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Red Sox Catcher Is Incapable Of Throwing The Ball Back To The Pitcher

By
Gus
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It looks like the Boston Red Sox have a real life version of Rube Baker.

For those of you who don’t know who Rube Baker is, let me explain.

Rube Baker is a fictional character from the hit movie, Major League II. Ok, ‘hit movie’ may be a bit of a stretch because it’ll never be as famous as the original Major League but the sequel was pretty damn good in and of itself.

Rube was a young catcher now under the watchful eye of new Indians assistant coach (and former catcher) Jake Taylor who was trying to help Rube become acclimated to the Major League game.

Part of becoming acclimated to the Major League was a simple task that Rube struggled mightily with throughout the movie — throwing the ball back to the pitcher.

Jake works with him and eventually figures out that Rube’s love of Playboy magazine and his ability to memorize the Playmates’ biographies was the key to help Rube “focus” and be able to throw the ball back to the pitcher.

And although Rube was a fictional character, it appears the Boston Red Sox have their own real life version of Rube Baker.

Most Intriguing Position Battles To Watch At White Sox Spring Training

By
Dan Fappiano
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White Sox

The 2017 Chicago White Sox will likely finish fourth in the AL Central. While they have the talent to beat the Twins, the Royals, Tigers and Indians should all finish above them. If/when the team moves Jose Quintana, David Robertson, Todd Frazier and others, perhaps they could sink to the bottom of the division.

Even though the team may not be playing for much in 2017, it doesn’t mean that players won’t have to earn their roles in Spring Training. Many positions are up for grabs going into the Spring, how each player performs will determine who earns them.

Most battles will contain a veteran and a young player. With the team in the middle of rebuild, they likely want to see how their young stars perform. However if a veteran comes to camp and proves he still has some gas left in the tank, he could earn the starting role.

The 2017 White Sox season should be focused on acquiring and developing top prospects. Some of those prospects may get their chance to prove themselves right out of the gate. But to get that shot, they’re going to have to earn it in Spring Training.

Insider Drops Huge Hint About A Potential Chicago Bears Trade

By
Erik Lambert
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kyle fuller
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 20: Kyle Fuller #23 of the Chicago Bears enters the field during team introductions before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Soldier Field on September 20, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.The Arizona Cardinals won 48-23. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)

Free agency and the draft are always the primary focus during the spring months in the NFL. The Chicago Bears are expected to be major players in both areas this season. They have the #3 overall pick in the draft and well over $50 million in salary cap space. Odds are the roster will undergo some significant upgrades before September arrives.

What many are wondering is the unpredictable third element of player acquisition: the trade market. Thus far GM Ryan Pace has made at least one or two deals during this period. He dealt Brandon Marshall to the Jets in 2015, then Jon Bostic and Martellus Bennett to the Patriots this past year. It’s quite possible he might have another move in mind.

Of course the talk has centered around New England backup Jimmy Garoppolo and the possibility of him becoming the next Bears quarterback. However, there might be another potential move to look out for. One that stays in the parameters of Pace unloading a player for more draft picks.

MLB Writer Believes All Cubs Fans Are Stupid

By
Gus
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If it was possible, I could read and write about baseball all day. I love reading the thoughts and ideas of some of baseball’s most prominent writers to try and learn from their expertise from being in the industry for decades on end. There are very few writers that I read that really puzzle me because the guys in the industry that I really respect: Jesse Rogers, Gordon Wittenmyer, and Mark Gonzalez usually write about things that I’d agree with 99% of the time.

On the other hand however, there’s Phil Rogers.

I’m sure Phil is an outstanding citizen of this country and to be honest, he has a lot more credibility from being involved with the MLB since 1984.

However, I’ve already ripped apart one of his earlier columns this month and just yesterday he wrote an article telling Cubs fans how we should “handle success” and to be honest with you, after I finished reading it, my head almost exploded.

I’m happy to report that my head did NOT explode but I was still perplexed this morning when I woke up so of course I felt obligated to respond to Phil yet again.

