February is typically one of the least interesting months on the sports calendar, at least in the lull between the Super Bowl and March Madness.
But last week was full of intriguing storylines, from Chris Chelios’ jersey retirement to Jerry Reinsdorf begging for public money to the return of Cody Bellinger.
Here are six takeaways from the jam-packed week:
1. Scott Boras is taking a national beating for what may be the first time in his career after the TKO by Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer in the Bellinger negotiations. The wait ’em out strategy didn’t bring Bellinger the deal Boras apparently felt was inevitable, leaving the Cubs slugger with a three-year, $80 million deal with two opt-outs.
Hoyer’s patience and a market that never developed without the big spenders (Steinbrenners) entering the fray conspired to force Boras to wave the “L” flag.
Does this mean Boras has lost his fastball, or was it simply a matter of Bellinger needing to prove his 2023 season was not an anomaly after he was so bad the previous two seasons that the Los Angeles Dodgers released him? Either way, the Cubs got what they wanted. The Rickettses avoided another long-term deal, and manager Craig Counsell won’t have to start the season depending on Pete Crow-Armstrong to live up to his billing.
Hoyer can’t get too cocky over the win, as the Cubs probably will have to negotiate again next year, assuming Bellinger has a good year and opts out.
2. What now for the Blackhawks after the party of the year for Chris Chelios and the remarkable game-winning overtime goal by former Hawks great Patrick Kane on the same night? Back to the Connor Bedard show, the only reason left to watch the Hawks.
Bedard’s big hit on Kane could’ve made the night even more legendary. “He’s lucky he had the bubble on or I was going after him,” Kane joked after the Red Wings win. Not sure who would win a Kane-versus-Bedard fight, but I’d have to give Bedard the edge going in because of his youth and caginess.
After Sunday’s memorable day at the United Center, the only thing Hawks and Wings fans probably could agree upon is that not having these Original Six rivals in the same division is simply ludicrous.
3. Can’t wait to see what White Sox reliever Garrett Crochet does with Shohei Ohtani in Tuesday’s Cactus League game at Camelback Ranch. Crochet, trying to make the rotation, should be pumped for the opportunity, even if it’s just spring training.
Then again, it’s hard to stop thinking about the first bullpen sessions for Sox pitchers Corey Knebel and Dominic Leone on the second day of camp. As manager Pedro Grifol said that day: “Those are wins that we’re taking out of each day and putting them in the wins column that are really important to our progression plan. So today Corey Knebel’s bullpen and Dominic Leone’s bullpen, I’m not going to forget those.”
Never forget.
4. No idea whether Merril Hoge knows what he’s talking about, but he’s all over sports talk radio as the leader of the anti-Caleb Williams crowd. While almost everyone has praised the USC quarterback and potential No. 1 draft pick, Hoge has been the rare voice of dissent, suggesting Williams will be a work in progress and not an automatic stud.
Of course we won’t know if he’s right for a few years, by which time everyone will have forgotten about Hoge’s scouting report. It’s a smart angle if you want some attention.
5. Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s sense of urgency over the proposed new ballpark, which he hopes to get built by 2028, seems more pronounced than his urgency to build a winning team. It’s good to remember what Reinsdorf said in August about his early days running the Sox.
“When Eddie (Einhorn) and I came in 1981, we were two fans who thought we knew more than the people who were running the team knew,” Reinsdorf said. “In 1980, the team was 70-90. We got here in ’81 and even with the strike, we were over .500. We won 87 games in ‘82, 99 in ’83 and the division. We thought: ‘Hey, this is easy. We are two smart guys.’ But I remember (former Sox pitcher) Jerry Koosman telling me: ‘Enjoy the moment. They are few and far between.’
“It never dawned on me that it would be another 10 years before we got back to the playoffs.”
6. The best thing to happen to baseball in years is the Nike uniform fiasco, which has been the talk of spring training. If MLB had a sense of humor, it would recruit actor Jason Alexander, aka George Costanza from “Seinfeld,” as its spokesman on the issue.
Costanza famously got the New York Yankees to switch to cotton uniforms in an episode that has been brought up repeatedly since players started complaining about the Nike uniforms. The Athletic actually tracked down Alexander for a comment, but it turns out he’s not really a sports fan and had nothing to say.
It’s a disappointment to everyone expecting this to be “the Summer of George.”
