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Here’s Why Joe Maddon Has Finally Moved Kyle Schwarber From The Leadoff Spot…For Now

By
Gus
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PHOTO: Chicago Tribune

It’s no secret that the Cubs leadoff hitter Kyle Schwarber has been struggling through the first 41 games of the season. He’s currently slashing .182/.305./.351 which isn’t exactly what Cubs fans envisioned when Joe Maddon made the announcement he’d bat Schwarber at leadoff in late February.

His struggles have turned into quite the polarizing issue with Cubs fans everywhere. I wrote an article earlier this week presenting both sides of the argument for moving Schwarber from the leadoff spot and got into some interesting dialogue with Cubs fans on social media.

Fuel has been added to that fire this morning when Maddon released his lineup for the Cubs game today against Milwaukee (which was eventually postponed.) There was one glaring issue with the Cubs lineup that would have taken the field today — Schwarber was not hitting leadoff. It would have been only the second time all season Schwarber didn’t bat leadoff in a game he started (5/10 @ Colorado).

I found this very surprising because less than a week ago, Maddon was very adamant about sticking with Schwarber as the team’s leadoff hitter.

“He’s not doing anything wrong.”

He also reiterated at that point there was no panic and implied Schwarber was simply missing some pitches that he’d usually destroy (or as Maddon said, “he’s just a click under the baseball.)

So why the sudden change of heart and the demotion in the lineup?

Maddon explained his rationale earlier today.

The Rise Of Ian Happ

Moving Schwarber from the leadoff spot doesn’t happen without the quick rise of Ian Happ. The 22-year-old has exceeded expectations since his call up on May 13th and has appeared to find a permanent home in Chicago. Happ hitting the cover off the ball through six games has also allowed Maddon a little more flexibility with his lineup.

Happ has hit opposing pitching extremely well which has led to a slash line of .333/.462/.714. In addition to his offensive production, Happ is extremely versatile in the field which fans have already witnessed when they’ve watched him play every outfield position so far. Mind you, we haven’t even seen him play his “usual” position at second base.

Happ’s success has led Maddon to move Schwarber to the two-spot and putting veteran switch hitter, Ben Zobrist, as the new leadoff man. It’s no secret Maddon loves using Zobrist in the four-hole to “protect” Anthony Rizzo and it was a strategy that worked beautifully (remember Game 7 of the World Series?).

Maddon explained further.

“Happ being here pretty much permits me to thinking that way and the fact that he’s done so well. Cause I was always concerned about Zo leaving that spot…”

Maddon went on to say that without Happ, he wouldn’t have moved Zobrist into the leadoff spot. He’s always been a huge believer in protecting Rizzo in the lineup so whoever filled that role, had to be able to handle the bat.

And Happ appears to be that guy now.

Maddon even called Happ “the new Zo” referencing Happ’s role of protecting Rizzo in the lineup. It’s also important to note that Happ is one of two switch hitters (the other is Zorbrist) in the lineup which would present quite the issue for opposing pitchers.

How To Avoid The Pull Shift

Maddon also believes that if Zobrist (.348 OBP) can get on base in the leadoff spot that the issue of Schwarber hitting directly into the pull shift may be avoided. As I mentioned in my article earlier this week, Schwarber has constantly tattooed balls directly into the shift a ton this season and Maddon is hoping that maybe with a man on first, the defense would have to reconsider shifting on Schwarber.

“The other component I thought we’ve talked a lot about Kyle hitting a lot of balls into the shift. If in fact Zo could get on a little more often, it might move that second baseman out of that spot. I don’t know, it might.”

Once again, none of this happens without Happ allowing Zobrist to move from his usual four-hole to his new home as a leadoff.

Is This The End Of The Kyle Schwarber Experiment?

To recap: Maddon was pro-leadoff Schwarber earlier this week and then suddenly bumped him out of that spot in the span of five days. So is this move official or is it just another one of Maddon’s magical mental tactics to help boost Schwarber’s confidence when/if Happ gets sent down?

