Taste Chicago

A wildly popular Cubs-centric look at baseball’s past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow along as we review select scenes from the rich tapestry of Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball history.

Today we look at some of baseball’s All-Hallow’s moments. There aren’t a lot, but the ones that exist are pretty Cub-flavored. No pumpkin spice!

Today in baseball history:

• 1931 - The Cardinals release right-hander Burleigh Grimes, the last legal spitballer. Ol’ Stubblebeard will finish his 19-year Hall of Fame career with a 270-212 record along with an ERA of 3.53. (1)

The story of Hall-of-Famer Burleigh Grimes:

“I used to chew slippery elm - the bark, right off the tree. Come spring the bark would get nice and loose and you could slice it free without any trouble. What I checked was the fiber from inside, and that’s what I put on the ball. The ball would break like hell, away from right-handers and in on lefties,” Grimes once said.

Grimes started out in unspectacular fashion, winning 5 and losing 19 in two years with the Pittsburgh Pirates before getting traded to the Dodgers. He was an immediate hit with Brooklyn, going 19-9 his first year and winning another 139 in eight additional years, “while leading the National League in complete games three times (1921, 1923, 1924), innings twice (1923, 1924) and both wins (1921) and strikeouts (1921) once.”

It was during the latter portion of his career that the spitball was outlawed, but Grimes (and 16 other pitchers) was/were grandfathered in and allowed to continue throwing the pitch. He pitched through 1934, and would end up playing for the New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. His most noteworthy effort came in his second stint with the Pirates in 1928 when he again paced the NL in wins (25), games (48), complete games (28) and innings pitched (330.2). In 1931 as a member of the St, Louis Cardinals, Grimes claimed his first and only championship, as he won both of his starts in the World Series versus the Philadelphia Athletics.(5)

“The only time I was ever scared in my life was one time when Burleigh threw at me on a 3-and-0 count.” — Frankie Frisch (5)

• 1995 - Retired second baseman Ryne Sandberg announces that he will return to the major leagues in 1996. The ten-time All-Star signs a one-year contract to play for the Chicago Cubs. (3)
• 2005 - On Halloween night, former Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein, on the night of his resignation, eludes the media parked outside Fenway Park disguised in a gorilla suit. At a future charity event, the hairy costume will be auctioned and will make $11,000 for the Jimmy Fund and Theo’s Foundation, To Be Named Later. (1)
• 2011 - Although offered approximately $4.5 million for a three-year extension, four times the amount of his previous salary, Theo Epstein decides to leave the BoSox after being the youngest general manager to lead a team to a World Championship. The split with team president Larry Lucchino, who hired the 18 year-old Yale undergraduate as an Oriole intern, gave him a position with the Padres before bringing the ‘Boy Wonder’ to Boston, takes the Red Sox Nation by surprise. (1)
• 2014 - The Cubs dismissed manager Rick Renteria, who, according to GM Theo Epstein, “deserved to come back for another season." The availability of Joe Maddon, announced as the team’s new skipper an hour after Renteria’s dismissal, puts an end to the first-year skipper’s managerial career in Chicago.

“We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe.” - THEO EPSTEIN, explaining manager Rick Renteria’s dismissal. (1)

Sources:

A note from my sponsor:

Happy Halloween! The Kindle versions of Test Patterns and Creature Features will be free for one day and one day only, today. . Also, Caravans Awry is just out. It’s not free but it IS awesome.

Thanks for playing along.

I recently quipped something on Twitter about the PECOTA projections for the Cubs’ starting pitchers that is appropriate here:

And just like that, Tseng was named the Cubs’ opening day starter! … for Spring Training.

As you, of course, well know, the starting pitcher in a Spring Training game is not always indicative of much of anything. Tseng, for example, is not a serious threat to make the Cubs’ rotation out of the spring.

That said, this is a reminder that Tseng is still being viewed as a starting pitching prospect for the Cubs, and he will have to battle to nab some of the depth starts that inevitably become available this year (others in the mix will include Mike Montgomery, Tyler Chatwood, Alec Mills, Adbert Alzolay, Duane Underwood, and Duncan Robinson, among others).

Tseng, 24, was an IFA bonus baby many years ago, and has interspersed his minor league career with excellent seasons and disappointing ones. He absolutely has a big league caliber changeup, but deploying it successfully requires excellent command of his otherwise mediocre fastball, and further development of his curveball. This year might be his last chance to insert himself into the Cubs’ future starting rotation plans, even as a depth option, because there are a ton of arms coming up behind him.

Otherwise, it might be time to see if the fastball velocity can play up in relief, and he can become a fastball/changeup reliever.

