After an “OK year” as nose tackle Eddie Goldman’s primary replacement in 2020, Bilal Nichols is back to primarily playing defensive end this season. It’s a comfort zone that has him thinking big in his fourth NFL season.
“All-Pro, simply. All-Pro and winning the Super Bowl,” Nichols said. “That’s the type of standard I hold myself to every day and reach that ultimate level. If I can reach that level, I can help our team tremendously. That’s all I’m focused on right now.”
The 6-4, 299-pound Nichols has been a steady, versatile, productive player since he was drafted in the fifth round from Delaware in 2018. He had a career-high five sacks and 13 quarterback hits and his first career interception in 2020.
Though Nichols can play anywhere on the line, being back at end — and having Goldman at the nose — figures to be a boon for the entire defensive line.
“It feels amazing,” Nichols said. “We all know what caliber of player Eddie is — Pro Bowler. Best at his position. Just to have a dominant guy like the back with you, holding down the middle with Akiem [Hicks] on the other side — it’s amazing. We feel like we’re back to full strength now.”
The timing couldn’t be better for Nichols, who is in the final season of his four-year, $2.75 million rookie contract and in line for a big raise. But he insisted that’s the last thing on his mind.
“I’m just focused on this year,” Nichols said. “I don’t really know. We’re just going to play it out and go from there. I’m just focused on wining the Super Bowl this year and all that stuff will take care of itself.”
Fields Effect
Rookie cornerback Thomas Graham said hangs out with fellow rookie Justin Fields — playing games and going over film — and already can feel the impact of Fields’ personality.
“Energetic. Positive. He likes to walk around with a little swagger,” Graham said. “Stays confidence. I like to be around a confident person, because it just [instills confidence] in yourself.”
The hoops team
Jimmy Graham’s basketball background came into play in Friday’s practice when the 6-7, 260-pound Graham used his size to beat 5-9, 178-pound Duke Shelly to a pass. “Big-bodied him,” coach Matt Nagy said. “Duke tried to get the ball from him and [Graham] just used his size.
“We joke around in our offensive meetings every now than about who our starting five would be in basketball in that [offensive] room.”
Nagy said the team would include Graham [“at the 5”], quarterback Nick Foles [“running the point”] and wide receivers Javon Wims, Thomas Ives [“he’s sneaky good”] and Allen Robinson.
Sprint relay
Wide receivers Marquise Goodwin (4.27), Damiere Byrd (4.28) and Darnell Mooney (4.38) all have sub 4.4 40 speed. So who would be the fourth runner on a 4 x 100-meter relay team? Goodwin picked rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who ran a 4.44 40 at his Ohio State pro day.
Bits and pieces
Rookie left tackle Teven Jenkins (back) did not practice again Saturday. Nagy did not give a timetable for his training camp debut. … Graham was given a “load management” day. … Safety Deon Bush had the first interception of camp, leaping to pick off an Andy Dalton pass … Nagy said the Bears will be in full pads for the first time in camp at Tuesday’s practice at Soldier Field.
Follow along with the Sun-Times as the tunes continue Saturday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park. Day 3 headliners include Megan Thee Stallion and Post Malone.
Cannons
Fate has treated Cannons well in the past year. After their saucy hit “Fire For You” landed on the Netflix teen drama “Never Have I Ever,” the L.A. trio was signed to Columbia Records and had a #1 hit on the Billboard alternative charts.
Keeping the crowd on bated breath, the act ended their dreamy early set with that number, as singer Michelle Joy commenting on how the track “changed their lives” after working on their craft for seven years, with bandmates Ryan Clapham (guitar) and Paul Davis (keyboards) finding Joy through a Craigslist ad.
It’s a story told a thousand times, but only a few bands like Cannons make it to a main stage at Lollapalooza — and they clearly have the je ne sais quoi to back it up.
It was also the band’s first time ever playing Chicago and the trio, accompanied by a live drummer, came dressed for the occasion.
