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Is a Private Hot Tub One of Your Must Haves? 22 N. Morgan in the West Loop
This 2-bedroom duplex loft at 22 N. Morgan in the West Loop just came on the market.
22 N. Morgan is a brick and timber loft building with 24 units and outdoor parking. It has a unique interior courtyard with landscaping.
Each loft has its own private entrance.
This duplex loft has 28-foot timber ceilings with exposed brick and beams.
The kitchen has wood 42″ cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
There’s a spiral staircase that leads to the second floor which has 2-bedrooms.
But the unique feature is the third floor private 800 square foot deck which also has a hot tub.
It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 2-car parking is available for $15,000 extra.
This complex is right at the heart of the West Loop near supermarkets and restaurants.
This loft last sold in 2010. According to the prior listing, the bank was willing to take $365,000 so it sold for $365,000.
It has come on the market for $725,000.
The West Loop is one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city.
Will this loft get the premium?
Giancarlo Bargioni at Dream Town has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #204: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, duplex, 2363 square feet
Sold in May 2000 for $296,000
Sold in May 2003 for $350,000
Sold in September 2006 for $600,000
Lis pendens foreclosure in October 2009
Sold in May 2010 for $365,000 (including 2-car parking)
Currently listed at $725,000 (plus $15,000 for 2-car parking)
Assessments of $521 a month (includes exterior maintenance, scavenger, and parking)
Taxes of $6,772
Central Air
Washer/dryer in the unit
Bedroom #1: 13×14 (second floor)
Bedroom #2: 15×11 (second floor)
Laundry room: 5×9 (second floor)
Deck: 22×40 (third floor- with hot tub)
This entry was posted on Friday, May 17th, 2019 at 5:28 am and is filed under Lofts, West Loop. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Source: http://cribchatter.com/?p=25946
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Shelter Waiving Adoption Fees on Some Dogs
For one day only, PAWS Chicago will waive adoption fees on pets who have been in their shelter for a long time.
On Sunday Nov. 4, the shelter will hold its “Help Us Save More” event, which is dedicated to finding homes for adult dogs that are often overlooked for puppies, the shelter said in a press release.
“Our goal is to find as many homes as possible for these wonderful adults who have been passed over, in turn making space for us to save more animals who need our help,” said PAWS Chicago Founder & Chair, Paula Fasseas. “These dogs just need a little extra love and patience to become the best dogs they can be, and we want to do everything we can to find them a home in time for the holidays.”
The shelter has provided a website where potential adopters can see which animals will have their adoption fees waived during the event.
The event will take place at the PAWS Chicago Lincoln Park Adoption Center, and will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Source: https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/paws-chicago-waiving-adoption-fees-on-some-shelter-dogs-499325111.html
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Two more Bears make the PFF Top 101 Players; Jackson at 14 and Hicks at 11
The Chicago Bears just capped off their best season since 2010 and the postseason accolades are rolling in. The Pro Football Focus Top 101 Players list has been slowly revealed this week and the Bears have two more added to the four announced from earlier this week.
To get you up to speed on the PFF specifics you can check out our article right here to learn more about these Bears.
66) CB - Kyle Fuller
81) NB - Bryce Callahan
88) NT - Eddie Goldman
100) CB - Prince Amukamara
And here are the two latest Bears making the PFF 101.
11. AKIEM HICKS, CHICAGO BEARS
Top 101 appearances: 2
Hicks finished the regular season as the fourth-highest graded interior defensive linemen and held top 10 marks in both pressures and stops. His effect on the game didn’t stop there, however, as he also batted five passes and chipped in by forcing three fumbles, all from the interior of the defensive line.
The secret is now out with how good a player he is and with how engaging a personality he has. Hicks’ profile has gone up on a national scale with his first Pro Bowl appearance and with the time he spent with various media outlets during Super Bowl week.
Hicks and Goldman make up a large and ferocious duo for new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to work with, but Pagano will also enjoy scheming things up for the other Bear on the PFF list.
14. EDDIE JACKSON, CHICAGO BEARS
Top 101 appearances: New entry
Simply put, Jackson’s body of work across his 589 coverage snaps this year has been some of the best that we’ve ever seen from a safety. In his 14 regular-season games, Jackson’s performance in coverage earned a coverage grade of 94.7 which not only led all defensive players in the NFL this year, but it’s tied for the best mark ever recorded by a safety in the PFF era (2006-present).
Pagano has worked with one Hall Of Fame safety in his career, Ed Reed, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can do with Jackson in 2019.
I can’t help but notice a certain Macktactular player missing from the list, so I wonder if we’ll be seeing a seventh Bears’ defender in the top 10 of the PFF top 101?
Also, looking ahead to next season, would you expect to see any offensive Bears break through to make their cut?
Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/2/7/18215697/chicago-bears-make-pff-top-101-players-eddie-jackson-14-and-akiem-hicks-11-nfl-pro-football-focus
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With Canada preseason game official, nomad Raiders will make some NFL history
The NFL is returning to Canada.
Briefly.
For an exhibition.
The Oakland Raiders confirmed on Wednesday that their August 22 preseason game against the Green Bay Packers will be played at IG Field, the home of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The likelihood of the game was first reported last month.
Well-traveled Raiders
The Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers will play a preseason game at IG Field in Winnipeg this August. (Getty Images)
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By playing in Canada, the Raiders are going to make a bit of NFL history: they’ll be the first team to ever play in three countries in one season.
