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The Sports Report – July 2019

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with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

Dave and Steve are joined by Jeff Rich to discuss the start of training camps for the 2019 season NFL. We talk Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals, and more. Also covered are updates on the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers.

Featuring audio from Packer GM Brian Gutekunst, coach Matt LaFleur, along with Chicago Bears players Khalil Mack, Tarik Cohen, and Mitch Trubisky. Don’t miss cameos from Chris Berman and Bob Uecker.

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The Sports Report – June 2019

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with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter

The guys are back to discuss the Toronto Raptors’ first ever NBA Championship, the St. Louis Blues and their seven-game Stanley Cup win over Boston, as well as talk of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers offseason football. John also gives his thoughts on the Major League Baseball season. Lastly, Jeff Rich joins us to talk Cleveland Browns football and the upcoming NBA Draft. We also discuss the trade between the Lakers and Pelicans that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles for the fourth overall pick and three players.

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The Sports Report – March 2019

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with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon

Joining us this month are Dionne Miller of ABC7 Chicago, just back from Arizona, to talk Spring Training and a some Bears football. Jeff Rich chimes in on NBA hoops, and Adam Lucas, UNC beat writer from GoHeels.com previews the Duke-Carolina game and the ACC Tournament for us.

Don’t miss cameos from Pat Hughes and Bill Raftery.

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The Sports Report – Christmas 2018 Edition

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with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

Here’s a little bonus Sports Report for you. Dave laments the end of the season for Packer fans, while discussing the playoff scenarios in the NFC and AFC. Steve reports from Halas Hall on the latest Chicago Bears news as the team begins to prepare for the final game of the season, and their first taste of post season in eight years. This includes audio from Bears head coach Matt Nagy.

In addition, we break out an oldie, but goldie, former show producer Ira Tating’s twisted version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’. Lastly, Steve interviews Chicago Cubs play by play announcer about his newest project, Baseball Voices, recorded in the SRN studios. Happy Christmas, and Merry New Year to all!


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Cubs pay the price for offensive woes in 2018 NL Wild Card

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Pitching. Hitting. Defense.

Baseball is a symphony.

When the winds, the strings and the percussion sections of a symphony are harmonious, beautiful music results. But when thestrings are off, the whole performance is ruined

The Cubs’ symphony was almost perfect, but the silence of their bats cost them a rematch in the Divisional Round with the Milwaukee Brewers, as they fell to the Colorado Rockies 2-1 in the 2018 Wild Card.

Surprising? If this was back in May, yes. Saying the Cubs would play in the Wild Card then would have been heresy. The roster they assembled couldn’t possibly fall behind the Brewers. Heck, even in September such a proclamation would have gotten a double-take. They had a five game lead on the Crew at the beginning of the month. The bats got cold, though, and the Cubs found themselves in the Wild Card.

The Cubs hit 22 home runs in the month of September, the 28th most in the MLB.

They were 27th in on-base percentage, 25th in on-base plus slugging, and 10th in strike-out percentage.

World Series teams don’t do that.

And in the Wild Card round, their offensive woes continued.

Jon Lester was dominant, allowing only one run and four hits in six innings of work. The Cubs’ bullpen did its job as well, shutting out the Rockies for another six innings until the 13th inning.

But, as had been the case many times throughout the year, the offense couldn’t pull it together.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland had been excellent all season, compiling a 2.85 ERA along the way. He owned the Cubs’ lineup and refused to give up a single earned run through six and two-thirds innings of work. Adam Ottavino, in relief, gave up a Javier Báez double to score Terrance Gore in the eight inning. But that would be the last Cubs’ hit of the night.

“I feel like we’re in a good position for the long haul,” Lester said. “This year sucks. This is a sting right now. But we got to find a way to still look at the positive of things, unfortunately.”

 

Cubs manager Joe Maddon: SRN Broadcasting

These struggles kept them from taking advantage of a great José Quintana start on Monday. They had their chances, but they ultimately couldn’t get runs on the board, and that’s just another reason they had to play Tuesday. These struggles kept them from winning more than one good outings from their starters, and just one of those would have vaulted them to the NL Central throne and into the divisional round.

 

Instead, they had to play a tiebreaker and a Wild Card, and watched two different teams celebrate on their home field in two days. They put forth two runs and nine hits in 22 of the most important innings of their season.

“We need to figure that out in the offseason, next spring training,” manager Joe Maddon said.

The solutions to these problems don’t come with a simple answer. The ‘FIRE MADDON’ movement will grow with this ending, but he isn’t the one hitting into rally-killing double plays. He isn’t the one striking out with runners in scoring position. He managed the game well, putting in pitchers who performed exactly as he planned. This isn’t a problem that can be attributed to one face. It’s a collective inability to execute that needs to be fixed next season. Báez spoke on their skipper after the loss: “We love our manager.”

