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New Uniform?

Hello Cubs World,I had to jump into this conversation. As a Business Professor, I’m always looking for the bottom-line opportunities.  Here’s my suggestions, based on all the news I’ve read on this matter:1) Pinstripes is the Late Season Look The new home uniform has visual appeal on television, but is a bit less popular with merchandising, […]

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New Uniform?

Hello Cubs World,
I had to jump into this conversation. 
As a Business Professor, I’m always looking for the bottom-line opportunities. 

Here’s my suggestions, based on all the news I’ve read on this matter:
1) Pinstripes is the Late Season Look

The new home uniform has visual appeal on television, but is a bit less popular with merchandising, for a few reasons. First, when we think of the Fall Classic, we can only ever picture our teams in their most “formal looking” attire. Pinstripes feels like we are dressed to win, like a tuxedo. Second, all the dominant franchises have a uniform that commands this sense of formality – think of the Yankees and Dodgers, and how “classic” they look. Third, fans are conservative because they skew older in baseball than i some other sports. They like reminiscing over good times. Fourth, pinstripes at home after the All-Star game, and in post-season. New uniform at home in preseason and before the All-Star game. The old uniform feels like Fall, and playoff runs. 

2) The Blues is an Early Season Look

Many teams have been experimenting with “ultramodern” looks, largely because of experimentation with high performance synthetic fibers. Frankly, it’s easier to make something look like artificial colors when using artificial materials.  Second, younger fans tend to like such artificial colors over earthier, natural colors. They are more neuro-stimulating/psychedelic, and they look more like animation and video game colors. Third, Spring makes us thing about bright colors, newness, progress, and intentional change. Every team is finding itself anew in the Spring. We are hoping for our team to come together and look like a squad worthy of a playoff run. The blue sky offers us a metaphor for possibilities.   

3) More Money? Better Symbolism 

Most people get tattoos, or choose their wardrobes, to signify some important meaning. Fans could really get into the double meaning of “the possibilities of Spring” versus the “winner-take all” contest of the Fall. This way, you’re selling two looks for parts of the year to fans, with both having deep significance. The fans would also be encouraged to participate in this symbolism. Hey, most of the success of Japanese baseball is how they treat the whole fan experience like a meaningful ritual to unite a region of the country, not too different from their folk ritual holiday events. Same with soccer clubs around the world. If you want to raise revenues and intensify the loyalty, increase the excitement, the team bonding, and the team lore with better fan rituals and symbols. Make the symbols represent things at a deeper level. The Spring Squad must find their Identity, and the Fall Squad must get to work deploying the best version of that identity. Win-Win. It nets the club more merch money when the fans en masse make the merch switch mid-season every year.

Every year the spring look can evolve, but the fall classic look would stay very similar over time


4) Ball-Players Choose the Hat Logos? 

In addition, make the hat logo change every year, even in subtle ways, to be vintage of that year. My preferred idea would be to sell 5 versions of the hat logo, each labeled on the back of the hat as the “Preseason, Pre-All Star, Post-All Star, Postseason, and World Series” variants of the logo. My simple suggestion is that the logo would slightly evolve during the season to show how the team has “leveled up”. Similar to how a military officer is awarded more stripes, the logo could be awarded a different “flair” to it. The team only hits its 4th stage of evolution if it makes the post-season, and 5th stage at World Series, but would always hit the first 3 stages.

I know for awhile, everyone thought that fans should vote on everything. But sometimes, there’s good reasons to do it differently. The identity of the 40 man roster should be celebrated as much as possible to create a bond with the fans. The 40-man roster of a given year should choose it OWN logo from a list of suggestions that they think fits their squad. The 40-man squad would vote on the annual hat logo, and its progression designs, 10 days before their first Spring Training Game. Any player who comes into later stages of the team, via trade or returning from injury, will get the uniform of that stage, but not of any stages they missed.  

5) Annual Team Captains?

I believe that after 2026, MLB teams should have captains, who are the spirit leaders of the team. They are voted on by the 40 man players on the roster shortly before the Regular season starts. Players vote for players, pitchers vote for pitchers. 2 votes, split between two different candidates, from the Head Coach and Bench Coach. 1 vote each for the Pitching Coach, Hitting Coach; and, one hitting candidate from the 1st and 3rd Base coaches, and 1 vote for 1 pitching candidate from 2 top pitching assistant managers (50 votes total). There should be 2 captains – one on the field (25 votes), one in the bullpen (25 votes).

