November 8, 2016

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Theo Epstein named Sporting News Executive of the Year http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-theo-epstein-executive-of-year-spt-1108-20161107-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Four Cubs named as finalists for baseball writers' year-end awards http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-mlb-bbwaa-award-nominations-cubs-spt-20161107-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Four Cubs vying for Gold Glove Awards http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gold-glove-finalists-cubs-spt-1108-20161107-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Pat Hughes, White Sox's Hawk Harrelson finalists for Frick Award http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/ct-pat-hughes-hawk-harrelson-frick-award-20161107-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Javier Baez awed by 'crazy' support at Macy's, South Loop events http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chicagoinc/ct-javier-baez-live-appearances-20161107-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Third title season nets Epstein first Executive of the Year Award http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/third-title-season-nets-epstein-first-executive-of-the-year-award/

Chicago Sun-Times, New world order for Cubs means new sales pitch to free agents http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/new-world-order-for-cubs-means-new-sales-pitch-to-free-agents/

Chicago Sun-Times, Lester, Hendricks worthy candidates for Cy Young Award http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/lester-hendricks-worthy-candidates-for-cy-young-award/

Chicago Sun-Times, Harrelson, Hughes named finalists for Frick Award http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/harrelson-hughes-named-finalists-for-frick-award/

Chicago Sun-Times, Bryant, Lester, Hendricks Maddon finalists for major awards http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bryant-lester-hendricks-maddon-finalists-for-major-awards/

Daily Herald, Chicago Cubs' Fowler expected to opt for free agency http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161107/sports/161109051/

Daily Herald, Imrem: Hammel news says Chicago Cubs in for difficult decisions http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161107/sports/161109044/

Cubs.com, With title and award, Epstein feels he 'belongs' http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208362278/epstein-is-sporting-news-top-mlb-executive/

Cubs.com, Cubs up for MVP, Cy Young, Manager of Year http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208331978/cubs-have-four-finalists-for-bbwaa-awards/

Cubs.com, Champs to turn attention to Hot Stove, 2017 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208199864/cubs-seek-closer-outfielder-in-free-agency/

Cubs.com, Fowler only Cubs player to get qualifying offer http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208321728/dexter-fowler-gets-qualifying-offer-from-cubs/

Cubs.com, Cubs cap historic 2016 with unforgettable W http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208307806/cubs-win-ws-in-2016-with-best-mlb-record/

Cubs.com, Cubs' Hughes among Frick Award finalists http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208314708/hall-of-fame-reveals-frick-award-finalists/

Cubs.com, Cubs make adjustments to 40-man roster http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/208325178/cubs-add-rosario-mullee-to-40-man-roster/

CSNChicago.com, How Theo Epstein Operates And Why Cubs Won’t Be Satisfied With Just One World Series Title http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/how-theo-epstein-operates-and-why-cubs-wont-be-satisfied-just-one-world-series-title

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Could Win Awards Season, Too, Between Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Joe Maddon http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-could-win-awards-season-too-between-kris-bryant-jon-lester-kyle-hendricks-joe

CSNChicago.com, Cubs Jump Into Offseason, Making Dexter Fowler A $17.2 Million Qualifying Offer http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-jump-offseason-making-dexter-fowler-172-million-qualifying-offer

-- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Theo Epstein named Sporting News Executive of the Year By Colleen Kane Cubs President Theo Epstein was named Sporting News Executive of the Year on Monday in a presentation to kick off the general managers meetings in Arizona. A panel of 56 major-league executives voted on the award, which Sporting News has presented since 1936. Voting took place at the end of the regular season, before the Cubs won their first World Series title in 108 years. Epstein said it meant a lot to receive an award voted on by his peers, but he shared the credit with the entire organization. "The head of the department is always out front getting the credit when things go well," Epstein said. "But as I said after the World Series, it's hundreds of people and thousands of small sacrifices that no one sees that make a great baseball operation. "But it means a lot. When I got my first GM job, I was 28 and I didn't feel like I had fully paid my dues or like I was fully ready. I probably felt a little bit on the outside looking in in the GM fraternity, and many years later now and a lot of hard work and learning from a lot of great people, it's nice to get this award and feel like I belong and feel accepted." The Cubs made several major additions to their roster over the last year on their way to winning 103 games in the regular season, including adding free agents Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward and John Lackey and re-signing Dexter Fowler last winter and trading for Aroldis Chapman at midseason.

As the GMs begin to set the table this week for a new offseason of deals, Epstein is somewhere between basking in the title and trying to position the team to repeat, something he said he learned during his years with the Red Sox is even more difficult. He said one title makes an organization "hungrier to validate it." The day after the World Series parade in Chicago, Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer went to right-hander Jason Hammel's home to discuss his option, which the team declined to allow him to be a free agent. Epstein joked Monday night he is at "halftime" of the bender he said he would go on after the Game 7 victory over the Indians because there is business to address. "During the parade, I kept telling my wife: 'We need to go home and change some diapers and do some laundry because this is not real life. We have to get our feet back on the ground,'" Epstein said. "It's crazy the reception everyone got from the people of Chicago. It has been fun and will be a lifetime memory, but we do have work to do as far as 2017. "It happens fast. The page will turn anyway whether you're ready or not, so you might as well be prepared for it." -- Chicago Tribune Four Cubs named as finalists for baseball writers' year-end awards By Paul Sullivan Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and manager Joe Maddon are finalists for the Baseball Writers' Association of America's year-end awards, one year after the Cubs won three of the four National League categories. Bryant is up for Most Valuable Player against Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy and Dodgers rookie shortstop Corey Seager. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo was not named as a finalist Monday night. Lester and Hendricks joined the Nationals' Max Scherzer as Cy Young Award finalists, while Maddon, who won Manager of the Year last year, is again in the running with the Nationals' Dusty Baker and the Dodgers' Dave Roberts. All 12 NL finalists came from the Cubs, Nationals and Dodgers, including Rookie of the Year candidates Seager, Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda and Nationals outfielder Trea Turner. BBWAA representatives conducted voting before the postseason. Winners will be announced next week, beginning with the rookies on Monday, followed by the managers, Cy Youngs and MVPs. Bryant, the Rookie of the Year in 2015, is considered the odds-on favorite to win his first MVP award in his first full season. He led the NL with 8.4 wins against replacement. Roberts is expected to win the manager award in his debut season, while the NL Cy Young voting is expected to be tight. Scherzer had one more win than Lester (20-19) and led the majors in strikeouts (284), while Lester's ERA (2.44) was second in the majors to Hendricks (2.13). The Cubs' Jake Arrieta won the award last year. White Sox ace Chris Sale was not selected as a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award, nor was Orioles closer Zach Britton, who some thought was the favorite to win. The Indians' Corey Kluber, the Tigers' Justin Verlander and the Red Sox's Rick Porcello are the finalists. The other AL finalists are Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Astros second baseman Jose Altuve for MVP; Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez and Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin for Rookie of the Year; and the Orioles' Buck Showalter, the Indians' Terry Francona and the Rangers' Jeff Banister for Manager of the Year. --

