Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Chicago Cubs.

As for all of our top 50 players in baseball we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in Major League Baseball.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Cubs did not make the playoffs, but there was one new entrant in the top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Cap Anson

2. Ernie Banks

3. Ryne Sandberg

4. Ron Santo

5. Billy Williams

You can find the entire list here.

The only addition was World Series Champion Pitcher, Kyle Hendricks, who edged in at #48.

We thank you for your continued support for our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NHL Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the third year that we have done this, and Edmonton’s Connor McDavid won the first two.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving, and tell all of you the top ten.  We will be doing updates every Wednesday.

Here is the seventh current top ten in Notinhalloffame Cup Points:

1. David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins. 84 Cup Points:  43 Games, 26 G, 35 A, 61 P, +7, 7.4 PS. (#1 Last Week)

The Boston Bruins (like last year) have been the best team early in the season, and it is the Czech Republic’s David Pastrnak who has led their offensive threat.  He is the league-leader in Shots (212), is third in Points (61), sixth in Point Shares (7.0) and Goals (26), ninth in Assists (35) and is Boston’s leading scorer, and is in the top ten in most essential offensive categories.  Could he win his first Hart, but if not, maybe his first NIHOF Cup?   

2. Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning.  78 Cup Points, 43 Games, 28 G, 44 A, 72 P, -3, 8.1 PS.  (#2 Last Week)

Kucherov is in his tenth season in Tampa, and is putting forth a season that could gain him another Hart or Art Ross.  He is leading the NHL in Points (67) and is second in Goals (28) and third in Assists (39).  It is a minor surprise that he is not first in Cup Points, but he is close.

3.  Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs, 70 Cup Points:  41 Games, 34 G, 16 A, 50 P, +6, 6.7 PS. (#3 Last Week)

The American sniper is back as the league’s top goal-scorer, holding the lead in that (34) and Even-Strength Goals (25).  If he holds that, Matthews will win his third Rocket Richard Trophy, though Kucherov is closing in fast.

4. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 67 Cup Points:  38 Games, 16 4, 42 A, 58 P, +13, 6.3 PS.  (#7 Last Week)

The Edmonton Oilers began the year as a disappointment, but they have been on fire as of late.  McDavid has not been lighting the lamp like he did last year, but he has however been a great playmaker, and is third in Assists (42) and sixth in Points (58).  Can he make it back to the top of the mountain and win the NIHOF Cup again?

5 (TIE). Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators, 60 Cup Points:  44 Games, 22 G, 26 A, 48 P, +7, 5.8 PS (#4 Last Week)

Forsberg is off to the best start of his career and should make his second All-Star Game, though other than Even-Strength Goals (3^rd with 19) and Game-Winning Goals (3^rd with 6), he is not in the top ten in any major offensive category. 

5 (TIE).  Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, 60 Cup Points:  45 Games, 23 G, 49 A, 72 P, +11, 7.8 PS. (#5 Last Week)

MacKinnon returns to the top ten last week as, Mikko Rantanen fell off, though as we will see below, that was temporary.  He took over the league-lead in Assists (49) and is now tied for first in Points (72) with Kucherov.  He is also tenth in Goals (23). 

5 (TIE).  Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche, 60 Cup Points:  45 Games, 24 G, 34 A, 58 P, +2, 6.2 PS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

Rantanen returns to the top ten joining MacKinnon to give the Avalanche two players in the top ten; the only squad to do so.  He is sixth in Points (58) and ninth in Goals (24).

5. (TIE). Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers, 60 Cup Points:  43 Games, 32 G, 23 A, 55 P, +13, 7.7 PS.  (#7 Last Week)

Currently having the best year of his life, Reinhart is the current leader in Power Play Goals (16), Game-Winning Goals (9). and Shooting Percentage (27.8), and is also second in Goals (32), and tenth in Points (55).  Historically a good player, Reinhart has never had a first half like this before.

5 (TIE). Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins, 60 Cup Points:  42 Games, 26 G, 20 A, 46 P, +19, 6.3 PS.  (#9 Last Week)

We have to admit we are happy to see Sidney Crosby in the top ten, as even though “Sid the Kid” is over 35, we are still talking about a legend!  Crosby is sixth in Goals (26) and second in Even Strength Goals (20) as of this writing.

5 (TIE). Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks, 60 Cup Points:  44 Games, 23 G, 35 A, 58 P, +19, 6.7 PS.  (Not Ranked in the Top Ten Last Week)

The Canucks have returned a player to the top ten and this time it is the former Calder Trophy Winner.  Pettersson is sixth in Points (58), ninth in Assists (35) and Goals (23).

New York’s Artemi Panarin and Toronto’s’ William Nylander fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be next Wednesday.

