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That Not-So-Great Street: State Street in Transition

by Patrick Steffes

Architectural Forum, 1933; highlights added by author

Fully 58 years before the Harold Washington Library Center was dedicated on October 4, 1991, the southern end of Chicago’s famed State Street shopping district was described in a 1933 edition of a national magazine as “horrendous” and teeming with “burlesque shows and midget radios”.

The battle between 1975 and 1991 to design, build, and open a new central Chicago Public Library is closely linked to the decades-long decline in the southern end of Chicago’s famed State Street shopping district, and the seemingly endless efforts to eradicate the more sordid portions of this internationally known retail destination. While a lively shopping, educational and residential neighborhood today, the area of South State Street around Congress Parkway was for decades seemingly stuck in a state of perpetual decline.

Northwest corner of Harrison St. and South State St., 10/26/63, Sigmund J. Osty visual materials (Chicago History Museum), box 2

Typical of the type of businesses on State Street south of Van Buren Street for decades was on the northwest corner of State and Harrison, seen above. Home to both the Funland Arcade (“Art Movies and “Art Books”) and Rialto Burlesque (“Girls Girls Girls”), behind it may be seen some of the extant buildings on South Plymouth Court, including one with a Linotype sign at top left.

With the Harold Washington Library Center turning 25 years old in 2016, Forgotten Chicago thought it an appropriate time to look at the long quest to reinvigorate South State Street, and the long and complicated saga of how the largest municipal library in the United States ended up in the midst of what had once been one of the most notorious urban sections in the Midwest. We hope you enjoy this look at the tremendous changes to South State Street, featuring images unseen in decades, with many that have never before been published online.

The second part of this article may be seen here, and describes the long journey to build what would ultimately become the Harold Washington Library Center.

Calumet412, 1944

In the above image dated from 1944, the west side of the 600 block of South State Street (two blocks south of the future site of the Harold Washington Library Center) features most of the seamier sides of urban life conveniently located in one block: burlesque, “high grade whiskey wine or gin”, tattoos, billiards (with illegal gambling?), and access to loans to pay for it all, presumably in the form of pawn shops. Seen in the images above and below is the still-extant Harrison Street entrance to the subway, underneath the burlesque sign.

South State St. at Harrison St., 1962, Sigmund J. Osty visual materials (Chicago History Museum), box 2

Virtually unchanged 18 years later, in 1962 the former Chicago Theatre was perhaps the dirty little cousin to the other Chicago Theatre about a mile to the north. Ironically, this one-time theatre building was at the time home to a Publix Cafeteria, with the Gayety and grandly named National Theatre both within easy stumbling distance.

Chicago Tribune, 1944

The near-comical prevalence of vice along South State Street was no laughing matter to Chicago’s civic and business leaders and retailers. Sears, Roebuck & Company, at its peak arguably the highest-profile, most influential and most successful company ever based in Chicago, was by far the largest department store chain in the country by the 1920s, and the second largest retailer in the U.S., trailing only grocer A&P.1 By 1963, Sears, Roebuck would be the world’s largest retailer,2 with its flagship store from 1932 to 1983 seen just two blocks north and right in the image above.

The Homeless Man on Skid Row, 1961

In an image published in 1961, nearly thirty years after the map describing South State Street as “horrendous” was published, the 600 block of South State’s “amazing diversity” of burlesque houses, low-rent hotels, and cafeterias were all going strong, as seen in this photograph taken from a City of Chicago Tenants Relocation Bureau publication.

Shown above is also the west side of the 600 block of South State, the same block as seen in the earlier image from 1944. In 2016 this entire block is the home of William Jones College Preparatory High School. The Pacific Garden Mission and its distinctive “Jesus Saves” neon sign above far left was relocated to the 1400 block of South Canal Street in 2007 for an expansion of Jones College Prep, completed in 2013.

C. William Brubaker Collection, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1978

At what would ultimately become the site of the Harold Washington Library Center on the 400 block of South State, little had changed for decades, as shown above in 1978. At that time, this side of the block featured two billboards advertising liquor, a burlesque theater, and a store at the northwest corner of Congress Parkway named “Cheap Willy’s”. Congress Parkway, the eastern end of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) was the main western gateway into central Chicago, and would carry tens of thousands of vehicles daily into the Loop, to Michigan Avenue, Chicago’s lakefront, and Lake Shore Drive.

State Street Responds to Outlying and Suburban Retail Competition, 1952-1979

Chicago Tribune, 1952

The dominance of State Street and Chicago neighborhood shopping districts in regional retail sales was unchallenged for decades, but new competition and rapidly growing suburbs and outlying Chicago neighborhoods would bring major changes after World War II. The grand opening in January 1952 of Lincoln Village, at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and McCormick Boulevard in Chicago near the Lincolnwood border would begin a major shift in the retail landscape of the Chicago region. Designed by prolific retail architect Sidney Morris & Associates, Lincoln Village was the first of dozens of neighborhood and regional auto-oriented shopping centers to open in Chicago and its suburbs over the next 60 years.

Unlike several other pioneering auto-oriented city and suburban shopping centers like Evergreen Plaza (below), Lincoln Village continues to operate in 2016, and is well worth a visit for fans of overlooked landmarks of Chicagoland history and development. For an in-depth look at the history of Lincoln Village, visit this interesting link.

Honeywell Customized Temperature Control Ad, Architectural Record, 1953

In August 1952, just seven months after Lincoln Village opened, Evergreen Plaza, designed by Howard T. Fisher & Associates and Holabird & Root & Burgee, would open at West 95th Street and South Western Avenue in Evergreen Park. Briefly the largest shopping center in the Midwest until Northland Center in Southfield, Michigan opened in 1954, the mall portion of Evergreen Plaza closed in May 2013 and was demolished starting in October 2015.

Although outlying shopping centers would ultimately siphon hundreds of millions of dollars annually in retail sales from State Street and other neighborhood shopping districts, Chicago’s pioneering early shopping centers are often overlooked in the history of the Chicago region. Projects like Lincoln Village and Evergreen Plaza had an enormous impact on Chicagoland development, economics, and infrastructure.

Top: Chicago Tribune, 1958 Bottom: JaNae Contag, 2013

Recognizing Evergreen Plaza’s enormous historical significance, Forgotten Chicago made a concerted effort to rescue as much of Evergreen Plaza’s vast archives as possible. Following its closure in May 2013, we removed dozens of boxes full of thousands of pages of blueprints, business records, marketing material and ephemera from Evergreen Plaza that were left behind in the basements of this once-iconic regional shopping center.

Make No Little Plans for State Street Part I: The State Street Promenade

State Street Promenade, Chicago Plan Commission, 1953

In 1953, the year after Lincoln Village and Evergreen Plaza opened, the Chicago Plan Commission prepared a forgotten scheme that advocated building a nearly mile-long second-level skyway, the State Street Promenade, to connect all of the buildings on the east side of State Street from Randolph (150 North) to Congress (500 South). This expensive, complicated, and unrealized plan may have been prepared as a response to the outlying shopping centers that had recently opened or were in the planning stages.

