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The Nationals Found Out That Kyle Hendricks Is A Cold-Blooded Killer On The Mound

By
Aldo Soto
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You would’ve thought that after his 2016 season and performance in the postseason that more people would think higher of Kyle Hendricks. He was the Game 1 starter in this year’s NLDS against the Washington Nationals and once again showed off his brilliance. The Cubs took the series-opener, winning 3-0, behind Hendricks’ seven shutout innings.

Even with Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg no-hitting the Cubs through five innings, you never felt a panic because Hendricks was awesome too. He surrendered a total of two hits, walking three, while striking out six. In a game that featured 10 Strasburg strikeouts, it was Hendricks who ended up pitching better and leading the Cubs to a 1-0 edge in the series.

You have to love Hendricks, who even the few times he got into some trouble remained calm as he’s known to do.

As far as the offense, the third time through the order was a killer for Strasburg, who dominated the Cubs through five. In the sixth, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo delivered consecutive RBI-singles with two outs.

Rizzo came through again with two outs in the eighth, giving the Cubs some extra breathing room with an RBI-double.

Kyle Hendricks stepped up. The Cubs offense delivered when it got its chances and again we saw the Nationals cave. I love October baseball, especially when you’re a Cubs fan.

Jon Lester and Gio Gonzalez are the Game 2 starters on Saturday.

Kyle Hendricks Dominates Washington To Bolster His Ridiculous Postseason Resume

By
Gus
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Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs

When Joe Maddon announced the Cubs NLDS rotation earlier this week, I have to say that I was a bit surprised to see Kyle Hendricks get the nod to go in Game 1. Not because I don’t think he’s worthy of the start, I just didn’t think that you could give the ball to anyone but your veteran lefty, Jon Lester.

Shows how much I know.

Hendricks opened up the 2017 NLDS with an absolute gem of a game against a very potent Nationals offense. He allowed only two hits through seven innings (zero hits after the 2nd) and had the Washington hitters guessing all night long primarily using his nasty change up.

Example A: Bryce Harper.

What’s even more impressive than the 81 mph change up is the fact that Hendricks has quietly put together some filthy postseason numbers. Also remember, Hendricks has started in some big postseason games before tonight (Game 6 2016 NLCS, Game 7 2016 World Series) so the guy has goddamn ice water in his veins and still manages to miss bats. His seven-hit gem of a game tonight will only add to these sparkling postseason numbers.

Even in his only loss in eight postseason starts, Hendricks was still lights out. He lost 1-0 in Game 2 of the 2016 NLCS to Clayton Kershaw and the LA Dodgers.

Let’s hope this is the last we have to see Hendricks pitch in the NLDS.

Expert Predictions on the Mitch Trubisky Effect in 2017 Just Got BOLD

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky effect
Credit: USA Today

Everything about the first month of the 2017 season was classic Chicago Bears football in the modern era. They had a team that could run the football. They had a team that could play good defense. Of course the one thing they also had? A quarterback who was so obviously out of his depth. This time around it was Mike Glennon. He turned the ball over eight times in four games, personally throwing away two road games that should’ve been winnable. Fans cried ever louder to see if the Mitch Trubisky effect could change things.

They were tired of it all. They were tired of having clearly inadequate quarterbacks shoved down their throats. Guys who couldn’t cut it with another team somehow became “the answer” here? For too long this organization has accepted that methodology and deserved the underwhelming consequences from it.

Their greatest successes have come when they made a serious investments at quarterback in the draft. Not mid or late rounders either. A bonafide top five pick. GM Ryan Pace understood the history and made the bold move to change it. Since that shocking announcement in April, Trubisky has impressed more and more as the weeks have gone on.

Now it’s his time. Some experts remain skeptical of what he can do. Others? They’re already drinking the Kool-Aid.

Don’t Plan On Bringing Bags To The United Center For Bulls Games

By
Matthew Milakovich
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For all you fans who like, or even need to pack a bag for whatever reason, even if for your children, the league is saying, “nope.”

As of today the NBA unveiled a new policy prohibiting certain bags from entering all NBA venues.

To better ensure a secure environment during all Chicago Bulls home games, fans are discouraged from bringing bags to the United Center. In accordance with this request, the NBA has issued a new bag policy that applies to all team venues.

