Friday, November 13, 2026
EDGE is live. Chicago fans can now access and explore the beta.
Home Blog Page 3171

Dunning Closes First White Sox Minor-League Season With Sensational Performance

By
Matt Enuco
-
Dunning closed the season with a 2.94 earned run average.
Dane Dunning and Alec Hansen are new additions to the White Sox stable of top-100 prospects. (Photo credit: Baseball America)

While Dane Dunning was on the University of Florida baseball team his status as a first-round talent was overshadowed by several other heralded pitchers. When he was included in the Adam Eaton deal with the Nationals he was known as “the other guy.” But 2017 was Dunning’s season and he punctuated his arrival with a tremendous season.

Dunning’s final two starts capped an outstanding campaign at two class-A affiliates with 13 innings pitched, 19 strikeouts and only two walks. He closed the season with a 2.94 earned run average over 144 innings pitched. For his latest efforts Dunning was named to the MLB Pipeline Team of the Week for his performances.

After silencing South Atlantic League batters over four starts it was obvious that Dunning was ready for a promotion. While in Kannapolis he posted a 0.35 ERA and fanned 33 over 26 innings pitched. Even more impressive was his ability to keep the ball in the zone and avoid walks, only allowing a pair of free passes over 26 innings.

Yet, there were some growing pains at High-A, Winston-Salem. Dunning shared a few observations with Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago near the end of the season on the difference between A-ball and High-A.

“The farther you go up the more hitters are able to see pitches,” said Dunning. “Coming up here, there’s a couple more hitters in each lineup that can see the ball better. …you add a couple more [batters] where you’ve got to bear down on each person.”

Midseason promotions can be tricky sometimes and players respond differently to roster shifts. Dunning’s ability to observe and adjust is a valuable asset he has honed his first full season of professional baseball.

Dunning spent the majority of the season in Winston-Salem where he finished with a 3.51 ERA, 135 strikeouts and only 36 walks spread over 118 innings. He posted an astounding 4.42 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2017 and ranked fourth among Carolina League pitchers in strikeouts. This is all very impressive considering Dunning lacks the stifling repertoire most strikeout-pitchers flash and underscores his maturity as a pitcher.

He fought through a tough stretch in July that followed him into August but Dunning recovered well and closed the season with two emphatic outings. After a frightful start on Aug. 23 where he lasted three innings and allowed six earned runs, Dunning recovered with two quality starts and 19 strikeouts.

Putting an exclamation point on the season was precisely the way Dunning wanted to punctuate his debut in the White Sox farm system.

“I feel extremely good,” said Dunning. “The last couple of outings my velo has been up and I feel like I’ve been throwing the ball well.”

Dunning appears poised to leap to Double-A in 2018 but there is one concern White Sox brass will monitor closely. The right-hander threw a total of 33 2/3 innings in his debut in the Washington Nationals organization in 2016 after posting 78 2/3 innings with Florida. He dusted his combined total of 112 1/3 in 2016 with 144 innings this season.

Escalated innings from year to year is always supervised by coaching staffs, but too much too soon can wreak havoc on tender shoulder joints.

Chicago Bears Ticket Sales for Opener Produce Big Shock

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears
Chicago Bears fan Dave Hanson of Cary, Illinois screams for joy as he holds up his tickets to the Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers NFC Championship game at Soldier Field in Chicago on January 23, 2011. UPI/Brian Kersey

The Chicago Bears ticket sales in years past were more of a formality for the franchise. They knew one thing. Fans travelled better than almost any in the NFL and Soldier Field would always be sold out. It seems though that ownership may have taken that good fortune for granted, focused on making money rather than producing a winner.

Perception is reality in the NFL and fans appear to have finally reached their breaking point with this team. After three awful years featuring some of the worst losses seen in decades, ticket sales sagged towards the end of last season. No doubt this probably didn’t make people happy at Halas Hall. Don’t worry though, it’s probably just a temporary thing right?

Not according to recent surveys. Turns out there are plenty of seats still available for opening day against the Falcons.

