Chicago Sports

In early December, the Chicago White Sox announced they had signed Mike Clevinger on a one-year, $12 million dollar deal. He was a shoo-in as the fifth starter after the signing. Clevinger was coming off a tough year in San Diego after missing all of 2021 due to Tommy John’s surgery.

At the time, it was a great signing for the Sox. Clevinger had some really good years with the Guardians prior to surgery and was looking to have a big bounce-back year in 2023.

However, Clevinger’s time with the Sox may be ending as quickly as it started due to allegations of domestic assault and child abuse. Because of this, the fifth starter spot will be wide open going into spring training.

Now, if they would’ve just paid Johnny Cueto, this would not have been a problem. It even would’ve provided depth which is something that is unfamiliar to the Sox.

Now they are without an anchor to a good rotation and will likely have to count on a guy with limited experience to step up for those innings.

The Chicago White Sox will be looking for a new fifth starter this spring.

The current front-runner for the job is Davis Martin. Although Martin wasn’t great in 2022, you have to consider that he went all the way from AA to the MLB in one year.

He had almost no time to develop or get comfortable. Even when he was called on to pitch in 14 games last year, it wasn’t the worst thing ever. His stats were pretty similar to Clevinger’s as he had a 4.83 ERA and a 6.82 K/9 while Clevinger posted a 4.33 ERA and a 7.20 K/9.

This doesn’t mean that Davis Martin is the answer to all of their problems but he should be a solid replacement for what Clevinger likely would’ve provided.

The Sox still have a very solid rotation with Dylan Cease coming off the best season of his career, Michael Kopech coming back healthy, Lucas Giolito looking for a bounce-back year, and Lance Lynn doing Lance Lynn things.

At the end of the day, we really never knew what Clevinger was really capable of. We could’ve seen him continue on his decline but we also easily could’ve seen the 2017-2020 Clevinger who was a stud.

If Clevinger doesn’t in fact come back, there’s a chance that Davis Martin could surprise some people as he’s continued to develop throughout the off-season.

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The NBA trade deadline is right around the corner and the Chicago Bulls are sitting on a pile of question marks going into it.

While they on the verge of falling out of the play-in, they are just also four games back of the six seed. The roster that the Bulls have constructed has obviously not gotten the job done so far this year.

Still, the roster has three all-stars and solid depth this season. The question is does the front office believe the core can pull it together over the second half of the season and become some sort of contender with maybe some minor tweaks, or should they start flipping assets in preparation for an offseason retooling?

The Alex Caruso rumors put the Chicago Bulls in an odd position.

If the Chicago Bulls are truly shopping Alex Caruso, then they might be just looking for a quick fix at a position of need. Since the trade value of Coby White is still low, flipping Caruso or possibly Ayo Dosunmu to address the shooting needs and the lack of size on the team could be unfortunately more realistic.

Still, the rumors are that the Bulls are asking for two first round picks for Caruso. While that would be such a great get for the Bulls, there is not much of a shot that a team will trade two firsts for a player who does not even start. As good as Caruso is, two firsts are a lot to give up for his services.

The other takeaway from these rumors is that the Bulls have made it known they will not trade Zach Lavine or DeMar DeRozan during the season, which means they are looking to still compete. One would think that Caruso is a major cog in a competitive Bulls team, especially with Lonzo Ball being nowhere close to returning. If you do believe that you have a team that can make some sort of run, Alex Caruso is a must have on the roster. With the odds of getting two first for him being so low, expect Caruso to remain a Chicago Bull, at least until the offseason.

It just would not make a lot of sense to trade Caruso for even one first round pick from a contender considering it will most likely not be very valuable. Caruso is one of the few players on this roster who has extensive playoff experience and is one of the leaders amongst the team. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that Caruso is “basically untouchable” because of how valuable he is to the team. He went on to say that he is the culture of the team as well.

As far as the rest of the roster, there is a good possibility that the front office at least tests the market for players like White, Andre Drummond, and maybe even Javonte Green who has fallen out of the rotation due to injury. The Bulls do not have a lot of assets, but some teams looking to shed salary and potential bring in a young player who still has potential (White) could bite at an offer.

Whatever happens, there is basically zero chance that they blow it up completely during the offseason. Even if the season continues to go awry, the Bulls have control of Lavine and DeRozan and can make these decisions in the offseason and still capitalize on their value. Any moves made at the deadline will most likely involve role players or draft picks down the line.