Architectural Forum, 1951

A more detailed map of State Street in the early 1950s was published, ironically, in an article describing the planning for the massive new Old Orchard shopping center in North Suburban Skokie, announced in 1950. Sponsored by Marshall Field & Company, Old Orchard would open in 1956, the biggest competition up to that time for the dollars of well-heeled North Shore shoppers, and an enormous success that continues to thrive as of this writing. Note that the above map was published before the completion of the Congress / Eisenhower Expressway that would dramatically change the layout of the South Loop in the years ahead.

State Street Promenade, Chicago Plan Commission, 1953

Published 25 years before construction began on the ill-fated State Street Mall, the State Street Promenade was oddly presented in renderings as a destination for both families above left and single women attracting the attention of well-dressed men above right. Depicted as an up-to-the-minute shopping destination circa 1953, renderings depicted a “TV Theater” showing episodes of Milton Berle and Le Chat, presumably a cat-themed café. Note the second floor indoor “Promenade” entrance to Carson Pirie Scott showing their iconic three-part logo, depicted above center.

State Street Promenade, Chicago Plan Commission, 1953

Had the State Street Promenade been constructed, it would have profoundly changed retail and commercial real estate in the eastern part of the Loop. This plan would have also greatly diminished State Street’s greatest asset – the enormous numbers of street-level pedestrians and bustling street life that State Street was justifiably famous for, and the dream of every commercial real estate leasing agent today.

Inland Architect, 1968

The State Street Promenade apparently did not make it past the planning stage, and this scheme is not known to have been covered online or in any books or magazines on Chicago history until the publication of this article. While a limited number of skyways were constructed in and near the Chicago Loop, Chicago’s Pedway system is the modern successor of the State Street Promenade.

The first sections of Chicago’s modern Pedway connecting commercial and civic buildings opened by January 1966,3 centered around the former Brunswick Building at 69 West Washington. The Pedway has been greatly expanded in the ensuing 50 years.

The Economist, 1925

When Chicago’s modern Pedway system opened starting in the mid-1960s, it had been a civic improvement considered for at least 40 years. In the above 1925 scheme, leading local firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White proposed a “Pedestrian Subway” under Randolph between LaSalle on the west and Beaubien Court and the Illinois Central railroad terminal on the east, with room for a future subway line, as seen above. The accompanying article noted the public safety benefit of such a scheme and that “Pedestrians would not be in imminent peril of being killed by some careless chauffeur as they are at the present time.”

Make No Little Plans for State Street Part II: The State Street Mall

C. William Brubaker Collection, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1979

Beginning at 9:30 a.m. CDT on Saturday, June 17, 1978, State Street would undergo its most radical change to date as traffic was banned for private vehicles along State Street from Congress Parkway to Wacker Drive in advance of construction of the State Street Mall.4 Shown above and below is a rendering of South State Street at the intersection of Madison Street, with the iconic Carson Pirie Scott store visible in images above and below at left.

Inland Architect, 1979

Despite renderings showing a lively mix with throngs of pedestrians and outdoor dining and food carts, the State Street Mall before it was demolished and the street reopened to traffic in November 1996 did not live up to its promise in revitalizing State Street, including the section where the Harold Washington Library Center would ultimately be built between Van Buren and Congress.

The demise of the State Street Mall is long and complicated. For insight by The Chicago Tribune upon its reopening to public vehicular traffic, visit here. The New York Times looked at State Street Mall prior to its de-malling here. Finally, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art History, Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago Robert Bruegmann discussed on WBEZ in 2011 why the State Street Mall failed here.

The Battle Over Chicago’s New Central Library

Chicago Tribune, 1975

In the mid-1970s, Chicago’s venerable central library on North Michigan Avenue between Washington and Randolph Streets was being converted to the Chicago Cultural Center, and the library began moving to the Mandel Building Warehouse at 425 North Michigan starting in August 1975.5In the ensuing 16 years, Chicago would see no fewer than six mayors, and a tremendous amount of discussion and controversy on where to permanently locate the new central library.

The second part of this article was also published in September 2016, and may be seen here. This article examines the many proposed plans of what would ulimately become the Harold Washington Library Center, as well as what remains of historic South State Street today.

Sources

1. Marc Levinson, The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America, (New York : Hill and Wang, 2011), pg. 113

2. Marc Levinson, The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America, (New York : Hill and Wang, 2011), pg. 257

3. First Outlet in Underground System Opened, Realty & Building, January 8, 1966, pg. 3

4. Building Begins on State Street, Realty & Building, June 24, 1978, pg. 1

5. Meg O’Connor, Downtown library is on the move, Chicago Tribune, August 28, 1975, pg. pg. N_B2

This article was last updated on Tuesday, September 13th, 2016 at 9:31 am.

Source: https://forgottenchicago.com/articles/that-not-so-great-street-state-street-in-transition/

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stepchain46-blog · 5 years ago

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$30 million Highland Park senior housing project breaks ground

Capitol Seniors Housing (CSH) says it has started construction of a $30 million Highland Park assisted living and memory care community. The three-story, 72,000-sq. ft. community with 86 residential suites will be operated by Atria Senior Living.

The project at 1000 Central Ave. is scheduled to be completed by the second quarter of 2020.

“We’re very excited to redevelop this area of Highland Park and bring a top-quality senior living community to its residents,” CSH managing partner Scott Stewart said in a statement. “Residents and visitors of Atria Highland Park are going to be amazed with this community, which will offer all of the amenities senior adults desire. They also will enjoy an engaging community with a terrific social life supported by events, activities and outings.”

The project on a 1.8 acre site was designed by Mosely Architects from Richmond, VA., and interior design firm Studio Six 5 based in Austin, TX.

“We are most appreciative of area leaders who worked with us to bring this project forward, recognizing the opportunity to develop an older part of town into something very special which will serve the needs of a growing older adult population,” said Joe McElwee, CHS principal – development.

In addition to Atria Highland Park, Capitol Seniors Housing also owns the Arbor Terrace in Naperville and is constructing Atria Glenview, an 83-suite senior living community in Glenview.

Source: https://chicagoconstructionnews.com/30-million-highland-park-senior-housing-project-breaks-ground/

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The Sides: race

Lynda Lopez made some comments a few days ago about misperceptions of the whiteness of the North Side that got me thinking:

Even for people outside Chicago, the “sides” are heavily racially coded: North is white, South and West are black. (Curiously, I’m not sure that any are especially coded as Latino, despite the large Latino population in the city.)

But these codes are, in fact, not terribly accurate. The North Side is certainly white-er than the South or West Sides, for example—but it’s barely over half non-Hispanic white according to recent American Community Survey data.

Anyway, this got me thinking about what these actual numbers are, and how they’ve changed over time. Thanks to Rob Paral, getting community area-level data going back to 1930 is extremely easy. Rolling that up into “sides” doesn’t take much more work—just some tough decision-making where it’s not obvious how to divide things up. So: consider this the first of a sporadic series investigating what the “sides” of our city actually look like.

