Looking Forward to the Post Season

September 14, 2018

With just over two weeks left in the season, there are many questions left. Injuries as usual have been a major story this year. A mantra in sports is if we stay healthy we will be in good shape.
 In the American league we now know who will be in the playoffs and who have had injury worries.

The Boston Red Sox – This team has the best record in baseball. There is not a weakness in its  lineup. J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts are MVP candidates. The biggest problem is ace starter. Chris Sale has been on the disabled list most of the second he half of the season and may not be ready to pitch in the playoffs. Even if he makes it back, you do not know if he will as good as he was prior to the injury.

The New York Yankees – In what was supposed to be a tight pennant race, Boston dominated, leaving the team with the second best record as a wild card entry. It didn’t help that major injuries sidelined Gary Sanchez early and home run champ Aaron Judge hasn’t swung a bat since late June. The bullpen is good but after you throw your best starter to get through the wild card playoff into the first round, the rest of the staff is mediocre at best. The bullpen, though, is very good.

The Cleveland Indians – In the lousiest division in baseball. The Indians have led from start to finish. However, that does not diminish how good they are. They have the best left side of the infield. Shortstop Francisco Lindor and third baseman Jose Ramirez are both near the top in all AL offensive categories. They have a good bullpen. The starting pitching has been good. Their problem is the number 2 starter Trevor Bauer has been on the disabled list for much of the second half

The Houston Astros – the defending champs are positioned to play in the World Series again. They went into a little slump when Jose Altuve was on the DL. With shortstop Alex Correa, this is best double –play combination. Their starting rotation is the best in the game, the relief is solid and they have no significant injuries.  They say it is difficult to win the World Series two years in a row, but this is my favorite.

The Oakland Athletics – The surprise team of the year. Manager Bob Melvin has done a great job getting his players believing they can win. Khris Davis leads the league with 41 home runs. The A’s rank second only to the Yankees in total home runs. However, they lack in quality pitching.

The National League picture is a little murkier, with only one clear- cut division, while the other two division winners and wild card teams are unknown.

The Atlanta Braves – This team has been a surprise. I haven’t seen them much, but here is what I know. The starting lineup includes probable rookie of the year Renaldo Acuno Jr. who leads the team in home runs. One of the best first basemen Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis add more punch to the lineup. Their young pitching staff has a 3.69 ERA. A fielding percentage of .986 really helps a young pitching staff.

The Colorado Rockies - The Rockies always hit. They have scored 698 runs in the high altitude of Colorado’s Coors Field. Trevor Story and MVP candidate Nolan Aranado have combined for 67 home runs. On the other hand, pitching is very difficult at Coors Field.  A couple of starters have good ERAs but the bullpen is a mess. The Rockies team ERA is 4.79 and they have a slim lead on the Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Generally not known for their hitting, the Dodgers have scored 699 runs, one more than the Rockies.  Out of Nowhere, Max Muncy and a rejuvenated Matt Kemp have been leading this team. The addition of Manny Machado makes this a better team than the one in last year’s World Series. As usual, the Dodgers have great pitching. Clayton Kershaw leads the pitching staff with a league- best 3.49 ERA. I think they will overtake the Rockies and go deep in the playoffs.

The Chicago Cubs - Beset by injuries, I still believe they will win this division.  Both of their closers are most likely lost for the year but someone will step up. Jason Hayward is having his best year with the Cubs and left- handed hitter Kyle Schwarber is also banged up.  On the brighter side, Kris Bryant is back. They also have MVP candidate Javier Baez. Although the bats sometimes go cold, the best starting pitching in the National League can win games.

The Milwaukee Brewers- After previously falling by the wayside, the Brewers have the pressure on the Cubs. I don’t think they win enough to catch the Cubs.  They should be good enough a wild card they may get in. if so they will play the Cubs in the first round. This Brewers team is much better than last year due to some great moves acquiring Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich What they lack is starting pitching. However, they get a lead after 6 innings the bullpen can shut you down. I’ve said it before, Josh Hader is the best reliever in baseball.

