Chicago Sports

Chicago White Sox’s Tony La Russa will not be returning as manager this season, doctor’s orders.

According to ESPN, Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa will not be returning as manager for the rest of the 2022 season. The Chicago White Sox announcement on Twitter is as followed,

After undergoing additional testing and medical procedures La Russa, 78, has been advised by his doctor to not return for the rest of the 2022 season due to the heart ailment that has kept him out since August. La Russa came out of retirement to rejoin the White Sox last season; he has one year remaining on his contract.

Tony La Russa shared the specifics of the procedure with the Associated Press earlier this month stating,

“Health is nothing to mess with, so I got checked in Chicago and the reason that I flew to Arizona is that’s been the place since the ’90s I’ve had my physicals. They addressed it, they fixed it and now it’s just a question of regaining strength.”

Miguel Cario will continue to be the acting manager for the White Sox’s 2022 season. He has steered the White Sox in a 13-10 record since taking over as acting manager. The team will be entering Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers, having lost four straight games three of them being to the Cleveland Guardians.

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I don’t want to overreact here, but I’m beginning to suspect the White Sox might not win their division after all.

Take all the time you need to process that bombshell.

So much has gone wrong with the Sox — free-agent misses, a parade of injuries, a team-wide power outage, repeated blunders on the field — that almost no one escapes blame. There’s a bunch of it, of course, for Tony La Russa, who will miss the rest of a lost season as he tends to his health. He never got these Sox to play for him, a very bad look for all involved.

We could debate to what extent the Sox gave away the division and to what extent the Guardians took it, but a Guardians edge that has been unmistakable throughout the season is how hard they play for their manager, Terry Francona.

“We would all run through a brick wall for him,” outfielder Myles Straw said. “And you know what? He would do the same for us. That’s why we are where we are, because we get to play for him. It’s awesome. It’s unbelievable. It’s an honor to show up and play for him every day.”

In his 22nd season as a major league manager — and his 10th in Cleveland — Francona, 63, is as good as ever, and that includes his two World Series years in Boston and his two American League manager of the year campaigns in Cleveland. He has squeezed more from the youngest team in baseball than anyone imagined he could.

Veteran reliever Bryan Shaw admits he had his own doubts about how good such a young team would be. In his seventh season playing for Francona, he has been “blown away” by the impact the skipper has had during a period of heavy roster transition.

“He’s the staple here,” Shaw said. “Our brand of baseball starts with him. Everything we’ve done on the field is a testament to him. Without him, there’s zero chance this group gets to the point we’re at.”

Terrific rookie Steven Kwan had his come-to-Tito moment early this season after an easy win against the Twins during which he’d failed to take an extra base he could’ve reached had he been more alert. Francona called the outfielder into his office and said, “That won’t be happening again.”

“And he was right,’ ” Kwan said. “It was just blunt honesty, and that’s Tito. He’s not here to play games. If he’s talking, we’re listening to every word. I’d never question him. We never question him.”

Talk about a manager who’s fully in charge.

THREE-DOT DASH

Is the Cubs’ season over or are they still playing? I keep losing track. …

North Carolina took the opening kickoff, drove 76 yards in 12 plays and grabbed an easy-peasy 7-0 lead on Notre Dame, and I started counting potential Irish losses, an old habit. Five? Six? Seven?

But I was wrong about pretty much everything in college football Saturday, as anyone who used my picks for recreational purposes knows all too well.

