CS&T/AllsportsAmerica Friday Sports News Update and What's Your Take? 02/20/2015.

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Sports Quote of the Day:

"To dilute the will to win is to destroy the purpose of the game. There is no substitute for victory." ~ General Douglas MacArthur, Five Star General

Trending: MLB to announce pace of play rule changes today. Want to speed up the game? Give relievers a chance. What's Your Take?

By Bill Bray

Baseball is a game that is slow to change.

Numbers weren’t added to jerseys until 1916, almost 50 years after the Cincinnati Red Stockings were established as the first professional team. It took another 44 years to add players’ last names. The designated hitter wasn’t even a position before 1973.

Why the facts? I’ve been watching and reading a lot of the commentary on pace of game and the general consensus that the game needs to speed up. A lot of people want change. What I have noticed is that a lot of the emphasis is on pitchers, specifically relievers. Too many pitchers in a game, too many pitchers on the roster, etc. There’s been a lot remedies suggested as well.

I’m not a fan of the pitch clock. The rule has been on the books for a long time and rarely, if ever put into effect. There’s probably a good reason for that and the last thing anyone needs is an NBA style replay system where umpires have to use slow motion to see if the pitcher released the ball on time. Baseball is timeless. That’s part of the beauty of the game.

That said, I have fallen in love with the suggestion of increasing the minimum number of batters faced from one to three. I was a left-handed specialist, but that was never the role I aspired to be in. Just saying it makes people think you are incapable of pitching to right-handed batters. When was the last time anyone heard the term right-handed specialist? I don’t think it exists.

There was nothing I disliked more than facing my batter and watching the manager slowly walk out of the dugout because a right-handed hitter was walking up to the plate. I didn’t need to be the set up man or closer, I just wanted the opportunity to finish my own inning or work out of my own jams.

More batters faced would most likely mean fewer pitchers in the game, which in turn will help speed the game up. Part of the problem solved. It might also help guys in the bullpen by reducing the number of times we are called on to warm up and don’t ever get in. Double bonus.

There are a lot of ideas out there and a lot of good questions being asked. I think this is great. Just getting the questions out in the open and debated is good for the game. But change in baseball is slow and I hope that players and management don’t rush to conclusions.

Just one last question (I wish you could see the smile on my face as I write this): Why hasn’t there been more talk about eliminating the designated hitter? Pitching to David Ortiz four times a game takes a heck of a lot longer than pitching to a starter who hasn’t got a hit since last season.

What suggestions do you have to speed up the game? This is the major complaint we hear when we ask, what's wrong with baseball? We'd love to hear your thoughts, what's your take? Take a minute and post your suggestions in the comment section at the bottom of this blog. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration. The  Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica editorial staff. 

How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Avalanche-Blackhawks Preview.

By JEFF BARTL (STATS Senior Writer)

Scoring chances have been abundant for the Chicago Blackhawks during their longest homestand of the season, but their inability to cash in more often has left points on the board in their pursuit of hosting a first-round playoff series.

They didn't have any success attempting to solve Semyon Varlamov last month at the United Center.

The Blackhawks look to take advantage of their opportunities this time while avoiding a fourth straight home loss to the last-place Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.

Chicago (35-18-5) has earned at least a point in seven straight and sits three back of second-place St. Louis in the Central Division. The Blackhawks have outshot four of five opponents to begin an eight-game homestand, but they've gone 2-0-3 in that stretch.

They dominated a good portion of the first 30 minutes against Detroit on Wednesday but never held a lead and fell 3-2 in a shootout. Despite plenty of chances, the Blackhawks failed on all four power-play opportunities and are 3 for 18 with the man advantage on the homestand.

Chicago has converted on 6.7 percent of its shots over the last five, and its 8.3 shooting percentage on the season is among the worst in the NHL.

"When you can battle back and get points, it's not a bad thing necessarily," said forward Patrick Kane, whose 63 points are among the most in the league. "It's never fun losing, but at this point in the year you're trying to look for positives. We'll try to get better and win some games here and hopefully finish off this (home stretch) strong."

Brandon Saad scored to give him two goals and three assists in a four-game point streak, and Kris Versteeg scored for the second time in three games.

''There's a lot of building blocks to build upon here,'' Versteeg said. ''Just keep going forward. There's a lot of games coming up and (we'll) try to string together a few wins again.''

Chicago's 54 shots against Colorado on Jan. 6 were its most in more than five years, but Varlamov frustrated the Blackhawks while setting a career high for saves in a 2-0 victory. He's posted a 1.30 goals-against average while starting each contest during the Avalanche's three-game winning streak at the United Center.

Varlamov has won five straight starts overall with a 1.38 GAA against the Blackhawks, who took the first two meetings this season in Colorado with rookie backup Calvin Pickard starting both for the Avalanche.

Varlamov has gone 6-6-2 with a 2.35 GAA while starting 14 straight for Colorado (24-23-11), which has dropped five of seven after Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Los Angeles that completed a 2-2-0 homestand.

Gabriel Landeskog scored in a career high-tying fourth consecutive game with an even-strength goal for the Avalanche, 1 for 38 on the power play in their last 13 after coming up empty on three attempts against the Kings.

"I think we move forward with that effort," forward Matt Duchene said. "There is a lot to be happy with. A lot to hold our heads high with. We're going to forget about this one, like we have been forgetting about our wins. We just have to move on and focus on Chicago now."

Corey Crawford will reportedly start in net for the Blackhawks. He's gone 2-5-2 with a 3.51 GAA in his last nine against the Avalanche.

Blackhawks out-shot in shootout in loss to Red Wings 3-2. (Wednesday night's game, 02/18/2015).

By Nina Falcone

First periods have been a topic of discussion this season for a Blackhawks team that's at times been slow to get things going throughout the first 20 minutes of play.

But that was far from the case on Wednesday night when the Blackhawks hosted the Detroit Red Wings.

"That was the best start we had to a game in a long time," Kris Versteeg said. "So I think that's something to build off of."