Chicago Tribune Four Cubs vying for Gold Glove Awards By Mark Gonzales The Cubs will find out Tuesday if other managers and coaches viewed their defensive excellence as highly as they did during their run to their first World Series title since 1908. The Cubs have four finalists for Gold Glove Awards, which will be announced Tuesday night. Right fielder Jason Heyward, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Addison Russell and pitcher Jake Arrieta are the finalists. The Cubs and Tigers, with four apiece, have the highest number of finalists. Heyward, 27, is a three-time National League Gold Glove winner who is up against Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Nick Markakis of the Braves. Rizzo, 27, was a finalist in 2014. Rizzo made one of the season's signature plays when he stood atop the wall to make a backhanded catch of a foul pop by Keon Broxton of the Brewers before jumping back to the field of play. Paul Goldschmidt of the Diamondbacks, who won a Gold Glove award last season, and Wil Myers of the Padres join Rizzo as finalists. Russell, 22, had the fifth-highest defensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) at 2.68. However, that was slightly below Brandon Crawford of the Giants (2.68), who is a finalist along with Freddy Galvis of the Phillies. Right fielder Adam Eaton of the White Sox is a finalist for American League honors. Eaton's competition is Mookie Betts of the Red Sox — who had the majors' second-highest defensive WAR (2.83) — and George Springer of the Astros. Managers and coaches vote for the award in their respective leagues, although they cannot vote for their own players. In addition, a sabermetric element provided by the Society for American Baseball Research accounts for 25 percent of the vote. -- Chicago Tribune Cubs' Pat Hughes, White Sox's Hawk Harrelson finalists for Frick Award By Colleen Kane White Sox TV play-by-play announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and Cubs radio play-by-play man Pat Hughes have been named finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, which the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum presents annually for excellence in broadcasting. Other finalists for the award include Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Bill King, Mike Krukow, Ned Martin and Dewayne Staats. The winner will be announced Dec. 7 at baseball’s winter meetings after a vote by a panel that includes the 13 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians and columnists. The 2017 Frick Award focuses on team-specific announcers, while the award will rotate to national voices in 2018 and broadcast pioneers and early team voices in 2019. Harrelson just completed his 27th straight season in the Sox broadcast booth and has twice before been a finalist for the Frick Award, in 2007 and 2013. Hughes finished his 21st season as the radio play-by-play voice of the Cubs and worked 12 seasons before that on the Brewers Radio Network.

“It is extremely humbling to even be considered within the company of the top broadcasters in our game, let alone a finalist for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award,” Harrelson said in a statement from the Sox. “Nothing gives me more enjoyment than sharing the game of baseball with White Sox fans each season. Baseball is the greatest game there is, and it would certainly be the ultimate honor to be recognized among some of the great voices of the game in Cooperstown.” To be considered for the award, an active or retired broadcaster must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major-league broadcast service with a team, network or combination of the two. More than 200 broadcasters were eligible this year. The award criteria include “commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.” -- Chicago Tribune Javier Baez awed by 'crazy' support at Macy's, South Loop events By Maya Miller After helping bring home a World Series title to Chicago, Javier Baez fulfilled one more fan's dream by flashing a smile to hundreds of Cubs followers at Dick's Sporting Goods Monday afternoon. Maybel Nawrot of Aurora, 27, one of more than 300 fans who were at the autograph signing in the South Loop, pleaded with the second baseman for a "sonrisa" and squealed in excitement when he obliged. Baez was on tap to sign a total of 475 autographs for fans throughout the day. He arrived at Macy's on State at noon where he greeted the rambunctious crowd of nearly 2,000 before heading off to the South Loop. "It means everything to me," said 18 year-old Kelly Carlson, who began waiting outside of Dick's at 8 p.m Sunday night. Carlson, born and raised in Elgin, wasn't the only fan who braved the chilly Sunday night for the opportunity to get merchandise signed by Baez. A group of about 30 people parked themselves outside of Macy's Sunday night. Baez’s appearances had been planned before the Cubs won the World Series last week, but once they did the frenzy to see the second baseman in person was on. "This is crazy," Baez said, smiling, as fans cheered before he sat down at Macy's. Several hours earlier, fans wrapped around Randolph Street. Rogers Park resident Mario Calderon said he arrived at the department store at 7 p.m. Sunday and slept along the pavement to be first in line. "The chance to meet a World Series champion, it definitely made the wait worth it," said Calderon, 35. "After 108 years, what's 12 hours?" Uptown resident Mehru Khan, 36, a beauty specialist at Saks Fifth Avenue, staked out her spot at 5 a.m. to meet one of her favorite players. "I hope I don't get fired," Khan said while laughing. Baez signed autographs for the first 175 fans who spent $35 or more at the Lids store at Macy's. He also met with a young Cubs fan from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Other fans lined up along railings for four floors to catch a glimpse. At Dick's, fans whooped and hollered in excitement as they were shuffled through the line to get their own piece of history. Though they had their individual reasons for wanting to meet him, several expressed admiration for his defensive work as well as his potential as a young player. "There's a lot still to come from Javy Baez," Calderon said. --

Chicago Sun-Times Third title season nets Epstein first Executive of the Year Award By Gordon Wittenmyer SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Cubs president Theo Epstein used to have what he called a “semi-recurring dream” the last few years. “Maybe five or six times I’ve woken up and it’s, `Wow, we just won the World Series with the Cubs. That’s unbelievable.’ And about 10 second later,” he said. “I realize it was just a dream and then the rest of my day usually stinks. “But the last five days or whatever it’s been, I’ve been waking up with the same realization,” he said, “and it takes a couple seconds to think, `Wow, it really happened.’ And then I have a great day.” Epstein had another one of those Monday, when he was presented the Sporting News Executive of the Year award for major league baseball, a selection made through a vote of his peers. It’s a career first for Epstein, 42, who won championships as the general manager of the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 before the Cubs hired him five years ago. “It means a lot. What makes it special is it’s voted on by GMs and assistant GMs,” he said, adding: “Let’s be honest, it’s 100 percent an organizational award. It’s an award for the Chicago Cubs baseball operations department. It’s hundreds of people and thousands of small sacrifices that no one sees that makes a great baseball operation.” Epstein, whose inner circle with the Cubs includes Boston former Red Sox lieutenants Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod, received the award at a dinner Monday night as the annual general managers meetings opened at the Omni Scottsdale Resort. “When I got my first GM job, I was 28, and I didn’t feel like I had fully paid my dues or like I was fully ready,” said Epstein, whose Red Sox ended an 86-year championship drought in his second season. “And I probably felt a little bit on the outside looking in, in the GM fraternity. And many years later now, and a lot of hard work and learning form a lot of great people, it’s nice to get this award and feel like I belong and feel accepted.” But to hear him talk, he has too much work to do to get too caught up in all the accolades and perks that come with that first Cubs championship in 108 years. “It does make you hungrier, just to validate,” he said. “If you can win two it means even more. Our fans have waited a long time, so why not try to keep giving them titles? “Winning at 42 vs. 30, I have a greater appreciation for how hard it is. And how many people have to contribute and how lucky you have to get along the way, too. I feel like I appreciate this more now than I did back in ’04.” With the young core the Cubs have, along with the productive veterans they bring back this year, Epstein not only is trying to retool a roster this winter that can repeat, but is looking a lengthy window. He doesn’t shy away from questions about the Yankees’ recent dynasty, or the Giants’ every-other-year titles from 2010 through 2014. “You look at those organizations that can repeat the next year or in a relatively short period of time and you can’t help but admire them,” he said. “It does validate the initial title if you can back it up. I think every organization strives to be like that. “But for us really the goal is we’d love to be the type of organization that national baseball fans think of when you think of October baseball,” he said. “The Braves: Every year you thought about October, you knew that the Braves were going to be there. The Yankees, Red Sox for a while, Cardinals.