Oakland will of course play in the United States, but also are the home team for an October 6 game against the Chicago Bears at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It’s all part of a pretty unfavorable schedule for the AFC West team; the Raiders play back-to-back home games to open the season and then because of the London game and their bye week don’t play another home game for seven weeks.
Winnipeg Free Press reporter Jeff Hamilton tweeted that the average ticket price for the game at the 33,000-seat stadium could exceed $200, which will make the NFL giddy.
Aaron Rodgers: The NFL is worldwide
This is the first game the NFL has had in Canada in six years, since the Buffalo Bills hosted the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 1, 2013 at Rogers Centre.
The last time the Packers played outside the United States was in 1998, when they played a preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Tokyo. Once this year’s slate of London games has been played, Green Bay will be the only NFL team that hasn’t played in the U.K. as part of the International Series.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he’s looking forward to the trip.
“I'm excited to get up there. It's fun to travel with the squad to a different country,” Rodgers said, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “We still haven't been to England yet, but hopefully this doesn't count as our out-of-the-country trip, 'cause I think a lot of us would still like to go to England.
“The popularity of the NFL is worldwide, and I was in Paris this offseason and went to a Packers bar. So, that just kinda shows you the reach of the NFL. I'm sure there's a bunch of Packer fans [in Canada], 'cause they're everywhere.”
More from Yahoo Sports:
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/with-canada-preseason-game-official-nomad-raiders-will-make-some-nfl-history-184204146.html?src=rss
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Amaya among MLB's Top 10 catching prospects
MLB Pipeline will unveil its 2019 Top 100 Prospects list with a one-hour show on MLB Network and MLB.com on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. ET. Leading up to the release, we look at baseball's top 10 prospects at each position.
There's a good amount of turnover on this year's Top 10 Catching Prospects list compared to the 2018 version. That starts at the top, with a member of the 2018 Draft Class, Joey Bart, leading the way.
MLB Pipeline will unveil its 2019 Top 100 Prospects list with a one-hour show on MLB Network and MLB.com on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. ET. Leading up to the release, we look at baseball's top 10 prospects at each position.
There's a good amount of turnover on this year's Top 10 Catching Prospects list compared to the 2018 version. That starts at the top, with a member of the 2018 Draft Class, Joey Bart, leading the way.
Video: Top Prospects: Joey Bart, C, Giants
Francisco Mejia, now with the Padres, continues to be a mainstay, sitting in the top two for the third straight season. Keibert Ruiz of the Dodgers, the A's Sean Murphy and Danny Jansen from the Blue Jays are the other holdovers from last year's Top 10. Graduation caused some serious turnover, with Carson Kelly, now with the D-backs, Jorge Alfaro (Phillies), Chance Sisco (Orioles) and Victor Caratini (Cubs) all moving on to larger big league contributions.
Top 10 Prospects by Position
The Top 10 (ETA)
1. Joey Bart, Giants (2021)
2. Francisco Mejia, Padres (2019)
3. Keibert Ruiz, Dodgers (2020)
4. Sean Murphy, A's (2019)
5. Danny Jansen, Blue Jays (2019)
6. Ronaldo Hernandez, Rays (2021)
7. Miguel Amaya, Cubs (2021)
8. Daulton Varsho, D-backs (2020)
9. MJ Melendez, Royals (2021)
10. Andrew Knizner, Cardinals (2019)
Complete list »
Top tools
Hit: Mejia (60)
Mejia has hit at pretty much every stop in the Minors, starting with his 50-game hitting streak and .342 average in 2016. Following his trade to the Padres last year in the Brad Hand deal, he showed what the fuss was about by hitting .328 with Triple-A El Paso en route to making his San Diego debut. His ability to swing the bat from both sides of the plate is well ahead of his defense behind it.
Video: Top Prospects: Francisco Mejia, C, Padres
Power: Bart (60)
The No. 2 overall pick in last June's Draft, Bart not only has a strong college power resume, with double-digit home runs as a sophomore and a junior, but he showed that it would translate immediately in the pro game when he hit 13 home runs in just 45 Northwest League games during his pro debut. He has the potential to hit at least 25 homers annually.
Run: Varsho (55)
There are some who feel Varsho is athletic enough to play second base if catching doesn't work out, and he certainly did nothing to dampen that evaluation during his first full year. Varsho stole 19 bases in 22 tries in just 80 California League games. He then went on to swipe eight more during his Arizona Fall League stint.
Video: Top Prospects: Daulton Varsho, C, D-backs
Arm: Mejia, Murphy (70)
Mejia has thrown out 33 percent of potential basestealers in his Minor League career. Last year, that was down to 28.9 percent, though he also spent less time behind the plate compared to other seasons. Murphy threw out 34.3 percent in 2018, which actually brought his career percentage down to 35.5 percent.
Video: Top Prospects: Sean Murphy, C, Athletics
Field: Murphy (65)
Murphy would be the runner-up on the All-Defense Prospect Team thanks to his all-around work behind the plate. In addition to his arm detailed above, he's agile with excellent blocking, receiving and game-calling skills. He gets very high marks for his ability to work with a pitching staff.