First up: race and population.

Note: Data is limited by what the Census asked for at different points; adding things up, it’s clear that there are big shifts from “Other” to “Latino” (actually asked as “Spanish name” at first) and from “Other” to “Asian American” when those categories become available.

1. The South Side

For my purposes, the South Side is everything south of the Stevenson expressway/the south branch of the Chicago River. It includes, then, both clear “South Side” neighborhoods like Bridgeport and Englewood, but also “Southwest Side” neighborhoods like Brighton Park and Ashburn.

2. The West Side

The West Side here is everything north of the Stevenson, west of the Chicago River, and south of North Avenue, except for a) West Town, and b) the Near West Side.

3. The North Side

The North Side here is everything above North Avenue, but also West Town.

Source: https://danielkayhertz.com/2018/03/03/the-sides-race/

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stepchain46-blog · 5 years ago

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Reds go for back-to-back wins over Brewers

Yasiel Puig showed the Milwaukee Brewers that he wasn't afraid to take chances on the bases, and his aggressive mindset allowed the Cincinnati Reds to even their four-game series at one win apiece.

Powered by Puig's heroics, the Reds look to post back-to-back victories for the first time since last month's season-high, six-game winning streak when they host the Brewers on Wednesday.

Puig, who had been on first base, scored in the 11th inning of Cincinnati's 5-4 win Tuesday after right fielder Christian Yelich's throw back to the infield on a single by Jose Iglesias eluded first baseman Eric Thames.

"Some stupid things you do in baseball work for myself and work for the team," Puig said of his decision to bolt home from third base.

While Puig may have been alluding to Chicago Cubs reliever Pedro Strop's recent comments that were aimed in his direction and included the word "stupid," the 28-year-old Cuban was pretty smart on the bases on Tuesday. Puig also successfully tagged up from first base on a fly ball to deep center field in the ninth.

"You can live with the aggressiveness because when guys have the freedom to be aggressive ...," Reds manager David Bell said. "Man, he willed that win with his baserunning. To win a game with baserunning, that's pretty cool. That's fun. That doesn't always happen."

Puig also hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to improve to 11-for-29 (.379) with three homers and nine RBIs against Milwaukee this season.

He is also 11-for-29 with two homers against the Brewers' scheduled starter for Wednesday, Jhoulys Chacin (3-8, 5.60 ERA). The Milwaukee right-hander is mired in an eight-start winless streak after recording his second straight no-decision on Friday despite allowing only one run in five innings versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Chacin is 3-3 with a 4.26 ERA in in 12 career appearances (10 starts) versus the Reds. He beat them on April 2, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 4-3 win. He didn't fare as well against them on June 22, allowing five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings, but he came away with a no-decision as the Brewers won 6-5.

Chacin would be wise to keep an eye on Eugenio Suarez, who has four homers in his last three games after belting three two-run shots in this series.

Cincinnati will counter with right-hander Sonny Gray (4-5, 3.94 ERA), who sports a 1-0 mark with a 2.76 ERA in three career starts against Milwaukee. The 29-year-old recorded the lone win after striking out a season-high-tying nine batters in six innings during a 3-0 victory on May 21.

Gray also pitched well in his last outing, surrendering two runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings on Friday in a 6-3 win against the Chicago Cubs.

Yelich has homered among his three career at-bats versus Gray and has gone deep twice in this series and four times against the Reds since June 20.

While Thames belted his 15th homer in 38 career games against the Reds, his manager lamented the game-ending sequence that involved the first baseman.

"It got away from Eric too far," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "If you just knock it down, nothing happens. You can't let it get away from you that much. In the end, we didn't make a defensive play."

--Field Level Media

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/reds-back-back-wins-over-brewers-070042408--mlb.html?src=rss

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Epstein and Maddon on Russell, Domestic Violence, and the Cubs’ Plans to Be Part of the Solution

Yesterday, the top brass of the Chicago Cubs – President Theo Epstein, General Manager Jed Hoyer, and Manager Joe Maddon – led a season-opening press conference, which you can watch in full at the end of this post.

Although there was a lot of interesting baseball fodder sprinkled throughout the 47-minute discussion – some of which Brett has already gotten into here and here – there an even more important, lengthy discussion about Addison Russell, domestic violence, and the Cubs’ plans to address these issues this spring and into the future. We thought the discussion was worth sharing in its entirety.

So below, you’ll find full quotes from Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon, without our commentary at this time, including the questions that prompted them.

Question: Addison Russell, obviously here a little bit early, has he maintained the work you’ve laid in front of him and have you had any talks with him about how he’s feeling just with this opportunity to be back with the team?

Theo Epstein: Yeah, I’ve stayed in good contact with Addison. I think I said it at the convention, we’re at like the top of the second inning with this process and as we get here this week and start Spring Training, we’re probably still like in the bottom of the second inning. We still have a long way to go. Addison is well-aware he’s been given a conditional second chance by this organization that there are a lot of standards we’re going to hold him to. He has to continue to put the work in to become a better person, a better citizen, a better teammate, a better member of society, a better father. And the good news to report at this early juncture is that he’s really taken things to heart and has put a significant amount of work in. He’s fully and enthusiastically complied with everything Major League Baseball has put in front of him, as far as therapy and counseling going forward. Beyond that, he’s reached out on his own to engage with a therapist, someone he’s still in contact with 3-4 times a week and that relationship will continue long after the mandated therapy is done. He’s gonna speak to you guys before the start of position player camp. I think that’s an important step. And I believe you’ll see someone who takes full accountability for what’s happened and will be happy to share with you the work that he’s putting in.

So from our end, you know, he’s a full participant in Spring Training, per the Major League Baseball policy. As long as Addison continues to put that work in and continues to meet the standards we’ve laid out for him, then we’ll support him on this path. And I should say, it’s at least as important if not more important that we’re also continuing to support Melisa, who is the victim in this whole affair and continue to stay in touch with her and support her and give her the resources that she needs, as well. So, beyond that, as an organization, we’ve taken this plague of domestic violence to heart. We’ve talked – she wants to play a small part in attacking this problem. And from an organizational standpoint, we’ve really stepped up and enhanced our training. By the time Spring Training is over, every single employee in this organization will have gone through enhanced domestic violence training. So every major league player, every major league coach, every major league staff member, every minor league player, every minor league staff member, every member of the front office will have gone through a pretty rigorous domestic violence training program to increase education and awareness. That process has already started with the folks back in Chicago – I think we’ve already had over 130 or so employees who’ve gone through the training. And it’ll continue here in Mesa, in Spring Training. We’ve added an elective healthy relationship training program for the players families that’ll be part of the initiation for players wives and I think that’s important.