Three ‘Geniuses’ On Jeopardy Don’t Know MVP Kris Bryant

By
Matt Eastman
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All the book smarts in the world can’t help these clowns save face on this one!

“This young Cubs third baseman capped off a 2016 MVP season with 2 World Series home runs.”

“Zobrist”, um….no. Followed by crickets.

Hell Must Have Frozen Over Because Jon Lester Has Successfully Thrown To First Base

By
Gus
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I feel like I’m entering the 7th circle of hell because I just witnessed something I never thought I’d see:

Jon Lester throwing the ball to first base.

Lester’s struggles to throw the ball to first base have been well documented throughout his career and have been analyzed just about as much as one can analyze a grown man not being able to make a simple throw.

However, Lester appears to have taken a page out of Jason Heyward’s  “Let Me Fix This Shit” playbook and has been working on throwing to first base during the early days of Spring Training.

Chicago Bears Get More Exciting News In Their Quarterback Hunt

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

One of the primary problems for the Chicago Bears in their long history of quarterback searching has been competition. In truth it’s the same for any position. Several other NFL teams are also on the lookout for the best possible talent at QB. More often than not it has felt like the Bears are always the team late to the party.

They’ve never been that first team to get a quarterback in the draft. The last time that happened was 1951. Since then their options were at the very most the second choice and more often than not the third, fourth or fifth. In other words they were playing against long odds that they’d get the absolute best signal caller available.

This is part of why they’ve chosen to rely on free agents and pricey trade acquisitions instead. They aren’t interested in playing the draft lottery that is quarterback hunting because it’s come up bust too many times. However, the reasons are lining up in 2016 to believe it might be different. Recent news strengthens that more than ever.

Constructing The Perfect David Robertson Trade Between White Sox and Nationals

By
Dan Fappiano
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Shawn Kelley, Blake Treinen and Koda Glover. Those three players are currently the Washington Nationals best options at closer for the 2017 season.

Kelley has been in the MLB for the past eight seasons appearing in 356 games and 342.1 innings. He holds a 3.50 ERA with a 403/108 K/BB ratio. Kelley has registered 11 career saves.

Treinen has played in 148 games and 185.1 innings in his three years at the MLB level. He holds a career 2.91 ERA and a 158/76 K/BB ratio. Treinen has one career save.

Glover appeared in 19 major league games and 19.2 innings in 2016. He pitched to a 5.03 ERA and a 16/7 K/BB ratio. In 59 minor league games and 86 innings, Glover pitched to a 2.09 ERA with a 104/16 K/BB ratio. He holds 13 career saves, all at the minor league level.

The Washington Nationals are one of the favorites to win the National League in 2017. They have a dominant offense featuring Daniel Murphy, Adam Eaton, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and others. Coupled with a pitching rotation that contains Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Tanner Roark, the Nationals could realistically compete with the Cubs for the NL pennant.

However even with a dominant rotation/lineup, the Nats cannot succeed with a lights-out closer. Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman proved how important elite relief pitching was during the Indians and Cubs playoffs runs.

If the Nats aren’t able to have atleast one dominant relief pitcher, they will struggle come playoff time. It’s much easier for Dusty Baker to send out a proven closer who knows how to handle the ninth, rather than the aforementioned three.

Without that proven closer on the roster, the Nationals will either need to add one through free agency or the trade market.

In terms of free agency, only Joe Blanton and potentially Luke Hochevar stand as potential additions for the club. But Blanton only has two career saves with Hochevar holding three.

At this stage of the game there isn’t much available in terms of relief pitching on the free agent market. It appears as if the Nationals best shot at landing a lights-out closer is via trade. If the Nationals do choose to go that route, White Sox closer David Robertson is likely their best option.

Robertson has been in the MLB for the past nine seasons appearing in 524 games and 519 innings. He holds a career 2.97 ERA with a 685/211 K/BB ratio. Robertson has converted 118 career saves including atleast 34 the past three seasons.

The White Sox closer is also on a team-friendly contract earning $25 million over the next two seasons. The Nationals were bidders for all three of Mark Melancon, Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman. Landing Robertson gives Washington the lights-out closer they desire at a much lesser price.