“It just depends,” Maddon said. “The biggest thing is just to get him untracked a little bit confidence-wise.

At this point of the season with the Cubs sitting a game over .500, I’ll trust Maddon’s judgement in how to handle an exceptional hitter who has run into a rough patch. What I do know is this — the Cubs depth and versatility at numerous positions will be a constant theme throughout the course of this season and I have no doubt that Maddon will find the right combination at every spot in the lineup.

Especially leadoff.

 

 

WATCH: Cubs And Brewers Bullpens Have Hilarious Dance Off During Rain Delay

By
Gus
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Yesterday’s rain delay at Wrigley Field turned out to be quite the event. Catcher Willson Contreras played catch with a young Cubs fan which was a great site to see and unbeknownst to almost everyone in the stadium, the Cubs and Brewers bullpens engaged in an epic dance off during the two hour delay.

The Cubs are in year one of using their newly renovated bullpens which historically have been in foul territory down both lines. Now, the bullpens have been moved underneath the right and left field bleachers to create a much quieter (and warmer) environment for the pitchers to warm up in.

Apparently the new bullpens are pretty good for dancing as well.

CJ Edwards and Pedro Strop were the representatives for the Cubs and two random Brewers pitchers were their competition. (I definitely didn’t want to waste any time trying to figure out what Brewer pitchers were dancing because that would have required a lot of work.)

Just a warning — the “dance off” is more of a “weird body movement” competition because I can’t really call what you’re about to watch dancing.

Check it out.

I think it’s clear that the Cubs win solely based on the fact CJ busted out the worm and one of the Brewers relievers dabbed.

Take the L Brewers.

BREAKING: Luis Robert Signs With The White Sox, Deal Expected To Be Over 25 Million, Per Ken Rosenthal

By
Emmet McClain
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No everyone, this is not a dream. The 19-year-old Cuban phenom is officially a member of the White Sox. Rick Hahn went out, identified his man, made it his number one priority, and did not disappoint. While the St. Louis Cardinals put up one hell of a fight, Robert and the White Sox were just too perfect of a match when it was all said and done. He will immediately become a top 3 prospect in the White Sox farm system, and potentially top 10 overall. So, now that he is officially a member of the White Sox, what next?

Straight To The Minors

Luis Robert will be sent to the White Sox farm system as soon as possible. He should begin in High A ball, but it should not surprise anyone if he ends up in Double-A by the end of the year given his incredible tool set. It will be interesting to see how Robert adjusts to pitching overseas, but given his proven track history, it should not be too much of an issue.

Tool Breakdown

As many should know already, Luis Robert is a legitimate 5-tool player, boasting a mix of power and speed that many professionals could only dream of. How he stacks up against fellow cuban and now teammate Yoan Moncada should paint a solid picture.

Numbers never lie, so it is obvious why fans all around baseball have been keeping an eye on Robert for the past few months. The crazy thing is, Robert will gain even more power in his stroke as he gets older, but that should also figure in him losing half a step. No matter. Robert ran the 60 yard dash in 6.2 seconds, so even if he slows a bit, he should not see his speed tool drop lower than 65.

 Reunited And It Feels So Good!

Speaking of Yoan Moncada, there is no way that he did not play a factor in Robert’s decision to come to the South Side. After all, they played together a few years back in the Cuba U-18 team.

 Moving to a completely different country to play baseball at the highest level is probably a lot to handle for a 19-year-old kid. With Moncada already here, Robert knows he will have a friend on the team already. Add in Cuban veteran Jose Abreu, and Luis Robert should feel right at home when he gets called up to the White Sox.

So When Does He Get Called Up?!

