Chicago Sports

It’s a huge Saturday, with shootout action in Chicago and down in Highland. I’ll be updating this throughout the day.

Peoria Christian 54, Seneca 48: I was gearing up for a possible visit to check out undefeated Seneca and then this goes and happens. Simeon is now the only unbeaten left in the area (if they win tonight against Imohotep). Sophomore Paxton Giertz scored 24 for Seneca.

DePaul Prep 51, Lake Forest 45: The hosts win the opener behind 22 points from PJ Chambers. Asa Thomas led the Scouts with 24.

Thornton 61, U-High 39: Senior Vincent Rainey scored 20 points for the Wildcats, who improve to 7-5.

Glenbrook North 65, St. Ignatius 57: The Spartans jumped out to a double-digit lead early and never surrendered the advantage, picking up a huge bounce-back win after falling at Glenbrook South last night. Senior Ryan Cohen scored his 1,000th point in the first half. Junior Josh Fridman led Glenbrook North with 22 points. Richard Barron scored 25 for St. Ignatius.

Belleville East 65, Hillcrest 59: Point guard Bryce Tillery had a big game for the Hawks with 22 points but it wasn’t enough. Big man Darrion Baker added 17 points. The win improves Belleville East to 15-2 and it appears the Lancers will be a significant factor in the Class 4A state playoffs.

Brooks 72, Francis Parker 67: A nice solid win for the Eagles. Remember, Parker made some noise at the Big Dipper. Anthony Vaval led Brooks with 18 points. Caleb David scored 21 for the Colonels.

Beecher 64, Bismarck-Henning 48: The Bobcats improve to 17-1. Junior Adyn McGinley led the way with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Zack Johnson added 21 pts and 10 rebounds.

Crystal Lake South 63, Woodstock North 42: The Gators’ quality season rolls on with a road win and sophomore AJ Demirov continues his break out campaign. He had 20 points, five steals and three assists in this one. Cooper LePage added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Read More

Simeon senior Malik Elzy is heading to Champaign.

Prairie Ridge’s Tyler Vasey, the Sun-Times Player of the Year, was the top rusher in the country. Blainey Dowling quarterbacked Mount Carmel to an undefeated season and the Class 7A state championship.

But Elzy was the player that provided the most impressive high-level moments this season, the one that regularly turned in jaw-dropping feats of skill and athleticism. The All-Area and All-City selection led the Wolverines to a 12-1 season and the Prep Bowl championship.

Elzy, who has offers from nearly 30 FBS colleges, committed to Illinois live on NBC on Saturday at the All-American Game in San Antonio. His final four came down to the Fighting Illini, Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee and Notre Dame.

“Illinois prioritized me and showed me how much they needed me on the team,” Elzy said.

Elzy, a 6-3, 200-pound wide receiver/defensive back, made highlight-reel catches and leveled opponents with devasting hits. He was also a force on punt returns. Elzy originally committed to Cincinnati back in July. He decommitted in late October and reopened his recruitment.

Elzy ranked No. 4 in Illinois, 43rd among receivers and No. 305 overall in the 247Sports composite rankings. He is the highest-rated wide receiver Illinois has signed since Arrelious Benn in 2007.

“[Elzy] is our team,” Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said after Elzy led the Wolverines to a win against Wheaton-Warrenville South. “He punts, plays defense and offense. He might be the best player I’ve seen at Simeon.”

Elzy is the second top-five and fourth top-20 recruit from Illinois for Bret Bielema, joining Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond athlete Kaden Feagin, the No. 4 ranked player, and two East St. Louis teammates: No. 18 offensive tackle Brandon Henderson and No. 20 linebacker Antwon Hayden.

“I did not expect [Bielema and his staff] to win over the state so quickly,” Rivals recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove said. “If you want to win a Big Ten championship, you have to have guys like these on your roster.”

Elzy finished the season with 45 catches for 1,025 yards and 11 TDs.