Instead, the Irish, on the way to winning 45-32, took charge of the game with a second quarter that had to mean a lot to coach Marcus Freeman and quarterback Drew Pyne, especially. Four straight drives totaling 276 yards and adding up to 24 points? Impressive. …

College football keeps eating itself alive when it comes to protecting rivalries. Just the latest example: The annual “Bedlam” series between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will go away when Oklahoma moves to the SEC in 2025. There’s no such thing as a more charged football environment than Boone Pickens Stadium when the Sooners are in Stillwater. What a bummer. …

The bar for thoughtfulness has been set by Louisiana Tech’s football team, which sent letters — one from each and every player — to Clemson star defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, who lost his 15-year-old sister, Ella, to cancer. …

A gambling site emailed odds on the first NFL quarterback to be benched this season. The Bears’ Justin Fields was listed as the sixth-likeliest. We’re not buying that for a second, are we? …

After hitting his 700th home run, Albert Pujols can stop saying he dislikes the nickname “El Hombre” because it’s disrespectful to Stan “The Man” Musial. One assumes Musial would have been delighted to have the company.

THIS YOU GOTTA SEE

Red Sox at Yankees (7:08 p.m. Sunday, ESPN): Aaron Judge wouldn’t dare miss this prime-time chance to hit No. 61, would he? If he comes through, Shohei Ohtani should have to deliver the MVP award himself.

“Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War” (8 p.m. Tuesday, ESPN): Let’s go back to 1977 and ’78, when the Bombers won back-to-back World Series against an outstanding opponent that really, truly couldn’t stand them. We’re sure Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Dusty Baker and pals have almost gotten over it by now.

“Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” (9 p.m. Tuesday, HBO): An investigation into the World Anti-Doping Agency has revealed — shocker alert — a repeated, ongoing failure to police international sports for the use of performance-enhancing drugs. Follow the damn money, people.

ONLY BECAUSE YOU ASKED

From emailer Mark:

“This White Sox rebuild started six years ago, and this is the third year of the ‘contention window.’ It’s not even on the same planet as the Astros’ and Cubs’ rebuilds, is it?”

The same planet? Sure. The same ballpark? Definitely not. The Sox acquired a bunch of good prospects, took a couple of big swings with Dallas Keuchel and Yasmani Grandal, traded for a serious dude in Lance Lynn. In an alternate universe, it could have worked. But we’re still waiting for a postseason series victory that — just imagine — might never come.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

Blackhawks training camp: What did Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane do to deserve this punishment?

Bears-Texans: What did the rest of us do to deserve this punishment?

Faded superpowers: Middle Tennessee State 45, Miami 31 was a real head-turner of a score. The Hurricanes should trade rosters with Nebraska just to see if anyone notices.

Mel Tucker: Two straight lopsided losses for Michigan State’s $95 million man. Hey, didn’t he used to work for the Bears?

Miguel Cairo: La Russa could’ve managed this terrible homestand in his sleep.

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Saturday did not play out how York junior Jake Melion figured it would, at least not for him personally.

Senior Kelly Watson, the Dukes’ top running back, was helped off the field with an apparent right leg injury midway through the first quarter of the matchup with fellow West Suburban Silver unbeaten Lyons and did not return.

“I felt bad for him because he’s a key part of our team,” Melion said. “I was upset but I knew I had to stand up.”

Indeed, Melion took over as the Dukes’ RB1. And he lived up to the role, running 24 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-14 win over the Lions in Western Springs.

“No, I was not expecting that at all today,” Melion said. “But when they call on me, I’m always gonna be ready and I just felt like it was a great team win for all of us.”

“That is a strength of this team,” York coach Mike Fitzgerald said. “We do have some good depth. Jake Melion is a very talented back and we have 100% confidence in him. … We knew his time was coming and there were going to be games where he would have a breakout like this. He did it at the lower levels and he does it in practice.”

Melion added some welcome balance to a York offense led by senior quarterback Matt Vezza, who completed 14 of 19 passes for 208 yards and one score.

“Hopefully he’s doing well,” Vezza said of Watson. “We’re going to need him moving forward. But just a credit to the O-line and Jake Mellion for stepping up. … He’s a competitor. He works hard every day and totally believed he would do exactly what he did. It was just a great performance in the run game.”