Relax everyone, Robert will be on the South Side in due time. Like I said earlier, he should begin in High-A, but could very well see some time in Double-A this season. In 2018, we should see Robert start the year in Double-A, but should see about half of the year in Triple-A as well. If he plays well enough, he will more than likely get a September call up towards the end of the 2018 season. Then comes 2019. By then Robert should have seen enough professional pitching to compete for a spot on the White Sox roster. The front office could choose to keep him in Triple-A for a month or so just to be sure he is ready, but Robert should spend most of, if not all of 2019 on the White Sox at the ripe age of 21-years-old. That is the year that the White Sox should be ready to compete for a deep playoff run.

When it is all said and done, I see Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada being plugged into the no. 2 and 3 hole in the lineup, respectively. That gives the team a huge dosage of both power and speed at the top, and sluggers such as Jose Abreu, Zack Collins, and perhaps Seth Beer and/or Manny Machado manning the middle. In short, the White Sox offense has the chance to be one of the best in just a few short years.

Patience Is A Virtue

The rebuild is going to take another two years to come to full fruition, but the fans could not have asked for a better start. They have already completely revamped their farm system from just two trades and one signing, with more work to be done in the very near future. The White Sox have the no. 11 pick in this upcoming June’s draft, and a handful of assets to flip to other teams for more prospects. Add in the loaded free agency class after the 2018 MLB season, and the possibilities are endless. Today is a great day to be a fan of the White Sox.

The Cubs have their own dynamic duo in Bryzzo. The White Sox seem to have found their own in Robcada.

Ryan Pace Purposely Withheld His Trubisky Evaluations From Bears Staff

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

The Ryan Pace 2017 draft approach was, to put it mildly, unique. Three of the five picks he made came out of smaller programs including Adam Shaheen (Ashland), Tarik Cohen (North Carolina A&T) and Jordan Morgan (Kutztown). A daring approach in what many considered to be a critical draft. Of course it’s clear now that Pace had always planned this to be the time that he hopefully found Chicago their future franchise quarterback.

In hindsight, of course he’d think that. Jay Cutler had two years to show him something. It didn’t work. The Bears held the third overall pick in the draft. If ever there was a time to take a quarterback, this was it. From his perspective though, it wasn’t a question of whether to take one. It was who should he go after?

Ryan Pace 2017 draft plan involved deceiving from both inside and out

According to the Chicago Tribune, he had one name in mind very early in the process. However, Pace has established himself as a team player. So he did something a little unorthodox. Rather than inform his front office and coaching staff of his love for North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, he kept the details to himself.

Why? A good reason in fact.

“To be clear, the attraction to Trubisky as the potential savior to tug the franchise out of the quicksand of NFL mediocrity had started long before mid-March. For months, Pace had been convinced that Trubisky was the top quarterback in the draft. But for the longest time, he kept his evaluation to himself, not wanting to influence the assessments of his subordinates. Then, as the reports came trickling in — from area scout Chris Prescott, from national scout Ryan Kessenich, from college scouting director Mark Sadowski, from Lucas, from Loggains — the consensus energized Pace.”

Pace wanted to make sure that the people he trusted reached the same conclusion as him before making the decision. It would’ve been easy to use his managerial powers to override everybody. Instead he recognized that his eye for talent, while respectable, can’t be foolproof. If the majority of his colleagues favored say Deshaun Watson or Patrick Mahomes instead, likely it would’ve compelled him to reevaluate.

Instead every man he trusted most came away with the same exact conclusion. Trubisky was the guy. Thus Pace had the conviction put in his head from that point forward. No matter what, he’d make sure the young quarterback would be a Chicago Bear by the end of business hours on April 28th, 2017. It took some wheeling and dealing, but he got it done. Trubisky will wear navy blue and orange. Hopefully for the next decade and beyond.

Pace knows much of that depends on how he does in the months and years to come. How he’s able to build around the young passer. That was the major failure of his predecessors Jerry Angelo and Phil Emery. They didn’t build a good enough roster around Cutler. Have the Bears learned that lesson well? An answer will be found soon enough.

