Chicago Sports

Saturday, January 28, 2023

BIG NORTHERN

Byron at Rockford Lutheran, 7:00

Dixon at Oregon, 7:15

Genoa-Kingston at North Boone, 7:00

Stillman Valley at Rockford Christian, 7:00

Winnebago at Rock Falls, 6:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Morris at Sandwich, 6:45

Plano at Rochelle, 7:00

NIC – 10

Belvidere North at Belvidere, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-SOUTH / CENTRAL

Curie at Longwood, 2:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Oswego at Yorkville, 6:30

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Oak Park-River Forest at Glenbard West, 3:30

NON CONFERENCE

Agricultural Science at Richards, 1:30

Amundsen at Niles North, 4:30

Argo at Sandburg, 6:00

Barrington at Dundee-Crown, 6:00

Christ the King at Marian Central, 1:30

Cristo Rey at Cristo Rey-St. Martin, 12:30

Elgin Academy at Alden-Hebron, 6:00

Fasman Yeshiva at Ida Crown, 9:00

Fenton at Lake Park, (at East) 6:00

Geneva at Downers Grove South, 4:00

Grant at Vernon Hills, 2:30

Hersey at Libertyville, 4:30

Hillcrest at Homewood-Flossmoor, 12:30

Lane at Downers Grove North, 2:00

Marengo at Crystal Lake South, 1:00

Milford at Clifton Central, 7:00

Naperville Central at Columbus Catholic (OH), 6:00

Nazareth at St. Ignatius, 1:00

Northridge at IC Catholic, 12:30

Peoria Quest at Yorkville Christian, 5:30

Proviso West at Proviso East, 2:30

Riverside-Brookfield at Lyons, 5:00

St. Bede at LaSalle-Peru, 5:30

St. Francis at La Lumiere-White (IN), 5:00

St. Viator at Mundelein, 7:00

Tremper (WI) at Hope Academy, 5:30

UIC Prep at Senn, 10:00

Warren at Palatine, 4:30

Waubonsie Valley at Plainfield East, 2:30

Westmont at Walther Christian, 3:00

Wheaton North at Hampshire, 4:00

Wheeling at Lake Zurich, 3:30

Willowbrook at Deerfield, 6:00

BEECHER

at Grant Park

Grant Park vs. Grace Christian, 10:30

St. Anne vs. Coal City, 12:00

Armstrong-Potomac vs. Illinois Lutheran, 1:30

Momence vs. Johnsburg, 3:00

Beecher vs. Prairie Central, 4:30

Johnsburg vs. Cornerstone Christian, 6:00

Reed-Custer vs. Iroquois West, 7:30

EAST AURORA

North Lawndale vs. St. Charles North, 1:00

Andrew vs. Metea Valley, 2:35

Naperville North vs. East Aurora, 4:10

EVANSTON

New Trier vs. DePaul, 2:00

Loyola vs. Bolingbrook, 3:30

Evanston vs. Notre Dame, 5:00

FULTON

West Carroll vs. Aquin, 9:00

Erie-Prophetstown vs. Prince of Peace (IA), 10:30

Fulton vs. Newman, 12:00

East Valley (IA) vs. Lena-Winslow, 1:30

South Beloit vs. East Peoria, 3:00

Camanche (IA) vs. Riverdale, 4:30

Marmion vs. Washington (IL), 6:00

GLENBROOK SOUTH

Morgan Park vs. Marian Catholic, 3:30

Glenbrook South vs. Auburn, 5:00

Moline vs. Rolling Meadows, 6:30

HERSCHER

Peotone vs. Woodland, 1:00

Centennial vs. Pontiac, 3:30

Manteno vs. Seneca, 5:00

Kankakee vs. Thornton Fr. North, CNL

Herscher vs. McNamara, 6:30

LINCOLN-WAY WEST

Neuqua Valley vs. Minooka, 11:00

Lincoln-Way Central vs. Lemont, 12:45

Lincoln-Way West vs. Oak Forest, 2:45

Lincoln-Way East vs. Hinsdale Central, 4:30

LITTLE TEN TOURNAMENT

at Somonauk

LaMoille vs. DePue, 1:00

Indian Creek vs. Hiawatha, 2:30

Somonauk vs. Leland, 4:00

MONTVERDE (FL)

