Seth Curry Trolls Rajon Rondo In Response To Kings Criticism

Rajon Rondo believes he can still be an asset to an NBA team. He’s settled into a reserve role for the Chicago Bulls since losing his starting point guard job in December, and continues to be praised by coach Fred Hoiberg and his teammates for his professionalism dealing with the benching. But in a recent interview he expressed his frustration about the Bulls not following through on how they planned to use Rajon when they recruited him last summer.

When asked why he feels his role with the Bulls isn’t working out as both sides hoped, Rondo suggested it could be a personnel issue.

“It’s just, maybe, the personnel in this situation. I mean, last year – I hate to keep talking about last year – but you couldn’t name three people on my team, the Sacramento Kings, and I led the league in assists. You know? I don’t know. I believe [I still have value] given the right personnel and the flow of the game.” – Rajon Rondo

Talk about throwing your former teammates under the bus. Rondo isn’t entirely wrong in insinuating that the Kings lacked household names last season. Other than DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Rondo, the average NBA fan would struggle to rattle off the names on that roster.

Seth Curry, Rondo’s former teammate in Sacramento, saw this comment and felt like a retort was necessary. The brother of Warriors superstar Steph Curry now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, but he couldn’t resist defending his old Kings teammates on Twitter. Earlier today, Seth posted a poll using the website Sporcle.com.

I love how Curry doesn’t call out Rondo in the tweet. He just posts the quiz with an emoji that looks like it’s thinking really hard. Such a subtle dig. So far, no sign of Rondo taking this quiz. But it’s making its way around the Twitterverse, and people are having a lot of fun trying to fill out the complete Kings roster from last season. I scored a 14/15, forgetting only NBA journeyman James Anderson. I am a huge NBA nerd though. The average score as of right now on the Sporcle quiz is just 53%.

Can you prove Rondo wrong by naming three players besides Rondo, Cousins and Gay? Take the quiz!

Jon Lester Shuts Up People Who Questioned Why He Didn’t Go To The White House With Cubs

The Chicago Cubs visited the White House on Monday, becoming the last team to meet with Barack Obama during his presidency. Coaches, front office personnel and players all made the trip, however, a few of the 2016 World Series champions received criticism for not attending the event. Jon Lester was one of the Cubs who didn’t make the trip to Washington D.C. and on Tuesday he shot down the critics on Twitter.

Don’t jump to conclusions. That’s all Lester wants. Some people thought Lester, along with other players who didn’t show up, didn’t go because of political reasons. Lester explained why he didn’t go to the White House and it had nothing to do with the current President of the United States.

Lester visited the White House after he helped the Boston Red Sox win the 2013 World Series.

Jake Arrieta also shared why he didn’t go to the White House.

Via ESPN:

Arrieta said he needs to be home — his mother-in-law is recovering from brain surgery, son Cooper is having a tooth pulled that day.

The decision, Arrieta insists, has nothing to do with politics.

John Lackey, who also went with the Red Sox after winning the World Series in 2013, was also absent on Monday at the White House. Travis Wood, Hector Rondon, Tommy La Stella and Jorge Soler, who was traded to the Kansas City Royals, also did not attend.

Finally, I miss Dexter Fowler.

Fun fact, on Opening Day, the first batter Lester will face is going to be Fowler. The new center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals did go to the White House with his former teammates and it ticked off some Cardinals’ fans after he missed the team’s fan fest a few days earlier.

Cardinals Fans Already Hate Dexter Fowler

Cubs Might Sign Brett Anderson Who Called Fans “Fucking Idiots”

After winning the World Series the Chicago Cubs decided to move on from Jason Hammel and thus had a spot to fill in the starting rotation. In-house options include Mike Montgomery, but during the winter former San Diego Padres’ pitcher Tyson Ross almost fell on their lap. Ross was let go by the Padres and the Cubs were a finalist to sign the 2014 All-Star, but Ross ultimately picked the Texas Rangers. That doesn’t mean the Cubs are done looking for another arm.