The St. Louis Cardinals would have to have a lot of good things happen to be a wild card team. I doubt they’ll force me to talk about it in the next post regarding baseball.

Heart Breaker

September 10, 2018

Even though I didn’t expect the Bears to beat the Packers, this defeat is hard to swallow. The Bears coughed up a twenty point lead in less than two quarters. Granted, the Packers have the best quarterback, in Aaron Rodgers, but he was not the sole reason the Bears lost, he had some help.

Things started out looking good. The offense looked crisp with different formations and movement, things not usually associated with a Bears offenses. Mitch Trubisky looked real good leading them 86 yards to a touchdown and a field goal to build an early ten point lead. From then on the offense was virtually non-existent.

The defense was very good. Pressure and a sack of Rodgers forced him to leave the field..His replacement, DeShone Kizer led the Packers into field goal range.  On a third down he went back to pass. The Bears best player, Khalil Mack, strip sacked Kizer to snuff out that drive. Of course the Bears offense stalled and they gave the ball right back to the Packers .Kizer had a pass tipped that ended up in Mack’s hands and he scored a touchdown. Bears 17, Packers 0.

At the start of the third quarter the Bears extended their lead to twenty. Enter Aaron Rodgers. He was getting the ball out lightning fast, to avoid the pass rush. His first drive ended with a field goal. The Bears great offensive mind, coach Matt Nagy, can't find the right plays and the Bears go three and out. The Packers scored  a quick touchdown. and you could feel the momentum turning. Even with his billboard of plays the Bears once again go three and out. In my last post, I pointed out there is a big difference between having plays and calling the right ones. The defense gasping for air looks like they are doing a better job until, on second down and 2 from the Bears 39 yard line, Rodgers throws a perfect pass to the far right hand corner of the end zone.  A covered Geronimo Allison catches this for a touchdown. No one is better at this type of pass than Rodgers. The lead is down to three.

Nagy finally wakes up. With Trubisky’s efficiency and passing rating falling, he decides to run the ball. This will eat some time off the clock. The danger is if you leave some time left, Rodgers doesn’t need much to score. The run is working and the Packers are using up all their timeouts. The Bears have third down and need only two yards for a first down. Then just like the previous coaches Nagy gets a brain camp. The Bears were running the ball effectively to this point. The offensive guru calls a pass play. This is wrong on all counts. The pass is incomplete and the clock stops. Brain cramp number two., Nagy calls for a field goal with over two minutes to go. It was at this point I knew the Bears were going to lose. If they run the ball and get a first down they probably win the game. If the Bears don’t make a first down, you try again on fourth down This takes time off the clock. If for some reason you can't 2 yards in two plays, the Packers start way back in their end.

Instead of starting deep in their territory, the kick-off goes into the end zone giving the Packers get the ball at their own 25 yard line. Needing a touchdown, the Packers pass to Randall Cobb over the middle. With no Bear in sight, he scores a 75 yard touchdown. Packers 24, Bears 23. The Bears defense was so inept on the last Packer possession, they got the ball back with over two minutes left on the clock. They had two time outs and the two minute warning break. Needing only a field goal, they move to their own forty yard line. There was still about 1.5 minutes left. Enough time for an unexpected run to get them closer..Nagy calls on his quarterback to  pass. Trubisky misses three times (mostly sideline passes) with plenty of time to work the middle of the field. Trubisky fumbles on fourth down, game over.. 

I know it’s only one game but I can’t believe with all the good practices and Trubisky getting plenty of reps, that they could lose. Maybe if they had some game experience they could have found some things to work on, although I don’t how you work on bad snaps. After the game Nagy’s every answer was praising Aaron Rodgers, without mentioning he may have screwed up. He also said they could have used more game reps. For his poor play calling the Packers should have given Nagy a game ball.

