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Cubs Twitter Page Destroys White Sox Insider Last Night

By
Gus
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You know the Crosstown Classic is about to begin when you start to see the level of trolling increase dramatically on social media between Cubs and Sox fans. Cubs fans trolling the Sox rebuild, Sox fans trolling the Cubs struggles this season which always turns into someone taking it personal and calling the other team’s fan base “a bunch of f*cking idiots.”

We’ve all done it.

As I get older in age, I’ve realized you can still troll rival fans in a subtle, yet effective way. With the Classic set to begin today, two verified accounts on both sides of the city got into a mini Twitter beef last night which resulted in some pretty funny commentary.

Representing the White Sox contingent was CSN insider, Dan Hayes. His opponent? The official account of the Chicago Cubs.

The battle started out harmlessly enough with Hayes tweeting out newly acquired (and former Cub) Eloy Jimenez’s monster night he had in the Sox farm system. However, instead of just delivering the stats, Hayes decided to playfully throw some shade at Cubs fans with his last sentence of his tweet.

Of course, the trade he’s referring to occurred two weeks ago when the White Sox dealt Jose Quintana to the Cubs in exchange for a handful of prospects, highlighted by Eloy Jimenez. As a Cubs fan, I saw the tweet – laughed – and tipped my cap to Hayes for the A+ troll job. I think everyone in the city can agree that each team got what they wanted out of the trade and it’s really hard to gauge right now who “won” the trade.

Hayes was trolling, I get it.

The Cubs Twitter account took the troll bait and responded.

A Cubs fan then stepped in between the two and asked Hayes how he became a reporter in spite of his stupid tweet (once again, Hayes was trolling) to which Hayes responded…..

The Cubs account fired back one last time, dropped the mic, and left the entire conversation all together.

Cubs Twitter page for the win.

The first of four games begins today at 1:20 on the North side and as always, it should be a fun week to be a baseball fan in Chicago.

 

Cardinals Fans Lose Their Shit After Willson Contreras’ Home Run Celebration

By
Gus
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PHOTO: BP WRIGLEYVILLE

One of the things that I’ve come to appreciate about the Cubs second-year catcher Willson Contreras is the energy he brings to the field day in and day out. He always seems to be in the middle of every single big play in every game and because he always finds himself on center stage, Contreras has developed a pretty sick arsenal of celebrations.

We’ve seen the traditional chest pound.

via GIPHY

A Dikembe Mutumbo style finger wave on a would be base stealer.

via GIPHY

And just an old fashioned scream job after a big play.

via GIPHY

As a fan of baseball, I’m OK with watching players like Contreras celebrate. It shows the passion they have for the game and I don’t think anything that Contreras does is a way to “show up” other teams. Hell, Joe Maddon encourages his players to have fun and no other player embodies that mindset more than the man better known as Willy.

While every Cubs fan loves watching Willy do his thing, other organizations and their fan bases hate the concept of playing baseball with emotion and just hate the idea of fun in general.

(I’m looking at you Cardinal fans)

After hitting a huge two-run home run tonight against the anti-lovers of fun St. Louis Cardinals, Contreras crossed home plate and appeared to kiss each of his biceps.

After that alleged celebration, St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Derrick Goold took to Twitter to do some investigating on why Willson Contreras would decide to give his biceps some love.

While I can’t say that I’ve agreed with everything Goold has written in the past, I genuinely think he was asking an honest question about the celebration. I don’t know this for a fact but I’m pretty sure Willy was kissing the compression sleeves that he wears on each of his arms that are decorated in his home country of Venezuela’s colors.

Even after a Cubs fan pointed that out to Goold, Goold himself called the celebration a “nice tribute” and boy did that piss off fans of the St. Louis Cardinals. Not only did Goold get destroyed for being a Cardinals beat writer who used logic to form an opinion that the celebration was harmless, Cardinal fans then shifted their anger to the 25-year-old Cubs catcher.

And my personal favorite comes from Elena a.k.a. Ol’ Skool G, and her great concern that Willson Contreras has become too cocky.

Well I’ll tell you this Elena (and every other Cardinals fan reading this): when your OPS is 1.127 post All-Star break and you’re carrying the hottest bat on a team that has made up a 5.5 game difference in the division in about ten days — you can pound your chest, kiss your biceps, hell you can do a back flip for all I care because you’re playing great baseball and having fun doing it.

