The Chicago Cubs have placed outfielder Jason Heyward on the seven-day concussion disabled list.
Heyward didn’t play on Monday and the decision comes after the final play of the series sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals. Dexter Fowler hit a walk-off home run and on the play Heyward banged up against the wall, trying to make the game-saving catch.
Heyward 7-day DL for concussion suffered on final play Sunday night.
— Pinwheels and Ivy Podcast (@PinwheelsIvyPod) May 7, 2018
So far this year Heyward is hitting .227 with two home runs and 14 RBIs, while having a .315 OBP.
Despite being a yearly gold glove winner, Heyward’s defense has been shaky this season, with the big issue being losing fly balls in the sun or light.
Rookie David Bote is getting called up to replace Heyward. This will be his second stint with the Cubs. He made his debut earlier in the season against the Colorado Rockies.
Ryan Pace has done good work in the 2018 draft for the Chicago Bears. At least that’s what most experts have said over the past week. His seven picks, particularly the first three have garnered immense praise. It’s felt the trio of Roquan Smith, James Daniels, and Anthony Miller have a chance not just to become productive but stars on this team.
Yet it’s fair to ask this question having seen this latest draft go through. Is Pace in the right sport? No, seriously. It sounds weird to say that but a trend has begun to grow with his most recent drafts. One that indicates football might not hold sole possession of his heart. Deep down he might be playing favorites with another.
That may sound overly dramatic but it’s true. Two picks, in particular, this year show a growing tendency by Pace to target players with a specific background. One that has actually served people well in the NFL in years past.
Ryan Pace seems to love talent with basketball backgrounds
It’s not uncommon for other major sports to bleed into football. Few have had greater success in recent years than players with deep basketball backgrounds. No surprise if the NFL’s desire for bigger athletes. Names like Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, Vincent Jackson, and Tony Gonzalez are but a few examples. Pace seems to have embraced this trend more than most.
One example from this year is fifth round pick Bilal Nichols, who was a basketball junky right up until high school.
“Bilal Nichols focused on basketball for most of his childhood and didn’t take up football until high school.”
He’s not alone. Another pick who started football late was seventh rounder Javon Wims. Like his father, he felt he had a future in basketball until the realization hit he didn’t quite have the natural gifts for it. So he made the switch to football.
“Wims was a middle school football standout but had early basketball dreams. He only played his senior year at Ed White High School in Jacksonville, Fla., and the school ran a run-oriented Wing-T offense.”
This isn’t something that just started in 2018 either. It actually gained steam last year when the Bears scooped tight end Adam Shaheen in the second round, somebody who actually started college basketball before making the switch.
“Shaheen was a freshman basketball player at Division II Pittsburgh at Johnstown, the school that gave him the best scholarship aid out of high school in Galena, Ohio, where he was a multi-sport standout.”
Now, all kidding aside there is a method to this madness by Pace. One common trend with athletes who boast basketball credentials is they have decent size and can run. This is proven true for all three of the names mentioned above. If you are big and can run, it’s possible to have success in the NFL. Provided they accept the work it takes and the light goes on, the Bears could have gone talented gems at bargain prices.
The Chicago Cubs were thinking about going with a bullpen day against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night and ultimately it might still be that as Jen-Ho Tseng gets the start in place of Yu Darvish.
As you know, Darvish is on the DL because of the flu.
The Chicago Cubs promote RHP Jen-Ho Tseng from Iowa . He will start tonight
Tseng was last season’s Pitcher Of The Year in the Cubs minor-league system and made his MLB debut in September. It was pretty rough for the righty, who gave up five runs in three innings against the New York Mets on Sept. 14, 2017.
Tseng made two appearances with the Cubs last season, pitching three shutout innings in relief against the St. Louis Cardinals near the end of the year.
However, after a great 2017 in the minors, Tseng has been terrible in Iowa so far this year.
Looking at Iowa's rotation:
Jen-Ho Tseng last pitched May 2, but has an 8.04 ERA, 32 K, 13 BB and 1.85 WHIP in 31 1/3 IP.
Michael Roth pitched on May 3 and has a 3.42 ERA, 18 K, 14 BB and 1.65 WHIP in 23 2/3 IP. Roth would need to be added to 40-man.
His last start was on May 2, when he gave up seven runs on seven hits and five walks over five innings.
The good thing for the Cubs is that the bullpen is rested after Kyle Hendricks pitched eight innings Monday. Cory Mazzoni, who was called up to replace Luke Farrell, was the only reliever to pitch in the series opener against Miami.
On May 4, 2018, the New York Mets announced that Matt Harvey would be designated for assignment the next day after he refused a demotion to the minor leagues. Harvey will not go through waivers, he will either be traded or released. If Harvey is released and the Mets cannot find a trade partner, New York will have to pay the remainder of his 1-year, $5,625,000 deal. Surely, the Mets would rather not have to do that and find a suitable trade partner to take on the money.
