👋 Good morning!
Did you know the White Sox are on pace to go a perfect 65-0 following the All-Star Break?
Not bad for a team already with 65 losses.
Twenty-seven runs is the most the Sox have scored in a three-game set in more than three years (27 — @ Detroit: June 13-15, 2022).
And for the cherry on top of the super sweet sweep, Luis Robert Jr. scored seven times with five hits, three walks, and just one swinging strikeout.
Maybe next week’s deadline return for the fallen star, who finally eclipsed the Mendoza Line over the weekend, won’t seem so underwhelming after all.
Hoge. Jahns. CHGO.
CHGO is the new home for Adam Jahns and the Hoge & Jahns podcast. And it can be your home for premium Diehard content all season long for $36 for the first year, too.
Become a Diehard for access to Limited Edition Hoge & Jahns merch, merch discounts, exclusive events, and top-tier written content!
Act fast — This deal ends July 31st!
Help Wanted
The Cubs entered Sunday with the best record in all of baseball. Heading into today, they’re without sole possession of first place in the NL Central, tied with the pesky Milwaukee Brewers.
How are things shaping up for the Cubs ahead of next Thursday’s MLB trade deadline?
STARTING HELP: Look no further than the club’s plan to lean on the bullpen for Monday night’s series opener against the Kansas City Royals. With Jameson Taillon out until after the deadline and Justin Steele sidelined for the rest of the year, the Cubs need to shore up their rotation to maintain their pace.
That doesn’t automatically mean GM Jed Hoyer needs to look for a front-line guy, either. Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga have performed like aces, and top-tier options simply aren’t on the trade block right now.
Maybe Merrill Kelly or Zac Gallen from the Arizona Diamondbacks make sense. Or perhaps the Cubs could deal with the White Sox for their hottest target, Adrian Houser, who spent parts of seven seasons with manager Craig Counsell in Milwaukee.
ADDRESSING THIRD BASE: I’m sure the Cubs would love to add Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez, who’s well on his way to a career-best season. But as Bob Nightengale pointed out in his weekly column, it’s the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners currently in hot pursuit of the slugging third baseman.
Alternatively, the Cubs, along with the Yankees and Detroit Tigers, have checked in with the Pittsburgh Pirates about Ke’Bryan Hayes, who’s struggling at the plate a bit this season.
But don’t count out Matt Shaw being the Cubs’ everyday third baseman after July 31, either. Despite a paltry .210/.285/.384 slash line, Shaw made decent contact in his few opportunities over the weekend, even clubbing his third career home run on Saturday.
On Shaw, Counsell said: “Matt’s gonna play a lot of third base for us, that’s the plan.”
It’s a massively important week for the Cubs, who’ll head to the South Side after a three-game series against the Royals at home. And assuming Boyd takes the mound on Tuesday night at Wrigley, that lines up the Cubs’ All-Star to face the Brewers in Milwaukee next Monday.
What must frustrate the Cubs at least a little bit is the fact that they haven’t even played poorly as the Brewers have clawed into a tie for first place. Since May 25, the Cubs are 28-19 — but the Brewers are 34-14 and currently riding a 10-game win streak.
The Kickoff Classic ⛳️
FORE! Join your favorite friends and Diehards from CHGO at 9 a.m. on August 22nd when we kick off the NFL season with our third annual Kickoff Classic at Cog Hill #2 — The Ravines!
You can sign up as an individual, twosome or a foursome, and your entry fee includes 18 Holes with a cart, limited-edition CHGO tee gifts, contests, giveaways, and lunch during a post-round ceremony.
FAN FAVORITE: The Bulls have signed Summer League fan favorite Yuki Kawamura following the explosive 5-foot-8 guard’s run with the team in Las Vegas.
Kawamura, 24, averaged 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals, while wowing with several lightning-quick, laser-accurate passes. He reminded me of me back in high school gym class out there.
7️⃣ WEEKS: We are seven weeks away from the Bears’ regular season opener on Monday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings!
On Friday, Luther Burden III signed a fully-guaranteed rookie contract with the Bears — the first fully-guaranteed rookie deal for the No. 39 pick in NFL draft history. The signing came a day after the Bears inked OT Ozzy Trapilo and DT Shemar Turner to their first contracts.
The Bears placed DB Jaylon Johnson, RB Ian Wheeler, QB Case Keenum, and WR Jahdae Walker on the Active/Non-Football Injury list. Keenum was activated from the list on Sunday.
Rookies (and Caleb Williams) reported to Halas Hall on Saturday. Everybody else must report tomorrow, and we’ll hear from GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson from Lake Forest then, too.
GO DEEPER: Adam Jahns’ first Q&A for CHGO looking ahead to Johnson’s first training camp as head coach.
#RynoStrong💙: Speaking about former Cub Ryne Sandberg on Sunday, Jed Hoyer said, “He’s a superhero in this city. You think about [Michael] Jordan, Walter Payton, and Ryne Sandberg all in here at the same time. And I can’t imagine a person handling their fame better, their responsibility for a city better than he did. And I think all of us owe him a debt of gratitude for creating this and creating all those memories.”
Sandberg, who announced that his prostate cancer had returned and spread last year, said through a statement last week, “While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.”
Somebody’s Excited…
Holy shit. We get to watch Ben Johnson coach the Bears this week.
— #Greg Braggs Jr. (#@GBraggsJr23)
4:00 AM • Jul 21, 2025
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