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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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Michael Kopech impresses in brief White Sox debut

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Michael Kopech postgame

Michael Kopech’s MLB debut had long been anticipated, and the young flamethrower did not disappoint when the lights, pressure and rain fell upon him at Guaranteed Rate Field Tuesday night.

It’s long been known that the trade of Chris Sale to the Boston Red Sox marked a new chapter in the Chicago White Sox’ storied history: No longer would they try to tread water with talent already in the majors. Instead, they would officially commit to building from the ground up.

The White Sox, unsurprisingly, received quite the haul for Sale, and in the deal came Yoán Moncada, Luis Basabe, Victor Diaz and Michael Kopech, a right-handed pitching prospect with an electric arm and sky-high potential. Now over a year after Moncada’s introduction to the White Sox, Kopech was set to make his MLB debut on Chicago’s South Side against the Minnesota Twins. Kopechmania was more than alive, as made evident by the new Kopech jerseys lining the seats and the sizeable crowd that formed just to watch him warm up.

After allowing two lead-off hits, Kopech dialed in and sat down the next three Twins batters, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. He struck out the first two of the second inning and, after allowing two baserunners, struck out Joe Mauer looking with a 97-mile-per-hour heater. Kopech dazzled with a bevy of fastballs, but his breaking pitches showed everyone that he was more than just a thrower. The stage was set for a statement debut against a team he will see a lot of. The future had arrived and was ready to hit the ground running.

Then it started to rain.

And it kept raining.

Fifty-two minutes after the top of the second, the White Sox and Twins resumed play. Kopech, who was already 52 pitches deep, was done.

It left many disappointed and brought upon some boo-birds, but given the circumstances, the decision to cut Kopech’s night short made sense. With manager Rick Renteria still in the hospital in Minnesota, Joe McEwing was left to call the shots.

“We knew what time he came out of the game and the rain started and it was going to be about an hour,” McEwing said postgame. “He was up to 52, 53 pitches and, you know, with the rain lasting almost an hour and the delay an hour, we’re like ‘Hey, you know, let’s shut him down here and end on a positive note.'”

“I was a little bummed out,” Kopech said on his early exit. “I wanted to go a little deeper in the game. I didn’t realize my pitch count was as high as it was already anyway but either way, I got to experience the debut and, like I said, it was a dream come true.”

It’s hard to take much away from only two innings of work, but in his short outing, Kopech showed why there is so much excitement about him. His fastball was as electric as advertised, showing great movement and never dipping below 95-miles-per-hour. He supplemented a fastball-heavy night with offspeed pitches and breaking balls, displaying outstanding movement. He navigated through runners on the corners with no outs in the first and ended his night with four strikeouts.

“I thought he was unbelievable,” McEwing said. “I think across the board he shows you, not just stuff-wise but makeup-wise, he was in control of everything the whole game.”

Moncada, the other headliner in the Sale trade, would go on to hit a home run to tie the game at two in the seventh inning. Though he has yet to settle into a consistent groove, the 22-year-old second baseman is still a major piece of the rebuild and has loads of untapped potential. As has been a theme most of the season, thoughts on the future were much more important than the present, as the Twins would go on to win five to two. Kopech’s next projected start is for this Sunday, so more can be made from him then. For now, however, Kopech remains a beacon of hope for a franchise that hopes to be contending sooner rather than later.

Twitter: @crbevins50011

Hear audio from Michael Kopech and Joe McEwing:

Shields, White Sox Power to 5-1 win over Tribe

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The White Sox have been trending up, having gone 5-5 in their last ten games entering Tuesday night. While that record over ten games isn’t necessarily “trending up” for the contenders in Major League Baseball, it’s a good start for the rebuilding White Sox, who entered Tuesday with a 22-42 record. The Sox have been playing good baseball against good teams, winning a three-game series against two MLB powers, in the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria speaking postgame

The Sox continued their run of relative success in Tuesday night’s win over the division-leading Cleveland Indians, taking the second of a three-game set by a score of 5-1. They have now won five of their last eight and seven of their last 12. They even have the leading vote-getter among AL first basemen in José Abreu.