All the same, the play of the game for the Dukes came courtesy of Vezza’s arm. Lyons (4-1, 2-1) had just scored to cut its deficit to 19-14 and had York (5-0, 3-0) facing third-and-19 from its own 11 midway through the fourth quarter,

Vezza, who earlier threw a 43-yard TD pass to Charlie Specht, found Luke Mailander for a 44-yard gain down the left side. Seven more running plays later, Melion punched it in from 14 yards out for his third TD and it was a two-score game with 2:19 remaining.

“We’ve been really good on third down this year and even last year we were good on third down,” Vezza said. “So we have a lot of confidence. … I trust my guy Luke Mailander, he went out there [and made] a very physical catch and moved the chains.”

Lyons had a productive game from its mobile junior quarterback, Ryan Jackson, who was 15-of-23 passing for 137 yards and a TD and also ran for a touchdown.

No. 24 York, meanwhile, will turn its attention to its third straight game against an unbeaten conference opponent. The Dukes, who escaped with a 24-17 overtime win over Downers North last week, host No. 5 Glenbard West on Friday. York’s win over Glenbard West last season was the Dukes’ first in the series since 2007.

“It’s gonna be wild.” Melion said. “I didn’t want to say it, but this is a game the whole York team has been looking forward to because we know that they want to come beat us … just as bad as we want to beat them.”

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PITTSBURGH — Cubs pitcher Wade Miley pointed to his left side as he walked off the field, in the fifth inning of a game against the Pirates on Saturday. The team later announce he has exited with a tight left oblique.

With no outs and a runner on first, Pirates outfielder Greg Allen laid down a bunt to the first-base side. Miley charged, scooped up the ball and fired to second base. His throw sailed wide and into center field.

It was almost immediately clear that something was wrong. Head athletic trainer PJ Mainville went to check on Miley, and the veteran southpaw exited the game.

Miley’s season has been plagued by arm injuries. Saturday marked his eighth start this season and fourth since returning from the 60-day injured list (strained right shoulder) on Sept. 6.

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One of Kenwood’s key players lost control of his emotions in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against Morgan Park at Lane Stadium.

He was overwhelmed by the pressure, by his team’s failure in a crucial moment and it all became too much. There were tears and screams and he was emotionally unable to continue playing.

That same anger and frustration boiled up in dozens of players on both teams at the final whistle. Multiple fights broke out all over the field as Chicago Public Schools security and coaches and administrators from both schools struggled to calm things down.

The chaotic scene lasted about ten minutes. According to Morgan Park coach Chris James approximately 18-20 players total from both teams were ejected during the course of the game and due to the post-game fight. James said he expects CPS to “levy some heavy suspensions.”

Morgan Park beat Kenwood 22-13. Both teams are loaded with college prospects and just outside the Super 25 rankings. Multiple media outlets were at Lane Stadium to cover one of the best Public League matchups of the season.

But the game was ugly from the start. The first quarter was marred by multiple unsportsmanlike penalties and it deteriorated from there.

A Morgan Park player punched a Kenwood player (in the helmet) after a play with 8:37 remaining. That set things off. An adult that wasn’t a member of the coaching staff ran onto the field and was removed by security.

There was a long delay while CPS Sports Director David Rosengard and the officials discussed how to handle the situation and if the game should continue. They decided on multiple penalties, some ejections and no post-game handshake line. The game carried on, despite the heavily-charged atmosphere.

“We have a lot of people here,” Rosengard said. “We have extra security, administrators from both sides. We have athletic directors. We talked to the officials and coaches multiple times. The coaches respect each other. The referees said let’s finish the game out. We gave them a minute to talk to each team. There are no right and wrong answers.”

James said tensions were extra high between the teams because one of Morgan Park’s top players transferred to Kenwood.

“The kids were chattering back and forth,” James said. “It’s a culmination of kids getting amped up from social media and playing football at a high intensity level and then emotions boil over and there’s a team that is going to win and a team that is going to lose.”

Tysean Griffin, Morgan Park’s star running back, may have understood what was happening better than the adults.