Joy looked like a mix between Cher and She-Ra with a gold jumpsuit that hinted at her pop star career in the making. Her bandmates were wearing equally vibrant Midas shades, looking like they just got off the set of “Miami Vice.”
It makes sense since that seems to be their decade of choice. The band effortlessly floats in the ’80s post-disco electro-rock clouds, with a fresh pop veneer on songs like “Bad Dream,” “Talk Talk” and “Hurricance,” the latter debuting on Saturday, from their forthcoming album, out this fall.
Although Joy struggled at times to find her vocal footing, the set showed great promise for these up-and-comers. — Selena Fragassi
Michigander performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Saturday afternoon, July 31, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Michigander
Michigander’s Jason Singer swore he thought he’d only see about 20 people at his set, but there was easily a hundred times that amount of revelers taking in the easy-like-Saturday-afternoon performance delivering perfectly crafted indie pop.
Of course hailing from Michigan (Detroit, to be specific), Singer and crew imbued that laidback Midwest attitude in both their music and their exultation for being tapped for a spot at Lollapalooza.
The frontman commented several times it was a “dream come true” and something he could only pine for as a high schooler when he first began writing music, like the song “Fears.” But with his talent, it was really only a matter of time until people started listening — and they have.
The band hit a high note with material from the recently released EP, “Everything Will Be Ok Eventually,” a figurative place it feels like we’re getting back to, Singer said.
Later, they began with a cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police” morphing it into their storyteller song “East Chicago, IN.”
The addition of a trombone player in the ensemble gave the band another layer to peel away and one that has many wanting to know more.
Thankfully, they were scheduled at the same time as Madrid indie rock band Hinds whose issues with visas prevented them from making an appearance at Lollapalooza, with Michigander filling in the gaps. — Selena Fragassi
Festival-goers flock to Grant Park for day three of Lollapalooza, Saturday afternoon, July 31, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Joy Oladokun
It’s really a wonder the BMI Stage at Lollapalooza is not the most crowded of the day, every day, with its track record of producing the next gen starts — and after seeing Joy Oladokun’s heartfelt, powerful, deep, timely and important set on Saturday, it’s clear she is next to launch.
Singer-songwriters with both universal appeal and resonating perspective like Oladokun don’t come around often, but when they do, they make their permanent mark. The songs she chose for this set touched on a range of themes — heartbreak and love (“Sorry Isn’t Good Enough”), the crossroads of religion and coming out (“Jordan”) and the current socio-political complex (“I See America”). The latter she interspersed with a house-toppling cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” the intersection of the two songs giving its own moment of pause.
Born in ’92, “I See America” is her reflection about being born in the year of the Rodney King Riots and, almost 30 years later, witnessing a similar uproar of the death of George Floyd: “It’s exhausting to have to do this all the time … this song is about the tension between what a country can be and what it shows itself to be.”
To close out the set, Oladokun (switching between electric and acoustic guitars) chose another interesting medley – pairing her latest imprint “Sunday” with Prince’s “The Cross,” bubbling into a musical baptism with its amount of spirit. “I would love for you to forever associate me with Prince, how he can make you think and dance at the same time,” she said.
Oladokun doesn’t give herself nearly enough credit for being able to do so already. She may come off carefree with her jeans and Jimi Hendrix T-shirt ensemble and a sing-a-long coffeehouse vibe, but she has a fire inside we will continue to see rise over time. — Selena Fragassi
Lollapalooza officially returned to Grant Park this week for four days of music and good times despite concerns about how bringing together over 100,000 people each day will affect the ongoing pandemic.
The festival, which opened Thursday with vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test required for entry, represents the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March. Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show will go on this weekend.
Miley Cyrus performs at the T-Mobile stage, Thursday, July 29, 2021.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Black Pumas performs at the T-Mobile stage, Thursday.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Michigander’s Jason Singer swore he thought he’d only see about 20 people at his set, but there was easily 100x that amount of revelers taking in the easy-like-Saturday-afternoon performance delivering perfectly crafted indie pop.