“We’ve got two [appearances] in a row now and turned it into one championship. We’d like to be there every year if we can, and take our shot. And we’re lucky to have a lot of talented young players, a great manager, supportive ownership, a terrific fan base, resources. “It’ll be great to see how sustained we can make this success. Our fans deserve a long run if we can possibly do it.” -- Chicago Sun-Times New world order for Cubs means new sales pitch to free agents By Gordon Wittenmyer SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Brian Cashman, the general manager of the 27-time world champion Yankees, was stopped in the middle of the stone-paved walkway near the lobby of the Omni Scottsdale Resort to answer questions Monday from two dozen reporters about his plans for fixing his 84-win team. About 20 feet away from the button-down, sober-toned Cashman, some guy in flip flops, shorts, T-shirt and ball cap, holding a cold drink, could be heard laughing with a few colleagues and friends. Theo Epstein, the president of the 107-time consecutive-loser Cubs, insisted he’s at “halftime” of his self-proclaimed bender, no matter what the unshaven look, easy laugh and icy brown drink might have suggested. “No, this is pure hydration,” he said, smiling. Not that it matters. Fresh off the Cubs’ historic championship, a glance at the Epstein-Cashman scene told anyone watching all they needed to know about the new world order of baseball as the annual general managers meetings opened – with the Cubs at the top, its roster returning nearly intact, and other heavy hitting franchises trying to play catch-up. In fact, the Cubs’ biggest challenge this winter probably has less to do with zeroing in on the perfect pitching upgrade or outfield fit than what their next-generation sales pitch might be to the next big free agent they want. “I’ve always said we have the most ironic sales pitch of all-time,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “That we’ve been really bad for a long time, we’ve been unable to win for a long time, and as a result you can do something that’s incredibly special. It’s an amazing sales pitch. It worked really well.” It sold itself: the drought, the so-called curse, the fervid, intensely loyal fan base, the dream sequence of the parade Chicago would throw. Free agents from Alfonso Soriano and Ted Lilly to Jon Lester and Ben Zobrist talked often about being on that team that finally did what this one did last week. “I can tell you about many a nights, on the road, getting together with a group of guys and talking about how important it is to all of us,” said Lilly, the front office special assistant who as a Cubs starting pitcher once famously hurled his glove to the mound after giving up a home run in a 2007 playoff game. “A lot of people took less money or went out of their way to try to be a part of the group that could finally have that parade in Chicago,” Hoyer said. “And now we’ve had that parade. I think now that sales pitch is gone. You can never break a 108-year curse again.” At least you would hope not. “You always had that trump card,” said Hoyer, whose front office made a computer-generated, multi-media science out of that sales pitch. “We don’t have it anymore, and I’m glad we don’t have it anymore. But I think it’ll definitely change how we go about things a little bit.”

For big free agent targets such as Jon Lester and Jason Heyward – including ones that got away such as catcher Russell Martin two years ago – the Cubs broke out the fictionalized video of what a Game 7 victory would look like, how crazy the fans packing Clark and Addison outside the ballpark would, what a parade down Michigan Avenue to Grant Park would look like. They showed Lester a scale model of the ballpark with yet-to-be-installed video boards, down to the detail of showing his .000 batting average on the board display. He bought into the vision, in part because he trusted the relationships with Epstein and Hoyer he had built with them in Boston – when they broke that 86-year curse. “I believed in that belief,” Lester said. “And the talent here speaks for itself.” Consider that the next sales pitch. “You want to get to the point where it sells itself,” Epstein said. “Players talk. There are very few secrets in the game. We made the video because we felt like maybe we had a better story than we were being given credit for. No one knew about the new clubhouse; we had to show them the mockups. No one necessarily knew how well we were prepared with key players [in the system]. “But now maybe our players who have been Cubs the last couple years are our best advocates for how special it is to play for Cubs fans and especially the Ricketts family.” The fact is they’ve done this once before, Epstein as GM, Hoyer as assistant GM in Boston. That do-something-special sales pitch helped land postseason hero Curt Schilling and a closer, Keith Foulke, for that 2004 Red Sox curse buster. “In both places the culture changed pretty quickly,” said Hoyer, who drew comparisons between Boston’s close call in 2003 and the Cubs’ big breakout in 2015 as credibility touchstones for what the front offices were able to do building up to the next season. “The biggest difference between post ’04 and post ’16 was that with the ’04 team we kind of knew that was the end of a window,” Hoyer said, rattling off a list of free agency losses, including Pedro Martinez. “We knew that was the last year we could have that much talent on the roster and that we had a lot of hard decisions that winter. “This year we largely bring back the great majority of our team,” said Hoyer, who returns the entire postseason starting rotation and every regular in the lineup except leadoff man Dexter Fowler. “I think a lot of the dynamics you have to deal with after winning will be there. But the contractual issues we face won’t be the same.” They may not even have to worry quite so much about that sales pitch until at least next winter, with their primary acquisition targets expected to come through trade talks or depth-level free agent signings. But when the time comes, they’ll certainly be showing a different movie. “Maybe it makes us be a little bit more creative with our sales pitch going forward,” Hoyer said. “But I’m glad that’s the case.” -- Chicago Sun-Times Lester, Hendricks worthy candidates for Cy Young Award By John Grochowski

Before the Cubs even started their postseason run to the World Series championship, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted on its major awards. That includes the Cy Young Award, which is given to the top pitcher in each league. The BBWAA announced the three finalists in each league Monday. The Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester are vying with the Nationals’ Max Scherzer in the National League, and the Red Sox’ Rick Porcello, the Indians’ Corey Kluber and the Tigers’ Justin Verlander are the big three in the American League. The NL race to succeed 2015 winner Jake Arrieta of the Cubs is difficult to gauge. How much weight will voters give Hendricks’ league-leading 2.13 ERA? Will they turn to wins and losses and prefer Lester’s 19-6 with an NL runner-up 2.44 ERA to Hendricks’ 16-8 record? What about Scherzer, the NL’s only 20-game winner at 20-7 but with a 2.96 ERA? In the AL, Porcello (22-4, 3.15 ERA) would seem to have a leg up on Kluber (18-9, 3.14) and Verlander (16-9, 3.04). But when Kluber won the award in 2014, some voters cited fielding-independent pitching as a factor. This season, Kluber led the AL with a 3.26 FIP to Porcello’s 3.40. Which factors are given the greatest weight is up to each voter, but there is a formula to predict voter behavior. Bill James and Rob Neyer, who now works for ESPN.com, devised the Cy Young Predictor and published it in ‘‘The Neyer/James Guide to Pitching.’’ You can find the predictor online at http://www.espn.com/mlb/features/cyyoung. Wins, losses, innings pitched, earned runs, shutouts and strikeouts are taken into account. So are saves, which might have been a factor this year had voters turned to the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen for a Cy of relief. The complete formula: Cy Young points = ((5*IP/9) – ER) + (SO/12) + (SV*2.5) + shutouts + ((W*6) – (L*2)) + VB. VB is a victory bonus, 12 points awarded to pitchers on division-winning teams. By that formula, Scherzer emerges as the most likely NL Cy Young winner with 193.5 points in a tight race with Lester at 190. Hendricks is at 167.7, sixth in the league. Arrieta, who isn’t a finalist this time around, is eighth at 162.5. In the AL, Porcello is an easy leader with 197.6 points. Kluber is a distant second with 167.4. At 148.7, Verlander is third among the finalists and fifth in the AL overall. Last year, the formula correctly predicted Arrieta as the NL honoree but had the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel second to David Price in the AL. It correctly predicted both winners the previous four years. Before Keuchel, the last winner it missed was the Mariners’ Felix Hernandez in 2010, when his 2.27 ERA impressed voters despite a 13-12 record on a weak team. If newer metrics gain enough foothold to strongly influence results, the formula might have to be adjusted. For now, though, the Cy Young Predictor has a strong track record, and it points toward Scherzer and Porcello as the likely winners. -- Chicago Sun-Times Harrelson, Hughes named finalists for Frick Award By Daryl Van Schouwen The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that White Sox television play-by-play announcer Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes are among eight finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented for excellence in baseball broadcasting.