Superlatives
Ceiling: Melendez
The 2017 second-round pick showed off all of his skills during his first full season. He finished fifth in the South Atlantic League in home runs and slugging percentage, and he should tap into his raw power even more as he refines his approach. Behind the plate, Melendez used his plus arm to throw out nearly 42 percent of those trying to steal last season.
Video: Top Prospects: M.J. Melendez, C, Royals
Floor: Ruiz
Murphy could be a candidate if you wanted to focus solely on defense -- his glove will make him a big leaguer. But Ruiz's bat, with the ability to hit for average and power, provides a little more certainty that he'll be a big league regular at the position.
Video: Top Prospects: Keibert Ruiz, C, Dodgers
Rookie of the Year candidate: Jansen
There are several on this list ready to contribute in 2019, but Jansen appears to be the only one heading into the season as the No. 1 backstop on the depth chart. He had a solid big league debut in August and September last year to build a foundation for his first full year in the big leagues.
Video: Top Prospects: Danny Jansen, C, Blue Jays
Highest riser: Hernandez
Hernandez began 2018 as the Rays' No. 20 prospect, but was up to No. 7 by the end of the season. Now he's jumping onto this Top 10 list for the first time after a year that saw him hit 21 home runs in his full-season debut while throwing out 36 percent of runners trying to steal.
Video: Top Prospects: Ronaldo Hernandez, C, Rays
Humblest beginnings: Knizner
The Cardinals have a knack for finding late-round talent and it looks like they've done it again with Knizner, a seventh-round pick in 2016. The North Carolina State product was a third baseman until he began his catching career as a sophomore and now he's ready to be a big leaguer, thanks to a .310/.373/.460 line and a 36.2 percent caught stealing rate.
Video: Top Prospects: Andrew Knizner, C, Cardinals
Most to prove: Mejia
Yes, Mejia has hit pretty much everywhere he's been in the Minors, but he has a .583 OPS in 76 big league plate appearances, a small sample size for sure. That, combined with questions about his ability to catch full-time and showing he was worth trading for, makes the spotlight a little brighter on him in 2019.
Keep an eye on: William Contreras, Braves
The younger brother of Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, William had a very strong first taste of full-season ball, earning a promotion to the Class A Advanced Florida State League at age 20. He has a solid approach at the plate with some pop (11 homers in 2018) in addition to a strong arm and solid receiving skills behind it.
Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLB Pipeline. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanMayo and Facebook, and listen to him on the weekly Pipeline Podcast.
Source: https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-top-10-catching-prospects-in-mlb/c-302736382
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The Terrible Bookends – How Does the Current Ugly Cubs Stretch Stack Up with the Season Opening?
The start of the season occupies a unique space in the minds of baseball fans; that place where you can barely see beyond the next day, extrapolating every misfire and every 0-4 and every blown save as though they are the things that will permeate every game that follows. We’ve done this so many years, and we know it’s irrational. Yet we still do it. The season is long. The memories, apparently, are short.
For that reason, I suppose I would say the Cubs’ 2-7 start to the year still felt worse than the current stretch, even though, by a single loss, this stretch is actually worse (2-8).
One question I had this morning, though, was how the cold data looked during each stretch. Strip away all of the narrative and context, and I just wanted to see how the team was actually performing by the numbers in each of these stretches. I have no idea what it’s going to show or what the utility will be, but I wanted to do it, so I’m doing it right now and sharing with you.
OK, let’s see what we see …
March 28 to April 7
Runs Scored: 62
Team Batting Line: .294/.385/.494
Team wRC+: 133
Positional Strikeout Rate: 20.1%
Positional Walk Rate: 11.9%
Positional Soft/Hard Contact Rate: 15.4%/41.1%
Positional Groundball Rate: 49.8%
Positional BABIP: .336
ISO: .199
Runs Allowed: 71
Team ERA/FIP: 7.51/6.77
Pitcher Strikeout Rate: 20.5%
Pitcher Walk Rate: 14.5%
Pitcher Soft/Hard Contact Rate: 14.1%/47.9%
Pitcher Groundball Rate: 47.0%
Pitcher HR/9: 2.4
Pitcher BABIP: .346
LOB%: 64.2%
May 23 to June 2
Runs Scored: 41
Team Batting Line: .236/.325/.466
Team wRC+: 107
Positional Strikeout Rate: 29.0%
Positional Walk Rate: 11.2%
Positional Soft/Hard Contact Rate: 17.6%/42.3%
Positional Groundball Rate: 47.5%
Positional BABIP: .279
ISO: .230
Runs Allowed: 58
Team ERA/FIP: 5.42/4.63
Pitcher Strikeout Rate: 19.6%
Pitcher Walk Rate: 8.0%
Pitcher Soft/Hard Contact Rate: 17.2%/40.9%
Pitcher Groundball Rate: 39.9%
Pitcher HR/9: 1.4
Pitcher BABIP: .333
LOB%: 66.5%
What do I see when I look at those numbers? Well, for one thing, it’s obvious that in the stretch to open the season, the offense was humming along, even if it was getting a little lucky on balls falling in. But they also weren’t striking out at all, were taking a ton of walks, and scored a load of runs. As you no doubt remember, it was the pitching getting blown up – especially by long balls, and especially late in games. But when you look at a variety of the metrics there, it’s not hard to see that the pitching probably also was getting really unlucky. With time and distance, I see so many signals there that things would probably straighten out.