 

Chicago Bears ticket sales impacted by several factors

So what in the world is happening? Well it’s a number of things that are in play. As stated above the long stretch of losing is part of it. There is also the fact the team raised ticket prices yet again despite coming off their worst season in 47 years. No doubt a lot of people aren’t willing to spend their hard-earned money on overpriced tickets to watch a loser.

Then there’s the overall failure of their hype machine. The Bears had all the excitement they needed to produce sales going into this opening game. His name is Mitch Trubisky. The #2 overall pick is the first quarterback drafted by Chicago in the top five in 35 years. He performed like a potential star in the preseason. Fans were ready to come out and watch the future of his franchise play.

So what did they do? They sat him on the bench in favor of Mike Glennon. Surprise, surprise that a lot of people refuse to spend money to watch a former backup play. In many ways it feels like more of the same. The team passing off an unworthy QB as better than they think while they stubbornly refuse to embrace the long-term.

Thus here we are.

John Fox Openly Admits The Wide Receiver Position Sucks

By
Erik Lambert
-
john fox wide receiver

Think the title sounds a little over the top? Okay maybe but it doesn’t take away from the point. A John Fox wide receiver comment was inevitable at some point. It’s just that nobody would expect the 62-year old, who is known for his generic answers, would offer even a sliver of real feelings into his words on anything that might be considered a weakness for his team.

Then again Fox isn’t blind and knows that fans aren’t either. In a space of six months the Bears wide receiver position has been gutted. Part of it was the loss of Alshon Jeffery to free agency. Not entirely their fault considering there were strong hints the 26-year old wanted to leave. Then things got worse when Cameron Meredith saw his season go down the drain to a torn ACL and MCL.

With Kevin White, who has four total career starts, and Kendall Wright who was rejected by his first team are the starters then the Bears have a problem. Fox just couldn’t hold back on a bit of honesty.

John Fox wide receiver comments, like it or not, are true

Some people may not want to hear it but what Fox says is impossible to ignore. Not only because he’s an accomplished head coach who knows what he’s talking about but also because it’s a fact. Only the most optimistic people can believe NFL defenses will have any sort of fears playing against this receiving corps.

Part of his trepidation also stems from the fact that Mike Glennon is quarterback. Through the preseason it became clear that the 28-year old is a good leader who can manage the game. At the same time he’s hardly the most pure passer in the world. He frequently struggled with accuracy and ball placement. That’s a gigantic problem if the receivers aren’t able to get open consistently.

Knowing all this it’s easy to understand why the Bears are still hesitant to promote Mitch Trubisky. Aside from the experience issue, no team wants to debut their possible franchise quarterback on an offense that doesn’t have any weapons on the outside. Better to let Glennon manage things as best he can until that changes. Or until somebody steps up.

Either way it’s clear what the agenda will be moving forward for GM Ryan Pace. Exhaust any and all avenues to find wide receiver help for this team. Maybe that involves a daring trade before this year is over. Maybe it’s an aggressive approach in free agency and the draft next year.

Jake Arrieta Exits Today’s Game With Painful Leg Injury

By
Sean Sears
-

The Cubs were seeing a resurgence in Jake Arrieta, coming off a Pitcher of the Month Award for August, the 31-year-old Arrieta was priming himself nicely for a promising offseason contract. However, that may have all been placed on hold as Arrieta may have just suffered a terrible leg injury.

That does not look good, and the test pitch went even worse.

Man, this is tough to watch. And after Arrieta had been putting together an excellent 2nd half with a 1.59 ERA since the All-Star Break. There is no word on how serious the injury is, but people are already speculating that today could’ve been Arrieta’s last start as a Cub.

Now, it is clearly far too early to assume that is the case, however with only a few more weeks of baseball before the playoffs start, the Cubs losing Arrieta for any extended period of time is terrible news. If Jake Arrieta does end up missing some time, expect Mike Montgomery to stick around in the rotation and for the Cubs to possibly add another start to the mix – Eddie Butler, if healthy, or Jeng-Ho Tseng are players to watch. As of right now, things look hopeful.

But if it is really the end of the road for Jake as a Chicago Cub, it’s been one hell of a ride. Hate for it to end this way, but Chicago will always have love for Jake the Snake.

