Chicago Sports

After a dreary 2021, the Cubs need production from a new-look team. The success of these five players will be the most important this coming season:

Kyle Hendricks and Marcus Stroman, RHPs

Starting pitching was the Cubs’ biggest weakness last year, and that included Hendricks. He pitched well most of the first half, but after a series of deflating trades at the July 30 deadline, he had a hard time replicating the early success.

No one is concerned that Hendricks — always considered a consistent piece of the rotation — can’t be the ace again. But he can’t do it all by himself, so team president Jed Hoyer brought in Stroman, formerly of the Mets, to be Hendricks’ running mate. Stroman has a pitching style similar to Hendricks’, but the way he manipulates the ball gives him a different look.

The addition of veteran lefty Wade Miley also should lead to more wins for the rotation.

Willson Contreras, C

The Cubs lost tons of power in their lineup with their deadline trades but hung on to Contreras, who managed to finish with 28 homers in 129 games despite battling injuries that hampered him at the plate.

Adding backup catcher Yan Gomes this offseason should help Contreras to stay fresh, something both he and manager David Ross have said is important.

“Obviously, I want to play every single day,” Contreras said in October. “But I also understand that my body needs rest, because catching every single day — night and day games — is not easy.”

Contreras is a candidate for a contract extension, but it remains to be seen whether the Cubs are interested in opening talks.

Patrick Wisdom, 3B

Wisdom, a true power threat, was a bright spot in a season in which the Cubs lost 90-plus games for the first time since 2014. He hit 29 homers, breaking Kris Bryant’s 2015 record of 26 by a Cubs rookie, and showed he’s an excellent defender at third, ensuring he’ll stay in the lineup.

Now that opposing teams have had time to adjust to Wisdom, 30, he’ll have to show he can adjust right back. As currently assembled, the Cubs don’t have much power in their lineup, putting pressure on him to continue what he’s been doing.

Insert free-agent shortstop here

Carlos Correa, come on down!

OK, the two-time Astros All-Star may be a long shot at this point, but the Cubs could use one more big signing. Several marquee names are still on the free-agent market since the lockout began, and there’s a real opportunity to make a splash.

Shortstop has been an area of need for the Cubs since they traded Javy Baez to the Mets last summer, with Nico Hoerner considered a winning player who’s been difficult to get on the field because of injuries. Correa and Trevor Story, a two-time All-Star with the Rockies, are available. Even journeyman Freddy Galvis, who played with the Orioles and Phillies last season, would be an upgrade.

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Kendall Graveman, unlike Craig Kimbrel, is one of the lucky ones.

The three-year, $24 million deal Graveman signed to be a late-inning reliever for the White Sox was consummated before the Dec. 1 lockout, allowing him to enjoy the winter knowing where he will pitch in 2022. Kimbrel, on the other hand, is in limbo, although still under contract with the Sox after a disappointing 2021 half season on the South Side. The Sox had designs on trading him this offseason and likely still do, but they were unable to find a suitable deal before the lockout that has halted all baseball activity until further notice.

With Liam Hendriks, who finished eighth in AL Cy Young voting, entrenched as the Sox closer, Graveman provides a safety net for setup work should Kimbrel get traded, a possibility general manager Rick Hahn rather strongly suggested during the general managers meetings in November.

Graveman, who notched 10 saves for the Mariners and posted a 3.13 ERA in 23 late-inning appearances after a deadline trade to the Astros last season, is equipped for and agreeable to any role.

“At the beginning in my time in Seattle I wasn’t closing, I was kind of doing a little bit of everything, and then I went to throwing in the ninth, and then I went to setting up when I got back to Houston,” Graveman said. “It was a benefit to do all of those roles in one year.”

Graveman said he told the Sox during negotiations the same thing he Mariners manager Scott Servais and Astros manager Dusty Baker.

“That I am trying to get three, four or five outs, whenever my name is called,” he said.

With Ryan Pressly closing for the Astros, Graveman pitched in three games in the postseason, posting a 2.25 ERA including three innings of one-run ball in the Houston’s 3-1 ALDS victory over the Sox.

