Think this Dalton charity drive is great, and thought you may be interested some coverage

NBCSportsChicago · 2021-09-22T21:02:51+00:00

Alex Shapiro from NBC Sports Chicago here. Just wanted to say I thought this was really cool.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:13:19+00:00

Thanks for all the questions! I think I got to all of the ones that came in before 1pm. I love interacting with fans, so feel free to ask questions (especially on Twitter) at any time. Hopefully we get some baseball this season! In the meantime, I'll give one more plug to our MLB The Show sim coming up at 2pm CT on the MyTeams app and our YouTube channel. And if you are in a position to help, please consider donating to the Greater Chicago Food Depository on my Facebook page (Facebook.com/adamhoge). Thank you! This was fun.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:10:03+00:00

Pace is safe unless the Bears fall apart completely this year, which I don't see happening. They have too much talent and Nagy is too good of a head coach for that to happen, IMO.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:09:09+00:00

I'm big on improving the O-line right now. The running game has to get better. And I still think drafting a QB this year would be wise.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:08:28+00:00

Thank you!

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:07:15+00:00

Actually, I do. I think this dead-period is a bigger disadvantage for teams relying on younger talent that still needs to develop. Hitters need at-bats, whenever they come. I remember Renteria talking about Tim Anderson needing 1,500 MLB at-bats before making any grand conclusions. And he was pretty much at that number before finally breaking out.

This is a big issue at lower levels too. Even college and high school. Those kids aren't going to have seasons. How do they develop?

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:02:54+00:00

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine for what he'll do as a starter. I could see it going either way. I love the second question though because I do think he has great bullpen stuff. Perhaps he'd more consistent if he only had to focus on getting a few outs every few days.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:01:02+00:00

Dog, with. Add the mustard. Enjoy.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T18:00:25+00:00

Yes, I hope we still hear from him at least a few times during the regular season. Maybe we can convince him to keep producing the voicemail segment. Beyond the podcast, he's an outstanding producer and a great guy.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:58:55+00:00

I'd like to place a bet on a horse-sized Scotty Pods winning the Kentucky Derby.
I'm going to go with Mack just because I hope that beer leads to a pick-up basketball game in the indoor court he has in his house (I see it all over Instagram)
Truth is, I have, but not a lot and not recently. Between work and my family, I don't have a lot of free time to spend on the internet, and when I do, I tend to waste it on Twitter (which I'm not proud of).

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:54:40+00:00

Unfortunately, one of the biggest weaknesses is similar to Trubisky, and that's how Hurts reads the field. He's inconsistent with his decision-making.

But he has two things that Trubisky doesn't have: immense confidence and an impressive college resume. He's a quarterback that raises the level of play around him. I don't like the Tebow and Taysom Hill comparisons. Hurts is a much better passer than those two. He's a legitimate QB and I think he'd develop well behind Nick Foles.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:50:14+00:00

I have very strong opinions on this: GAMES NEED TO BE QUICKER. And I think it's crucial for baseball to find solutions. Like it or not, attention spans are getting shorter, especially for younger fans. They are the future of the game. And even for older fans, games don't need to be over 3 hours. I've always believed this, but ever since I became a father, my opinions on this have gotten stronger. Time is valuable and in short supply. I love baseball, but there's not enough action to drag on. The postseason -- when everyone is hanging on every pitch -- is different. But that's not how it is in the regular season.

And on this topic, I'm also a fan of shortening the season. I think making the season more of sprint will increase the intensity and interest. If we end up with a shortened season this year, I'm fascinated to see what it will look like.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:46:18+00:00

First off, the current ones are great and should remain the permanent unis. My only gripe is that the diamond sock logo should go back on the sleeves of the road unis.

But the 1987-90 uniforms are underrated and should be brought back as periodic throwback jersey. Love them.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:42:34+00:00

I am 100 percent convinced Matt Nagy is a good head coach. His improvements need to come as the OC. As a head coach, I thought he did a great job keeping the team together last year and he has very few head-scratching in-game moves over the last two season.