St. Rita vs. Montverde (FL), 7:15E

ORR

Orr vs. Fenger, 9:00

Dyett vs. Bogan, 10:30

Rich vs. Dunbar, 12:00

Antioch vs. Lake Forest Academy, 1:30

Brooks vs. Thornton, 3:00

Hyde Park vs. West Aurora, 4:30

St. Francis de Sales vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais, 6:00

Kenwood vs. 21st Centrury (IN), 7:30

PERSPECTIVES-LEADERSHIP

UC-Woodlawn vs. Collins, 11:00

Butler vs. Milwaukee Languages (WI), 12:30

Legal Prep vs. Von Steuben, 2:00

Hansberry vs. Wells, 3:30

Perspectives-MSA vs. Evergreen Park, 5:00

Perspectives-Lead vs. Fenwick, 6:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS – CONSOLATION

South Shore at Kennedy, 3:00

ST. LOUIS VASHON (MO)

Simeon vs. Cape Central (MO), 4:30

Young vs. Chaminade (MO), 6:00

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Last season, attacker Jairo Torres never showed why the Fire signed him as a young designated player.

He’s eager not to repeat that in 2023 after health problems marred his 2022 season.

“This season, it’s very different,” Torres said through a translator. “I come with a completely different mentality. I hope to prepare myself very well so that I don’t have any injuries.”

The Fire signed Torres from Liga MX club Atlas last February, acquiring him for a hefty $6 million fee. Torres debuted May 14 but already was struggling with injuries; he last played for the Fire in late August. A challenging season was capped off Sept. 30 when Torres underwent surgery to stabilize a stress fracture in his left tibia.

When he played, Torres’ impact was minimal. With the Fire needing an attacking wing opposite Chris Mueller, Torres mustered one assist in 684 minutes and started just six times.

“It was really frustrating not being able to show who you are,” Torres said.

To his credit, Torres tried to play hurt last season well before the stress fracture. Torres worked through the pain after the injury for three games before it was too much to handle.

After the Fire’s loss to CF Montreal on Aug. 27, he told the coaching and medical staff what he was dealing with and was diagnosed with the fracture.

Now, Torres is healthy and isn’t concerned the problem will plague him for the rest of his career. But the mental recovery process is still ongoing after his first major injury.

“I feel really good. I feel very strong,” Torres said. “My leg feels much better. I don’t feel too confident when I plant my leg, but that’s going to come. That confidence is going to come with time.”

Clearly, Torres isn’t worried about the confidence issue. And if Torres is fit and in form, it would take care of some separate issues for a Fire team that will need him to reach another level in 2023.

If Torres is the kind of player the Fire envisioned, it would give them another threat on the wing and round out a reputable corps of attacking midfield options alongside Mueller, Xherdan Shaqiri and Brian Gutierrez. Torres also said he’s comfortable playing deeper in the middle of the formation, something that could allow coach Ezra Hendrickson the opportunity to use him, Mueller, Shaqiri and Gutierrez at the same time.

Regardless of where he lines up, Torres staying healthy and producing would be a much-needed positive for the Fire.

“He knows he is a big part of the team, and we need his production,” Hendrickson said last week. “Injuries happen in this sport, and it is something we have to deal with. But he is mentally strong, and from what I have seen in the past few days at training, he has recovered well from his injury, and that is a plus for us.”

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As love and support from multiple directions flowed Liam Hendriks’ way after the White Sox closer revealed he has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Jan. 9, no one immediately cared what it would mean for the Sox’ bullpen and their team as a whole in 2023.

The health of a teammate and athlete known around the city and beyond as a generous and caring voice for many causes was first and foremost.

The Sox, appropriately, said they would have nothing more to say regarding Hendriks until Opening Day at the earliest. Meanwhile, as the shock over the 33-year-old Hendriks’ health slowly subsides, the Sox approach the first day of spring training Feb. 15 with a bullpen missing its two-time American League reliever of the year.