“I knew there was going to be some drama but I didn’t know it would be that much,” Griffin said. “That was on something else.

“They should have kept the game going but the players that were ejected should have been made to leave. Into the stands or something. There was an ejected player sitting [on the Kenwood sideline] that put his helmet on after the game and rushed our sideline. They all should have been kicked out.”

Morgan Park and Kenwood are South Side schools. This game would usually take place at Gately Stadium but was at Lane Stadium on the North Side instead. It’s the second year the game has been moved.

“Safety is part of why it was here,” Rosengard said. “Because of violence around different parts of the city. It was requested awhile ago. There are a number of factors.”

Moving the game to the North Side makes sense. It worked well last season. The teams deserve a chance to play a high-intensity game in a safe atmosphere.

But when that atmosphere is no longer safe, the game no longer matters. The final eight minutes of a high school football game aren’t worth jeopardizing the safety of a single person. It’s fortunate that no one was seriously injured in the fracas after the game.

“I don’t want to place any blame,” James said. “It’s hard for me to say what should have happened since I was coaching. I would have to see it from a fan’s point of view. But it was upsetting to turn around after the game and see all the groups of kids fighting.”

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When Andreas Athanasiou was healthy and in the lineup for the Kings in 2021-22, he was quite good.

The Blackhawks hope Athanasiou will be as good for them in 2022-23, just healthier –a lot healthier.

“It’s going to be trial and error just to see where [he] fits the best, but definitely that speed is going to have to be used for us,” coach Luke Richardson said Saturday.

Last year, Athanasiou produced at a prorated 50-point pace –and scored at a prorated 32-goal pace. His analytics were equally excellent: he had a 53.8% expected-goals ratio and 50.6% scoring-chance ratio at even strength. The Kings dominated whenever he was in the lineup, too, playing at an absurd 129-point pace.

But unfortunately, he simply couldn’t stay healthy for long. He broke his finger in the fall. Then he came down with COVID. Then he suffered multiple groin injuries.

He ultimately appeared in only 28 games over five different stints of action. As a result, his 11 goals and 17 points and the Kings’ 19-3-6 record with him dressed hardly made a ripple around the NHL.

“Every time I’d come back, I’d be playing real well, and then I would have to get sidelined,” Athanasiou said. “Obviously, it sucks. You want to be in there, playing with your teammates, and [that’s] just the way it went last year. There’s not much you can do about it. You just have to work through it, really.”

Inconsistency, whether due to injuries or fluctuating performance, has been his Achilles heel for years.

After breaking out with 30 goals and 54 points for the Red Wings in 2018-19, Athanasiou — who has Greek and Guyanese heritage but grew up in Canada — hasn’t tallied more than 26 points in any of the three seasons since, bouncing from Detroit to Edmonton to Los Angeles to Chicago along the way.

But he just turned 28, so there’s plenty of tread left in his tires. And boy, those tires can roll.

Long known as one of the fastest skaters in the league, Athanasiou has seemed to have difficulty not passing the guys in front of him during the Hawks’ post-practice conditioning skates this week.

“He’s definitely got speed,” Richardson said. “I’ve seen that many times before. Coaching against him (with the Canadiens), I was always bringing his name up….especially [when] runningthe defense, watching out for his speed. And sure enough, he’d always get two breakaways a game. So that’s what we’re looking for from him. We’re looking to use his speed. That’s what this team needs, and that’s the way the game is played now.”

Added Athanasiou: “I’ve always been a guy who has been able to get opportunities, so I’m not really worried about the producing [points aspect] too much. I know I’m going to get my chances. I’ve just got to bear down and make a good play, the right play.”

The one-year, $3 million contract he signed with the Hawks in July –a “no-brainer” decision, he said –sets him up to be traded to a playoff contender at the deadline, and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent again next summer.

In the meantime, the 2022-23 Hawks should offer him an excellent opportunity to rejuvenate his career. Top-six minutes, a power-play role and heavy overtime usage will all be readily available. Plus, he’s fully healthy now.

