Illinois

3 questions for the Cubs entering 2023

Published

2 years ago

December 24, 2022

CHICAGO — The Cubs spent a lot of the final two years keeping track of the long run because the franchise underwent a dramatic roster overhaul. This offseason, the entrance workplace has stepped up spending because it tries to assemble a aggressive membership, whereas the children maintain climbing up the farm system.

Because the calendar flips to 2023, this can be a good time to ponder three questions concerning the season forward for the North Siders.

1. How good can the Cubs’ protection be up the center?

The additions of shortstop Dansby Swanson and middle fielder Cody Bellinger can have a ripple impact on the Cubs’ defensive alignment, and the end result might make Chicago one of many strongest groups up the center subsequent season.

Swanson’s arrival pushes Nico Hoerner to second base, following a standout season because the on a regular basis shortstop. The truth is, solely Swanson (21) had extra outs above common than Hoerner (13) amongst shortstops in 2022. Going again to ’19, when Hoerner broke into the Majors, Hoerner has 36 OAA throughout a number of infield spots, whereas Swanson has 35 OAA.

The Nationwide League Gold Glove Award at shortstop rightly went to Swanson final 12 months. In 2020, Hoerner was a finalist for the award for his work at second base. Chicago posted -4 defensive runs saved total at second in ’22, so Hoerner will undoubtedly present a lift.

Having two shortstop-capable infielders up the center will likely be particularly essential in ’23, given the restrictions on shifts which might be coming to MLB.

“Taking away the shift, the extra athletic, extra dynamic gamers you may get, the higher that is going to assist,” Cubs supervisor David Ross mentioned on the Winter Conferences. “I believe it helps your pitching employees.”

Heart subject is a place the place the Cubs mixed for an MLB-low -19 DRS in 2022. Bellinger had zero DRS in middle final 12 months, however he has 14 DRS in his profession on the spot and gained a Gold Glove in ’19. He will likely be an enchancment.

When Ross was part of the 2016 Cubs, who gained the World Sequence, he had an excellent view behind the plate of one of many nice defensive teams in staff historical past. Now as supervisor, certainly one of his targets is to characteristic a membership that boasts a powerful recipe of pitching and protection.

2. Which prospects have the most effective shot of impacting the staff?

On the finish of the Winter Conferences, because the Cubs nonetheless had a number of areas of clear want up and down the roster, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer provided an evaluation of the staff’s state of affairs.

“Now we have a bunch of holes,” Hoyer mentioned. “That is one of many challenges we have now. Till our farm system actually begins producing, which I believe will probably be within the subsequent couple of years … you need to fill extra holes in free company.”

Among the Cubs’ high-profile prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong (MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Cubs prospect), Kevin Alcantara (No. 3), Cade Horton (No. 4) and Owen Caissie (No. 10), amongst others, might not break into the massive leagues till at the very least 2024.

Within the meantime, two names from the Cubs’ High 30 checklist to essentially regulate this spring will likely be first baseman Matt Mervis (No. 21) and right-hander Hayden Wesneski (No. 12).

There are at-bats up for grabs at first, and Mervis is coming off a breakout displaying throughout Excessive-A, Double-A and Triple-A this previous season (36 homers, 119 RBIs and a .984 OPS). Chicago acquired Wesneski on the Commerce Deadline final summer season, and he spun a 2.18 ERA in a six-outing audition in ’22. He might compete for a rotation job.

The group to look at carefully because the season progresses contains outfielder Brennen Davis (No. 2), lefty Jordan Wicks (No. 5), righty Ben Brown (No. 7), righty Caleb Kilian (No. 14), catcher Miguel Amaya (No. 16) and righty Ryan Jensen (No. 28).

3. Do the Cubs have a sensible shot on the postseason?

The Cubs added Swanson (seven years) and Jameson Taillon (4 years) on multiyear contracts — a 12 months after spending large on free brokers Seiya Suzuki (5 years) and Marcus Stroman (three years). Chicago is definitely searching for to emerge from this attempting rebuilding interval.

No, the Cubs’ roster hardly seems to be primed for World Sequence competition, however the additions ought to push the membership nearer to the pack of Wild Card hopefuls. And given the state of the NL Central, if issues fall good, possibly Chicago can pull into the division dialog.

There are nonetheless quite a lot of ifs, query marks and eventualities that have to wind up within the best-case class for that to occur. This can be a staff that may have quite a lot of work left to do after stripping down its final core group to create a brand new pipeline of up-and-coming expertise.

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Illinois

2026 Nebraska OL Landen Von Seggern excited to join Illinois family

Published

2 hours ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

2026 Nebraska OL Landen Von Seggern excited to join Illinois family

Illinois has added to its family with a 2026 commitment. Omaha (Neb.) Millard South offensive lineman Landen Von Seggern announced his commitment to the Illini on Wednesday.

The Nebraska native visited Illinois on Jan. 11 and couldn’t have been more impressed with the visit.

“It was great, the thing that stood out the most to me was the hospitality,” Von Seggern said.

“The coaches were talking to me and treating me as if I was already a part of the team and the atmosphere was crazy at the basketball game. They have a very nice fan base and that is what made me want to be a part of the famILLy!”