ESPN’s MLB insider, Buster Olney, said left-handed pitcher Brett Anderson might be a good fit for the Cubs out of the remaining options left in the free agent market.

Anderson had a rough 2016 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, missing nearly five months after having back surgery. He returned to the Dodgers in late September after rehabbing in the minors for a month and was also on the roster in the postseason. Anderson had an OK 2015, making 31 starts, tossed 180.1 innings and put up a 3.69 ERA. He began his career with the Oakland A’s and also pitched one season with the Colorado Rockies.

The lefty has spent most of his MLB career as a reliever, so he is a perfect fit for the Cubs, who continue to focus on flexibility when it comes to their pitchers.

That’s all nice and good, but the juicy part of this story is that if the Cubs do sign Anderson, he’ll have some interesting interactions with fans at Wrigley Field. If you remember back to the NLCS, Anderson went off on Cubs fans, calling them, “fucking idiots.”

It must be something about the Dodgers that brings out the worst in Cubs’ fans.

Remember this…

Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see how Cubs fans receive Anderson if he’s signed. Personally, I don’t care about that tweet. I don’t care if he hates all Cubs fans, some Cubs fans or no Cubs fans. If he signs, I hope he helps the Cubs win. It’s not like he went around and beat up innocent people.

That being said, fuck Todd Hundley. That miserable fuck, who also played for the Dodgers before he signed, was a complete douche to fans while he played for the Cubs.

REPORT: White Sox Sign Three Including Former Top Prospect Cory Luebke

The Chicago White Sox have already made a number of minor league signings including Everth Cabrera, Geovany Soto and Cody Asche. Matt Eddy of Baseball America is now reporting that the White Sox have signed three more to minor league deals.

As well as reporting that the Cabrera and Soto deals are finalized, Eddy reports that the White Sox have signed Cory Luebke,  Carson Blair and Jason Bourgeois.

Luebke was ranked as the Padres sixth best prospect in 2011 by Baseball America. Luebke hasn’t lived up to expectations as he has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career. He received Tommy John Surgery in 2012 before tearing his UCL in 2014. He did not play baseball from 2013-2015.

For his four year career, Luebke has appeared in 64 games and 197 innings. He holds a career 10-13 record with a 3.52 ERA and a 204/69 K/BB ratio. The White Sox are hoping that Luebke could return to his former top prospect status. While his injuries and age (31) make a bounce-back season unlikely, Luebke is a no-risk signing for the club. Chicago will see if he has any gas left in the tank in the minor leagues.

Blair is a career minor league, although he appeared in 11 major league games with the Athletics in 2015. He hit .139 with one home run and three RBI. In his 406 minor league games, Blair has hit .243 with 38 home runs and 187 RBIs.

Blair seems like nothing more than a depth signing for the White Sox. But with the team’s catching depth being as weak as it is, there’s a chance the 27 year old reaches the majors in 2016.

Bourgeois is a eight year veteran of the MLB. He played his rookie season with the White Sox. After Chicago traded for him last year, the team decided to re-sign him on a minor league contract for the 2017 season.

For his eight year career, Bourgeois has appeared in 317 games hitting .253 with six home runs, 44 RBIs and 54 stolen bases.

Like Blair, Bourgeois seems more of minor league depth than anything. But with so many moving pieces at the major league level, there’s a chance Bourgeois sees major league time at some point in 2017.

Cory Luebke is the “major” signing here, but all three should spend most of the year in the minor leagues. If nothing else these signings show that Rick Hahn is staying active in the free agent market, trying to improve the team as much as possible going forward.

 

Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14

Cubs Pick Up Right-Handed Pitcher, Dylan Floro, From Tampa Bay Rays

The Chicago Cubs are always looking for pitching and the pursuit of more depth continued on Tuesday, when they picked up right-hander Dylan Floro from the Tampa Bay Rays.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Cubs claimed him off waivers.