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Monday, January 30, 2023

CHICAGO PREP

Christ the King at Ellison, 7:30

Hope Academy at Cristo Rey, 6:30

Walther Christian at Holy Trinity, 7:00

DU PAGE VALLEY

Naperville North at DeKalb, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Horizon-McKinley at Wolcott, 5:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-WEST / NORTH

Lane at North Lawndale, CNL

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Tinley Park at Thornton Fr. North, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Cornerstone Christian at Lowpoint-Washburn, 7:30

Durand at Alden-Hebron, 7:00

El Paso-Gridley at Reed-Custer, 6:45

Elmwood Park at Rochelle Zell, 7:30

Jones at Oak Lawn, 6:30

Lake View at Northtown, 5:00

Legal Prep at Eisenhower, 6:30

Lockport at Joliet Central, 6:30

Mansueto at Back of the Yards, 5:30

Mooseheart at Aurora Central, 7:00

Rickover at Goode, 5:00

South Shore at Uplift, 5:00

Urban Prep-West at Excel-Englewood, 5:30

Woodstock North at Harvest Christian, 7:30

LITTLE TEN TOURNAMENT

at Somonauk

Serena vs. LaMoille, 5:30

IMSA vs. Newark, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – CONSOLATION

First Round

ACE Amandla at Senn, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at Von Steuben, 5:00

Second Round

Urban Prep-Englewood at Wells, 5:00

Mather at Kennedy, 5:30

Richards (Chgo) at Urban Prep-Bronizeville, 5:00

Dunbar at King, 5:00

Crane at Schurz, 5:00

Collins at Fenger, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – BLUE

Second Round

Clemente at Manley, 5:00

Excel-Englewood at Phoenix, 5:00

Kelvyn Park at North Grand, 4:30

Bowen at Tilden, 5:00

Juarez at Chicago Academy, 5:00

Solorio at Julian, 5:00

EPIC at Hancock, 5:00

Alcott at Little Village, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY ROUND-ROBIN

Tri-Point at St. Anne, 7:00

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Patrick Mahomes really should have been drafted by the Chicago Bears

By now we all know the story of the 2017 NFL draft for the Chicago Bears with a loaded quarterback class featuring Patrick Mahomes.

General Manager Ryan Pace traded up from No. 3 overall to No. 2 with San Francisco to take a quarterback. However, he took the wrong quarterback as he selected Mitchell Trubisky over Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Trubisky lasted a few seasons in Chicago before signing with Buffalo and then Pittsburgh. Prior to legal trouble Watson was having a good career in Houston.

Then there’s Mahomes.

He’s already considered one of the best all time to play the quarterback position and is going to his third Super Bowl already for Kansas City. It’s a big time miss by the Bears and one that has many fans wondering “what if”.

On Monday, after the Chiefs beat Cincinnati to win the AFC, Mahomes father appeared on 670 The Score’s Parkins & Spiegel show. During the appearance, he revealed that the Bears actually told Mahomes they would take him at No. 3 overall:

D’oh!

We know the story of Pace falling in love with Trubisky after a dinner in Chapel Hill and seeing the car he drives. We also know that Pace scouted Mahomes as well.

However, whether this has been out there before or not, it’s still a giant mess up for Pace.

Oh, what could have been…

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Former Cubs broadcaster Chip Caray is taking over as the television play-by-play voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, more than five decades after his grandfather and Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray became a baseball staple with the same club.

Bally Sports Midwest announced Caray’s hiring in a statement Monday. The voice of the Atlanta Braves is replacing Dan McLaughlin, who left the Cardinals booth in December after 24 years following his third arrest for drunken driving.

“I’m grateful and excited to come home and call games for the team that made me fall in love with baseball as a kid in St. Louis County,” Caray said. “I have always admired the passion, knowledge and loyalty of Cardinals fans, both here in St. Louis and across the country. The honor of continuing the legacy of my grandfather Harry, my dad Skip and so many other great Cardinal broadcasters, past and present, is the stuff dreams are made of.”

The third generation of Carays to broadcast in the major leagues spent the past 20 seasons as the voice of the Braves on Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, TBS and Peachtree TV. He also called games regionally for the Seattle Mariners and the Cubs, where his grandfather spent the final 16 years of his career.

Harry Caray got his break in broadcasting with the Cardinals, though, beginning alongside former catcher Gabby Street in 1945. He held down the job alongside such luminaries as Joe Garagiola and Jack Buck through the 1969 season, then went on to spend a season with the A’s before a decade with the White Sox and the rest of his career with the Cubs.

Chip Caray’s father, Skip, was part of the Braves broadcast team from 1976 until his death in 2008. And his brother, Josh Caray, is the play-by-play voice of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.

“The Cardinals are pleased to share in today’s announcement,” Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III said. “Chip brings a wealth of experience to the booth and has a great feel for the history and tradition of the franchise.”

McLaughlin, who is scheduled to appear in court next week, was charged on Dec. 5 as a persistent offender of driving while intoxicated following his arrest in the St. Louis suburb of Creve Coeur. He pleaded guilty to DWI charges in 2010, when he was sentenced to two years of probation, and in 2011, when he was given a suspended 90-day sentence.