“I have no ego in this game. I couldn’t care less about personal stats,” Graveman said. “I want to help a baseball team win. If I throw the eighth, the seventh, if there’s a big situation in the sixth and [manager] Tony [La Russa] needs me, I’ll be available. I’ll be ready.”

With Hendriks, Graveman, Aaron Bummer, Garrett Crochet and Ryan Burr comprising the guts of the Sox back-end bullpen (Ryan Tepera is a free agent), keeping Kimbrel in the mix must be tempting. But that means devoting $37 million in salary to three relief pitchers (Kimbrel at $16 million, Hendriks at $13 million and Graveman at $8 million), and it means by trusting Kimbrel will return to his All-Star form, but for a steep price. It’s a chance another team is likely willing to make.

It would give the Sox, who are probably losing free agent Carlos Rodon from the starting rotation, the super pen envisioned when second baseman of the present and future Nick Madrigal and power-armed late-inning reliever Codi Heuer were traded to the North Side for Kimbrel, an aggressive deal that now has the Sox in need of a second baseman for 2022. While social media clips of power hitting corner infielder Jake Burger working at second base have fans wondering what the Sox are up to, it’s probably more than a sensible plan to make Burger as versatile as he can be.

But it’s a grim reminder that Madrigal is gone, with nothing to show for it because of Kimbrel’s flop.

Perhaps Graveman, a ground-ball specialist who combined to go 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 61 strikeouts over 56 innings with Seattle and Houston last season, will make fans forget. He said the Sox gave no indication to them what they had in mind for Kimbrel, whom Graveman got to know when he was briefly with the Cubs and rehabbing an injury in Arizona. Graveman reached out to Kimbrel when weighing his decision to sign.

“Somebody that even when I was younger would watch on TV and I truly respect to do it for that long and be that good,” Graveman said. “He is an outstanding human. I know his family and just know what good people they are so I wanted to get his opinion.

“He had a lot of positive things to say about the White Sox.”

Who, by the way, are still Kimbrel’s team even if it doesn’t feel that way.

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Believe it or not, the Fire open their regular season in less than a month when they visit Inter Miami on Feb. 26. Here are three observations as the Fire continue training camp:

Is a big move incoming?

The Fire have added two starters since last season, bringing in striker Kacper Przybylko (more on him below) and defender Rafael Czichos. Those are two good signings by sporting director Georg Heitz, but more is needed.

Help, however, is apparently on the way.

A source confirmed Friday that the Fire are close to signing Lyon midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri as a designated player. A two-time Champions League winner, the 30-year-old Shaqiri was at Swiss club FC Basel the same time as Heitz, and would fill a glaring need for an experienced attack-minded player who would take some of the burden off Gaston Gimenez, Jhon Duran and whoever is signed as the team’s third designated player.

If this goes through, the move would also be a statement of intent for the Fire, as Shaqiri would represent one of the biggest signings of the MLS offseason. It would also be a major use of owner Joe Mansueto’s significant funds.

Just as importantly, news of the impending transfer excited the Fire fan base, a group waiting for something electrifying. Shaqiri qualifies.

Przybylko is a good start

One of the knocks against Heitz has been that he has overlooked proven MLS talent. He took steps to shed that reputation by bringing in Przybylko, who scored 12 times last season for the Union.

Perhaps more would be expected of Przybylko if he were a designated player, but he’s not. Instead, a double-digit output would represent a good return on the Fire’s investment, something they didn’t get last season from designated player Robert Beric. Not using a designated-player spot on a striker also gives the Fire more freedom and money to bolster their midfield with higher-salary players, which it seems like they’ll do with Shaqiri.

Przybylko will be counted on to score goals and provide leadership for what might be a very young team.

”I want to help the team as much as I can,” Przybylko said. ”Yeah, I think that’s something about leadership. I just want to help everyone, especially the young kids. So I’m going to do my best to my biggest and most ability to improve everything that this team wants to accomplish this season.”