Two Big Reasons The Bears Will Beat Atlanta In Opener

By
Erik Lambert
-
bears beat the atlanta falcons
Credit: USA Today

If one were to play roster against roster, it’s hard to how the Chicago Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons on September 10th at Soldier Field. The Bear still just have too many question marks with their roster. Not the least of which is their fluid quarterback position with former backup Mike Glennon getting the nod to start. Atlanta has Matt Ryan who’s coming off an MVP season.

Not only that but the Falcons are reigning NFC champions. They went 12-4 last year, often dominating their opponent.s The Bears just don’t have a chance. Problem is that logic gets you killed in the NFL. There’s a reason “What a difference a year makes” is such a popular saying among football fans. It’s because things change fast.

Have they changed enough though for the Bears to have a chance on Sunday? That’s difficult to tell at this point. The Falcons lost star offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco. There’s no telling how that could impact their high octane offense. However, there are other reasons to think Chicago should not be summarily dismissed.

Bears beat the Atlanta Falcons idea starts with the Super Bowl hangover

Make no mistake. The Super Bowl hangover is real. No team since the dawn of this millennium has ever lost the big game and come back to win it the next year. Not only that, but history shows that it’s even difficult to win the first game of the next season. Since 2000, teams that lost the Super Bowl the previous year were a combined 5-11 in their opening day games the next season.

  • 2016 Panthers – L
  • 2015 Seahawks – L
  • 2014 Broncos – W
  • 2013 49ers – W
  • 2012 Patriots – W
  • 2011 Steelers – L
  • 2010 Colts – L
  • 2009 Cardinals – L
  • 2008 Patriots – W
  • 2007 Bears – L
  • 2006 Seahawks – W
  • 2005 Eagles – L
  • 2004 Panthers – L
  • 2003 Raiders – L
  • 2002 Rams – L
  • 2001 Giants – L

The Bears know this reality well having experienced it first hand. It might’ve been even worse if not for the Patriots skewing it. Nevertheless the point stands. Forget getting back to the Super Bowl itself. Atlanta may have a harder time than they realize getting out of Chicago with a W. The second reason feeds into that last part.

The Falcons really don’t like Chicago of late

There is also another fact playing in the Bears’ favor. That involves location, location, location. Since 1983 the Falcons have played eight games at Soldier Field. To date the Bears have won seven of those games including the past six-straight. Not only that but Atlanta has failed to score more than one touchdown in the past three meeting.

It’s also worth noting that Glennon has a history with the Falcons. He was a backup for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers up until last season. He also started two games against them in 2013, going 1-1 in those games. His stat line was a respectable 46-of-67 for 487 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He didn’t have the respectable ground game and defense as a supporting cast as he did as a rookie.

If nothing else this provides plenty of encouragement that the Bears have every chance to get off on the right foot this year.

Joe Maddon and Chris Bosio ‘Clap Back’ After Brett Anderson’s Twitter Outburst

By
Sean Sears
-
joe maddon

Late Sunday night former Chicago Cub and current Toronto Blue Jay Brett Anderson went off on the Cubs a bit last night on Twitter. Anderson clearly took some issue with how the Cubs handled him this season, tweeting one sarcastic remark after another. However, despite the ruckus it caused on the internet last night, both Joe Maddon and Chris Bosio seems surprised by Anderson’s comments.

The Cubs may have been playing dumb here, but regardless, this twitter rant from Anderson seemed somewhat out of nowhere. But, both Maddon and Bosio had a few comments on the situation.

Both guys hoped for the best with Anderson, and while he may have felt the club treated him poorly or made him be something he wasn’t, one thing he was not this year was good. Anderson finished his Cubs career with an 8.18 ERA in just six starts – he was awful and like Maddon said, that’s on him.

So, enjoy your great three games in Toronto, Chicago wishes you the best, but don’t let the door fit you on the way out, Brett.

Bears Practice Squad May Feature a Rare Number of Future Studs

By
Erik Lambert
-
bears practice squad

Yes, yes it’s perfectly clear that the title of this piece seems to show a naked fan bias. Maybe a part of that is true, but honest it’s not the majority. The Chicago Bears practice squad is no different from others. It’s a tool used by the team to retain young players who might serve a purpose during the season. Most often that purpose is to occupy roster spots of other players who are injured and maybe contribute on special teams.

