Chicago Sports

Kenwood’s offense is either one-dimensional or three-dimensional, depending on your point of view.

The Broncos have an FBS receiver in Western Michigan recruit Logan Lester, but they rarely throw the ball. In a 58-0 victory Saturday against host Perspectives in a Class 6A playoff game, Kenwood attempted five passes and completed one — for a four-yard touchdown to Lester.

The Broncos also spread 29 carries among six running backs, finishing with 262 rushing yards behind a big, strong offensive line. There isn’t necessarily a featured back in the group, but the three leaders are seniors Taylen Goodwin and Davonte Johnson and junior Mako Grant.

Goodwin had 129 yards and two touchdowns on six carries, Johnson had three rushes for 84 yards and a touchdown and Grant ran seven times for 92 yards and a touchdown. They’re all fine with the mix-and-match approach.

”It keeps everybody refreshed,” Goodwin said. ”A well-oiled machine. I can’t thank my [fellow] backs enough. Mako and ‘Juice’ [Johnson], they’re great backs. It’s a great tandem.”

Johnson said there are no egos about the distribution of carries.

”We don’t really look at it as competition,” he said. ”We look at it as, if one gets tired, we put another one in. We get the win, that’s all we care about.”

Grant called it ”a nice, friendly competition. We all better each other. . . . Even though we’re three different backs, we ball as one.”

Kenwood coach Sinque Turner understands some observers might question the Broncos’ heavy reliance on the run game. But as the calendar flips to November and nastier weather looms, he’s OK relying on his ball carriers to shoulder the offensive load.

”It gives me a sense of security,” he said. ”I feel like we can protect the ball better, control the clock a little bit and still have some offensive production. It may seem one-dimensional, but when you’ve got those three guys who can do so many different things and whatnot, I don’t call that one-dimensional.”

That’s part of the trio’s value: They all bring a little different look. Defenders can lose track of Goodwin, who’s 5-7, behind Kenwood’s linemen. Johnson and Grant are a little bigger at 5-9 and 5-11, respectively.

”They’ve all got a little speed behind them, and Mako Grant runs behind the shoulder pads really good,” Turner said. ”Taylen did a really good job of running behind the shoulder pads today, and ‘Juice’ is more of a slasher. But they’re all pretty good running backs.

”We haven’t been able to run the ball as effectively as I wanted to throughout the whole season, but this is a good time to peak.”

Up next for Kenwood (7-3) is Bremen (9-1), which also features a run-heavy offense with a trio of backs: Breyahn Townsend, Keshawn Lewis-Hunt and Dion Debrue. The Braves average 347 rushing yards per game.

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Billy Donovan knew several of his players didn’t look right late in the game against San Antonio on Friday.

The Bulls coach found out a day later the exact toll that loss took.

Both Ayo Dosunmu (neck and back) and Andre Drummond (shoulder strain) missed the game with the 76ers, with the only good news to come out of it was that neither injury was deemed serious or considered more than a few days.

That didn’t mean the timing was great, however.

Since taking over the starting point guard duties from Lonzo Ball (knee surgery), Dosunmu was growing each game, especially from three point range. Entering the night, the former Morgan Park standout was shooting 45.8% from long range, and taking that shot with confidence.

“Just my hard work,” Dosunmu said of his improvements from three. “That was a part of my game I knew I had to improve.”

Not that he was awful from three last season as a rookie, hitting 37.6% from out there, but Dosunmu knew he would be leaned on early while Ball was recovering. When the Bulls offense was at its best last season, Ball was finding himself open the corner and knocking that shot down consistently.

Dosunmu is trying to do the same.

“The reason why I think he has such great growth ahead of him is because of his ability to really learn and pick-up things,” Donovan said of Dosunmu and his outside shooting. “He can pick it up through film, he can pick it up through his own personal experience when you talk to him. He’s certainly made a lot of growth in that area [shooting three pointers].

“The next step for him is reading the floor on when we want him to drive. There’s times the ball is getting to him and it probably needs to be swung instead of driven. Sometimes he’s got to see what’s going on around him, and he’ll get that through experience.”