There was an intensity throughout the United Center from the time the puck dropped between the two old rivals, and the Blackhawks came out firing on all cylinders right from the start.

"I think we sustained that energy throughout a lot of the night, didn't give up many chances," Versteeg continued. "We played a pretty solid game all the way around."

The Blackhawks got the start they've been looking for — despite ending the first period without a point on the scoreboard — but not the ending they were ultimately hoping for as they suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the Red Wings.

Despite having the upper-hand offensively throughout the first two periods, Tomas Tatar got his team on the board first late int he second period. But it took just 39 seconds for Brandon Saad to record the equalizer and end the period in a tie.

"I thought the response after their first goal was very important, even more so than the second goal," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We did some good things. For the first 40 minutes, we were doing what we wanted to do with the puck."

That second goal Quenneville referred to came from Versteeg, who, again, tied the game up in the third period just 43 seconds after Darren Helm gave the Red Wings their second lead of the night.

The Blackhawks went on to follow a similar pattern they've seen lately as their game went into a shootout; four of Chicago's five games throughout this eight-game homestand have all gone to extra time.

But unlike their matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, this one resulted in just one point for the home team. Both Gustav Nyquist and Tatar went on to record shootout goals against Corey Crawford.

Still, the Blackhawks are taking the positives out of their ability to battle back to at least earn a point as the competition in the Central Division continues to heat up.

"Sometimes that happens like that," Patrick Kane said. "You see it throughout stretches of the year where we kind of go through (games that don't end in regulation). But we're battling back, down 2-1 and you get points. It's not a bad thing necessarily."

With three games remaining before they hit the road again, the Blackhawks will look to steal as many points in front of their home crowd as they can as they try to catch up to both the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues in the standings.

Despite not picking up a second point in a few games as of late, the Blackhawks are seeing the upside to their game. Now they hope to continue building off that.

"Tonight was great again. I thought we kept a really good team's chances to a minimum," Versteeg said. "Crawford did great when he had to step up, so there's a lot of building blocks here to build upon here. Just keep going, keep moving forward. There's a lot of games coming up and try to string together a few wins again."

Just Another Chicago Bulls Session… Bulls-Pistons Preview.

By JEFF MEZYDLO (STATS Senior Writer)

As the Chicago Bulls try to resume the roll they took into the All-Star break, their leading scorer and best defender appears healthy enough to immediately contribute to the cause.

A strained shoulder that forced Jimmy Butler to sit the final game before the break isn't expected to keep the All-Star from trying to help the visiting Bulls record a fifth consecutive victory Friday night against the Detroit Pistons.

After enduring a 5-10 stretch, Chicago (34-20) won four straight, highlighted by a 113-98 victory over Cleveland on Feb. 12.

"We fought through the adversity," guard Derrick Rose told the Bulls' official website. "Winning these last four games is a sign of relief for everyone. I'm just happy we're on the right track."

While Rose continued his solid play with 30 points and seven assists against the Cavaliers, the team sat Butler after he aggravated the shoulder in a 104-86 win over Sacramento two days earlier.

Averaging career highs of 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, Butler now appears ready to return after playing nine minutes in his first All-Star game and practicing this week.

"He was great. He looked really good," coach Tom Thibodeau said after practice Wednesday.

With veteran Mike Dunleavy back from missing more than five weeks with an ankle injury, Chicago should have the chance to improve on a 13-3 mark when its regular starters - Dunleavy, Rose, Butler, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah - are on the court.

Chicago also expects to have backup guard Kirk Hinrich after he missed three straight games with a toe injury.

With Butler leading the way, the Central Division-leading Bulls appear poised to maintain a strong defensive effort that's helped them hold the last four opponents to an average of 88.3 points and 43.5 percent shooting. They allowed 102.6 points per contest on 46.1 percent shooting in the previous 15.

"When we get back, (we can) really be focused," said Rose, who has averaged 22.3 points while playing a season-high 16 consecutive games.

Chicago has won 22 of 24 versus Detroit (21-33), and held the Pistons to fewer than 100 points in all but three of those contests and each of the last eight.

Rose scored 24, Butler added 19 and Gasol and Noah combined for 30 points and 29 rebounds as the Bulls had their regular starting five in a 102-91 home victory over the Pistons on Nov. 10.

That was just another rough moment amid a 5-23 start for the Pistons, who have won 16 of 26 since but dropped three of five and seven of 11 heading into the break.

Detroit, which plays 18 of its final 28 games against teams currently in playoff position, is 11th in the Eastern Conference but two games out of the final postseason spot.

"I think this team has enough," coach Stan Van Gundy told the Pistons' official website.

Van Gundy, however, needs his club to clamp down defensively after it allowed its past 11 opponents to shoot 37.7 percent from 3-point range. Opponents shot just 31.4 percent from long distance as Detroit won 12 of its previous 15.

"Our approach has got to be to get back to playing better defense," he said.

Forward Greg Monroe averaged 18.2 points in nine games and 13.1 rebounds over 13 before being held to six of each in a 104-87 loss to San Antonio on Feb. 11.

He's been limited to 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over his last five against the Bulls.

Breakout season lands Jimmy Butler on cover of Sports Illustrated.

By Sarah Langs

Have a breakout season in a big market like Chicago, and you're bound to get noticed. Play well at all in a market like the Windy City, and you'll get some national attention. A Bulls star graces one of three regional covers of Sports Illustrated this week. No, not Derrick Rose, not Joakim Noah and not Pau Gasol. It's Jimmy Butler whose figure is on the NBA Midseason Report issue this week.

Butler was named an All Star this year for the first time, in his fourth year in the league and a contract year. He's already posted more points on the season, 998, than he did all of last year (878). With 28 games — or roughly 1/3 of the season — still to be played , he's 16 assists away from tying his total from last year. He's shooting more, and making more shots, too. He's already made more field goal attempts, despite less 3-pointers, and shot more free throws than all of last year. Though his 3-point attempts are down, his three-point percentage is up from .283 to .342.