Mack Attack

September 3, 2018

The Chicago Cubs have the best record in the National League and are the favorites to make it to the World Series. The Chicago White Sox are playing really good baseball; the rebuild is starting to take shape. However, the most exciting thing in Chicago sports is the Bears trade for Khalil Mack

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This is the most impressive move in Ryan Pace tenure as the Bears General Manager.  Mack is the game changing force the Bears have been looking for. They have filled their biggest need on defense. The team that ranked tenth on defense could be one of the five best.  A defense that would have kept the Bears competitive can now win games.

Teams have to plan specifically on stopping Mack from wreaking havoc. Most times they are not successful. His specialty is quarterback sacks, forty over the past four seasons. In recent years opposing quarterbacks sat back in the pocket with no pressure. Those days are over.

Another plus is Mack will make others better. Pressure on quarterbacks makes the secondary’s jobs easier. If you double team Mack, Akiem Hicks or Eddie Goldman can get to the quarterback. If you flush the quarterback out of the pocket, the linebackers can make the plays. This makes first round pick Roquan Smith a good choice.

I hate that Bear fans have been told to temper their expectations. However, you don’t make this move without having the playoffs as an immediate goal.  I still don’t know what to expect from Mitch Trubisky and the new offense. If it’s working they may win in the post season. I’m upping my earlier prediction from eight victories to nine. If the offense is as good as the team says maybe they can go 10-6 which should put them in the playoffs. On the other hand, if they have the injuries like the last couple of years, all bets are off.

August 26, 2018

I was very disheartened when I heard Coach Matt Nagy decided not to play his starters Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. With a new offensive system and a young quarterback, they need to play in games and not just practice. All you’ve seen up to now, is two quarters and two series of an inconsistent offense. They’ll have 21 days off until their first game.

I understand they didn’t want to risk injuries. However, good teams beat inexperienced, healthy ones. Nagy also said in a week that they were game planning and he felt the practicing and preparation were good enough to sit his starters. Good practices against your own team in a controlled environment does not translate into victories. How many times did John Fox, after an abysmal loss, scratch his head and mumble jumble that they had a good week of practice.

Who knows for sure what to expect? The offense now has receivers to throw to and good running backs. Nagy seems to have installed a present day offense using multiple formations, running different plays off the same offensive sets.  However, there is a big difference between having the plays and sending them in from the sideline. He has only called plays five times in his career. I will admit his team scored points. The difference is he had a veteran offense and a proven quarterback. People I talk to say I should give Nagy the benefit of the doubt. That’s okay because I have a lot of doubt.

The defense can rest because theys have experience. Defensive guru Vic Fangio has been a mastermind in putting together a defense that will keep the Bears competitive in most games. Resting the defense should get everybody revved up and ready to go. Aikeem Hicks, Prince Amukamara and the oft injured Leonard Floyd, can use the time off to recover from injuries and be ready to face the Packers in the opener. Staying healthy all year is key to this defense.

If I were to grade GM Ryan Pace he would receive a D-.  Start with the hiring of John Fox for a young team. He became one of the worst coaches in Bear history. Trading up to draft Mitch Trubiisky. He was supposed to sit all year as an understudy to Mike Glennon, probably the worst free-agent signing in Bear history. Trubisky may become a real good quarterback but the Bears could have drafted a stud defensive lineman who could have made an immediate impact. This was the year to draft a quarterback, but that’s water under the bridge.  Pace was in his own world when he unnecessarily traded up in the previous two drafts. This year the biggest need was a defensive end. I wonder if a deal could have been struck to move up from the eighth pick to the fifth pick to draft defensive end, Bradley Chubb. He would been a much better fit than Roquan Smith. Smith may turn out to be a very good player. The way the Bears stupidly negotiated his contract caused him to hold out. Trying to get ready in a hurry, he had a hamstring injury.  So Bears. Mabey a D- was too high.

