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White Sox Might Search For Two Pitchers In Free Agency After Rodon Is Shelved For 6-8 Months

By
Matt Enuco
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Carlos Rodon told the media on Sept. 24 that he was confident he would not begin next season on the D.L. Four days later the White Sox announced that Rodon had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder and would be out six to eight months.

Rodon battled biceps bursitis all season and the ailment finally required surgery to debride the nagging issue. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal El Attrache in Los Angeles and there was no indication of rotator cuff or labrum damage.

Regarding the southpaw’s perceived return, Rick Hahn said “The timing will depend on how his rehab goes. We’ll know more about the specifics of the timing when Carlos completes his rehab and begins throwing in Spring Training.”

An optimistic outlook places Rodon back in the rotation by March while realistically it appears the southpaw will start the season on the D.L. There is no reason to rush Rodon back to the field when the White Sox are expected to run another sour campaign in 2018.

But Rodon’s injury changes the complexion of the offseason for White Sox brass. Signing one starting pitcher from free agency seemed a likely bet before Rodon hit the shelf and now it appears two starters might be what the doctor ordered.

Michael Kopech will not start the season in the big-league rotation but he could reach the show by June or July. If Rodon falls on the longer end of recovery he could rejoin the White Sox around the same time. Carson Fulmer is likely to get another whack at the starting rotation next season and with Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito and James Shields rounding out the other three spots there is only room for one more starter on paper.

Hahn is sure to kick the tires on several free agents this offseason to see if there’s a worthwhile deal to be had, and a player like Jeremy Hellickson could become a valuable asset at the trade deadline.

Additional notes from Rick Hahn’s end-of-year presser

The White Sox are confident they will retain the same field staff in 2018 and Cuban sensation Luis Robert is likely to attend big-league camp next spring. But don’t get your hopes too high, Robert’s destiny is Low-A.

The Worst Pickoff Attempt Ever Part 2 Featuring The Cardinals And Anthony Rizzo

By
Aldo Soto
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I know Anthony Rizzo is tied for the team lead in steals, but why do opposing pitchers keep embarrassing themselves by attempting to pick him off? But hey, I hope they keep wasting their time throwing over to first base because not only does it create a hilarious moment for us to laugh at, but on Wednesday night it might have also caused St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael Wacha to lose concentration.

The Cubs rallied to clinch their second division title in a row behind a strong start by John Lackey and a five-run, seventh inning. The offensive barrage began with a Rizzo single and then Wacha threw over to first base to keep him close.

Well, he almost got him.

Zobrist singled right after and then Addison Russell followed with a go-ahead three-run homer. The Cubs added two more runs to make it 5-1, which was the final, as they made it to the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Fan Trolls St. Louis After Cubs Clinch Division Against Cardinals

By
Aldo Soto
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It was great to see Chicago Cubs fans invade Busch Stadium this week and even better to hear them chant “go Cubs go” in the ninth inning of the division-clinching game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. Leonys Martin caught the final out to start the party at Busch Stadium and one Cubs fan made sure to spread it throughout St. Louis.

This is actually becoming a tradition, as a couple years ago when the Cubs beat the Cardinals in the 2015 NLDS, St. Louis bars were treated to endless renditions of Steve Goodman’s “Go Cubs Go.”

Some Guy Is Trolling Cardinals Fans By Playing “Go Cubs Go” At Every St. Louis Bar He Can Get To

Well, it happened again as a Cubs fan used the AMI BarLink app to play “Go Cubs Go” all over St. Louis after last night’s win.

Well done, sir!

Chicago Bears Mailbag: 9/28/2017

By
Dhruv Koul
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2018 head coach candidates

Welcome to the first official Chicago Bears mailbag presented by Sports Mockery!

Coming off the Bears’ first win of the season and before their upcoming Thursday Night showdown against the rival Green Bay Packers, we thought of this as the perfect time to allow you, the reader, to ask us your Bears questions.

We look forward to opening up a mailbag for the Cubs, Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox in the near future. Thanks to everyone who participated.

And now, we get to your questions!