The 26-year-old made his MLB debut in 2016 with the Rays, pitching in 12 games. Floro had a 4.20 ERA in 15 innings, striking out 14 with five walks. He was actually drafted twice by Tampa Bay, the first time coming in 2009 straight out of high school in the 20th round. Floro decided to go to college and then was drafted in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

In five minor league seasons, Floro had a 3.30 ERA, pitching 528.1 innings. Floro has pitched out of the bullpen and as a starter, making 73 starts in the minors out of 126 total appearances.

However, in 2016 Floro worked out of the bullpen for the first time and that continued when he came up to the Majors with the Rays. So, another possible swing guy for the Cubs, but there is the concern over his health. Floro finished the 2016 season on the disabled list with a forearm issue.

The Cubs still have one spot left in their 40-man roster.

Pro Football Writers All-Rookie Team Says Ryan Pace Must Take a Bow

The Chicago Bears knew their problems of late all centered around the same thing. An inability by the front office to consistently draft quality talent. Between 2009 and 2014, the organization went through some of the worst drafting in franchise history. That is the mess 37-year old GM Ryan Pace inherited when he took over in 2015.

He knew it would take time and hard work to fix. None of it would come easy. First and foremost he had to start drafting good players. His first attempt has met with a lot of disappointment, mostly brought on by injuries. Kevin White, Eddie Goldman and Hroniss Grasu all failed to finish their second year healthy.

Some were starting to wonder if Pace was in over his head. A fair assumption given his youth. Then the 2016 season happened, and for the first time people saw just how keen an eye for talent the young executive may have. If you don’t trust the tape, then trust those who have watched this game for decades.

MLB Pipeline Ranks Three White Sox Inside Top Right-Handed Pitching Prospects

After moving Adam Eaton and Chris Sale, the White Sox currently have six players inside the top 100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline. Four of those prospects came from those two trades alone.

GM Rick Hahn has been universally applauded by the baseball universe for just how much talent he was able to acquire at the Winter Meetings. While Sale and Eaton are great players, the prospects Hahn acquired are expected to help spearhead the White Sox back into the playoffs upon their arrival to the MLB.

Fans should be able to see how bright the White Sox future is once MLB Pipeline releases their 2017 rankings on January 28th. The team will have one of the biggest showings amongst top 100 prospects.

From January 17th until January 26th, MLB Pipeline will be revealing the top ten players at a specific position, before their big reveal on the 28th. The site began their reveal by ranking the top ten right-handed pitchers in the minor leagues.

Number one went to Alex Reyes of the Cardinals. However the Chicago White Sox dominated the list, having three prospects ranked.

Lucas Giolito was ranked as the third best right-hander in the minor leagues. MLB Pipeline wrote:

The prized right-hander of last year’s class, Giolito saw his stock wane over the course of the season and especially in the big leagues, where apparent mechanical issues resulted in diminished velocity and hindered his control. He’s shown the ceiling of an ace in the past, with the ability to command a mid-to-upper 90s heater, a knee-buckling curveball and a fading changeup, and now has renowned pitching coach Don Cooper on his side after joining the White Sox as part of the offseason Adam Eaton blockbuster deal.

Giolito has appeared in 75 minor league games and 369 innings. He holds a career 25-15 record with a 2.73 ERA and a 397/123 K/BB ratio. Giolito is widely expected to be the team’s future ace. Assuming he can fix his mechanical issues, the White Sox prospect could be one of the best pitchers in the MLB.

Michael Kopech was ranked as the fourth best right-handed pitcher in the minors. MLB Pipeline wrote:

Kopech began the year on the disabled list with a broken hand but made up for the time lost with dazzling performances in the Class A Advanced Carolina League and, later, in the Arizona Fall League. Acquired in the Chris Sale trade in December, the 20-year-old hits triple digits with ease and backs it up with a plus slider and a promising changeup. As he continues to make developmental strides, Kopech will move quickly in 2017.

Kopech has appeared in 36 minor league games and 134.2 innings. He holds a career 8-7 record with a 2.61 ERA and a 172/69 K/BB ratio. Kopech is one of the fastest throwers in the minor leagues. He needs more seasoning in the minors, but the former Red Sox should be a lights out front-line starter once he reaches the major leagues.