I hope I am wrong about this mess. Maybe Nagy and the offense can score more than the defense gives up. The problem is with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions the Bears are the worst team in their conference. I haven’t seen enough to predict their record. When they hired Nagy both he and Pace said to temper your expectations. That being the case, 8-8 would be the best you can hope for.

What are your feelings and predictions for the Bears? Let me know if I am way off base.

Cubs Lore and Michael Kopech

August 18, 2018

The seventh game of the 2016 World Series will always be the best game in the Cubs history. However, there are other memorable games. I wasn’t around in 1938 for Gabby Harnett’s Homer in the Gloamin’ but I do remember the Sandberg game. It was 1984 where the Cubs would reach the post season for the first time in thirty-nine years. It was a wild and windy Saturday afternoon and a back and forth game. The Cardinals were ahead by one run in the ninth inning. They brought in Bruce Sutter, a future Hall of Fame reliever, to close out the game. Sandberg tied the game with a lead- off homer. The Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the 10^th. With two outs Sandberg faced Sutter again and hit a two-run homer to even the score. The Cubs ended up winning 12-11. Sandberg went 5 for 6 with two home runs and seven RBI.

Why do I post this? The David Bote game. Last weekend against the Washington Nationals the Cubs were on the verge of being shut for the second time in two days. Losing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Cubs load the bases with two outs. In a scenario that players young and old of dream of, David Bote hits a Grand Slam to win the game. Next up were two meaningless games against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs were shut out in the first game and won the second, scoring eight runs

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Will the real Jon Lester please stand up? As of late he has been very good and equally as bad.  This is not what you want in your number one starter. He did throw six scoreless innings in the Cubs 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The way Cole Hamels is going, maybe he should be your number one? He has been nothing short of spectacular, throwing seven scoreless innings in another 1-0 Cub victory. They followed this losing two games scoring only one run in each.

In the last nine games the Cubs have been shut out twice and scored only one run in four other games.  You can’t win if you don’t score any runs. You’re not going to win many games scoring one run. The Cubs pitching may be very good, but if the bats go silent (like last year against the Dodgers), there could be some agonizing moments before they get to the playoffs. Despite all this the Cubs are 3 1/2 ahead and still five in the loss column.

Glory be! The White Sox bring up top prospect Michael Kopech who will start Tuesday. I know there are going to be comparisons to Chris Sale. Sale is the best pitcher in baseball from April-July, then he stumbles and gets knocked around, putting himself out of contention for the Cy Young Award. My hope is that Kopech is more like Justin Verlander. Where is Eloy Jimenez?

If there is something worse than the White Sox, it must be the Kansas City Royals. Five and five in their last ten, it looks as if the White Sox may win more than fifty games. That’s nothing to be proud of, but not as bad as the Royals or the Baltimore Orioles. The White Sox should bring up Jimenez and move Nicky Delmonico to third and bench Sanchez and his .303 on base percentage and no power. That would be a nice upgrade.

Carlos Rodon is worth the price of admission. Since regaining his strength after surgery he has been lights out. He is a number one pitcher and what you need to lead a young pitching staff. Maybe the other youngsters, who are having as expected their ups and downs, will figure it out for next year. Maybe then the White Sox can earn some R. E. S. P. E. C. T. Sorry, couldn’t resist an Aretha reference.

Cubs Keep on Trucking White Sox Keep on Losing

August 10, 2018

Facing two last- place  teams, the Cubs had a chance to put some space between themselves and their challengers. In the four games against the San Diego Padres, the Cubs only managed a split. They beat the Kansas City Royals in the first two games. Winning game three would have redeemed their poor showing against the Padres. However, in what has become a recurring theme, the Cub bats went silent and they were shut-out] by Royals rookie Heath Fillmyer. The Cubs, who used to feast on these types of teams,] went a disappointing 4-3.