Richardson has early designs on trying him out on a line with Sam Lafferty, another excellent skater. Richardson theorized Saturday that such a combination could help the Hawks defend the top lines of high-paced teams like the Avalanche, Maple Leafs and Oilers.

“Everybody wants to play, so whenever you get your opportunity, just go out there and make the most of [it],” Athanasiou said.

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Joe Thomas added to the Bears’ active roster

This week, reports coming from Chicago Bears practice were concerning about the linebacker position. The Bears All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith is questionable for Sunday. Linebacker Matthew Adams has been ruled out. Saturday, the Bears announced they were elevating linebacker Joe Thomas to the active roster for their Week 3 game against the Houston Texans.

Joe Thomas is a former undrafted rookie free agent. He’s been all over the league since joining the NFL in 2014 and was a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2021. Thomas will be one of a handful of former UDFAs on the Bears’ active linebacker roster against the Texans. If Smith is ruled out Sunday, it’s possible that all starting linebackers for the Bears would be UDFAs. Nicholas Morrow, Sterling Weatherford, and Jack Sandborn are the other three active Bears linebackers who are UDFAs.

Per Courtney Cronin with ESPN, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said this week that the team was trying to figure out combinations with the potential gaps at linebacker.

“We’re looking at all combinations because if were to have two guys down, obviously in pro football, that’s not always good,” Eberflus said.

At what level of football would that be good, or sometimes good in the NFL, Matt?

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Tony La Russa won’t return as White Sox manager for the remainder of the 2022 season.

The team announced in a statement Saturday that La Russa was directed by his doctors to not return. The decision came after La Russa underwent ” additional testing and medical procedures over the past week. “

La Russa, who turns 78 Oct. 4, left the team Aug. 30 to undergo tests in Arizona.

Bench coach Miguel Cairo will continue to serve as acting White Sox manager through the remainder of the 2022 season, the team announced.

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Roberto Clemente was one of the greatest baseball players on and off the field. I’ve indicated to you in the past that I’m older than infield dirt, and I did get to see Clemente. I didn’t see him frequently, yet even my young eyes could see generational greatness. I remember moments that were astounding. And while his hitting ranked among the greatest of all time, so many moments I remember were of him in the field, throwing a laser from right field, as effortlessly as a second baseman throws to first, and yet those pegs would amaze a runner as he was tagged out at third.

Then, of course, I remember his death and the disbelief that came with the news. That shock was soon superseded by sadness, further emphasized when I learned about the humanitarian mission this great man was on. National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 in the United States to recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the nation’s history, culture and achievements. Today’s quiz is my contribution. Have fun, and learn a lot.

Buena suerte.

1. On Sept. 30, 1972, Clemente and the defending champion Pirates were playing the Mets at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. In the fourth inning, Clemente roped a double, the 3,000th and last regular-season hit of his career. He had over 1,200 plate appearances against four teams. Against which team did he have the most hits?

a. Cubs

b. Phillies

c. Dodgers

d. Giants

2. Four Puerto Rican-born players are in the Hall of Fame. Rank them by hits.

a. Ivan Rodriguez

b. Roberto Clemente

c. Orlando Cepeda

d. Roberto Alomar

3. Which pitcher was called the “Dominican Dandy”? He had a lifetime 23-8 record against the Cubs.

a. Pedro Martinez

b. Ervin Santana

c. Juan Marichal

d. Bartolo Colon

4. Of the same four, who leads all Dominican-born pitchers in wins?

a. Pedro Martinez

b. Ervin Santana

c. Juan Marichal

d. Bartolo Colon

5. Cuban-born Jose Abreu has fewer RBI than the following Cuban Hall of Famers. My question to you: Does he have more home runs than any of them?

a. Tony Perez

b. Minnie Mi?oso

c. Tony Oliva

The Roberto Clemente Award is bestowed annually to the player who best represents baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. Every year, each MLB club nominates a player to be considered for the award in tribute to Clemente’s achievements and character.

