Nick Madrigal is expected to sign with the Chicago White Sox any day now and will then go off to Winston-Salem to start his professional baseball career.
The Oregon State shortstop has to be feeling like he’s on top of the world, as he prepares to embark on his journey to the big leagues right after winning the college world series.
The White Sox felt absolutely blessed that Madrigal fell to them with the fourth pick in the 2018 MLB draft, but it doesn’t mean the pick has been praised by all.
The biggest knock against Madrigal, and really there’s nothing he can do about it, is his size. He’s 5-foot-8 and not going to get any bigger. Yes, baseball is a sport that doesn’t require a player to be the biggest or strongest athlete in the world, but the 162-game season is a grind for even the fittest players.
That’s one of the red flags a college coach raised when doing a quick break down of Madrigal. It’s not necessarily a knock against Madrigal, who had an amazing college career, but with the fourth overall pick, this unnamed coach believes Madrigal just doesn’t fit the hype.
Nick Madrigal is a college world series champ, but one coach isn't buying the hype for the #WhiteSox first-round pick.
I have no clue who this guy is, where these games are being played, but he’s absolutely ridiculous and I love every second of it. I missed this video that Strop posted in April as well.
Gotta tip your hat for the showmanship and it’s just perfect that Strop finds these videos hilarious. It’s just baseball, it’s all right to be ridiculous and have some fun.
That being said, fuck Joe West. Replace him with this guy.
The Las Vegas Aces took on the Los Angeles Sparks last night at the Mandalay Events Center on The Strip. The Sparks entered the game in first place with an 11-4 record and it was the first time the Sparks faced the Aces this season. The underdog Aces upset the Sparks, winning 94-78.
The Aces (6-11) have now won five of their last nine games, after starting the season with just two wins in their first 10 games, and are just two wins away from matching last season’s entire win total in San Antonio. Rookie of the Year candidate A’Ja Wilson dominated the ballgame with 29 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Kelsey Plum added 14 points and nine rebound while Kayla McBride contributed 12 points and seven boards in the Aces’ quality victory over the Sparks.
There was plenty of anticipation heading into the game as two of the best forwards in the league were slated to face off against each other on the court. Wilson was expected to match up against seven-year veteran, Nneka Ogwumike. Ogwumike was forced to the bench with a back injury, though, and did not play in the game.
The two will collide again July 1, when the Aces travel to Los Angeles. The matchup is expected to be the beginning of a classic rivlary. Both were No. 1 draft picks. and are leading the league in various statistical categories. Ogwumike is ranked third in field goal percentage with a .584 average and is also ranked fifth in steals (1.5 SPG). Wilson is ranked third in the league in points per game with an average of 20.2 and is ranked third in rebounds with an average of 8.9 per game.
Ogwumike’s team has obviously been more successful in the past, but if Wilson can dominate and keep scoring points as usual it would definitely give the Aces a better chance to beat the number one team.
Sparks players top almost every statistical category
The Sparks were dominating almost all of major statistical categories. In fact, four of the Sparks players are ranked top five in the league in three point percentage, field goal percentage, steals and assists. Along with their success as a team in rankings, two Sparks’s players have recently been on an extra hot streak.
In Thursday’s game against the Seattle Storm, Candace Parker had her fourth double double of the season. That game also marked her second game in a row with 27 plus points. Chelsea Gray reached her 300th career rebound in last night’s game and currently ranks fourth in the league for that category.
The Aces are brand new to Vegas while the Sparks have a history of winning championships. The team has won three WNBA titles in the past twenty years. The most recent one was in 2016. The two leaders of that 2016 team, Ogwumike and Parker are still competing for the Sparks and dominating the court.
The Aces are looking to emulate the Sparks’ success. With Wilson and a strong core of young players, the Aces are on the right track towards building their own tradition of success.
With the dog days of summer upon us and temps hitting triple digits before lunchtime, the Las Vegas 51s enter attendance hell. Putting butts in the seats is hard enough in this entertainment-driven town, but there is one surefire way to boost attendance in Cashman Field’s swan song: Tim Tebow.