On Tuesday the Blackhawks Blackhawks announced they have signed forward Brandon Hagel on a three-year entry-level contract that runs through the 2020-21 season. The deal will have a $925,000 AAV.

Hagel, 20, is listed at 6-1 and 175 pounds and was originally drafted in the sixth round (#159 overall) by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft.

He is currently skating with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League where he has 12 goals and 16 assists in 15 games. He has produced 205 points in 208 career games in the WHL.

Robin Lopez continues to contribute as 'great example,' mentor for young Bulls originally appeared on nbcsportschicago.com

Robin Lopez hasn't exactly had a season to remember in Year 3 with the Bulls. The longest tenured player on the rebuilding Bulls, Lopez has seen his starting spot relinquished during the preseason, he's been a healthy scratch in half of the team's 14 games and has struggled in the extended minutes he's seen this past week.

But Lopez, ever the professional and positive presence in the locker room – with his framed Britney Spears picture still in view – is still having an impact. Specifically, the mentoring he's given rookie Wendell Carter Jr. is one of the reasons the Bulls' seventh overall pick has been able to succeed so early in his NBA career.

"Robin's great for this young group of guys. He's played already a couple different roles," Fred Hoiberg said. "And any time you can show the guys the right way to approach that, be professional about it and still be a mentor throughout the tough times, it's a great example. He's a great role model for our young players.

"He's really taken Wendell under his wing. You look at what Cris and Bobby did in their first couple years in the league. He had those same impact on those guys."

When Lopez arrived in Chicago via the Derrick Rose trade, the Bulls were still competing. He started 81 games in 2016-17, averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 28.0 minutes, the most he had played since his first season in Portland.

But Lopez became a victim of the Bulls tank last season, starting 64 games but sitting 18 of the final 26 contests. Lopez only played in eight of those games as a result of the NBA stepping in and asking the Bulls to play their veterans – Lopez and Justin Holiday – more. Lopez averaged just 16.9 minutes in those games.

Lopez began the year as the starter but Carter quickly established himself as the foundation of the defense while also showing off an offensive skill set that complemented the backcourt.

Through the demotion and healthy scratches Lopez has taken on a mentor role, not dissimilar to the one fellow veterans took on for him in his early seasons as a pro in New Orleans.

"I've been really fortunate in the league," Lopez said. "I've had a lot of great veterans myself, but even if I hadn't I have a great joy playing with these guys, being around these guys. We have a great group of guys, a great group of teammates. I'd be a huge jackass if I weren't to do that, you know?''

Since rejoining the rotation in New York, Lopez has averaged a paltry 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17.2 minutes. He has blocked five shots, including a pivotal one in the final seconds of regulation against the Knicks. He's been an abled body off the bench to spell Carter – or eat minutes if the rookie is in foul trouble – or a more viable option for Felicio, who has struggled in his own right.

The on-court production is what it is, but Lopez's teaching role has mattered more to a Bulls team sitting at 4-9 while they await the return of four rotation players.

"Coming out of a timeout or when guys come over, whether we're going through a good stretch or a bad one, he's always the first one to go up to Wendell and talk to him about things that he sees on the floor," Hoiberg said. "He just has such a great feel for doing the right thing out there."

It's a role he'll play for as long as he's with the Bulls. When Lauri Markkanen and Bobby Portis return the Bulls' frontcourt minutes will be swallowed up, and odds are the Bulls will want to continue trying out Felicio based solely on the money the Bulls owe him the next two-plus seasons. Lopez, a free agent at season's end, likely hasn't done enough to fetch anything considerable in a trade and doesn't offer much as an expiring contract.

But that won't stop him from continuing to compete, push the younger players in practice and attempt to create a winning culture in Chicago.

"Everybody here, we're competitive guys," he said. "We want that to be us. Wherever I am I want us to be winning, I'm a competitive player. You see me on the floor getting technicals and generally shouting at the refs, but occasionally other people too. I'm a competitive guy. I want to be winning wherever I am.''

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Nathan Peterman is going to get another chance. With all that entails.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Bills quarterback Derek Anderson sustained a concussion late in last night’s loss to the Patriots, meaning Peterman is expected to start this week against the Bears.

Peterman has started three games for the Bills, and has one touchdown and five interceptions.

The first five picks came last season when they thought it was a good idea to bench Tyrod Taylor, and only Taylor’s return helped them break a 17-year playoff drought.

The last two came in this year’s opener, when they decided not to play first-round pick Josh Allen, who is now out with an elbow injury.

Of course, the Bills are signing wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, so maybe he’ll get a shot to get back under center.