Kendall Graveman (16 career saves, including six last season, when Hendriks had 37) is probably the favorite to close. Joe Kelly (six career saves) and perhaps Reynaldo Lopez (none) could be asked to record the final three outs of games.

“The loss of Liam is tough,” bullpen coach Curt Hasler told the Sun-Times Monday. “We’re all hoping and praying that things go well for him, first and foremost as a person, for what he’s going through.

“We still have plenty of options to fill that void. We have a lot of guys who possess good stuff. There are plenty of guys who can do that.”

Hasler also mentioned lefties Aaron Bummer (five career saves) and Jake Diekman (15).

Internal discussions are ongoing and likely will continue through spring training about whether to designate a ninth-inning specialist or mix and match in the eighth and ninth.

“That is still being talked about. We’ve had some great conversations,” Hasler said.

“Matchups are something I really believe in,” first-year manager Pedro Grifol said.

Lopez, the Sox’ best starter in 2018, is an intriguing option after finding a comfort level as a reliever last season, posting career lows in ERA (2.76) and strikeouts to walks (5.73) and allowing one home run in 61 appearances.

“With two very big-time pitches [fastball and slider as part of a four-pitch mix], his stuff speaks for itself,” Hasler said. “He would be an option to do that if that’s the route we took.”

Kelly signed a two-year, $17 million deal last offseason, started late because of an injury and posted a 6.08 ERA in 33 games. At $9 million, he’ll be the Sox’ second-highest-paid reliever behind Hendriks.

“A healthy Joe Kelly is a huge asset for the bullpen, but he has to be healthy,” Hasler said. “But we believe we’re on the right track to being healthy. Joe Kelly’s stuff is incredibly good, so he could fill that role, as well.”

Jose Ruiz, Jimmy Lambert and Rule 5 draft pick Nick Avila are good bets to round out an eight-man bullpen, a group now tasked with backing a starting rotation lacking depth even before this week’s troubling revelation of Major League Baseball’s investigation of fifth starter Mike Clevinger into allegations of domestic violence and child abuse, which puts his availability in 2023 in jeopardy.

As for middle and long relievers, newcomers Gregory Santos and Keynan Middleton, a 29-year-old non-roster invitee to spring training, will get looks in camp. Lefties Tanner Banks and Bennett Sousa and righty Nicholas Padilla are on the 40-man roster.

And don’t forget lefty Garrett Crochet, who will be a year removed from Tommy John surgery on Opening Day. The former No. 11 pick’s role will become clearer as the season unfolds.

“We hope he can just add to what we believe is already a strong bullpen,” Hasler said. “Now all of a sudden you can add him to the bullpen or rotation or something like that. Whatever we decide. But he’s still early in the process.”

Hendriks remains in the early phase of his treatment. While he’s away, his presence will still be felt.

“My stomach was in my throat when we got the phone call,” Hasler said. “But heck, he helped me out, he made me feel better. And that’s Liam. He’s that kind of person.

“Liam is going to tackle this head on like he does any hitter standing in the box, and no doubt he’s going to come out on the winning side of it. That’s his personality.”

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These Chicago Bulls are still the same old mess. After giving fans just a little bit of hope and going 10-6 following the embarrassment back in December against Minnesota, Chicago is back to the same story.

The Bulls are coming off losses against an Indiana Pacers team that had lost seven games straight — which, oh by the way, was a game where the Bulls blew a 21-point lead — and then a loss against the Charlotte Hornets, who are 14-36 on the year.

It’s a real shame, because Zach LaVine has finally started to turn things around and has played pretty strong ball over the past month and a half. Even Nikola Vucevic has been playing at an All Star level.

Yet, the Bulls simply cannot figure it out. They continue to lose games they should win, and that’s not going to amount to much of a playoff run, if they even get lucky enough to get in.

Don’t expect the Chicago Bulls to make any significant changes at the 2023 NBA trade deadline

After the loss to Charlotte, head coach Billy Donovan reiterated the same old nonsense fans are used to hearing.