The polarizing and popular former quarterback-turned-kneeler is currently playing for the New York Mets’ Double-A affiliate Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He was even recently named to the Eastern League All-Star team and has been one of the reasons the Rumble Ponies are recording some of their best attendance numbers in affiliate history.
“Tim Tebow would sell a lot of tickets,” said Las Vegas 51s media relations Jim Gemma, who was quick to point out franchise decisions like this are wholly up to the New York Mets organization, not the 51s. “He would also be the most high profile professional athlete to play in LV including the NHL.”
The summer is always a tough time for the 51s. The excessive heat makes for a challenge when trying to keep attendance numbers up. Cashman Field itself is outdated, and in its last season as home for the Triple-A affiliate. While next year, the team will have a new parent organization as well as a new name and stadium, that doesn’t help with attendance this year.
With the Mets changing affiliates, this summer would be the 51s last shot at cashing in on Tebowmania. His religious convictions and impeccable reputation carry a great deal of weight. Thousands of people packed Canyon Ridge Church a few years ago, just for a glimpse of the popular athlete. Some estimate the figures were upwards of 20,000. When was the last time Cashman Field eclipsed that kind of attendance during a regular season 51s game?
Don’t think for a moment 51s owner Don Logan isn’t watching Tebow’s progress with baited breath. One could say he’s “seen the light,” when it comes to increasing attendance during the summer doldrums.
It certainly helps the former Denver Broncos and Florida Gators quarterback is getting the job done with Birmingham. The two-time Heisman Trophy winner is batting .261 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBI. His .733 OPS is 35th-best in the Eastern League, and he’s hitting .318 in the month of June.
If he continues this progress, it won’t be long before we see Tebowmania hit Cashman. More so, one can’t help but think his religious following will benefit the 51s at the box office. One can only imagine the contingent of church groups loading up the vans for group outings. Tebow doesn’t just bring athletic ability. He brings a dedication to people. The community would, of course, embrace him for the character-driven man he is.
Perhaps Las Vegas is his next big mission field. Perhaps he’s just hoping to settle in and continue his development. What he’s accomplished since deciding he’d become a Major League baseball player is already nothing short of a Disney movie but he is also a competitor.
It’s not enough to just taste success for Tebow. He wants to be the best at whatever he sets his mind to.
“As an athlete, you always want to be the best you can and play at the highest level, win a championship, be the best. We don’t compete to have fun, we compete to win. So you want to compete at the highest level,” Tebow told the Las Vegas Review-Journal earlier this year.
“I view success as being able to play a game I love every day. If the best that I can be is in the bigs, that would be awesome. I believe in myself and want to strive for that.”
For the 51s, a Tebow promotion could be a gold mine — Tebow Bobblehead Night, Tebow Jersey Night, Tebowing Contests. Heck, even flip the script and do a Tim Tebow $1 Water Night instead of the traditional madness that is $1 Beer Night.
With an all-star nod in tow, it won’t be long before Tebowmania reaches Cashman. Hard to think of a better way to say goodbye to Cashman than with one of its best attendance numbers in years. While local fans should already should be rushing out to see Mets stud prospect Peter Alonso, perhaps the presence of Tebow will give them that nudge.
Either way, we’ll be over here taking a knee while we watch this potential drama unfold.
It doesn’t take a keen eye to see Raiders owner Mark Davis is trying. The much-maligned owner seems to be everywhere here in Vegas these days. Whether he’s serving construction workers lunch at the new stadium site or rooting the Las Vegas Aces court-side, Davis is doing his best to ingratiate himself into the Southern Nevada community.
And why not? After seeing the amazing success the Golden Knights has with its product, it’s impossible to not believe the Raiders can also follow suit. After all, the Raiders are just as close to becoming a legitimate contender heading into this season as the Knights were. A healthy Raiders team could win the AFC West, and even make a Super Bowl run.
Davis knows community support right out of the gate is vital. With many still bitter about the stadium tax and while education, on the other hand, was forced to lay off teachers and cut almost $70 million from its budget, it’s imperative Davis reach out to the community. He needs to show how beneficial a pro football team in Vegas can be for everyone in the pond.