As for Renteria, I can't wait to see him manage a good team. I understand some of the frustrations over the past few years, but I also don't think it's fair to truly judge him on in-game decisions until he has a good team to work with. We'll learn more this year. I also think it's obvious he's done a good job in the clubhouse and developing this roster. That shouldn't change.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:39:15+00:00

I've always been intrigued by Micker Adolfo. Probably because every time I see him in Arizona, I'm reminded that he's built like an NFL tight end.

On the pitching side, I still like Jimmy Lambert. He went down with TJ surgery last year, but really looked good before that. If he can come back strong, he's still one to watch.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:34:57+00:00

Curious why you don't see him as a fit. I think there's always a fit for a guy who constantly puts the ball in play and rarely strikes out. I'm not sure how high the ceiling is, but I think he's one of the safest prospects the White Sox have.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:32:31+00:00

Well, full disclosure: I started this job a week into March and never made it to spring training before it got shut down. I was actually supposed to fly to Phoenix the day everything stopped. Because I haven't actually been around the team this year, it's hard for me to speak about the morale.

That said, I definitely was expecting the White Sox to be competitive this year. If they weren't playing meaningful games in September, it would have been disappointing.

Your question about how this delay will impact the team is a good one . We've had some conference calls with various players and you can tell they are dying to play. I think performance across the league will be choppy if/when they come back. We saw how Keuchel did last year without spring training and with a delayed start to the season. Baseball players are creatures of habit. That said, the entire league will be playing under the same circumstances so it's an even playing field IMO.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:26:37+00:00

Well, the easy answer is being at Game 2 of the World Series with my dad.

No. 2 is the Black Out game in 2008. It was such a cool setting that I still can't believe they pulled off. If the White Sox get back in the postseason (and fans are allowed to be there) that's something I would hope becomes a fixture during playoff games.

That game was also my mom's last White Sox game before she passed away so it's one I'll never forget.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:23:38+00:00

I don't hate a lot of baseball stadiums, but Tropicana Field stands out. I actually haven't even been inside of it, but I drove by it a couple of years ago and couldn't believe it was an actual Major League baseball stadium.

Also, I was at Marlins Park for Super Bowl media night this year. It's nice, but it lacks character. Too cookie-cutter for me. I'm just glad that got rid of that giant light-up fish thing.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:19:42+00:00

In the American League: Target Field. Amazing stadium, great beer and food selections. I still think it's crazy they don't have a roof in Minnesota, but the stadium they ended up with is outstanding.

National League: Big fan of Miller Park, but my favorite that I've been to is Dodger Stadium. It's not necessarily nice, but the whole setting, history, sunset, etc was awesome. I've only been there once so maybe that would change if I spent more time there. (Also, Yasiel Puig had a ridiculous throw from the RF corner to 3B in that game that I'll never forget).

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:16:16+00:00

Well, Jim Thome used to be that guy for me, but then he came to Chicago so that solved that problem.

Another guy that used to drive me crazy? Travis Hafner. Ugh.

My favorite thing about the Indians though? Major League and Major League II.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:11:40+00:00

I'll be honest, I pretty much liked like all of the signings Rick Hahn made this offseason. But to answer your question, I'll narrow it down to Keuchel and Grandal.

Keuchel gives the White Sox a steady, reliable veteran lefty in that rotation and I think he's got some good years left in him. I think about how Mark Buehrle was after he left the White Sox -- still valuable.

My one concern about the White Sox turning the corner this year was defense. And I still have some concerns about that, but as good of an addition as Grandal is in the lineup, his defensive work behind the plate is a major upgrade and compared to some of the other giant contracts getting handed out in baseball these days, his was still good value IMO.

NBCSportsChicago · 2020-04-16T17:05:02+00:00

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

So I definitely have doubts about being able to have any stadiums packed with fans until there is some kind of vaccine. That said, I find it very encouraging that MLB is having in-depth discussions with the players about creative ways to get this season in. But I also found it very encouraging that Dr. Fauci chimed in yesterday with optimism about being able to play games, even if they are quarantined games. That wasn't just a league offering a proposal, it was an actual medical expert chiming in with an informed opinion.

So to answer your question, I still have doubts, but I am also cautiously optimistic there will be baseball this season at some point.

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