This second stretch? Well, there’s still a lot of bad-luck-indicator stuff going on for the pitchers, so that’s good, but there is also a big drop in strikeouts and groundball rate, as well as still a lot of hard contact.
Again, you already would have suspected that it was instead the offense causing problems in this stretch, and whooooo boy look at that strikeout rate. That’s scary. The Cubs are hitting the ball hard and for good power right now (ah, all those solo homers), but they aren’t getting hits. A lot of that seems pretty darn unlucky to me when you consider the contact quality, but when you’re whiffing as much as they are, it makes me wonder if some guys are off-balance overall (and we could anecdotally name names).
On the whole, then, when I look at these numbers, I probably feel a little more nervous about this second stretch than the first.
Of course, if you’d asked me back then if I was nervous, thanks to the feel you get when you’re right up next to something, I probably would have been super nervous then, too.
In any case, hopefully some balls start finding holes, some bats start finding balls, some dinged up gets get healthy, and so on and so on.
(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/06/03/the-terrible-bookends-how-does-the-current-ugly-cubs-stretch-stack-up-with-the-season-opening/
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Keys to the Game: Bulls vs Magic (12.21.18)
The Bulls are back at the United Center this evening to meet the Orlando Magic in the second of four games scheduled between the two this season. Just a little over a week ago the squads came together in Mexico City where the Magic pulled out a 97-91 victory. Nikola Vucevic recorded game-highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds for Orlando, including hitting the go-ahead jumper with 29 seconds left to boost the Magic to victory. Zach LaVine was Chicago's leading man with 23 points, but unfortunately he suffered an ankle injury on the last play of the game that has kept him out of action ever since. As of now, LaVine's return to the hardwood could be anywhere from one to four weeks away.
For the most part last week's contest was a back-and-forth clash with nine ties and five lead changes. Chicago's largest lead ended up being six points, while Orlando was able to get to 11. The deciding factor ended up being the battle of the boards, with the Magic capturing control of the glass 43-33 overall, and limiting the Bulls to only one offensive bounce.
Orlando's plan of attack is headed by the aforementioned Vucevic, who's comes into tonight averaging 20.6 points and 11.7 rebounds. The 7'0”, 260-pound pivot has led (or tied) the Magic in scoring 13 times, rebounding 22 times and assists six times.
Others Magicians worth keeping tabs on are high-flying forward Aaron Gordon (15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds), and heady shooting guard Evan Fournier (15.1 points, 3.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds), as well as a pair of former Bulls, D.J. Augustin and Jerian Grant, who work together in running the point. Augustin has started every game this year and has been solid, posting averages of 10.5 points and 4.9 assists, while Grant comes off the bench contributing 4.3 points, 3.4 assists and a team-leading 1.03 steals per game.
If the Bulls, who have lost 12 of their last 14, are going to turn their fortunes around anytime soon, they are going to have to begin to play with a lot more grit and smarts. Too often they have come out of the gates fast and loose only to abruptly grow cold from the field and lose focus at both ends of the court. Rebounding and turnovers have grown into a chronic problem. In three of their last five games Chicago has turned the ball over 27, 18 and 23 times, and they have been manhandled on the glass in 13 straight contests.
Under recently appointed Head Coach Jim Boylen, Chicago's offensive blueprint is to slow the pace by grinding down the shot-clock to just under five seconds before attempting a shot to force opponents to burn energy on defense. For this scheme to work the Bulls have to get and keep all five players on the floor involved in the action. They cannot permit the offense to transform into a series of one-on-one matches. The ball must freely jump from player-to-player and from side-to-side to force the defense to scramble and open paths to the hoop or uncover shooters hovering around or near the 3-point arc for uncontested jumpers.
Chicago also needs to be smart with the ball and avoid force-feeding risky passes that can get picked-off and ignite an opponent's offense by allowing them to quicken the pace by constantly getting into transition.
Another very important aspect tonight will be to limit Orlando's ability to score second-chance points. The Magic are blessed with a great deal of size and athleticism in Vucevic, Gordon and rookie center Mo Bamba. Chicago's post players, in particular Wendell Carter Jr, Robin Lopez and Lauri Markkanen are going to have to keep those giants off the glass as much as possible.
As a team the Magic are shooting 44.7% from the field and 35.5% from behind the 3-point arc. Seven times they've connected on 50-percent or better of their shots from the field, going 5-2, and knocked down 10 or more treys 21 times (12-9), including a season-high 20 on December 5th against Denver.
Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/gameday/keys-game-bulls-vs-magic-122118
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Watch Khalil Mack run through a wall!
With the Chicago Bears coming off a twelve win season, it was natural that Madison Avenue would take notice and turn to some of Chicago’s marquee players to sell their products. Nike has tabbed Khalil Mack to be a part of their latest ad campaign, and you can see him run through the Bears locker room wall in the Tweet below.
Khalil Mack is one of the best players in the NFL, but he has his sights set on greatness. Mack met the media yesterday at Halas Hall and he revealed that he told his new outside linebackers coach, Ted Monachino, that he wants to be the best pass rusher to ever play the game.
“I hold myself to that standard every day,” he said.
Mack, a five-year professional, has been named to the Pro Bowl the last four years, and in three of those he was named an All-Pro. He’s fully aware of the historic legacy he’s chasing.
“I mean, you got LT (Lawrence Taylor), you got Derrick Thomas,” Mack said. “You got special, special guys that have played this position and that’s all you can do is kind of chase. You can’t really compare those guys, the best of the best.”