After coming off a stellar 2013 Major League season, which Harvey garnered an All-Star nod after posting a 9-5 win-loss record with a 2.27 ERA, he would miss all of the 2014 season. On October 22, 2013, Harvey underwent successful Tommy John surgery and would rebound nicely going forward into the 2015 season, picking up where he left off in 2013.
The 2015 Major League season saw Harvey post a record of 13 wins and 8 losses. Harvey’s ERA was 2.71 and the Mets finished first in their division winning 90 games and making a World Series appearance. After that, the last 3 years have been downhill.
Harvey since the start of the 2016 season has pitched to a 5.93 ERA and a total of 9 wins. Matt’s decline was so catastrophic this year that the Mets took him out of the starting rotation. On April 21, Harvey was removed from the Mets rotation and placed in a bullpen role. In eight appearances on the season, Harvey earned a 7.00 ERA through four starts and four relief appearances.
Why This Is Beneficial For The White Sox
White Sox legendary pitching coach, Don Cooper, has a reputation for fixing broken down vets. Lord knows that the White Sox starting rotation could use someone with the potential of Matt Harvey. If James Shields and Miguel González can come out and pitch every 4-5 days, then why not take a chance on the former All-Star? A pitcher with World Series experience could be beneficial to have around the likes of Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and possibly Michael Kopech.
Are The White Sox Interested?
It is rumored that the White Sox are rumored to be interested in Matt Harvey according to Mike Puma, who covers the Mets for the New York Post.
One more potential Mets trade partner for Matt Harvey is the White Sox, who have shown interest. Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Orioles – as others have noted – have all shown some level of interest.
Do the White Sox have enough interest to give up a player for Harvey? Or do they wait and see what happens? Either way, Sox fans now know there is interest.
Should The Sox Give Up Anything For Harvey?
Absolutely not. The White Sox are not in any position to win this year and giving up any sort of asset is asinine for a pitcher on the decline. If Harvey is released, it is completely fair that the White Sox take a look and see what can be worked out and evaluate what is left in the tank.
Who knows? Maybe Cooper works his magic if Harvey joins the South Siders and turns him into an All-Star once again. Only time will tell.
There’s no guarantee the Chicago Cubs are going to sign Manny Machado or Bryce Harper in free agency, but if you ever had a doubt the Cubs are going to be in the mix Tom Ricketts is here to get you excited.
Whenever a Cubs fan brings up the chance of Machado or Harper coming to the North Side next year they’re almost always met with, “where’s the money coming from, no way the Cubs can afford them.” Well, in a recent article by Gordon Wittenmyer in the Chicago Sun-Times, Ricketts pretty much says he’ll open up the check book as long as Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer believe it’s a good move.
Perhaps just as important, Cubs ownership seems to be on board with the front office getting aggressive, especially in a competitive window of opportunity that might have less than four years left.
When asked how aggressive ownership should be in such a pursuit, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts suggested the family will be as aggressive as president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer want to be.
‘‘We leave all the baseball decisions up to the baseball guys,’’ Ricketts told the Sun-Times a few days ago. ‘‘To the extent there’s a window where they want to sign more guys or not sign more guys, that’s their decision.’’
Sweet!
And yes, the Cubs will want to sign one of the two star players in free agency that are in their mid-20s.
The recent rumors have the Cubs as one of the teams who could possibly trade for Machado, as the Baltimore Orioles are a complete disaster and have to get something for him. They’re not alone, though, and besides Addison Russell don’t have the big-name players or prospects to trade as they’ve had in previous years.
I can sit here and pretend to know what a trade could be for Machado, but no one has a clear idea how much the Orioles are asking for. They’re complete wild cards, who will try to rob someone, but right now even with the struggles the Cubs aren’t desperate for Machado.
Plus, the bigger point here is Ricketts won’t be shy about writing another big check in the offseason. It’s going to be big too, as early estimates have Machado at about $300 million. Harper in the same range.
If you go by their recent track record, the Cubs have gotten their guy most of the time. They got Jon Lester before 2015, then landed Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist before 2016. This past offseason the front office made it clear that Yu Darvish was their number one target and they got him too.
So, whether it’s Machado or Harper, as a Cubs fan you have to feel pretty good about their chances to be right in the mix for one of them.
The Chicago Bears 2018 draft class is almost the polar opposite to the 2017 version. Not so much because of the players involves but because of the media impressions around them. A year ago GM Ryan Pace was blasted for his work. His misguided trade up for Mitch Trubisky? Taking an unproven tight end in Adam Shaheen, a safety coming off a broken leg in Eddie Jackson and an undersized running back in Tarik Cohen? Some declared Pace had gotten himself fired for such a poor draft.