“Tonight we are celebrating another display of teamwork,” Davis said at the groundbreaking ceremony last fall. “When we told you ‘Help us build it and we will come’, you all answered our call. We formed a partnership. A public, private partnership. A partnership in which everyone wins.”
The world’s most famous bowl-cut was a regular at Golden Knights games all season too. He was there on Opening Night, when the Knights paid tribute to the fallen from the 1 October tragedy. There was no question of his intent back them, even before the VGK blew up and became the greatest sports story of the year.
Davis even went as far as taking out a full page ad in the Review-Journal to wish the Knights luck as they headed into the Stanley Cup Final.
The Raiders took out a full page ad in today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal wishing the Vegas Golden Knights luck before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. Raiders owner Mark Davis will be at tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/GiyeDMEE4p
Hell, Davis was even spotted at the Gwen Stefani’s first show here in Las Vegas. He was seen sitting next to local goalie god Marc-Andre Fleury (a god, not THE God) and Vegas’s own hero Deryk Engelland. When asked about the city and how the Golden Knights blazed the trail for local major league sports, Davis was quite sure how high the expectations are.
“They raised the bar pretty high,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “What they did was so special. We have known all along how important it will be to get local fans involved with what we’re doing. We’re very focused on that. We can learn a lot from all those things (the Knights) did off the ice to become such a part of Las Vegas. And then they won big.
“We know it will be a challenge. It’s something we have to earn. (Community support) isn’t going to just be given to us. But we’re not here to ruffle feathers. We’re here to be part of something big with professional sports in this city.”
Like him or not, Davis has been putting in a grass roots-style campaign. He is a blue collar owner more likely to be spotted shopping at Wal-Mart out in the southwest part of town than perusing the overpriced brand names at The Forum Shops at Caesars. The man genuinely is working overtime. You have to respect that.
Sure he’s probably the most hated man in Oakland right now, but that is entirely on the city of Oakland taking the team for granted and failing to provide a suitable stadium to play in. Can’t fault the guy for taking a major risk for the betterment of the brand itself. Raider Nation isn’t regional. It is a worldwide phenomenon. You’re just as likely to run into a Raiders fan in Europe as you are in the bay area.
Ownership in the NFL is an exclusive club. While owners like Jerry Jones or Robert Kraft are hitting up the plastic surgery circuit or living the posh lifestyle of the ruling class, Davis is out in the community working for the Raiders brand. He is giving back to a community that, truthfully, hasn’t been as welcoming as it probably should be. This is an unconditional dedication to the Raiders franchise.
.@RAIDERS owner Mark Davis thanked the 700-plus construction workers on the Las Vegas Raiders stadium site Thursday by serving them lunch. @VinceSapienza explains.
However the Raiders fare this fall and no matter how the team’s Oakland lease is handled, we can expect to see this outreach ramped up as the season closes in. The Raiders aren’t expected to play their first game in Las Vegas until 2020, but — as we all know — there’s never a “sure thing” in this world.
Davis and the Raiders are going to do everything in their power to help pry open the welcoming arms of Sin City and, I won’t lie: He’s starting to grow on me…even with the ridiculous hat.
Can anybody with a deep knowledge of the Chicago Bears history name the number of times they’ve had a legitimate #1 wide receiver on their roster? They could probably count that number on one hand and not use all the fingers. Brandon Marshall is the only one who stands out in recent memory. Marty Booker flirted with the tag briefly. Willie Gault? Not really. It just proves how poor the Bears have been at identifying talent at that position.
Meanwhile, their arch rivals like Green Bay and Minnesota have rattled them off with relative ease. Jordy Nelson, Donald Driver, Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Antonio Freeman and Sterling Sharpe are just some of the example since the 1990s alone. People wonder why they’ve done so much more winning.
At last, though it seems like the Bears are catching on. GM Ryan Pace made it his mission to completely overhaul their passing attack. It started with the drafting of Mitch Trubisky in 2017. Next, he would have to find a way to get him weapons. Landing a true #1 receiver was next on the list. Was he able to accomplish his goal?