Mack’s work ethic is fine example for his young teammates as they prepare to defend their NFC North title and look towards the Super Bowl. ”We’re holding each other to a higher standard,” Mack said.
The Nike commercial was created by 22-year-old newcomer Gibson Hazard. To learn more on what this young director and filmmaker is all about, you can check out this recent article on Variety.
Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/5/30/18646186/watch-khalil-mack-run-trough-a-wall-chicago-bears-ted-monachino-ryan-pace-nike
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Beautifully-updated Loop apartments in a walk-to-work, walk-to-campus location
Fisher Building City Club Apartments has a great walk-to-work, walk-to-campus Loop location at 343 S Dearborn.
The historic Fisher Building’s elaborate terra cotta exterior puts you on notice to expect out-of-the-ordinary apartments.
The apartments have plank flooring in living areas and bay windows. Designer kitchens have islands, tile backsplashes, dishwashers, built-in microwaves and ample cabinet and counter space. The oversized baths have soaking tubs, and walk-in showers in apartments with multiple baths.
Available studio apartments start at $1,565, and 1-bedrooms at $1,720, $1,810 with a den. Two-bedroom, 1-baths start at $2,230. A 2-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath is available for $3,020 and a 3-bedroom, 2-bath for $3,215. Floor plans and near real-time rent and availability info are online. Scroll down to view.
A Dollop Coffee outlet is on-site.
Additional amenities include a business center, a fitness room with cardio and strength-training equipment, and a large resident lounge / party room with a gaming area.
Fisher Building City Club is pet-friendly and has on-site management, maintenance and leasing staff.
Source: http://yochicago.com/beautifully-updated-loop-apartments-in-a-walk-to-work-walk-to-campus-location/60593/
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Mentioned in Book
I see I was mentioned in a book (link). The book's title (translated) is "Spirited Resistance from the Outside: Austrians in US Propaganda Units in WWII", written by Florian Traussnig (source). Mention of me comes from a blog post I wrote a few years ago where I discussed my father's role in the allied broadcast program called ABSIE. Interesting. Daddy is mentioned often in write-ups like this; first time however that I ever saw a reference to me.
Source: http://chicagolibrarian.com/node/1282
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Bumgarner and Bote, Hamels Debut, Yu Smiling, Roederer, and Other Bullets
The good and successful mornings with the kiddos would not be as lovely and gratifying without the challenging ones. Folks might not share the latter ones of Facebook, but they’re real, and they’re just as important.
David Bote could be good to go in a game today after returning to baseball activities yesterday. He says Madison Bumgarner reached out to him to check in after the beaning, which is a classy move (Cubs.com).
Importantly, Bote is not in the concussion protocol, so apparently there was never a concern about a concussion: “We went through all the correct things,” Bote said. “There’s no concussion. But, we went through many, many, many tests. I’m thankful for the Giants’ medical staff, as well as our medical staff. They did a thorough, thorough job. I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m good guys. Let’s go.’ But, they keep going, keep going, making sure. It’s a hot topic. Mental health is huge right now, so the Cubs and the Giants have done nothing but state-of-the-art process.” That’s exactly as it should be. Even after the season starts, I’d much rather see players subjected to WAY MORE evaluation than is “necessary” – at the expense of a few more games – rather than risk an early return, which can make things so much worse, especially if there is a second successive head trauma.
Cole Hamels makes his Spring Training debut today, and I’ll be curious to see where his velocity is. To be honest, it could be low or high, and I wouldn’t necessarily draw any conclusions from it because of the time of year and the way guys ramp up. But at 35, you’d expect to see some decline … and yet, after a mechanical adjustment around the time he was coming to the Cubs last year, Hamels saw a bump in his velocity, approaching the mid-90s.
Happy Yu should make You Happy:
Darvish, who is speaking much more in English this year, ascribes his happiness not just to his health, but also a better mental outlook: “I learned a lot of things from last year. Like before, I’d worry about the future, [I’d be] scared for the future. Now I’m living like ‘now.’ So that makes me more confident and more happy.” That’s good life advice right there.
Also, likely nice for Darvish to have Hamels in the house from the get-go this year, since they know each other well from their Rangers days. Just a little added comfort. Can’t hurt.
A Jon Lester smile-ish:
Even before reading this or looking at the pictures, I’m taking a stab that the mentioned Cubs youngster is outfield prospect Cole Roederer:
Sure enough: “Roederer earns Andrew Benintendi comparisons for his all-around game, yet lasted 77 picks in the 2018 Draft because he injured his non-throwing shoulder as a high school senior and had a strong commitment to UCLA. With his bat-to-ball skills, quick lefty swing and advanced approach, he could blossom into a .300 hitter with 25 homers on an annual basis.” You could just already tell that Roederer had become that “helium” guy for the Cubs, a big risky pick and pricey signing, but whose body changed a good bit at just the right time for the Cubs to “win a scouting competition”, so to speak. Were the draft done over, there’s no doubt he would be a first rounder. There’s still a long way to go for him to actually reach top 100 prospect status, of course, but everything has gone right so far, from the results to the development to the eyes-on scouting reports.
You’ll see more on Roederer as Bryan unveils his top Cubs prospects list.
Big discounts on the Fire tablets at Amazon right now.