The league’s new policy prohibits all backpacks and hard-sided bags, along with any other bags (including briefcases, luggage, purses and diaper bags) that are larger than 14”x14”x6” in size. Single-compartment drawstring bags and fashion backpack purses will be permitted. Please note that all approved bags are subject to inspection upon entry, and the United Center is unable to check or store prohibited items during the game.

However, the Bulls emphasized that these specific guidelines are for home games and fans should check other team’s websites before attending games on the road.

Also if you could give two shits about basketball and want to see more 10-1 home victories like we did last night at the UC, you’ll have to call ahead and ask if the Blackhawks will have similar rules.

So just plan accordingly Bulls fans, and as always, SEE RED!

How Dowell Loggains Failed To Hide His Mitch Trubisky Boner

By
Erik Lambert
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dowell loggains

Kudos to Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. He did everything in his power to make it clear that the failure of the past month was a team effort. The decision to bench Mike Glennon was not the original plan by any stretch. There was plenty of blame to go around from the pre-snap penalties to the failed execution on routes and blocks.

It’s a fair criticism. These are definitely nagging issues the Bears offense has suffered through. At the same time it was clear to everybody with eyes that Glennon had to go. There were too many things wrong with his style of play. He couldn’t run at all. Teams knew he refused to throw any deep passes. That allowed them to stack the tackle box with eight, nine and even 10 defenders.

It made running the football almost impossible for Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. Last but not least, his vision and accuracy were erratic. Too many times he either missed open receivers or didn’t see them at all. This led to him holding the ball and taking unnecessary sacks or throwing it to the other team.

So while Loggains’ defense of him was sincere, he also failed miserably to hide his emotions when Mitch Trubisky became the subject.

Footage Of White Sox Prospects At Instructs Taking Cuts

By
Matt Enuco
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White Sox prospects take cuts at instructs.
BaseballAmerica.com

Baseball America does a wonderful job of providing access to the future of professional baseball. On Tuesday, Josh Norris provided a synopsis of the tweaks White Sox prospect Zack Collins is applying to his swing and on Friday another cache of video emerged.

In total, 11 players were spotted; some well-known and others obscure

Wow! There is a lot going on with this swing. The reaction from someone near the camera makes it seem like Call put a charge into the pitch but there’s no telling if it was a long fly-ball or a blast.

Call is highly regarded among White Sox prospects but he is going to have to make some dramatic adjustments to his swing. Otherwise, major-league pitching is going to expose the holes in his swing.

Polo was part of the Yankees deal and he looks very strong. His hands get through the zone quick enough to save him from getting fooled too much. One thing he will have to work on is pitch recognition.

We only got to see a few swings but Burger is going to have to work through a stiff arm-bar. His hands are pretty active at the beginning of his swing and after barring his front arm it will be tough to get his hands to the inside pitch with any authority — something he will have to do as a burly third-baseman.

Nolan was an eighth-round selection in 2016 and is a well-built catcher with some pop in his bat. His load is quiet with the potential to find some whip through the zone.

Nunez appears to be a monster for a second-base profile. His hands are sluggish through the zone and he got fooled a few times, but his set-up looks good. If he can work on recognizing pitches and forcing pitchers to give him stuff he can handle he might pan out.

Rivera is a 28th-round pick out of the University of Tampa. He batted .296 in the Arizona Rookie Leauge and appears to be a glove-first player. He is lanky with some projectability but lacks serious strength for a 23-year-old prospect.

Garcia has a big leg-kick that loads his body well but he clearly struggles with offspeed pitches — something all big-leg-kickers are susceptible to.

Beltre is young with a lot of projectability. At 20 years old he already has four professional seasons under his belt and earned a promotion to the Arizona Rookie League in 2017. There is some length in his swing that needs to be ironed out but he batted .325 in 69 contests this season.

Coronado is an outfielder with a very good rotational swing. He has a slight toe tap but gets his foot down in time to let his hands and hips work.

There are a lot of hopes tied up in Rutherford’s success. He was a 2016 first-round pick and highly sought after in the midseason Yankees trade. Rutherford is another leg-kicker, although softer. He is known for a meticulous regiment and a host of performance coaches forming a bubble of measured success he can live in. Many times this kind of micromanagement can create a paralysis-by-analysis quandary, but it appears he needs to cut loose and play. There is a propensity to get extended and pitch recognition seems to be his main task.

Yurchak batted .345 for Great Falls in his debut season with eight home runs. He has a big frame that coaches will aim to wring power from.