As for Drummond and the shoulder, the big man took a nasty fall against the Spurs, but opted to play through it. His range of motion was an issue on Saturday morning, so he was sidelined.

Like Dosunmu, not an easy loss because of how effective Drummond has been as a rebounder. Not only did the back-up center score 17 points against the Spurs, but ripped down 14 boards.

The Bulls will take Sunday off, Monday will be a practice day, and Donovan was hoping to have both players available for the game in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Maxing out

When Patrick Williams was talking last week about finding a comfort zone playing alongside All-Stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, one of the names that was brought up was 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.

Not only was Maxey from Williams’ 2020 draft class, but has had to figure out playing with All-Stars Joel Embiid and James Harden.

He’s done more than figure it out, however, evident by the 44-point game he put up on Friday.

According to Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers, it’s a two-way street that young players have to navigate. Yes, they have to find their way, but they also have to show enough for veterans to trust them. That could be the biggest difference between Williams and Maxey right now.

“Especially in Tyrese’s case, that you can trust him,” Rivers said. “You can trust giving him the ball down the stretch. Trust is a tough one for veterans. Selective passing at the end of games to me kills teams. You’ve got to give the ball to the open guy, and the more we do that the better for our team.”

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A man was shot and killed Saturday near the front of a residence in Roseland on the Far South Side.

The man, 27, was shot in the neck about 6:15 p.m. outside a home in the 400 block of West 104th Street, Chicago police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

No further information about the shooting was immediately available.

No one was in custody.

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Ozzie Guillen confirmed he had his interview with the White Sox for their vacant manager’s job this week. Like everyone else, he’s waiting to see what the Sox’ decision-makers do.

It’s possible the Sox, who are said to have made an extensive search since Tony La Russa stepped down at the end of the season, make a choice next week. The general managers meetings are the following week in Las Vegas, and they ideally would have someone in place by then.

Major League Baseball encourages teams to avoid major announcements during the World Series, which could be over as soon as Tuesday if the Phillies sweep the Astros or run through Saturday if it goes seven games. There are off days Sunday and Thursday.

Guillen, who managed the 2005 World Series champion Sox, is eager to find out what he’ll be doing in 2023. He wants to manage again but says he would be OK with continuing as studio analyst for the team’s telecasts on NBC Sports Chicago.

Because he has watched the team almost every day, interacts with players and has relationships with some, especially the Spanish speaking players, Guillen maintains “no one knows this club better than me.”

Guillen, who left the Sox under contentious terms at the end of the 2011 season, has since mended fences with the organization, although chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in 2017 said Guillen wouldn’t be able to return.

Guillen also had a turbulent relationship with then general manager Ken Williams, but Williams — the executive vice president now with Rick Hahn the GM — is known to be a fan of Guillen’s passion. Williams was dissatisfied with the Sox’ shortage of energy and fire last season, when they finished a disappointing 81-81.

The Sox have worked hard to keep their manager wish list relatively quiet. Astros bench coach Joe Espada, who is involved in the World Series, was interviewed two weeks ago.

Former broadcaster Ken Harrelson said this week that Guillen would be the best choice, because of his qualifications and because he would “reinvigorate the fan base.” Harrelson didn’t believe Guillen would get the job, but Guillen would be a fairly popular choice among some media and fans.

“It’s a big decision,” Harrelson said. “It’s more than hiring a manager, it’s getting our fans into it. Because a lot of our fans are really, really disappointed about last season.

“Ozzie wants to win, it’s that simple. He’s the best manager I’ve had in my career with the Sox, and he has a ring to prove it.”

Guillen, who turns 59 in January, still lives in Chicago and spends much of his time with his family, including grandchildren.

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BUFFALO, N.Y. — Jack Johnson’s ice time exceeded 20 minutes more often during the Blackhawks’ first seven games this season (six times) than it had over Johnson’s last two seasons combined (five times).

The 35-year-old veteran defenseman enjoyed that. For the first time in a while, he wasn’t getting stiff on the bench and feeling like he needed to “warm up” at the start of each shift.