What the divisions are known for, kinda:
OMG BRING BACK THE POST-WRIGLEY FOURTH MEAL:
Very nice news in the Bears world:
Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/02/27/bumgarner-and-bote-hamels-debut-yu-smiling-roederer-and-other-bullets/
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Emanuel readies push for huge new TIF districts - Crain's Chicago Business
Reifman said the TIF money will be primarily used for needed infrastructure work and secondarily to guarantee development of affordable housing. Direct subsidies to developers will occur in “extraordinary circumstances only,” Reifman said.
Beyond that, he said the pending deals will be structured to ensure that taxpayers bear no risk.
Unlike some TIF deals in which the city spends money that is paid back later from new property taxes created by development, the process will be reversed in each of these cases, Reifman said: Developers will have to front the money and wait to be paid back from tax paid on their projects. If there is no development and no taxes, the developers will be left with the debt, not the city. There is “no risk” to taxpayers, he said.
Here’s what’s now being eyed:
On Related Midwest's property, which it has named "the 78" as a reference to creating a new city neighborhood—Chicago's 78th—the city envisions $5 billion in private investment on former railroad property that has been empty for many decades. The project should create 10,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 affordable-housing units, Reifman said, as well as $24.3 million to a city development fund used to incentivize new businesses in poor, mostly minority neighborhoods.
But roughly $500 million in city TIF expenditures will be needed, Reifman said, with money going for a new CTA Red Line station, relocation of a Metra station, construction of a new Taylor Street bridge and extension of 15th Street, all requiring a new TIF district.
The 78 is one of the sites Amazon has repeatedly visited as a possible location for its proposed second headquarters.
Even more TIF resources, roughly $800 million, are tentatively earmarked for the Sterling Bay's Lincoln Yards project along the river between North and Webster avenues. Sterling Bay has talked about creating as many as 23,000 permanent jobs on the site, but major roadwork is needed, including realigning sections of Elston and Clybourn and rebuilding the poorly designed Elston/Armitage intersection.
A new TIF district would be created in the area.
Reifman said less money will be required at the River District, potentially $100 million to $150 million for a transit way that may be equipped to handle new self-driven vehicles. Initial plans involve construction of as many as 4,000 residential units. A public meeting to provide more details is set for 6 p.m. on Nov. 14 at 1001 N. Crosby St., according to an advisory issued by 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins’ office.
Plans for long-stalled development on the Reese site still are in flux but proceeding in close consultation with the local alderman, Sophia King, 4th, Reifman said. Substantial investment will be needed—for a new Metra station at 31st Street and construction of a new pedestrian deck from the lakefront over the Metra tracks and South Lake Shore Drive—but the final figure is likely to be somewhat smaller than for the other three projects.
A new TIF district incorporating parts of the current Bronzeville TIF will be needed, Reifman said.
Reifman also pointed to the $169 million NorthPoint project on the Southeast Side. About $54 million is needed for site preparation and extension of Burley Avenue, under previously announced plans.
He said he’s prepared for a City Council fight over some of this but argued that the time for delay and study has ended.
“We’re looking to get real progress on these sites now,” he said. “I’m here now. (The mayor) is here now. The developers are here now. The market is here now. We do not want to lose the opportunity."
Danny Ecker contributed.
Source: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/greg-hinz-politics/emanuel-readies-push-huge-new-tif-districts
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Baseball history unpacked, March 22
Baseball history marches forth ... as always on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I bring 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. The embedded links often point to articles that I’ve chosen as illustrative of the scenes, from The Society for American Baseball Research, reproductions of period newspapers, images, and other such material. It’s all lightly unpacked and folded neatly, just for you.
You might learn something, but mostly, it’s for fun!
Today in baseball history:
1889 - The All America team beats Chicago, 7 - 6, in England’s Old Trafford Cricket Stadium. The Manchester Guardian says: the “general verdict of the more than 1,000 spectators was that the American game was ‘slow’ and ‘wanting in variety.’”
1962 - In the first meeting between the two clubs, the Mets defeat the World Champion Yankees in a spring training game. Casey Stengel, the former Bronx Bombers boss, now the manager of the new National League expansion team in New York, clearly wanting to beat his old club, calls upon veteran outfielder Richie Ashburn, who delivers a ninth-inning pinch-hit single, giving the Amazins’ the dramatic walk-off 4-3 victory at Al Lang Field. (1)
1962 - A former member of the New York Giants requesting anonymity reveals that Bobby Thomson’s home run in the 1951 playoffs against the Brooklyn Dodgers was helped by a sign-stealing clubhouse spy. The spying is claimed to have gone on for the last three months of the season. Thomson, along with former Giants manager Leo Durocher, vehemently denies that he received help, but a source close to the team confirms the spy operation. (3)
1976 - The California Angels’ groundskeeper finds hundreds of marijuana plants growing in the outfield at Anaheim Stadium. The culprits? Most likely rock fans who attended a recent performance at the stadium by The Who. (3)
1986 - The Yankees announce Britt Burns, an 18-game winner with the White Sox last season, will miss the entire season due to a degenerative hip condition. The 26 year-old southpaw will never throw another major league pitch, ending his eight-year career, played entirely with Chicago, with a 70-60 (.538) won-loss record. (1)
1993 - Cleveland Indians pitchers Steve Olin and Tim Crews are killed, and Bob Ojeda is seriously injured, when the motorboat in which they are riding strikes a pier on Little Lake Nellie near Winter Haven, Florida. Crews and Olin are the first active major leaguers to die since Thurman Munson in 1979. (3)
2012 - Major League Baseball announces it is setting up a new league for amateur players in the Dominican Republic, in order to give them an opportunity to perform against top competition without having to commit to a professional contract at a very young age. The lack of high school or equivalent competition has hampered the development of the game in the D.R., whose national teams have performed poorly in international competitions in spite of the large number of professional players born in the country. (3)
Cubs birthdays: Bill McClellan, Paul Schramka, Al Schroll, Gene Oliver, Dick Ellsworth, Glenallen Hill, Joe Smith, Dexter Fowler (who still looks wrong in red).