“It’s huge when you get an elite, big-body receiver that has the ability to play right away,” Cosgrove said. “[Elzy] has the ability to be a dominant receiver in the Big Ten. He’s almost like a basketball player [with his leaping ability]. He’s going to win 50/50 balls.”

Illinois recruit David Olano, a kicker from Naperville North, nailed a 50-yard field goal in the All-American game just a few minutes before Elzy announced his commitment. It was quite a five-minute burst of optimism for the Fighting Illini football program.

Read More

Saturday, January 7, 2023

DUKANE

Batavia at St. Charles East, 6:00

Lake Park at Wheaton-Warr. South, 7:00

St. Charles North at Glenbard North, 6:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Marist at Benet, 7:00

NIC – 10

Rockford East vs. Guilford, at Rock Valley, 5:45

Auburn vs. Jefferson, at Rock Valley, 7:45

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grant at Wauconda, 4:30

Grayslake Central at Round Lake, 12:00

Grayslake North at Antioch, 1:00

Lakes at North Chicago, 5:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Hinsdale Central at Downers Grove North, 4:45

NON CONFERENCE

Alden-Hebron at Faith Christian (WI), 4:00

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Plainfield North, 2:30

Butler at Jacobs, 12:30

Byron at Aquin, 2:30

Chicago Christian at Illiana Christian (IN), 6:30

Coal City at Morris, 6:45

Crete-Monee at Providence, 2:30

Cristo Rey-St. Martin at HRK, 5:45

Crystal Lake South at Woodstock North, 1:30

DeKalb at Champaign Central, 4:30

Don Bosco (IN) at Yorkville Christian, 2:00

Donovan at Watseka, 7:30

Downers Grove South at Wheaton North, 3:30

East Aurora at West Aurora, 4:30

Elgin Academy vs. Schaumburg, at NOW Arena, 2:0

Fasman Yeshiva at Ida Crown, 9:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Dwight, 7:00

Geneva at Hampshire, 4:00

Hansberry at Stagg, 11:30

Hiawatha at Ashton-Franklin Center, 4:00

Hinsdale Adventist at Cristo Rey, 7:30

Hinsdale South at New Trier, 1:15

Iroquois West at Herscher, 7:00

Johnsburg at Belvidere North, 4:00

Joliet Catholic at Pontiac, 2:30

LaSalle-Peru at Mendota, 4:30

Lincoln-Way West at Argo, 4:30

Marian Central at Carmel, 5:00

McHenry at Dixon, 2:00

McNamara at St. Francis de Sales, 4:30

Naperville Central at Lockport, 6:30

Oak Park-River Forest at Loyola, 3:00

Plano at Somonauk, 7:30

Riverside-Brookfield at Nazareth, 2:30

Romeoville at Montini, 7:00

St. Francis at Marmion, 6:00

Taft at Metea Valley, 2:30

Timothy Christian at Christ the King, 2:00

Von Steuben at Fenwick, 6:00

Waubonsie Valley at Mount Carmel, 6:00

Willowbrook at Proviso West, 6:00

Wilmington at Grant Park, 1:30

Woodland at Serena, 2:30

Woodstock at North Boone, 7:00

York at IC Catholic, 7:30

CLINTON

Seneca vs. Peoria Christian, 1:30

DE PAUL

DePaul vs. Lake Forest, 12:00

St. Ignatius vs. Glenbrook North, 1:30

Brother Rice vs. Bolingbrook, 3:30

Joliet West vs. Rolling Meadows, 5:00

ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP (PA)

De La Salle vs. Lincoln Park (PA), 7:30E

HIGHLAND

Highland vs. Notre Dame (Quincy), 9:30

Belleville East vs. Hillcrest, 11:00

Bloomington Catholic vs. New Madrid Central (MO

East St. Louis vs. Staley (MO), 2:00

Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. Christian Brothers (MO), 3:

St. Rita vs. Chaminade (MO), 5:15

Imhotep (PA) vs. Simeon, 7:00

Vashon (MO) vs. Moline, 8:30

HYDE PARK

Brooks vs. Francis Parker, 9:30

Gary Westside (IN) vs. Longwood, 10:45

Thornton vs. University High, 12:00

Danville vs. Rich, 1:20

North Lawndale vs. Lemont, 2:40

Perspectives-Lead vs. Lyons, 4:00

Hyde Park vs. Niles North, 5:20

Proviso East vs. Thornwood, 6:40

Bloom vs. Kenwood, 8:00

LORAS COLLEGE (IA)

Evanston vs. Hempstead (IA), 5:00

ROCK FALLS

Winnebago vs. Newman, 10:30

Bureau Valley vs. Reed-Custer, 12:00

Rockford Christian vs. Mercer County, 1:30

Erie-Prophetstown vs. Kewanee, 3:00

Princeton vs. Rock Falls, 6:45

ST. JOSEPH-OGDEN

Beecher vs. Bismarck-Henning-RA, 11:00

Addison Trail vs. Centennial, 12:30

Mount Zion vs. Bloomington, 2:00

Newton vs. Monticello, 3:30

University High (Normal) vs. Tolono Unity, 5:00

Nashville vs. St. Joseph-Ogden, 6:30

Kankakee vs. Notre Dame (Peoria), 8:00

TAYLORVILLE

Marian Catholic vs. Normal, 7:30

Read More

Soccer is the most popular sport in Argentina. Actually, it might be more than that.

Born in Frontera, Argentina, Fire midfielder Federico Navarro was back in his home country when Lionel Messi and the national team beat France in a thrilling final to win the World Cup. Navarro recalled the Argentina’s reaction to the victory, one that gave the South American nation its third world championship.

“Here, it’s the maximum that can happen to all of us,” Navarro said through a translator. “Here, especially, [soccer] is before anything in Argentina, before anything else. I feel like people here breathe in [soccer]. The world stops when the team is playing.”

Navarro, 22, made his professional debut for Argentine club Talleres in 2019. Though he gets paid to play the sport, it’s clear his fandom and love of the sport hasn’t waned.

When he spoke about being in Argentina during its triumph in Qatar, Navarro didn’t sound like a stilted pro who only views the game as a way to pad his bank account. He spoke like somebody proud of his nation, and truly grateful to share the moment with his family and fellow Argentines.

“It means the world to an Argentine,” Navarro said. “I was able to be in the country and watch it with my wife, but also with my grandmother, and I was able to live it as a fan and [to] watch the team win it was incredible. I really can’t explain it to you. It was just so incredible.

“Everywhere, the people were stopped. Everyone was watching. In this country, it’s the absolute maximum thing that could ever happen. Everyone wants for the team to win the World Cup.”

Navarro isn’t the only Fire player with ties to Argentina.

Midfielder Gaston Gimenez was born in Formosa, Argentina, and appeared in one match for the national team before switching to Paraguay. Navarro said he and Gimenez had been talking about the World Cup all last year, eager to see how Argentina would fare.

Now that Argentina has won, Navarro and Gimenez are planning to celebrate when they see each other by drinking mate, a traditional tea-like caffeine-infused beverage.

“[Gimenez] is Argentine 100%,” Navarro said. “I know that he switched over to play with another team because of [soccer], because sometimes [soccer] is that way and things like that happen.”

A defensive midfielder who’s built a reputation for strong challenges and endless energy, Navarro has established himself as a key part of the Fire midfield. Taking the next step and getting into contention for the 2026 World Cup roster won’t be easy because of the strength of Argentina’s player pool, but Navarro hopes to make that happen after improving his game and gaining more experience.

“That’s the biggest dream, the dream that every Argentine player has, to wear the shirt of the national team,” Navarro said. “Maybe more for us, we feel it a little bit differently, as Argentines are very passionate, and especially when it comes to representing our country and playing for our flag.”

Read More

The beauty of the new year, and a new baseball season, is the free gift of turning the page. Of saying goodbye to the past, recent or distant and starting anew.

As one might guess, Lucas Giolito is embracing this. The White Sox’ 81-81 finish last season was a stinker, and Giolito knows he was one of the many reasons why.