Harrelson, 75, and Hughes, 61 are joined by Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen, former Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet, A’s broadcaster Bill King, Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow, former Red Sox broadcaster Ned Martin and Rays broadcaster Dewayne Staats as the eight finalists. “It is extremely humbling to even be considered within the company of the top broadcasters in our game, let alone a finalist for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award,” Harrelson said in a statement released by the Sox. “Nothing gives me more enjoyment than sharing the game of baseball with White Sox fans each season. Baseball is the greatest game there is, and it would certainly be the ultimate honor to be recognized among some if the great voices of the game in Cooperstown.” Harrelson was a finalist in 2007 and 2014. He completed his 31st season in the Sox booth, taking on a lighter schedule by primarily doing road games only. Hughes competed his 21st season with the Cubs after calling games for the Brewers for 12 seasons. The Hall of Fame selected only major-league, team-specific broadcasters based on commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans and recognition by peers. Candidates, active or retired, must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service with a ball club, network or a combination of the two. Final voting for the 2017 Frick Award will be conducted by a 17-member committee, comprised of the 13 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians/columnists, including David J. Halberstam (historian), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Ted Patterson (historian) and Curt Smith (historian). Past living Frick honorees include: Marty Brennaman, Dick Enberg, Jaime Jarrin, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Tim McCarver, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Felo Ramirez, Vin Scully, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne and Bob Wolff. The winner will be announced December 5 at the 2016 Winter Meetings in National Harbor, Md. Induction ceremonies are July 30, 2017 in Cooperstown, N.Y. -- Chicago Sun-Times Bryant, Lester, Hendricks Maddon finalists for major awards By Gordon Wittenmyer Less than a week after their Game 7 thrill ride to a championship the franchise had chased for a century, the Cubs had three players and the manager land on finalist lists for three major postseason awards. That includes second-year third baseman Kris Bryant, a two-time All-Star and last year’s National League Rookie of the Year, joining the Nationals’ Daniel Murphy and the Dodgers’ Corey Seager as a finalist for the NL Most Valuable Player award. Two of the three finalists for the NL Cy Young Award are Cubs: Jon Lester and major-league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks. The Nationals’ Max Scherzer is the other. And Joe Maddon, the reigning NL Manager of the Year, joins the Nationals’ Dusty Baker and the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts on the finalist list. Maddon also has two AL awards. The finalists were announced Monday by MLB and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. -- Daily Herald Chicago Cubs' Fowler expected to opt for free agency By Bruce Miles

Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer already are back at work, less than one week after their team won the World Series. Epstein and Hoyer are in Arizona for the GM meetings, and they're dealing with several pieces of business. According to reports, center fielder Dexter Fowler, the Cubs' leadoff man, will turn down the team's $17.2 million qualifying offer and will opt for free agency. This was expected. Fowler was a free agent last winter, but he returned to the Cubs in spring training after a deal with the Baltimore Orioles fell through. Fowler has been the Cubs' sparkplug out of the leadoff spot for two seasons. This year, he had a line of .276/.393/.447 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI. He hit 2 home runs in the World Series, including 1 to lead off Game 7. In line for big awards: Major League Baseball's big awards will be announced next week, and several Cubs may be honored. Next Tuesday, Nov. 15, manager Joe Maddon will find out of he has been named Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The other two finalists are the Dodgers' Dave Roberts and the Nationals' Dusty Baker. The American League and National League Cy Young Awards will be announced the next night. The Cubs have two finalists: Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester. The other is Washington's Max Scherzer. The final presentations are next Thursday, Nov. 17, with the Most Valuable Player for each league. Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant is an NL finalist. He is up against the Nationals' Daniel Murphy and the Dodgers' Corey Seager, who also is a Rookie of the Year finalist. Chicago voices being heard: Cubs radio announcer Pat Hughes and Chicago White Sox TV voice Ken "Hawk" Harrelson are among eight finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition to Hughes and Harrelson, the other finalist are former Cubs radio man Dewayne Staats, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Bill King, former Cubs pitcher Mike Krukow and Ned Martin. The winner will be announced Dec. 7 at the baseball winter meetings and will be honored during the July 29 awards presentation as part of the July 28-31 Hall of Fame weekend in Cooperstown, New York. Going for the Gold: The Rawlings Gold Gloves will be announced Tuesday night. ESPN will televise the announcements beginning at 7 p.m. Four Cubs players are finalists: pitcher Jake Arrieta, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, shortstop Addison Russell and right fielder Jason Heyward. Flurry of moves: The Cubs made several moves Monday. They selected right-handed pitcher Jose Rosario from their Class AAA Iowa affiliate. They also claimed right-hander Conor Mullee off waivers from the New York Yankees and activated him from the 60-day disabled list. Also activated from the 60-day DL were right-handed pitcher Aaron Brooks, left-hander Zac Rosscup and infielder Christian Villanueva.

The Cubs activated pitcher Dallas Beeler from the 60-day DL and outrighted him to Iowa. Pitcher Andury Acevedo and catcher Tim Federowicz also were outrighted to Iowa. The 40-man roster stands at 34. -- Daily Herald Imrem: Hammel news says Chicago Cubs in for difficult decisions By Mike Imrem Ideally, the Chicago Cubs wouldn't have to change anything from their championship season. Everybody would be back in 2017, everybody would be happy, and everybody would win another World Series together. Doesn't work that way. No team in any sport is the same year after year after year. Managing change is crucial. Two developments have made the Cubs different from the team that won the title just last week. First, on the very day of the victory parade and rally, catcher Miguel Montero complained about how he was used during the World Series. This represented trouble in paradise compared to how the Cubs' family had been humming along. Montero wanted to play more, and if he couldn't he wanted Cubs manager Joe Maddon to communicate why. Boohoo! A couple of days later the Cubs surprisingly declined to pick up the 2017 option on pitcher Jason Hammel's contract. Bye-bye! Let's address the Hammel situation first. This is a good pitcher whose 15 victories will have to be replaced. Encouraging to Cubs fans should be the early indication that the front office won't be married to players until death do they part. Too many teams, general managers and owners succumb to the temptation to keep players who helped them win a championship. Emotion shouldn't play into these decisions. Practicality should. Relationships are important in pro sports, but, as cold as it sounds, winning is more important. Nothing is guaranteed either way, of course. The Chicago White Sox boldly traded fan favorite Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome after winning the 2005 World Series and didn't even return to the playoffs the next season. The Cubs could stay with Hammel but must think they can do better and perhaps more affordably.

Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer could do a lot worse than what the Blackhawks have done. Different sports in different leagues with different economic structures: salary cap in the NHL, no salary cap in MLB. The Hawks were forced to identify a core of players and tweak the roster around them. The Cubs can do that, too, with a core that includes the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Javier Baez, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester, Albert Almora Jr. and prospects to be named. Epstein and Hoyer seem flexible, and the list could be fluid. If the Angels decide to trade Mike Trout, who's to say the Cubs wouldn't give up Rizzo to get him? But if Epstein and Hoyer wouldn't, it would be because they believe they can win more with Rizzo than with Trout. It wouldn't be because of the soft spot they have in their hearts for Rizzo. Ruthless is a word with a negative connotation, but sometimes a pro sports executive has to be ruthless to keep his team in contention for titles. Can you say Bill Belichick, boys and girls? Back to Miguel Montero, who spent most of the World Series on the bench behind Willson Contreras and David Ross. Some of Maddon's moves can be questioned, but stranding Montero behind Door No. 3 isn't one of them. Winning is tough, and difficult decisions have to be made by strong people at the expense of good people. Cubs fans should be thrilled to see that Maddon, Epstein and Hoyer aren't afraid to make them. -- Cubs.com With title and award, Epstein feels he 'belongs' By Richard Justice SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In the beginning, Theo Epstein suffered through every single loss, even though he knew he was working for something larger. When he took over as the Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations in 2011, he knew he had a blueprint that had worked before, and he never lost faith that he was headed in the right direction. He had surrounded himself with good people, and they got through the toughest days together. At times, though, he was tested in ways he never imagined, as the Cubs averaged 95 losses in his first three seasons. "Look, we believed in the vision," Epstein said on Monday night at the annual General Managers Meetings, where he was recognized by his peers as Sporting News' 2016 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year, selected by 56 Major League executives. "And we were so appreciative of the support we had from ownership, and the support and patience we had from our fans. "But there were moments, especially early on, when we'd look at our board and have our roster planned out for the next four or five years and we'd ask, 'Where are the impact players going to come from?'" He eventually could see the Cubs getting better day by day, little by little. Winning the World Series last week was validation of his hard work and his genius.