“The character in the group and the chemistry and them as people — it’s in there,” Donovan said, per The Chicago Tribune. “We’ve got to find ways as coaches and players and all of us to try to pull that out of each other. But I’m not at a point to say, ‘OK, this just can’t work.’ “

As if Donovan’s words weren’t enough to convince fans that nothing is going to happen at the deadline, it seems the players are following suit. Big man Nikola Vucevic echoed his coach.

“I think we definitely have enough here,” Vucevic said.

Whatever magic spell Donovan has going on over his players right now, it’s going to quickly prove to be for naught when the Bulls barely make the play-in tournament with this roster and get bounced in the first round.

The truth is, the Bulls need more than just a change-up within their roster, but the front office committed to Donovan for the next few years, and that’s the main issue. We’re stuck here for the time being, folks.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are a very bad hockey team. They have their sights set on winning the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery. Obviously, the chances of that happening are much better when you are the worst team in the league and there is a chance that could be the case this year.

One team that is decent and should be in the playoffs is the Edmonton Oilers. They have some good players like Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent Hopkins, and Evander Kane but they are led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl who are two of the five best players in the world.

McDavid is far and away better than everyone in the league and it isn’t close. Draisaitl can be argued as the second-best player in the league but guys like Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning amongst others rival him for that title.

One thing that is non-negotiable is the fact that these two come into the league as the leading scorers in the NHL. McDavid has 40 goals and 49 assists for 89 points in 49 games played. He does what elite junior players do in their leagues in the best league in the world.

The Chicago Blackhawks will have their hands full against the Edmonton Oilers.

Those 40 goals and 89 points are each the league lead in those categories. He only trails Kucherov in assists but only by three. Don’t be surprised if he ends in the lead for all three of those stats.

As far as points are concerned, as mentioned before, Daisaitl is the NHL’s second-leading scorer with 73 points. Kucherov is close on his tail in third with 71 but Draisaitl is expected to stay in this spot for the rest of the season based on recent history.

With a very weak Chicago defense and forecheck coming to town, these two have to be so ready to play this game. You’d think that Edmonton’s speed and skill will help them absolutely destroy the Hawks.

The Hawks were terrible against the Vancouver Canucks on this trip but awesome against the Calgary Flames which makes it so confusing. Regardless, Edmonton is the best of the group and they have the best players. There is a chance that this one is not pretty.

McDavid uses the best speed that anyone has ever seen to make big-time plays which might be hard for the Hawks to contain while Draisaitl has a big-time shot that allows him to be an awesome two-way threat.

In order for the Hawks to win, they are going to have to make it physically demanding for both of these guys (which is obviously really hard) so that they can’t burn them.

If the Hawks do manage to have the puck every now and again, they need to be hard on it in their own zone and get bodies in front of the goalie. Edmonton is beatable but achieving these goals could be the difference.

You also don’t want to take a penalty because they are lethal when they go to work on the power play.

Don’t expect much out of the Hawks in this one other than gaining some valuable learning experience here. At the end of the day, it should be very fun to watch.

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We cannot get to the 2023 NFL Draft fast enough. The rumors are flying. Reports are swirling. Yet, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has to be as calm and collected as ever, kicking his feet up and ready for phone calls.

The Bears, of course, own the no. 1 overall pick in the draft this year and, if all common logic plays out, they’ll trade the pick for an immense haul of draft capital.

The biggest question for the past couple of weeks, though, has been just where the Bears will trade that pick? As of right now, there are several suitors who would do just about anything to move up and select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

One of those teams is the Indianapolis Colts. General manager Chris Ballard went on record saying he’d do “whatever it takes” to get that no. 1 pick if it meant he was convinced that the right quarterback was there for his franchise.

However, a rival team of Indianapolis might just try and spoil the party.

The Chicago Bears are going to watch a royal rumble unfold for their number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft

This couldn’t possibly get any better for Poles and the Bears. He’s going to see a couple of division rivals go at each other’s throats over the pick he’s holding in his hand.