The 10 Most Shocking Chicago Bears Single-Game Performances Ever

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears single-game performances

#10:  Harlon Hill catches 4 TDs passes vs. 49ers (1954)

The greatest Chicago Bears single-game performances starts old school. For a couple years there was no wide receiver in football better than Harlon Hill. He was a small town boy with a world of athletic ability that showcased it as a rookie in 1954. Defenses hadn’t seen somebody like him before. He averaged a whopping 25 yards per catch that season. Their inability to stop was never clearer than on Halloween when he torched the San Francisco 49ers for 214 yards and four touchdowns. At the time he was just the sixth man in NFL history to accomplish that feat. Nobody would duplicate again for another nine years when a young tight end name Mike Ditka pulled it off.

Belief Growing This Will Be Mike Glennon’s Fate In Chicago

By
Erik Lambert
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mike glennon trade

Best get the Mike Glennon trade talk revved up early. Or that’s at least the line of thought that is gaining steam of late. The Chicago Bears have maintained their stance since free agency and have not deviated. Glennon is the starter going into 2017. They want somebody with experience under center. He’s the guy. Meanwhile they can focus on developing Mitch Trubisky on the side. This way they have two possibilities in terms of answering the QB question.

GM Ryan Pace has hinted this was always the strategy. To take a couple of good cracks at solving the most important position in professional team sports. It’s logical enough. Glennon gets his shot this year. If he knocks it out of the park? Problem solved. If he doesn’t, they can turn to Trubisky and give him a shot. It’s a plan, and that’s something.

Then again some in the mainstream media feel the plan has changed.

Mike Glennon trade buzz picked up the moment Trubisky arrived

Bill Barnwell of ESPN did his NFL offseason grades for 2017. Suffice to say he came away unimpressed with the Bears. Most of it stemming from their reckless spending at the quarterback position. He felt they overpaid Glennon and then compounded the useless purchase by going after Trubisky. Now he feels there is only one thing to do with the veteran QB.

“Glennon is not particularly useful to the Bears at this point because they basically have him signed to a one-year deal and have every intention of transitioning to Trubisky as their long-term quarterback in the near future. It’s tempting to try to hold out for a Sam Bradford-sized trade offer, but it’s rare for teams to lose their starting quarterback in training camp or the preseason and send a first-round pick to another team to acquire a quarterback.

It’s also more plausible that a team in that situation would look up Jay Cutler or Tony Romo before sending away a first-round pick to get a relative question mark like Glennon. The Bears would probably do well to get a mid-round pick for Glennon, and it would help if they restructured his contract to turn some of his $8 million salary into a roster bonus, which would make Glennon a cheaper (and more palatable) trade chit.”

Wait-and-see approach

This is something that was speculated on even a short time after Glennon was signed. He’d likely be a temporary starter and perhaps could make a valuable trade asset in 2018. By that point his contract would become far more affordable with most of the guaranteed money gone. That and he’d only be 29-years old. If lucky the Bears might even be able to recoup the third round pick they surrendered in the trade to move up for Trubisky.

At this point it’s difficult to predict what this team has planned. It’s clear enough that barring a Pro Bowl campaign by Glennon, it’s only a matter of time before Trubisky gets the nod. The trade deadline will fall around Halloween this year. By that point the picture should be clearer as to where the Bears are at. Perhaps Pace might try to make a move then.

WATCH: Willson Contreras Makes This Young Fan’s Day During Today’s Rain Delay

By
Gus
-

The Cubs and Brewers had to sit through about a two hour rain delay before they could finish their game at Wrigley Field today. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the outcome wasn’t very good. The Brewers defeated the Cubs 6-3 which snapped the Cubs three-game win streak.

All was not bad however.

Before play was set to resume from the rain delay, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras had a quick game of catch with a young Cubs fan who was crazy enough to brave the elements at Wrigley Field. If you sit through a two hour rain delay, 45 degree temperatures, and a game full of errors, at least you can leave the park saying you got to play catch with a future All-Star.