The White Sox wasted no time getting on the board Tuesday. Yoán Moncada, who had been struggling as of late, led the game off with a home run four pitches into the inning. Yolmer Sánchez followed suit by sending one of his own into the bleachers, and a Matt Davidson double brought home Daniel Palka to extend the lead to 3-0. Indians’ starter Adam Plutko was lifted after 4.2 innings of work in which he allowed eight hits, two home runs and five earned runs. The Sox would add two more runs in the fifth inning, but their first-inning outpour would be enough, as James Shields and the White Sox bullpen held Cleveland to only one run all night.

“My body feels really good right now,” Shields said following his outing. “Last couple years my body hasn’t really been up to par and, no excuses on my part, but at the end of the day my body feels good and I’m working really hard in between starts.”

“It’s really good to start the game like that,” Sánchez said postgame. “I was just looking for a fastball in and be aggressive on the first pitch.”

Shields was on, picking up his first win since March 29th in the season opener against Kansas City. More importantly the victory ended a 12-game winless streak. He went seven innings deep, allowing only one run and four hits.  Shields has actually pitched well recently. Tuesday night’s performance was Shields’s eighth quality start of the season, and he has thrown a 2.57 ERA in his last five home starts. Shields’s shortcomings have been mostly out of his control, with run support being an issue for most of the season. Tuesday night’s win was the first time Shields has received five or more runs of support since April 5th. He has excelled at eating up innings, as Tuesday marked his tenth consecutive start of throwing at least six innings pitched. His starts have reduced the stress of the bullpen, a unit that has tossed 21.2 consecutive scoreless innings and has a 1.75 ERA in June.

“It feels good,” Shields said on collecting an elusive win. “I mean, the boys came out swinging it early, get me a couple runs there… It definitely gave me a lot of confidence to attack the zone tonight against a really good lineup, so it was a good overall win.”

“We really needed him, obviously, to kind of get us those last few outs in the seventh,” manager Rick Renteria said. “This is a pretty tough lineup and we needed to be able to have some ability to maneuver and he did, he gave us that ability.”

The White Sox have shown positive signs as of late, having yet to lose a series in June and getting impressive pitching performances from Dylan Covey, Reynaldo Lopez and Carlos Rodón, three young pitchers who could very well be in the rotation of the future. There will most likely be more lows than highs, but such is expected with where the White Sox are in their rebuilding process. Shields is a competitor, and having a veteran arm to lean on and take pressure off pitchers that figure to be such crucial players in the future will be huge in the team’s development. Shields might not be part of their long-term plans, but he can affect those plans by replicating nights like Tuesday.

Twitter: @crbevins11

Hear audio from Rick Renteria, James Shields and Yolmer Sánchez.

White Sox get an all-around performance in 6-1 victory over Brewers

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Things haven’t been easy for the 2018 Chicago White Sox. Such should be expected for a team in the rebuilding position they are in, but the likes of Wellington Castillo and Avisail Garcia, while possibly not in their long-term plans, were expected to be reliable, veteran presences on a very young team. García has not played since April and Castillo will be suspended until late August. The two were never world beaters, but their absences make it that much more difficult for a young, inexperienced team to win baseball games, and the emphasis placed on young players producing grows even further. While wins are always important, development from the White Sox’ young players will be more important in the grand scheme of things.