The cover crowns him "The Unlikely Breakout Star," with a focus on "unlikely" as the umbrella term for the three regional covers. The other two are the Rockets' James Harden and the Warriors' Klay Thompson.

Bear Down Chicago Bears!!!!! The Bernstein Brief: Ryan Pace Thinks Big Picture.

By Dan Bernstein

Bears general manager Ryan Pace. (Courtesy of Chicago Bears)

By all means, keep worrying about who plays where for the Bears next year.
While you’re busy wasting your time with that, general manager Ryan Pace will continue to concern himself with who could potentially be playing where for the Bears when they are actually competing for a championship.

All the smoke-screening he and John Fox did Wednesday was an indication that they understand the size and scope of this rebuild. The Bears roster is the worst combination of old and bad, with big chunks of money sunk into dead ends, and they must be open to any and all ways to change that. Pace has done an inventory of what he has and what he needs, and his comments at the NFL Combine made it clear he’s ready to listen to any other team that wants to put a price on a Bear.

Pace was being careful not to devalue publicly any asset that could be turned into something more favorable to the construction of a contender.

The 2015 roster will be transitional no matter what, and it will only be the first step in a project much larger than many seem to realize.

Ryan Pace comments suggest where Bears will look first at No. 7.

By John Mullin

What the Bears will do with the No. 7 of this year’s draft will be of supreme interest not only in Chicago and around the NFC North, but also a major portion of the NFL. Top-10 picks carry a premium because of the level of player typically within reach there.

General manager Ryan Pace and the Bears are giving zero direct idea as to their thoughts on player, position, trade value or any of that at this point. They have not completed the full evaluation of the team at hand and have not even held a practice to put observations to a field test.

But Pace and coach John Fox are building toward a base 3-4 defense for the first time in franchise history. Consequently, what they lay out as requirements for that as well as what they indicate they have leaves a trail of breadcrumbs worth considering.

It leads at this point decidedly in the direction of a pass-rushing outside linebacker. The reasons:

On the nose

Most 3-4’s operate with defensive linemen playing a two-gap technique, nearly opposite what the Lovie Smith Bears used, which was a speed-based one-gap 4-3 with linemen assigned one gap and responsibility for controlling and getting through it. The Bears don’t have a lot of bigger defensive linemen who have played that way.

But Pace does not share any opinions that the Bears are without a viable nose tackle to anchor this defense. “I think there's a couple guys who can do it,” Pace said, alluding to Ego Ferguson and Jeremiah Ratliff. “One of them [Ratliff] has done it before in Dallas. It doesn't have to be this big, 350-pound space-eater. You can use him in a variety of ways.”

Despite not starting, Ferguson had two sacks, 27 tackles and three pass-breakups.

Translation: Washington’s Danny Shelton and Malcolm Brown from Texas may be ideal defensive tackles for either a 3-4 or 4-3. But Pace did not sound like he views his still-molten roster as one without a viable nose tackle.

On the edge

On the other hand, the same cannot be said for a critical position in any defense: an outside pass rusher. The Bears got 10 sacks out of Willie Young playing as a traditional hand-on-the-ground 4-3 rusher, but Young is facing long rehab to restore a surgically repaired torn Achilles.

Pace was unequivocal as to the No. 1 criterion he and the Bears want in an outside linebacker: “Pass rush is the first thing that comes to mind. Edge speed. The ability to hit the quarterback. And then also the ability to set the edge and get off a block. But pass rush is the number one priority.”

The Bears have no outside linebacker with anything close to a resume for a pass rusher. Neither Jonathan Bostic nor Shea McClellin have showed that. Christian Jones was a good surprise last season – 98 tackles, third on the Bears, with two sacks and four QB pressures. But projecting him as the equivalent of Von Miller, who was Fox’s linchpin pass rusher in Denver, is a stretch.

Translation: The Bears have “possibles” for rush linebackers. But while Pace was able to cite two examples of nose tackles, based on what they’ve already showed, the same cannot be said for what Bears linebackers have done to meet Pace’s standard.

Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Dante Fowler (a Florida teammate of Bostic’s) or Shane Ray from Missouri are far closer to what Pace laid out than what the Bears currently have in-house.

End of an era: Bears will move to 3-4 defense in 2015.

By Tony Andracki

John Fox, Chicago Bears Head Coach

Beyond all the questions about Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall, Bears new head coach John Fox revealed a historic change for the franchise.

The Bears will be moving to a 3-4 defense in 2015, Fox said, the first time in franchise history the team is moving off a 4-3 variation.

"We're going to be a 3-4 terminology-wise," Fox said. "We haven't had our players on the grass yet, so until we evaluate that ... We've looked at a whole lot of tape, but not as much as we need to continue to do. That'll help us define what we're going to be and how we're going to use the pieces."

 Fox admitted he and new general manager Ryan Pace are still in the early stages of evaluating the talent currently on the Bears roster, which was initially built for a 4-3 scheme. But the veteran coach said the players will define how they're used.

"[Both defensive schemes are] so similar," Fox said. "Most people that even call themselves a 4-3 — we were one in Denver — they're a hybrid of a 3-4. ... The primary advantage of the 3-4 is you're not locked into which outside guy's rushing. That's a tremendous advantage in today's game."

Fox also highlighted the advantages a 3-4 defense has in pass coverage with the ability to drop eight into coverage easily. He also talked about the passing nature of the league currently and how teams are forced to play more nickel sets to match up with three or more wide receivers.

"You do get more into that and in most cases, everybody turns into a 4-3 so, it is increasing as we speak," Fox said. "There is definitely way more nickel or sub defense involved in games today."

The change in defensive schemes will undoubtedly affect the Bears roster, forcing veterans like Jared Allen and Willie Young — who have typically been ends in a 4-3 alignment — into unfamiliar roles. Fox said both Allen and Young will slot in as linebackers in a 3-4 scheme.

"We'll line them both up there — what they become is up to them," Fox said.

Young turns 30 in September and notched a career-high 10 sacks in 2014 before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. Allen will be 33 in April, but Fox believes the 11-year NFL veteran can adapt to a new role.