COVID is still a focus

The Fire and MLS are entering their third season in the pandemic. Coach Ezra Hendrickson said the Fire are trying to go beyond MLS’ safety protocols, something he said might give them a competitive advantage if they can avoid COVID-related absences.

Hendrickson said all the players are vaccinated.

”It’s very difficult if you’re losing guys based on a COVID outbreak or whatever within the team,” Hendrickson said. ”So we are doing our best to make sure that it doesn’t affect us too much.”

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Two Chicago firefighters and a woman were injured in a fire early Saturday morning on the Far South Side.

Officers responded to a fire about 1 a.m. at a house in the 13400 block of South Burley Avenue, Chicago police said.

Two firefighters were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries, police said.

A woman, 32, was taken to Trinity Hospital with smoke inhalation, and was listed in good condition, police said.

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LAS VEGAS — Being traded to the Bears might have saved return man/receiver Jakeem Grant’s career. Now he’s hoping to enjoy whatever future he secured for himself in a Pro Bowl season with them rather than leave in free agency.

The Bears acquired Grant from the Dolphins for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick in October because they desperately needed a reliable kick and punt returner. They wound up getting much more.

Grant was one of only two players in the NFL to return a punt for a touchdown this season and was third in the league with an average of 11.9 yards per punt return. He also was a factor on offense, which was an idea on which the Dolphins had given up. He flashed potential during a four-game stretch late in the season in which he caught nine passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns and rushed three times for 16 yards.

He hopes that, along with a career body of work that includes other bursts of production at receiver, will appeal to new coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Because as much as Grant ”definitely” wants to re-sign, the organization has been remade and none of the people who brought him to the Bears are around anymore.

”I think they’ll see what I bring to the table,” Grant told the Chicago Sun-Times. ”Getsy is a young guy who likes to throw the ball. So when he sees me, I think he’ll understand that I’m a guy who can get open, especially in the slot. We can get things moving downfield.”

Grant doesn’t mind the challenge of having to prove himself again, even at 29 and six years into his career. He’s used to it.

At Pro Bowl practice this week, he joked he was on a field trip with his ”uncle,” Bears outside linebacker Robert Quinn. And given Grant’s stature at 5-7, it was almost believable.

He was only a three-star prospect when Texas Tech recruited him before emerging as a dangerous receiver as a redshirt sophomore. In his last three seasons in college, he totaled 3,002 yards and 24 touchdown catches.

But those stats, plus a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash, were only good enough to make him a sixth-round pick (No. 186 overall) in 2016. Ten of the receivers drafted ahead of him are already out of the NFL. (The Bears chose safety and special-teams standout DeAndre Houston-Carson one spot ahead of Grant that year, by the way.)

It took Grant until his third season to establish himself as an offensive player. He got 47% of the snaps under coach Adam Gase in 2018 and had 21 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Then the Dolphins fired Gase and replaced him with Brian Flores. It was time for Grant to start over.

Grant put up a career-high 393 yards from scrimmage in 2020 but fell out of favor with the coaches again this season. He played only 17 snaps in the first four games before the Dolphins dealt him to the Bears.

”I definitely wanted to have a fresh start,” Grant said. ”Things were not going as planned, and being there was not gonna be great for my career.”

Instead, after boosting his stock with the Bears, he’s sure to have options now that his contract is up and he’ll hit free agency next month.

While general manager Ryan Poles and the incoming staff might have reservations about Grant on offense, there’s no question the Bears need him as a returner. Even that will require Grant to convince someone new, however, because Eberflus will bring in a new special-teams coordinator to replace Chris Tabor.

Grant, of course, is undeterred.

”I’ve definitely pushed the notion that I can be a threat on offense, so I think they can use me a lot more,” he said. ”If the chips fall right, I’ll be back in Chicago.”

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LAS VEGAS — With so much to do in their first weeks on the job, Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus probably forgot the Pro Bowl was even happening this week. Most people do anyway.

But their fingerprints are all over it.