Then all four of those rookies made an impact in 2017. So what could happen this year with most of the media fawning over the Bears’ 2018 class? It’s true. The buzz hasn’t abated for the past week plus. Excitement is growing and the group hasn’t even seen the field yet. It’s a testament to the talent Chicago was able to bring in.
That’s all fine and good, but they still need to play the games. The Bears class may have talent but can they help the team win right away? Chicago hasn’t seen even seen a .500 record since 2013 and the playoffs since 2010. They badly need something to jolt them out of this funk. One man believes this class will do it.
Respected insider has peak expectations for Bears 2018 draft class
Matt Bowen of ESPN has established himself as one of the most respected analysts in the field. A former player, he maintains a strict evaluation process centered around tape evaluation. That’s why it was fascinating when he got asked which rookie class will have the greatest impact in 2018.
“Chicago Bears. It starts with linebacker Roquan Smith. He’s a blue-chip talent with the speed and natural instincts to find the ball. Great fit for Vic Fangio’s defense. Up front, Iowa center/guard James Daniels has the athleticism and pro-ready technique to compete for a starting job. And wide receiver Anthony Miller should find a role as a slot target for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. The quicks are there and so is the playmaking ability.”
Bowen is one of the biggest fans of Smith in the national media. He’s gushed about the Georgia linebacker on multiple occasions. In another article, he stated the eighth overall pick had landed with the absolute perfect team in Chicago.
“Smith can close in a hurry. And don’t forget about his tackling technique. Wrap up, and put the ball carrier down. Smith should line up inside in the Bears’ 3-4 base scheme, but I believe his biggest impact comes in their nickel packages. That’s where Smith can get sideline to sideline, match running backs in the passing game or drop as a zone defender. Read the QB and go. The Bears got a blue-chip talent here.”
Bowen knows what he’s talking about. He predicted Kansas City and Carolina were ideal landing spots for Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey last year. Both ended up flashing huge potential for those respective teams. His love of the Bears’ draft is a welcome sign that they could be in store for a big year, health permitting.
The 2016-17 season was a huge eye-opening experience and left a bad taste in just about every Blackhawks fan’s mouth. Not only did the Hawks get swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in four straight games, they were swept by their Western Conference rival, Nashville Predators. This poor showing left everyone, including myself, wondering if this could truly be the end of a dynasty here in Chicago for the Hawks. The team’s General Manager, Stan Bowman, was the first to admit that the way the season ended was unacceptable, as he said,
“Standing here April 22 [2017] is not the way we expected our season to end. And it’s a complete failure when you measure it against the expectations that we have of ourselves. We did not come even close to reaching the standard we have set over the years here. And that’s unacceptable.”
Moves were indeed made and some of them were huge. Former assistant coach Mike Kitchen was cut loose, while the Hawks went on to hire Ulf Samuelsson and Don Granato to replace Kitchen on Joel Quenneville’s coaching staff. This was just the first step towards creating a new identity for the 2017-18 season. In a blockbuster trade, the Blackhawks made a deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Hawks sent fan favorite Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte, and a 6th round pick to Columbus for former Hawks player Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg, and a 5th round pick. Our defense was spread extremely thin with the loss of Niklas Hjalmarsson to Phoenix. Although Hammer was gone, the Hawks were able to scoop up some much needed young defensive talent in Connor Murphy in the Hjalmarsson deal. Stan Bowman dismantled one of the top offensive lines in the NHL in 2016-17 (Panarin-Anisimov-Kane), traded probably our most reliable defender at that point in Hjalmarsson, and decided to sign aging stars such as Patrick Sharp in a desperate attempt to try and recreate some of the magic of the 2014-15 season when they won their last Stanley Cup.
2017-18 Season
It is safe to say that Bowman failed miserably in the 2017 offseason. Most people are probably wondering why the team played as bad as they did this past season. When you actually take a closer look, not only are the core players like Toews, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Crawford, and etc. getting up there in age, you also have to take into consideration how much hockey the guys have played – 82 game seasons every year besides 2012 (NHL Lockout) plus playoffs, Olympics, All-Star Games, and so on. Has Father Time finally caught up to our beloved Blackhawks? It certainly looks like it. They finished the year with a dreadful 33-39-10 record which earned them last place in the Central Division.
They also failed to make the playoffs this season – for the first time since 2008.
It is an extremely weird feeling because Blackhawks fans have become spoiled in recent years. Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville were rumored to be on the hot seat again this year, but the organization decided to keep them on. However, it does seem like this could be their last chance to cool it off. Even though I am pretty much disgusted with what the team has become, it truly is hard to turn your back on the two guys who made your team relevant again and brought 3 Stanley Cups to Chicago in a 5-year span.