"I haven't seen that, so it'd be hard for me to evaluate until we get [Allen] out there," Fox said. "But he's a good football player, he's got good instincts, so my experience has been that works in a two-point or three-point stance."

Pace indicated he feels the Bears may not need to look far for a nose tackle, with several options currently on the roster.

"I think there's a couple guys who can do it," Pace said. "One of them's done it before in Dallas [Jeremiah Ratliff]. It doesn't have to be this big, 350-pound space-eater. You can use him in a variety of ways."

Joe Maddon’s message to Cubs: 'Bring on the expectations'.

By Patrick Mooney

This is Joe Maddon’s smiling “Before” picture, promising to buy everyone a round at The Cubby Bear.

“We’ll walk in there at the right time after one of our victories,” Maddon told a standing-room-only crowd at last month’s Cubs Convention. “We’ll throw the plastic down on the counter, and we’ll get you some shots and some beers.”

The “After” picture for Cubs managers is not pretty. The T-shirt that said it all could be found in the clubhouse last season: “This Team Makes Me Drink.”

But with Chicago stuck in subzero wind chills, it will be all sunshine and blue skies when pitchers and catchers officially report to spring training on Thursday in Arizona. Mesa is now a must-visit for the national writers and TV networks because the Cubs have become one of baseball’s biggest stories.

Maddon will love all the attention. Whether this is a huge success or an epic failure — or probably something in between those two extremes — at least the Cubs will be interesting this season.

“Bring on the expectations,” Maddon said. “What’s wrong with that? I think it’s great. Every year, our expectation is going to be to go to the playoffs and work it from there.”

Sporting News already predicted the Cubs winning the World Series — just like in “Back to the Future II.” All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo guaranteed the Cubs will win the division. Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and all the other prospect gurus keep drooling over the farm system (while the organization hasn’t done much to rein in the hype). Imagine the optimism if Maddon wasn’t taking over a last-place team.

“I love the fact that the fan base here is so vehemently into the Cubs,” Maddon said. “The refrain that really catches me primarily is a lot of it’s male-oriented and the guys really talk about their dads and their grandpas a lot. It’s an unrequited situation where they’ve never had a World Series here during their lifetime.

“There’s a real passionate generational kind of a situation here. The loyalty’s been handed down from grandfather to father to son. Pretty cool stuff.

“I understand where the fans are coming from. I understand the frustration.

“I really respect the way the Cubs fans go about their business and how much they are into their ball club. I am ‘Johnny Come Lately’ right now — and I get that — so I can’t really speak knowingly yet. But I want to over the next five years.”

Lou Piniella burned out after those back-to-back division titles in 2007 and 2008, tired of Milton Bradley, Carlos Zambrano, the nonstop lineup questions and the freeze on major-league payroll. Mike Quade isolated himself during his one-and-done year, losing control of the clubhouse and losing his biggest ally once chairman Tom Ricketts fired general manager Jim Hendry in 2011.

Dale Sveum felt blindsided when team president Theo Epstein put him on the hot seat in September 2013 and eventually got fired over drinks at a Lakeview bar after Game 162. Rick Renteria seemed to be in over his head and was a goner the moment Maddon opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays last October.

That’s five managers in six years, but Maddon shouldn’t be too paranoid or looking over his shoulder just yet. He has the juice that comes with a five-year, $25 million contract and two American League Manager of the Year awards.

Eric Hinske remembered the vibes abound the 2008 Rays. Now an assistant hitting coach with the Cubs, Hinske had won a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox in 2007 and signed with a team that no one else saw coming.

“Joe was talking all this stuff in spring training,” Hinske said. “They had finished in last place in 2007, (and) from the start he said: ‘We’re going to win our division. We’re going to go to the World Series.’ And sure enough, that’s what we did.”

Maddon’s less-is-more philosophy won’t seem so enlightened — and his off-the-field interests won’t seem so refreshing — if the young hitters don’t hit and the Cubs are 20 games under .500 this summer.

But it would also be naïve to think this will be Tampa 2.0 — that Maddon won’t evolve or will assume whatever played with the small-market Rays will work at Wrigley Field.

“He’s always one step ahead,” said Jon Lester, the $155 million pitcher who’s now on Maddon’s side after being part of the Red Sox-Rays rivalry in the AL East.

“His mind is constantly going,” said ex-Cub Dave Martinez, Maddon’s bench coach with Tampa Bay and now Chicago. “I’ve heard things like he’s a mad scientist. He does things out of the ordinary. But believe me when I tell you: This man sleeps, eats baseball, day-in and day-out.

“I can tell you this: Every day we step on the field, he brings that mentality, and the players believe in it. I guarantee you there won’t be a game — win or lose — that you won’t see these guys put out 110 percent for Joe and all the coaches and this city. I guarantee you that.”

Maddon celebrated his 61st birthday last week, but he won’t be slowing down anytime soon. He’s an old-school baseball guy who’s worked as a farm director and a minor-league instructor with the California Angels. He’s also a new-wave thinker, embracing analytics, toying with the idea of hitting the pitcher eighth and referencing Malcolm Gladwell.

Maddon’s a Renaissance man with a new restaurant, Ava, that got the first four-star review since the Tampa Bay Times started using that rating system about six years ago. He likes Motown and the Rolling Stones and became a big Bruce Springsteen fan in the 1970s while going to Lafayette College and hanging out with his buddies from the Jersey Shore.

“I promise you the music’s going to be loud coming out of my office every day,” Maddon said. “I don’t do anything without putting the music on first. That’s it. You gain your inspiration, and the music makes everything else happens.”

Near the end of that Cubs Convention Q&A at a downtown Chicago hotel, WXRT-FM 93.1 personality Lin Brehmer went into all the managers who came here bursting with confidence and left in straightjackets.

Maddon didn’t hesitate and cut him off: “43 regular.”

Ten White Sox players to watch this spring.

By Dan Hayes

White Sox pitchers and catchers report to camp on Friday and position players are expected four days later. Coming off one of the most intriguing offseasons in White Sox history, the team doesn’t have quite as many questions to answer as it has in the past. Here’s a look at 10 players who could be the solution to some of the team’s unsolved issues this spring.