But that workload and usage probably wasn’t sustainable for either Johnson, at this late stage of his career, or the Hawks. And with Jake McCabe having worked his way back to full fitness, coach Luke Richardson felt ready Saturday to promote McCabe to the first pairing alongside Seth Jones.

“He looks confident [and] he’s playing with a great gap,” Richardson said about McCabe. “It’s just time to progress his minutes and his responsibility. He’s been really good since he’s been back and he’s getting better every game.”

Johnson settled into the third pairing next to Caleb Jones — the spot McCabe had occupied since returning from back surgery in the Hawks’ fourth game — while the second pairing of Connor Murphy and Jarred Tinordi remained unchanged.

McCabe has played well so far this season — aside from one lowlight Thursday against Connor McDavid — and earned the bigger role. Entering Saturday, he led Hawks defensemen in terms of both expected-goals-against rate and expected-goals ratio at five-on-five.

“For the most part, I’ve liked my game,” McCabe said Thursday. “I’ve been pretty steady, defending well, making simple plays [and] trying to make my partner’s life easy.”

Lighter Stalock

Hawks goalie Alex Stalock sweats a lot.

Drops of liquid pour off his hair, forehead and chin after he leaves the ice as if he was just caught in a thunderstorm, requiring him to keep a towel on hand to regularly dry off his face. He has to drink “quite a bit” of water to stay hydrated.

But he has been pleased with how his conditioning and endurance have held up so far. He believes entering this fall at the lowest weight of his NHL career has helped.

“As anybody knows, when you’re not doing anything, you can’t get your heart rate up [and] stuff adds up,” he said. “All of a sudden, [when] you get thrown back into the mix, you’re not where you want to be physically.

“They gave me an opportunity here [and I] wanted to come in and give myself the best chance. I got into the best shape I could, and obviously it’s paying off. I feel great at 35 years old.”

Stalock will make his fifth start Sunday against the Wild after a day off Saturday during Arvid Soderblom’s start.

Katchouk debuts

Hawks forward Boris Katchouk will make his season debut Saturday after four weeks sidelined by a sprained ankle.

“Four weeks doesn’t sound too long, but when it actually happens, it’s pretty long,” he said pregame. “I’m pretty hungry to get back in there.”

The 24-year-old winger, acquired from the Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade, hasn’t found his Hawks niche as quickly as counterpart Taylor Raddysh has. He tallied just one point in 21 games at the end of last season, although hits — of which he had 40 — might be a better way to quantify his playing style.

Richardson said he wants Katchouk to focus on crashing the crease, noting that “shots on the net and a big body going to the net” is usually a good combination.

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The Chicago Bulls look to avenge Friday’s loss, as they battle the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center as betting underdogs.

Friday night’s finish ended in disappointment for the Chicago Bulls as they fell to the San Antonio Spurs 129-124. With Zach LaVine sidelined via load management, Demar Derozan became the 50th player in NBA history to cross the 20,000 career point mark, as he poured in a team-high 33 points.

Philly saw a different outcome on Friday night with their star also sidelined, as the 76ers took down Toronto 112-90 with Joel Embiid out of the lineup. Tyrese Maxey dropped an eye-opening 44 points in the win, hitting nine three-pointers. Both Zach LaVine and Joel Embiid should be expected to return to each lineup on Saturday night.

Friday night did have it’s silver linings, as the best bet of the day blog improved to 5-1 behind Demar Derozan’s point output! Let’s keep things on the winning track for our betslips and let’s get our Chicago Bulls following suit! Today’s play will be all or nothing for both, so strap your war helmets on because the Bulls are winning a big game tonight. Let’s see some red, and GO BULLS!!

2022 Bulls Best Bet Record: 5-1

Chicago Bulls ML (+115) (Sportsbook odds may vary)

If you have paid any attention to these Bulls-76ers matchups over the past couple of years, you may be surprised to see this pick tonight. If you have been following along with me at all, this play is all about buying into betting strategies, line pricing, and public overreactions.