Unsurprisingly, we got a lot of questions about when Mitch Trubisky will finally take over. I’ve maintained that I think Week 5, a Monday Night Football home matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, is the “sweet spot” in the schedule to unveil Trubisky. At this point, Week 5 is such an “accepted” date amongst fans and media for his debut that if John Fox once again utters gibberish in the form of “Mike Glennon gives us the best chance to win,” you can bet that Soldier Field will be completely empty. Brad Biggs brought up the possibility that Trubisky could start for the first time against the New Orleans Saints. Quite frankly, that’s much too late. If Glennon continues his current level play, I wouldn’t be surprised if ownership forced a change. They want wins.

It’s probably a bit too early to discuss names and targets. As scouts continue to dig into the top “names”, the realities about their NFL prospects are usually a lot less crazy than their current hype. That being said, you can bet that the Bears will likely double-dip at the wide receiver position. They need help badly. Other areas that you can bet will be targeted – outside linebacker, cornerback, and more outside linebacker.

Absolutely. I wrote in a previous article that a mobile quarterback who can extend plays like Trubisky would help the offense immensely. The receivers, despite their problems with drops, have either been open and Glennon missed them, or were just a split second from getting open but Glennon failed to give them that extra split second. Josh Bellamy is a legend at getting open. These receivers aren’t household names but a quarterback that can extend a play by even a microsecond can work with this group. Trubisky is that guy. Glennon is not.

He hasn’t made the most of his pass rushing opportunities, but he also hasn’t had as much of a chance to rush the passer either. He’s been used in coverage a lot more than most outside linebackers whose specialty is rushing the passer. I imagine that as the front seven and the secondary continue to settle in to their roles and improve, Floyd will be turned loose to get after quarterbacks more often. Then he needs to take advantage of those opportunities.

He’s been a pleasant surprise this season and been part of a cornerback group that, so far, has exceeded expectations. But I’m sure the Bears will want to see more, and see him stay healthy, before committing any new money to him. Besides, if Fuller continues to play well, he may very well be able to price himself outside of what the Bears are willing to pay.

Quite good, actually. Glennon has been sacked seven times this year which is middle-ish of the pack. But remember, Glennon is a statue. A complete statue. If he had an iota of athleticism, he could’ve avoided potentially half of those sacks. I’ve said this before – Glennon is an anchor.

The issue here is that everything needs to go perfectly for this team to win employing that strategy. They’re much improved, and have the chance to be a contender with the right quarterback. But they aren’t good enough yet to win consistently without a quarterback. I like the heavy run game strategy because Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen are so fun to watch. But nobody in their right mind should respect the passing game with Glennon at quarterback. A change is needed to win consistently.

I don’t know. But if he doesn’t, I think he should.

Ian Rapoport Has Startling Revelation About Bears Drafting Tarik Cohen

By
Erik Lambert
-

The Chicago Bears drafting Tarik Cohen back in the spring came as a shock to many fans. Here was a team is sore need of help at other positions. They already had a Pro Bowl running back in Jordan Howard, not to mention two previous fourth round picks in Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey. Why in the world would they spent another on Cohen, who was all of 5’6″ from tiny North Carolina A&T?

Well NFL insider Ian Rapoport shed some fascinating light on the situation. It turns out GM Ryan Pace asked his scout in charge of the Southeast area of the country who his favorite player was. Most would expect him to name somebody from a power conference like the SEC or ACC. Turns out not so much. The first name out of his mouth?

Running back Tarik Cohen.

There are so many things great about that. First it’s proof that the Bears were and still are focused on acquiring the best players available. It shows the amount of faith that GM Ryan Pace has in his staff. Seemingly well-founded faith at this point. Last but not least it’s a subtle reminder of how well Pace understands how to play the draft board.

The Bears could’ve easily gotten their playmaker in Cohen in the second round after locking up Mitch Trubisky early. Instead they trusted their instincts, believing other teams wouldn’t be privy to Cohen and he’d likely fall to the mid rounds due to his size and small school background. After securing Adam Shaheen following a trade back in the second round, which secured them an extra fourth rounder, they used that pick to grab Cohen.

That is textbook draft management at its finest.