"Let's be honest. It's 100 percent an organizational award," he said of the Sporting News recognition. "It's an award for the whole Chicago Cubs baseball operations department. I made that clear in accepting it. The head of the department is always out front getting the credit when things go well, but it's hundreds of people and thousands of small sacrifices no one sees that make a great baseball operation." Epstein was 28 in 2001, when the Red Sox made him the youngest GM in baseball. Three years later the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. "That was the best part of the whole Boston decade I held onto the most," he said. "Seeing how many people were fulfilled and how their lives changed back in '04. To feel like you played a small part in that was incredibly gratifying and resonated forever. Today a Boston fan came up to me and said, 'Thank you for '04.' "That stayed with me. It was so meaningful. Re-creating that to a certain extent was part of why I took the Cubs job. I knew that if we won in Chicago, it would mean that much to people. It didn't let us down. It has been equally passionate, emotional, meaningful as it was in Boston." For the Cubs the wait was 108 years, and even if Epstein does not work another day in baseball, his place in history -- and the Hall of Fame -- is assured. He's 42 now, and when he stood in front of his peers to accept the award, he was more gratified on a variety of levels. "When I got my first GM job, I was 28 and didn't feel like I had fully paid my dues or that I was fully ready," he said. "I probably felt a little bit on the outside looking in the GM fraternity. Now, many years later, it's been a lot of hard work and learning from a lot of great people. It's nice to get this award and feel like I belong. "I feel like I appreciate this more now. I know how much hard work from so many people it took and that you have to be a little lucky, too, more than I [was] in 2004." In the days since his Cubs winning another World Series, his life has taken on a magical quality even as he focuses on returning to business. "During the parade, I kept telling my wife, 'We need to go home and change some diapers and do some laundry,'" he said. "This is not real life. We need to get our feet back on the ground. It's crazy the reception everyone got from the city of Chicago. It's fun and will be a lifetime memory, but we do have some work to do." Epstein and his GM, Jed Hoyer, visited pitcher Jason Hammel on Saturday to tell him his option wasn't being picked up. The Cubs also have two prominent free agents, closer Aroldis Chapman and center fielder Dexter Fowler. But the Cubs' core of position players is one of the youngest in baseball, and even though change is inevitable, the team is positioned to win for a while. "The mix has to change a little bit," Epstein said. "We had great chemistry. We had a bunch of high-character guys who care about winning and care about each other. But if you look to bring back every single component and try to re-create the past, it's going to change. Group dynamics change. Human beings change. Maybe it's better to change it in some small way on your terms. But we're excited about what the future brings." -- Cubs.com Cubs up for MVP, Cy Young, Manager of Year By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Could Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant follow his National League Rookie of the Year season by being named the NL Most Valuable Player Award winner in 2016? Which Cubs pitcher might win the NL Cy Young Award,

Kyle Hendricks or Jon Lester? Both were named finalists, and Cubs skipper Joe Maddon was a nominee for the top manager honors, as determined by the voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The finalists were announced Monday on MLB Network. The NL Manager of the Year Award will be unveiled Nov. 15, the NL Cy Young Award on Nov. 16 and the NL MVP Award on Nov. 17. Bryant, 24, followed his sensational rookie season by leading the NL in runs (121) plus setting career highs in home runs (39) and RBIs (102). Twenty players have won the top rookie honors and been named MVP, but Bryant could join Dustin Pedroia (2007-08), Ryan Howard (2005-06), and Cal Ripken Jr. (1982-83) as the only players to win the awards in back-to-back seasons. The other NL MVP finalists this year are the Nationals' Daniel Murphy and the Dodgers' Corey Seager. Sammy Sosa was the last Cubs player to win MVP honors, back in 1998. Hendricks and Lester finished 1-2 in the NL in ERA this season. Hendricks, 26, led the Majors with a 2.13 ERA, going 16-8 in 31 games (30 starts). Lester matched a career high with 19 wins and compiled a 2.44 ERA in 32 starts. Lester, 32, has the edge in innings (202 2/3) and strikeouts (197) while Hendricks totaled 190 innings and 170 whiffs. The Nationals' Max Scherzer, who struck out 284 over 228 1/3 innings and won 20 games, is the other NL Cy Young Award candidate. Jake Arrieta won the NL Cy Young Award in 2015, and the Cubs could join a select list of teams that have won the top pitching honor in back-to-back seasons. That includes the Dodgers (Don Drysdale in 1962, Sandy Koufax in '63); the Yankees (Sparky Lyle in 1977, Ron Guidry in '78), the Orioles (Mike Flanagan in 1979, Steve Stone in '80), the Brewers (Rollie Fingers in 1981, Pete Vuckovich in '82), the Phillies (Steve Carlton in 1982, John Denny in '83), the Braves (Greg Maddux in 1995, John Smoltz in '96), the Blue Jays (Pat Hentgen in 1996, Roger Clemens in '97) and the Indians (CC Sabathia in 2007, Cliff Lee in '08). Maddon, who won the top manager award last season, is a finalist along with the Nationals' Dusty Baker and the Dodgers' Dave Roberts. The BBWAA ballots were cast before the postseason began. Maddon, 62, has 200 wins in his two seasons, the most by a Cubs manager in consecutive seasons since Frank Chance won 208 in 1909-10. Maddon won the American League Manager of the Year Award twice (2008, '11) while with the Rays. -- Cubs.com Champs to turn attention to Hot Stove, 2017 By Chad Thornburg As most of Chicago celebrates the Cubs' first title in 108 years, the club's front office is right back at work on reshaping the roster for another run at the World Series in 2017. The Cubs may be the favorite to repeat as champions next season, but still enter the offseason facing questions at multiple positions, particularly with the expiring contracts of closer Aroldis Chapman and center fielder Dexter Fowler. Below is a list of the Cubs' free agents and arbitration-eligible players, as well as a look into some of the decisions the club is facing as free agency began Tuesday. Free agents: LHP Chapman, OF Chris Coghlan, RHP Joe Smith, C David Ross (expected to retire), OF Fowler, RHP Trevor Cahill Arbitration eligible: RHP Pedro Strop, RHP Jake Arrieta, RHP Hector Rondon, RHP Justin Grimm, INF Munenori Kawasaki