In a recent study, scientists and professors from the National Library of Medicine published their work focusing on various changes and effects that a body goes through physically for professional players. Though the study is almost a decade old, the findings have shown evidently in many aspects of today’s game, players, across genders and age groups. During just a season of competition, a professional basketball player can undergo through series of changes internally. Today, the researchers took samples from 12 players, trying to find a good representation of the player base. Let us learn more about their findings in this short article.

Basketball and Action

The game brings all types of people on board with enthusiasm and sharing a common interest in all that it takes, at times. The game has a rich history in the US and has gradually spread to several countries. The basketball court is a default place in schools, colleges, and offices. Season of basketball brings forth billions of dollars in investment and sponsors, making people rich and poor at the same time. Young kids are groomed and trained to become the best players. In the US alone, there may be thousands of small teams from various schools, leagues, and counties. As a fact, the NBA recognizes 30 teams in the US and 1 in Canada. They play 82 game seasons each year between October to June.

The research focuses on October, December, March, and April. It is to take full advantage of the rigorous course these players go through. This sport demands huge effort and physical training, and which muscular recovery process can be conditioned by stress. The stress due to a huge sum of money, career, and other aspects can easily show up in the hormones of the body if you are carefully looking for the signs. While exercise as a stress model has been well studied in animals, there are two outcomes of physical work: Corticosterone and glucocorticoids.

Exercise is a powerful stimulus for the endocrine system as well, because of which professional players have hormone-induced alterations in the natural levels and these ratios can have positive influences on muscles. Various factors play a role here, the burst of action in the game is a result of thousands of micro-chemicals interacting in the body every fraction of a second.

The Trade of Professional Basketball

The reason for taking up these studies is the trade secret of the game. If you know what effects the game has, you can improve the game by acting on the same. For example, glucocorticoids play an important role in the stimulation and mobilization of energy in the body. Thus, the more energy you have, the better you will perform. Performance-increasing drugs are flooding the market with various degrees of success because they claim to do miracles. The trade of professional basketball goes beyond the television and the stadium. People from all areas of finance, casinos, online gambling, ticket selling, and ad-revenue generation are involved in the players and outcome of the game.

The business side of the game speaks louder than the fun side. People look to make profits from ads, offers, bonuses, and selling merchandise. To know what are the best Canadian online casinos to bet on a particular basketball match, you have to do an online search. Numerous websites cover the game and performance, monitor the ratings of players, teams, probability and odds of winning, and so on.

The Secret Sauce

The studies found that the Total Testosterone (TT) and Free Testosterone (FT) levels a day after the games were at par with the level during the initial days of the season. But the cortisol levels kept changing drastically between the games and during the season. Basal serum TT levels increased appearing at the maximum in March, while there were no differences in December or April. However, FT levels were higher in October and then in December, with low values in March. Thus, one can conclude with some confidence that players maintained a good anabolic-catabolic metabolism during the season. The stress provoked during the onset of the competition was useful in monitoring the levels in a balanced way.

Final Thoughts

Professional basketball is supposedly a big revenue maker and career-maker in the sports industry. People from all aspects of life are invested in this to some degree, each trying to beat the other in the race. The hormonal and musculoskeletal systems undergo significant stress, reaching a point where post-exercise recovery strategies play a crucial role in preparing for the next competition. This jump from game to trade of professional game keeps these players on their toes. Testosterone secretion may experience suppression in the presence of chronic stress due to the inhibition of pituitary secretion of gonadotropins. The competitive season proves challenging for players, both physically and psychologically, often resulting in a high-stress physical state.

If you are a regular visitor at Notinhalloffame.com, you know that we created the Notinhalloffame NBA Cup, where in every regular season game, we award points (5-4-3-2-1) to the top five performers.  This is the fourth year that we have done this, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic winning the first two, and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers winning last year.

To keep everyone regularly in the loop this time, we have decided to give regular updates, starting at Thanksgiving.  We will update this every Wednesday.

Here is the current top ten:

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets, 164 Cup Points, 41 Games, 4.00 Cup Points per Game, 25.5, PPG, 11.9 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 31.3 PER, 8.6 WS.  Last Week, #1.

Clinging to the top is Nikola Jokic, who last year became an NBA Champion and Finals MVP.  At present, the Joker is leading the NBA in Win Shares (8.5), Offensive Win Shares (6.1) Box Plus/Minus (14.0), Defensive Box Plus/Minus (4.5), VORP (5.4) and Triple Doubles (11).  He is also third in PER (31.2), third in Assists per Game (9.1), fifth in Rebounds per Game (11.9).  Jokic also was named the November Player of the Month, which is his seventh overall.  Based on the last three weeks, we would not be surprised if the Joker falls off the top when we do this again, and for a brief time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of OKC was at the top spot.