Plant Chicago is located across the street from a McDonald’s, a former Wal-Mart, and several small restaurants. Wal-Mart has been making bold moves to become “zero-waste” by 2025, and is already self-reporting that they are diverting over 78% of their materials from the landfill globally. McDonald’s has set ambitious goals around their packaging to be 100% “fiber based” materials coming from recycled or certified sources by 2020. The impact that these large businesses can have on supply chains is incredible, not to mention the fact that their aggressive goals have the potential to activate their competitors to do the same.

Yet the fact that these large companies are setting ambitious goals around packaging and waste does not translate into impact on the brick and mortar small businesses that exist in their shadows. The small local restaurants that are serving delicious food every day are also engaging in prototypical “linear” practices, such as using single use polystyrene (Styrofoam) packaging and sending materials like aluminum cans and food waste to the landfill. The fact that the McDonald’s or the Wal-Mart next door has set lofty goals around waste diversion doesn’t mean that the small business will follow in their footsteps. It is easy to dismiss the small businesses as only a minor portion of the problem, or that they are negligent for not caring about waste issues. Neither of these narratives are true.

Impacts of Small Business

Consider this: according to the Small Business and Economic Council, businesses with under 20 employees make up 89% of total business and 46% of total GDP in the United States. This suggests that there is a massive amount of opportunity for small businesses to engage in the circular economy and have a large collective impact. Furthermore, there is certainly a desire from many small businesses to have an impact on waste. Many of our co-located businesses at The Plant, such as Just Ice, are making concrete efforts to divert materials from the landfill despite the fact that they are unlikely to make a profit off of it. Or take our nearby Mexican restaurant, La Monarca. They are currently using Styrofoam for take out orders, but are more than happy to accommodate our catering requests to use only reusable metal trays! They are also quick to point out that in their home state of Michocan it is very common for people to bring reusable packaging for their takeout orders for “comida corrida”. It’s the U.S. where the cultural norm is to give customers single use plastic packaging for take-out.

Yet despite a desire from many small businesses to be a part of the circular economy movement, you still do not hear about the role of small business in circular economies.  If you read case studies, go to conferences, or look at the membership of global circular economy initiatives, they focus on what large multinational companies are doing to be “circular”.

Where is the voice of small businesses?

The answer is perhaps obvious: small businesses are busy working. The small business owner doesn’t have the financial stability or time to attend an expensive conference, nor the luxury of time needed to focus on initiatives not directly related to improving their bottom line. Multinational companies have the ability to hire consultants, scientists, and marketing teams, but small companies are lucky to be turning a profit and pay their employees living wages. This is especially true if they are a small food company, where profit margins are often smaller and money tighter.

Who is working with those small companies? What transition structure exists (or could exist) to facilitate circular economies among them? Plant Chicago’s approach to date has been to support the network of co-located small businesses at The Plant and others nearby on the southwest side. We’ve co-facilitated monthly meetings for sharing knowledge, created marketing opportunities, and in some cases facilitated resource sharing. Now, we are planning to set ambitious goals in partnership with our small businesses collaborators.

Plant Chicago’s partnership goals:

1. Set our own ambitious goals, such as diverting 90% of materials from the landfill across our program areas. This means diverting materials in our market and education programs first to composting and reuse, and only recycling if reuse is not an option.
2. Set goals in partnership with our co-located food businesses (such as Just Ice) to set similar ambitious goals around “waste” diversion. This means working to set measurable goals, while at the same time looking for ways to help accomplish it.
3. Develop a “toolkit” for small businesses to engage in CE. The toolkit will provide guidance for small businesses and establish common language around the local circular economy.

Plant Chicago’s mission is to cultivate local circular economies, and small businesses are a critical partner in this effort. Not only is the desire there, but also the potential for great collective impact. The challenge is figuring out new ways that we can both support them in their efforts, while devising systems where small businesses can support each other.

I am a total sucker for the ever-lurking, probably-exaggerated, possibly-omniscient MYSTERY TEAM.

In major and highly-visible negotiations, be they free agent or trade, it always seems the case that, by the time those negotiations are nearing a modicum of closure, the group of involved teams is more or less known, even if their specific level of involvement and seriousness are not widely known. But then, like masked superhero (or a fart on a crowded elevator, depending on your bent), the MYSTERY TEAM arrives to spice things up!

With Manny Machado’s and Bryce Harper’s free agency among the most highly-anticipated – and priciest – for years, I suppose it was always going to tricky for a true MYSTERY TEAM to enter the mix. These guys get courted very publicly, and there are only so many clubs that can realistically afford them.