Biggest potential free-agent loss: After a successful stint in Chicago, Chapman could garner one of the largest free-agent deals ever for a closer. The Cubs will surely face considerable competition to retain the 28-year-old, whose fastball regularly sits in the triple digits. The Yankees, who dealt Chapman to the Cubs in July, are already rumored to be interested in reacquiring him. Potential free-agent targets: The Cubs enter the offseason in the market for more pitching. With Chapman hitting free agency, Chicago will need to address its closer situation either by paying to retain him or looking elsewhere. Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon represent other elite, yet expensive, closer options in the free-agent market. The Cubs could also seek help in center field, where Fowler is still a possibility to return, albeit on a more lucrative deal than he signed last offseason. If Fowler departs, Jason Heyward or 22-year-old Albert Almora Jr. are internal options to replace him in the outfield. Chicago could look outside the organization, but alternatives in free agency are limited. Wild-card scenario: The Cubs declined the $12 million option on Jason Hammel's contract for 2017, and he joined the list of free-agent pitchers. Hammel won a career-high 15 games and posted a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts this season. With Hammel gone, lefty Mike Montgomery could be a candidate for the rotation or else they will look outside. Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said when they agreed with Hammel on the two-year contract, the option was included with the intent that it would be exercised if the pitcher was going to be with the Cubs in 2017. Epstein said the intent was never to exercise the option and then trade Hammel. -- Cubs.com Fowler only Cubs player to get qualifying offer By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- Where will Dexter Fowler go? For the second straight year, the Cubs made a qualifying offer to the outfielder, who rejected such an offer last season only to re-sign with the team in late February. After saying no to the $15.8 million qualifying offer last November, Fowler, 30, ended up returning to the Cubs, signing a one-year, $13 million deal with an option for 2017. He provided the spark at the top of the lineup for the second straight year, batting .276. However, Fowler appears set to test the market again, rejecting the mutual option for 2017 on Saturday. The Cubs did not make qualifying offers to their other eligible free agents, including pitchers Travis Wood, Joe Smith and Trevor Cahill, outfielder Chris Coghlan and infielder Munenori Kawasaki. On Sunday, the Cubs declined to pick up Jason Hammel's $12 million option for 2017, and the right-hander joined the list of free-agent pitchers. Major League teams had until 4 p.m. CT on Monday to extend qualifying offers to their impending free agents. By doing so, the team would secure Draft pick compensation for the loss of that player. The qualifying offer this time is a one-year value of $17.2 million. Players have one week to accept the qualifying offer or reject it and pursue a more lucrative free-agent deal. Three players have accepted the qualifying offers since the option was implemented in 2012 (Matt Wieters, Colby Rasmus and Brett Anderson). -- Cubs.com Cubs cap historic 2016 with unforgettable W By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- The 2016 season is one Cubs fans won't forget for a long time. For the first time since 1908, the Cubs are World Series champions. Say that a few times out loud. They had to rally to beat the Indians, 8-7, in 10 innings in a dramatic Game 7, igniting a party that may still be going. After winning 103 games during the regular season, the Cubs are the third team in Wild Card era (1995-present) to have baseball's best regular-season record and win the World Series, joining the 1998 and 2009 Yankees. The Cubs were the preseason favorites to win it all, and manager Joe Maddon embraced the hype. He refused to dwell on the franchise's past 108 years of frustration or talk about curses. Instead, he preferred to focus on the present, and the players followed his lead. "The burden has been lifted," Maddon said after the Game 7 win at Progressive Field. "It should have never been there in the first place, I don't think, but now we can move forward." The Cubs took advantage of the Friendly Confines, winning a franchise-record 57 games at Wrigley Field. To get to the World Series, the Cubs had to beat the Giants, who had the even-year calendar in their favor, having won the championship in 2010, '12 and '14, and then the Dodgers and their ace, Clayton Kershaw. While fans continue to pinch themselves over the team's success, let's take take one more look back at 2016. Record: 103-58, first place, National League Central. Defining moment: It's tough to pick one game, but the July 31 Interleague contest against the Mariners at Wrigley Field stands out as a perfect example of the Cubs' "We never quit" attitude. The Mariners opened a 6-0 lead after three innings but the Cubs rallied, scoring three runs in the ninth to tie the game at 6, including Addison Russell scoring on a wild pitch. Maddon had to be creative regarding his bullpen, and reliever Travis Wood was inserted into left field in the seventh. He made a catch at the wall for the second out. The Cubs won in the 12th when Jon Lester, pinch-hitting for Hector Rondon, perfectly executed a sacrifice bunt and Jason Heyward scored from third. A few days earlier, on July 25, the Cubs acquired what they hoped would be the key piece in the puzzle by trading for closer Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees. Chapman, who appeared in 28 games with the Cubs, was key down the stretch. The left-hander appeared in 13 postseason games and got the win in Game 7. Said Maddon: "He's a different kind of pitcher. You see that every 100 years or so." What went right: Nearly everything. Cubs pitchers lead the Major Leagues with a 3.15 ERA, and the starters posted a 2.96 ERA, led by Kyle Hendricks (2.13 ERA) and Lester (2.44). They stayed relatively healthy, and Maddon was able to insert a sixth starter to give everyone a breather in the second half. Dexter Fowler's return gave the lineup the leadoff man it needed and kept Heyward in right field where he was comfortable. Ben Zobrist set the tone Maddon wanted at the plate, and the young Cubs followed. Maddon eventually created what he called a "Rizzo sandwich," with Kris Bryant batting ahead of Anthony Rizzo and followed by Zobrist. The combo worked perfectly, with Bryant leading the National League in runs scored. The Cubs decided to promote top catching prospect Willson Contreras in June so he could be mentored by Miguel Montero and David Ross, and that worked perfectly, too. Ross could not have asked for a better sendoff. He finished with 106 career home runs, not including his homer in Game 7 of the World Series, and he was celebrated in the Cubs' last home game on Sept. 25 against the Cardinals, getting pulled in the top of the seventh to a thunderous ovation. Javier Baez was a player without a position, and he accepted a part-time role. His defense shined, and he eventually won the second-base job, bumping Zobrist to left field. What went wrong: In the third game of the regular season, Kyle Schwarber collided with Fowler at Chase Field, and he tore both the ACL and LCL in his left knee. Schwarber was done for the season and not expected to see any action until 2017. He was able to contribute in the World Series as the designated hitter, turning his negative into a positive.

Rondon began the season as the closer but lost his job once Chapman arrived. Rondon battled tightness in his right arm, which may have led to his inconsistent outings. He posted a 1.72 ERA in 32 games in the first half but had a 6.41 ERA in 22 games after the All-Star break. Heyward played Gold Glove-caliber defense in right, but offensively he scuffled, batting .230 and unable to total double digits in home runs. Biggest surprise: In Spring Training, Hendricks was battling for a spot in the Cubs' rotation. By season's end, he was the Major League leader in ERA, doubling his win total from the previous year and starting key games in the playoffs. Hendricks, named NL Pitcher of the Month in August, did all of this quietly and in an unassuming way, reminding many Cubs fans of another right-hander, Greg Maddux. Hitter of the Year: Bryant followed his 2015 Rookie of the Year season with a stellar sophomore campaign. He finished third in the NL in home runs (39), first in runs scored (121), sixth in RBIs (102) and 19th in batting average (.292). Named the starting third baseman on the All-Star team, he was also the NL Player of the Month in August after batting .383 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs. Bryant went 5-for-5 with three home runs, two doubles, six RBIs and 16 total bases on June 27 in Cincinnati. He's also the fourth Cub in franchise history to total at least 120 runs, 35 doubles, 39 homers and 100 RBIs in a single season and the second to do so in the past 85 years. Rizzo is a close second for top hitter honors, finishing with 32 homers, 109 RBIs and a .292 average. He batted .341 with runners in scoring position. Pitcher of the Year: Lester matched his career high in wins (19) and won NL Pitcher of the Month honors in both June (4-0, 1.41 ERA) and September (5-0, 0.48 ERA). The lefty compiled a 2.44 ERA in 32 starts, totaled 200-plus innings for the fifth straight season and posted a career-best 1.02 WHIP. He followed that with an impressive postseason, going 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA in six games, including three innings of relief in Game 7. Rookie of the Year: Maddon admits he didn't know much about Contreras in Spring Training, but the front office wanted to make sure the young catcher had a chance to work with the veteran pitchers. It paid off. Promoted in mid-June, he homered on the first pitch he saw in his first at-bat, pinch-hitting in the sixth on June 19 against the Pirates. Contreras was a good student, and he got most of the playoff starts because of his defensive skills. He's the catcher of the future. -- Cubs.com Cubs' Hughes among Frick Award finalists By Austin Laymance The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on Monday announced the eight finalists for the 2017 Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting. The finalists are: Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Ken Harrelson, Pat Hughes, Bill King, Mike Krukow, Ned Martin and Dewayne Staats. King and Martin are deceased. The winner will be announced on Dec. 7 at the Winter Meetings, and will be honored on July 29 during Hall of Fame Weekend in Cooperstown, N.Y. Cohen has spent the last 28 years with the Mets and is the team's television play-by-play voice on SNY. Doucet spent 34 years broadcasting for the Expos as the play-by-play radio voice on their French network (1969-2004), and he returned to the booth in 2012 for select games as the Blue Jays' French-speaking TV voice. Harrelson has been a broadcaster for the Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox, including 26 years in Chicago. Hughes has broadcast MLB games for 34 seasons. He got his start with the Twins in 1983, called games for the Brewers from 1984-95, and he has served as the Cubs' radio voice for the last 21 seasons.