We’re also making sure those that face the players families outwardly such as the head of our family program go through even more training – a 40 hour training program, which is sorta the standard to become as expert as you can in domestic violence detection, awareness, prevention, education. And we’re gonna make sure that also someone who travels with the team is goes through that same 40-hour training program. Experts say you can never say domestic violence will never happen again, here. But you can still take every step necessary to ensure that this is the safest possible work place and so that we have the smallest possible chance of any domestic violence occurring within these walls. And then outside of these walls, we’ve engaged with a number of groups that do tremendous work trying to prevent and eliminate domestic violence. Family Rescue is organization based in Chicago – Joyce Coffee is the executive director. They’ve just done incredible work over the years trying to eliminate domestic violence. They were actually engaged with the Cubs two decades ago in doing some domestic violence training and that’s something that we’re bringing back. We’re working with them on this training, on the education, we’re providing financial support for them, Joyce and her team, to do tremendous work. And just blocks from Wrigley Field, the House of Good Shepherd, which is a residential domestic violence recovery facility. We’ve had a 20-year relationship with them and we’re enhancing that relationship, getting even more involved with them, and that includes a capital commitment to build a safe space for kids who are living on their campus.

Again, I think we took our pledge to become a small part of the solution very seriously, knowing that this happened on our watch. And that we’re not just trying to support Addison, we’re trying to support Addison (if he continues to put the work in), to support Melisa, to improve this organization, make it the safest possible place, and then also to do our part in trying to attack the problem that faces all of us in society more broadly. Thanks for the question.

Question: Theo, would it have been the easy way out for you guys to just cut ties with Addison and move on?

I don’t know, I don’t want to characterize anything about domestic violence as easy. I will say I understand people who are critical of the approach we’ve decided to take.

I have a number of people who I trust and share things with and bounce things off people who have moral compasses that I think are as good as they come and who are people I really trust and respect and I’d say about half of those people really embrace the position that we’ve taken. They think that digging in and trying to make a difference is the right way to go. And then the other half think that we should have, as you said, just cut bait and moved on, because we do know that we send a message to our fans with every action that we take. And that cutting bait sends a simpler, stronger message. But that digging in and trying to make a difference on all these difference fronts sometimes that’s a little more nuanced and that can get lost in translation. I personally think we’re doing the right thing. I understand people who are upset and think we should’ve just moved on. But I can at least pledge to those people that we’re taking this on earnestly, that’s it’s important to us, that they’re not just words, they’re actions and that I will continue to be transparent with you and with our fans about everything that we’re doing to try to attack this problem of domestic violence AND that we will continue to hold Addison to an incredibly high standard or he won’t play a regular season game as a Chicago Cub ever again.

Question: Joe, What’s your role in this on a team level, in terms of Addison addressing this with his teammates?

Joe Maddon: I was in contact with Addison a little bit during the offseason and I cannot say things better than Theo just relayed all that information to you. Of course, I’ll get in front of the team, of course, Addison shall also. And we’re just going to continue to try to move it forward. Again, a lot of “ifs” are attached to this healing process and we’re going to try to work through all the ifs. But again, Addison appears to be doing all the right things. Obviously, as an organization, we can’t be more complete I don’t think in what we’re trying to get done right now, so my role is just to be out front, my role is to try to make this work as best as we possibly can and come out on the right side eventually. But to this point, I’ve been in touch with Addison, he’s trying very hard to make all this right.

Question: You know that clubhouse really well, any concern that this will be a distraction or divisive in any way?

Joe Maddon: It’s always the potential there, I can’t deny that. And that’s why it’s really important that I think we’re very transparent regarding how we’re dealing with this and all the particular policies or items we’ve been putting in place in order to try to prevent this from happening again. I think if the players see that we’re really organized in our attempt to put this back on the right track and get Addison back on his feet, make him a really productive part of society once again, I think that our players could get on board with something like that. So this stuff is being made obviously apparent to all of you guys, our players understand all of this, too. So, it’s one of those one-step at a time things. And we’re not healed yet, like Theo said about bottom of the second inning, maybe going to the top of third, and you just have to be, I think, authentic and transparent about the whole situation.

Question: You said you have to show with actions, how do you do that? (was originally in reference to Ricketts’ emails, but drifted into DV conversation):

Theo Epstein: One thing, I think … you’ll notice with the domestic violence issue, we didn’t come out right away talking about everything we we’re going to do, because I think words are cheap and actions mean a heck of a lot more. So I don’t want to sit up here as some sort of a PR operation and say, like, “No, here’s what we’re doing in response,” because I think that lessens the impact and lessens the meaning overall. After we’ve put some of these programs in place with respect to domestic violence, then, if asked, we’re a little bit more comfortable talking about it. But we’re still early in the process. I’d still rather let our actions take hold and speak for us, rather than come out and use talking points to try to get around issues – that’s not possible, that’s not the right approach.

* * *

Full press conference:

Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/02/13/epstein-and-maddon-on-russell-domestic-violence-and-the-cubs-plans-to-be-part-of-the-solution/

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The Bear’s Den, March 21, 2019

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS / FREE AGENCY / DRAFT

Emma: Bears Free Agency Reset: Who’s In, Who’s Out & What’s Next? - 670 The Score - The first wave of NFL free agency is done. With that in mind, what lies ahead for the Bears?

Emma: Bears Re-Sign QB Tyler Bray On 1-Year Deal - 670 The Score - The Bears have re-signed quarterback Tyler Bray on a one-year deal.

Letizia: Chicago Bears Mock Draft - What if Jordan Howard is traded? - Chicago Audible Blog - With the NFL Combine and first few free agency waves behind us, it’s time for another Bears mock draft. This one has a special twist.

Under Center Podcast: Ha Ha, Bears a great fit for Clinton-Dix - NBC Sports Chicago - It’s been a almost a week since the Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix signing and it’s still looking like a total win for the Bears. JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and Paul Aspan on why the Bears appear to have gotten a bargain.

Cox: Chicago Bears re-sign third-string quarterback Tyler Bray - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears brought back third-string quarterback Tyler Bray on a one-year deal, keeping the QB room intact.

Mayer: Bears re-sign O’Donnell, Bray to new deals - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears on Wednesday re-signed punter Patrick O’Donnell to a two-year contract and reserve quarterback Tyler Bray to a one-year deal.

Mayer: Tips for Bears’ Schedule Prediction Challenge - ChicagoBears.com - Who, when and where will the Bears play this season? Senior writer Larry Mayer provides some tips for fans entering the annual Schedule Prediction Challenge.

Wood: Understanding the Role of Newly-Acquired Free Agents in 2019 - Offense - Da Bears Blog - The Bears have made a number of moves in free agency, and I want to use some statistics to weigh in on their likely role on the roster / value to the team. Let’s start with a look at the offense.

2019 NFL free agency: Best fits for remaining high-profile players - NFL.com - Could Eric Berry end up in Dallas? Is Justin Houston the perfect pick-up for the Colts? Gregg Rosenthal provides fits for six remaining high-profile free agents.

Clay Matthews signs with Rams after ten years with Packers - Acme Packing Company - The Packers’ former Pro Bowl edge rusher is reportedly returning home to California.