Of course hailing from Michigan (Detroit, to be specific), Singer and crew imbued that laidback Midwest attitude in both their music and their exultation for being tapped for a spot at Lollapalooza.
The frontman commented several times it was a “dream come true” and something he could only pine for as a high schooler when he first began writing music like the song “Fears.” But with his talent, it was really only a matter of time until people started listening – and they have.
Tyler, the Creator was trending on social media ahead of his headlining set to close out Day 2 of Lollapalooza. Half of the people were upset the festival was not yet streaming his performance on Hulu and had chosen to broadcast Marshmello instead, and the other half were pleading with the universe to make his rumored appearance with his Odd Future cohort Frank Ocean happen (though that seemed like a tall order).
One was righted as the livestream picked up the performance a half-hour later, thankfully allowing a much larger crowd to pay witness to the visionary, art-driven set that melded jazz, R&B, rap, trip hop, and darkcore.
The Grammy Award winner astutely merged the worlds of live theater and concert in his hour-plus set, sparing no effort to bring his full production stage the “creator” part of him is known for, even as live touring just starts to make its comeback and while most sets this weekend have been understandably scaled back.
Starting her Lollapalooza headlining set with “We Can’t Stop” (preaching the general theme of “it’s my party and I’ll do what I want to”), Miley Cyrusset the tone early on: It would be one helluva time and she would be making all the rules. In following those two tenets, the genre-bending star dominated the festival’s opening night.
There were fireworks, some memorable covers, a motley crew of guests, moments of nearly flashing the videofeed cameras, and the artist taking a stand on the important of freeing Britney Spears. During Cyrus’ performance Thursday of her hit “SMS (Bangerz),” which features Spears, the jumbo screens next to the stage broadcast the trending #freebritney message superimposed with caricatures of handcuffs. (Cyrus recently championed Spears’ conservatorship emancipation at a show in Vegas too.)
Lightfoot takes the stage: ‘Thank you for masking up and vaxing up’
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who has been outspoken about her decision to keep Lollapalooza as scheduled despite the uptick in cases of COVID-19 and numerous variants spreading around the country, made a not-so-surprise appearance on the festival’s opening day.
Wearing a Black Pumas T-shirt, she introduced the group’s midday set at the T-Mobile Stage and hailed the Pumas as one of the greatest rock bands of today.
“The rate of vaccination in this crowd is off the charts,” she said.
First Lolla fans optimistic as 2021 festival kicks off amid COVID-19 precautions
Thousands of fans streamed into Grant Park Thursday marking the return of Lollapalooza after COVID-19 halted last year’s iteration of the 30-year-old music festival. While some fans said they were slightly worried about COVID-19, many expressed confidence in Lollapalooza’s new protocols.
But not everyone knew about the vaccine mandate in order to attend the music festival.
Lolla signs warn attendees they assume risk for COVID-19
The thousands of people entering Lollapalooza on Thursday are being greeted by signs explaining something that’s not included on their public health and safety website: By attending the festival, “you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19,” which they mention “can lead to severe illness and death.”
Some of the names on the Lolla lineup are a lot bigger than others. Selena Fragassi parses through the dozens of bands and artists to break down 10 must-see acts that attendees won’t want to miss this weekend. Here’s what Fragassi says about one of the festival’s earliest performers, Orville Peck:
No one exactly knows who this incognito Canadian country singer is (his trademark look is a long, fringed mask and cowboy hat) but the boudoir-looking John Wayne has heaped tons of due praise in his few years on the scene. Both for crafting a highly contagious psychedelic outlaw sound that refreshes the genre and for being an LGBTQ iconoclast whose work with Trixie Mattel and Gaga will soon put him in a new league.
With coronavirus case figures rising across the country amid lagging vaccination rates and the emergence of the Delta variant, Lollapalooza put in place security measures to help make the festival safer.
Sam Mustipher learns well and is always thinking — one of the keys to his rapid rise from the Bears’ practice squad to starting center.