  • Zack Collins

Collins didn’t show the same quiet approach that he did earlier in the week. A lot can happen in three days and perhaps the coaching staff is allowing Collins more latitude to experiment with a blend of the two extremes.

Something else you might notice about the videos is that Collins spends a lot of time behind the plate. He demonstrates more and more flexibility and softness behind the plate. But there is still a little queasiness about how he absorbs pitches.

Cubs vs. Nationals Game 3 Time Released

By
Aldo Soto
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wrigleyville alderman ordinance residents move cars
(Photo: Getty Images)

The Chicago Cubs will host Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals on Monday and the time for first pitch at Wrigley Field has finally been released.

The Chicago Bears also play on Monday, hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football on ESPN, but if you’re a fan of both teams you’re in luck because the times will not conflict.

So, we could potentially see the Cubs advance to the NLCS and then watch Mitch Trubisky’s debut with the Bears. Monday should be fun. Meanwhile, Jose Quintana will make his postseason debut and will face off against Max Scherzer.

If there is a Game 4 between the Cubs and Nationals, the time will be determined based on the result of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks series.

Jake Arrieta is scheduled to start Game 4 if necessary.

Cubs Lineup For Game 1 Of NLDS vs. Nationals Released

By
Aldo Soto
-

After a lot of speculation during the last week, the Chicago Cubs lineup for Game 1 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals is set.

Here’s the lineup that will go up against hard-throwing righty Stephen Strasburg.

The Cubs don’t have a lot of experience against Strasburg, having 106 career at-bats against him on the current roster. Jason Heyward has the most success (15-for-37), hitting .405/.463/.595, that’s a 1.058 OPS. Almost all of that came when Heyward was with the Atlanta Braves. Anthony Rizzo has the second-most at-bats against him with 13.

Strasburg has made five career starts against the Cubs and the last two times he’s pitched seven innings, allowing a total of three earned runs in the two games. That includes his seven-inning outing on June 28, when he surrendered two earned runs on four hits. He made 10 starts after this year’s All-Star break and he had an unbelievable 0.86 ERA.

Meanwhile, here’s what the Nationals have done against Kyle Hendricks.

In Hendricks’ only start against the Nationals this season, he pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs, two coming from home runs.

Chicago Bears Assistant Coach Talks 2017, Trubisky and More

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears assistant coach

Former Chicago Bears assistant coach Todd Washington spent the summer with the team for training camp this year. The 41-year old already has quite the football career behind him. In 1998 he was drafted in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would remain one of their primary backups at center and guard for the next five seasons.

His final year there they won the Super Bowl and he left the next season for Houston. After wrapping up his playing career there, he decided to break into coaching. He worked his way up through the college ranks, breaking into the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens in 2011. There he stayed until 2016 before parting ways

The Bears liked his work and decided to bring him in as an assistant to help with camp practices and preseason preparation. After the season began he was granted his release. Since then he’s kept close tabs on the team, following their progress. I got a chance to speak with him about his time with the team and much more.

The Good And Bad From The Last Time The Blackhawks Scored 10

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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It was quite the show the Blackhawks put on last night in their shellacking of the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. They broke the team record of 8 goals in a home opener by scoring 10. In fact, it was the first time since October 12, 1988 they scored that many.

With the exception of Rick Vaive who had a hat trick, Blackhawks fans have probably heard the names of the organizational legends who scored in that game. Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Doug Wilson and current analyst Troy Murray. Despite all those names the success didn’t translate for much of the season.

That season the Blackhawks recorded a 27-41-12 record totaling a very low 66 points. They would finish fourth in the Norris Division and just slide into the playoffs. As bad as that regular season record was, that team had a deep run in the playoffs.

The Blackhawks would defeat the hated Detroit Red Wings four games to two in the division semifinals. Then they would take out another rival during the division finals by defeating the the St. Louis Blues four games to one.

Their luck would run out in the Campbell Conference Finals though. The Blackhawks would lose that series four games to one against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Calgary Flames.

I know what happened 29 years ago doesn’t apply to anything this season but I feel there are some comparisons. A lot of people have picked the Blackhawks to finish third or fourth in the division. I am also one of those people but I expect a lot more than 66 points. Mostly because I feel they’ll win considerably more than 27 games and there was no “loser point” back then for making it into OT.

The make-up of that team was a lot like today’s team. It had a very good group of veterans but had some young or unproven players behind them. If the current younger players can carry even half of the success they had in game one, this could be a very exciting season.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

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