1. Carlos Rodon

The White Sox should have a pretty good idea whether or not Rodon’s ready for the majors after the upcoming exhibition season as well as a handle on how to use him. Odds are the south paw will give the Sox a big boost whether it's out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation.

2. Geovany Soto

Show the White Sox he’s healthy enough to handle two to three games a week and the job belongs to Soto, who should provide the team with a strong veteran presence to backup Tyler Flowers. But if his injuries linger the job could go to George Kottaras, Rob Brantly or Adrian Nieto.

3. Micah Johnson

The White Sox released Jeff Keppinger and traded Gordon Beckham, who recently re-signed with the White Sox, before the trade deadline last season. Now he has a chance to take over as the second baseman of the future. But, Johnson needs to prove he can stay healthy and can grind through what promises to be a long first season.

4. Carlos Sanchez

He has more major league experience than Johnson and boasts a better glove. The more time he spent in the majors last season, the more comfortable Sanchez began to look. He’s got just as good of a chance as Johnson to be the Opening Day second baseman.

5. Matt Albers

A late sign, the right-hander is coming off a season in which he was limited to 10 innings because of shoulder issues. But if he’s right, Albers could solidify the bullpen as he has a 2.63 ERA over his last 133 1/3 innings.

6. Jesse Crain

Another flier, Crain hasn’t pitched since before he was named an All-Star in 2013. The White Sox know what Crain can do if he’s healthy as he posted a 2.10 ERA and struck out 176 in 150 innings with them.

7. Erik Johnson

He was the No. 2 prospect in the organization just a year ago. But Johnson’s velocity dipped in 2014 and his pitches flattened out. The White Sox are hopeful he can rediscover the pitcher who impressed everyone on his way to a 2013 September call up.

8. Avisail Garcia

He also shown plenty of signs his surgically repaired right shoulder won’t hinder him even though he still experiences soreness occasionally. But Garcia, 23, needs to continue to develop his bat as the White Sox hope for big things.

9. Matt Davidson

Another big prospect who fell on hard times in 2014, Davidson still has the tools. The White Sox would love for him to rebound and give them another powerful hitter from the right side.

10. Tim Anderson

He has so many tools he could be found on the shelf of a hardware store. The White Sox intend to get a more in-depth look at their 2013 first-rounder this spring. Should be fun to watch.

Golf: I got a club for that; Riviera ends a great stretch of golf on PGA Tour.

By DOUG FERGUSON (AP Golf Writer)

Jordan Spieth has his eyes on a record held by Fred Couples, and it has nothing to do with a green jacket or getting to No. 1 in the world.

It's about a Texas kid who is smitten by Riviera.
 

The 55-year-old Couples is playing the Northern Trust Open for the 33rd time. Spieth wasn't even born when Couples first added his name to the history at Riviera with his victory in 1990. He loves it here. And so does Spieth. 

''I got to thinking,'' Spieth said after he finished his pro-am round Wednesday evening. ''I could break Freddie's record here. I'd have to play every year until I'm 51. But I started earlier than he did.'' 

 

Spieth was born and raised in Texas, yet he looks forward to this stretch on the PGA Tour as much as any, particularly Riviera.
 

The Northern Trust Open, which starts Thursday, is the end of the West Coast Swing on tour and it is unlike any other three-week stretch all season. This is the third straight U.S. Open venue on the PGA Tour, starting with Torrey Pines, up the coast to Pebble Beach and now Riviera.

''I love the West Coast. I love being out here. It's different,'' Spieth said. ''I love the beach, the water, the weather has been unbelievable - we've been lucky - and I like playing different grasses, the slope, the challenging courses. Last week wasn't the case (at Pebble), but the South (at Torrey Pines) and this one, it's like playing U.S. Open courses. And we don't get that all year.''

Spieth isn't alone in his affection for the West Coast.

Jimmy Walker, Oklahoma born and Texas bred, considers Riviera one of his favorite tournaments of the year. Hunter Mahan's wife was due with their second child sometime in early February. Mahan knew he was going to have to miss one of the West Coast events, and he knew it was out of his control. His only wish was that it would not cause him to miss Riviera.

His wish was granted. Their son was born on Friday of Torrey Pines a few weeks ago. Mahan is in the field for the Northern Trust Open.

What is it about Riviera that enamors so many players?

''Right off the bat, for me personally, I say that they don't tweak it. It's been the same,'' said Bubba Watson, the defending champion who last year went 64-64 on the weekend and didn't make a bogey over the last 39 holes. ''They are letting the golf course just defend itself. And then when you look at the history, the great names - like Bubba Watson on the trophy, things like that.''

He was kidding. Probably.

''You look at the great names on there, it's an honor to be a part of,'' he said. ''Every tournament has history, but ... they just leave it the way it is. They let the grass and the wind and the humps and bumps of the greens define their golf course instead of trying to make it extra long.''

Maybe that explains that in the era of technology and athletes, the tournament record was set by Lanny Wadkins in 1985.

Riviera always attracts the strongest field on the West Coast, mainly because of the golf course. The par-4 10th which can be reached with a fairway metal by some power players is among the greatest short par 4s in the world, and among the most perplexing with the position of the bunkers, the angle of the narrow green and the penalty for getting out of position. Padraig Harrington once saw a reporter watching from behind the green and called him an ambulance chaser.

The field is not quite as strong this year, mainly because the Match Play Championship is not the week after an Arizona. That made it easy for international players to come to Riviera a week early before heading to the desert. Now, several of them are waiting until the Florida swing next week.

Sergio Garcia loves the course enough to make his 2015 debut in America. Charl Schwartzel is back, along with Ernie Els, who had one hand on the Wanamaker Trophy at the 1995 PGA Championship until he let that one get away.

Tiger Woods out of Honda Classic; will he play Arnold Palmer Invitational?

By Jay Busbee

Tiger Woods walks up the 13th during the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course - South Co. (Photo/Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports)

Apparently Tiger Woods still isn't tournament-ready.