Somewhere Mike Matheny’s head just exploded from the thought of having this much fun on a baseball diamond.

 

 

Jerrell Freeman Interrupts Camp Prep to Save Man’s Life

By
Erik Lambert
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jerrell freeman

Jerrell Freeman is a busy man this past week. He, like all of his teammates are in the final phase of preparation before Chicago Bears training camp is set to begin. Freeman no doubt goes in with a lot to prove after missing a month of 2016 due to PED violation. The man has a reputation to regain and it seems he’s getting a head start on doing so.

Freeman was at the Austin airport in Texas earlier today. As happens his flight was delayed so he was left to wait. It seems fate intervened because he soon noticed a fellow passenger named Marcus Ryan in distress. Turns out he was choking on some of the brisket he’d been eating for lunch. Snapping into action, Freeman came to his aide.

Ryan, a lawyer from Austin was extremely grateful. His mother-in-law even took to Instagram to thank Freeman profusely for his timely action.

“Thank you SSSOOOOO much for being there and saving the husband of my daughter, father of 3 of my darling little grandchildren, and all around best son-in-law! We are deeply indebted to you!”

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Freeman was so quick to respond. Observation and recognition are vital components to his job on the field as an inside linebacker. It’s why he’s had such a long, productive career. Maybe he has a future in medical treatment after he hangs up the cleats.

Either way Freeman will be expected to carry the load early this season. Danny Trevathan is likely to end up on the PUP list. That means Freeman will be playing wingman with second-year hopeful Nick Kwiatkoski. Hopefully this little incident will get some good karma going in his and the Bears’ direction.

Eloy Jimenez Continues To Rake For Winston-Salem Dash

By
Emmet McClain
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Eloy Jimenez, 20, is one of the latest to join the White Sox's loaded farm system.Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Now that the White Sox have sold off Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson, and Tommy Kahnle; they have really started to tank. After suffering their third sweep in a row (this time at hand to the Royals), the White Sox fell to 38-57. Good for worst record in the American League and third worst in all of baseball. Times like these are going to be pretty common for White Sox fans the next year and a half. That’s just the growing pains of the rebuild. The good news is that White Sox fans can always turn their attention to their loaded farm system, which has been dominating their competition as of late. One prospect who has been especially hot is newly acquired outfielder Eloy Jimenez.

The 20-year-old Jimenez was the centerpiece in the deal that saw Jose Quintana shipped off to the North Side of town. He is regarded as a top 10 prospect in baseball by both MLB.com, and Baseball America. Jimenez is often compared to former Cub Jorge Soler because of his raw power, but scouts across all levels seem to agree that Eloy’s hit tool is clearly above Soler’s.

Comparisons

So if not Jorge Soler, then who does Eloy Jimenez compare to most then? Well, some scouts have said that he can have potential upside to that of Giancarlo Stanton. Others see him as more of a Jermaine Dye type player. If Jimenez can turn into either of those two players, the White Sox and their fans would be ecstatic. And right now, he seems to be on his way.

Production

If some people thought that a trade would get to Jimenez mentally, think again. It’s funny actually, but when Eloy was traded, the Cubs and White Sox farms were actually playing against each other. All Jimenez had to do was walk across the field with his gear, suit up in a new uniform, and go out and play.

And play he has. Since joining the White Sox system, Jimenez has slashed .360/.448/.600 with a 1.048 OPS in 8 games and 25 at-bats. Earlier today, Eloy had his best game of the season, as he went 5-6 with 2 doubles, a home run, and 3 RBI.

There are 2 things that immediately stick out about this particular home run. The first being how quickly the ball took to get out of the park, the second being how effortless his swing looked. What is great about Eloy is that he knows he does not have to constantly attempt to mash home runs every plate appearance. He has more than enough raw strength to where if he can barrel the ball, it will always have a chance to go deep. This will help him keep his swing quick and short, which will hopefully result in lower strikeout numbers.

How Quickly Will He Move?