Sources:
Thanks for reading. #Cubsnews
Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/3/22/18276725/baseball-history-unpacked-march-22
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Bulls Sign Brandon Sampson to two-way Contract
The Chicago Bulls have signed guard Brandon Sampson to a Two-Way contract. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. In a preceding move, the Bulls waived Two-Way player Tyler Ulis.
Sampson (6-5, 184) went undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft after playing three seasons at Louisiana State University. He has played in 18 games (18 starts) this season for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, averaging 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 35.1 minutes per game. At LSU, Sampson played in 85 games (40 starts) from 2015-18. Over his career with the Tigers, he averaged 7.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists, scoring a career-high 24 points twice in the 2016-17 season.
The Baton Rouge, La., native was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Louisiana in 2015.
Sampson will wear No. 44 for the Bulls.
Per NBA rules, teams are permitted to have two Two-Way players on their roster at any given time in addition to their 15-man regular season roster. A Two-Way player for the Bulls will provide services to the team’s G League affiliate – the Windy City Bulls – but can spend up to 45 days over a full season with Chicago, not including any time prior to the start of Windy City’s training camp and after the conclusion of their season.
Bulls.com
Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/bulls-sign-brandon-sampson-two-way-contract
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Encouraging Signs from Yu Darvish’s Start, Yes – But is That Enough for You Today?
Although there’s always some nuance you could layer in, the Yu Darvish as a Chicago Cub story has pretty much always taken on a particular flavor: lots of hope based on talent, positive signals in the performance, bad results at the end of the day.
To be sure, the sample on Darvish is still very small – just 11 starts, barely a third of a season – even if it’s been spread across more than a year. And those positive signals, including last night, are real. They’re there. I can see them.
But, at the same time, I recognize that there does come a point at which we need an actual strong and productive performance to actually feel like this is going somewhere positive. At age 32, with a lot of miles and now multiple arm surgeries in the can, it’s not like it’s a guarantee that Darvish will start performing well simply because he’s still very strong and talented. At some point, we’ve just gotta see an actual good start that doesn’t require any kind of “ah, but this!” context.
To that end, Darvish’s night last night was really another one of those “ah, but this!” type starts. He threw the ball very well, he commanded it well most of the night, didn’t walk anyone, got an absurdly good volume of called and swinging strikes, and didn’t seem to be negatively impacted by the elements or the atmosphere. You can still take plenty of positives away from the start if you’re not burned out on that kind of thing.
“He handled [the climate] extremely well,” Joe Maddon said of Darvish’s outing, per Cubs.com. “From the very first pitch, he had great poise. I thought his confidence was outstanding. First of all, I really was impressed under the circumstances. Second of all, by the fact that he may have found some things tonight regarding his delivery and the way the ball is coming out of his hand. Everything about him was upbeat, I thought.”
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
“All in all, I thought he did really well,” Maddon told NBC Sports Chicago. “That was strike-throwing tonight. The fastball — he knew where it was going. Threw some really good cutters. He knew where the ball was going and he had really good stuff, I thought.”
I know, you’ve heard this kind of stuff before, and many of you are rolling your eyes. That doesn’t make Maddon wrong, of course.
The home runs he gave up were very surprising for the conditions (indeed, chucking fastballs down the pipe was not necessarily a horrible strategy on a night like that), and Francisco Cervelli’s is a home run at Wrigley and likely nowhere else in baseball. Even two of the runs that eventually scored “off of Darvish” came following his departure, and were scored by guys who had reached on nothingburger soft hits. In another life, those two are routine outs, and Darvish complete six excellent innings, and this conversation looks different.
And I guess that’s the thing that makes being rational here so hard. On the one hand, I KNOW the sample is small and the “explanations” for performance are legit. Performance versus results? I know what I saw. Darvish performed well last night, even if the results were mediocre. But on the other hand, can’t Darvish just get a full-on great start’s worth of results at some point? Can I just enjoy some more of that, as a fan?
OK, so I realize even that’s a little irrational. Of his eight starts last year, three of them were really quite good. So I guess it’s not like it hasn’t happened at all for him as a Cub. It just feels that way sometimes, when we’re left the day after a start to pick apart what went wrong, and why it doesn’t necessarily mean Darvish is to blame for the bad results. However true that might be – and it is, in this case – we watch these games as fans to see some great performances over time. I just really want to see one from Darvish again.
Source: https://www.bleachernation.com/2019/04/11/encouraging-signs-from-yu-darvishs-start-yes-but-is-that-enough-for-you-today/
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“Elegant Sophistication” in this River North 2-Bedroom Loft: 215 W. Illinois
This 2-bedroom loft in the Anchor Lofts at 215 W. Illinois in River North just came on the market.