Chicago Bears landed one of just 18 receivers rated as a #1 target
Mike Clay of ESPN conducted an interesting study on what determines the difference between those who are considered at #1 and those who don’t quite make the cut. There were plenty of opinions on the matter. In the end, he determined that one thing above all stood out on it and that the Bears check that critical box thanks to their newest addition Allen Robinson.
“The answer? Target share.
Target share is the percentage of the team’s total targets handled by a single player. For example, the Houston Texans registered 508 targets last season and 172 of them were directed at DeAndre Hopkins. That works out to a league-high 33.9 percent share (the NFL’s third-highest mark since 2007)…
…Robinson is the first player on our list who changed teams during the offseason, but there’s no doubt he’s Chicago’s No. 1 wideout after signing a three-year, $42 million contract. The former Jaguar went down with a torn ACL after three snaps last year but ranked top eight in the league in targets in both 2015 and 2016. He handled a 25 percent target share both seasons.”
Robinson certainly flashed that potential in 2015 when he rampaged for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns in Jacksonville. His mixture of size, route running, and underrated speed made him a matchup nightmare even with an inconsistent passer like Blake Bortles throwing him the ball. If only he could land in a more passing-friendly scheme with an accurate QB.
Enter Matt Nagy and Mitch Trubisky. Both offer Robinson what he’s been missing, which may explain why he was so open to joining the Bears back in March. His presence could open up the entire offense in ways this team hasn’t seen in years.
Before recording Friday’s show, Matt Enuco (Nuke) brought up how it’s the perfect time for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to trade Mike Trout. The AL west is out of reach and so is a shot at a wild card spot.
There was excitement this season with Shohei Ohtani, but he’s been out with a UCL issue and was just recently cleared to start hitting again. He’ll be re-evaluated around the all-star break. Zack Cozart also had surgery on his labrum and his season is likely done.
Overall, the Angels have 14 players on the DL. So, with the playoffs not being a realistic possibility, Nuke feels the Angels should try and maximize their future by trying to get a large haul for Trout in a trade.
Naturally we thought about what a trade could look like for the Cubs and White Sox. Again, it’s only a hypothetical, seeing as our conclusion was it would derail the White Sox rebuild and the Cubs would have to give up too much young MLB talent to land Trout.
You have to factor in the money too. For example, when I first thought about it on the Cubs side, the farm system isn’t filled with top-100 prospects. They have plenty of controllable young players, but to lessen the number of players in a trade you could put Kris Bryant on the table as the headliner.
I know, you just had a heart attack.
That was just my gut reaction though. Bryant is under team control for three more years after this season. Trout has two more years on his contract after 2018, but he’s also making $34 million a season.
But even with the difference in money, you’d always make that trade if you’re a Cubs fan, right? Again, the Angels wouldn’t because they need more than just another great player back, but this is why it’s a fun debate to have.
As far as the White Sox go, they have a bunch of highly ranked prospects and have the pieces to pull the trade. But again, that price would be way too high and most likely ruins the rebuild.
Is it a dumb debate? Sure, but you really get to learn how much you value your favorite players because let’s not kid ourselves here, Mike Trout will retire as the greatest baseball player of all-time.
It’s just too damn bad that he’s stuck with the Angels.
The Cubs called up Gimenez on May 26, and boy has he been underwhelming backing up Willson Contreras behind the plate. First, let’s take a look at his numbers at the plate.
Yeah, it is a small sample size, as Gimenez has only compiled 28 at bats, but he only has four hits, driving in one run and scoring only one run in 12 games. He’s 35-years-old, and as a catcher has never been fast, so he’s obviously not beating out any double play ground balls either. His attempts to put down sacrifice bunts have also been bad.
At the very least you’d think that his experience would help out the pitching staff. The results haven’t shown that either.
So, for the second straight trade deadline it’s becoming clear that the Cubs will be in the market for a backup catcher. Sorry, Victor Caratini fans, he’s not the answer either to be Contreras’ backup.