While Eloy might stay in High-A ball the rest of the year, it wouldn’t surprise me if he saw some time with Double-A Birmingham. His ETA for the Big Leagues is 2019. Here’s where it gets interesting though. While MLB.com has Eloy rated as the eighth best prospect overall, the seven players in front of him will reach the MLB either this year or next. Depending on how scouts evaluate the younger talent coming into the pipeline, we could eventually see Jimenez rank as high as top 3 in the entire MLB as soon as the middle of next year. Some scouts have already said that Eloy will end up being better than Yoan Moncada. Only time will tell if those people are correct. Right now though, just enjoy what Jimenez brings to the table as he continues to develop into a future core player for the South Side of Chicago.

Source Confirms The Cubs Have Talked To Rangers About Catcher Jonathan Lucroy

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs are looking to add a few missing pieces to their roster as the club continues to heat up, going 7-1 since the All-Star break. While everyone knows the Cubs are still hunting pitching, a veteran back-up catcher is still on their radar as well.

As soon as the Cubs released Miguel Montero, the Tiger’s Alex Avila quickly became linked to the Cubs due to the obvious fit. And while Avila is having an excellent season in Detroit, the two ball clubs have yet to agree on the actually details of the deal.

So it wasn’t too surprising when news broke last night that the Cubs, while also talking to the Rangers about Yu Darvish, have also discusses the possibility of adding veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

I originally saw a post from MLB Trade Rumors saying that the Cubs could possibly have an interest in the 31-year-old backstop. And after firing off a few texts, I received confirmation that the Cubs were engaged in early discussion on Lucroy and the Rangers asking price.

The veteran catcher is having a down season, slashing a mediocre .244/.293/346 with 4 home runs and 26 RBI’s, but he has thrown out 13 out 29 runners this season. While some may wonder what makes Lucroy attractive to the Cubs, it could be his  career .340 OBP. Or that he is a  player who has experience playing in the NL Central and could be a big help in the Cubs attempt to take back the division from Lucroy’s former team, the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Lucroy news could just be a ploy by the Cubs front office to make Detroit re-think their asking price, or it could be that the Cubs really do like Lucroy. For what it’s worth, they were interested in him at one point last season.

While it is not entirely clear how serious the Cubs are in acquiring either Jonathan Lucroy or Alex Avila, Buster Olney believes the Cubs will add another veteran backstop to their roster, and the two are the best options on the market right now. Expect one of them to be playing in Chicago by sometime next week.

The Cubs Have Been Linked To Phillies Reliever Pat Neshek

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs are looking for a few more arms to sure up their bullpen for another deep playoff run. Yesterday we heard that the Cubs were likely to trade for Orioles closer Zach Britton, and today it’s Phillies reliever Pat Neshek.

No surprise that the other three teams are linked to Neshek, but this is the first time someone has directly linked the Cubs to the Phillies side-armer. The 36-year-old Neshek is having a fantastic season in Philly, with a 1.14 ERA while registering an elite 9.84 K/9 that earned him his second trip to the All-Star game, the veteran right-hander is having arguable the best season of career.

Neshek has an absolutely filthy delivery that allows him to hide the ball much longer than most pitchers, making it almost impossible to get a read on the pitch before it’s in the catchers mitt.

GOOD LORD! And that was Giancarlo Stanton whiffing hard against Neshek. The veteran reliever is a free agent after this season, so he would be likely just a rental, but adding Neshek to the bullpen along with Wade Davis and Carl Edwards would allow the Cubs to shorten games for the their starters in the playoffs.

And while the Cubs would likely prefer to add a lefty-reliever like Britton or the Royals Mike Minor, neither right handed or left handed hitters see Neshek well, with a .182 BA against RHH and a .212 for LHH.

The asking price for Neshek will depend on the market and how coveted he truly is. It was rumored the Neshek to the Red Sox was almost a done deal right around the All-Star game, but since then rumors have faded some. If the Cubs can make this deal without parting with Jeimer Candelario, I’ll count that as win for the Cubs, but we shall see.

Key Bears Training Camp Battle #4: Dion Sims vs. Adam Shaheen

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears training camp battle

Tight end was a massive weakness in 2016. That is why the next Chicago Bears training camp battle review centers on the position. After trading Martellus Bennett and losing Zach Miller to injury, it was clear GM Ryan Pace needed to overhaul at that position. He did just that over the past few months. First he signed veteran free agent Dion Sims from Miami, then drafted Adam Shaheen out of Ashland in the second round.