The AFC roster for Sunday’s game has six Chiefs, including four that Poles helped draft. And Eberflus’ old team, the Colts, sent a league-high seven players — three from his top-10 defense.

And at least a few of them credit those two for helping them get here. It’d be easy for any of these players to offer a trite “nice guy; wish him well,” line, but some of them simply couldn’t stop raving.

Remember the H.I.T.S. acronym that Eberflus laid out in his opening press conference Monday? The one that sounded like it would be most suited delivered on PowerPoint in an office conference room?

You’d think his former players would be happy they don’t have to hear about it anymore.

“No, I’ll miss it,” said Colts inside linebacker Darius Leonard. “That H.I.T.S. principle made me who I am.”

Made him who he is? Those are thunderously significant words from a three-time all-pro.

The Colts drafted Leonard in the second round out of South Carolina State in 2018, and he was an almost-instant star despite “not really knowing the game,” as he put it. He led the NFL in tackles with 163, forced four fumbles, had seven sacks and intercepted two passes.

He went on to earn a five-year, $99.3 million contract extension last summer, and he gives a lot of credit to Eberflus and linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi — one of three assistants Eberflus brought with him, along with defensive coordinator Alan Williams and defensive backs coach James Rowe — for turning him into one of the league’s most dominant defensive players.

“He did everything for me,” Leonard said. “He taught me the game, especially as a rookie, going in early in the morning and having a walk-through with just him and Borgonzi, learning the playbook and stuff like that. I’ve got athletic ability, but he put the game plan up.”

One of the most interesting things to watch with Eberflus, Williams and Borgonzi is whether they can maximize a similar talent in Bears linebacker Roquan Smith.

As far as the understated, businesslike persona Eberflus presented in his opening press conference, Leonard and safety Kenny Moore said that’s not how he is all the time. That might be the tone in front of the media or when running a meeting, but Eberflus ratchets it up a couple notches once practice starts.

“He has calm days, but he has his days where he needs to get everybody going,” Moore said. “He has the ‘social skills’ to get a player’s attention.”

Leonard added, “When he gets on the field, he demands absolutely everything out of his guys… In the press conference, he’ll do what he needs to do, but then he’ll go into the locker room and demand excellence. That’s what you need.”

The Bears will get a similar approach from Williams, who has two decades of experience coaching in the NFL. He was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator in 2012 and ’13, then spent four seasons as the Lions’ defensive backs coach before joining Eberflus in that role with the Colts.

Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, now with the Eagles, enjoyed his four seasons playing for Williams so much that they still talk regularly.

“They got a good dude in him,” Slay said of the Bears. “Straight honest. And even if the honesty was negative, he was gonna give it to you in a respectful way, and that’s what it’s all about. Solid guy. I love him.”

Slay also said it was Williams’ idea in Detroit for Quandre Diggs to move from corner to safety. He has since made the Pro Bowl twice at his new position. The Bears could use some of that outside-the-box thinking to revamp their depleted secondary.

Poles, meanwhile, isn’t quite as widely known since he spent his entire career until now in the Chiefs’ personnel department. He wouldn’t have had nearly as much interaction with players as the coaching staff did, but he was around enough to earn some respect.

“You could just tell by his walk,” safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “The guy has some purpose in it. He’s always evaluating. He’s one of those guys that really has an eye for talent. He’s helped us find some gems. I’m sure he’ll do a great job for Chicago.

“And when you run into him in the hallway, he’s easy to talk to. You can’t say that for everybody on the personnel side.”

The successes that led to Poles and Eberflus having an imprint on the Pro Bowl rosters, however, is reflective of their past. Their task now is to replicate that with the Bears, and they surely grasp the project they’ve taken on after the team went 6-11 last season and cleaned house. Their only Pro Bowlers were outside linebacker Robert Quinn and special teamer Jakeem Grant. It’s up to Poles and Eberflus to make sure the Bears have a much larger delegation going forward.