Biggs' Bears Q&A: Has Jordan Howard's trade value changed? Is the secondary worse? What's left in free agency? How about another pass rusher? - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly. Has Jordan Howard's trade value changed a week into free agency? Did the Bears get better or worse in the secondary with Buster Skrine and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix? What's left for Ryan Pace in free agency? Plus much more.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Elijah Holyfield fails to improve on slow Combine 40 time – ProFootballTalk - Georgia running back Elijah Holyfield was hoping for a big Pro Day after running a slow 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine. It didn’t happen. D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Holyfield’s first 40-yard dash today at Georgia was clocked at 4.81, 4.78 and 4.

Chad Kelly pleads guilty to trespassing, won’t go to prison – ProFootballTalk - Former Broncos quarterback Chad Kelly and prosecutors reached a plea agreement to settle trespassing charges stemming from an October 2018 arrest. Kelly pleaded guilty to misdemeanor second-degree trespassing in a Colorado courtroom on Wednesday.

KNOW THY ENEMY

NFL free agency: Lions hosted LB Manti Te’o for a visit - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions are searching for some linebacker depth.

5 Qs with Pats Pulpit: Danny Amendola ‘will bring more efficiency to Stafford’s play’ - Pride Of Detroit - Patriots blogger Brian Phillips explains why Matthew Stafford just got a big gift in free agency.

Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Report: Josh Kline to sign with Vikings - Daily Norseman - HABEMUS GUARD!

After signing Adrian Amos, Packers should look toward the draft for a running mate - Acme Packing Company - Though Green Bay has money left to sign a safety to play opposite Adrian Amos, the move now is looking toward the draft to find a long-term answer.

Wednesday Walkthroughs: Biggest questions for the Packers after free agency - Acme Packing Company - The APC writers share their worries about the current Packers roster.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Chicago Bears re-sign QB Tyler Bray - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears have announced that Tyler Bray has been re-signed to a one-year contract.

IOftenPanic's 2019 NFL Draft: Updated Top-50 and Prospect Meetings - Windy City Gridiron - This Fanpost was written by a Windy City Gridiron member, and does not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of its staff or community.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski - The Blitz Network

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Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

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WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/3/21/18274896/chicago-bears-free-agency-draft-mocks-offseason-second-wave

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Know your enemy: Milwaukee Brewers

It’s tough for me to write, “Milwaukee Brewers, defending N.L. Central champions,” but that’s what they are, having run through September faster than the Cubs could and defeating them in the tiebreaker game October 1. Credit, therefore, where credit is due. They won the division more than the Cubs lost it, going 20-7 after September 1 to the CUbs’ 16-13.

The Brewers had almost everything go right for them last year, including a fantastic MVP season from Christian Yelich, who hit .326/.402/.598 with 36 home runs. In September 2018, Yelich was even better: .370/.508/.804 with 10 homers. It seemed every time you glanced toward Miller Park, Yelich was hitting a key home run.

There’s no doubt Yelich is a good player. But in five years in Miami, he had never come close to that 2018 level of production. I say it’s an open question as to whether he can repeat that perfect storm of a season.

Beyond that, the Brewers are essentially the same team as they were in 2018, with the addition of Yasmani Grandal on a one-year deal to catch for them. That will significantly increase the offense from the position. Grandal has a reputation as a good defensive catcher, but he was awful defensively last postseason. Erik Kratz and Manny Pina return to back up Grandal.

Mike Moustakas, acquired midseason from the Royals, is not on the Brewers roster at this point, but many think they will still re-sign him as a free agent. If not, Travis Shaw moves back to third base and Cory Spangenberg, acquired from the Padres, will play second.

The Brewers rotation will welcome back Jimmy Nelson, though he’s just begun throwing bullpens and they say they won’t rush him:

40 pitches, 45 pitches. What’s five pitches among friends? Nelson hasn’t appeared in a game since suffering this shoulder injury [VIDEO] on the bases at Wrigley Field in September 2017:

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.

The Brewers bullpen has good depth with Jeremy Jeffress, Josh Hader and Corey Knebel leading it.

Which leads me to this conclusion: In addition to Yelich, a lot of Brewers had what could be seen as career years in 2018. Jeffress and Hader did. So did Shaw and Jesus Aguilar among position players. Wade Miley: which guy is he? The one who had a 2.57 ERA in 16 starts last season? Or the one who had a 5.61 ERA and led the majors in walks for the 2017 Orioles?

Point is, I think the Brewers had a perfect storm type of season in 2018, where just about everything that could have gone right, did go right. The Cubs, meanwhile, had a 2018 from hell, where pretty much everything that could go wrong, did.

And yet, Milwaukee had to go to Game 163 to win the division. It says here that won’t be as easy in 2019.

The Brewers have upgraded the former Maryvale Baseball Park. It was rebuilt over the summer and is now corporately-named “American Family Fields of Phoenix.” The Cubs will play there March 10.

For regular-season play, the Cubs head to Miller Park to face the Brewers April 5-6-7, July 26-27-28 and September 5-6-7-8, and will host them at Wrigley Field May 10-11-12, August 2-3-4 and August 30-31-September 1. That means the two clubs will be done facing each other with three weeks remaining in the season. Could be interesting if both are still in contention for the division title at that point.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/2/19/18225039/know-your-enemy-milwaukee-brewers

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The Bear’s Den, December 28, 2018

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

Wiedman: Bears not backing down in last regular season game - Our Turf Football - Wanda Wiedman, OTFB’s Chicago Bears Reporter, looks at the keys to this weeks matchup vs the Minnesota Vikings.

Mullin: ‘Grizzly’ worst-to-first specialist Bobby Massie wants to stay a Bear - NBC Sports Chicago - Bobbie Massie is at the end of a three-year contract that brought him to Chicago, and the time is coming for him (and the Bears) to determine whether he is a Bear or headed to become something else. Massie has already made that determination. “I’m a Bear. Grizzly as hell.”

Week 17: NFC North Champions at Vikings Game Preview - Da Bears Blog - I always like the Chicago Bears…but I don’t love ’em this week. One team is home, playing for their postseason life. The other team has eleven wins and is playing for a bye if a ten-point favorite (the Rams) loses at home. Motivation matters. And I don’t think the Bears have much this week.

Emma: Bears’ Vic Fangio Deserving Of Head Coaching Consideration - 670 The Score - Hiring Vic Fangio as head coach would buck a recent trend in the NFL.

Bears Being Cautious With Allen Robinson, Eddie Jackson - 670 The Score - The Bears are resting several of their key players during practice this week.

Medina: Now That We’ve Had Some Time, Let’s Discuss Allen Robinson and the Fumble - Bleacher Nation - Allen Robinson’s fumble could have sent Week 16’s Bears-49ers game sideways.

Householder: Chicago vs Minnesota Betting Picks & Analysis - Sports Bet Collective - NFL Week 17 betting sucks. It’s hard to know who is going to show up if they’re missing the playoffs, who is going to play their starters for the entire game, if they are going to the playoffs and who is fighting for their playoff lives. The Bears may fall into that second category, while the Vikings are the last.