So, Sunday’s win over the Milwaukee Brewers, holders of the best record in the National League, means a little extra.White Sox Logo retro

Dylan Covey had been an interesting prospect for some time now, and Sunday’s performance showed why. He was in control for seemingly the entire game, even during a fifth-inning bases-loaded jam. The 26-year-old righty finished his five-inning performance with seven strikeouts and no earned runs, lowering his season ERA to 2.82. A season ago, Covey struggled his way to a 0-7 record, putting together a 7.71 ERA through 70 innings of work. His ERA has decreased dramatically and he is already on his way to exceed last year’s strikeout total of 41 in 70 innings pitched. A team like the White Sox doesn’t have much to lean on, but Covey becoming a reliable weapon could go a long way in the team’s development.

“Yes, definitely have figured some things out,” Covey said on his improvements. “From spring training this year moving forward, I think I get a little better with every outing.”

Covey’s performance was not all that lifted the White Sox to their 6-1 victory over the team with the best record in the National League. The bullpen shut down a potent Brewers’ offense for four innings, with Jace Fry continuing his dominance out of the bullpen with a hitless, one-inning appearance. It is a unit that, like many groups of the team, has looked for consistency all year, and Sunday’s outing was a step in the right direction.

The White Sox put forth an impressive performance to match their pitching, however, something that has been a problem since Chris Sale and José Quintana donned the black and white pinstripes. In his first major league hit, Alfredo Gónzalez tied the game at one in the fifth inning, scoring Yóan Moncada, who had walked to get on. The next inning, Daniel Palka, pinch-hitting for José Rondón, smacked a two-run home run to right field to take a two-run lead. Adam Engel followed up Palka’s homer with one of his own, sending a ball that just eluded the outstretched glove of Lorenzo Cain at the center field fence to take a 4-1 lead. José Abreu continued his recent hot-streak by hitting a double in the eighth to score Yolmer Sánchez. One batter later, Engel came through once again by scoring Abreu on his own double. It was all the Sox needed as they capped off a series win over the NL-leading Milwaukee Brewers with a 6-1 victory.

“All we wanna do is win,” said Palka afterward. “It’s not fun to lose, so that’s the only thing on people’s mind is wanting to win.”

In total, the White Sox collected six hits and three walks from players age 26 or younger. Four of such hits were for extra bases, with two being home runs. For a team working to evaluate who fits and who doesn’t fit for the future, it’s a positive sign.

“The guys kept battling, they did a nice job,” manager Rick Renteria said in his postgame press conference.

The White Sox are a young, inexperienced group that is looking for pieces of their future. Days like Sunday will not become the norm for a couple years, assuming everything goes as planned. However, the young group they have stands to benefit by battling through the adversity of two of their leaders’ absences. This series against the Brewers, a series in which won two games by five runs, is one they can take many positives from and use going forward in their growth.

Hear audio from Rick Renteria, Dylan Covey and Daniel Palka.

Twitter: @crbevins11

 

Reynaldo López Shows Both Dominance and Hope for the Future

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Hope for the future is often what keeps fans interested in bad teams.

When teams have the kind of seasons the White Sox are in the midst of, it can be hard to remain optimistic. Because of this, fans often look for bright spots they hope can eventually be a franchise mainstay.

White Sox Logo retro

Through this point in his young career, and especially after Sunday’s gem against the Texas Rangers, White Sox pitcher Reynaldo López has asserted himself into this category.

As López came set for what would be his final pitch of the day on Sunday, the White Sox faithful rose to their feet with a feeling of excitement that had become all too unfamiliar this season. After firing a 96 MPH heater to sit down Shin-Soo Choo and end the eighth inning, López let his excitement show on his way back to the dugout, pumping his chest and further exciting a White Sox crowd that was witnessing the first series win at Guaranteed Rate Field in 2018.

López was dominant Sunday, tossing eight scoreless innings and eight strikeouts while walking two and allowing two hits. All season, López has quietly put together impressive statistics, pitching to a 1.85 ERA at Guaranteed Rate Field and allowing more than two earned runs only twice in nine starts all year. His season ERA is now at 2.98 and he leads his team in strikeouts with 39. Sunday was also, however, López’s first win of the season, bringing his record to an unfortunate, but not surprising, 1-3.