6. The Cubs’ nominee for this prestigious honor contributed $300,000 to organizations that helped low-income communities in Chicago that were struck especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been vocal and taken action to address racial inequalities, helping bring Black youth and police officers together. In addition, among many other efforts, he has been a prominent contributor to Cubs Charities, with more than $166,000 in donations. He is:

a. Jason Heyward

b. Jason Heyward

c. Jason Heyward

d. Jason Heyward

7. The White Sox’ nominee for what I consider to be baseball’s most important award is a well-known activist. He has delivered meals to local minority business owners, shown his support and outreach for gay pride and spoken out against gun violence. He has a long history of adamant support for organizations focused on animal welfare, including Tony La Russa’s animal rescue foundation, One Tail at a Time, among others. His South Slydah Society focuses on serving those most in need and empowers selfless individuals and organizations that give a voice to underrepresented communities. He is:

a. Liam Hendriks

b. Liam Hendriks

c. Liam Hendriks

d. Liam Hendriks

8. On July 25, 1956, Clemente became the only player to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park grand slam. Which team was the victim of this event?

a. Dodgers (the team that first signed him; he hit .345 lifetime against them)

b. Cubs (this is the Chicago Sun-Times; he hit 41 homers against them)

c. Reds (he hit 40 homers against them)

d. Braves (he hit .329 with 25 homers against them)

9. This year marks the 50th anniversary of when the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star tragically died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972. Clemente was attempting to deliver supplies to:

a. Wildfire victims in Argentina

b. Earthquake victims in Nicaragua

c. Flooding victims in Santurce, Puerto Rico

d. Hurricane victims in Haiti

ANSWERS

1. If you picked the Cubs, you’re wrong. Clemente had 395 hits against the Dodgers, 384 against the Phillies, 374 against the Cubs and 339 against the Giants. Now, if I ask you against whom did he score the most runs, go with the Cubs (190).

2. Clemente, 3,000; Ivan Rodriguez 2,844; Roberto Alomar 2,724; and Orlando Cepeda 2,351.

3. Juan Marichal, who had one of the most beautiful windups in baseball history, was the “Dominican Dandy.” In the 1960s, Marichal led the majors in wins with 191, topping Bob Gibson, who “only” had 164.

4. Marichal was the “Dominican Dandy,” but Bartolo Colon was called “Big Sexy.” And if you think wins are sexy, in his 21-year MLB career, Colon had 247 wins, four more than Marichal, 28 more than Pedro Martinez and 96 more than Ervin Santana.

5. Tony Perez had 379, which is more than Abreu, but Abreu has more homers than Tony Oliva, who had 220, and Minnie Minoso, who had 195.

6. Jason Heyward, who still will do many great things.

7. Liam Hendriks. Also, Jake Diekman, now on the White Sox, is the nominee for the Red Sox. He has a foundation inspired by his ulcerative colitis diagnosis at age 10. His mantra “Gut it Out” inspired his recovery and his foundation. Outside of his foundation, he has been very involved with children’s hospitals through fundraisers and other support systems.

8. Clemente did it in a 9-8 win over the Cubs at Forbes Field. The Cubs had an 8-5 lead when, with the bases loaded, Roberto hit a ball to the left-field fence that rolled toward center field. Clemente ignored the stop sign of Pirates manager and third-base coach Bobby Bragan as the relay throw came in from center fielder Solly Drake to Ernie Banks to catcher Hobie Landrith. Clemente slid, missed the plate, then reached back to rest his hand on home.

9. On Dec. 23, 1972, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. The resulting damage left between 4,000 and 11,000 dead, 20,000 injured and over 300,000 homeless. Clemente’s plane was overloaded with supplies to help the victims.

As always, thank you for reading and playing. I’m always looking for questions and themes for the weekly quiz. Email me at [email protected].

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