For the Bears, they are already looking at a possible franchise quarterback in their own building with Justin Fields. All that’s left is to get the kid some decent protection and some more weaponry at his disposal.

With the type of draft haul Poles could be looking at, the Bears should easily be able to come away with the necessary help in just a single offseason — especially because of two teams, who happen to be division rivals, fighting over the same pick.

This is truly a golden opportunity for Poles and the Bears.

Boy, to be a fly on the wall of Poles’ office for the next two months … that opportunity would be priceless.

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”The X-Files” first aired from Sept. 10, 1993, to May 19, 2002, and then had a brief revival from Jan. 24, 2016, to March 21, 2018. If that seems like a lot of episodes (218), it’s only because, from the great opening theme to the not always satisfying ending, the viewing public was very hooked. We followed FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) as they investigated intelligent extraterrestrial life, the paranormal and government conspiracies. We were hooked because we wanted to believe. The show was spooky, interesting, educational, sometimes funny and so well-written. Wait, am I describing ”The X-Files” or your weekly quiz in Sports Saturday? And speaking of the quiz, this week we are focusing on players who either were ex-members of the Cubs and White Sox or members of the local nines and their ex-teams. You shouldn’t have too much trouble. Have fun and learn a lot.

1. Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton was one of those guys who stayed too long at the fair. In his last three seasons, including pitching for the White Sox, he went 15-29 with a 5.72 ERA. Once ‘Lefty’ became an ex-White Sox, he pitched for three more teams. Which ones did he throw for?

a. Phillies b. Giants c. Cleveland

d. Twins e. Devil Rays

2. Don Larsen pitched, what I consider, the greatest game in MLB history when he was perfect against the Dodgers in the 1956 World Series. In his long career, was Larsen an ex-White Sox, an ex-Cub, or was he both?

3. Ex-Cub Jon Lester had 395 different teammates in his career. David Ross was his manager with the Cubs, but was Ross also a Cubs teammate of Lester or were they just teammates in Boston?

4. Wait, wait, I have another David Ross playing question for you: which ex-Cub surrendered Ross’ first MLB homer?

a. Mike Morgan b. Rick Helling

c. Willie Banks d. Mark Grace

5. David Robertson is both an ex-White Sox and an ex-Cubs pitcher. Robertson recently signed with the Mets, and when he appears in a game, he will join an exclusive club of pitchers who pitched for both Chicago teams and both New York teams. Who are the other two pitchers to achieve this feat?

a. Kevin Tapani b. Dick Tidrow

c. Lynn McGlothen d. David Aardsma

6. Tony La Russa is in the Hall of Fame as a manager, not for his time as an infielder. La Russa was a two-time ex-White Sox manager, but when he played, he was an ex-Athletic (both K.C. and Oakland) and an ex-Brave. Was La Russa also an ex-Cub?

7. This ex-White Sox player led the Sox in homers in the 1970s, even though he only played with the team through 1975. Here’s a hint: before signing with the Sox in 1964, he played baseball and football at Citrus College. Orange you glad I shared that?

a. Dick Allen b. Bill Melton

c. Meadowlark Lemon d. Carlos May

8. Here are four new players to Chicago for this coming season. They all have exes. Name the last team that each player played for before adopting a Chicago uniform.

a. Cody Bellinger b. Trey Mancini

c. Eric Hosmer d. Mike Clevinger

9. From 1980 to 1989, which ex-Cubs Hall of Fame closer led the Cubs in saves?

a. Lee Smith b. Bruce Sutter c. Dennis Eckersley

In closing this week, I don’t mind if you think ”The X-Files” was a crime show, mystery or drama. But be wary of anyone who thinks the series was a documentary. Have a healthy week. Stay warm. Stay safe. Have fun. Don’t forget to write.

ANSWERS

1. After going 4-3 with the Sox with a 3.69 ERA, ‘Lefty’ went 5-9 with Cleveland (5.37 ERA), 1-6 for Minnesota (8.54) and 1-3 for the Giants (5.37).