King worked for 25 seasons (1981-2005) as the A's lead play-by-play radio voice. Krukow has spent the last 26 seasons on radio and TV for the Giants following a 14-year MLB career as a pitcher. He pitched for the Cubs, Phillies and Giants -- winning 124 games in his career. Martin served as the radio and television voice for the Red Sox from 1961-92, covering the '75 World Series for NBC. Staats has called big league games for 36 years, including the last 19 as the TV voice of the Rays. The 2017 Frick Award ballot process reflects changes made in July by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors. A new election cycle for the Frick Award was established, rotating annually between current Major League markets (team-specific announcers) for the '17 Frick Award; National Voices (broadcasters whose contributions were realized on a national level) for the '18 Frick Award; and Broadcasting Beginnings (early team voices and pioneers of baseball broadcasting) for the '19 Frick Award. This cycle will repeat every three years. New criteria for selection is as follows: 'Commitment to excellence, quality of broadcasting abilities, reverence within the game, popularity with fans, and recognition by peers.' Final voting for the 2017 Frick Award will be conducted by the 13 living Frick Award recipients and four broadcast historians/columnists, including past Frick honorees Marty Brennaman, Dick Enberg, Jaime Jarrin, Tony Kubek, Denny Matthews, Tim McCarver, Jon Miller, Eric Nadel, Felo Ramirez, Vin Scully, Bob Uecker, Dave Van Horne and Bob Wolff, and historians/columnists David J. Halberstam (historian), Barry Horn (Dallas Morning News), Ted Patterson (historian) and Curt Smith (historian). The 2017 Frick Award ballot was created by a subcommittee of the voting electorate that included Enberg, McCarver, Nadel, Smith and Wolff. To be considered for the Frick Award, an active or retired broadcaster must have a minimum of 10 years of continuous MLB broadcast service with a ballclub, network, or a combination of the two. More than 200 broadcasters were eligible for consideration for the 2017 Frick Award based on these qualifications. The annual award is named in memory of Hall of Famer Ford C. Frick, renowned sportswriter and radio broadcaster, as well as a National League president and Commissioner. -- Cubs.com Cubs make adjustments to 40-man roster By Carrie Muskat CHICAGO -- The Cubs made several roster moves Monday, including selecting the contract of right-handed pitcher Jose Rosario from Triple-A Iowa and claiming right-handed pitcher Conor Mullee off waivers from the Yankees. The Cubs also activated right-handed pitcher Aaron Brooks, left-handed pitcher Zac Rosscup and infielder Christian Villanueva from the 60-day disabled list. In addition, right-handed pitcher Dallas Beeler was activated from the 60-day DL and outrighted to Iowa. Right-handed pitcher Andury Acevedo and catcher Tim Federowicz also were outrighted to Iowa. With the moves, the Cubs' 40-man roster is now at 34. Rosario, 26, was 2-1 with 14 saves and a 2.50 ERA combined between Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach, Double-A Tennessee and Iowa. He missed the 2015 season because of an injured right elbow. Originally signed as a non-drafted free agent, Rosario is 27-33 with 17 saves and a 4.78 ERA in 160 career Minor League games.

Mullee, 28, made his Major League debut with the Yankees this past season in two stints. He spent a majority of his season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 4-0 with six saves, a 0.99 ERA and 11 walks. He was placed on the disabled list July 2 with carpal tunnel-like symptoms and then transferred to the 60-day DL on Aug. 13 after undergoing ulnar nerve decompression surgery. He was activated from the 60-day DL on Monday. Mullee is 13-6 with 14 saves and a 2.00 ERA in 103 career Minor League appearances, all in relief. Brooks, 26, acquired from the Athletics in February for Chris Coghlan, was on the disabled list because of a hip contusion. Rosscup, 28, was placed on the 60-day disabled list Feb. 26 because of left shoulder inflammation. Villanueva, 25, suffered a right fibular fracture and was placed on the disabled list April 3. Beeler, 27, was sidelined all season because of right shoulder inflammation. Acevedo, 26, made six relief appearances with Tennessee this past season but missed a majority of the year because of a torn left ACL in May. Federowicz, 29, appeared in 17 games for the Cubs, batting .194, and batted .293 for Iowa this season. -- CSNChicago.com How Theo Epstein Operates And Why Cubs Won’t Be Satisfied With Just One World Series Title By Patrick Mooney Owners keep hiring young white guys with Ivy League/East Coast backgrounds to run their baseball teams, trying to sell hope to the fans and win the first press conference with the idea of the next Theo Epstein. That implicit suggestion reduces a future Hall of Famer to a few bullet points in the media guide, underestimating Epstein’s creativity, open-minded nature, relentless approach and ruthless streak. It overlooks the unique, complex working conditions at Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. It underestimates how much the game – and his life – has changed since he became the Boston Red Sox general manager in November 2002. Credit Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts for not believing that myth, sensing that Epstein had grown tired of the power struggles in Boston and needed a new challenge. Ricketts made the home-run hire in October 2011 and possessed the long-range vision to invest in what’s become a very big front office. Epstein activated the five-year plan where a lot of things actually went wrong…and the franchise still just won its first World Series title since 1908. Epstein will cast a long shadow over the GM meetings this week at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia in Arizona, where 29 other franchises will be trying to play catch-up against the Cubs, a defending champion with arguably the industry’s best collection of young talent, a renovated Wrigley Field as an economic engine and promises of a new TV megadeal. “He’s always looking for something, some type of competition, something to get the juices flowing,” said Darnell McDonald, who played for the Cubs and Red Sox and now works as a coordinator in the organization’s mental-skills program. “You know how they talk about Jordan? How Jordan would get mad if people weren’t guarding him hard enough and he’d get in fights in practice? Yeah, that’s him.” Epstein absolutely hates to lose, whether it’s races up Camelback Mountain, a group outing to Topgolf, soccer at the team’s spring-training complex in Arizona or a pickup basketball tradition in the playoffs. Epstein’s crew played at the Golden State Warriors’ practice facility during a divisional-round series against the San Francisco Giants. They also took over the Staples Center’s purple-and-gold court in downtown Los Angeles one morning before a National League Championship Series game that night at Dodger Stadium. If that sounds like something out of “Entourage,” don’t forget that Epstein has now spent 25 seasons in Major League Baseball, or more than half his life, giving him a broad base of experience and a deep network of contacts.

Super-agent Scott Boras remembered Epstein as a young staffer with the San Diego Padres who joined Kevin Towers – the gunslinger GM at the time – for a meeting about Xavier Nady and kept asking questions. Nady’s 2000 draft class lined up with Epstein getting his degree from the University of San Diego Law School (without really going to class) and trying to build off his Yale University education and exposure to the worlds of scouting and player development. “We talked about law school and baseball and appropriate backgrounds,” Boras recalled, launching into one of his trademark analogies. “I told him: Law school is like a rubber band on an envelope. The fact of the matter is – it’s what’s inside the envelope that matters. It helps you bundle things. But other than that, you only need it for things that are collective. The real decision-making is in the envelope.” Really, there is no textbook for handling egomaniacs in Boston or all the wheeling and dealing in Chicago. Handcuffed by the leveraged partnership with Sam Zell’s Tribune Co., the Cubs needed Epstein’s brand name and built-in credibility from those two World Series titles in Boston to justify not operating like a big-market team. Epstein took the unprecedented step of not spending the entire 2014 payroll on that year’s team after losing the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes to the New York Yankees, essentially creating a savings account for baseball operations (and Jon Lester’s $155 million contract). When the Cubs won 97 games and two playoff rounds last year, Epstein pushed the business side to fund a $290 million spending spree on free agents. “As we looked to put the 2003 and ’04 clubs together, there was already an elite core in place,” Epstein told a Cubs Convention audience in January. “You had Manny Ramirez, Jason Varitek, Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez on the mound. What was needed in Boston was turning over the whole second half of the roster and buying low on players. “With the Cubs, I think one of the things that we had to do was take an honest look at what was in the organization when we got here. And a lot of people always ask us: ‘Well, we like what you’ve done, but couldn’t you have done it quicker?’ Or: ‘Couldn’t you have tried to compete more while you were rebuilding?’ “And I honestly think looking back that this was the only choice we had to get to this point. There just wasn’t enough talent on the major-league roster. There weren’t enough resources. There wasn’t enough coming in the minor-league system. “The biggest difference is that here we had to be really single-minded over a three-year period about just acquiring young talent to build to the point we got to in 2015.” Boras, of course, directed all of his pointed, personal criticism (“Meet the Parents,” “All-Day Sucker”) toward a patient ownership group that wouldn’t take the bait. Boras also emphasized the idea that emerging clients like probable MVP Kris Bryant, Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta and All-Star shortstop Addison Russell improved markedly after joining the Cubs. “We did a lot of business in Boston,” Boras said. “Jackie Bradley wasn’t a first-round pick. You go back into the framework of Varitek and (Derek) Lowe and Jacoby (Ellsbury) and we managed all those things. (Theo) did something smart, though – he always let the negotiations (run through) his staff. He’d have somebody else do them – and we would talk baseball. “We always had a good rapport and good logic. The one thing that was clear to me was he really enjoyed baseball information. He liked to make collective decisions. Not just his decision. And I think that has really helped him in his career, because he’s surrounded himself with good baseball (people). “He’s kind of had an egoless approach to being a general manager or a president where he really wanted to come out with the best decision, whether or not that was his original thought going in or not. That’s a real important quality.” That’s one reason why the Cubs are usually heard in the echo chamber of rumors, even when Epstein didn’t have money to spend or a clear need or an obvious fit for a particular player. The Cubs are always kicking the tires or