That was even evident when Mustipher was asked about his weight gain during the offseason that he hopes will give him the size and strength to better battle the bigger defensive tackles he faces and erase a key knock on his ability to sustain an NFL career — that he’s undersized.
“If I play my cards [right], I’ll probably get a sponsorship out of this,” Mustipher said. “I love Lou’s [Lou Malnati’s pizza] — thin crust, deep dish, whatever. It’s all good.”
But it wasn’t just pizza. “Everything,” Mustipher said when asked about his weight-gain diet. “I ate whatever I wanted to. It was an offensive lineman’s dream, and just trying to get as strong as possible. That was my only goal.”
By his listed weights, the 6-2 Mustipher is virtually unchanged from 2020 — from 311 pounds to 314. But he likely was lighter than 311 last year and is a much more fit 314 this year. Working with Bears sports science coordinator Jennifer Gibson, Mustipher not only got bigger, he got stronger and in better shape.
“I don’t think it’s the weight as much as it is muscle,” Mustipher said. “I think I’m at the highest amount of lean body mass that I’ve ever had in my life, which was huge. That was something I worked with Jen Gibson in figuring out, ‘What do I need to do this offseason? How do I need to train? What are the foods I need to be putting in my body to reach those goals?
“So my strength numbers went up. That was the critical thing. You can get big and just get fat and slow. I want to get strong and explosive.”
“He’s in the best shape of his life” is a classic NFL training camp storyline that often sounds better in July than it does in December. But Mustipher has come so far, so quickly, he’s primed to take the next step.
At training camp a year ago, Mustipher was an afterthought — a 2019 undrafted free agent from Notre Dame taking third-team reps with three centers ahead of him — Cody Whitehair, James Daniels and Corey Levin — and headed for the practice squad.
Today he’s the unquestioned starting center after a promising eight-game stint as a starter, following injuries to Daniels and Whitehair.
“Pretty cool story,” coach Matt Nagy said. “He leads by actions. Last year, the chance he had to play, he took advantage of it. The game means a lot to him. The guys look to him as a leader. He’s super smart. He’s a quarterback’s best friend.”
Though Whitehair and Daniels are more established, Mustipher could develop into the leader of the Bears’ offensive line. Already, older players seem to follow his lead.
“The sky is the limit for the kid. I just love the mentality he comes with every day,” said Whitehair, a starter since Week 1 of his rookie season in 2016 and a Pro Bowl center in 2018. “He comes in ready to work. He’s one of the first guys in the building. He’s always studying his iPad — every time you see him at his locker. He’s always trying to perfect his game. And that’s helped him get to where he’s at today. And he’s only going to get better.”
It’s a different world for Mustipher now, but he knows the trick to staying here is to take the work ethic that got him this far, and turn it up a notch.
“It’s the same hunger and passion and love and energy that I have for the game when I was an undrafted guy,” Mustipher said. “The mindset is still the same. As long as I’m helping the Bears win, I’m going to have a job. So it’s been awesome. Training camp every year is all football and I love that. Best job in the world.”
Follow along with the Sun-Times as the tunes continue Saturday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park. Day 3 headliners include Megan Thee Stallion and Post Malone.