To that end, we more or less “know” that the Machado market is down to the White Sox, Phillies, and Yankees, and the Harper market is down to the White Sox, Phillies, Nationals, Dodgers, and maybe Cubs.

Is that really it? Are there no surprises left around the corner? No pick-me-up from a cloaked figure?

NOT SO FAST, MY FRENT!

Per an industry source of the Sun-Times, “It’s gonna gain steam now, especially with Machado. I’m just curious to know the mystery teams. I’m guessing there will be one or two on each guy.”

MYSTERY TEAMS!

Heck yeah, baby. I’m gonna cling to that like cheap antiperspirant in your pits.

In the most fun version of the world, you couldn’t even speculate about the identities of the MYSTERY TEAMS because they would be so surprising that you’d never believe it (kinda like when the Marlins came outta nowhere to be a major factor in the Albert Pujols race). The Rays want Harper?! The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are big on Machado?! Who knows! It’s all so MYSTERIOUS!

In all seriousness, because these pursuits are necessarily atypical – with owners reportedly meeting with agents without the GM’s knowledge, for example, and with White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf personally handling the negotiations, per that ST report – it does seem conceivable that there could be MYSTERY TEAMS, since information is not flowing in the usual directions.

To paraphrase Scott Boras on Bryce Harper, this is a submarine race, not a regatta. Maybe there are some MYSTERY SUBMARINES in the waters.

It’s fun to think about while we wait what could be a long process.

(For what it’s worth, no, I don’t think you could reasonable call the Cubs a “mystery team” on Harper, but they would certainly qualify on Machado. We have been given absolutely zero indication that the Cubs are in on Machado, however (though they were in on him in trade last year, that’s a different animal). That would mean, for the Cubs to be involved, they would have somehow had to keep their meeting(s) with Machado a total secret, even as the three others – with the White Sox, Yankees, and Phillies – were conducted very publicly. That would be strange, but I suppose they don’t call it “pretty obvious teams” for a reason. Nevertheless … I would not look for the Cubs to be a “mystery team” on anyone who isn’t a decent reliever this offseason.)

Earlier this month, The Growler’s brought their laid back beach goth sound to a starting to cool down Chicago. Donned in star covered overalls and suits, set up in front of a bevy of Beach Goth murals (including a Growlers-ified Selena, Virgin Mary, and more), the sunsoaked band presented a chill set that felt way more like a gathering of friends than a straight up concert.

I’ve been to my fair share of Growlers shows and each one of them seemed like a completely different band. The first time was at Lincoln Hall, where the group were laid back but delivering some rambunctious tunes that had the whole crowd dancing. The last time I had the chance to see them was during the beginning of their City Club tour, were the group was dressed to the nines in mariachi like outfits and firing on all cylinders at Thalia Hall. Their sound remained as amazing as always, but their stage presence was commanding and welcoming.

I didn’t know which version of the Growlers’ I was going to get, but once I was settled in I could see there was something a little off about the show that evening. It was unfortunate because it never truly felt like anyone’s fault, if anything the band seemed to be pushing forward with all their talent. Frontman Brooks Nielsen was battling a cold, occasionally sipping tea throughout the night. His already gruff  voice sounded a far less jovial than it usually does, just trying to get by as best it could.

The set list also felt odd. I figured with a brand new album out, Casual Acquaintances tracks would take a dominating appearance. But that wasn’t the case.  The album is a definite departure from the band’s previous two albums City Club and Chinese Fountain. While the songs come from the City Club sessions, they lack the overall polished that came with that album in favor of a more raw and early Growlers sound. The result is a much more tempered album that could have been amazing if performed live, but alas we were only supplied with “Decoy Face” and “Problems II” that evening.

The rest of the set jumped around their discography, giving each of their releases a little spotlight while maintaining a heavy preference to City Club and Chinese Fountain. The laid back mood of the night fit the whole session quite well, with Neilsen joking with the crowd throughout the night and letting everyone groove away to their favorite tracks Like “Old Cold River” and “Naked Kids” to lesser played ones like “Sea Goth Lion Blues”.

They finished off the night with “Goin Gets Tough” in a moment that seemed to reach the peak of their previous performances. Nielsen’s voice sounded as if it finally got past the cold that was holding him down and the crows burst forth enthusiastically as ever, singing along with song’s optimistic message of striving forward no matter how bad it gets. It almost mirrored the set’s atmosphere, no matter what troubles got in the way The Growlers pushed onward and delivered a satisfying show. The song has finished off a few of the Growlers’ shows I’ve been at and remains one of the best ways to cap off a night.

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