Reynaldo Lopez was ranked as the tenth best right-hander in the minors. MLB Pipeline wrote:

Overshadowed by Giolito headed into last season, Lopez proved the more effective of the duo in the big leagues before joining him in the offseason trade to Chicago. A more consistent and linear delivery resulted in improved strike-throwing ability for the 23-year-old righty, who can miss bats with his well above-average fastball, excellent curve and improved changeup.

Lopez appeared in 11 games and 44 inning at the major league level last season, pitching to a 5-3 record with a 4.91 ERA and a 42/22 K/BB ratio. In 61 minor league games and 307.2 innings, Lopez pitched to a 19-19 record with a 3.16 ERA and a 303/95 K/BB ratio.

Lopez may not be as hyped up as Giolito or Kopech, but he has the potential to be one of the better pitchers on the White Sox. He should help form a three-headed monster in Chicago’s super rotation of the future.

Giolito, Kopech and Lopez are three of the best pitchers in baseball. The fact that Hahn was able to acquire all three is outstanding. If they’re able to hit their ceiling, the White Sox should have a downright scary rotation sometime in the future.

Keep in mind that both Tyler Glasnow (#2) and Francis Martes (#5) are ranked inside the top ten. If the White Sox are able to acquire either pitcher in a deal for Jose Quintana, the team would be right up there with the New York Mets for best young pitching staff in the majors.

Other White Sox prospects such as Yoan Moncada, Zack Collins and Carson Fulmer should end up in the top 100. But Giolito, Kopech and Lopez are the cream of the crop when it comes to right-handed pitchers in the minor leagues. These rankings are a symbol of just how successful the South Siders rebuild has been thus far.

 

Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14

White Sox Trade Named One Of The Most Lopsided Deals In Past Five Years

On December 10th, 2013 the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Arizona Diamondbacks completed a three way trade. The structure of the deal went like this:

White Sox receive: Adam Eaton

Angels receive: Hector Santiago and Tyler Skaggs

Diamondbacks receive: Mark Trumbo, A.J. Shugel and Brandon Jacobs

In his three years, 85 games and 428.2 innings with the Angels, Santiago held a 25-22 record with a 3.82 ERA and a 377/181 K/BB ratio. He was named to the 2015 All Star Game and appeared in one playoff game for the Angels in 2014. This past season he was traded to the Twins for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer.

Nolasco appeared in 11 games and 73 innings for the Angels, pitching to a 4-6 record with a 3.21 ERA and a 51/15 K/BB ratio. He is owed $12 million in 2017.

Meyer is currently the team’s 11th best prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

Skaggs has appeared in 28 games and 162.2 innings with the Angels. He holds a 8-9 record with a 4.26 ERA and a 136/53 K/BB ratio. Skaggs has dealt with injuries during his time in Los Angeles, leading him to appear in just 10 games in 2016.

All in all, the Angels received a former All Star pitcher who was then flipped for a once promising prospect, as well a pitcher with potential, but one who can’t stay off the DL.

Shugel appeared in five games and nine innings for the Diamondbacks, holding a 5.00 ERA and a 5/5 K/BB ratio. Shugel was placed on waivers and claimed by the Mariners, who then waived him. He was then claimed by the Pirates, where he is currently rostered.

Jacobs never appeared in a game for the Diamondbacks. In 2016 he pitched for the Lincoln Saltdogs, a member of the American Assoication of Independent Professional Baseball.

Trumbo, the highlight of the trade, appeared in 134 games over two seasons with the Diamondbacks. He hit .243 with 23 home runs and 84 RBIs. Trumbo was traded to the Mariners in 2015 for Wellington Castillo, Dominic Leone, Gabby Guerrero and Jack Reinheimer.

Leone appeared in 28 games and 30.2 innings with the Diamondbacks holding a 0-2 record with a 7.34 ERA and a 25/12 K/BB ratio. Leone was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks and was claimed by the Blue Jays, his current team.

