Turning A Corner

It’s 4:30 in the morning, and in no way do I feel like going to sleep

Far too much time has passed since my last post here. Over 3 years, to be exact. Doesn’t feel like that long, but much has changed since October of 2011.

The Blackhawks won their 2^nd Stanley Cup in 4 years in June of 2013, capping off an incredible playoff run with a 6-game victory over the valiant Boston Bruins. The clinching game, of course, included a historic 17-second stretch that will never be forgotten in this city. Franchise cornerstones Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were inked to long-term extensions earlier this year, ensuring that they will forever be inextricably linked with the stunning renaissance this team has undergone over the last 7 years or so.

The Bears changed both their general manager and their head coach, and currently find themselves mired in a disgusting malaise of apathy and mediocrity (which might be too kind a term).

The Bulls endured 2 season-ending knee injuries to Derrick Rose, and while Joakim Noah willed them to an impressive series win over the Nets in 2013, it’s safe to say the franchise hadn’t recovered until just recently (and even now, there’s still bated breath everywhere whenever #1 hits the deck or winces in pain on the court).

And then there are the Cubs.

Not long after my most recent blog post in October of 2011, rumors started flying that after the historic collapse of the Red Sox, general manager Theo Epstein was ready to move on. I vividly remember working my shifts as an intern at Comcast SportsNet New England the week of October 16, when word started to get around that Theo was seriously in talks with the Cubs. The infamous Starbucks sighting happened, absurd as it seemed at the time. The compensation hurdle was bandied about. And then…finally…the news was confirmed. Theo, savior of the Red Sox, architect of 2 World Champions (and as it turned out, a 3^rd shortly thereafter) was looking for a new challenge. Specifically, the daunting challenge waiting at 1060 W. Addison.

I remember when Tom Ricketts introduced Theo & Jed Hoyer to the Chicago media. Obviously, this was a big story in Boston. Most at the station in Boston were upset, either at Theo for leaving or at the Red Sox for letting him go, especially after what had happened to his team in September that season. But there I was, alone amongst the drudgery, dutifully transcribing every word of that long, loooong introductory presser, and grinning like a maniac for every second of it.

Because now, my favorite team had a direction. They had a leader whose every word was filled with both a promise and a purpose.

They had hope again.

The organization is markedly different now than when the “baseball is better…” press conference happened 3+ years ago.

3 different managers have been fired. Countless players have been signed, traded, drafted and released.

(Sidebar: how crazy is it that in one of the stories from the worldwide leader detailing the compensation talks between the Sox and Cubs for Theo, the top prospects mentioned on the Chicago side are Brett Jackson, Trey McNutt and Matt Szczur? That blew my mind somewhat. The top-to-bottom rebuild that has happened in 1000 or so days is absolutely incredible)

Just over a month ago, Theo & Co. enticed quite possibly the best manager in baseball to take over their squad and lead them to the promised land (I still can’t truly describe how awesome Joe Maddon is; his offer of a shot and a beer to everybody at his 1^st presser is destined for Chicago sports legend).

And tonight, just after midnight on December 10^th, 2014, the news broke that Theo Epstein had landed his biggest prize yet, inking former Red Sox ace Jon Lester to a club-record 6-year/$155M contract. And that news made this lifelong Cubs fan incredibly thrilled.

Thrilled because of what Lester is, which is a top-of-the-line, October-hardened ace.

Thrilled to watch a rotation led by him, followed by incipient ace Jake Arrieta and the pleasant surprise of Kyle Hendricks.

Thrilled that the team now has a veteran leadership presence with championship experience.

Thrilled that the ownership group ponied up for a clear upgrade when the opportunity presented itself.

And thrilled that the Cubs have now fired an unmistakable shot across the bow of every team in Major League Baseball. One that says, “We are ready, and we are coming for all of you.”

The final months of last season felt like a turning point. Rizzo & Castro rediscovered their forms, Jorge Soler was pulverizing baseballs everywhere, and Javier Baez showed more than a few flashes of what he can be. Meanwhile, Kris Bryant was launching everything thrown at him into the stratosphere in Des Moines.