The Cubs Have The Best Day-After Clinching Lineup

By
Aldo Soto
-

The Chicago Cubs have nothing else to play for after clinching the NL Central division championship on Wednesday, but they still have to trot out there against the St. Louis Cardinals and today’s lineup is glorious.

Technically, it has four catchers in it if you include Kyle Schwarber. He’s starting in left and Alex Avila is behind the plate. Then, Victor Caratini and Taylor Davis are in for Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant.

Up the middle, Joe Maddon has the double play combo of Tommy La Stella and Cubs legend Mike Freeman. Plus, the man who caught the final out on Wednesday, Leonys Martin, is batting leadoff.

A preview of Game 1’s lineup against the Nationals? hahahaha

It’s still the best lineup of the year, though, because it means the Cubs have made it to the postseason and have a shot at back-to-back World Series titles.

Steve McMichael Finally Explains His Real Reason For Signing With Packers

By
Erik Lambert
-
steve mcmichael packers

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers rivalry is one of the most sustained and storied in the history of professional sports. It may not have serious heat all the time. No rivalry does. However, the animosity never goes away. That’s why it’s rare to see players from either team play for the other. So one can imagine how angry Bears fans when a Steve McMichael Packers deal went down in 1994.

Here was a man who had navy blue blood in his veins. He made a career out of terrorizing Green Bay quarterbacks throughout the 1980s and early ’90s. At age 37 it was felt he would likely retire. Instead he did the unthinkable, signing a one-year deal to don the green and gold. For years people have wondered why he would do that. It just didn’t make sense.

Well at last the former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion offered an explanation.

Steve McMichael Packers venture was all about sabotage

“Mongo”called into the Dan McNeil show “Unsupervised” to talk Bears. Soon the subject came up of Bears and Packers and the infamous instant replay game when Don Majkowski fired a touchdown pass to win the game for Green Bay despite him appearing to be over the line of scrimmage.

That soon led to McMichael’s brief stint with them during the final year of his career. Never one to lack a colorful side, he proceeded to explain himself.

“Look, when you said I went up to the hated enemy Green Bay I had to explain this to Bears fans all the time and after I explain it them like this, they’re alright with it.

Every now and then on a blue moon, like you said he stepped over the line and threw a touchdown and beat us the last second of the game up at Lambeau that one time. But for 13 years I played for the Bears we beat the Packers every year. Most of the time twice a year.

So I screwed them right? Well the last year of my career I went up there on my last leg. I wasn’t any good anymore so I stole their money. Screwed them again, Bear fans.”

Don’t ever change, Mongo. Truth be told he’s not lying. Despite playing every game, McMichael managed just 2.5 sacks and 19 tackles in 1994. Both were the lowest he’d done since 1982. Green Bay made the playoffs that year but were throttled in the divisional round by Dallas 35-9. Their defense gave up 450 yards in that game. So maybe he did sabotage them a little bit.

Who Should Start Game 1 Of The NLDS For The Cubs?

By
Gus
-

Now that the Cubs have officially clinched the division, fans can now turn their attention to the postseason and the countless potential heart attacks that lie ahead. Unlike last year, Cubs manager Joe Maddon has a handful of interesting options to start Game 1 of the 2017 NLDS versus the Washington Nationals. He went on 670 the Score a few days ago and gave everyone a pretty clear hint as to where his head was at regarding his Game 1 starter.

Jon Lester was a CLEAR number one option at the end of the 2016 season so to start him at that point was pretty much idiot-proof. This year, however, Lester hasn’t been as sharp as he was last season and has been knocked around pretty good his last couple starts. If you take his last start out of the mix, he has given up 7, 4, 1, 2, 7 runs in his last five starts which is something Cubs fans are not used to seeing.

With Lester showing signs of being a normal pitcher, rumblings have begun that Joe Maddon should re-think starting Lester and give another Cubs pitcher the nod in Game 1.

For what it’s worth, my vote was, is, and will always be Jon Lester in the postseason because he’s a damn bulldog in October. BUT…for those of you who think his recent struggles warrant a demotion in Game 1…here are the other options.