“For me, the biggest motivator is the failure of last year,” Giolito told the Sun-Times in a recent phone conversation. “Look in the mirror at the end of the season, at my own season and the team, not playing up to expectation. Get back on the grind in the offseason to right the ship.”

As Giolito gathered with his family in Atlanta for the holidays — to celebrate Christmas, the new year and the birthday of a grandmother who turned 100 on Dec. 29 — he was already in a better frame of mind after going 11-9 with a 4.90 ERA in 30 starts in 2022. After adding weight and muscle last offseason and tipping the scale at 280 pounds in spring training, the 6-6 Giolito is slimming down to 250-255 pounds.

“Back to the old me, I guess you could say,” Giolito said. “We tried something last offseason, and potentially I thought it was working great. We’ll never know truly if it was a good or bad move. It seemed to backfire.”

In the 5-4 loss at Detroit on Opening Day, Giolito left with an abdominal strain that landed him on the injured list. He had pitched four innings of scoreless one-hit ball with six strikeouts.

“You never want that,” Giolito said. “My body didn’t hold up as well as I wanted to. This offseason, focus is to be lean and strong but move well, be an athlete. I want to repeat my mechanics, feel agile and quick.”

A biomechanics assessment this offseason revealed misfiring in his delivery, and a throwing program reintroducing plyometric balls with focus on “getting everything back in sync, my whole kinetic chain” is going well.

“I’m rotating better, the ball is coming out better,” Giolito said.

In a nutshell, an offseason that also included an eye-opening visit to the Dominican Republic with Players for the Planet for a beach cleanup has been “fantastic. It really has,” Giolito said.

The Sox need Giolito at his best to make their rotation championship-caliber. Until further notice, he no longer sits at the top of a unit that includes Dylan Cease and Lance Lynn as the anchors, Michael Kopech and free agent Mike Clevinger.

Giolito, who can become a free agent after the season, is the only one not under contract in 2024.

“I try to stay in the present,” he said. “When it comes to free agency, if I’m sitting here thinking about it, that’s when you start to overthink. That’s not in my nature. I’m not pitching for a contract. I’m pitching for the Sox, and I want to win every game I take the ball. And let the chips fall when it’s all said and done. That’s my mindset.

“It’s going to be an important year for us after the disappointment of last season. We have a lot of new faces on the coaching-staff side, including [new manager] Pedro [Grifol]. I put myself up there as one who heavily underperformed, need to get back in good form to give us a chance to win. We’re all very motivated.”

Read More

What happened to Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Monday night was a horrifying spectacle.

Not to be cold, but NFL fans will turn the page to a fresh batch of games because they’re hopelessly hooked on football.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we wanted to know if the sport’s violent nature is at the heart of why fans watch. Does it make them more likely to watch? Less likely?

“I don’t watch MMA — I think it’s barbaric — but football, while violent, is a game of strategy, team execution and perseverance,” @RicoMuscatel commented.

“People are lying to themselves,” @davesned wrote. “Nobody’s tuning in to watch the National ‘Tag, You’re It’ League.”

We also asked what the Bears’ top priority should be, moving forward, with quarterback Justin Fields. To develop his passing skills? To protect him? To surround him with talent?

“Justin will take care of No. 1,” @79illwill offered. “Nos. 2 and 3 are on the Bears.”

Finally, we asked about Monday’s college football title game: Who wins, Georgia or TCU?

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Does the violent nature of football make you more likely to watch it or less likely to watch it?

Upshot: There’s a whole lot of “not sure” in the mix, but that might be an easy way out. Who doesn’t get some level of thrill from a so-called decleater or a pad-popping hit you can hear from the stands or your sofa? Of course fans don’t want to see injuries, but five-on-one tackles in the backfield? Heck, yes.

Poll No. 2: What’s Job 1 for the Bears re: Justin Fields going forward?