Guerrero, who is the nephew of potential Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, never appeared in an MLB game for the Diamondbacks. He was designated for assignment and claimed by the Reds. He currently plays in the Reds minor league system.

Reinheimer is currently the Diamondbacks seventh best prospect. He could turn into a super utility with upside type player for the D-Backs.

Castillo appeared in 193 games over two years for the Diamondbacks. He hit .261 with 31 home runs and 118 RBIs. The Diamondbacks surprisingly non-tendered Castillo following the season. The Orioles signed him to a one year deal this offseason.

Overall, the Diamondbacks received one top ten prospect and a lot of filler in this trade. While Reinheimer could turn into a future everyday player, both Eaton and Skaggs seem to have bright futures ahead of them; assuming Skaggs stays healthy.

With the White Sox, Eaton appeared in 433 games over three seasons. He hit .290 with 29 homeruns, 150 RBIs and 47 stolen bases. He held a collective 15.4 WAR with the White Sox. Chicago capitalized on his trade value and flipped him at the Winter Meetings for Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning.

Giolito is currently the White Sox second best prospect and the third best prospect in all of baseball. Lopez is Chicago’s third fourth best prospect and the 38th best prospect in baseball. Dunning is currently the Sox 10th best prospect.

Eaton gave the White Sox three great seasons of baseball before being shipped for two top 40 prospects and another prospect inside the franchise’s top 10. All three pitchers are expected to be a big part of the White Sox future. Giolito even has the potential to turn into the team’s next Chris Sale.

After analyzing the trade it appears very one-sided in the White Sox favor. The Angels got two talented players in Skaggs and Meyer, but neither have truly lived up to their potential. The Diamondbacks got one of their better prospects in Reinheimer, but Arizona has one of the weaker farm systems in the league. He isn’t close to sniffing the top 100.

For the measly price of Santiago, a pitcher who will likely spend his career in the minors and pitcher already out of the MLB, the White Sox were able to get two of the best pitchers in the minor leagues. While Eaton was great, assuming Giolito and Lopez stay healthy, they have the potential to lead the White Sox back to the World Series.

If the deal seems lopsided to you, it’s because it is. And recently, it was named one of the ten most uneven trades of the past five years.

The Ten Most Popular Vines In Chicago White Sox History

On January 17th, 2016 the app “Vine” will be closing its metaphorical doors. After almost three years, Vine will come to an end.

The app won’t disappear completely as fans will be introduced to a “Vine Camera”. This camera will allow user to take 6.5 second videos and upload them directly to Twitter. Vine’s website will stay up and work as an archive for past videos.

Vine played a big role in the sports world over the past few years. It revolutionized how highlights were viewed due to how short videos were. With streams only lasting six seconds, it was an easy way for fans to watch and share their favorite players making monster plays.

It also gave franchises a way to give a behind the scenes view of the team. Fans were able to see their favorite team off the court or field, and got a better idea of the players as people rather than athletes.

However, with Twitter owning Vine, its management team must’ve felt that it was easier to merge both apps into one. While teams could still upload their highlights to Twitter, vines have essentially died.

But as the great Dr. Seuss once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

Vine was an app that entirely revolutionized the sports media world. It made watching and sharing a six second highlight as easy as possible. Look at any of the major sports media outlet’s Twitter feeds over the last three years and I’m sure you’ll find countless amounts of Vines. Vine may be dead, but the impact it made will never be forgotten.

As for the White Sox, the team wasn’t the most active on Vine. But with over 500 posts and over 6.8 million loops the team certainly made some memories on the app.

From highlights to not-seen-on-TV footage, here are the top ten most popular Vines in Chicago White Sox history.

 

10.) Robin Ventura Pitches To Garth Brooks

September 12, 2014     82, 410+ Loops

Robin Ventura may not have succeeded as a coach, but his form on these BP pitches is superb. As for Garth Brooks’, outside of that poke between third and short on the first pitch, the country music star looked a lot like Adrian Beltre meets beer league men’s softball regular.