The first thing to note is the public perception of this game and teams. Even if you have not paid close attention to the recent matchups between these teams, the general consensus is that Philly is a vastly superior team, and maybe on paper, or if you’re getting the best version of each team, that might be true. In tonight’s case, a line of two points or less in favor of Philly, is incredibly enticing to anybody that believes in this Philly team, or believes they are going to see a beatdown at the hands of Joel Embiid himself.

The general consensus on money splits for this game is a reflection of that public belief. At the time of writing, approximately 11:20am, DraftKings tracker shows 85% of money on Philly’s spread, and 60% of moneyline bets tilting to the 76ers as well. By no means is fading the public a strategy that can be played on every single game, but in certain spots can be very useful, especially if you can couple it with a, “why the hell is this line so short” situation.

Last night’s games for each team also piles onto the average person’s perception of these teams. Regardless of the absence of each team’s all-star player, a 76ers team beating a solid Raptors team convincingly and a Chicago Bulls team losing to a bad Spurs team, is going to fuel an even heavier recency bias, furthering the question, “why the hell is this line so short?”

The greater concern as far as individual matchups themselves is the Embiid-Nikola Vucevic battle. Over Vucevic’s time with Chicago, this matchup has been a nightmare for him, and the 76ers have found themselves in the win column because of it.

On one hand, I would argue Vucevic has looked like a more consistent and confident version of himself through the opening games, as compared to his first season and a half with the team. In addition, and potentially more importantly, the addition of Andre Drummond should prove to be immensely helpful for matchups such as this. Drummond was banged up a bit in last night’s loss, but with no current injury designation, his efforts will need to be seen tonight if the Bulls want to improve to 4-3.

To close things out, until last night’s outburst from Tyrese Maxey, this 76ers offense has been incredibly inconsistent, ranking 25th in points per game. This Chicago Bulls defense has of course shown its’ issues, but an out of sorts offense may be exactly what they need to finally take down this Philly squad.

Give me the Bulls outright tonight with a balanced scoring attack from start to finish. See Red, and GO BULLS!!

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The final primetime slate of at 7pm has a couple good games and a couple big rivalries to close out the day.

Here are the best college football games and best bets for the 7pm window that entail a couple games that have play-off implications.

Kentucky vs. Tennessee on ESPN

Kentucky is coming to Rocky Top where plenty of opponents this year in college football have faced its wrath. Kentucky is off a bye and it gave Will Levis another week to heal up. He missed the South Carolina game a few weeks ago which was a tough one to lose but he did bounce back and beat Mississippi State at home the next week. Kentucky’s offense stinks besides Levis and its not Levis’ fault they stink so bad it’s the system. Mark Stoop is a good coach but his offense is behind the times. They run the ball way too much especially when Will Levis is at QB who has one of the best arms in the country. The big issue is Tennessee stinks at pass coverage. Like they are really bad. But they can stop the run especially at home as they only allow 90 yards per game rushing.  Kentucky won’t get a better QB than Will Levis and the pro style offense isn’t going to do them any favors in the SEC. Kentucky to be successful will have to throw more on Saturday.

Tennessee is a different level this year in college football and it is fun to watch. Neyland Stadium is absolutely insane every home game and I have to believe it will be the same on Saturday. Hendon Hooker and Josh Heupel are starting to feel like robot with how methodical and stone faced they are when they are stomping opponents or it’s a close game. We haven’t seen a team besides Alabama or Georgia in a while that has absolute confidence that they will win the game and Tennessee has shown us that trait this year. Kentucky is pretty good at defense this year and like they have been under Stoops’ tenure. Being a good defense doesn’t mean too much when you head to Neyland Stadium especially this year.

The Bet: Tennessee seem to be on a mission and it’s starting to feel like it is their year to be dominant. Tennessee -12.

Michigan State vs. Michigan on ABC

Michigan State is bad this year and it has to do a lot with the loss of Kenneth Walker. I watched plenty of Michigan State last year as it was fun to watch a different team be good in the Big Ten in college football and Kenneth Walker was electric week in week out. The thing is I also watched a lot of Payton Thorne at QB for Michigan State and he was not very good. If it wasn’t for teams having to plan for Kenny so much Payton Thorne would have shown everyone last year what he is this year. Not good. The team hasn’t found a guy to take over for Kenneth and the defense is worse than last year and they were bad last year.