2. In 1961, Larsen was traded by the Kansas City A’s to the White Sox as part of a nine-player deal. Then, before the 1967 season, Larsen signed with the Cubs and pitched 4.0 innings before calling it a career.

3. In 2013-14 with the Red Sox and 2015-16 with the Cubs, Ross was Lester’s catcher for 89 games, and Lester had a 2.75 ERA when Ross was behind the plate.

4. The date was Sept. 2, 2002, and David Ross’ Dodgers were playing the Diamondbacks. It was Ross’ fourth MLB game. The Dodgers were leading 18-1 and toeing the slab was ex-Cub Mark Grace, who had played close to 1,900 games for the Cubs at first base. It was the only time that Grace would ever pitch in his 16 years in the majors. And Ross took him deep. After the game, Grace said, “I didn’t have a scouting report on him. Obviously, he can hit 65 mph fastballs.” Ex-Cub Mike Morgan pitched in this game for the D-backs. So did Rick Helling. Ex-Cub Willie Banks pitched for Arizona (but not in this game).

5. David Aardsma and Dick Tidrow played for all four teams. Lynn McGlothen never played for the Mets and Kevin Tapani never played for the Yankees.

6. On April 6, 1973, the Cubs were trailing the Expos 2-1 entering the bottom of the ninth. Joe Pepitone led off the ninth with a single, and Ron Santo reached on an error. With Glenn Beckert approaching the plate, Tony La Russa came in to run for Santo. Beckert walked and Randy Hundley walked, and the game was tied. With two down, Mike Marshall walked Rick Monday and La Russa came across the plate with the winning run. It was La Russa’s only appearance with the Cubs and his final appearance in the majors.

7. Beltin’ Bill Melton led the Sox in homers with 129 in the 1970s and in 1971, he led the AL in homers with 33, the same total he had in 1970 when he finished sixth in the AL.

8. Cody Bellinger is an ex-Dodger, Trey Mancini is an ex-Astro, Eric Hosmer is an ex-Red Sox, and Mike Clevinger is an ex-Padre.

9. Big Lee Smith recorded 180 saves for the Cubs. Throughout the decade, he totaled 234 saves. Only Jeff Reardon (264) and Dan Quisenberry (239) had more in all of baseball.

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Kyle Hendricks received a unique introduction and fitting ovation at the opening ceremony of the Cubs Convention.

“You need someone to start Game 7, to end a 108-year curse?” boomed Cole Wright, Marquee Sports Network host and emcee for the evening. “Who’s it going to be?”

It could only be Hendricks — not just because he started Game 7 of the 2016 World Series but also because he was the only player from that curse-breaking team still on the Cubs’ roster.

“It’s definitely strange, in a way,” Hendricks said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “It just goes to show that the turnover is so quick in the game these days. I just look at it from a grateful perspective. I have so much gratitude for the organization and for the city just for being able to be there for that long.”

Last season, Hendricks had talked with fellow 2016 World Series winners Willson Contreras and Jason Heyward about their dwindling ranks. Then, the offseason hit. The Cubs released Heyward, who joined the Dodgers on a minor-league deal with a spring-training invite, and Contreras signed with the Cardinals in free agency.

Hendricks, coming back from a capsular tear in his right shoulder that sidelined him for the last three months of the season, is aiming to start throwing off a mound by March 1. That timeline makes it unlikely that he’ll be back by Opening Day. And if he begins the season on the injured list, there won’t be any representatives from the 2016 roster.

“Being back at the convention, that’s obviously one of the best parts, just hearing the fans and their stories and how much they still love and connect to it,” Hendricks said of the 2016 World Series. “But the even better part of that, honestly, at the convention, was seeing the fresh faces and seeing the fresh, renewed energy, and just seeing where we’re going now.”

Those faces include shortstop Dansby Swanson, starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, center fielder Cody Bellinger, catcher Tucker Barnhart, reliever Brad Boxberger, first baseman Eric Hosmer, and (although he wasn’t at the convention because his signing wasn’t finalized) first baseman/designated hitter Trey Mancini.

