OV Daily Facepalm

In Facepalm by berselius58 Comments

dailyfacepalm

WBBM favorite to land Cubs radio broadcasts, WGN radio's slow march to doom continues

WGN exercised an out clause in their deal last year in an attempt to renegotiate, since they're supposedly losing a ton of money on Cubs broadcasts. According to the Trib's Ed Sherman, WBBM is now viewed as the front-runner. It feels odd seeing the Tribune reporting on this, since it makes themselves look kind of bad. It also seems rather shortsighted, since the Cubs won't be this bad forever, they just opened their own sports radio station, and it's not like WGN is pulling in a ton of listeners these days for its talk radio.programs. I don't know all the details, but I also expect this won't make a big difference as far as the "Cubs Radio Network" is concerned, though my alternate-timeline self that lives in Madison would be bummed out if he can't pick up games on WGN's insanely strong signal anymore. 

Lineup tonight

  • 2B Bonifacio
  • CF Lake
  • RF Wells
  • DH Olt
  • SS Baez
  • LF Kalish
  • 1B Valaika
  • 3B Villanueva
  • P McDonald

Infield Tidbits

Baez is expected to see some time at 2b and 3b in games in the near future. Olt's shoulder is feeling better but he's still DHing. I'd really like to see him over there soon, and win the 3b job. Castro's hamstring is still healing, and he probably won't be back next week.

There hasn't been much position battle stuff in Cubs news this spring, probably because it just means rearranging deckchairs. I still have a gut feeling Bonifacio makes the roster, and am starting to wonder if he'll get the starting job over Barney.

Pierce Johnson updates

After AZ Phil's report yesterday about Pierce Johnson being shut down, Gordo asked Jason McLeod what's up and Johnson has a hamstring injury (not the arm, yay). He might be a little late starting the minor league season, but it doesn't seem that serious. As a bonus, in answering the question McLeod also said that Johnson is going to start the year in Tennessee, so yay.

Ervin Santana to Atlanta

It looks like Kris Medlen is headed for TJS and Brandon Beachy may be hurt too, so the Barves locked up Santana to a 1/14 deal, sending their first round pick to the Royals in the process. That probably closes off the possibility for a Shark deal to Atlanta for now. The Jays were also pushing hard for Santana, but apparently he didn't want to pitch in the AL, which seems like a savvy move for a guy who has resigned himself to taking a 1-year deal to build some value. Maybe the Jays trade talk for Shark will heat up again.

Mark Prior giving 110% at his front office job

Lots of praise for Mark Prior from his new coworkers/bosses. He doesn't know how to do anything less, whatever people led on by the media's terrible handling of him may think. 

Not much else is going on, so here is a pic from earlier in ST of the Brewers stray dog quasi-mascot running the sausage race.

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Comments

  1. Like You Care

    @ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:

    What’s really depressing to me is that I feel like SF’s best chance to win a Super Bowl is gone. I hate to use “should’ve,” but they should have wiped the floor with BAL two years ago. They were in a position to go to the Super Bowl in 2011 and 2013 too, and blew it.

    Now…the rest of the NFC is catching up. SEA’s roster will be at least as good as last year’s. ARI is on the rise. NO and GB were transitioning offensively last season, but they’ll hit the ground running this year. Both will be better defensively too. If CAR gets a WR or two, they’ll be even better. PHI and CHI will add talent on defense and the offenses will improve after a year.

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  11. Like You Care

    Like You Care wrote:

    @ mikeakaleroy:
    It sucks being arguably the second best team in the conference but in the same division as the best, doesn’t it?

    Now imagine she’s white your team blew it on the verge of heading to/winning the Super Bowl three consecutive years.

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  12. mikeakaleroy

    @ Like You Care:
    Yeah, I knew last year was a fluke because of a schedule full of high school teams, but I wish Denver would stop improving themselves… The raiders seem to get worse every year, and who knows what the Chargers will look like every year. It’s those goddamn Broncos I hate.

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  14. Aisle424

    I picked up WBBM in Yellowstone back in the 80s, so I’m assuming their signal isn’t any weaker now.

    Plus, with MLB audio for something like $18 a year, you can stream their radio broadcast without any blackout restrictions no matter what station they choose.

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  16. Like You Care

    @ mikeakaleroy:

    The bad news is that they’re going all in for the next two (maybe three) years.

    The good news is that they’re fucked after that. They go as Manning goes and they seem to know that.

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  17. Aisle424

    @ Berselius, Cubs #12 prospect:

    Yeah, unless you can get a device with unlimited data for the MLB At-Bat app, the lack of listening in a car stinks, but even WGN’s signal gets awfully scratchy outside of about 200 miles. I generally lose any quality signal shortly after I pass Springfield on our way to St. Louis.

    The WBBM thing was probably a flukey thing where the conditions were just right, but I remember hearing the breaking news that Doug Collins was fired by the Bulls while we were sitting around a campfire out there.

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  19. Like You Care

    @ Mucker:

    In my brain, the words “she’s white” ALWAYS follow the words “now imagine.”