Waiting out the rain delay. So worth it. #ThatsCub

A post shared by cubs (@cubs) on

The Depths The Bears Went To In Hiding Trubisky Workout Are Legendary

By
Erik Lambert
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bears trubisky workout

The Bears Trubisky workout was considered little more than a mere myth during most of the predraft process. Nobody knew if the team had bothered to have any sort of private meeting with the young QB. They’d met with Patrick Mahomes and DeShone Kizer and were in full attendance for the Deshaun Watson pro day. It seemed like the comments by GM Ryan Pace were ringing true. He had no interest in college quarterbacks with limited experience.

It was something he harped on for weeks. Even going so far as to invoke the name of Drew Brees, a man who spent three years turning Purdue into a winning program. The argument had plenty of merit. That’s why it made for such a complete and convincing deception. As it turns out Pace and his staff were in on Trubisky much earlier than people realized.

Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune wrote an excellent in-depth article covering exactly how the Bears came to their final conclusion to draft him. While that in itself is a tremendous story, fans may love hearing just how far the GM was willing to go to keep it a secret.

Bears Trubisky workout cover-up involved another NFL team

Things started with fairly standard procedure. Rather than do the drills at the North Carolina football facilities, the Bears moved to an intramural field near the baseball stadium. The attention down there was minimal. However, it got dangerous for Pace during one surprising moment as the practice was in progress.

“So as Trubisky fired comeback darts to Tar Heels receiver Ryan Switzer and deep crosses to Bug Howard and up-the-seam touch passes to former tight end Jack Tabb, a women’s lacrosse practice was underway on the adjacent field.

On one of their most important mornings of the pre-draft process, the Bears were hiding in plain sight.

At one point, Pace approached the father of one of the lacrosse players who seemed to be sizing up the workout.

“Are you guys with the Dallas Cowboys?” the man asked.

Indeed, Pace told him.

And what about that silver-haired coach across the way? “Is that Paul Pasqualoni?”

No doubt, Pace agreed.

“I didn’t lie to the dude,” the Bears GM says. “I just went with what he thought.”

Well that is surprising, and also hilarious, and also brilliant. It’s another welcoming sign that Ryan Pace is a man who can think on his feet. He has an answer for any situation. He could’ve easily gotten flustered and told the father to leave. They were trying to have some privacy. Instead he just casually confirms a fictitious story the man had made up in his own head without missing a beat.

That’s good stuff. Thus his job is done without the need for raising any alarms. It’s also a window into how far the Bears would go to keep their secret. Not only did they move the workout to a nondescript field. They even masqueraded as representatives of an entirely different football team.

Can’t say it didn’t work. The Trubisky pick was easily the shocker of the draft. Now comes the fun part:  making it a success.

Anthony Rizzo’s Charity Event Had The Coolest Auction Item You’ll Ever See

By
Gus
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PHOTO: MLB.com

After beating up on the Reds 9-5 to finish off their three-game sweep, Anthony Rizzo and his Cubs teammates traveled to the West Loop to hold the fifth annual “Cook-Off for Cancer.” The cook-off is just one of many events that Rizzo holds throughout the year that has a focus on raising money for cancer research and provide support to children and their families battling the disease.

And boy did they do just that.

The event raised more than $1 million dollars by allowing the attendees to bid on one-of-a-kind items in a silent auction or by tipping their favorite Cubs player who were serving food from 18 different restaurants and pouring drinks throughout the night. Players in attendance included: Miguel Montero, Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, CJ Edwards, Albert Almora Jr., John Lackey, Kyle Hendricks, Ben Zobrist, Jon Jay, and Kyle Schwarber to name a few.

The silent auction was the highlight of the night and featured a plethora of items including: gear from the Cubs’ World Series run, championship champagne bottles and more autographed memorabilia than you can imagine. The best item, in my opinion, didn’t even from from anyone affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.

It’s unconfirmed how much the Babe Ruth ball went for but I can guarantee you it was out of my price range ($0-$20). Kyle Schwarber got in on the bidding as well. He is serious about breaking his hitting slump because he put a bid in on a 30-minute hitting session with Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo (which eventually sold for $16,000).