The Anchor Lofts were built in 1923 and converted into lofts in 1986, which was probably among the first loft conversions in this neighborhood.
It has 18 units and garage parking.
Described in the listing as having “elegant sophistication,” this loft has been updated to 2018 tastes.
The floors are wide plank white oak floors stained gray.
It has exposed brick walls, which are painted white, and dark, almost black, beams throughout.
The kitchen has upscale finishes including a 60″ Wolfe oven, double dishwashers, white cabinets and a large quartz island. There’s also room for a kitchen table.
This is a rare loft in this building which has outdoor space as there’s a 7×10 deck off the kitchen.
The bathrooms also have white cabinets and updated finishes.
The loft has central air, a laundry room and one car garage parking is included.
This loft last sold 20 years ago, so it’s a rare offering for loft lovers.
The building, however, doesn’t appear to have a work out room or other amenities. Nor does it seem to have a doorman.
Listed at $1.195 million, are these features that buyers at this price point demand or do loft lovers have different standards?
Sharon Glickman at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #3A: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2000 square feet
Sold in July 1996 for $230,000
Sold in November 1998 for $375,000
Currently listed at $1.195 million (includes 1-car garage parking)
Assessments of $477 a month (includes exterior maintenance, lawn care, snow removal)
Taxes of $12,689
Central Air
Washer/dryer in the unit
Bedroom #1: 16×11
Bedroom #2: 13×11
Kitchen: 15×22
Living room: 19×23
Dining room: 12×10
Laundry room: 8×6
Foyer: 10×10
Balcony: 7×10
Source: http://cribchatter.com/?p=25529
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9 best things to do in Chicago parks for free
There’s a lot going on in Chicago’s 600 parks: summer camps, workouts, concerts, and movie screenings. Night Out in the Parks brings thousands of free programing and events. Plus the district manages beaches, swimming pools, harbors, conservatories, a zoo, and a handful of museums in the city’s parks.
If you’re hoping to find some of the best things to do in Chicago parks, check out the highlights below. The best part? All the events listed are free.
Movies in the Park
Bring some snacks and see a movie in the open air. Millennium Park has weekly showings at Prtizker Pavilion with popular movies like Moonlight and Wonder Woman (here’s the full lineup). However, movies can come to any park with an inflatable screen, projector, and speakers. To find one near you, search the Park District’s website by location or movie. All movies begin at dusk, which is around 8:30 p.m.
Shakespeare in the Park
A 75-minute abridged version of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors will tour Chicago parks from July 18 to August 18. At each park, a special truck rolls in with a stage and professional actors. The theater program, which is in its eighth year, is completely free. Find the schedule here.
Workouts in the park
There are plenty of places to run, bike, and even rock climb throughout the parks. Although, taking a class to learn something new is fun too. In Millennium Park, there are free summer workouts that include Tai Chi, yoga, pilates, and Zumba. There’s more throughout the neighborhoods, like workouts in Berger Park or Wicker Park. The Garfield Park Conservatory has yoga too and a few classes with goats that visit to graze the grass. Any wellness event from can be found by searching the Park District’s website.
Classical music series
Pianists, violinists, vocalists all leave their concert halls to perform in Grant Park. Relax in the park and, this season listen to professional orchestras play Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8 or music from the Wizard of Oz. This program is one of the oldest in the city, it began in the 1930s at a temporary bandshell near the Field Museum, and now its settled at the Pritzker Pavilion.
Chicago SummerDance
Beginners are welcome! Instructors teach swing, salsa, and bachata dance moves for the first half of the event, and then everyone gets to practice with a live DJ or band. Dance the night away in the Spirit of Music Garden which has a special outdoor dance floor or find an event in the neighborhood near the Humboldt Park Boathouse or Theater on the Lake.
Pianos in the parks
Now in its fifth summer, Make Music Chicago will place pianos in parks across the city. From June 1 to August 1, anyone can happen upon the instrument and break out into a song. This year there are double the pianos, now 10 parks will have beautiful ivory keys.
“I love the idea of surprise music that you just happen upon. To have pianos in a public park is such a beautiful statement on access and opportunity,” Erin Flynn, director of kid’s music programs at the Old Town School of Folk Music to the Chicago Tribune.
Learn to box
There are 21 boxing centers in parks across the city that offer free classes for kids ages 8 to 18 years old. Instructors, licensed by the U.S. Amateur Boxing Federation, can help kids train for Golden Gloves and other boxing shows in Chicago. The youth boxing program helped professional boxers like David Diaz and Nate Jones get their start.
Star gazing
You don’t have to be in the wilderness to get a good look at the night sky. The 606 has a resident astronomer that hosts For the Love of Stars events on Fridays. Look through telescopes set up on the elevated trail to see constellations, planets and the moon.
Bird and nature walks
The Chicago Audobon leads spring and fall migratory bird walks at the North Park Village Nature Center, a 46-acre natural area on the city’s northwest side. You’ll explore native landscapes like wetlands, tall grasses, prairies and an oak savanna. The Audobon also has bird walks at Jackson Park’s Wooded Island or the Skokie Lagoons. Another place to spot migrating birds is the Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary.
Source: https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/7/20/17587796/chicago-park-movies-yoga-concerts-theater
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