Cannons
Fate has treated Cannons well in the past year. After their saucy hit “Fire For You” landed on the Netlix teen drama “Never Have I Ever,” the L.A. trio was signed to Columbia Records and had a #1 hit on the Billboard alternative charts. Keeping the crowd on baited breath, the act ended their dreamy early set with that number, singer Michelle Joy commenting on how the track “changed their lives” after slaving over their craft for seven years, with bandmates Ryan Clapham (guitar) and Paul Davis (keyboards) finding Joy through a Craigslist ad. It’s a story told a thousand times, but only a few bands like Cannons make it to a mainstage at Lollapalooza – and they clearly have the je ne sais quoi to back it up. It was also the band’s first time ever playing Chicago and the trio (accompanied by a live drummer) came dressed for the occasion. Joy looked like a mix between Cher and She-ra with a gold jumpsuit that hinted at her pop star in the making and her bandmates were wearing equally vibrant Midas shades looking like they just got off the set of “Miami Vice.” It makes sense since that seems to be their decade of choice. The band effortlessly floats in the ’80s post-disco electro rock clouds, with a fresh pop veneer on songs like “Bad Dream,” “Talk Talk” and “Hurricance,” the latter debuting on Saturday, from their forthcoming album, out this fall. Although Joy struggled at times to find her vocal footing, the set showed great promise for these up-and-comers. — Selena Fragassi
Michigander performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Saturday afternoon, July 31, 2021.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Michigander
Michigander’s Jason Singer swore he thought he’d only see about 20 people at his set, but there was easily 100x that amount of revelers taking in the easy-like-Saturday-afternoon performance delivering perfectly crafted indie pop. Of course hailing from Michigan (Detroit, to be specific), Singer and crew imbued that laidback Midwest attitude in both their music and their exultation for being tapped for a spot at Lollapalooza. The frontman commented several times it was a “dream come true” and something he could only pine for as a high schooler when he first began writing music like the song “Fears.” But with his talent, it was really only a matter of time until people started listening – and they have. The band hit a high note with material from the recently released EP, “Everything Will Be Ok Eventually,” a figurative place it feels like we’re getting back to, Singer said. Later, they began with a cover of Radiohead’s “Karma Police” morphing it into their storyteller song “East Chicago, IN.” The addition of a trombone player in the ensemble gave the band another layer to peel away and one that has many wanting to know more. Thankfully they were scheduled at the same time as Madrid indie rock band Hinds whose issues with visas prevented them from making an appearance at Lollapalooza with Michigander filling in the gaps. — Selena Fragassi
Lolla is the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March.
COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 35% across Illinois during a week that saw cases jump 46%, public health officials reported Friday.
City health officials said that they’d adopt new indoor masking guidelines set by the CDC as cases spike in Chicago, too.
Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show is continuing, with the final day set for Sunday.
We’ve got the festival covered from every angle. For a complete guide to all things Lolla, check out our guide here. If you want our tips of the acts to catch, you can find our Top 10 pickshere. And keep in mind, there are gobs of street closures in place; you can find the details here.
Cannons performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Cannons performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Cannons performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers flock to Grant Park for day three of Lollapalooza on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers get their photo taken near Buckingham Fountain on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Michigander performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers cheer as Michigander on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Michigander performs on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers cheer as Michigander on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Workers hand out face masks to festival-goers as they enter the Lolla Shop on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers shop for merchandise at the Lolla Shop on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers flock to Grant Park for day three of Lollapalooza on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Festival-goers cheer as Michigander on day three of Lollapalooza in Grant Park on Saturday afternoon.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Some of the most hacky, worn out shtick in football is the annual training camp argument in which every wide receiver unflinchingly proclaims himself the fastest of the group.
They aren’t doing that nonsense at Halas Hall. That banter doesn’t fly when there’s a former Olympian in the room.
As impressive as Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney are, they know they’re not outracing Marquise Goodwin. He finished 10th in long jump at the 2012 Games and in late June was still vying for a spot on the team for Tokyo. He used to be an elite sprinter, too, and clocked a 6.69 in the 60 meters before blazing through his 40-yard dash in 4.27 seconds while preparing for the NFL Draft.
Goodwin has bigger ambitions than merely being the fastest man in Lake Forest.
“I’m just glad to still be the fastest in the league,” he said Saturday after another practice in which the Bears’ secondary struggled to stay with him. The day before, he scorched No. 1 cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who claimed later he did not remember the play.
While Goodwin’s pure speed is clear as could be, his potential role in coach Matt Nagy’s offense isn’t. He’s the biggest mystery on the team.