In an announcement that surprised exactly no one, Woods will not be participating in the upcoming Honda Classic.
 

"I'd like to play The Honda Classic – it's a tournament in my hometown and it's important to me – but I won't be there unless my game is tournament-ready," Woods wrote last week in announcing his layoff from golf. "That's not fair to anyone. I do, however, expect to be playing again very soon." 

The question now is what "very soon" means. Woods now will not qualify for the World Golf Championship at Doral, and thus can't play until at least the Valspar Championship on March 12, an event he's never played. A more likely return date could be the Arnold Palmer Invitational in mid-March, an event he's often used as a reliable tune-up for The Masters. Woods is currently ranked 66th in the world, and will continue to drop farther as a result of this withdrawal.
 

"He has been hitting balls every day," Woods' agent Mark Steinberg told USA Today. "His back is feeling stronger and stronger. He was hitting shorter shots early in the week, and now he's getting after it. He's putting in the effort to get back. He just does not want to do it under the spotlight of tournament play. But he is putting in a heck of a lot of time into his game."

NASCAR America: Timing is key to everything at Daytona.

NBC Sports

Parker Kligerman sits behind the wheel of the NASCAR America race simulator to explain why perfectly timing a qualifying lap at Daytona is a key to success.

Jeff Gordon will start from the pole position in his final Daytona 500 start, emerging as fastest in Sunday’s bizarre debut for group qualifying in the Great American Race.
 

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson qualified second, the only other position that’s locked into the Sprint Cup Series season opener. The rest of the field will be determined by Thursday’s Budweiser Duel qualifying races, and several big-name drivers will be worried after securing spots following a multicar wreck and general confusion reigned across four sessions in three rounds.  

Clint Bowyer blasted NASCAR after his No. 15 Toyota was caught in a crash in the first 4 minutes of qualifying, and Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick also were critical of the new format, which made its debut last year but hadn’t been used for the Daytona 500 before Sunday.

NASCAR fixes Daytona group qualifying rules.

By Jordan Bianchi

 

(Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

NASCAR enacted a series of changes to its group qualifying format in an effort to prevent a reoccurrence of what occurred during Daytona 500 qualifying.

Following a controversy-filled group qualifying session for the Daytona 500, NASCAR is amending the format for drivers who will qualify for the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races at Daytona International Speedway.

Instead of drivers being separated into two groups for the first round, NASCAR will divide the field into four groups. In each group, cars will be lined nose-to-tail with drivers no longer permitted to pull out and maneuver along pit road. Going forward, if a driver pulls out of line they must proceed onto the track. The time for each round has been cut to two-and-a-half minutes from five.

 

The fastest 24 cars will advance to the second round, also divided into two groups, with the 12 fastest reaching the final session.

 

The change applies only to Xfinity and Truck Series qualifying at Daytona. Standard group qualifying procedures are still in place for all other tracks. Any violation could result in NASCAR disallowing a recorded time. A reevaluation will be made prior to the May race at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

"We continue to work in collaboration with the industry to implement the most exciting and competitive qualifying format, especially as it relates to superspeedways," NASCAR executive vice president Steve O'Donnell said. "As a result, we have made a few adjustments to the format for the events later this week at Daytona."

 

The revision comes just days after drivers spoke out about group qualifying being used for races at Daytona and Talladega, the two restrictor-plate tracks where cars frequently run in tight packs.

Qualifying for Sunday's Daytona 500 featured numerous moments of gamesmanship with drivers starting and stopping on pit road and attempting to block one another on the track. The format contributed to a multi-car crash and prompted several drivers, including Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, to speak out. 

"There's no reason to be out here," Bowyer said. "It's NASCAR's fault for putting us out in the middle of this crap for nothing. 

"We used to come down here and worry about who would sit on the pole in the biggest race of the year. Now all we do is come down here and worry about a [small team] out of desperation is going to knock us out of the Daytona 500." 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed support of the revised system. 

"I'm glad that they're open to making moves, making changes and trying to learn from those changes," Earnhardt said. "We definitely want to have something exciting, and we went away from single-car runs for several different reasons. I understand we more than likely will never go back to single-car runs. If that's the case, we'll be proactive. I'm looking forward to seeing how this works."

Report: Hope Solo reinstated to U.S. women's national team.

By Joe Prince-Wright

Hope Solo

After being suspended from the USWNT for 30 days, reports claim that Hope Solo will be reinstated by U.S. Soccer on Friday.

Solo, 33, was suspended after her husband Jerramy Stevens was pulled over for DUI on Jan. 21 while he was driving a team van during the U.S. national team’s January camp in Caliornia. Solo was the only passenger in the vehicle at the time police stopped her husband and arrested him.

According to ESPN, Solo has complied to all of the conditions U.S. Soccer asked of her and is expected to be reinstated tomorrow, Feb. 20, when the 30-day suspension is officially up.

The report also claims that Solo must meet with USWNT head coach Jill Ellis and other officials before her return to the team is rubber-stamped. If she is reinstated tomorrow, it is assumed that Solo will travel with the USWNT to Portugal on Sunday as they play Norway on March 4 in the prestigious Algarve Cup tournament.

Solo’s presence back in net for a key tune up competition before the 2015 World Cup this June in Canada will provide the U.S. with a much-needed boost after two lackluster performances in recent friendlies. The USWNT lost 2-0 to France on Feb. 8 and beat England 1-0 on Feb. 13 with Ashlyn Harris in goal.

The incident involving Solo came just days after domestic violence charges were dropped against her by family members after an alleged altercation in 2014.

Europa League roundup: Premier League teams unbeaten, but still have much to do.

By Andy Edwards

A roundup of all of Thursday’s Europa League knockout round action:

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fiorentina

Roberto Soldado put Tottenham ahead with a technically perfect side-volley from a Paulinho corner kick in the sixth minute, but Spurs couldn’t further capitalize on a dominant performance in the game’s opening 30 minutes. Jose Basanta hit home a rebound off the post to pull Fiorentina level and grab a vital away goal in the first leg.