For most practice squad players, that’s about it. However, once in awhile a team is able to elevate someone from there and that player becomes more. Much more. Keep in mind that guys like James Harrison, Arian Foster and Jason Peters were on a practice squad early in their careers. So it’s not crazy to think the Bears might have somebody good on their hands. It’s just nobody has realized it yet.

The crazy part about 2017 though is the Bears maybe, just maybe have not one but two quality talents stashed away on the squad.

Bears practice squad “gamble” seems to have paid off

A lot of fans were apoplectic when news dropped that the Bears had waived wide receiver Tanner Gentry and outside linebacker Isaiah Irving. This was due to a number of factors. First was the overall status of both position groups. Cameron Meredith going down with a knee injury threatens to expose a lack of depth at receiver. Lamarr Houston injured his knee as well while Pernell McPhee has yet to practice after knee surgery himself at outside linebacker.

Keeping those two preseason standouts would’ve made all the sense in the world. Gentry, an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming, lit up training camp and had a couple big plays including a 45-yard TD against the Titans.

There was a genuine fear he’d be claimed via waivers if the Bears let him walk. The same goes for outside linebacker Isaiah Irving. The converted defensive end from San Jose State really came out of nowhere. He was a non-factor in the first two preseason games before exploding for three sacks in the final two. Most people never game him a second though leading up the draft. However, the scouts at Draft Analyst saw something more.

“Smallish college defensive end who projects as a designated pass rusher at the next level. Breaks down well, plays with proper pad level and shows fluidity moving in every direction of the field. Fires off the snap with an explosive first step, displays speed off the edge and possesses good change of direction. Fights with his hands, moves laterally with speed pursuing the play and gives effort.”

All of those traits have been on display thus far. His primary issue is strength. It’s clear he needs to get stronger. That will take time. Nonetheless pass rushers are hard to come by so seeing the Bears release him was hard. Still, it’s hard to argue with their decision. Both he and Gentry are safely on the squad.

This allows the Bears to continue grooming them. Don’t be surprised if both find their way onto the main roster before the year is over.

Brett Anderson Takes A Jab At Cubs On Twitter

By
Aldo Soto
-
Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Brett Anderson has made two starts for the Toronto Blue Jays and he hasn’t been placed on the disabled list yet, but he has taken the time to publicly dish out a subtle jab at the Chicago Cubs.

If you don’t remember Brett Anderson’s time with the Cubs this season, then good for you because if you do then you just threw up thinking about him pitching. The Cubs signed the lefty in the offseason to a heavily incentivized contract that could have netted Anderson $10 million. The low-risk, high-reward proposition by the Cubs didn’t work out, as Anderson only made six starts before going to the disabled list in early May. He was later acquired by the Blue Jays after the Cubs DFA’d him.

On Aug. 29, Anderson made his debut for Toronto, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing one earned run on six hits against the Boston Red Sox. He made his second appearance for the Blue Jays on Sunday and was effective over six innings of work, giving up three runs in six innings. After his second start, Anderson tweeted the following, obviously feeling good about himself, while seemingly taking a shot at the Cubs, his previous team.

I’m not going to say every pitcher is the same because that’s obviously false, however the Cubs have a pretty good track record of tinkering with pitchers and making them better, or getting a lot more out of them than expected. You know, like, Jake Arrieta. Again, not every pitcher is the same, but let’s not pretend that Brett Anderson was an elite starting pitcher that came to the Cubs and was then destroyed by the coaches.

Before 2017, Anderson had some pretty good seasons, his best coming in 2010, when he had a 2.80 ERA in 19 starts for the Oakland A’s. See, the problem is, has been and will always be that Brett Anderson can never stay healthy. Check out the following list of DL stints by Anderson prior to signing with the Cubs.