Von Seggern selected Illinois over the seven scholarship offers that he holds. He took visits to Iowa, Iowa State and Kansas. But being in Champaign gave him the feeling that its where he needs to play college football.

Another thing Illinois had going for it was his relationship with coach Bret Bielema and offensive line coach Bart Miller. Bielema’s history with offensive linemen speaks for itself but Von Seggern has built a quick rapport with the pair.

“The relationship has grown very well,” Von Seggern said. “Especially for me only being up there three times. It felt like they had been my coaches already. I’m just super excited to get to work with them.”

Now the lineman’s college decision is out of the way and he can enjoy his senior year with his friends and family without worrying about where he will commit.

“The thing I’m looking forward to most about being part of the Illini is the atmosphere and the relationships between the coaches and players,” Von Seggern said. ‘FamILLy is a big thing at Illinois but they don’t just say it, they act upon it and live by it!”

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Illinois

Plano, 1st Illinois community to recognize Juneteenth as holiday, cancels 2025 events

Published

10 hours ago

January 15, 2025

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Plano, 1st Illinois community to recognize Juneteenth as holiday, cancels 2025 events

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 3:39PM

Live streaming newscasts, breaking news, weather & original, local programming.

PLANO, Ill. (WLS) — The first community to recognize Juneteenth as holiday in Illinois has canceled this year’s celebration.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

Plano, Illinois recognized Juneteenth as a holiday in February 2021. That same year, it became a state and federal holiday.

However, event organizers announced on social media that the 2025 Juneteenth celebrations were canceled.

The cancellation came due to “community engagement and negative feedback,” according to organizers.

Among the canceled events were the Martin Luther King Candlelight Bowling Fundraiser, Black History Month scholarship contest and the June Celebration at Emily G John’s School.

“My hope is that this is temporary but if the cancelation is determined that it needs to extend to 2026 then that would be the will and pleasure of the community,” organizers said.

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Illinois

Son of woman killed in domestic shooting helps pass Illinois law to protect victims, becomes advocate

Published

18 hours ago

January 15, 2025

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Son of woman killed in domestic shooting helps pass Illinois law to protect victims, becomes advocate

CHICAGO (CBS) — In July 2023, Manny Alvarez’s mother and sister were shot and killed, allegedly by his father.

Manny, now 20, usually is not comfortable with praise. But he now has something to be proud of—as he helped pass an Illinois state law that both honors his mom and helps future survivors of domestic violence.

“My life sort of ended there in terms of—that was it,” Alvarez said. “That’s kind of that chapter of my life, and I’ll never have a dad I can call again, I’ll never have a sister I can call again, and I’ll never have a mom I can call again.”

Manny Alvarez was just 18 when his dad picked up a gun and shot his sister, Daniela, and his mother, Karina Gonzalez, to death in their Little Village neighborhood apartment. Manny was shot too, but survived.

He said he did not think his father was capable of doing such a thing.

“I mean, it’s something that we knew of, and in terms of all the domestic violence, it was very prevalent,” Manny Alvarez said, “but you know, you never really think someone’s going to go to that measure of actually hurting someone, let alone killing them, and basically ending everyone’s life.”

The deadly shooting happened during a quarrel, and two weeks after Manny’s mom was granted an order of protection against her husband, Jose Alvarez. But her husband had not been served.

“It was the worst two weeks ever,” Manny said, “because, you know, we’re just kind of sitting there going, ‘OK, like he’s not supposed to be here.”

Manny, who calls his mom the hardest working person he’s ever known, went to live with relatives. At the same time, advocates were crafting a bill requiring that police remove all guns from people with domestic violence orders of protection against them.

The advocate asked Manny if they could name the legislation after his mom. Eventually, he said yes, and the fight to pass Karina’s Bill ramped up.

The bill passed the Illinois General Assembly on Tuesday, Jan. 7, and Manny helped with the effort. He met with lawmakers and appeared at news conferences.

It was Manny’s way of honoring his mother.

“I can’t give her a birthday gift. I can’t give her a Christmas gift anymore,” Manny said. “But I kind of see it as a way to give back to her for all that she did for me.”

Amanda Pyron, executive director of the anti-domestic violence organization The Network, said Manny’s advocacy for getting the bill passed was “critical.”

But Pyron said their work isn’t over—even after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signs the bill into law.

“We absolutely will monitor accountability for survivors who go into a court and are granted an order of protection with this remedy, and don’t receive it,” Pyron said.

As for Manny, he does not like to call himself brave. But he does want to keep helping domestic violence survivors—any way he can.

“I’m all ears, and that’s kind of my calling, I guess,” he said. “If anyone comes up to me with that situation, it’s, OK, what can we do? You know, who can I put them in contact with?”

It is not clear when Gov. Pritzker plans to sign Karina’s Bill into law. But when it happens, Manny said he would like to be there.

Dana Kozlov

Dana Kozlov is an Emmy Award-winning political investigative reporter for CBS2 Chicago. Prior to joining the station in 2003, she worked at WGN, CNN Chicago and WEEK-TV in Peoria, where she began her journalism career in 1992.

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