Michigan is rolling still and definitely on their way to a big time matchup against Ohio State in the coming weeks. I would say we need to see more from the young QB JJ McCarthy but they run the ball so well with Blake Corum it seems we won’t need to see great QB play until Ohio State. The defense is really good again even after losing Hutchinson and Ojabo. This is a big rivalry game in college football and Michigan has lost to Michigan State twice in a row and for how much people don’t think that affects Harbaugh I think this year he wants to dominate.

The Bet: Michigan at home at night, Payton Thorne is going to have a bad time and hopefully I’m right about Harbaugh wanting to dominate and run it up. Michigan -23.

Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M on SEC Network

Now the only reason I’m talking about this game is because both these teams are embarrassing to college football. Also the other game at this time aren’t that great either. Ole Miss I knew weren’t good because Jaxson Dart is their QB and Lane Kiffin has never had a good defense before but to lose to LSU like they did is embarrassing and annoying because I had Ole Miss ML and they were in the driver seat. I said Jaxson Dart wasn’t good and he showed it perfectly and now they go to A&M where things look even worse than at Ole Miss.

Texas A&M is truly embarrassing with the money they have in college football spent on recruits, facilities, coaches and more. Just like with Notre Dame I hated how they didn’t go and get a QB or at least recruit a stud and have him start to build the program up over the years. A&M got Max Johnson from LSU who isn’t bad but I know for a fact he’s better than Haynes King and Jimbo started the year with Haynes which was a huge mistake and then switched to Max when everything was already bad. Now he has switched back to Haynes at QB and its a real shame players like Devon Achane who is very very good have to play for a horrible system like Jimbo’s and play with QB’s that are not good.

The Bet: Miserable game in general but I’m taking Ole Miss -1.5 because A&M stinks more and they are more annoying.

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The final primetime slate of at 7pm has a couple good games and a couple big rivalries to close out the day.

Here are the best college football games and best bets for the 7pm window that entail a couple games that have play-off implications.

Kentucky vs. Tennessee on ESPN

Kentucky is coming to Rocky Top where plenty of opponents this year in college football have faced its wrath. Kentucky is off a bye and it gave Will Levis another week to heal up. He missed the South Carolina game a few weeks ago which was a tough one to lose but he did bounce back and beat Mississippi State at home the next week. Kentucky’s offense stinks besides Levis and its not Levis’ fault they stink so bad it’s the system. Mark Stoop is a good coach but his offense is behind the times. They run the ball way too much especially when Will Levis is at QB who has one of the best arms in the country. The big issue is Tennessee stinks at pass coverage. Like they are really bad. But they can stop the run especially at home as they only allow 90 yards per game rushing.  Kentucky won’t get a better QB than Will Levis and the pro style offense isn’t going to do them any favors in the SEC. Kentucky to be successful will have to throw more on Saturday.

Tennessee is a different level this year in college football and it is fun to watch. Neyland Stadium is absolutely insane every home game and I have to believe it will be the same on Saturday. Hendon Hooker and Josh Heupel are starting to feel like robot with how methodical and stone faced they are when they are stomping opponents or it’s a close game. We haven’t seen a team besides Alabama or Georgia in a while that has absolute confidence that they will win the game and Tennessee has shown us that trait this year. Kentucky is pretty good at defense this year and like they have been under Stoops’ tenure. Being a good defense doesn’t mean too much when you head to Neyland Stadium especially this year.

The Bet: Tennessee seem to be on a mission and it’s starting to feel like it is their year to be dominant. Tennessee -12.

Michigan State vs. Michigan on ABC

Michigan State is bad this year and it has to do a lot with the loss of Kenneth Walker. I watched plenty of Michigan State last year as it was fun to watch a different team be good in the Big Ten in college football and Kenneth Walker was electric week in week out. The thing is I also watched a lot of Payton Thorne at QB for Michigan State and he was not very good. If it wasn’t for teams having to plan for Kenny so much Payton Thorne would have shown everyone last year what he is this year. Not good. The team hasn’t found a guy to take over for Kenneth and the defense is worse than last year and they were bad last year.