Jake Arrieta

If you’re looking for the pitcher with the most dominant stuff on the staff, Jake Arrieta has to be the pick. He has recently shown flashes of 2015 Jake when his shit was so nasty that literally nobody could hit him in the second half of that  2015 season. Arrieta had a masterful August which is reflected beautifully by his numbers — 4-1, 1.21 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and only one home run allowed.

However, Arrieta strained his in early September and although he’s made a start since then, it appears the hammy will be an issue moving forward. I don’t think the NLDS is the time to “make adjustments” in his delivery.

In addition to the hamstring, I also can’t see Jake going in Game 1 due to the fact he’s gotten absolutely destroyed by the Nationals offense this season (0-1, 11.25 ERA, 6 walks).

Jose Quintana

Probably the most surprising option of the group would be the newest Cubs pitcher, Jose Quintana. With one regular season start left, Q saved his best for last after absolutely crushing the Milwaukee Brewers spirit in his last start (CG, 3 H, 1 walk).

Quintana will get overlooked during the Game 1 starter argument because his overall numbers are not overly impressive (11-11, 4.06 ERA) but Quintana is the only Cubs pitcher that has the following going for him — he’s never faced Washington. Ryan Raburn is the only player on the Nationals that has more than 20 ABs vs. Q and he’s struggled mightily (.174/.240/.217). Now, does that mean the likes of Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy will struggle because they’ve never seen Quintana?

No.

However, when you pair the element of newness with the fact that Q has owned left-handed hitters, it’s a pretty intriguing match-up. Since his arrival to the Cubs, he’s absolutely dominated left-handed hitters (147 ABs, .211 average, 1 home run allowed) and since Harper and Murphy are the two biggest threats in the Nationals lineup, why not throw Q?

John Lackey

I don’t care how “good” Lackey has been as of late…

No.

Kyle Hendricks

If you’re looking for the safest, most consistent pick of the group, Kyle Hendricks is your guy. We know Joe Maddon has no problem throwing Hendricks in big postseason games (2016 NLCS Game 6, 2016 World Series Game 7) so you’d have to think throwing him in Game 1 of the 2017 NLDS would not be a major issue.

Hendricks been very good since his return from the DL in late July and boasts a 1.70 ERA in his last 10 starts. He’s also seen a good amount of success against Washington who have 92 ABs against Hendricks and are only hitting .217.

It’ll always be amazing to me how a guy who tops out at 88 mph can continue to make Major League hitters look completely clueless and yet Hendricks continues to do just that.

Regardless of Maddon’s Game 1 decision, this NLDS is already shaping up to be one helluva series.

Packers Fan Who is Suing Bears Snuck Into Soldier Field in Falcons Jersey

By
Erik Lambert
-
russell beckman

For those Chicago Bears fans who don’t recall the name Russell Beckman, here’s a quick recap. He is a Green Bay Packers fan who buys season ticket for both franchises (how the hell does he have that kind of money?). One thing he liked to take advantage of was a special offer that allowed people to appear down on Soldier Field with the players during pregame. Unfortunately that didn’t last long for him as he the team would not allow him to do so in wearing Packers gear.

Incensed at this, Beckman tried to find a loophole through that issue. After exhausting every possible alternative he started to get desperate. So he turned to the legal system, filing a lawsuit against the Bears for not allowing what he considers to be freedom of expression. In fact according to Deadspin he even went out of his way to prove it was a selective thing by sneaking into the Bears’ opening game against Atlanta wearing a Falcons jersey

“This may not be some moral crusade, but Beckman is really into it. He has gone to considerable lengths to prove his point. To wit: Beckman actually bought a special ticket package to the Bears’ home opener this season. It allowed him to be on the field before the game. He called the company that sold him the ticket package, VividSeats, to make sure it was okay to wear a Falcons jersey. It was.

So Beckman borrowed a Julio Jones Falcons jersey from one of his students—“This was pretty cool,” he says—wore it to the stadium and stood on Soldier Field clad in another team’s gear. Beckman said no one said a word to him about wearing the opposing team’s jersey. In fact, he says there were more than 30 fans wearing Falcons jerseys on the field.”