Goodwin, 30, is three years removed from his best season, but still looks highly capable of being one of the Bears’ most dangerous playmakers. He caught 56 passes for 962 yards and two touchdowns in 2017, then played just 20 games over the next two seasons and opted out of 2020 because of concerns about the coronavirus.
Nagy said the Bears had a lot of uncertainty about any player who stepped away last season — they signed running back Damien Williams, drafted cornerback Thomas Graham and had defensive tackle Eddie Goldman and defensive back Jordan Lucas opt out — but was reassured by Goodwin’s Olympic training.
“Anytime you have an Olympic mentality, you are different,” Nagy said. “That’s a minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour regime [in which] you are keeping your body in shape.”
His speed is holding steady even at this age, and Goodwin said he feels even faster than his pre-draft 40 time. This is a lot different than when they brought in Ted Ginn at 35 a year ago.
Goodwin’s ability to outrun a defense — “I really don’t get hit that much,” he said — is one reason the Bears believe they have undoubtedly upgraded the position. Robinson at the top is a given. Mooney was already ahead of Anthony Miller early last season and doesn’t sound crazy when he says he’s targeting 1,000 yards in Year 2. With Goodwin and Damiere Byrd — 47 catches, 604 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots last season — next in line, the Bears don’t have to keep waiting on a breakthrough by Javon Wims or Riley Ridley.
Assuming running back Tarik Cohen is fully back from his torn ACL by the start of the season, the Bears would be sending out a fleet of receiving targets as fast as any in the NFL for quarterback Andy Dalton.
“A lot of us see what speed can do in this league,” Nagy said. “It can definitely scare a lot of defensive coordinators when you have that because it can open up the run game, too, because you’ve got to play deeper.”
The Bears haven’t struck fear in a defensive coordinator in a long time, but this group could do it.
Lolla is the largest public event to date held in Chicago since the emergence of the coronavirus last March.
COVID-19 hospitalizations increased by 35% across Illinois during a week that saw cases jump 46%, public health officials reported Friday.
City health officials said that they’d adopt new indoor masking guidelines set by the CDC as cases spike in Chicago, too.
Despite worries over the virus’ Delta variant and rising caseloads nationally, the show is continuing, with the final day set for Sunday.
We’ve got the festival covered from every angle. For a complete guide to all things Lolla, check out our guide here. If you want our tips of the acts to catch, you can find our Top 10 pickshere. And keep in mind, there are gobs of street closures in place; you can find the details here.
Michelle Joy of Los Angeles-based band Cannons performs on the T-Mobile stage Saturday on day three of Lollapalooza.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Los Angeles-based band Cannons performs on the T-Mobile stage Saturday on day three of Lollapalooza.Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Fans watch a set on the T-Mobile stage Saturday afternoon on day three of Lollapalooza.Ashlee-Rezin/Sun-Times
I’m enjoying noticing the variety of lengths of sentences in many things I read. When I’m writing, I like to think of them as “Bond laughed” sentences. That’s because years ago, when the James Bond film “The Living Daylights” (known to my friends and family as “the one with the girl cellist in it”) came out, I kept reading that star Timothy Dalton was taking the movies back to what Ian Fleming’s stories had been.
The more I read that, the more I went to the library and looked for some of Fleming’s books. (It was easy — the movies at that point used the titles of the books.) In many difficult situations, Fleming wrote long, sweeping descriptions of the villain’s lair, the difficult plan he was enacting, and the horrible things James Bond was going to have to endure to get out of the trap.
Then there was another sentence: “Bond laughed.” Sometimes the next sentence described just what the laugh sounded like and how it helped 007 get his mind straight to outdo his opponent.
When I’m working on editing my novel, a post, or even a job application, I try to remember the impact of changing from a long description to that two-word, noun-verb sentence. It is a jolt I enjoy causing as much as I enjoy reading it.
It works.
I’m finding some of these short sentences in yet another of the books from my dad’s collection, Thomas Levenson’s “Einstein in Berlin.” It’s as much a study of the city as of the man, with his work explained in the context of what was happening in the city in the early years of the 20th century.