Michigan is rolling still and definitely on their way to a big time matchup against Ohio State in the coming weeks. I would say we need to see more from the young QB JJ McCarthy but they run the ball so well with Blake Corum it seems we won’t need to see great QB play until Ohio State. The defense is really good again even after losing Hutchinson and Ojabo. This is a big rivalry game in college football and Michigan has lost to Michigan State twice in a row and for how much people don’t think that affects Harbaugh I think this year he wants to dominate.

The Bet: Michigan at home at night, Payton Thorne is going to have a bad time and hopefully I’m right about Harbaugh wanting to dominate and run it up. Michigan -23.

Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M on SEC Network

Now the only reason I’m talking about this game is because both these teams are embarrassing to college football. Also the other game at this time aren’t that great either. Ole Miss I knew weren’t good because Jaxson Dart is their QB and Lane Kiffin has never had a good defense before but to lose to LSU like they did is embarrassing and annoying because I had Ole Miss ML and they were in the driver seat. I said Jaxson Dart wasn’t good and he showed it perfectly and now they go to A&M where things look even worse than at Ole Miss.

Texas A&M is truly embarrassing with the money they have in college football spent on recruits, facilities, coaches and more. Just like with Notre Dame I hated how they didn’t go and get a QB or at least recruit a stud and have him start to build the program up over the years. A&M got Max Johnson from LSU who isn’t bad but I know for a fact he’s better than Haynes King and Jimbo started the year with Haynes which was a huge mistake and then switched to Max when everything was already bad. Now he has switched back to Haynes at QB and its a real shame players like Devon Achane who is very very good have to play for a horrible system like Jimbo’s and play with QB’s that are not good.

The Bet: Miserable game in general but I’m taking Ole Miss -1.5 because A&M stinks more and they are more annoying.

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The Fire enter the offseason in a familiar spot, trying to patch theholes that once again kept them from a playoff berth. With a vacant designated player slot and clear needs, the Fire should be busy before next spring.

Goalkeeper

Coach Ezra Hendrickson seemed to shut the door on Gabriel Slonina spending time on loan with the Fire next year, saying he’s “gone”during a postseason media availability.

With Slonina apparently out of the picture, the Fire will need to find another goalie. Chris Brady is the early favorite to replace Slonina as the starter, while backup Spencer Richey is also under contract.

How the Fire actually feel about Brady should be clear when they sign another goalie: if it’s an experienced veteran, that might indicate they think Brady needs more time. If it’s an unheralded journeyman or young project, the job is Brady’s to lose.

Defender

Veteran right back Boris Sekulic is out of contract, and the Fire will look for his replacement. The in-house options aren’t appealing, sothe Fire will be searching for somebody to take his spot. Sekulic spent three steady but unspectacular years with the Fire.

The rest of the back line should be more stable, though during the season the Fire were reportedly linked with Silkeborg IF’s center back Tobias Salquist. Like everywhere else, adding depth should be a goal, even if the defense was a relative strength in 2022.

Midfielder

The Fire look set deep in the midfield with Gaston Gimenez and Federico Navarro. Gimenez’s health will be worth watching after season-ending hamstring surgery, but his new deal that means he’s no longer a DP should lessen expectations on a player who has divided opinions among Fire fans and observers.

Mauricio Pineda can provide cover for Gimenez if he’s not fully healthy and is also dependable on the back line.

Further up the field, the Fire are locked into Xherdan Shaqiri, Chris Mueller, Jairo Torres and Brian Gutierrez. Additional options for Hendrickson wouldn’t be a bad thing, but the Fire don’t need to make a splash here.

Striker

This is the most intriguing position entering the offseason.

After Kacper Przybylko flopped and could be sent out of town this winter, it would seem like the Fire clearly need to add a proven performer who can produce as the lone striker in Hendrickson’s 4-2-3-1 formation. This is where that open DP spot could come into play, and a good signing would provide goals that Przybylko didn’t. If that acquisition is a big name who could draw fans to Soldier Field and SeatGeek Stadium, all the better.