Russell Beckman is struggling to understand what the big deal is

It may sound silly to a lot of people that Beckham is wasting that much time and money over this issue. He however thinks it’s an important moment for him to show his children and grandchildren the value of fighting for things they believe in.

“I love watching NFL games with my children,” Beckman says. “I’m looking forward to doing it with my grandchildren. That’s one of the big reasons why I hold season tickets to two NFL teams. And [the full experience] has been taken away from me. So it just ticks me off!

“And I tried to work with them and tried everything I could so I wouldn’t have to file a lawsuit. I just don’t get it. I think the Bears fans are the greatest people in the world but I don’t understand why the Bears organization is doing this.”

The fact that Beckman is surprised by this is itself surprising. The Bears organization is one of the strictest, yet most inconsistent NFL franchises going. Their media policy is suffocating and they seem backwards at times with their approach to fan experience. At the same time it’s not hard to see why they singled out Beckman. He’s a Packers fan, and the Packers are the enemy.

Of course they let him in wearing a Falcons jersey. They don’t play the Falcons twice a year. He should’ve tried his little experiment with Lions or Vikings jerseys and seen what happened. This franchise has suffered for years at the hands of Green Bay and have grown tired of making the Soldier Field experience comfortable for their fans.

That may seem juvenile, but so is filing a lawsuit over what is essentially a game.

History Shows Mike Glennon Could Lose Job If He Fails Packers Test

By
Erik Lambert
-
mike glennon packers test

Outings against the Falcons, Buccaneers and Steelers are one thing. Chicago Bears fans would like to beat any team, but everybody knows the time to get serious is at hand. The Mike Glennon Packers test is at hand. Head coach John Fox seems so convinced that this former backup can be the guy to help the Bears win, then he’ll have to prove it.

There is no team in the NFL or throughout history who has been a better judge of how good or more often bad a Bears starting quarterback is than Green Bay. Glennon has never played them during his career. Some might consider that a red flag already. In fact some might be shocked at the results of how most of the notable starting Bears QBs throughout history fared in their first Packer encounters.

  • Sid Luckman:  W 30-27
  • George Blanda:  W 17-13
  • Kyle Orton:  W 19-7
  • Rex Grossman:  W 21-10
  • Jim McMahon:  L 31-28
  • Billy Wade:  L 24-0
  • Jay Cutler:  L 21-15
  • Jim Harbaugh:  L 14-13
  • Erik Kramer:  L 33-6
  • Ed Brown:  L 24-3
  • Bob Avellini:  L 28-7
  • Rudy Bukich:  L 17-3
  • Jim Miller:  L 20-12
  • Jack Concannon:  L 17-13
  • Bobby Douglass:  L 17-14

That’s right. Only four Bears starters out of 15 total managed to win their first game. Not only that but of the 11 who failed only one managed to put up more than 20 points and that was McMahon. He along with Wade and Cutler managed to have long careers after that first loss but it’s not entirely due to their singular feats.

McMahon was often injured during his Bears career. Much of his success was due in large part to playing with Walter Payton and a great defense. The same goes for Wade during his run in the early ’60s. Cutler had one good year in 2010 but was average the rest of the time, finishing 51-51 as a starter in Chicago.

As for the winners? Luckman and Blanda are Hall of Famers. Grossman and Orton weren’t anything special but they are still fondly remembered today. If for no other reason than they passed the test. Okay to be fair Grossman went to a Super Bowl and Orton had two winning seasons in Chicago before being traded for Cutler.

So what’s the point of this?

Mike Glennon Packers test will likely determine if Trubisky sits or starts

Everybody knows Glennon is on a short leash. Fans have called for rookie Mitch Trubisky for weeks now. The last thing the veteran can afford is another rough performance. Especially against the Packers. Rest assured the coaches, front office and ownership know how much more important these games are than the rest. Wins over Green Bay matter, both for the team and players.

Don’t believe it? The last two championships the Bears have won involved season sweeps of the Packers. In 2006 during their Super Bowl run they lost to them in the season finale. Coincidence? The point being that players who are instantly hued with a losing aura against this team tend not to last long. Meaning there’s a strong chance if Glennon plays poorly and the Bears lose that Trubisky will get his first start the next week.

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