2. (TIE) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, 160 Cup Points:  39 Games, 4.10 Cup Points Per Game, 31.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 30.7 PER, 8.4 WS.  Last Week #3.

Gilgeous-Alexander broke through to the upper-tier last season, and he is proving that this was no fluke.  He is leading the NBA in Steals per Game (2.3), is second in Win Shares (8.4) and VORP (3.6), third in PER (30.7), and Box Plus/Minus (10.0) and is fourth in Points per Game (31.0).  The Canadian is now an MVP contender, and could join Steve Nash in that exclusive club.  Even if he doesn’t this year, SGA added his first Player of the Month Award in December.

2 (TIE). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, 159 Cup Points:  39 Games, 4.08 Cup Points per Game, 31.3 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 29.6 PER, 6.38WS.  Last Week, #2.

The two-time MVP has never had a better supporting cast than he does now, and he is responding by doing what he always does: dominate.  Antetokounmpo, however has slightly less metrics than previous years, but the arrival of Damian Lillard means he does not have to always carry the load.  The December Eastern Conference Player of the Month is third in Points per Game (31.2), sixth in Rebounds per Game (11.4), and is the league-leader in Field Goals (452). 

4 (TIE). Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, 134 Cup Points:  37 Games, 3.62 Cup Points per Game, 27.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 21.9 PER, 5.0 WS.  Last Week #5.

Tatum begins the year the way he ended the last one: an MVP contender on a power team.  He has already a nabbed a Player of the Week Award, is ninth in PPG (27.1) and is poised to take the Celtics on his back to a title.

4 (TIE). Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks, 134 Cup Points:  34 Games, 3.94 Cup Points per Game, 33.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 27.6 PER, 5.2 WS.  Last Week #4.

Doncic is on a four-year streak of First Team All-NBA stars, and he is on pace to add a fifth.  Hs is third in Points per Game (33.6), fourth in Assists (9.1), and is in the top nine in PER (27.6), Box Plus/Minus (9.4), VORP (3.6) and Win Shares (5.2).

6. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, 131 Cup Points, 29 Games, 4.51 Cup Points per Game, 35.1, PPG, 11.6 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG, 34.4 PER, 6.3 WS.  (Last Week #5)

Embiid is the reigning MVP, NIHOF Cup Winner, and two-time scoring champion, and he is currently leading the NBA in scoring again (35.1).  The 76er is also first in Usage Percentage (38.2), and PER (34.4), and is in the top ten in Rebounds and Blocks per Game.  Embiid has missed a few games earlier in the season, which has caused his drop on the list.  Had he been healthy, he might be #1, but he is number one in Cup Points per Game.

7. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings, 129 Cup Points:  40 Games, 3.22 Cup Points per Game, 20.1 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 7.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 23.2 PER, 5.9 WS. (Not in the Top Ten Last Week)

Sabonis makes his first top ten appearance this year, and is the current rebounding leader (12.7).  The Sacramento King is also first in Rebounds (506), Defensive Rebounds (372(, and is seventh in Assists per Game (7.9), and is the top ten in VORP (2.8) and Box Plus/Minus (6.0).

8. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers, 125 Cup Points:  39 Games, 3.21 Cup Points per Game, 25.1 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 2.5 BPG, 25.2 PER, 5.8 WS.  (#7 Last Week)

Davis is currently third in Rebounds per Game (12.2), and is the healthiest he has been in years.   He is also fourth in Blocks per Game (2.5), seventh in PER (25.2) and ninth in Win Shares (5.8). 

9. Julius Randle, New York Knicks, 122 Cup Points:  40 Games, 3.05 Cup Points per Game, 24.2 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 18.4 PER, 3.2 WS. (Not in the Top Ten Last)

Randle makes his first appearance in the top ten this year, though he is not in the top ten in any major category.

10 (TIE). LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, 117 Cup Points:  37 Games, 3.16 Cup Points per Game, 24.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 22.9 PER, 3.9 WS.  (#10 Last Week)

James set the all-time scoring record last year, and he continues to defy time by playing at an elite level.  The legend added another accolade by leading Los Angeles to the first In-Season Tournament Championship.

10 (TIE). Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns, 117 Cup Points:  33 Games, 3.55 Cup Points Per Game, 28.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 23.5 PER, 4.4 WS.  (#10 Last Week).

Durant remains a superstar and when he is healthy, he is among the best in the world.  KD is scoring as good as always, but the chemistry in Phoenix is not there and we are seeing the same pattern that we have seen before.  He is still an All-Star, a first-ballot Hall of Fame entrant, but does he make teams better?  Lately, no.

Golden State’s Steph Curry and Indiana’s Tyrese Halinurton fell out of the top ten.

Our next update will be up on next Monday.