Last year’s circumstances were different, as the Cubs moved on from Miguel Montero. The team acquired Alex Avila from the Detroit Tigers, the deal that also included Justin Wilson. Then, in August they also added Rene Rivera, claiming him off waivers from the New York Mets.
Avila and Rivera were both great in their roles and although Rivera is currently on the DL with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, he could potentially be a trade candidate when he returns. Rivera had surgery in late May to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Before the injury, Rivera had a .803 OPS in 22 games. Last year in his short stint with the Cubs, Rivera played in 20 games and had a .341/.408/.591 slash line.
Seeing how the backup catcher has produced this year for the Cubs, obviously it makes a lot of sense now that they should have re-signed him in the offseason despite the current injury. Rivera signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract with the Angels.
So, Rivera is a guy to keep your eye on as he tries to get back from a knee surgery, but you can bet the Cubs are searching for options.
Hey, at least Gimenez doesn’t hide the fact he’s been bad.
The last couple days have been a roller coaster for Yu Darvish. There was optimism that he’d start on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins, but that went out the window on Thursday, when he felt pain during a bullpen session. He was re-evaluated and then made a trip to Dallas, where he got a second opinion by the team doctor for the Texas Rangers.
Darvish has been out for a month with a triceps injury and his latest setback following a rehab start set off some alarm bells among the fan base. A trip to his former doctor in Texas was certainly concerning, as people feared the worst. However, fans can breathe a sigh of relief for now.
Yu Darvish was in Dallas to get a second opinion from Texas Rangers team doctor Keith Meister. Meister worked with Darvish during the pitcher’s four and a half years in Texas and the righty obviously has a certain comfort level with the orthopedic surgeon.
After the game, the team announced Meister had determined Darvish has right elbow impingement and inflammation and gave him a cortisone shot. Darvish is expected to do no baseball activities for three to five days and then will be re-evaluated after that.
So, Darvish will be shut down for 3-5 days and although it’s not the most ideal outcome, the Cubs will take it rather than finding out there’s serious damage to the elbow. Darvish’s timetable to come back is unknown, but if after the 3-5 days he feels good, he could possibly make a start for the Cubs before the all-star break following another rehab assignment.
That’s just me being optimistic, though, and really it doesn’t matter if Darvish returns before the break. In all honesty, I’d prefer Darvish to come back after the All-Star Game in Washington. At this point there’s absolutely no reason to try and rush him back. It’s the first year of a six-year contract and we’ve seen Darvish be an all-star caliber starting pitcher.
His health is priority number one. No need to pitch through something if it leads to something more serious in the future.
Ever since the 2015 NLCS, Kyle Schwarber has been labeled a terrible outfielder. He can’t seem to shake that label outside of the Cubs’ fan base, but his “bad defense” has always been exaggerated.
Yes, he’ll have the occasional goof in left, but overall he makes the plays that need to be made and he’s throwing almost every runner that challenges his arm. Why bring any of this up now?
Well, during the last few days I’ve been checking out some White Sox games and for a fan base that loves to make fun of Schwarber, painting him as some brute, roaming the outfield, they have their good share of atrocious defense being played in left.
Seriously, almost every player the White Sox have put in left field has had equally or more embarrassing plays than Schwarber.
— Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast (@PinwheelsIvyPod) April 10, 2018
But boy has Charlie Tilson really taken the cake the last two games.
I’ll admit, the first example is on a hard-hit ball in the gap, but still with a guy who has good speed like Tilson, this ball should have been caught.
Terrible. A catch that would have been the final out of the inning. Instead, a two-out double and three batters later the White Sox were trailing and eventually defeated.
But again, that had some degree of difficulty. This routine fly ball hit to Tilson during Friday night’s game did not.
Charlie Tilson is not a left fielder. He needs to go to the AL and be a DH. Oh wait, he's not really that great of a hitter either. pic.twitter.com/456mJoq31S
Was this entire post petty, making fun of Tilson? Sure, but for all the Schwarber haters out there, come with same energy when players on your team are equally or more terrible.
But it’s fine, Kyle Schwarber is my goddamn left fielder and that’s pretty awesome because he does stuff like this…