  • April 27, 2010: 15-day DL with left elbow inflammation and forearm strain
  • June 4, 2010: 15-day DL
  • June 7, 2011: 15-day DL with left elbow soreness
  • July 31, 2011: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • March 13, 2013: 60-day DL
  • May 1, 2013: 15-day DL with sprained right ankle
  • June 14th, 2013: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • April 13, 2014: 15-day DL with fractured left index finger
  • April 25, 2014: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • August 6, 2014: 15-day DL with lower back strain
  • August 16, 2014: Transferred to 60-day DL
  • April 3, 2016: 60-day DL after back surgery
  • August 23, 2016: 15-day DL with left index finger blister

After six starts with the Cubs, Anderson went on the DL with a back issue and never pitched for them again. So, it’s great that Anderson got another opportunity with the Blue Jays and good for him for stringing together two good starts in a row, but be careful tweeting out blame, you might land on the disabled list again with a blister.

Hockey Player Takes A Firm Stance Against Native American Imagery Like That Of Blackhawks

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
-

Native American and Indigenous Canadian imagery has been under scrutiny in sports for years. Schools and teams from all levels have gone so far as to change their team names and mascots. The Chicago Blackhawks crest, and variations of it, are not exempt from this and are in the news again this week.

A seven year old Indigenous girl from Calgary has refused to wear the jersey for her local team, the Northwest Warriors, because it was “discriminatory.” Hockey Calgary has strict zoning restrictions which means the young girl will not play what would have been her first season of competitive hockey.

Alan Smith from the Calgary Herald wrote about the situation and recieved quotes from Bryan Boechler, president of the Crowchild association.

“The warrior is a revered figure in the First Nations heritage, so that’s the perspective we took in bringing our new name to the forefront,” said Boechler. He said the association consulted with Indigenous people when the logo was first introduced and that it honours what the Indigenous community means to Calgary, much like Crowchild Trail does. 

There are no current plans to get rid of the imagery but Boechler says that it is not out of the question.

“The reality is we’re a member organization, so should there be direction from our membership or concern that we’re somehow doing something negative … there’s no question. We would consider it,” he said.

The Chicago Blackhawks don’t receive national attention as much as the Washington Redskins. I believe this to be because of their donations to Native American communities and museums in the Chicagoland areas. I have personally reached out to a couple of the charities, which I will not name, to receive no response or comments on the matter.

Last offseason the Blackhawks acquired Jordin Tootoo who is of Inuk descent. I felt it would be interesting to obtain the opinion of an Indigenous Canadian, so I contacted Tootoo’s organization and kindly received a “no comment.”  It is obviously a polarizing subject and I respect their choice not to comment.

This is and will continue to be a topic of hot debate for years to come. The University of North Dakota which used imagery very Blackhawks-like has changed from the Fighting Sioux to the Fighting Hawks amid a lot of controversy. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds for the Blackhawks as it inevitably will.

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

PHOTO: Cubs Are Rockin’ Their Favorite Football Jerseys For The Team’s Next Road Trip

By
Gus
-
PHOTO: CSN Cubs Talk (Twitter)

With the 2017 college football season officially kicking off their season last night and Week 1 of the NFL season exactly one week away, the Cubs decided to get into the football spirit by donning their favorite football jerseys just in time for their flight to Pittsburgh where they’ll take on the Pirates in a four-game set starting Monday.

Per Kelly Crull of CSN, sources told her that Jason Heyward bought all the Cubs players their favorite jersey for what Cubs manager Joe Maddon called, the “jersey road trip.” Heyward gave fans a glimpse of his jersey of choice before today’s game against Atlanta when he posted this on his Instagram.

My pick for the NFL/NCAAFB jersey flight to Pittsburgh mañana

A post shared by Jason Heyward (@jheylove22) on

Even though they failed to extend their win streak to seven games today, the Cubs still rocked some pretty awesome football jerseys.

And the winner HAS to be…….

Laces out Dan!!!!!!! #finkleiseinhorneinhornisfinkle @miamidolphins @albertalmorajr

A post shared by Anthony Rizzo (@arizz_44) on

Great movie. Better jersey.

1...3,1703,1713,172...3,362Page 3,171 of 3,362

Subscribe to our Newsletter

✶ An Unfiltered Voice For Chicago Sports Fans ✶

Chicago Sports News

About Us

© Sports Mockery, Inc. 2026