But now, with Maddon and now Lester in the fold, it truly feels like a corner has been turned, a switch has been flipped, or whatever other metaphor you’d like to use to describe this long process. The club is closer than ever to the sustained success Theo talked at length about in that introductory presser 38 months ago. This front office has built something powerful and lasting, and they sure as hell know it. And now, so does everybody else.

There are 116 days until Opening Night against the Cardinals.

I, for one, cannot wait.

Up and Down

Lefty swinger, huh? Interesting...Briggs is impressed

The first quarter and half quarters of the Bears's 2011 season have alternated between peaks and valleys, great showings one week followed up by setbacks of such great proportion that the games were nigh unwatchable. However, coming off a beatdown of the reeling Vikings (seriously, they were one stupid Favre pass from the Super Bowl two years ago. Think about that...), hope are high in Halas Hall again that the team has finally found its identity and groove on both sides of the ball. Here are some quick thoughts on the first six games while the Bears practice and play a little cricket (what??) in London before playing Tampa there Sunday.

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What's Next?

Part Two of this look at the Cubs focuses on the decision to finally relieve Jim Hendry of his duties as General Manager of the Cubs after nine up and down years steering one of the most venerable MLB franchises.  It ended one of the most successful yet tumultuous periods in the long history of the franchise, one that yielded just as many dizzying highs as deep valleys. Here’s a short recap of some of the good, bad, and ugly moves Hendry made during his tenure.

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The Same Old Played-Out Scenes

The first installment in a series of updates on Chicago sports focuses on the perpetually snakebitten yet dearly beloved Major League franchise residing on the North side of Chicago

Pretty much the only bright spot this year

Chicago Cubs (56-72, 5th in NL Central)

Without question, it has been a difficult and trying year for the Cubs, and that’s being pretty generous.  While nobody really thought that this team was anything special, I don’t think anyone expected the 2011 campaign to play out this poorly.  As for myself, I thought a final record anywhere around .500 would be a decent step in the right direction.  The Cubs must have thought so, too, because they hit every level of .500 (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc.) through 20 games before finally going under for good in May. In fact, from May through July, the Cubs were an impressively awful 31-51.  While pretty much everything that could have gone wrong in those three months did go wrong, in my eyes there are a few major areas that were greatly responsible for the early death of the 2011 Cubs.

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Welcome Back: A Re-Introduction

It's been far too long.


Summer was quite busy, what with work and the P90-X schedule (it does, in fact, work, in case you were wondering).  As a result, the blog output dwindled down to absolutely nothing.  Here, then, is a chance for a fresh slate (tabula rasa for all you Latin scholars). 


A quick refresher: this blog contains my thoughts, occasional rants, and opinions about my favorite pro franchises, all predictably located within the Chicago city limits.  Those would be the Cubs, Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls, of course.  


I figured this would be as good a time as any to get back into the game, so to speak, as it is an exciting time in the Chicago sports landscape.  


The Cubs, while knee-deep in another lost summer on the North side, just fired longtime GM Jim Hendry, the first sign in a long time (ever?) that new owner Tom Ricketts has a plan for making the team an annual competitor moving forward.  


The Bears are just about to open the 2011 regular season and will defend their NFC North crown, all the while attempting to take the next step from last year and advance to the Super Bowl.  


The Blackhawks are mere weeks away from training camp, and look to be in better shape for a second Cup run after a restful summer following that heart-stopping first round playoff series against those villains from Vancouver.


And while things look bleak in regards to the 2011-12 NBA season even being played, things are certainly looking up for the Bulls, who with MVP Derrick Rose will be battling with the Heat for Eastern Conference supremacy for years to come (that is, once a labor agreement is reached).


As an aside, for those of you on Twitter, my account for this blog is @Reason_2Believe.  Give it a follow for my reactions during games, as well as to big news, trades, signings and whatnot.


In the coming days, I'll be posting more lengthy thoughts on the teams: their offseasons, their recent performance, big acquisitions, etc.  The coming year promises to be a good one - I look forward to sharing some thoughts on it with everybody.  


Until next time...