The National League was wide-open this year, and with all the excitement free agency brings, who knows what the league’s makeup will be. Nobody knows what the next acquisition for the Cubs is, or if there is even one to be made. What we do know is there is a problem on offense. The Cubs played 39 games of only scoring one run or less this season, trailing only the Orioles who have 40. Identifying a problem is half the battle. Now they have to figure out how to address it.

As the saying goes, there’s always next year.

The Sports Report – September 11, 2018

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with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter

Join us on the Sports Report as Andy Dorf along with our special guest Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times, discuss the Chicago Bears – Green Bay Packers season opening game. Aaron Rogers’ amazing comeback was one of several headlines on the first weekend of the 2018 NFL season. As was the arrival of former Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack in a Bears uniform. John also talks about the current Cubs-Brewers series and the playoff races in the National League. Lastly, Steve and John discuss some of the big matchups in English soccer this weekend.

Don’t miss cameos from Bob Uecker and Chris Berman, plus interviews from Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rogers, Randall Cobb, Matt Nagy, Mitch Trubisky, Pete Carroll, and Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer.

@patrickfinley @internetFM

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The Sports Report – August 2018

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Bears coach Matt Nagy talks to tthe media

with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter

On the August 2018 Sports Report, our special guest, Chicago Tribune Chicago Cubs beat writer Mark Gonzales, discusses the Northsiders’ battle for control of the National League Central division. John covers the rest of major league baseball’s pennant races, along with the start of the English Premier League soccer. Steve has updates from Bears training camp. Lastly, Andy Dorf and Dave talk Packers football.

Hear audio from Mike McCarthy, Matt Nagy and Bears LB Roquan Smith, and a cameo from Chris Berman.

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Cubs 2018 First Half in Review

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The Cubs wrapped up the first half of 2018 with a series sweep of the San Diego Padres, pushing themselves 2.5 games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central and commanding the best record in the National League. Unlike years’ past, the Cubs enter the All-Star break riding a wave of momentum, having won seven of their last ten and finding offensive outpours in groves. Javier Báez and Willson Contreras were named to their first All-Star games, and Jon Lester was elected to his fifth.

With the Summer Classic on the horizon, now is a great time to look at the storylines that have followed the Cubs through the first half of 2018.

Lester and the Bullpen Have Picked Up the Rotation’s Slack

The Cubs seemed to check most boxes entering 2018, but perhaps their biggest strength was their rotation. Their staff of Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Yu Darvish, José Quintana and Tyler Chatwood was supposed to be among baseball’s best, but such has not been the case. Tyler Chatwood’s highly touted “stuff” has not come together and has instead unwound to a through-the-roof walk rate of 7.82 BB/9 and a 5.04 ERA. Quintana and Hendricks, though strong as of late, have pitched to ERAs of 3.92 and 3.96, respectively. Mike Montgomery has started nine games and pitched very will to begin his role in Darvish’s absence, but he has an ERA of 6.00 since his first five starts. Jon Lester, on the other hand, has been simply dominant, putting together one of the best seasons of his career in his age-34 season with a 12-2 record and an ERA of only 2.58. The bullpen has also been a strength of the team, ranking amongst baseball’s best in ERA and BAA, while leading in shutouts. Additionally, such was done with injuries to Carl Edwards Jr. and Brandon Morrow, so the bullpen may improve over the next half of the season, especially if another piece is added at the trade deadline.

Yu Darvish’s Injury and Struggles

Jake Arrieta and Yu Darvish were the two big fish of last offseason’s free agent class, and the Cubs elected to sign the latter. One six-year, $126 million contract later, Darvish has been a huge disappointment. Brought in to be the cherry on top of a rotation stacked with potential aces, Darvish has gone 1-3 in eight starts with a dismal 4.95 ERA. His control has been absent as evidenced by his 4.97 BB/9, and his mental toughness has come into question. He found himself on the disabled list with flu-like systems in May and shortly returned there with right tricep tightness. The second stint began May 23rd, and Darvish has not pitched since. The Cubs have shown they’re capable of success despite his absence and struggles, but the team’s investment in him means Darvish must be better.

Production Beyond the Heavy Hitters

The phrase “Bryzzo” has become synonymous with the Cubs’ last few years of success, and for good reason. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have been the faces of the franchise since being in Chicago, and have been two of the team’s best players every year they’ve been up, with Bryant collecting Rookie of the Year and MVP honors along the way. This season, however, has been different. Rizzo got off to a disastrous start of the season and, after temporarily bouncing back, regressed in the second half of June. While still putting up solid numbers, Bryant has not played up to his MVP potential, and his power numbers have dipped greatly. He spent nearly three weeks on the DL before returning in the San Francisco series. Despite the duo’s uncharacteristic lack of production, the Cubs’ offense has been amongst the MLB’s best, ranking in the top five in runs, hits, batting average and OPS. Javier Báez has been tremendous, slashing .292/.326/.566 with 19 home runs, 72 RBIs and an All-Star selection alongside Willson Contreras. Jason Heyward and Albert Almora have been offensive revelations on top of excellent defensive play, and Kyle Schwarber has been a deadly bat in left field. They are also getting production up and down the lineup from the likes of Ben Zobrist, Addison Russell and Ian Happ. If these contributions continue and Bryant and Rizzo reach their potential, the Cubs’ offense can become even more deadly, and that should scare the whole National League.