Chicago and Washington have had trade talks for Robertson throughout the offseason. At one point USA Today’s Bob Nightengale even reported that a deal was close. But even with both teams interested in getting a deal done, Robertson remains on the White Sox.

There’s a good chance more teams are interested in Robertson. He’s a talented closer on a cheap contract. However the Nationals have looked like the favorites for most of the offseason and will realistically remain the favorites until a deal is made.

The White Sox want to trade him and the Nationals covet him, but what will it take for Washington to land David Robertson?

The TNT Bulls Are The Biggest Tease In The NBA

By
Aldo Soto
-

You thought the UConn’s women’s basketball team had an impressive winning streak? Pfft, let me introduce you to the TNT Bulls. No, they’re not the Chicago Bulls. We all know what the Chicago Bulls are. Bad. However, the TNT Bulls play the best in the league and they beat the best in the league.

LeBron James owns the Bulls in the playoffs, but even he cowers when the TNT Bulls are on the schedule. They are elite. The best. They give fans confidence. Too much confidence.

The TNT Bulls are also the biggest tease in the NBA.

Jason Patt, managing editor for FanRag NBA and a contributor to BlogABull, started the TNTBulls hashtag a few years ago when he noticed a trend. The Bulls kept winning games on TNT.

If you were on social media at any point during Thursday night’s game when the Bulls hosted the Boston Celtics, then you already know about this true super team. The overall streak is incredible, winning 17 games in a row at home when the game is televised on TNT. Yet, during the last two years, this version of the Bulls and that streak has been even more ridiculous.

The last nine home wins on TNT have come against top teams from each respective conference.

Star after star, the Bulls beat them all.

Did Jimmy Butler get fouled by Marcus Smart last night? It doesn’t matter because the Bulls had no business being in that game. But no, the TNT Bulls rise up to the competition and more often than not produce entertaining games.

We saw that again last night, when Butler was going head-to-head against Isaiah Thomas in the fourth quarter. That was wonderful. Butler rising to the challenge, defending Thomas and Thomas coming back beating Butler a few times. Ultimately, Butler won the duel, drawing a controversial foul in the last second of the game, leading to his two made free throws that kept the TNT Bulls’ winning streak alive.

In a vacuum, that game was awesome. You had big-name players, controversy and drama all the way to the end of the game. A lovely, exciting game, with a favorable result for the Bulls. Nothing more a Bulls fan could ask for.

HELL YEAH! THE BULLS ARE BACK!

Then, you go back to reality. The 104-103 win brought the Bulls one game closer to being .500, as they enter the All-Star break with a 28-29 record. They’re going nowhere, destined for early exit in the playoffs, if they can hold on to a spot in a dreadful Eastern Conference. They’ve been stuck in mediocrity, which makes games like the one last night more frustrating.

It’s been the same story for years. Beat the elite teams, then shit the bed against average and bad teams. This TNT streak emphasizes that perfectly. Every so often the Bulls look like they can actually compete down the road in the postseason and the tease was bigger in previous seasons because most of the fan base knows better by now. That doesn’t mean some fans aren’t immune from the facade.

After each one of these “statement wins” during the last four years all the Bulls have accomplished by the end of the season is at best lose in the second round of the playoffs. Each time, a segment of the fan base fell for the tease and were left with blue balls.

The good thing is, this season the Bulls have made it easier to not fall for it. So, even after an exciting win over the Celtics, the overall joy is tamed.

Following the win, Butler was asked about the 17-game winning streak at home on TNT broadcasts and here’s how he responded.

Sure, it’s a meaningless stat, but sadly that’s all Bulls fans have to talk about nowadays because the TNT Bulls are must-watch TV. That team cares. That team gives effort. That team makes fans happy.

Then, the schedule goes on, the TNT crew leaves Chicago and the Bulls revert back to what they really are, while keeping the illusion of greatness alive with some fans.

Here’s a summary of the Bulls winning streak at home on TNT.