Harry Kane started the game on the bench, but was subbed on in the 66th minute as Spurs made every effort at a second goal. In truth, Fiorentina looked the side more likely to score a winner, but will be more than happy with the 1-1 draw ahead of next Thursday’s second leg in Florence.

Liverpool 1-0 Besiktas

Mario Balotelli scored the late winner (85th minute) from the penalty spot to give Liverpool a fair cushion before next week’s return leg in Istanbul. Youngster Jordan Ibe won the penalty with a darting run into the Besiktas penalty area where Ramon’s challenge brought down the 19-year-old from behind.

As things go with Balotelli, his game-winning goal wasn’t without incident, as the Italian insisted on taking the spot kick over Jordan Henderson, who was captain for the day. Club captain Steven Gerrard, who is injured and covered the game for BT Sport in the UK, said after the game:

“Jordan should have taken the penalty. Rules are rules. It should have been Henderson. Mario has been a bit mischievous.” 

“Jordan is the captain and Mario showed Jordan a bit of disrespect there, but he’s scored a very important goal.”

By keeping a clean sheet in the first leg, Liverpool go through to the round of 16 with any draw or victory in the second leg. They would also advance with any one-goal defeat in which both sides score, based on the away-goals tiebreaker.

BSC Young Boys 1-4 Everton

Remember Romelu Lukaku? You know, the big Belgian forward who went to Chelsea for $26 million three and a half years ago, then moved to Everton for a club-record $43 million last summer. Lukaku, who scored 15 goals in 31 league games while on loan at Everton last season, has struggled to begin his permanent Everton career, prompting speculation he may once again be on the move this summer.

On Thursday, Lukaku reminded everyone of what a nightmare he can be for opposing defenses en route to scoring a 58-minute hat trick. Lukaku tallied goals in the 24th, 39th and 58th minutes to give Roberto Martinez’s side a comfortable lead ahead of next week’s second leg at home.

Celtic 3-3 Inter Milan

The game of the day was undoubtedly played at Celtic Park as Celtic fought back from two deficits, 2-0 and 3-2, to give themselves the faintest glimmer of hope in the second leg. Early goals by Xherdan Shaqiri (4th minute) and Rodrigo Palacio (13th) led many to believe Inter would run away with the tie, but a one-minute double salvo from Stuart Armstrong (24th) and Hugo Campagnaro (25th) put the Scottish Premiership leaders back on level terms.

Palacio scored again just before halftime and Inter looked destined for victory, but former Manchester City forward John Guidetti scored in the third minute of stoppage time to force at least half a first-team lineup at the San Siro Stadium.

Elsewhere in Europa League

Torino 2-2 Athletic Bilbao
Wolfsburg 2-0 Sporting CP
Aalborg 1-3 Club Brugge
Dnipro 2-0 Olympiacos
Trabzonspor 0-4 Napoli
Roma 1-1 Feyenoord
PSV 1-1 Zenit St. Petersburg
Sevilla 1-0 Borussia Monchengladbach
Ajax 1-0 Legia Warsaw
Anderlecht 0-0 Dinamo Moscow
Guingamp 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv
Villarreal 2-1 Red Bull Salzburg

Report: Big Ten looking into idea of making freshmen ineligible for competition in football, men's basketball.

By Raphielle Johnson

Less than a week after it was reported by Jon Solomon of CBSSports.com that some conference commissioners have been discussing the possibility of making freshmen ineligible for competition, another outlet has reported that the Big Ten is entertaining thoughts of following that path in football and men’s basketball.

According to The Diamondback, the University of Maryland’s student newspaper, the Big Ten has broached the idea of a “mandatory redshirt” that would be geared towards ensuring that freshmen would use their first year of college to get acclimated academically. In the story, Maryland president Wallace D. Loh voiced his support for the idea.

According to the Big Ten, with football and men’s basketball being the lone sports to produce a graduation rate lower than 75 percent those sports would benefit from this move (if it were to occur).

Men’s basketball and football players lag behind other sports in terms of academics, according to data provided in the document. Among the 34 sports listed in the Graduation Success Rate data, football and men’s basketball ranked last in the 2004 to 2007 cohort, according to the document. Among the 38 sports listed in the Academic Progress Rate data from 2009 to 2013, those two sports also ranked last. 

The proposal examines “the imbalance observed in those two sports” and cites that football and men’s basketball student-athletes account for less than 19 percent of Division I participants, yet they account for more than 80 percent of academic infraction cases.

There are some issues with this, most notably the idea that football and men’s basketball would be the lone sports subject to this measure. While those in support of freshman ineligibility would likely point to those academic numbers as the reason why, there would likely be a considerable amount of pushback from those who believe that if freshman were to be made ineligible that should be the case for all sports.

And here’s another question to ask: where was this concern for academics during the most recent round of conference realignment? Major conferences, for the most part, have become larger and span more ground than they did in the past. How does that, and the travel time that comes with it, help the “student-athletes” focus on being a student first?

It will be interesting to see where these conversations take college athletics, but making freshmen ineligible for competition may do more harm than good to the bottom line (money) that drove conference realignment.

Arkansas’ Dan Enos says being a head coach isn’t ‘all it’s cracked up to be’.

By Brent Sobleski

After four years of being the head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas, Dan Enos had enough.

Enos surprised many when he decided to step down as a head coach and accept the offensive coordinator position with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The constant spotlight as a head coach was apparently too much for Enos.

“At one point in my career, I wanted to be a head coach, and that was the whole thing I dreamed about and talked about,” Enos told SportsTalk with Bo Mattingly, via CoachingSearch.com. “I’ve been a head coach. The one thing I’ll say about a head coach: It’s not all it’s cracked up to be. I had a coach tell me that, one time, a very successful NFL head coach told him that. ‘Remember, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.’ That hit home with me.

“To be honest with you, my family and I left for this opportunity. I really haven’t thought too much beyond. I just would like to be here and be at Arkansas and be the coordinator for many years. Beyond that, I don’t have any other further aspirations, other than to help this program get better and do my part to help our team win a championship.”