Upshot: A lot of Bears fans — perhaps most of them — are convinced Fields is a star in the making. Whether or not they’re correct about that, we can all agree he has to get better. He can’t do it, though, without a proper wall of flesh in front of him and some dangerous dudes on the outside to get open for his passes. It’s an all-of-the-above deal.

Poll No. 3: Which team wins Monday night’s college football championship game, Georgia or TCU?

Upshot: Just one-quarter of the vote going to the Horned Frogs? Actually, that might be generous. The opening point spread had the Bulldogs favored by 13 1/2 points. It has ticked down to 12 1/2 , but that’s still the biggest title-game spread of the College Football Playoff era. Then again, that’s why God invented upsets.

Read More

Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy — a football guy through and through — was too focused on preparing Nathan Peterman and beating the Vikings to give an assessment of Justin Fields’ season Thursday.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten there yet. We’re dialed into Minnesota,” Getsy said. “I’m ready to give everything I’ve got for these guys this week. Honestly, I’ve not reflected yet. Obviously I’m excited about this opportunity — excited for Nate to go out there and have some opportunities for himself.”

While Getsy is zoned in on getting Peterman ready — as honorable as it is — everybody else has moved on to 2023. Not just fans and media, but apparently general manager Ryan Poles after the Bears suddenly announced that Justin Fields would not play in Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Vikings because of … a hip injury.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus, poker-faced all season, didn’t even wink when he said it. But he wasn’t very convincing. Eberflus has played it coy all season with injuries — and now, with the No. 1 overall draft pick in sight, Fields is out on Wednesday? Hmmm …

Fields, who eats right, has been a quick healer in his two seasons with he Bears. He was day-to-day with a separated shoulder in Week 12 against the Jets. He was listed as questionable heading into the game, and eventually did not play.

“It’s just what the doctors said it was,” Eberflus said. “They said he strained his groin [actually his hip, but what’s the difference?] and he’s not going to go full speed by Sunday. That’s where it is.”

That’s indeed where it is and where it should be.

The Bears don’t need to sit Justin Fields to lose games — they’ve lost 12 of his 15 starts this season, including the last eight in a row. Sitting Fields in a game with no playoff implications (for the Bears, at least) avoids the risk of Fields aggravating the hip injury or otherwise getting hurt. There’s too much at stake to risk that.

And yes, it gives the Bears a better chance to lose and solidify the No. 2 pick, with a chance to get the No. 1 pick. That matters. The Bears aren’t going to make a mockery of this game. Peterman is a legitimate back-up quarterback with starting experience. The Bears might even win — the Vikings have their own knack for spoiling a good thing.

But a loss is more valuable than a win. It’s just the way it is, without a draft lottery in the NFL. And even in a draft without an apparent Peyton Manning or John Elway, the No. 1 pick is a factor. Even the Texans might have to bid to get their quarterback if they drop to No. 2, and that could raise the price significantly. This isn’t chicanery, it’s prudence.

It can make a difference. In 2020, the Jaguars trailed the winless Jets for the No. 1 overall pick with three weeks to go. But when they leap-frogged the Jets in the draft order after the Jets beat the Rams in Week 15, the Jaguars started Mike Glennon over Gardner Minshew (95.9 passer rating, 16 touchdowns, five interceptions) for the final two games.

The Jaguars lost to the Bears (41-17) and Colts (28-14) to secure the No.1 pick and took Trevor Lawrence. The Jets settled for Zach Wilson.

Timing is everything, of course. And you have to find the right guy. Who knows if the Bears would have taken Terry Bradshaw or Mike Phipps in 1970, or Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf in 1998? There’s little doubt that Ryan Poles is hoping for the chance to get it right.

Read More

Key matchup

The Vikings are expected to play their starters Sunday with a chance for the No. 2 seed in the NFC, but also to get back on track after a 41-17 loss to the Packers last week. That starts with quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson — the most prolific pass-catch connection in the NFL this season.

Jefferson’s spectacular season (124 receptions, 1,771 yards, eight touchdowns) started with a dominant performance against the Packers — nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. But he was shut down by the Packers in the rematch last week — just one catch for 15 yards as Cousins had a season-low 49.2 passer rating (one touchdown, three interceptions).