Rizzo finished off the night with a great thank you speech to which he showed his gratitude to all of those in attendance.

“It’s just amazing that with your guys’ support we’re making pledges like that. I couldn’t even imagine that five years ago. So thank you to all you guys.”

Here are a few pictures from the event.

Amazing night with this guy! 💗#rizzofoundation

A post shared by Kristina Lackey (@tinalack3) on

Rizzo now has donated roughly $4.5 million dollars to cancer research in the past two weeks which is absolutely outstanding. Well done, Rizz.

 

How Mitch Trubisky Finally Won Over The Bears Is Too Perfect

By
Erik Lambert
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bears draft mitch trubisky

Why did the Chicago Bears draft Mitch Trubisky? Well most believe the big reasons are obvious enough. He’s a really good football player, first and foremost. An athletic young man with a strong right arm, pocket poise and accurate passes. Those are some of the essentials that make great NFL quarterbacks. However, to take him with the #2 overall pick? After trading up no less? It had to take more than just that.

Personality, work ethic and leadership are critical as well. GM Ryan Pace understands that better than most. He had a front row seat to watch the likes of Tony Romo in college and later Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints. His job was to find any and all ways possible to discover if Trubisky was made of the same stuff.

So according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, he hatched a harmless little plan to find out. Oddly enough, it would have nothing to do with how Trubisky acted on the field or in the locker room.

The Bears draft Mitch Trubisky because of a dinner reservation?

Instead it would come through a simple request. He’d ask the young QB to make the reservations for their dinner meeting at Chapel Hill in North Carolina with a couple stipulations. Not only did Trubisky follow through on his end of the bargain without a hitch, he did so with a little dramatic flair. Something that still has many in the team brass smiling.

“As Pace does with all such get-to-know-you dinners, he asked Trubisky to pick the restaurant and make the reservation. It’s a minor request. But it often can be revealing of a player’s reliability.

Pace also ordered Trubisky to keep the meeting top secret, so as not to tip off anyone — not any Tar Heels coaches or teammates, not any other NFL execs or agents, not even a campus meter maid — to the Bears’ interest.

Trubisky took the directive and pieced things together.

Before Pace and his cohorts arrived on campus, the Bears GM had a text. Dinner at 7 p.m.

The venue: Bin 54, a top steakhouse in North Carolina’s Triangle region. And to keep the gathering covert, Trubisky made the reservation for six under an alias: James McMahon.

“I thought that was cool,” Pace says.

All of Trubisky’s visitors from Chicago appreciated that touch. They took it as evidence of all they had been told about the 22-year-old quarterback never taking himself too seriously yet always focusing on the details.”

Making the reservation without issue itself would’ve been fine. To invoke the name of the only quarterback in Bears history to win a Super Bowl? That’s a nice touch. It’s also indicative of a young man who takes the game seriously and knows his history. Remember that Trubisky is an Ohio native. He didn’t grow up a Bears fan. However, he’s stated on multiple occasions that Walter Payton was his favorite player thanks to books he read.

Invoking the name of McMahon

It’s almost a guarantee that Jim McMahon would’ve been mentioned a few times in those books. Not to mention in the numerous clips of those great Bears teams of the 1980s. The fact Trubisky also used the name of a man who was the last quarterback taken in the top five by Chicago completed the picture. It was a wink-wink, nudge-nudge sort of moment. An inside joke that was also a hint. Just really good stuff.

The Bears have always been an organization that prides itself on tradition. No team is more revered and remembered to this day than the 1985 group. McMahon was at their head, reshaping the vision the stoic NFL had at the time of what champions are supposed to look like. He helped make football fun again in Chicago. Through simple acts like this Pace became convinced that Trubisky can do the same.

So when given the chance, he didn’t hesitate. The Bears moved up, got their guy and are ready to build a bright future with him. If it all works out, that meeting at Bin 54 will become a treasured part of Chicago football lore.

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