Prior to his arrival in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Enos served as Mark Dantonio‘s quarterbacks and running backs coach with the Michigan State Spartans and Cincinnati Bearcats. He hasn’t held the title of offensive coordinator since his only season with the North Dakota State Bison in 2003.

Enos is now a coordinator in the SEC and gets paid handsomely as part of Bret Bielema‘s staff (nearly double his yearly salary at Central Michigan).

If another opportunity presents itself to be a head coach at a premier institution, it’s hard to imagine Enos not strongly considering the opportunity. But he has to prove himself first at Arkansas.

Why is the NCAA so bad? Here's a perfect example.

By Matt Hayes

NCAA logo (Getty Images)

I’m going to try to explain this in the clearest way possible, beginning with the most obvious statement of all.
 
The NCAA is the worst organization in the history of sports.

This multi-billion dollar, tax-exempt organizing body of collegiate sports; this watchdog of all things pure and amateur, is in the middle of the fight of its life in both the courtroom and public perception. So what does it do?

It hires West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck in December to be No. 2 in charge behind beleaguered president Mark Emmert. Two months later, the NCAA places West Virginia University on two years probation for violations that occurred from 2010 to 2013 in 14 of its 18 sports.

Guess whose job, as athletic director at WVU, it was to oversee those sports from 2010-2013?

Guess who had been investigating WVU for months, knowing full well Luck was the athletic director at the very time NCAA violations had taken place?

Guess who then hired Luck to be its — are you ready for this? — regulatory executive vice president (a fancy title for top cop)?

I ask you, who gets it more than the NCAA?

"How do you talk your way out of this one?" one Power 5 athletic director told me Thursday morning. "The optics of it are so damaging."

Like that's anything new.

This is the same organization that can’t get out of its own way in court in any number of lawsuits, ongoing or pending. The same organization that had a North Carolina alum — a former student-athlete at UNC, no less — work the investigation into the biggest academic fraud case in the history of college sports, one that was botched so badly, the NCAA is now deep into Round 2 of the investigation. 

The same organization that was forced — by threat of lawsuits and the reality that they’re going to lose multiple lawsuits — to completely revamp the way it treats athletes, from stipends to concussion protocols to lifetime scholarships to doing everything it possibly can to share the least amount of billions of dollars in television revenue.

The same organization that decided it would overstep its bounds and gut the Penn State program for a horrific crime against humanity perpetrated by a former coach, then over the next few years do everything it could to make it all right — with the lone exception of admitting it was wrong in the first place.

The same organization that gave Luck that fancy title, and then declared it was a new position overseeing academic and membership affairs, and eligibility and enforcement.

Basically what the NCAA did with the hire of Luck was tell Emmert, who has brought more shame and embarrassment on the NCAA than all previous presidents combined, to go sit in the corner and play with his Legos. The big boy will take over now and do the job Emmert should have been doing all along.

Except there’s this teensy-weensy issue: the big boy oversaw an athletic program that did the very thing he now has been charged to uphold.

For those who think I’m making too big a deal out of impermissible phone calls and texts to potential student athletes, consider this: these violations occurred while WVU was already on probation for a previous infractions case involving out-of-season coaching and the use of non-coaching staff to work with players.

In other words, trying to gain a competitive advantage.

So Luck ran a program that knew it was on probation, and knew it could ill-afford to take another wrong step — then did so. In 14 different sports.

And how did the NCAA respond, you ask? By placing WVU on double-secret probation.

I’m gonna puke.

By all accounts, Luck has been a sharp, proactive administrator everywhere he has been, from his time as a general manager in NFL Europe to CEO of the Houston Sports Authority to his work with the MLS.

When the NCAA hired him late last year, my initial thought was this might be the perfect guy to get the house in order. With his background, he might be the one guy who could convince whoever is making critical decisions to dig in legally against athletes, to cut your losses and find a workable middle ground.

The one guy who could step in and save an organization with good intentions and an unshakeable mission statement from eating itself alive, despite the spectacularly horrible decision-making of years past.

The one guy who could look around the room and declare that yes, a street agent who got $25,000 for bogus recruiting information most certainly steered players to the school that paid him cash.

The one guy who could look around the room and declare that yes, a father shopped his son to the highest bidder — and yes, the son isn’t playing anymore.

The one guy who could look around the room and declare that yes, a university in the middle of an investigation that already took its beloved coach, had players accepting cash in envelopes four months after the previous separate investigation began — and that, unequivocally, is the definition of lack of institutional control.

Instead, the new top cop is caught up in a do as I say not as I do moment less than two months into his job.

I ask you, who gets it more than the NCAA?

On This Date in Sports History: Today is Wednesday, February 18, 2015.

Memoriesofhistory.com

1887 - The first minor league baseball association was organized in Pittsburgh.

1929 - The Boston Red Sox announced that they would begin playing games on Sunday.

1930 - Clint Benedict (Montreal Maroons) became the first goalie to wear a mask in the NHL. Benedict wore the mask temporarily during an injury.

1943 - Phil Wrigley and Branch Rickey chartered the All-American Girls Softball League.

1952 - Emmett L. Ashford became the first black umpire in organized baseball. He was authorized to be a substitute in the Southwestern International League.

1958 - Racing jockey Eddie Arcaro got win number 4,000, as he rode the winner at Santa Anita race track in Southern California.

1971 - Phil Esposito (Boston Bruins) became the quickest NHL player to reach 50 goals in a season.

1974 - Gordie Howe came out of retirement to play for the Houston Aeros with his two sons.

1993 - The New York Islanders retired Billy Smith's #31.

1993 - The Florida Marlins opened their first spring training camp.

1997 - Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants) signed a contract worth $22.9 million over 2 years.

2000 - Garth Brooks began training with the New York Mets.

2002 - ESPN and the Liberty Bowl signed a contract that extended through 2008.

2004 - Defenseman Sergei Zubov (Dallas Stars) posted his 600th point.

 

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