It is these two men who could form the bedrock of the position long-term. Zach Miller will be the likely starter, at least to start the 2017 season. He was productive last year prior to his injury (486 yards in 10 games) and knows the system well. That said he also turns 33-years old in October. Given his health concerns, people are anxious to see who his successor will be.

Chicago Bears training camp battle participant:  Dion Sims

Sims represents the exact sort of free agents that Pace loves to sign. He’s relatively young at 26-years old and is coming off the best season of his career to date. Though 256 yards with four touchdowns may not sound like much, it’s important to note he was only targeted 35 times. So it’s fair to wonder how productive he might be were he featured in an offense rather than playing a reserve role.

It looks like he’s begun to understand how to be a receiving threat, showing solid hands and ability to get himself extra space. At the same time he exhibits a willingness and edge for blocking. He’s not afraid to get physical. That was something the Bears hoped they had in Logan Paulsen, only to find out he was dreadful at both. Sims can be a significant upgrade in that same role.

Chicago Bears training camp battle participant:  Adam Shaheen

The real buzz of early practices though have center on the new rookie Shaheen. In limited snippets the 6’6″ kid from Division II looked like a man among boys on the field. His unique blend of size and speed coupled with strong hands appears to make him an instant mismatch for almost any defender he lines up against. An obvious primary reason he was drafted in the first place.

As with any Division II prospect, a bit of caution is needed. They may have dominated their competition in college, but the NFL is two or three level up. It remains to be seen if the rookie is ready that for that sort of challenge. He certainly doesn’t lack the physical skill. What it will come down to is whether he embraces the work that often separates the bad from the good.

As to who should be favored at this point? Naturally experience plays in favor of Sims. Having worked under Adam Gase in Miami last year, he might have an advantage in terms of understanding the Bears offense. At the same time he can’t match the physical upside Shaheen brings to the table. So it becomes a question of if and when things start to click mentally for the rookie.

Jordan Howard Expected To Settle an Old Score In 2017

By
Erik Lambert
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jordan howard 2017 expectations

The Jordan Howard 2017 expectations are considerably higher than they were in 2016. Of course it should be that way. Howard was a rookie fifth round draft pick at this time last year. Expectations would be almost as low as they could get. Fast forward to now and everything is different. The young man from Alabama is the unquestioned starter at running back and viewed as the focal point of the offense.

Those are the perks that come with making the Pro Bowl. That and finishing with the most rushing yards in a season of any rookie back in Bears history. An accomplishment that is quite impressive considering Howard got past Walter Payton, Gale Sayers and Matt Forte among others to do it. Of course the man himself didn’t come away all that impressed.

Howard was quick to point out the failures of the team to win despite his individual success. That and the fact he wasn’t the leading rusher in the league, something he stated was his goal this year. He has one man to thank for that, somebody he could be tied to for the rest of his career.

Jordan Howard 2017 expectations hinge on Ezekiel Elliott rivalry

The 2016 NFL season was a unique one. Not only did it feature the first ever Super Bowl overtime, it also saw another bit of history. It was the first time two rookies led the league in rushing. That included Howard and Dallas Cowboys standout Ezekiel Elliott. This accomplishment has created a sort of unspoken rivalry between the two.

Elliott claimed the first round with 1,631 yards to Howard’s 1,313. This success was aided by the fact Howard only got 12 carries through his first three games. Certainly a sticking point that has people anxious to see what he can do with a full season. Eliot Harrison of NFL.com personally believes he’s going to get a measure of payback.

“Chicago Bears: Jordan Howard rushes for more yards than Ezekiel Elliott

Howard had himself a year in 2016 — though it didn’t look like he was going to, not early on. The fifth-round pick out of Indiana had recorded just 12 carries heading into October. Who could’ve guessed he’d finish the season with 1,313 yards? Howard produced those numbers despite moderate shuffling on the offensive line and major rejiggering at quarterback.

What can he do with a full training camp as the starter and continuity on offense? John Fox wants to Run. The. Football. Losing receiver Alshon Jeffery in free agency practically demands the Bears coach embrace that strategy. Couple that with Elliott missing two starting offensive linemen in Dallas from a year ago, and Howard might be running away with a rushing title.”

Expect this Bears to be fed

Howard is determined to win the rushing title this year. He stated it quite clearly as one of his goals. After his first one which was to make the Chicago Bears winners again. Proof positive his focus is on doing whatever he has to for the team, not himself. Just one of the reasons why he is fast becoming a favorite among the fans.