Jefferson burned the Bears with 12 receptions for 154 yards (12.8 average) on 13 targets in Week 5 at U.S. Bank Stadium — including 10 catches for 138 yards in the first half.

The Bears were without Jaylon Johnson in that game and will be again Sunday. Rookie Kyler Gordon, finishing strong with interceptions against the Eagles and Bills, is questionable with a groin injury.

With Kindle Vildor, Josh Blackwell and Jaylon Jones also out with injuries, the Bears are down to former Vikings fifth-round pick Harrison Hand, journeyman Breon Borders and former Broncos third-round pick Michael Ojemudia as their cornerbacks to battle Jefferson.

Trending

The Bears have lost nine consecutive games, the longest losing streak in franchise history. And their short-handed defense — missing five Week 1 starters, including linebacker Roquan Smith, safety Eddie Jackson and Johnson — is fading fast.

The Bears are 28th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (369.3) and 32nd and last in points allowed per game (27.1). But in the last five games, they’ve allowed an average of 434.6 yards per game (last in the NFL) and 32.0 points per game (31st) — including 504 yards and 41 points in a 41-10 loss to the Lions last week at Ford Field.

The Vikings, though, also are struggling defensively. In the last six weeks, they’ve allowed an average of 410 yards (31st in the NFL) and 30.5 points (30th).

Player to watch

Bears rookie Velus Jones had one of the few highlights in the debacle against the Lions last week — a 63-yard kickoff return at the end of the first half.

After a difficult rookie season marred by two muffed punts and a critical fumble on an end-around, Jones has shown some spunk lately. He had 40-yard kickoff returns against the Packers and Bills and a 44-yard reception against the Bills.

X-factor

There is more value in losing than winning for the Bears. With a chance to solidify the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft — and possibly getting the No. 1 pick — the Bears made an unusually quick decision to sit quarterback Justin Fields and start Nathan Peterman. The offseason can’t start soon enough for them.

Read More

There’s something special about the No. 3 in baseball. Three strikes and you’re out. Three outs and your team is out. A game consists of three sets of three innings. Three times 30 gives you the distance between the bases. Three times 20 gives you the distance between the mound and home plate. What’s more exciting than seeing a player going for a “three-bagger?” Cubs manager David Ross wears No. 3. The White Sox retired Harold Baines’ No. 3. And, of course, Babe Ruth wore No. 3. Don’t forget the Three Musketeers, the Three Stooges, the Three Wise Monkeys, the Three Blind Mice, the Three Bears and Huey, Dewey and Louie, Donald Duck’s three nephews.

This brings us to the year 2023, a year that ends in “3.” Good luck with these three groups of three questions. Have fun, and learn a lot.

1. In 1923, Hall of Fame pitcher Grover -Cleveland Alexander won 22 games for the Cubs, despite allowing a league-leading 17 homers. For perspective, nine pitchers -allowed 17 homers last season, and they tied for 66th in the majors. None pitched more than 152 innings. Alexander pitched 305 that season. In 1952, a movie was made about Alexander’s life called “The Winning Team.” Doris Day portrayed his wife. Who played Alexander?

a. Rock Hudson b. Jimmy Stewart

c. Ronald Reagan d. Karl Malden

2. In 1933, playing for the White Sox, Hall of Fame outfielder Al Simmons drove in 119 runs. It was his 10th straight season to start his career with 100-plus RBI. (He made it 11 the following season.) In 1933, he also had 200 hits. It was his sixth season with 200-plus hits and 100-plus RBI. Who holds the record for most seasons with that combo?

a. Al Simmons b. Alex Rodriguez

c. Lou Gehrig d. Vladimir Guerrero

3. In 1943, the Yankees beat the Cardinals in the World Series. The Cubs were a fifth-place club, and the White Sox finished fourth. The Cubs’ Bill Nicholson led Chicago and the -National League with 29 homers, and the -Tigers’ Rudy York led the majors with 34. There weren’t many homers that season. How many of the 16 teams hit more homers than the 62 that Aaron Judge hit last season?

