Mark Appel

A year ago, some team might have made an offer that rocked Alex Young's world. The Pirates, Nationals or Red Sox, maybe even the Cubs, might have dug deep for the left-hander from Carmel High School. They still could, of course, but 2012 is definitely...

Talking baseball while congratulating the Boston Bruins on one of the great playoff finishes of all time: 1. In less than two years with the Cubs’ organization, Anthony Rizzo has earned himself a $41 million guarantee, which he says guarantees...

Javier Baez is considered widely to be the best prospect in the Cubs' farm system. His counterpart for the White Sox is Courtney Hawkins. Baez, a 20-year-old shortstop, and Hawkins, a 19-year-old center fielder, both have tremendous hitting skills. They...

Last week's ranking in parentheses 1. Rangers (4): They're 6-1 in starts by No. 5 and 6 starters Nick Tepesch and Justin Grimm. Move to the first spot because other teams ranked in the top 5 were 9-17 last week. 2. Tigers (6): Very impressive in...

Talking baseball while wondering if Tom Thibodeau can make Deron Williams’ homecoming unpleasant: 1. When Robin Ventura introduced it in spring training, I loved the White Sox’s realigned batting order, with the 3-4-5 combination of Alex...

Lots of people out there are just waiting to see Theo Epstein fail. They think he gets too much attention, that his deal with Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts is too sweet. They think he should have received more criticism for a run of failed free-agent...

New rules, new attitudes. That may be what's needed to understand the changes to the baseball draft. Always the quirkiest distribution system for talent in pro sports, Major League Baseball has added layers of complications with spending limits and...

Like his bosses, Mike Foltynewicz is a baseball optimist. He can see the Astros rising out of the ashes they find themselves in at the beginning of the Jim Crane era. "In three or four years, we're going to be a fun team,'' said Foltynewicz, a 21-year-...

Talking baseball while wondering if the Chicago Bears can win without Brian Urlacher: 1. Maybe the Angels knew what they were doing when they tried to get Carlos Marmol. Maybe another good offer will come along for him before too long. Dale Sveum...

Talking baseball while congratulating Louisville for getting its men's and women’s teams to the NCAA basketball finals. 1. With the Brewers as the Cubs’ opponent for the home opener, Rob Deer will see some old friends. But will he have time...

MIAMI – Talking baseball while wondering how badly Tiger Woods blows away the field at Augusta: 1. Nothing against tulips, wooden shoes and Bert Blyleven, but I wish Monday’s 7-6 game in Tokyo had gone the other way. While it’s cool...

Look out, below. The Rangers, who not so long ago were morphing into the Yankees, are coming down to Earth before our eyes. Barring some diplomacy worthy of a great secretary of state, Nolan Ryan is on his way out of the organization. He feels...