Commentary about all things Chicago Sports, covering the Bulls, Bears, Hawks, Cubs, Illini, and Fighting Irish.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Cubs Look to Future with Rizzo Call Up
Every fanbase gets excited when a top prospect gets called up to the majors. Baseball fans have this fascination with top prospects; they represent a bright future and a sign that changes are coming at the major league level. Fair or unfair, whenever a top prospect is called up the expectations are that the kid is going to be instrumental in changing whatever event that precipitated his arrival in the first place. Now, this could involve becoming the final piece of a possible winning team (see Mark Prior and the 2003 Cubs) or being "The Man" who is going to start turning everything around. Regardless, the promotion of a top prospect to the majors places enormous pressure on that young player. And for Theo Epstein and the Cubs, the pressure is two-fold. Not only do they watch Anthony Rizzo arrive in the same fanfare as similar prospects with all of the above that comes along with it - his call up also will be used as a determination of how the new Epstein era is coming along as well.
Labels:
Anthony Rizzo,
Chicago Cubs,
Jorge Soler,
Kerry Wood,
Mark Prior,
Starlin Castro,
Theo Epstein
Friday, June 22, 2012
Notre Dame Freshman Class Preview
It's been a trying summer. The Bulls season ended early with the horrific injury to Derrick Rose, which will even affect the next season going forward. The Cubs are awful; really, there's nothing else to say about that. The Hawks season ended early as well, and they're left with questions going forward as to whether their core can get the job done. And for me, personally, I'm left studying for the Bar Exam which leaves my free time (including posting here) sporadic and totally infrequent. So, the only reasonable thing to do during rough times such as these is to look forward. And with the incoming freshman class for Notre Dame arriving on campus this week for workouts and summer school, they're a perfect group to take a look at going forward.
Labels:
Amir Carlisle,
Brian Kelly,
Chris Brown,
Davonte Neal,
Elijah Shumate,
Gunner Kiel,
Jarron Jones,
Justin Ferguson,
Keivarae Russell,
Nicky Baratti,
Notre Dame Football,
Romeo Okwara,
Sheldon Day,
Will Mahone
Monday, June 11, 2012
Soler Signing Sends a Message
Let's face it: there hasn't been much to talk about in the way of baseball on the North Side this season. I haven't even written about the Cubs, aside from a specific piece on Kerry Wood, since their preview on April 4. Sure, I've been busy. But even more than that, the Cubs are downright terrible, finding themselves in the midst of a dogfight with the Minnesota Twins to secure the rights to the Number 1 pick in the 2013 MLB Draft. Such is the way things go after a regime change, and as Theo Epstein forewarned us in a refreshingly honest manner before the season, such is the way things will go for the foreseeable future. It takes a lot to tear down an underachieving, aging, and fundamentally unproductive team. This is especially true now that the foundation is being laid by Epstein, meaning the money overspent on veterans will no longer be the norm, and now will be the exception. Epstein has made it a point to establish the Cubs Way, and to bring players into the organization who will fulfill this calling. The problem is, when Theo got here the cupboard was relatively bare. But after some self-identification, some offseason moves, and a good 2012 draft, things are moving in the right direction. And yet still, none of these moves resonated with fans, even in a season desperate for news, quite like the signing of Jorge Soler today.
Labels:
Albert Almora,
Anthony Rizzo,
Brett Jackson,
Chicago Cubs,
Javier Baez,
Jeff Samardzija,
Jorge Soler,
Josh Vitters,
Junior Lake,
Matt Szczur,
Ryan Dempster,
Starlin Castro,
Theo Epstein
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Two Years Later, Hawks Still Rebuilding
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It's been two years since The Goal |
Labels:
Brent Seabrook,
Chicago Blackhawks,
Dave Bolland,
Duncan Keith,
Jonathan Toews,
Marian Hossa,
Patrick Kane,
Patrick Sharp
Monday, June 4, 2012
Smith Commitment Bolsters Already-Strong 2013 Irish Class
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Jaylon Smith |
Labels:
Brian Kelly,
Jaylon Smith,
Malik Zaire,
Manti Te'o,
Nick Saban,
Notre Dame Football,
Urban Meyer
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