With two new quarterbacks in place it’s likely the Bears will want to keep the offense balanced. That means consistent, heavy doses of Howard each week. If the offensive line stays healthy with that star-studded interior, he has a chance to do something much bigger in Year Two. Presuming he doesn’t get hurt as well.

Experts Unanimous About Who Chicago Bears Breakout Star Will Be

By
Erik Lambert
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Right now the search for another Chicago Bears breakout star is ongoing. At present only Jordan Howard fits that profile, at least on offense. If this team is going to make it happen with their new quarterbacks, they need somebody else to step up. Will it happen? Well upon scouring the NFL community, the same name keeps coming up.

That being emerging wide receiver Cameron Meredith. He’s become quite the story over the past two years. A former quarterback at Illinois State, he switched to wide receiver midway through college. Intrigued by his mix of size and athleticism, the Bears signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2015. From there he battled his way onto the roster.

Then in 2016 he took another step. With Kevin White injured, Meredith became the #2 guy opposite Alshon Jeffery. Over the course of the year he showed massive improvement and finished with a team-high 888 yards. Could the third year be his true coming out party?

Chicago Bears breakout star role reserved for Meredith?

His name got a big mention on the NFL Network during their “Good Morning Football” segment. It’s explained just how good the receiver was down the stretch last year and how he’s poised to take that next step to become THE guy for Mike Glennon or Mitch Trubisky.

What’s fascinating about that list is the other receivers involved. They’re all big names, sure. However, most of them are attached to big quarterbacks. Jordan Nelson had Aaron Rodgers. Julian Edelman had Tom Brady. Andrew Luck, Eli Manning, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Drew Brees. It’s no coincidence those receivers were so good down the stretch.

Bucking the trend

Only Meredith was the anomaly. He made that list despite catching those passes from Matt Barkley. Remember him? The guy who started last season as the third-stringer? This only reinforces the belief that Meredith is poised for bigger things in 2017.

It’s not just the main experts who believe in him either. Yahoo Sports fantasy gurus are urging people to buy in on him for their leagues.

“It’s silly to believe rusted-out Volvo Victor Cruz, Kendall Wright or perpetual disappointment Kevin White leapfrog Meredith. He will be Mike Glennon’s, or Mitch Trubisky’s, main man. Similar to another former QB, Terrelle Pryor, he is just now coming into his own as a WR. Keep in mind, Alshon Jeffery’s 22.5 percent targets share (7.8 per game in ’16) is up for grabs. Odds are strong he attracts 22-25 of the team’s looks. Throw in the fact the Bears will chase many deficits and the math says it’s conceivable he finishes with 70-plus receptions, 1,000-1,200 yards and 5-7 TDs.”

If this comes to pass, conversations will begin to start about Meredith being one of the best hidden gems the Bears have discovered since the dawn of the millennium. If some of their other high profile picks start to elevate along with him? This team will be in business.

Jon Lester Pays Tribute To Late Uncle During Saturday’s Game

By
Sean Sears
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Jon Lester pitched an emotional game in Saturday’s 3-2 win over the Cardinals, and while it may have just seemed like business as usual for the fiery Lester, today’s game held a deeper meaning.

News broke after the late come-back win that Lester’s uncle passed away yesterday, so the Cubs ace decided to pay tribute to the late Notre Dame grad by writing PLACT, short for the infamous Fighting Irish motto, ‘Play Like A Champion Today’.

Lester was more or less, wearing his literal heart on his sleeve during today’s game that saw him carry a no-hitter into the 5th inning. And while Lester gave up two runs in the 8th inning, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo made sure to salvage a win for the club.

Afterwards, Lester shared his thoughts on the emotional outing, you can see the rest of the press conference here.

“My family — I lost my uncle yesterday,” Lester said. “For the Notre Dame fans, he went to Notre Dame, so it’s Play Like a Champion Today. Just to let him know that I was thinking of him.”

Lester had kept the tragic family loss to himself, as even Kris Bryant and is teammates were taken back by the news. Regardless, Lester tossed a gem, eight innings of two run baseball including 10 strike outs while not issuing a single walk. The Cubs 33-year-old ace made his late Uncle proud today, playing like the Champion he is.

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