When the Cubs went through their last rebuild, veteran pitcher Jon Lester’s signing signaled to Hendricks that the club was turning a corner and ready to win. Now, Hendricks agreed, Swanson could be this cycle’s equivalent.

“He is the No. 1 guy that you refer to and when you say ‘winning,’ ” Hendricks said. “I mean, you see what he’s done throughout his entire life, really. And just talking to him, you see the passion, you see how much he loves doing what he does.”

The Cubs even harnessed the parallels to recruit Swanson. They produced a video about Lester’s decision to sign with the Cubs in December 2015, a decision that helped propel them into a period of five playoff trips in six years, three NLCS appearances, and, of course, that World Series title.

Swanson recounted at his introductory news conference: “He kind of just said, it was the hardest decision that he ever made, but looking back on it now, it would have been the easiest one.”

When the Cubs signed Lester, Hendricks had just wrapped up his rookie season. Now, he has a decade of experience under his belt, including an ERA title, an 81-pitch “Maddux” and a franchise-leading 11 postseason starts.

With longevity comes adjustments. Hendricks said at the Cubs Convention that he found his arm path was getting so long behind him that as he rotated to throw, the motion put stress on the front of his shoulder. Before he began his throwing program Dec. 1, he focused on building his strength and making his arm path more efficient.

“In my mind, it’s not the end of the world if he’s not ready for Opening Day,” pitching coach Tommy Hottovy told the Sun-Times this month, “because it’s such a long season that getting him to feeling great and being at his best is our No. 1 priority.”

Hendricks has labored through the last couple of seasons, but the Cubs know the kind of impact he makes when he’s at his best. They had a front-row seat to his 2016.

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EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor Murphy has watched Philipp Kurashev build confidence in the NHL for three seasons now.

But even Murphy was a little stunned by the extra gear Kurashev turned on during the Blackhawks’ Jan. 17 comeback victory against the Sabres. For one night, if only one night, he looked like a bona fide NHL star.

“That shift he scored the tip-in goal, he caught a pass in the neutral zone out of the air — like a rocket pass; it was, like, six inches [off the ice] — with his blade,” Murphy said, his eyebrows raised and his hands gesturing. “And then he makes a play in [the offensive] zone after that. And then he makes a tip, a full reaching tip.

“And then the pass where he found me [for my goal], there was a guy in between us, and he feathered it to go behind the guy. [For him] to have that skill and vision, to be able to settle pucks and find holes that people are not seeing, is impressive.”

Kurashev was the best player on the ice that game, almost single-handedly keeping the Hawks afloat for 40 minutes before -everybody found their legs late. He had three points (one goal, two assists) and a 57.8% five-on-five shot-attempt ratio in 20:25 of ice time, his second-highest of the season.

“I haven’t seen him play like that — a consistent, full game like that — since early in the year,” coach Luke Richardson said afterward. “He deserves all the points he got tonight. I thought he could’ve had a few more.”

Kurashev called it an “amazing feeling.”

But there’s a reason that performance — which is almost two weeks old — is still worth discussing: Kurashev doesn’t often dominate like that.

The 23-year-old Swiss forward has 20 points in 47 games, which tied him for 247th in the NHL entering Friday. He’s on pace to finish with 35 points, which would set a career high — he had 16 in his 2020-21 rookie season and 21 last season — but wouldn’t earn him anything close to a big payday as a pending restricted free agent this summer.

Kurashev was still an impressive find by the previous Hawks management regime in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. Among all players chosen in the third through seventh rounds that year, his 57 career points make him the second-highest scorer, trailing only Devils fifth-rounder Yegor Sharangovich.

Only two other 2018 fourth-rounders — Paul Cotter (Golden Knights) and Jasper Weatherby (Sharks, now Red Wings) — have made more than six total NHL appearances.

Nonetheless, for Kurashev to become more than a serviceable middle-six winger — and for him to remain on the Hawks through this rebuild and into their next era of contention — he needs to have a breakthrough at some point.

Performances like that Sabres game prove it’s possible, prove he has the necessary talent and hockey IQ to eventually take another step. But, at the moment, inconsistency is holding him back.