The main requirements are that both Captains must have been with the major league club for at least 1 full year prior of service, providing evidence of team leadership qualities. In the first year of captainhood, a player must contracted for at least 1 more year of service or possess a player or club option year for the next year. A player should be able to serve as a repeat captain, however, if they are entering the last year of contract. Thus, the Captain cannot be a short-term “mercenary” player. Voters are encouraged to not automatically pick the player with the highest projected WAR, but the player who is the morale leader of the team for “rallying rituals” during the game or speaking to the press. For position players it may default to being a vote-off of a starting catcher and a shortstop in the rare instance nobody qualifies the contract length requirement’ or, the nominated “ace starter” regardless of playing service as the default pitching captain. The Captain’s Jersey will have a Captain designation for that year. If the Captain is traded by the fall trade deadline, or if they are placed on the 60-day injured list, another Captain may be selected immediately. 

Cubs Captains in 2025 would definitely include Shota Imanaga (The obvious fan favorite) and probably include Dansby Swanson (the heart of the defense and the longest contracted Cub). A case could be made that Ian Happ or Nico Hoerner would steal the vote from underneath Swanson, because Happ is media savvy and Hoerner is considered a bench leader. However, in 2026, Kyle Tucker could easily steal that designation if we sign him. 

Because team Captains are expected to speak first on the microphone at major club activities, and to be a leader with public relations, they would receive 100k to donate to a charity of their choosing within their home State, and 100k in personal income bonus for every captain selection they have earned, pegged to inflation increases. The league would pay for this; in addition to paying for a basic PR campaign to introduce all the Opening Day team captains to the public every year. 

In addition, AA and AAA teams should also have captains with captain bonuses of 25k for charity, 25k income for non 40 -man roster players with at least 1 year of club service. Designated captains could be traded or promoted but not cut in the year they are designated captains. They could not be promoted before June 1 or traded before July 1.  

Only 2 new captains can be selected each year to replace promoting, traded, or 60 day injured players at either the minor or major league level. They still get the same financial bonuses if they serve for at least 25 games. Replaced minor league captains could not be promoted or traded at all for that year, without paying an additional 200k bonus to the new captain and 200k to the minor league club’s charitable donations, and captains who finish the year in that role would cost an extra 200k to take in the following Rule 5 Draft. 
 
Conclusion
I think this is a BANGER IDEA, and would set a trend in the league. I should be hired by the league to prove why this would increase revenues and fan engagement. It provides another level of “baseball lore” for fans to unite over. IT would make all uniforms uniquely collectible for each of the 5 stages of the season. It would greatly encourage fans to wear the proper gear in the two sides of the season, and the proper hat from each of the 5 stages of competitive evolution (although I would restrict the Postseason and World Series sales to 2 types of fans – those who attended postseason/world series games, and those who had proof of purchase of the prior hats of the season).

It would also encourage fans to buy more early and late stage gear to prove their loyalty and standing as fans. It would greatly increase sales and increase team morale/loyalty. Finally, fans wearing the matching kit and/or hat for the right part of the current season, when attending live, would always receive a gift at the gate, EVERY TIME they attend – such as a free bobblehead doll of a non-star on the 26 man roster, a $7 food voucher, a stadium towel, a vinyl bumper sticker, or 20% off any merchandise order at the stadium up to $100.  

 

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Gwenno Goode Concludes Track Season With Debut NCAA Championships Appearance

Story Links Eugene, ORE. – La Salle women’s track runner Gwenno Goode made her NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships debut Thursday evening, racing in the 3k steeplechase semifinals.   Follow @LaSalle_XCTF on X and @lasalle_tfxc on Instagram for updates and content surrounding the team.   HOW SHE FINISHED: Goode placed […]

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Eugene, ORE. – La Salle women’s track runner Gwenno Goode made her NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships debut Thursday evening, racing in the 3k steeplechase semifinals.
 
Follow @LaSalle_XCTF on X and @lasalle_tfxc on Instagram for updates and content surrounding the team.
 