The Sports Report – 2018 World Cup Round of 16

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with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter

Our guest Mark Carman of WGN Radio and FanSided.com joins us to talk about the Chicago Bulls and their 2018 NBA draft pick Wendell Carter, Jr. Steve and John discuss the 2018 World Cup results so far, and their picks for the round of 16. John also gives us his Major League Baseball analysis of the season to date. Hear Dave grab his guitar for a rendition of “Tollway Roads,” accompanied by Steve on harmonica.

Hear an interview clip from England manager Gareth Southgate.

 

 

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Cubs’ Struggles Bite Them vs Bucs, But No Need For Alarm

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The Cubs entered 2018 with lofty expectations. Adding Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood in addition to completely overhauling your bullpen will do that. While Darvish and Chatwood ha

Kyle Hendricks in his postgame press conference

ve disappointed to this point in the season, the Cubs have, for the most part, lived up to their billing as one of the best teams in the National League. They have the second-best team ERA in baseball (Second only to a historically dominant Astros’ rotation), the highest team OBP and the third-highest team batting average. More importantly, they’ve been winning. They have the second-best record in the NL behind the Milwaukee Brewers and are in hot pursuit of overtaking them, having won eight of their last nine entering Sunday. Jon Lester looks like his 2016 self and even said the team as a whole has the same feel as 2016.

The Cubs haven’t been bulletproof, however. Unlike 2016, the Cubs’ struggles are more apparent and are beyond one bullpen addition. While they’ve generated hits, they haven’t consistently converted on them, leading the MLB in runners left in scoring position per game with 4.18. Their team batting average with runners in scoring position is a lowly .238 with a 22.77% strikeout rate. While on the surface pitching appears to be a strength, there are concerns with the rotation outside Jon Lester.

Kyle Hendricks was expected to be the ace of the Cubs’ loaded bullpen, but he entered Sunday with a 4-5 record, a 3.59 ERA and 12 home runs allowed (He allowed 17 all last season). José Quintana has only gone more than six innings twice, and Darvish and Chatwood have been rendered to ineffective.

The Cubs have managed to get away with their struggles on the mound thanks to their ironclad bullpen, a unit that is third in the majors with a 2.34 ERA. It is also a unit that has seen action in every game, as no Cubs pitcher has thrown a complete game this season, with seven-inning performances being a rarity.

“Mentally it was better. Mechanics, I’m just fighting myself,” Hendricks said on his share of struggles. “Just not repeating it, so that’s really where the problem’s at.”

With various underlying issues at play, Sunday’s game against the Pirates was a culmination of them, and those issues reared their ugly heads from the beginning with a Josh Harrison leadoff home run off Hendricks. Hendricks settled in for the most part after Harrison’s home run, allowing only two more hits in five innings of work. With runners at first and second in the bottom of the fifth inning, Tommy La Stella pinch-hit for Hendricks, only to ground into a double play.

“That’s part of the game right there,” Hendricks said. “Got a chance to get on the board and you got to take it. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out but nine times out of ten with Tommy [La Stella] that’s gonna work.”

The fifth-inning wasn’t the Cubs’ only chance to take advantage of runners in scoring position. Only down one and with a chance to seize momentum in the bottom of the third inning, they were unable to convert with runners at second and third. In total, the Cubs left five runners on base today, and the offense was absent for much of this series as they only produced six runs in total. Joe Maddon made sure to keep the series win in perspective, though, saying, “Two out of three ain’t bad. Anybody that is not into two out of three really needs to evaluate their baseball sensibilities.”

He’s right. Even with Sunday’s loss, the Cubs have played good baseball.

Chili Davis’s hitting philosophy has taken time to set in, as should be expected, but its intended results are beginning to take shape: They’ve averaged 4.7 walks per game since May 6th, 5.4 runs per game since May 5th and, perhaps most surprisingly, Jason Heyward entered Sunday hitting .386 with a .945 OPS in ten games since May 29th. And, above all else, the Cubs have been winning. They are now 12-4 in 16 games since May 25th, good enough for the second-best record in the National League.

If anything, their display of winning games despite struggles is a positive sign; it shows they can win in spite of some poor play. If 12-4 isn’t a display of their best baseball, then even greater things should come when that potential is realized.

Twitter: @crbevins11

Hear audio from Joe Maddon, Kyle Hendricks and Anthony Rizzo