Now and then, Levenson describes what Einstein thought of a particular person or policy. After a long description of what a friendship was like, I’m likely to find “He was wrong.” (That’s a startling sentence in itself when it comes to Albert Einstein.) After several long sentences describing a theory — Einstein’s or someone else’s — I’ve found “It worked.” It’s a funny feeling, thinking of the post-World War II adventures of agent 007 when I’m reading a history with Albert Einstein as the main subject.
I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s lost a bit of the ability to watch for people’s reactions in this era of phone calls and Zoom conferences. But I do have to talk to people at times, and I’m getting back to more of it now that my home church has reopened. So I am trying to listen to my answers and watch reactions to get back in practice.
If someone says “May I ask you a question?,” I may just try “You did.” At least it gets a reaction quickly, the better to speed up my practice.
I love good details as much as the next person, if not more. But sometimes, a change of pace and fewer details brighten things up. Try it.
I moved to Chicago from the south suburbs in 1986. I have diverse interests, but I love writing about what I’m interested in. Whether it’s a personal interest or part of my career, the correct words to get the idea across are important to me. I love words and languages — French and Scottish words enrich my American English. My career has included years as a journalist and years working in museums, and the two phases were united by telling stories. I’m serious about words and stories. So here I am, ready to tell stories about words and their languages.
CHICAGO – JUNE 04: Nick Madrigal #1 of the Chicago White Sox hits a home run against the Detroit Tigers on June 4, 2021 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox defeated the Tigers 9-8, (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
The Chicago Cubs dismantled their entire organization during the trade deadline. Only Jason Heyward, Willson Contreras, and Kyle Hendricks remain from their 2016 World Series-winning roster. It was tough when they traded Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees, Javier Baez to the New York Mets, and Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants. All of those guys meant so much to the team and they all landed the Cubs minimal returns based on their contract situation.
Craig Kimbrel wasn’t a part of that team in 2016 but he was an elite player for the Cubs at times. He also net them the largest return out of all their trade chips. The Cubs traded him to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer. This is a great return for the Cubs even if it might not seem like it on the surface.
Let’s start with Nick Madrigal. He is out for the year because of a hamstring injury that he sustained earlier this season. When he is healthy, however, he is an elite contact hitting second baseman. The White Sox made him the 4th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and he has lived up to all of his hype.
This is a player that won’t hit a lot of home runs but his pop is developing a little bit more as well. He could, in the meantime, win a batting title in any given year. Pitches don’t miss his bat very often and he will barely strike out as a result. He is never out of a count because of his ability to put the bat on the ball with two strikes.
Madrigal is also a former Minor League Gold Glove winner. He is still adjusting to Major League defense but he is coming along. By the time he reaches his peak, he should be able to be a Gold Glove Caliver defender.
The Chicago Cubs are hoping that both pieces they received from the White Sox work out.
Now, Codi Heuer. He is a relief pitcher that was so good in 2020. The White Sox thought he would be one of their key bullpen pieces in their quest for a 2021 pennant but it hasn’t been there for him this season.
His biggest issue is his command early in counts. If he goes down 2-0 or 3-0, he is forced to throw fastballs down the middle and the other team crushes it oftentimes. With that said, his stuff is so nasty that if he gets ahead in the count, he will put you away with ease. The proof of this opinion is factually based on the fact that he has 39 strikeouts and only 10 walks despite having a very high 1.422 WHIP and 5.12 ERA.
His WHIP/ERA is clearly high because of hits, not walks. That should leave the Cubs to believe that if he works on his command, he could become an elite bullpen piece. With the Cubs, he will be able to work on his development more than working on winning like he would have to on the White Sox.
As a result, this is a great trade for both teams. The Cubs need to make sure that they manage these two assets right because if they do they will thrive. As for the White Sox, good luck to the rest of the American League facing Craig Kimbrel, Liam Hendriks, and Michael Kopech all in the same bullpen.
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