    Kouandjio appears to be this year’s precipitous faller. Happens all the time. I remember he had a condition (arthritic knee?) that he blamed for his poor combine. He must be in really bad shape if he won’t work out.

    HS kids aren’t that smart, but you have to wonder when all the stories about Alabama riding kids into the ground will hurt recruiting. Seriously, has anyone made it out of there alive? Julio Jones, maybe? But even he has that foot issue.

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  20. Mucker

    @ Like You Care:
    It was a powerful scene.

    Yeah something stinks with that whole Koundjio situation. And good point about Alabama. I’ve never really thought about it but now that you mention it, I can see what you are saying.

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  21. Mucker

    @ Aisle424:
    I always remember hearing that Jordan hated Collins that’s why he was fired. I don’t remember because I was only 9 or something like that but I wonder if that’s true or not.

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  22. Aisle424

    @ Mucker:

    I don’t think that’s the whole reason, though I think hsi relationship with Jordan didn’t help. Players in general stopped buying into Collins after about 3 years or so, and that’s been his style all along. He burned bright and fast and short wherever he went.

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  23. Aisle424

    Jordan had the making of a terrible front office guy even back then. He was always pissed off when the Bulls didn’t acquire “his” guys that he played with in NC or that he golfed with in the off-season. But his guys were usually shitty.

    I remember he was so pissed the Bulls drafted Pete Myers instead of some guy Jordan wanted that Jordan made it his personal mission to destroy Myers in practice.

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  28. uncle dave

    @ Aisle424:
    Collins also had that killer perm, which Jordan was no doubt jealous of.

    Knowing what folks knew about Jordan’s personality, it stuns me that he was ever let within 50 feet of an NBA front office. Guy held a permanent grudge over the Charles Oakley trade when Oakley never was much more than a sack of human hamburger.

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  30. Like You Care

    @ Aisle424:

    Possibly, but TB signed Alterraun Verner yesterday. If they still need a CB, they can get one on the first two days of the draft.

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  31. Mucker

    When I was a kid and even in my late teens and early 20s, Jordan could do no wrong in my eyes. But now that I’m a little bit older, I can definitely see why some people think he’s a huge asshole.

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  32. Aisle424

    @ Mucker:

    He is a huge asshole. There’s no getting around it. But his need to be the best and his willingness to absolutely destroy people on the court in the process is what made him the best.

    LeBron is the more talented player, but he does not have the competitive drive Jordan had. Almost nobody does.

    I don’t think I’d like Michael Jordan very much as a person, but holy shit was he an awesome player. Those Bulls teams were just so great to watch. And his Hall of Fame speech was epic.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLzBMGXfK4c

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  34. Like You Care

    Aisle424 wrote:

    he does not have the competitive drive Jordan had. Almost nobody does.

    In the NBA, only Kobe. Well…the combo of talent and drive.

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  35. EnricoPallazzo

    Aisle424 wrote:

    Yeah, unless you can get a device with unlimited data for the MLB At-Bat app,

    any idea how much data one game will use? if you held a gun to my head and forced me to guess, i’d probably say 100 mb. no clue if that’s even remotely close.

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  38. josh

    We have WBBM broadcast in champaign for bears game, so I’m thinking I’ll still get it. Wgn can be sketchy here, though last season a local fm station started rebroadsting it.

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  45. J

    Free Baez. I feel like he could hit .200 and still hit 30 bombs.

    Seeing more of Baez, it makes Sheffield seem like a valid comp. The swing is so fast and violent. There is no mercy towards the baseball. That is severe power. Patterson and Pie never hit the ball that hard.

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  46. Suburban kid

    I still have a gut feeling Bonifacio makes the roster,

    Logan Watkins got sent to minor league camp, so I think it’s done and dusted.

    Barves

    (dying laughing)

    Also, I think the bit rate on MLB gameday audio might be 64Kbps. I know it sounds way better than it used to when it was 12Kbps, but ISTR that for standalone voice (as opposed to music) there is no need for anything higher. That would still mean 100MB per game, so unless your data is unlimited it could catch you out.

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  48. Suburban kid

    Did You Know?

    –The 2013 Opening Day 2B for the Cubs was Brent Lillibridge?

    –The 2012 Opening Day 3B for the Cubs was Ian Stewart?

    –The 2012 Opening Day 1B for the Cubs was Jeff Baker?

    –For five straight seasons,the Opening Day 2B for the Cubs was Fontenot, Barney or Lillibridge?

    I would like to either congratulate or mock all of us for being here right now.

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  51. JonKneeV

    The Bears need a PR/KR, back up RB, slot receiver. De’Anthony Thomas would be a pretty good fit for all 3 of those, no?

    Maybe a 3rd or 4th rounder?

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  52. Like You Care

    @ JonKneeV:

    I probably wouldn’t go higher than a 5th for DAT. If you like DAT, you’d love Kent State’s Dri Archer. Stronger, quicker and faster, imo.

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  53. Myles

    The Bears need 2 more DL and a CB to replace Tillman. I’m a bigger Bowman fan than most, but I’d rather he be the 3rd CB and not the starter. They of course also need a FS and a SS; I just assume that they’ll draft that Ha-Ha Dix guy if he gets to them in the 1st.

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