HOW SHE FINISHED:

  • Goode placed tenth in her heat with a time of 10:04.19. Overall, she finished 20th overall out of the 24 runners in the race.
  • In the final lap of her heat, she closed with a 1:20.49 split to secure a top-10 spot.



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Imani Moore Earns NCAA ELITE 90 Award

Story Links STATESBORO– Senior Imani Moore, who competed in the long jump at the NCAA track & field championships, has been honored with the NCAA’s ELITE 90 award, the league announced Thursday night. The NCAA ELITE 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who […]

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STATESBORO– Senior Imani Moore, who competed in the long jump at the NCAA track & field championships, has been honored with the NCAA’s ELITE 90 award, the league announced Thursday night.

The NCAA ELITE 90 award honors the exceptional achievements of student-athletes. This prestigious accolade is given to those who have not only excelled at a national championship level in their sport but have also achieved the highest academic standards among their peers. The Elite 90 is proudly awarded to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

“I’m very proud of not only Imani’s accomplishments as an athlete, but even more of what she has done as a student,” head coach David Neville said. “She exemplifies what a student-athlete should strive for; one of the things we always talk about with our athletes is excellence, not only on the track but in the classroom. Imani has done a tremendous job during her time as a student-athlete, and to receive this award at the end of her collegiate career, while also competing on the biggest stage an NCAA student-athlete can stand on, is wonderful. This should make Eagle Nation proud.”

Moore, an All-Sun Belt First Team member and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, clinched a trip to Eugene after coming in second in the long jump at NCAA Regionals in Jacksonville. This season alone, she set the school and facility record in the long jump and earned the second-best school performance in the triple jump.



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Moore Places 18th in Long Jump at NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

Story Links EUGENE, Ore.– Imani Moore, competing in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, capped off her senior season by finishing 17th in the event with a jump of 6.02m / 19’9″. The first Eagle to advance to Eugene since joining the Sun Belt, Moore competed in […]

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EUGENE, Ore.– Imani Moore, competing in the long jump at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, capped off her senior season by finishing 17th in the event with a jump of 6.02m / 19’9″.

The first Eagle to advance to Eugene since joining the Sun Belt, Moore competed in both the long jump and triple jump at NCAA Regionals, and her jump of 6.54m in the LJ placed her second and clinched her a trip to Oregon.

This caps off an outstanding senior season for Moore, who was an All-Sun Belt First Team member and Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.

This season alone, she set the school and facility record in the long jump and earned the second-best school performance in the triple jump.

This concludes the 2025 outdoor season for Georgia Southern Track and Field, which had a season to be proud of.



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International Leopold Levillain Added To Long Beach State Men’s Basketball

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and the Men’s Basketball staff at Long Beach State have added an exciting international prospect in Leopold Levillain to the 2025-26 roster.   Leopold Levillain | Forward | 6-9, 230 | Montpellier, France   Playing for Cholet Basketball in France, Levillain had a strong season in 2024-25 as an […]

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and the Men’s Basketball staff at Long Beach State have added an exciting international prospect in Leopold Levillain to the 2025-26 roster.
 
Leopold Levillain | Forward | 6-9, 230 | Montpellier, France
 
Playing for Cholet Basketball in France, Levillain had a strong season in 2024-25 as an amateur playing at the U21 level. Playing in 19 games, Levillain averaged 9.8 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game while also averaging over a block per game as a rim protector. He also played in 10 games as an amateur with the professional senior team, recording three blocks and 11 rebounds in just under 8 minutes per game.
 
Acker on Levillain:
“I’m excited to have Leo join our program. His international experience and toughness from years of playing both basketball and rugby will be a welcome addition. He is another player with a very high basketball IQ who is excited to be a part of what we are building here at the Beach. We can’t wait to begin to work with him.”
 
Levillain is another impact addition to a stacked frontcourt that features returning starter Derrick Michael Xzavierro, Division I transfers Petar Majstorovic and Demarshay Johnson Jr., as well as incoming freshman standout Dallas Washington.
 



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David Throop Returns To CHS As The New Water Polo Head Coach | Coronado Sports

Former Coronado High School Water Polo Coach David Throop will return for the 2025-26 school year as the new head coach of both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams.  Throop previously led CHS water polo programs and served in various coaching and administrative roles from 1991 to 2015 and again from 2019 to 2021. “We […]

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Former Coronado High School Water Polo Coach David Throop will return for the 2025-26 school year as the new head coach of both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams. 