“I do think that he came out a little more focused, to be honest. The intensity level was a little higher today,” Rick Renteria said postgame. “[White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper] spoke to him a little bit about making sure he brought that intensity that he has the ability to do, and to bring it from pitch one and he did today.”

“It was the best [start] of my career,” López said through translator afterward.

Though he only needed one, López had three runs’ worth of support that began with a Wellington Castillo home run in the second inning. Leury García put his name on the stat sheet the next inning by hitting a single that brought home Adam Engel and Tim Anderson. With López on the hill, it was all the Sox needed in their 3-0 win. With his RBI-single, García has now hit safely in seven of his last eight games, and has become another bright spot in this tumultuous season.

It’s no secret the White Sox have been bad this season. They were on pace to lose 120 games earlier this week and have the worst record in baseball. Carson Fulmer, a player they had enough conviction to draft eight overall in the 2015 June Amateur Draft, was given an overdue demotion to triple-A on Friday after a disastrous string of starts. Though he has been strong as of late, Lucas Giolito’s 2018 ERA sits at 6.42. Yoan Moncada has been very good but hasn’t set the league on fire as he was advertised to.

It is also important to remember the White Sox are still a young, immature team. Moncada is still only 22 with a sky-high ceiling. Even if he only hits his floor, it’s a floor of a .848 OPS and reliable defense. Kids will have started and finished high school by the time he’s a free agent. They also have yet to call upon the services of grade-A prospects, like Eloy Jimenez and Michael Kopech, and have promising talent beyond them with names like Luis Robert and Dylan Cease. With the fourth pick in this year’s Amateur Draft and potentially the number one pick in next year’s draft, their talent pool will only increase. They will have money to spend and will eventually be able to supplement their young core with experienced talent. It’s a process that sucks to sit through, but it is one that worked for the Astros, Cubs and Royals.

For the time being, however, it’s bright spots that keep eyes on the White Sox. And right now, López may shine the brightest.

Hear audio from Rick Renteria, Leury García and Reynaldo López.

Twitter: @crbevins11

Cubs Take an Indicative Game One of 2018 Crosstown Cup

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The Cubs and White Sox have taken greatly different directions since 2015. The Cubs have made three straight NLCS appearances, won a World Series, watched Jake Arrieta blossom into a Cy Young-winner, and developed Kris Bryant into Rookie of the Year and an MVP.

In free agency and at the trade deadline, they’ve become the hunters instead of the hunted, adding big names that include Jason Heyward, Aroldis Chapman, Jose Quintana, and Yu Darvish. Wrigley Field and Wrigleyville have become a daily party-scene in the summertime, and the franchise will only become more of a financial conglomerate with a looming TV deal.

South of Madison Street, however, it’s been a much different story. Since 2015, the White Sox have said goodbye to big-ticket commodities such as Chris Sale, Adam Eaton, and Jose Quintana. Having yet to eclipse 80 wins in a season, they are a combined 221-265 in three years, and stand at a lowly 9-26 record after today. Much of their hope is stashed away in the minor leagues, away from the eyes of the casual Chicago fan, making Guaranteed Rate Field a ghost town.

So, the Cubs’ 11-2 drubbing of the White Sox at Wrigley Field in the first game of the 2018 cross town series shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. In a way, the game provided a microcosm for the recent state of both teams: One that has consistently been a championship contender and one that is just trying to get out of the cellar.

Though it’s been an inconsistent, and at times frustrating start of 2018 for the Cubs, they showed their South Side counterparts what they’ve been about since 2015. They wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with Anthony Rizzo driving in Ben Zobrist and advancing Kris Bryant to take a 1-0 lead. After a Javier Baez strikeout, Schwarber fought back from a 0-2 count to walk. With the bases loaded, Willson Contreras ignited the Wrigley crowd with a grand slam for his second home run of the season, and the Cubs were up 5-0 with one out in the bottom of the first.