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As new Bears coach Matt Eberflus looks to establish his defensive philosophy, he’s bringing in a significant portion of his old staff from the Colts. The Bears hired Indianapolis cornerbacks coach James Rowe on Friday to be their defensive backs coach.

He joins former Colts safeties coach Alan Williams (defensive coordinator) and linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi (same position).

Rowe has been coaching since 2007, but little of his experience has been in the NFL. Last season was his first as a position coach in the league. He has mostly coached in college football other than working as assistant defensive backs coach for Washington from 2017 through ’19.

Eberflus is getting close to rounding out his staff for his first season. Here’s a look at where it stands:

OC Luke Getsy
QBs Andrew Jonocko
OL Chris Morgan
WRs/PGC Tyke Tolbert

DC Alan Williams
LBs Dave Borgonzi
DBs James Rowe

Unless Eberflus plans to retain some of the previous staff, he’ll still need at least a tight ends coach, running backs coach and defensive line coach.

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Bulls center Nikola Vucevic found himself in a rare situation Friday.

The undermanned — and extremely undersized — Pacers had little choice but to throw guards and wings at him, all but daring him to take advantage of the matchups with some old-fashioned bully ball.

Vucevic did just that, scoring a season-high 36 points on 16-for-21 shooting and grabbing 17 rebounds to help carry the Bulls to a 122-115 victory in Indianapolis. The Bulls outrebounded the Pacers 43-37 and outscored them in the paint 70-54.

In most games this season, however, it has been the Bulls and their small lineup looking to cause enough chaos to cover up the deficiencies they have had in terms of rebounding and physicality. And unless the Bulls get aggressive by the trade deadline Thursday, that won’t be changing.

Guards Alex Caruso (wrist surgery) and Lonzo Ball (knee surgery) are expected back in March, and guards Zach LaVine (back) and Coby White (groin) got the game against the Pacers off to try to heal up. But unless one of them has an unforeseen growth spurt, losses such as the one Thursday to the Raptors should be more concerning than victories such as the one Friday should be celebrated.

Coach Billy Donovan reiterated that size will remain a concern for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs.

”Every team has different concerns and things they have to deal with,” Donovan said. ”Like, there’s no perfect team. But I do think that when we’ve had a real focus on that — with Alex, with Lonzo, with DeMar [DeRozan], with Zach, with even Ayo [Dosunmu], some of the different guys — we’ve been able to hold our own and do a decent job where we really haven’t gotten dominated.

”[Against the Raptors], we got really dominated there. But I think if you look at our defensive rebounding, it hasn’t been necessarily the worst in the league. And I think when we’ve been whole . . . we’ve been able to hold our own.”

Donovan has been stressing rotational block-outs all season, especially with how often the Bulls are forced to run two players at post-up big men. That’s why, with the trade deadline looming, all eyes are looking to the Bulls’ front office to make life easier.

”It’s valid; it’s something we’re going to have to overcome in certain situations,” Donovan said of the Bulls’ lack of size.

That’s why the Pacers were such a nice break from that.

”It was different,” Vucevic said. ”When you just look at it, ‘Oh, he’s got a huge height advantage.’ Yeah, but sometimes it’s hard because they crowd you and work around you. . . . [On Friday], I was able to take advantage.”

The Bulls had some head-shaking defensive breakdowns, but it wasn’t for their lack of size. Their bench played poorly, they gave the Pacers too many clean looks from three-point range and they allowed Caris LeVert to score 42 points.

But the Bulls’ offense, led by Vucevic and DeRozan (31 points), pretty much had its way against the Pacers.

Then there was rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu. His career-high 14 assists were great, but his dunk to short-circuit a late-game Pacers run was spectacular.

Donovan called a play that allowed Dosunmu to get downhill. He faked a pass to DeRozan, then turned the corner and attacked, dunking on two Pacers with 16.3 seconds left to put the Bulls ahead by five.

”My confidence is always high,” Dosunmu said. ”I put a lot of work into my game.”