Campbell: Bears playoff picture - Week 17 scenarios and your guide to scoreboard watching (and rooting) - Chicago Tribune - Bears playoff opponent scenarios entering the final week of the regular season. The Bears could end up playing the Seahawks, Vikings or Eagles. Here's how they end up with each.

Game Preview: Chicago Bears - Minnesota Vikings (Week 17) - The Chicago Audible Podcast - In this in-depth episode, the guys cover everything you need to know heading into the Chicago Bears' Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Stankevitz: Bears make it clear - Winning, not resting or hiding, the priority vs. Vikings - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears are approaching Sunday's season finale with a focus on winning, not resting players or hiding plays with the playoffs looming.

Under Center Podcast: Joint podcast with Eagles Insider Reuben Frank - NBC Sports Chicago - On this special edition of Under Center, JJ Stankevitz welcomes in Reuben Frank from NBC Sports Philadelphia. They talk about how the Bears and Eagles head into Week 17.

Mayer: One stat explains how Bears won division - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears’ NFC North title this season is a direct result of their 4-1 record against division opponents, which matches the win total they accumulated in going 4-20 while finishing in last place each of the previous four years.

Kaufman: Week 17 Key Matchups - ChicagoBears.com - When the Bears take on the Vikings on Sunday, keep an eye out for these three key matchups, including running back Jordan Howard versus Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson.

Kaufman: Where Bears team, players rank in the NFL - ChicagoBears.com - Take a look at where the Bears stack up both as a team and individually in the NFL rankings heading into their final game of the regular season against the Vikings on Sunday.

Chalk Talk: When was last time Bears played a team three times? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the last time the Bears played a team three times in the same season, how a tie in Sunday’s Bears-Vikings game would affect playoff seeds and the most wins by a first-year Bears head coach.

Medina: Vic Fangio Continues Continues to Draw Praise and Is Clearly Among the Top Head Coaching Candidates - Bleacher Nation - Are you prepared to lose Vic Fangio? Because I'm not.

Jahns: Bears' success includes handling injuries well - Sun Times - Third-year safety Deon Bush and others are playing more for the Bears because of injuries.

Finley: Bears proclaim faith in Cody Parkey, but, 'if you’re our guy, make those kicks' - Sun Times - Among kickers with at least 15 attempts this season, he’s fourth from the bottom with a 75.9 conversion percentage.

Bears predictions: Week 17 vs. Vikings - Sun Times - The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ Week 17 game at the Vikings:

As Vikings face rematch with Bears, Kirk Cousins feels the pressure - Sun Times - This is the type of game for quarterback Kirk Cousins to make good on that $84 million in guaranteed money.

Kane: 7 things we heard from Bears coordinators, including how Vic Fangio feels fans’ enthusiasm and glimpses of Mitch Trubisky's growth - Chicago Tribune - Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich liked several aspects of quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s 43-yard pass to wide receiver Allen Robinson in the first quarter Sunday against the 49ers.

Biggs: With Vic Fangio sure to be in demand, the Bears might need to think outside the box to keep the defensive mastermind - Chicago Tribune - Vic Fangio never has been hotter as a head-coaching candidate, and with at least six teams projected to have vacancies in the coming weeks, the Bears need to consider ways to keep the defensive coordinator.

Bear Download podcast: Will the matchup in Minnesota be a playoff preview? - Chicago Tribune - Welcome to the weekly Bear Download podcast. Listen below or subscribe and listen on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Play Rich and Dan are still spreading holiday cheer as they preview the Bears’ regular-season finale against the Vikings. They assess the NFC playoff landscape (3:36), then...

Campbell: Prince Amukamara named 2018 Bears Media Good Guy - Chicago Tribune - Prince Amukamara was named the 2018 Media Good Guy by the Chicago chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. The veteran cornerback has won Good Guy honors in Chicago and in 2015 as a member of the Giants.

Biggs: Bears Q&A: Which potential wild-card opponent would be most dangerous? - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly. How should Matt Nagy handle the use of front-line players in Sunday's season finale in Minnesota? Which opponent would be most dangerous in the wild-card round? Does a lack of first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 hurt? Plus much more.

Wiederer: Kyle Long's recovery optimism, the Bears' playoff veterans and their Minneapolis misery - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears prepare to face the Vikings in the regular-season finale, we take a deeper look at Kyle Long's push to return from injured reserve, the playoff experience of a handful of current Bears and the team's recent struggles in Minneapolis.

Finley: Can Bears lean on RB Jordan Howard in the playoffs? - Chicago Sun-Times - Through the first 12 games of the season, Jordan Howard averaged 3.4 yards per carry. In the last four, he’s averaged 4.2.

Potash: Out of the spotlight, Leonard Floyd thriving in complementary role in Bears’ D - Chicago Sun-Times - After two years of being scrutinized for big plays, Floyd now is getting recognition for the little things. He was named a Pro Bowl alternate.

Finley: Bears injury update - WR Allen Robinson sits out again with sore ribs - Sun Times - For the second-straight day, receiver Allen Robinson sat out Thursday’s practice with sore ribs.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Marcus Mariota returns to Tennessee Titans practice - NFL.com - Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota made a positive step Thursday toward playing in this weekend’s must-win game against the Indianapolis Colts.

QB Index, Week 17: Previewing offseason QB market - NFL.com - Which quarterbacks could be on the move this offseason? With the regular season in its final days, Gregg Rosenthal takes a peek at the veteran signal-callers who could be available in 2019.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Vikings injury report update: Linval Joseph, Mike Remmers return - Daily Norseman - Who was in and who was out for the Vikings on Thursday?

Priefer: Marcus Sherels to miss game against the Bears - Daily Norseman - And that leaves the Vikings with a pretty significant hole

NFL Week 17: Daily Norseman On The Bear Front Podcast - Daily Norseman - Previewing Sunday’s pivotal game with a Chicago-based podcast.

Aaron Rodgers’ upside down splits illustrate Packers’ third-down issues - Acme Packing Company - Every metric seems to tell the same story: The Packer offense is outdated.

Week 17 stakes are very high for the Rams – ProFootballTalk - A month ago, the Rams seemed to be coasting toward the top seed in the NFC, after securing a 54-51 win over the Chiefs in one of the best regular-season games of all time.

What would a Matthew Stafford trade actually look like in 2019? 2020? - Pride Of Detroit - Is it even possible in 2019? 2020?

NFL Week 17 Power Rankings: What every team has to play for in their season finale - Pride Of Detroit - There are still a few playoff spots up for grabs as we enter the final week of the season.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Zeglinski: The Chicago Bears’ 2019 schedule of opponents is set - Windy City Gridiron - We know who the Bears will play next season, just not in what order and when. Oh boy is it a doozy.

Curl & Berckes 2018 NFL Chicago Bears Blither-Blather: Holiday Special - Windy City Gridiron - In this edition of the increasingly-popular Bears Blither-Blather segment, we discuss Wham! Bears playoff opponents, Trubisky, and an untapped market for James Williams jerseys

Infante: 2019 NFL Draft - Potential Bears targets playing in the New Year’s Six - Windy City Gridiron - Even though the Bears will be focused more on the playoffs than the draft this year, it’s always fun to take a look ahead at this year’s prospects.