“It’s a long season; sometimes it’s hard to be at your best every game,” Kurashev said. “Hopefully I’ll find a way to be more consistent all year and not just here and there. That’s a big goal for me, to be a consistent player.”

After training last summer with Sharks star Timo Meier, Kurashev came out flying at the start of the season. Richardson began moving him around to different lines like a fire log, using his momentum to ignite everyone else.

Kurashev finished October with a 51.5% on-ice expected-goals ratio at five-on-five, second-best on the team, while individually producing 0.77 expected goals per 60 minutes, which was third-best.

But as the Hawks faded into oblivion in November and December, so did Kurashev. From Nov. 1 through Jan. 3, he had a 37.8% ratio and 0.56 individual production rate. Richardson took some of the blame, worrying that moving Kurashev around eventually knocked him “out of rhythm.”

Then he heated up during a five-game segment (which concluded with the Sabres game) with a 53.7% ratio and 0.75 individual production rate.

Then he promptly disappeared again. His last five games since the Sabres explosion have been quite underwhelming, with a 27.6% ratio and 0.22 individual production rate. He did get an assist Thursday against the Flames, but he was one of the Hawks’ least noticeable forwards on a night when every line contributed to the scoring.

If it sounds like a roller coaster, it feels like one for Kurashev and the Hawks, too.

But Kurashev, a once-shy kid who has visibly grown more comfortable in the United States and in the NHL the last few years, said he’s trying to “stay loose, play with a free mind, enjoy the game and feed off” his teammates.

The organization will probably be patient with him, too. It’s not like there’s heavy competition for top-six roles at the moment, nor will there be next season. He’s also a near-certain bet to be re-signed, considering he’s one of few current NHL forwards with even a realistic chance of sticking around past the rebuild.

And he has plenty of believers around the organization, including Murphy and Richardson.

“He has always had that speed and skill level,” Murphy said. ”That’s a hard thing coming into the league, being able to use your skill set in the right areas and knowing how to create those chances. He’s now able to translate it to games. He’s growing, for sure.”

Said Richardson: “That determination shows he’s not just satisfied to be an ‘OK’ young player. He wants to be a ‘really good’ young player.”

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The Chicago Cubs could end up being a halfway decent team in 2023. They added a lot of talent during this off-season and they are hoping that it at least makes them a respectable group.

Guys like Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Trey Mancini amongst others will be trying to make a big-time impact on this team as they want to be much improved over what they’ve been since the short 2020 season ended.

At the same time, they are trying to build a bright future as well. That means making sure that their minor league system is staying up to par in the meantime.

This week, Major League Baseball Pipeline released its ranking of the top 100 prospect rankings in the world right now. There are some really good players on this list that are hoping to make an impact with the team one day.

The Chicago Cubs have a few top 100 MLB prospects in their pipeline.

The Chicago Cubs have three that made the list. Coming in at number 28 is Pete Crow-Armstrong who they acquired in the Javier Baez deal. He is an outstanding defensive outfielder that is becoming a very good hitter as well.

At number 87 is Kevin Alcantary who the Cubs landed in the trade for Anthony Rizzo. He is someone that is slowly rising and could end up being a very good Major League player someday soon.

At 92 is Brennan Davis who has taken a bit of a fall in the rankings because of some recent injuries that have slowed down his progression. He was supposed to make his MLB debut in 2022 but that never happened because of it.

Although there are a few questions, the Cubs could have some serious help in the outfield on the way with this group.

They have Ian Happ, Cody Bellinger, and Seiya Suzuki ready to play the majority of the games there this year (pending health) but those guys are coming. With Happ and Bellinger questionable beyond this year, anything can happen with their spots.

The Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are tied for the least amount of top 100 prospects on this list of any team in the NL Central. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates each have four and the St. Louis Cardinals remarkably lead the way with five.

Regardless, it is a nice group for the Cubs and they are hoping for a lot from these three as the future appears to be bright for the outfield at Wrigley. Expect to see these guys soon.

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