Cubs still don’t really have a clear window as to when Darvish is coming back. At least they’re not revealing it to the public.

The best we have is Hickey saying the following a few days ago on 670 The Score.

It’s expected to be “a number of weeks yet” before Darvish returns to game action for the Cubs, pitching coach Jim Hickey told Barry Rozner and Joe Ostrowski on 670 The Score on Thursday morning.

“It’s tough to say pitching in a major league game. But 10 to 14 days or so after playing catch, you end up getting on the mound, and then you would basically, based upon the time that you missed, you’d have to get on the mound a couple times. And then you’d have to build up to facing hitters, whether that was a live batting practice scenario (or something else). You’d have to do that a couple times. It’s based upon how much you want to see him when he returned. Obviously, it’s a little different for a relief pitcher than it is for a starter. But you’re still talking about a number of weeks yet, I’m sure.”

Sooooo basically the best estimate for Darvish to pitch for the Cubs is the middle of August after a couple rehab starts.

The Cubs have already traded for some bullpen depth in Jesse Chavez, but there should be another move coming after closer Brandon Morrow went on the DL a few days ago. He’s optimistic that the biceps inflammation isn’t serious, but regardless the Cubs will make another trade for a reliever. 

Now, with the Darvish update we might see the Cubs make a deal for a starting pitcher too.

During the last two weeks the Cubs have been linked to starting pitchers Nathan Eovaldi, J.A. Happ and Dylan Bundy. And of course the Jacob deGrom speculation has been picking up steam as of late too.

So, right now Cubs fans will continue to wait on more Darvish info, who could be pitching batting practice next week in preparation for a rehab start. That would come maybe right before or right after the trade deadline.

Cubs Minor League Update: Unfortunate Injury To First-Round Pick, Another Suspension

By
Aldo Soto
-

You know what, let’s start off with some goods news.

The next Ben Zobrist, David Bote, is still smashing baseballs down with the Iowa Cubs, hitting his 13th home run in Triple-A. Bote went 3-for-5, drove in three and scored twice, but he didn’t even have the best game for the Iowa Cubs.

Ryan Court helped the Iowa Cubs erase an 8-2 deficit Friday night, by hitting for the cycle!

Not only did the triple complete the cycle for Court, but it put the Iowa Cubs ahead 9-8, overcoming their six-run deficit. It was the first cycle since 1997 for the Iowa Cubs. Court drove in two runs to go along with his four hits and also scored four times in the 10-8 victory.

Now to the not so good news.

To begin with, Cubs first-round pick Nico Hoerner is most likely done for the year after straining a ligament in his left elbow, sustained on a diving play Sunday with the South Bend Cubs.

Hoerner hit .327/.450/.571 in 14 games in the Arizona League and with Class A Eugene and South Bend.

Cubs First Round Pick Nico Hoerner “Almost Too Good To Be True”

The 21-year-old shortstop out of Stanford got out to an outstanding start to his minor-league career at the plate and was already making highlight reel plays too.

Hoerner will be re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks and is hopeful to play some Fall Ball to make up for the missed time.

A crappy and erupt end to his season, but it doesn’t sound like a serious injury.

Moving on to other news.

On Friday, another Cubs prospect got suspended, as Saul Vazquez, who is currently on the Dominican Summer League roster, tested positive for PED use.

Vazquez, 18, started four games in the Dominican Summer League, going 1-1, with a 2.25 ERA in 20 innings. The Cubs signed the lefty in July 2017.

Earlier this season, Oscar De La Cruz was suspended 80 games after testing positive for Furosemide, a diuretic and masking agent. De La Cruz was third in MLB Pipeline’s prospect rankings for the Cubs.

The Cubs Will Trade For Another Pitcher

By
Aldo Soto
-

The Chicago Cubs signed Brandon Morrow in the offseason to a two-year deal worth $21 million to be their closer. The results have been impressive so far in 2018, with Morrow saving 22-of-24 chances, posting a 1.47 ERA and striking out 31 batters in 30.2 innings.

Yet, the biggest fear with signing Morrow has unfortunately reared its ugly head. The 33-year-old closer has a long history of injuries and through four months of the season Morrow has been placed on the disabled list twice.

The latest stint is because of biceps inflammation.

The right-hander got an MRI and well, although he sounds optimistic about it, these aren’t necessarily the best things to see come out about your closer.

If you remember back to the west-coast trip prior to the All-Star break, Morrow wasn’t used in tight games out in San Francisco at first before pitching twice in San Diego.

Via Cubs.com.

“The first two days in San Francisco, I had to ask for time off, just hoping I could recover,” Morrow said. “Leading into the All-Star break, that’s a bad time to feel it. I didn’t recover over the three days [during the break]. I let them know [Wednesday] I should get it checked out so we could cover with guys.”

“We thought it was the right time to back off for the latter part of the season,” Maddon said.

The Cubs already made one trade for a reliever, dealing lefty Tyler Thomas to the Texas Rangers for right-handed veteran Jesse Chavez. 

Normally when we go over trade rumors on here, I try to make my best guess on whether it’s realistic for the Cubs to make a certain deal and whether x-player is a good fit.

Now, I can’t say who the Cubs are going to make a deal for next, but I guarantee Theo Epstein has at least one more trade up his sleeve and it will be a pitcher.

The latest injury to Morrow only makes the need for another reliever bigger because if we’ve learned one thing in the past three or four years it’s that postseason games are managed completely different. You need those shut down relievers to come in and shorten games and although the Cubs have a very good bullpen right now, they can’t not go after another reliever for at the minimum just insurance if Morrow has another thing pop up late in the season.

On Friday night there was buzz about the Cubs having interest in New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia.

However, the Cubs were then suddenly out of the picture.

As of late Friday night there was no deal completed between the A’s and Mets, but it sure does appear that’s where Familia is heading.

There is still one big name reliever the Cubs have been linked to for a year now: Baltimore Orioles closer Zach Britton.

After the Orioles officially traded Manny Machado the Los Angeles Dodgers, 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reported that the Cubs remain a major player for Britton, as Baltimore is looking to trade him away before the deadline.

The Cubs have made multiple trades starting in 2015 to help out the pitching staff and after acquiring Chavez Thursday night you should expect one more deal.

Joe Maddon does.

At least one more trade. Guarantee it.

Oh and fingers crossed on a very big deal.

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