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* I hope you all had a relaxing weekend! I’m not gonna jinx it by counting down the days. What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

posted by Isabel Miller
Monday, May 15, 23 @ 7:41 am

Comments

New Mayre- hopefully not: who dis?

Comment by West Sider Monday, May 15, 23 @ 8:59 am
IMHO - fairly objective article in Bloomberg on the status of Chicago’s financial district.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-15/chicago-s-empty-towers-threaten-future-of-finance-trading-empire?srnd=premium

Comment by Res Melius Monday, May 15, 23 @ 9:16 am
Tim Anderson listening to the boos and saying he hated this place, are not good signs. Lose him and thus 7 year rebuild will somehow be even uglier.

Comment by Lurker Monday, May 15, 23 @ 9:32 am
Losing hurts, and Tim Anderson is feeling it. So are the fans… the Sox need to win some games… how about 10 in a row? Save the season. There’s talent on that team…

Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, May 15, 23 @ 9:53 am
Interesting Bloomberg article, but Allstate gave up its offices *in the suburbs*, not the Loop.

Comment by Suburban Mom Monday, May 15, 23 @ 9:55 am
Lurker- there seems to be uncertainty as to what Anderson might have said, with different lipreading options online.

My thought is to hang on to Anderson, hoping that he, Moncada, Robert and Jimenez can all play a lot of games together at some point this season.

Comment by Friendly Bob Adams Monday, May 15, 23 @ 9:57 am
The Chicago American League Ball Club is dysfunctional from ownership, to the front office, to the on-field and in-game baseball decisions.

It’s feels like the wins the Sox are getting are despite themselves, that’s not a good culture in the clubhouse, let alone in the front office.

It’s terribly sad to see a ball club implode.

The Cards and the disaster that *IS* Wilson Contreras?

I remember a discussion where looking at Willy as a solid clutch hitter and player here came to a conclusion that signing Contreras was not smart, but getting zero back for Contreras is far worse for the Cubs as a ball club.

The Cards are on the hook for a catcher, (that has even known for YEARS, ask Jon Lester), that can’t handle or command a pitching staff, call a ball game, or understand the pitching sequence in his own pitchers to discuss an at-bat.

Contreras was never a huge hitting threat that you could ride as a club season after season, offsetting real deficiencies behind the plate… “but his arm and power” is not enough… as the Cardinals and that $80+ million… and the Cubs failed to get true compensation when Contreras’ value peaked and the ball club was deep-sixing.

Two Or-Gan-Eye-Zay-Shuns (Sox and Cards) that need to re-evaluate what this year was, currently is, and where real changes can bring the turnaround, maybe even in some culture and process too?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 15, 23 @ 10:19 am
All I can say to the Cardinals re: the Contreras disaster is this. Did the Dexter Fowler disaster teach you nothing about signing former Cubs?

Comment by Captain Obvious Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:04 am
I’m still not sure how much of the Contreras stuff is a “disaster” or just sports media blowing something way out of proportion. It might be noted that he’s back catching this week, and since that story blew up, the Cardinals are 6-1, with a 5-1 road trip that included 2/3 at Wrigley and a sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway. Baseball is a long, weird season, that usually evens out the how it should after 162 games. That’s the torture and beauty of it all.

Comment by fs Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:22 am
- fs -

Do you think the Cards would trade Contreras if they could?

Which teams would want Contreras as a failed catcher where his existence behind the plate has to be justified not merely welcomed?

The loser in this is the Cubs getting no value for a player using smoke and mirrors to talent behind the plate that Jon Lester knew didn’t exist.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:27 am
== Do you think the Cards would trade Contreras if they could?==

Not a month into a new season, no. Especially not a season with all of the rule changes that directly affect a pitcher and catcher. I think there has to be some patience and allowance for adjustments. If the relationship is still “rocky” (if it actually is) in August, then answer might be different. But there’s a lot of baseball out there to be played.

Comment by fs Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:43 am
===Not a month into a new season, no.===

After a month they realized he’s not up to the task. Publicly. Loudly. Even sliding him back to catch is an admitting the error.

===If the relationship is still “rocky” (if it actually is) in August, then answer might be different. But there’s a lot of baseball out there to be played.===

No one is going to want that salary for a player the ball club has said publicly hasn’t met expectations to his role.

I feel bad for the Cards, but angry at the Cubs for getting nothing for him.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:47 am
We’ll see in the fall, Willy. But believing things are set one way or the other in regards to “relationships” and “roles” and “performance” in baseball based on results in April, has many times a proven to be a foolish bet. It’s a long season.

Comment by fs Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:51 am
===We’ll see in the fall===

It’s the Cards Or-Gan-Eye-Zay-Shun that needs convincing, not me.

They are the ones making these thoughts public and looking at changes… and to the “why”

This is why I too love baseball, it’s my heart. I can tell you love it too.

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 15, 23 @ 11:58 am