a. 6 b. 7

c. 10 d. 12

4. In 1953, Major League Baseball had its first relocation of a team in 50 years. Which team moved? Give yourself extra points if you know the from and to.

a. Athletics b. Braves

c. Browns d. Senators

5. In 1963, the stars shone brightly. Which one of these round-number accomplishments did not happen?

a. Willie McCovey hit his 100th career home run.

b. Al Kaline hit his 200th career home run.

c. Willie Mays hit his 400th career home run.

d. Ernie Banks hit his 400th career home run.

6. In 1973, the American League adopted the designated-hitter rule. As you remember from a previous quiz, Ron Blomberg of the Yankees became the first DH in MLB history on April 6. That season, the White Sox had three batters with over 100 plate appearances as the DH. Who had the most?

a. Mike Andrews b. Ken Henderson

c. Carlos May

7. In 1983, the White Sox won 99 games and the AL West. The Cubs lost 91 games and did not win the NL East. (The fact that the Sox were in the West and the Cubs were in the East is a discussion for another time.) The Sox’ Tony La Russa and the Dodgers’ Tommy Lasorda were managers of the year, and LaMarr Hoyt was the AL Cy Young winner. The Sox also had the AL Rookie of the Year. Who was he?

a. Harold Baines b. Ron Kittle

c. Rudy Law d. Mike Boddicker

8. In 2013, the major leagues consisted of two leagues comprised of three divisions each for the first time. What event occurred that enabled this to happen?

a. The Padres were created.

b. The Brewers moved to the National League.

c. The Astros moved to the American League.

d. All of the above.

9. Name the only MLB player who ended his career with 2,023 hits. On Aug. 15, 1999, he homered in his final at-bat. He spent part of his career with the White Sox.

a. Ken Singleton b. Amos Otis

c. Brandon Phillips d. Tony Phillips

Have a happy new year, filled with many correct answers to the quiz. Don’t forget to write.

ANSWERS

1. Pete Alexander (as he was called) was played by Ronald Reagan. Major-leaguers Bob Lemon, Jerry Priddy, Peanuts Lowrey, George Metkovich, Irv Noren, Hank Sauer, Al Zarilla and Gene Mauch all appeared in the movie.

2. Simmons did it six times. A-Rod did it three times, Vlad four and Lou Gehrig an amazing eight times.

3. In 1943, in the AL, the Yankees hit 100 homers, the Browns 78 and the Tigers 77. In the NL, the New York Giants hit 81 homers, the Cardinals 70 and the Phillies 66. Only six teams had more than Judge. The Cubs hit 52 and the White Sox 33.

4. The Boston Braves moved to beautiful new County Stadium in Milwaukee.

5. Kaline hit his 200th career home run on June 10. Willie Mays hit No. 400 on Aug. 27. “Stretch” hit No. 100 on Sept. 5. But Ernie Banks hit his 400th on Sept. 2, 1965.

6. Carlos May had the most plate appearances with 312. Mike Andrews was the White Sox’ first DH and was released that July.

7. Franco and Boddicker finished second and third in the voting, respectively. I would have liked Rudy Law to have won because his name started with “La,” but his rookie season was in 1980. Ron Kittle was the Rookie of the Year. He made the All-Star team (his only time) and led the league in strikeouts.

8. The Astros’ move to the AL West created two 15-team leagues separated into three five-team divisions. With an odd number of teams in each league, interleague games were played nearly every day during the season. Both Chicago teams were put into the Central divisions of their respective leagues.

9. Tony Phillips had 2,023 hits, 201 of them coming in the 189 games he played for the White Sox in 1996 and ’97. He homered in his last MLB at-bat.

Read More

NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had the coin: a 1921 silver dollar.

The Steelers’ Dan Rooney told Bears executive Ed McCaskey to call it in the air.

McCaskey chose heads.