However, the future of young star Jhon Duran complicates matters. If Duran stays for another full season, there’s a compelling argument that he should be handed the starting job, which theoretically would allow the Fire to use the DP spot somewhere else on the field or keep it in their pocket until the summer.

Duran staying, though, is a big question mark because of his desire to jump to Europe and the reported interest from major clubs across the Atlantic. If Duran leaves this winter, there’s no question where the Fire should use that DP slot.

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C’mon, even the grouchy have a love of Halloween. Kids dressed in costumes, looking cute, asking for candy as if it were manna from heaven. Now, I will admit, I’m a fan of treats, not tricks. Although, I do sometimes answer my front door by quickly swinging it open and banging on it once with the heel of my hand. Then I watch the kids react as they see fake blood dripping from my forehead. As I hold my forehead, I ask if I’m bleeding.

Speaking of reactions that are worth the cost of candy, I often sit outside my home with a basket of candy. Sometimes, a group of near-teenagers comes up shouting “Trick or Treat!” I then tell this group to choose one representative to pick a number between one and 10, and if he (usually a boy) gets the number, I will give the kids the entire basket. The kid can never get the answer because no matter what number is said, I respond “So close!” and tell them a number that’s one off the guess. They all get candy after that, so we’re all winners.

Enjoy this special edition of the quiz, and email me your favorite Halloween stories.

1. This guy is in the Hall of Fame after a major-league -career that included 573 homers, including five league highs. His nickname was “Killer,” which qualifies him for our Halloween fun. Killer hit 72 homers against the White Sox, tied for the fourth-most all-time against the local nine. He never faced the Cubs. Who is this guy?

2. Let’s start by telling you that “The Monster” was the losing pitcher for the American League in the 1964 All-Star Game. He was the Reliever of the Year in 1962 and 1964 while pitching for the Red Sox. He was not so great when he pitched for the Cubs in 1967. In 1964, he struck out 181 batters, all in relief, a record he still holds. Who was this guy?

a. Dick Radatz

b. Lindy McDaniels

c. Don Mossi

d. Stuffy Monstero

3. Back in the day, ballplayers made nowhere near the salaries they make today. As a result, they had to take offseason jobs. That’s how “The Gravedigger” got his nickname. This third baseman played the majority of his career with the Pirates, but he spent his final two seasons with the Cubs. Who was this guy?

a. Don Hoak

b. Barry Karloff

c. Richie Hebner

d. Freddie Patek

4. Let’s talk about “The Mummy,” a relief pitcher for the Yankees and a few other teams in the 1960s. This pitcher was 6-4 and 192 pounds with deep-set eyes and a skeletal build. The great Jim Bouton described him by saying he could “pose as the illustration for an undertaker’s sign.” Who was this guy?

a. Billy Mumy

b. Jerry Mumphrey

c. Jim Coates

d. Luis Arroyo

5. This question should be a treat for you. What is the name of the pitcher credited with being the first to throw a curveball?

a. Dum-Dum Doherty

b. Candy Cummings

c. Milky Wayfair

d. Jelly Beaner

6. Which two stars were known as the “M&M Boys”?

a. Stan Musial and Marty Marion

b. Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle

c. Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris

d. Willie Mays and Willie McCovey

7. Imagine going through your professional career with the nickname “Creepy.” Well, that was the moniker given to the answer to this Halloween question: Which of these guys was known as “Creepy”?

a. Terry Crawley

b. Steve Bannon

c. Frank Crespi

d. Frank Crosetti

8. Here’s a Reese’s piece of trivia for you. As a player, this guy was Babe Ruth’s roommate. As a coach in Los Angeles, he was famous for hitting fungoes. Who was he?

a. Pee Wee Reese

b. Pokey Reese

c. Jimmie Reese

d. Rich Reese

9. Orange and black are the colors of Halloween. Orange and black are the primary colors of two MLB teams. Which two teams would be ideal to meet in the World Series on Halloween?

Hope you had a good time. I’ll be back next week with more questions and less candy.

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