Mitchell's Cold Takes: A Look At The Chicago Bears’ Sloppy Win At San Francisco - Windy City Gridiron - Things look a bit different when you set emotions aside and go back and watch the tapes a couple of times...

Householder's Week 17 Game preview: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings - Windy City Gridiron - The regular season finale has plenty of storylines and isn’t the end of the season story for the Bears

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

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Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/12/28/18158554/chicago-bears-2018-season-news-updates-analysis-game-sixteen-minnesota-vikings

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Alshon Jeffery ready for “terrible field” in return to Chicago

Alshon Jeffery faced the Bears during his first season with the Eagles, but the game took place in Philadelphia so Sunday afternoon’s game will be the wide receiver’s first back in Chicago since leaving the Bears as a free agent in 2017.

He called Chicago “just where I was for work,” although he also said “it definitely was a lot of fun” in his first few seasons with the Bears before injuries, a suspension and coaching changes made for a less enjoyable atmosphere. Whatever his feelings about playing for the Bears, Jeffery’s strongest feelings about returning had to do with the playing surface at Soldier Field.

“The field is terrible,” Jeffery said, via NJ.com. “I definitely remember that. But at the same time, it’s football, man … when I was there we always used to tell the equipment manager that you gotta change the field, get the field better. I’m not disrespecting them. I’m just saying: It’s terrible.”

Jeffery certainly isn’t the first player to criticize or raise concerns about the surface at Soldier Field and the Bears have changed the sod they use as a result.

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/alshon-jeffery-ready-terrible-field-120339365.html?src=rss

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Ask Sam Mailbag: 06.28.2019

Brodie Larsh:

What realistic free agents would you like to see the Bulls end up with? Beverely and Noah seem like good fits for 1-2 year deals. Any non-max, "major" free agents you'd like to see them make a run at?

Sam:

As one of my correspondents wrote, this would be an ideal time for Noah to return with marijuana being legalized in Illinois. But, alas, probably not. How about Pau Gasol? There have been rumors about Taj Gibson, though more about that kind of reasonably paid (for the NBA) veteran with a strong work ethic and locker room attitude who would eagerly come off the bench and work with youngsters. Not that the Bulls are serious competitors, but they really aren't as far away as they seem. They were a 35-win team last season that won 22 games because of injuries first and then inertia later. They've pretty much got a legitimate starting five with Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr. and Wendell Carter Jr. Perhaps Coby White before too long. Maybe Kris Dunn still? So they are not necessarily looking for starters. Yes, they would take Kawhi if he wanted to come for the $23 million available salary cap space. But it's also not like they are trying to jump from 22 wins. They would be if they were playing Wayne Selden, Rawle Alkins, Brandon Sampson and Timothy Luwawu-hyphen. But they are not. I'd be fine with Noah given his size and teammate friendly demeanor, though I get the sense he and Rose aren't high priorities.

There will be plenty of rumors once the bidding starts Sunday, and we've already heard a few like Darren Collison, Cory Joseph, and apparently anyone who ever played for the Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon, Patrick Beverley, Tyus Jones, Julius Randle, and many more to come. The problem the Bulls have is their salary cap amount of about $23 million after apparently getting approval to remove the $3 million for Omer Asik because of injury. The Bulls are not in the major bidding for the top free agents like Leonard, Jimmy Butler, the various injured Warriors and Kemba Walker (by the way, whoever thought the six foot, shoot first and defenseless point guard would be a $150 million player? So there's always hope.). Then comes the $20-some millions guys like D'Angelo Russell and perhaps Brogdon and Randle, though the latter probably is too small to team with Markkanen. The Bulls seemed to indicate their priority was to divide up the total and an exception among two or three players. So that could require having the market set, which means a player like, say, Collison may wait to see what Joseph gets. Then he says I'm better than him, so I should get 50 percent more. But they don't know now. If a player signs early, he guarantees a salary, but then maybe he prices himself too low. But if he waits, perhaps the chairs all are filled and he has to settle for less. It makes for so many unknowns that the Bulls could sign two players July 3. Or maybe no one until August. With almost 200 free agents, this could last awhile.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/ask-sam-mailbag-06282019

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Veteran lefty Jaime Garcia plans to retire

Jaime Garcia is calling it a career. The 32-year-old veteran left-hander, who pitched parts of 10 big league seasons, announced Wednesday that he plans to retire, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi.

Garcia spent most of his career with St. Louis, where he pitched parts of eight seasons and helped the club to the 2011 World Series title. He then joined the Braves, Twins, Yankees, Blue Jays and Cubs over the past two seasons. Last month, the free agent signed with Naranjeros de Hermosillo of the Mexican Pacific League.

A 22nd-round pick in 2005 by the Cardinals, Garcia battled injuries throughout a significant portion of his career, as he never reached the 200-inning plateau. With the Cardinals, he went 62-45 with a 3.57 ERA over 158 outings, including 147 starts, and his best season was perhaps in 2015, when he went 10-6 with a 2.43 ERA.

The 2018 campaign was arguably Garcia's worst, as Garcia went 3-7 with a 5.82 ERA and was demoted to Toronto's bullpen after returning from left shoulder inflammation in July. After signing a one-year, $8 million deal with a $2 million buyout, Garcia was designated for assignment by Toronto on Aug. 25, released four days later, then signed with the Cubs in September.

In 2017, Garcia became the first pitcher in MLB history to pitch for three teams in a 15-day span, according to Elias, after he was traded from the Braves to the Twins on July 24, then from the Twins to the Yankees on July 30.

Daniel Kramer is a reporter for MLB.com based in Denver. Follow him on Twitter at @DKramer_.

Source: https://www.mlb.com/news/jaime-garcia-expected-to-retire-from-mlb/c-302541372

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House candidates Miller Walsh, Edly-Allen disagree on term limits

Republican state Rep. Helene Miller Walsh and opponent Mary Edly-Allen differ on whether term limits should be pursued for Illinois' legislative leaders.

Edly-Allen, a teacher from Libertyville, is facing Miller Walsh in the Nov. 6 election for the seat representing House District 51. The district includes all or portions of the Barrington area, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Libertyville and Mundelein.

Miller Walsh, a Mundelein-area resident, was appointed in August to replace Republican state Rep. Nick Sauer of Lake Barrington, who resigned amid accusations he posted naked photographs of an ex-girlfriend over social media without her knowledge. Sauer's term expires in January.

One issue the candidates addressed in a Daily Herald questionnaire is the idea of term limits for the House and Senate leaders. For example, Democratic state Rep. Michael Madigan has been House speaker all but two years since he was first elected by his colleagues to the post in 1983.

Edly-Allen said the top problem in politics is not how long someone serves, but rather money.

"It is the primary reason why legislative leaders have so much power," Edly-Allen said. "While term limits on leaders may help, the only way to keep so much power out of the hands of so few is to overhaul our campaign finance system and limit the amount of money in our elections."