You would think they may miss the playoffs if they keep underachieving. There is no chance of this happening. Before the series started, the Cubs were up 1 1/2 games, three in the loss column. As it stands right now they are 2 games ahead, four in the loss column. Their closest competitors, the Milwaukee Brewers, do not seem capable of consistently winning games.  The Cubs have a better chance of putting together a winning streak, despite how they are currently playing. Come September,  Kris Bryant and closer Brandon Morrow should be back. With a month under their belts they should ready for the postseason.

I can go on and on about how bad the White Sox are. They were playing a little better, but then the Yankees came to town and beat them three straight, with only one game being close. In game two, Reynaldo Lopez went seven innings giving up one run. As usual the bullpen faltered in the 10th  inning, giving up two runs. However, with two outs in the bottom of the inning, red -hot] Jose Abreu tied the game with a   two- run  homer. With one out in the 11th inning, Sox manager, Ricky Renteria changes pitchers for a lefty vs. lefty match up. Problem is, he walks the batter and the next two hitters are righties. Yankees score the winning run.

During the series, White Sox center fielder  Adam Engle made two outstanding catches on balls that would have been home runs. I’m thinking, he would be a real good fourth or fifth outfielder as a defensive replacement. The Sox have to find someone who hits over .215, preferably with some power. There still are reasons to watch. Jose Abreu is possibly the hottest hitter. Since the all-star break he has a 1.144 OPS. Not all prospects turn out to be good players. It will be interesting to see if Yoan Moncada improves. Speaking of prospects, where are Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech?

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Dog Days of August

 August 3, 2018

In prior seasons the Chicago Cubs have gone on a tear after the all-star break. This year they are struggling. Their lead has shrunk to one game. They do however have a three game lead in the loss column. There are chinks in the armor and the pennant race may go down to the wire.

I’m not ready to anoint Cole Hamels as the savior. He pitched extremely well in his Cub debut. The only problem is like other Cub starters he didn’t make it to the sixth inning. Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana are guilty of this problem. Montgomery hasn’t pitched this many innings previously in his career and who knows how long he will last. You can wear out your bullpen before the September. Chasing the Cubs are the Brewers. Needing to shore up their pitching the Brewers added hitters to their team, not the pitching they desperately need to compete with the Cubs. They did acquire Joakim Soria for relief help.

In a loss Thursday night to the dreadfully awful San Diego Padres I believe you saw the real Jesse Chavez who along with other relievers stumbled in a six to one loss. Once again the hitting disappeared, the Cubs amassing only three hits. No one knows when Kris Bryant or Brandon Morrow will return. Cub fans are getting antsy and maybe losing a little confidence.  Alas, your next six games are against the aforementioned Padres and an even worse Kansas City Royals team. The Cubs, for the most part, feast on bad teams.

There is only one question regarding the White Sox. Will they promote Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech? The answer seems to be NO! General Manager, Rick Hahn, said so mumbo jumbo about a checklist which they haven’t completed. There are numerous players on the current roster that never completed that check list. The other reason at issue is they don’t want to lose service and keep them under control. I’m sure I get this but I think it’s a matter of six years instead of seven.  My question is if these players are as good as advertised woudn’t you want work out a contract after three years and have control for years to come? I think the Whte Sox owe to the suffering fan base to field the best team possible. Damn the checklist and service time.

Meanwhile, on the field, Carlos Rodon is showing he can be one of the top pitchers in the league. He is worth the price of admission. After the worst slump of his years in baseball, Jose Abreu is starting to be himself again. His eye and power have returned. Manager Ricky Renteria, needs to come to the realization that Danny Palka, not Matt Davidson should be the designated hitter, especially against what he can be. The problem for me is I expected him to improve as the season progressed, but he hasn’t. I know he’s a rookie and is learning. Someone needs to tell him that with two strikes some pitches are too close to take. You try to get a piece, maybe foul it off and get another pitch. He seems to be striking out looking..

right hand pitchers. Renteri also has to realize who’s on the opposing team’s bench when doing his matchup thing. Top prospect Yoan Moncada is striking out at a record pace. I have seen glimpses of