Cubs Prospect Russell Has Bit of a Fall League Fall

The Chicago Cubs have ended future Hall of Fame shortstop Addison Russell’s Arizona Fall League stay. Not because he was batting .190 but because he had had a long 2014 season. Sure. To be fair (and aren’t we always that around here?), Russell is unaccustomed to playing October baseball. Come to think of it, so are the Cubs.

Video below of November 2014 Playboy Playmate Gia Marie.

* Speaking of Russell, the Cubs said he is healthy, which presumably is good news. Unless your idea of good news would be someone hitting at least .200. The statistical analysis department at ElliottHarris.com has worked overtime to calculate that Russell had eight hits in the AFL.

* The Chicago Bulls play their final exhibition game Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves in St. Louis. Center Joakim Noah, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery, is likely to have diminished minutes (somewhere around 30 would be one guesstimate) once the regular season begins next week. In the long run, that would allow Noah to run longer once the postseason begins.

* Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher criticized quarterback Jay Cutler for not living up to performing as well as he is compensated. The Bears QB is elite only in terms of salary, Urlacher said. This is considered some sort of profound insight? As if your average Bears fan didn’t recognize that reality? And people listen to Urlacher for what reason? And the media give him the spotlight — at least momentarily — for what reason? Oh, yeah — to fill up space in newspapers and online and time on radio and television.

* Speaking of speaking, most of the time when I see players and/or coaches talking during the week in the days before an NFL game, the sound is pretty much what it is in those Charlie Brown television specials when the teacher is talking. Wah, wah, wah. Filling air time, saying little.

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