McLaughlin and Bally Sports Midwest issued joint statements in December saying that he was stepping away. McLaughlin also said that he was planning to focus on his family and his recovery, which he said had already started.

His departure after more than two decades gave Caray a chance to return to his roots. The 57-year-old, who also spent six years as the TV voice of the Cubs, attended high school in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield before heading to Georgia for college. He also worked for the NBA’s Orlando Magic and the Mariners earlier in his career.

“There is an illustrious history of Cardinals broadcasters and we are excited to add to that incredible roster by bringing in one of the best play-by-play announcers in baseball today,” Bally Sports Midwest general manager Jack Donovan said. “Chip brings enthusiasm to the game and cherishes the opportunity to be part of Cardinals baseball.”

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The White Sox claimed right-hander A.J. Alexy off waivers from Minnesota on Monday.

Alexy, 24, made four relief appearances for the Rangers last season and five including four starts in 2021, combining for a 6.30 ERA in those games. He spent most of 2022 with Triple-A Round Rock in the Rangers organization, going 6-6 with a 6.28 ERA over 31 games including 16 starts.

The Sox had room to add depth to their Triple-A roster and could be thin in their major league starting rotation with newly signed Mike Clevinger under investigation by Major League Baseball for alleged domestic violence and child abuse against his 10-month-old daughter and her mother and facing a possible suspension.

The 6-4, 195-pound Alexy was designated for assignment by Texas on Dec. 9 and claimed off waivers by Washington on December 13. He was DFA’d by the Nationals on Jan. 4 and traded to the Twins on Jan. 10 in exchange for right-hander Cristian Jim?nez. The most appealing thing on Alexy’s resume is his 2021 season in the minors, when he posted a 1.66 ERA in 16 games including 10 starts between Triple-A and Double-A in the Rangers system.

Alexy, who has an option year left and can be kept in the minors, will likely be added to the Sox’ mix of Triple-A pitchers along with right-handers Davis Martin, Jonathan Stiever and Jason Bilous who could be used for spot starting as Martin did last season.

Alexy is 19-25 with a 3.93 ERA and 465 strikeouts in 105 games including 78 starts over parts of six minor-league seasons.

The White Sox 40-man roster increases to 40.

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It’s a nice option for the Bulls players to have as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.

After all, it isn’t often that an NBA front office seems so willing to remain transparent with its roster, publicly stating that any concerns or questions regarding trade rumors or talk can be answered by a simple knock on Arturas Karnisovas’ door.

As of Monday, no one’s knocking.

It isn’t that the Bulls players don’t appreciate the openness of the executive vice president of basketball operations. It’s more about the locker room belief of worrying about controlling what can be controlled. Plus, this is a group that has way more on its plate than chasing down the authenticity of rumors.

“I know I encourage guys to communicate,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Something on your mind, communicate. You’ve got to be able to talk it out, but also helping them stay focused because I think with where we’re at right now this late in the season and where we are in the standings, we cannot be distracted by stuff that guys may not be able to have control over.”

Sources have indicated that the Bulls are likely to stay pat at the deadline with what’s out there, maybe making a small tweak to the roster like making a move with veteran big man Andre Drummond.

The center has fallen out of the rotation, with Donovan opting to go with a smaller second unit and starting Derrick Jones Jr. at the center position.

Besides that, there’s not an itch that Karnisovas is willing to scratch, considering how they doubled down on the idea of keeping this roster intact and allowing it to grow together.

But that’s written in pencil, not pen.

Not all the hands are even close to being shown league-wide, so how a team feels today can quickly change by tomorrow.

That means there might be a few Bulls players that should give a knock on that door, or at least have an agent make a call, starting with Nikola Vucevic:

1. Vucevic – the Bulls big man told the Sun-Times at the start of the season that he was “a little surprised” that the front office didn’t even talk to him about their thoughts on his expiring contract. Vucevic didn’t expect an offer or a detailed scenario, but at least a “Hey, here’s what we’re thing as you enter a free-agent offseason.”

That never happened.

Then factor in Indiana just extended center Myles Turner for two years, $60 million, and now a market has been set on what Vucevic could be looking for this summer.

With Zach LaVine’s max contract reaching the $40-million mark for the 2023-24 season, and the team looking to also extend Ayo Dosunmu off of his rookie deal, $30 million a year for Vucevic would be tricky for an organization that doesn’t step into the luxury tax area.

So could a bad week of basketball with four home games against very winnable teams change Karnisovas’ mind about “continuity?” If it does, Vucevic is a likely candidate to be talked about.

2. Coby White – Teams have been calling about White since the summer. The Sun-Times reported that several franchises were interested in acquiring White, but the asking price was too much. By all accounts, that asking price hasn’t changed for the upcoming restricted free agent.

White was currently shooting a three-year low 35.8% from three-point range, but he’s also become a much better defender, especially in the physicality department, and a better ball-handler.