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The NHL season has hit its break with the annual All-Star Game this weekend in Las Vegas as players, coaches and fans descend to T-Mobile Arena for the festivities. While we are on a break from this season, you can celebrate the All-Star Weekend with a brand new Chicago Blackhawks bobblehead from our friends at Forever Collectibles.

The site has released new bobbleheads for the Western Conference on Friday including the Blackhawks:

As you see above, the goalie bobblehead takes on a Las Vegas theme to fit with All-Star Weekend in Sin City. Each bobblehead for the Western Conference will cost $55 and is numbered out of 222. Preorder yours now before they sell out!

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Over the last three decades, Chicago has been the hotbed for various sporting activities. Numerous teams have made headlines by hoisting various cups and producing world-class players. For instance, Michael Jordan gained popularity in the ‘90s for helping the Bulls win six titles while the White Sox displayed exemplary performance in 2005. 

Similarly, the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups from 2010, followed by Cubs, who made history by ending their 108-year cup drought in 2016. However, 2021 and 2022 has been the worst sporting season ever since top clubs are facing long winless streaks.

The Bears’ Terrible Performance

The Bears surprised many when they won 12 games last season, attracting more fans and bettors alike. However, their outstanding performance was short-lived, as they lost four games in a row at the beginning of the 2022 season. Their winless streak continues to make them an underdog as more blame goes around.

The first source of wrangles in the club seems to come from the coach. Last season, Nagy’s coaching style focussed on the offensive game tricks that helped them win most matches. In January 2022, the team ranks No. 27 and No. 30 in yards per rushing and passing attempt respectively.  

Another problem is that the team’s defense is weakening due to injuries. The club’s defensive ranking dropped from No. 1 to 7 when Akiem Hicks got hurt. Unfortunately, other reliable defenders like Mike Brown and Roquan Smith are underperforming.

The White Sox Poor Signing

The strength of a team depends on the quality of players it signs. One of the biggest problems the White Sox faces is that the management is not willing to spend lots of cash. As a result, the team has failed to reach the playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons. 

The only reliable starter is Giolito, but others have varying degrees of experience. Coach Jerry Reinsdorf is trying to improve the team by introducing youngsters such as Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada. However, the fanbase expects him to spend more money on quality players to be a serious contender.

The White Sox’s main tactic is substituting agent signing with call-ups from their minor team. In 2021, the number of players called up from minors was higher than new signings. Although most minor league prospects have talent, they lack the experience to beat stronger opponents. As a result, many critics claim that the management is not committed to rebuilding the squad and winning the championship.

On January 25, the team signed Oscar Colas and Erick Hernandez to appease its supporters. Some critics claim that the former lacks professional experience while the latter is physically lean. However, the two international players are still young, and they can improve their athleticism and skills to help the Sox advance through the playoffs.

The end of the Blackhawks dynasty

At the beginning of February 2022, the Blackhawks had the second-fewest points in the Western Conference. Many fans believe that the position is unacceptable, given that the team has won a total of six Stanley Cups. Although they still have some stars, their presence does not impact the team’s performance.

The Blackhawks have many youngsters with lengthy contracts that prevent them from signing new players. Rebuilding the team through the development of new prospects is a daunting task. 

Most young players need more time to improve their skills and performance. For that reason, the Blackhawks might continue trailing on the Western Conference standings until the youngsters are ready for championships contention.

Defense is the main problem the former Stanley Cup champs are facing. They are unable to stop their opponents, leading to defeats. Similarly, the forwards are inconsistent at scoring, affecting the team’s position on the standings. 

For instance, the team had several shots on target while playing the Wild on January 22, 2022. However, only three of them can be considered as high-danger chances. Unfortunately, the Blackhawks were unable to score during overtime, leading to a 3-4 defeat by the Wild.

Summary

Many sports fans are disappointed by the performance of top Chicago-based sporting teams. Although the pandemic has played a significant role in weakening the clubs, they need to improve their game to restore their glory. If you want to bet on any Chicago-based team, we recommend that you check the current standings before visiting your favorite sportsbook software to place a bet, as well as look at any appropriate form guide. 

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