doing background work and don’t mind when others try to connect the dots, believing there can be a competitive advantage in the misinformation. Sometimes it takes dumb luck, like when a deal with the Atlanta Braves for Randall Delgado collapses in the middle of the 2012 season. If you could have seen the look on Ryan’s Dempster’s face back then, it would have reinforced a perception that Epstein lacked interpersonal skills, viewed players only as commodities and didn’t spend enough time around the big-league team, skipping almost all of the road trips. But then Epstein invited Dempster into the team’s offices before that July 31 deadline, working with him to approve a trade to the Texas Rangers that would yield future Cy Young Award contender Kyle Hendricks. “He cares about the players – he really does,” said Dempster, who’s now one of Epstein’s special assistants. “Hey, man, he’s got a job to do. Sometimes it’s hard, I’m sure, to have to cut that feeling button off and make decisions that are best for the ballclub. “At the end of the day, he understands the sabermetrics, the numbers side, and all that. But he also understands the chemistry side and guys in the locker room and what they mean. That’s rare. It’s hard to do both, and I think he does both exceptionally well.” One scout described how draft meetings can be so exhausting, because there are times where it feels like everyone in the room has eliminated the player from consideration, only to have Epstein ask one more question and reignite the discussion. Epstein personally visited with first-round picks Albert Almora Jr. (2012), Bryant (2013) and Kyle Schwarber (2014) before the draft and each player contributed to that Game 7 World Series win over the Cleveland Indians. “There’s a trust in Theo and his whole process,” said catching/strategy coach Mike Borzello. “You know he’s putting things together and heading in the right direction and you’re just patient about it. Over time – if you’re lucky enough to still be here – you figure it’s going to work out.” Epstein inherited Mike Quade as manager and quickly fired him after a debriefing on the organization. Epstein hired and fired Dale Sveum and didn’t hesitate to dump another handpicked manager (Rick Renteria) as soon as Joe Maddon became a free agent after the 2014 season. Borzello is a Sveum hire who won four World Series rings with the Yankees before following his godfather, Joe Torre, to Los Angeles. Borzello helped the Cubs dig out of a 101-loss season in 2012, witnessing the entire scope of the rebuild. “(Theo’s) the perfect guy to work far, as far as I’m concerned, because he takes everyone’s opinion,” Borzello said. “He values your opinion, whether you’re in (agreement) or not. He wants to hear why you feel the way you do. He evaluates everyone’s ideas and comes to his own decision. “I’ve been in places before where that wasn’t really the case. You felt like a lot of people had things to offer and they really weren’t asked. And maybe you can avoid some mistakes just by using all that you have. “Theo values that more than anywhere that I’ve ever worked.” Epstein never trashed the place after losing the bidding war for Jose Contreras, but he had gone into those negotiations by instructing Louie Eljaua to buy up a block of rooms at the Hotel Campo Real in Nicaragua, trying to box out the Yankees and get the Red Sox closer to the Cuban pitcher. Eljaua – a trusted holdover from the Jim Hendry regime – now runs international operations for the Cubs as another one of Epstein’s special assistants. “I believe he has a genuine appreciation for what everyone does in baseball operations,” Eljaua said, “from the scouts to the player-development people to the medical staff (to) the clubhouse guys. He will go out of his way to pat someone on the back or shoot someone a text or an email and commend them on a job well done. You may not take the time to do that as much when you’re 28 or 29 years old. “He expects excellence – and the bar is set real high here – but I would say he’s more patient with the process than he was 15 years ago. He’s also earned the right to implement a plan that requires patience, as he’s done here. The

plan still has to be executed. And he’s done an amazing job of steering the ship and making sure we all have the tools to get it done.” With Epstein signed to a five-year extension worth in the neighborhood of $50 million, the Cubs ending a 108-year drought really only feels like the beginning of a golden age of baseball on the North Side. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Could Win Awards Season, Too, Between Kris Bryant, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Joe Maddon By Patrick Mooney It already seems like the Cubs are everywhere, from Disney World to “Saturday Night Live” to the United Center for a Blackhawks game to the late-night talk-show circuit. After winning 103 games and the franchise’s first World Series title in 108 years, awards season won’t be any different. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America unveiled the finalists for its major awards on Monday, with Joe Maddon trying to repeat as the National League’s Manager of the Year, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester competing for the Cy Young hardware and Kris Bryant still looking like the MVP. The BBWAA conducted its voting before the postseason began, with Maddon going up against Dave Roberts (whose Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Cubs in the NL Championship Series) and ex-Cubs manager Dusty Baker (who led the Washington Nationals to 95 wins and a division title). Hendricks (16-8, 2.13 ERA) and Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA) are up for the award teammate Jake Arrieta won last year and may have theoretically split the vote during a season where Washington’s Max Scherzer piled up 20 wins, 284 strikeouts and 228-plus innings. From here, Bryant looks like a sure thing after a spectacular follow-up to his Rookie of the Year campaign, generating 39 homers, 102 RBI, 121 runs scored and a .939 OPS, plus his defensive versatility all over the field. Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy and Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager are also MVP finalists, with the winners revealed next week on MLB Network. -- CSNChicago.com Cubs Jump Into Offseason, Making Dexter Fowler A $17.2 Million Qualifying Offer By Patrick Mooney Taking a victory lap in New York, Dexter Fowler did “Saturday Night Live” with Bill Murray, Anthony Rizzo and David Ross. Less than 48 hours later, Fowler was scheduled to be on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon, Rizzo and Ben Zobrist. In between those TV appearances, the Cubs made Fowler a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer before Monday’s deadline. The Cubs barely had time to recover from their epic Game 7 win over the Cleveland Indians – and a championship parade into Grant Park that drew 5 million people – before having to make key decisions about the group that will defend the franchise’s first World Series title in 108 years. Even before the general manager meetings opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, the Cubs allowed Jason Hammel to become a free agent on Sunday, formally declining his $12 million option for next season and electing to him pay a $2 million buyout. “You sort of accept the nature of that in the sport,” GM Jed Hoyer said. “The last two teams to play really don’t get much of an offseason. You try to do work during the course of the postseason, but it’s really hard, just the anxiety of the games and the travel and everything. It’s harder to get it done. But there are no excuses. It starts now. And we’ve got to prepare to field a really good team next year.”

This figures to be the “he gone” ending for the “you go, we go” leadoff guy. Of course, no one expected Fowler to return in spring training on a one-year, $13 million guarantee. But the draft-pick compensation dragged down his market and the Baltimore Orioles slow-played negotiations over a reported three-year, $35 million deal. He should get paid this time for his playoff experience, switch-hitting skills, .366 career on-base percentage and .840 walk-year OPS. The Cubs have been grooming Albert Almora Jr. – the first player Theo Epstein’s regime drafted here in 2012 – to eventually take over in center field and his playoff performance only reinforced that belief in a potential Gold Glove defender. The Cubs could always add another outfielder if they want to ease in Almora. But that mix already includes so many mix-and-match parts for creative manager Joe Maddon. Gold Glove defender Jason Heyward can move from right to center at times. Zobrist and Kris Bryant can move between the infield and the outfield. Willson Contreras and Kyle Schwarber – assuming his left knee allows it – could split their time between catching and playing in the outfield. Matt Szczur is a solid young role player (who might be attractive to a rebuilding team that could give him more of an opportunity to play on a regular basis). Trading Jorge Soler for pitching is easier said than done, given his up-and-down career and what will be sky-high asking prices based off a weak free-agent class. Ready or not, winter is coming. --