Contreras had a day to remember, going four-for-five with two home runs and seven RBIs, and displaying his defensive prowess on a backpick to second to nab Matt Davidson. He has looked like the player that was a potential 2017 MVP candidate, going seven-for-10 in his last two games, all of which have been extra-base hits.

“Baseball is a game of ups and downs and it was just a matter of getting in the right rhythm… It’s just a matter of making the adjustments,” Contreras said afterward through translator. Joe Maddon had similar sentiments, saying, “He’s just good. When a guy is good, if he’s not hurt, he’s going to eventually, I think, show up.”

“When you have a good team and there are good players… you know you’re gonna have a couple bad games. But then you also know that, when things are rolling properly, what you’re capable of doing. I think we’re showing more of that right now,” Maddon said postgame.

This game may have been indicative of what is to come for the Cubs, who have now scored 10-or-more runs in four of their last five games, but it was also a representation of what has been for the White Sox.

High expectations were placed on Carson Fulmer when the White Sox drafted him eighth overall in the 2015 Amateur Draft. He has not lived up to those expectations and continued his struggles by giving up five earned runs in only 1.2 innings. Friday’s performance represented an upsetting trend for the White Sox, whether it be a Mark Zagunis double that fell between three Sox fielders, a 38.5 MPH infield blooper that beat the shift to give Schwarber a base hit, or a single by Tyler Chatwood that was mishandled and allowed him to take second. The White Sox just have not been able to get anything going, and a combination of bad luck and failure to execute have been this team’s downfall.

The dichotomy between the White Sox and Cubs has been easily noticeable for a few years now, but the White Sox’ brutal loss in the series opener at the hands of their neighbors was a perfect microcosm of just how big the gap between these teams is and has been.

Hear audio from Joe Maddon, Tyler Chatwood and Willson Contreras.

Twitter: @crbevins11

April 2018 – Final Four, Masters Preview

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on The Sports Report with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, John Poulter, and Jeff Rich

Rory Spears of GolfersOnGolf.com joins us with his thoughts on the upcoming 2018 Masters.  Will Tiger have an impact? What role with the big three, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Speith play? Who might emerge as a surprise winner? Phil Mickelson is playing his best golf in years.  Steve gives his analysis of the NCAA Final Four. Dave and Jeff discuss the recent NFL free agent moves and some of the top draft choices. How were the Green Bay Packers’ offseason moves?  Lastly, John looks ahead at the 2018 Major League Baseball season, and which NHL teams are looking good, heading into the playoffs.

Hear interview audio from Michigan coach John Beilein and Kansas’ Bill Self, plus cameos from Cubs play by play broadcaster Pat Hughes, and CBS’s Bill Rafftery.

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Weekend Sports Report – 2/17/17

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The “Grobber” working at the United Center

with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

We are loaded with guests today as Les Grobstein from Sports Radio 670 in Chicago dishes on the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, and White Sox. Plus, Dave Eanet, play-by-play announcer for Northwestern football and basketball on WGN Radio, gives us his take on the Wildcats’ hoops season. John Poulter continues his preseason MLB previews with the Orioles, Giants, and Mariners. Lastly, Jeff Rich adds to the discussion with his NBA update at the All-Star break.

Hear interviews from Jimmy Butler and Fred Hoiberg of the Bulls, Celtics coach Brad Stevens, and coaches Chris Collins of Northwestern and Mark Turgeon of Maryland.

Don’t miss a cameo from Hall of Fame QB Len Dawson.

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NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB Roundup

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NFLon the Weekend Sports Report with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

…Jeff Rich joins us to dissect the top NFL draft picks for the Cleveland Browns. He also talks football, and NBA hoops with us.  John Poulter gives his take on the NHL playoffs, the Major League Baseball season to date, and the top stories in international soccer.

Hear interview audio from Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Chicago Bears All-Pro Offensive Lineman Kyle Long.

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