  • 2/16/17 Bulls win 104-103 over the Celtics. Boston entered the game, winning 11 out of their last 12 games. The Bulls had no Wade and were only 5-5 before beating the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference because of course.
  • 12/8/16 Bulls win 95-91 over Spurs. SA had won 13 straight road games, entered game with an 18-4 record. Bulls were 11-10.
  • 10/27/16 Bulls win 105-99 over Celtics. Opening game of the season with a bunch of players who don’t fit the coach’s system. Wade with the dagger. Raise hopes, classic Bulls.
  • 12/10/15 Bulls win 83-80 over Clippers. LAC were 13-9 and had won six of their last seven games.
  • 11/5/15 Bulls win 104-98 over Thunder. OKC loses 3rd in a row, Bulls improve to 4-2. Early season game, so not much of a tease.
  • 10/27/15 Bulls win 97-85 over Cavs. Opening game of the season. Bulls love beating LeBron in the regular season.
  • 3/5/15 Bulls win 108-105 over Thunder. OKC had won nine of their previous 11 games.
  • 2/12/15  Bulls win 113-98 over Cavs. CLE was 14-1 in their previous 15 games. It didn’t go so well when they met in the playoffs.
  • 1/22/15 Bulls win 104-81 over Spurs. Bulls were 2-6 in previous eight games, while Spurs had four-game winning streak and won 8-of-10 games.
  • 12/25/14 Bulls win 113-93 over Lakers. Kobe didn’t play, LA sucked. Expected result.
  • 12/18/14 Bulls win 103-97 over the Knicks.
  • 3/13/14 Bulls win 111-87 over the Rockets. HOU was 15-3 in previous 18 games. Had a 44-20 record entering game vs. Bulls.
  • 2/13/14 Bulls win 92-76 over the Nets. Brooklyn wasn’t the dog shit team they are now and actually made it to the second round of the playoffs this season. They had won 4-of-5 games entering their game against the Bulls.
  • 12/5/13 Bulls win 107-87 over the Heat. Miami started the season 14-4, so of course the Bulls beat them by 20.
  • 10/31/13 Bulls win 82-81 over the Knicks. Derrick Rose with the game-winner. Oh, the good times that ended three weeks later when he tore his right MCL.
  • 4/11/13 Bulls win 118-111 over the Knicks. This win actually snapped New York’s 13-game winning streak. Pretty impressive for the Derrick Rose-less Bulls.
  • 2/28/13 Bulls win 93-82 over the 76ers. And the streak begins. Joakim Noah with a ridiculous triple-double of 23 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocks.

The first couple wins dating back to the 2012-13 season were actually fine because at the time expectations were lowered, when Derrick Rose was recovering from his torn ACL. So, those games were all fans had. Regardless, the TNT Bulls are dangerous and have made some fans delusional about what the team can do when the postseason comes around.

Just watch, some fans will fall for the tease again in March, when the Bulls could possibly be higher in the standings and then look who comes to the United Center.

Watch out Warriors, the TNT Bulls are invincible.

Just a warning, don’t fall for it anymore.

Evidence Piling Up That Bulls Fans Have Had Enough Of This Mediocrity

UPDATE:

See, I told you.

Opposing GM Sees Bears Doing This With #3 Pick In The Draft

By
Erik Lambert
-
ryan pace

Nobody needs to be told how important this 2017 off-season is for the Chicago Bears. They’re coming off their worst season in 47 years. A 3-13 slog through the muddy swamps of depression this team has become over the past decade since their flirtation with glory in Super Bowl XLI. Since then every major move they’ve tried only seemed to hasten the collapse.

A new regime has decided to try a more measured and precise approach. GM Ryan Pace has never once looked like a man getting ahead of himself. His focus has remained on acquiring talent for the roster and trust his veteran coaching staff to keep developing it. Thus far only poor luck with injuries has clouded what looks like an exciting, young group.

The time has come for what should be their biggest push. Salary cap space is higher than its been in years. Perhaps most important is the ownership they have of the #3 overall pick in the upcoming draft. The highest they’ve sat since 1972. Experts keep debating what the Bears might do with it. So what about somebody who understands their situation better than most?

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