Miller Walsh endorses term limits for all legislators, not just the leaders of both chambers.

"I would suggest that all state legislators serve no more than three terms," Miller Walsh said. "We live in a representative democracy. Our constitution was designed for people to take time away from their businesses or farms, go and serve, then come home and let someone else represent their community."

Edly-Allen has a massive campaign funding advantage over Miller Walsh as the election nears. She received $750,000 on Monday from the Democratic Party of Illinois, bringing her cash on hand to about $1.2 million, according to the Illinois Sunshine campaign finance disclosure database.

Miller Walsh received $115,304 from the House Republican Organization on Oct. 19. She had $260,176 in available funds as of Tuesday.

Source: https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20181031/house-candidates-miller-walsh-edly-allen-disagree-on-term-limits

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Giants bounce back to beat Bears in OT

Getty Images

It looked like the Giants had a win in their pocket with just under two minutes to play on Sunday, but they’d have to wait a lot longer to celebrate.

The Bears rallied for a quick field goal, recovered an onside kick and then got a touchdown pass from running back Tarik Cohen to wide receiver Anthony Miller on the last play of regulation. An extra point forced overtime and gave the Bears a chance to extend their winning streak to six games.

They couldn’t make it happen, however. The Giants drove for a field goal to open the extra session and a fourth-down pass to Allen Robinson fell incomplete to finally give the home side a 30-27 win.

Odell Beckham appeared to have a chance to grab the fateful onside kick, but didn’t fully extend his arms to get the ball. That marred an otherwise good day for the wideout as he threw a touchdown pass and then caught one as the Giants moved into the lead in the third quarter.

The touchdown passes by Beckham and Cohen were joined by a touchdown run by Bears defensive tackle Akiem Hicks as both sides found ways to score while their quarterbacks were having shaky games. Chase Daniel‘s first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown and he was picked again in the first half to kill a drive in Giants territory.

It was a good thing the Giants got that touchdown by linebacker Alec Ogletree, because the Giants offense was ineffective for most of the first half. The biggest exception was a 22-yard run by Saquon Barkley late in the second quarter that helped the team to a field goal at the whistle. Bears head coach made that possible by calling a timeout after back-to-back sacks of Eli Manning, but let several seconds tick off the clock in the interim so the Bears wouldn’t have had much time to try for anything after a punt.

Barkley continued to run well in the second half and Beckham’s touchdowns in the third quarter changed the tenor of the game. He threw a 49-yard pass to Russell Shepard for his second touchdown pass of the year and then caught a one-yard pass for a score on fourth down when Eli Manning was able to get the ball away in the face of a heavy Bears blitz.

The Bears would sack Manning three times, but gave up that big Barkley play in the second quarter and struggled getting off the field in the second half of the game. They weren’t getting much help from the offense as the Bears ran for just five yards in the second half after putting up 106 before the break. Late heroics aside, Daniel didn’t play nearly as well as he did on Thanksgiving, so the Bears will likely be looking forward to getting Mitchell Trubisky back as they try to nail down the NFC North.

That effort will start with a game against the Rams next week, so they’ll need to get back on their feet right away.

Source: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/12/02/giants-bounce-back-to-beat-bears-in-ot/

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MLB Bullets changes the rules

Good morning. The big news was the rules changes for 2019 and 2020 announced on Thursday that Al has already covered here.

The big change that everyone is talking about is the three-batter minimum for pitchers. Craig Calcaterra explains why it’s a great idea.

Whereas Tom Verducci thinks the three-batter minimum is a huge mistake. He also offers his opinion on the other rules changes, which he’s mostly in favor of.

Breaking the tie, Mike Petriello thinks that the three-batter minimum is a good idea, although he explains why it’s not nearly as big a deal as a lot of people think it will be.

Bob Nightengale looks at the impact this rules change will have on (mostly) left-handed relief specialists. It’s all pretty much negative for those guys and Brian Duensing is not happy.

Nightengale also loves the changes to the roster size and especially the September roster expansion change.

Will Leitch looks at the reason behind the rules changes and asks how far should baseball bend to accommodate young people? Young people suck. I didn’t think that 25 years ago, but now I know better. (That’s a joke. I have to say that or someone won’t get it and get offended.)

Jake Mintz has five “crazy” ideas for improving the Home Run Derby. More like “bad” ideas, but if he wants to call them crazy, fine. Maybe you’ll think differently.

The Washington Nationals signed reliever Tony Sipp to a one-year deal and Dan Szymborski breaks down what the Nats can expect out of Sipp.

Twins pitcher Jose Berrios turned down a long-term extension offer this winter. Teammates Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco both accepted extension offers from the Twins this winter.

Jay Jaffe examines the Mets options as they try to pick a first baseman this Spring.

Tim Brown looks at the Mets starting rotation, which is a lot better and has a lot fewer questions than their first base options.

Michael Baumann writes about the Astros terrific pitching staff, which is as deep as it is talented, even with three starters from last year gone or injured.

TIm Brown also talks with our favorite Cardinals player, Dexter Fowler, about his awful 2018 season and how he hopes for a comeback in 2019.

David Laurila speaks with Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado about his approach to hitting.

Jon Tayler speaks with Yasiel Puig about joining the Reds and how he doesn’t understand why the Dodgers dealt him, but he has no hard feelings.

Eddie Matz writes that Nationals outfielder Juan Soto is ready to step in for the departed Bryce Harper as the wrecking crew in the Nats lineup.

Jayson Stark writes about the plight of a ballplayer in his thirties in 2019, (The Athletic sub. req.) including snide remarks from Alexa, as Ian Kinsler has found out.

To no one’s surprise, the White Sox sent outfielder Eloy Jimenez down to the minors.

The Angels have shut down pitcher Andrew Heaney with elbow inflammation. The Angels say that they don’t think the injury will cause Heaney to miss significant time, but they don’t expect him back for Opening Day.

And the Tigers have shut down pitcher Michael Fulmer not because he’s injured, but rather his mechanics are all messed up and they want him to work on it away from prying eyes.

Baseball may be worried about it’s popularity in the US, but tickets to the Red Sox/Yankees game at London Stadium in the UK are a hot item. MLB plans to expand the seating for those games to allow for another 2500 tickets for each game.

MLB Pipeline has one prospect from each team tearing it up this Spring Training. Jared Young is the candidate from the Cubs, and this was echoed in a Baseball America article that quotes a scout as saying Young has turned some heads (Baseball America sub. req.) this spring.

Nationals closer Sean Doolittle has a photo diary of Spring Training.

Former pitcher (and current Astros broadcaster) Steve Sparks talks about the day 25 years ago when he injured himself trying to tear a phone book.

Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli got hit by a pitch by his former batterymate Juan Nicasio and started to charge the mound, before smiling and laughing with his good friend.

And finally, Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon entertained his teammates by dancing around in Hunter Strickland’s uniform.

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/3/15/18266810/mlb-bullets-rules-changes-relief-pitchers-tony-sipp-juan-soto-dexter-fowler-nolan-arenado

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