As the coin flipped into the air in a New Orleans hotel ballroom a few days before Super Bowl IV, the Steelers and Bears had a lot at stake. Both had finished 1-13 in 1969, forcing the NFL to settle which team had the right to draft first in 1970.

Art Rooney, the Steelers’ founder and Dan’s father, believed in letting your opponent call the coin toss. At dinner later, he told McCaskey that his calling heads was a “sucker play.”

The reason: The coin landed on the tablecloth, bounced and came up tails.

The Steelers got the first pick and selected Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who would go on to win four Super Bowls and reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Bears, who spent the next 50-plus years looking for a quarterback, traded the No. 2 pick to the Packers for linebacker LeRoy Caffey, running back Elijah Pitts and offensive lineman Bob Hylund. The Bears would cut Pitts that year; the other two played a season each for them.

Fifty-three years later, the Bears have the next, best opportunity to draft first. They need to lose to the Vikings on Sunday at Soldier Field and have the 2-13-1 Texans win in Indianapolis.

The Bears would pick second if they and the Texans lose. If the Bears win, they can draft no lower than fourth.

In 1970, there was a giant difference between the first and second pick. The Bears have felt the ripples of it for half a century.

But exactly how much more valuable is No. 1 than No. 2 this time around?

Who’s better?

Historically, it’s a toss-up. Since the draft was shortened to 12 rounds in 1977, six No. 1 overall draft selections have made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So have six players drafted second.

Eight of the players selected first overall in the last 10 drafts — not counting 2022 — reached the Pro Bowl. Combined, they made 19 Pro Bowls. Six players picked No. 2 overall in the last 10 drafts made the Pro Bowl and went a combined nine times.

Extrapolated further, though, 15 of the last 20 No. 1 overall picks made the Pro Bowl for a combined 37 appearances. Eleven out of the 20 No. 2 overall picks made the Pro Bowl but combined to reach it 38 times.

Look under center

The top draft pick is worth more when there’s a quarterback to select. Whether one is truly worthy or teams convince themselves that’s the case is another question.

Quarterbacks have found themselves at the top of the draft 16 times since 2000, including six of the last eight years. But a quarterback has gone second overall only five times in that span.

The lesson: Most years, the only way to guarantee a team gets the quarterback it wants is to draft first overall.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young could go first overall this year. That would be good news for the Bears if they end up with the first pick. Presuming they’re convinced that Justin Fields is their answer at quarterback, they could auction the No. 1 spot to the most quarterback-hungry team.

That pick would be a lot more tempting to the acquiring team than No. 2.

More options

The real value of drafting No. 1 is options.

Moving the No. 1 is typically rare because, in the modern era, a team with an established quarterback isn’t often the worst squad in the league. But teams that do have a quarterback historically have landed a haul in return.

In 2016, the Titans traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams, along with picks in Rounds 4 and 6, for the Nos. 15, 43, 45 and 76 picks in 2016 and Nos. 5 and 100 in 2017. The Rams drafted Jared Goff.

In 2004, the Chargers drafted Eli Manning first overall and — because he said he refused to play for them — traded him to the Giants minutes later for the No. 4 overall pick, a third-rounder in 2004 and first- and third-rounders in 2005.

The Jimmy Johnson chart

The Jimmy Johnson trade value chart was developed by the former Cowboys coach about 30 years ago. The chart became an easy short-hand way for teams to exchange trade ideas, though no club follows it exactly.

How much more valuable is No. 1 than No. 2?

The chart assigns 3,000 points to the first overall pick, 2,600 to the second, 2,200 to the third and 1,800 to the fourth. To move up from No. 2 to No. 1 using the chart, a team would have to also trade the No. 18 pick in Round 2.

Tell that to a team desperate to draft a quarterback, though. The price of the No. 1 overall pick skyrockets when there’s a passer at stake.

The Texans would be happy to draft one first overall. But Bears general manager Ryan Poles likely would begin strategizing how best to use the pick — and whether to trade it.

Both topics are more interesting than anything they put on the field this season.

Read More