A knock on the door from White or his agent might want to happen.

3. LaVine – Should LaVine be concerned about being moved? Unlikely. What he should want to know, however, is if he’s the face of the franchise, what is the front office thinking as far as making this team better? LaVine should find out how open that door really is.

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Bobby Hull, the former Blackhawks star nicknamed the “Golden Jet” with a legacy tarnished by off-ice transgressions, has died.

He was 84.

“Hull is part of an elite group of players who made a historic impact on our hockey club,” the Hawks said in a statement Monday. “‘The Golden Jet’ helped the Blackhawks win the 1961 Stanley Cup and delivered countless memories to our fans, whom he adored.

“Generations of Chicagoans were dazzled by Bobby’s shooting prowess, skating skill and overall team leadership. … We send our deepest sympathies to the Hull family.”

Hull remains the Hawks’ all-time leading goal-scorer with 604 goals, accumulated over a 15-year tenure with the team from 1957 to 1972.

His death comes less than a year, however, after the Hawks parted ways with him as a team ambassador.

A native of Point Anne, Ontario, Hull emerged as a star in his third season of 1959-60, tallying 39 goals and 81 points, and never looked back. He broke the 30-goal plateau in 13 consecutive seasons and eclipsed the 50-goal mark five times, including a career-best 58 goals and 107 points in 1968-69.

He played a major role in the Hawks’ 1961 championship, finishing second on the team in scoring in both the regular season and playoffs. He was awarded the Hart Trophy as league MVP in both 1965 and 1966.

His jump from the NHL to the World Hockey Association in 1972, signing with the Winnipeg Jets, provided the WHA its first moment of legitimacy. He enjoyed seven productive seasons with the Jets, then came with them back to the NHL in 1979 for a brief final season before retirement. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

But Hull’s history of inappropriate off-ice conduct — marked by rampant allegations of domestic abuse and racism — has long overshadowed his on-ice achievements.

Hull was convicted in 1987 of assaulting a police officer who intervened in an argument between Hull and then-wife Deborah. A mini-documentary by ESPN in 2002 included his previous wife, Joanne, recounting a fight in which Hull beat her in the head with a steel-heeled shoe, then held her off a balcony in Hawaii.

Hull’s daughter, Michelle, who became a defense lawyer for female abuse victims, also detailed Hull’s history of alcoholism in that documentary.

In 1997, a Russian publication quoted Hull praising Hitler for “good ideas,” claiming the Black population was growing too fast and expressing support for genetic breeding. Hull denied the comments and sued the publication at the time.

Hull was nonetheless chosen in 2008 to become a Hawks team ambassador alongside Chris Chelios, Denis Savard and the late Stan Mikita and Tony Esposito. Three years later, the team erected a statue of Hull and Mikita along Madison Street outside the United Center.

Hull held that ambassador role until last season, when he and the Hawks “jointly agreed” he would “retire from any official team role,” the team said in a February 2022 statement.

“When I assumed leadership of the organization upon my father’s passing in 2007, one of my first priorities was to meet with Bobby to convince him to come back as an ambassador of the team,” Hawks chairman Rocky Wirtz said in a statement Monday. “His connection to our fans was special and irreplaceable. On behalf of the entire Wirtz family, I offer our deepest condolences.”

Hull’s son, Brett, actually surpassed his father’s stats during an extremely successful NHL career of his own from 1987 to 2006. He is the Blues’ all-time leading goal-scorer.

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The Bears have been set to have the most salary cap space in the NFL. Now we know exactly how much.

The NFL told teams Monday that the 2023 salary cap is expected to be $224.8 million, a source confirmed. That represents about an 8% bump from the $208.2 million cap in 2022 and makes official what the Bears have been anticipating for almost a year — that they’ll have a lot of room to make signings this offseason.

Per OvertheCap.com, the Bears will have $91.8 million in 2023 cap space. That figure laps the field. The Falcons rank second with $56.4 million, while the Giants are third with $44.7 million.

The Bears’ shopping list is longer than either of those two teams, though. They have only 49 players counting against their salary cap, the eighth-fewest in the league.

The Bears are expected to be a major factor this offseason. They figure to spend their salary cap on free agent additions — their major needs are on both lines, linebacker and receiver — starting March 15.

They’ll likely sign some of their best players to extensions. Tight end Cole Kmet figures to get a new deal, as does cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The Bears could also consider extensions for receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, though Mooney seems far more likely. All four are entering the final season of their four-year rookie contracts and just became eligible for extensions.

The Bears have the first overall pick in this year’s draft. Earlier this month, general manager Ryan Poles said he would have to be “absolutely blown away” to move on from quarterback Justin Fields. Teams that do need a quarterback, however, are expected to contact the Bears about trading up to the No. 1 spot in the April draft.

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