John McDonough tells the media that Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville will remain in their current positions. #Blackhawks
Joel Quenneville and Stan Bowman will remain Head Coach and General Manager during the upcoming 2018-19 season. The question is, could it be their last?
Rebuild?
Bowman and Co. are essentially back to the drawing board after two consecutive failed seasons. Talks of rebuilding are running rampant through the streets of Chicago. The Blackhawks wound up with the 8th pick in the 2018 NHL Draft which did not come without controversy. During the lottery to determine the draft order, the Hawks were one bounce of a ball away from landing the #1 overall pick this year – literally.
Luck does not bounce the Blackhawks way in the 2018 NHL Draft lottery.
Chicago had ball #11 in perfect position to be drawn when the Buffalo Sabres #6 ball smacked the Hawks ball out of the way instead. Even though I would have loved the opportunity to land the consensus #1 pick, Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who I believe will become an elite 2-way NHL defenseman for many years, the team is still in prime position to take a game-changing talent that can be placed directly on the NHL active roster to make an immediate impact next season.
Do you remember the last time the Blackhawks held the #8 overall pick? It was 30 years ago. 2018 is the 30-year anniversary of the Jeremy Roenick pick. The Hawks took center Jeremy Roenick with the 8th pick in 1988. Coincidence? Maybe, but I always feel things happen for a reason.
What will Bowman do with this year’s pick? That’s the million dollar question. There’s a lot of possibilities here at #8 since the Hawks also have the Nashville Predators pick which is still being determined due to them still playing in the playoffs right now. Will they move up, trade down and collect draft picks, or stay put and draft 2 players? It’s very likely that they stay put at #8, but they could also package the two draft picks, and possibly a player, to move up and select a premier prospect, like Dahlin, who they desperately need to fill a huge void on defense. Trading down would also be a great option because let’s face it – the Blackhawks are not very good right now and could really use as much young talent as possible to inject them with a dose of adrenaline. Duncan Keith is aging (34) and posted a -29 +/- stat line this year – no, that is not a typo. Brent Seabrook is also 34-years-old on a salary cap draining contract.
Brent Seabrook was paid $9,000,000 in salary this past season
The Vegas Golden Knights just made the conference finals with a 6-man D-corps that earned a TOTAL of $8,157,500
The team gave up 256 goals which was 8th worst in the entire NHL. These guys are on their last legs, so if the Blackhawks do decide to stay at #8, the defense needs to be a top priority. Please, for the love of God, please draft some defense.
A few days ago the Chicago Cubs were featured on Sunday Night Baseball, playing against the St. Louis Cardinals. Although it ended in heartbreaking fashion for Cubs fans, there were a few highlights and one Kris Bryant interview with Alex Rodriguez that was basically porn for die-hard baseball fans.
ESPN aired the segment and it was awesome. You have one of the all-time greats talking with one of the best players in the game today.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of Bryant and the Cubs or not, this was great insight from a great hitter.
If you are a fan of the Cubs, a parent who has a child playing baseball or a coach, this was a must-watch segment.
One of the things Bryant talks about is what his favorite pitch is to hit. He brought up the inside fastball, making it a point of pride to handle that pitch because pitchers think they can get him out on it because he’s a tall dude.
The Chicago Cubs pulled Javier Baez in the seventh inning during Monday night’s game against the Miami Marlins. We still don’t know how serious the injury is, but it’s not a back issue, which he talked about after Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Cubs announced Baez was taken out because of groin tightness.
Anyway, here’s how Baez might have suffered that injury.
In the fifth inning the Marlins had runners on first and third with one out. Kyle Hendricks induced what could have been an inning-ending double play, but Kris Bryant’s throw over to Baez was wide of second base.
Baez stretched out to catch the ball, while also trying to keep his toe on the bag for the force out. The Cubs did get the out, as Baez eventually tagged the base, but the stretch was probably what led to his eventual departure.
Baez cracked a three-run home run early in the game that put the Cubs ahead 5-0. He leads MLB with 32 RBIs and has homered in three consecutive games.
At this point in the season there’s no reason to push it and the Cubs have plenty of depth, so Baez should get all the rest he needs to get back at 100 percent.
The Cubs won Monday’s game 14-2, ending their five-game losing streak.
Yu Darvish was placed on the 10-day DL with the flu before the game and right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng is expected to fill in for Darvish on Tuesday against the Marlins.
It could obviously a precautionary move, as the Cubs had a 9-1 lead at the time.
Baez hit a three-run home run earlier in the game that gave the Cubs a 5-0 lead. He’s gone deep in three straight games and leads MLB with 32 RBIs.
Baez said his back was bothering him following the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, but said it wasn’t anything to be worried about. Maybe a few days off could help.