 

9.) Melky Cabrera Robs A Home Run

July 26, 2016     103, 576+ Loops

Melky Cabrera may not be on the White Sox for much longer, but this play will certainly go on his career highlight tape. For a 31 year old the Melk Man still got hops.

 

8.) Pink Fireworks Go Off To Support Breast Cancer Awareness

May 11, 2014     116, 308+ Loops

Awesome event for an awesome cause. During the game eight breast cancer survivors took the field with the White Sox. Wish more teams did this more often.

 

7.) White Sox Sausage Race

March 26, 2014     122, 476+ Loops

There’s no record of who actually won the race. Here’s to hoping Hawk Harrelson stretched, stretched his way to the win, and put his victory, on the board. I’ll see myself out.

 

6.) Brett Lawrie Gets Excited Over 2-0 Start

April 6, 2016     172, 281+ Loops

Yes the team did finish the season 78-84, but you got to love the passion out of Brett Lawrie. No one in the league has ever been that excited over a two game win streak. If they gave out World Series trophies for 2-0 starts, Lawrie would be the champ; sorry Cubs.

 

5.) National Bobble Head Day 2016

January 7, 2016     176, 429+ Loops

Bobble-Heads will always be cool, I think that’s why they have a whole day dedicated to them. Only confusing part of this vine is why the Sox chose Scott Posednik over an active roster member.

 

4.) Mark Buehrle Says Hello

June 25, 2016     180, 091+ Loops

Not really sure how/why this vine got so popular. However the little kid next to Buehrle is the star. I’m sure if any White Sox fan got to meet the former All Star they’d have the same reaction.

 

3.) Brett Lawrie Makes Diving, Behind The Back Play At Second Base

April 23, 2016     223, 400+ Loops

Brett Lawrie makes the list a second time. This time for one of the sickest plays of the 2016 season. Behind the back throws and two game win streaks, that’s what Brett Lawrie does.

 

2.) Joakim Noah’s Not-So Good First Pitch

September 11, 2014     248, 935+ Loops

Joakim Noah is very lucky that 50 Cent threw a first pitch, or we might be talking about this as the worst of all time. Atleast his second throw was right down the pipe.

1.) McKayla Maroney’s Epic First Pitch

August 2, 2014     1, 553, 228+ Loops

From the absolute worst to the absolute best, McKayla Maroney’s impressive gymnastics maneuvers land her the #1 spot. While her toe isn’t on the rubber, I’m sure every umpire in the league would allow it. Maybe all Joakim Noah needs is a back handspring to throw a good first pitch.

 

Feel free to continue the conversation on Twitter: @DFappiano14

Proof The Blackhawks’ Hartman Needs More Ice Time

The Chicago Blackhawks lack of scoring has been a tiring topic for fans this season. Everyone knows that Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin can score but an underutilized player gives the organization great chances to score. According to advanced statistics, Ryan Hartman is the only player who ranks in the top 5 in four important 5v5 categories. Corsi For%, Expected Goals For%, Scoring Chance For% and Goals For%.

Hartman is currently 8th on the team in points with 10 goals and 9 assists while averaging only 12 minutes per game. For reference, he and Panik play about .75 of the time Toews/Hossa play and have 37 points to their 46.

I know Coach Quenneville doesn’t like to play young players, but it may be time to start thinking about promoting from within. The core players aren’t getting younger and cap space and production are at a minimum. Ryan Hartman provides the team youth, money to work with and production. The proof of his value is all below.

Corsi For% (CF%)

Corsi measures shot attempt differential. When Hartman is on the ice, almost 53% of the shots are in the Blackhawks favor.

Expected Goals For% (xGF%)

Basically, 56% of the goals scored while Hartman is on the ice are for the Blackhawks.

Scoring Chance For% (SCF%)

This is a bit more difficult to explain but basically the Blackhawks get 58% of the quality scoring chances while Hartman is on the ice. More info can be found here.

Goals For% (GF%)

61.76% of the goals scored while Hartman is on the ice are for the Blackhawks.

All stats provided by Corsica.