Throop previously led CHS water polo programs and served in various coaching and administrative roles from 1991 to 2015 and again from 2019 to 2021.

“We are happy to welcome back Coach Throop,” said Coronado High School Athletic Director Aaron Brooks. “He has the resume, and has the background, as both a coach and as a player. He is someone who is a community member. We are excited to bring him in and see what we can do with the team. His commitment to honoring the program’s legacy and continuing its growth is a great fit for our student-athletes.”

Throop’s coaching career began in 1987. He has been instrumental in coaching other high school programs throughout his career, such as Mount Miguel and Granite Hills. Along with his experience at the prep level, Troop’s coaching experience spans both the collegiate and national levels. In 2012, he served as the assistant head coach at the University of Hawaii. 

Throop has also been heavily involved with USA Water Polo. From 2001 to 2007, he served as Development Coach. His work with ODP has been recognized on three different occasions. He was awarded the Regional Development Coach of the Year honors in 2003, 2004, and 2010.

“I’m excited to rejoin the Coronado Aquatics community and to be part of the rich history and tradition of water polo here,” said Throop in a press release from the Coronado Unified School District. “Working with talented and dedicated student-athletes is an honor, and I look forward to helping them grow not only as competitors but as individuals prepared to navigate life’s challenges.” 

According to the press release, Coach Throop emphasizes the importance of a collaborative approach to long-term athlete development. He will work closely with junior varsity coach Matt Finley and support youth water polo programs to strengthen the water polo pipeline that begins with the youngest swimmers and builds through high school.

“I am very excited about who he is as an individual. He is a smart person, he can dissect situations very well, he is a great communicator,” Brooks said. “He understands the sport and knows what it means to be a full student athlete at the high school level. We’re just really excited to have Dave be a part of our Islander staff.”

Throop’s coaching philosophy focuses on holistic athlete development, emphasizing individual growth, team culture, and character. He also values the role of community support and booster engagement. “Collaboration with parents, administrators, and groups like ISF helps create a support system that allows our teams to thrive,” he said.

Throop will take over the head coaching duties from Jesse Smith, the former CHS water polo coach and five-time Olympian, who is departing the program after two years. In that time frame, he won two CIF titles as head coach of the girls’ and boys’ water polo programs. 

“Jesse was with us for two years and four seasons total. He won two CIF titles during that time. I fully support him. We hope to see him be successful, see him around the pool, and develop future Islanders that can be on the high school team, with CAC (Coronado Aquatics Club),” said Brooks.

VOL. 115, NO. 24 – June 11, 2025



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The Manchild & Boy Green To Depart WSKO For YouTube – RadioInsight

After 23 years at Cumulus Media Sports “1260 The Score” WSKO Syracuse NY, Jim ‘The Manchild’ Lerch and co-host Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden Jr. will depart the station on Friday, June 27 and then relaunch the show on YouTube. Lerch co-hosted the show with former co-host Bud Poliquin as “Bud & The Manchild” from 2002 […]

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Jim Lerch Manchild Boy Green 1260 The Score WSKO SyracuseAfter 23 years at Cumulus Media Sports “1260 The Score” WSKO Syracuse NY, Jim ‘The Manchild’ Lerch and co-host Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden Jr. will depart the station on Friday, June 27 and then relaunch the show on YouTube.

Lerch co-hosted the show with former co-host Bud Poliquin as “Bud & The Manchild” from 2002 to 2019. Following Poliquin’s 2019 retirement, Esden rose from producer to co-host. The show aired in afternoon drive before moving to its current 10am-12pm timeslot.

Lerch commented, “When I started this back in 2002, I never thought I’d last nearly a quarter of a century on the radio. It’s been my life’s pleasure entertaining and interacting with our incredible listeners over two decades of Syracuse sports history and I look forward to my new journey as a digital sports content host.”

Cumulus Syracuse VP/Market Manager Beth Coughlin said, “Jim’s legacy is second to none in CNY sports radio. His contributions brought all of the game day action, and belund the scenes coverage to listeners every day!”



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