Chicago Sports

LAS VEGAS — Weekends, according to Benny, can be appalling, 4-to-midnight shifts Friday and Saturday. He preps for the despicable but tries to divorce himself from whatever awaits him around the corner.

It’s here basic human decency and decorum disappear.

“I try to put it out of my mind,” he said, “and do a good job.”

As a janitor, Benny services the gents’ room of a sportsbook inside a popular property. I’ll spare his and the casino’s real names. Consider him to be any male custodian in any book.

The worst gig in Vegas.

THE SPOTLIGHT

Mike Rowe, the former Baltimore Opera baritone, knows about dirty jobs. His popular show by that name ran for 300 episodes on Discovery Channel.

He hoped to shine the light, he told a magazine in 2020, on somebody who’s out of sight and out of mind, to remind the country that they’re there and connected to us.

He added, “We’re disconnected to who those people are. I don’t think we really have a genuine appreciation for the world we’d be in if not for them.”

If not for people like Denise, an Alabama mother and middle-school custodian who appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

“I look at the school as my house,” Denise said. “So I want to keep the school clean, like I clean my house.”

In Chicago, Roy Schmidt dumped cans into garbage trucks. The older the person on the street, the less respect he received.

“They’re just too stupid to realize the necessity of the job,” he told Studs Terkel. Schmidt toiled 9-to-5 in an office but relished being outside, doing something “meaningful to society.”

Terkel, the famous Chicago radio personality who died at 96 in 2008, produced a seminal tome, “Working,” in 1974 that documented scores of people, what they did and how they felt about their vocations.

Louis Hayward attended a washroom at the historic Palmer House and saw plenty of patrons skip the sink:

“I laugh at them inside. I don’t carry my feeling of menial work quite that deeply that it hurts me. I’m completely hardened now. I just take it in stride.”

Eric Hoellen served an apartment complex as its janitor:

“Talk about heart condition, the janitor’s got one of the worst. You just don’t let it get the best of you. Since I’ve been out here, three [hanged] themselves. They let it get the best of ’em.”

DISGUSTING

Many sportsbook visitors hardly treat the venue like home. They leave floor cubicles a mess of odds sheets and other papers, stubby pencils, half-full glasses and empty beer bottles, often with its small TV set on.

Do they leave home with the flat screen on?

In the gents, full rolls in the toilet are common, as is matter on those paper squares on the floor. Benny’s always fishing junk out of the urinals, mopping those floors frequently.

(I use my remedial Spanish. Benny once called me “Professor” — my spectacles. No, I laughed. Escritor deportivo. We chatted about his native Cuba, in his tongue.)

Ann, a server (not her name), winced at the worst of those scenes I’ve witnessed, unfit for a family paper. Nothing comes close, she says, in the women’s room, where occasionally a product isn’t disposed of properly.

Once, a grungy-looking dude at the far urinal leaned forward, forehead against the wall tiles, eyes closed, growling about returning to the clink for committing an imminent murder.

I exited quickly.

Eleven days ago, a short, pear-shaped man with a crew cut stood to the right of the room’s entryway, mumbling into a mobile phone. His light-blue dress shirt was completely unbuttoned, mammoth pale belly the canvas for a large swastika.

A minute later, he hadn’t budged. Another quick exit. It’s wise to patronize the much-larger lavatories, no matter the extra steps; consider it exercise.

The anomaly was the guy who recently yanked both long sleeves beyond his elbows to scrub both wings, repeatedly, as if he were about to perform meatball surgery next to Trapper and Hawkeye.

MAKE HIS DAY

The point?

Football is in full swing. Visitors are swarming into Vegas, Philly, Biloxi and Alton, Aurora, Des Plaines and Joliet.

First, ? la John Wooden, always leave a place better than you found it.

And when appropriate, fold a fin or tenner in half, halve it again. Slip it between the fingers. Offer Benny the money hand, leaving the bill with him.

He deserves such recognition. His day will be made.

To an efficient casino floor sweeper Sunday in Atlantic City, Bill Krackomberger slipped a 20. He often over-tips, knowing how many are gratuity-averse.

A Vegas-based pro sports bettor, Krack Man’s beneficence isn’t blind. Someone deserving, however, always catches his attention.

When a 19-year-old John Murges made book for The Outfit in Chicago, he and colleague Spiro left the loo. Spiro slipped the attendant a 20; John kept walking.

Spiro asked John about his tight fists, and Murges said he thought that 20 covered both of them.

“That was from me to him,” Spiro said. “That poor guy works in a bathroom for a living. You always tip those guys.”

For nearly 40 years, Murges, a Florida-based sports bettor, has rewarded Bennies with a little something.

Just remember to wash those hands before folding that bill and passing it along.

What is this, a zoo?

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The Bears have spent the last seven months doing everything they can to make Justin Fields a franchise quarterback.

They cleared out the dysfunction of former coach Matt Nagy’s offense and replaced him with new coordinator Luke Getsy and a system designed to help Fields flourish. They didn’t add any big names on the offensive line or at wide receiver, but general manager Ryan Poles insists this personnel is an upgrade. They also fine-tuned Fields’ fundamentals.

We’ve heard about it over and over. And finally, we’ll see if any of it matters when Fields and the Bears open their season Sunday against the 49ers.

“I’m very different,” Fields promised when asked how far he’s come since the end of a rookie season that was mostly frustrating and fruitless as he threw for seven touchdowns, had 10 interceptions and posted a 73.2 passer rating.

The Bears’ most important task of this season is to assess whether that’s true. They need to know if this version of Fields is worth building around. Otherwise, they need to find someone else.

For all the changes at Halas Hall, mainly the hiring of Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, Fields is still the most pivotal person in the building.

If he’s great, the rebuild will accelerate quickly and the Bears could blast through the consensus low expectations. If he’s bad, they’ll be picking high in the draft and looking for his replacement.

It’d be better for Poles and Eberflus if Fields is their answer. They know most new hires must prove they’ve put their team on course for Super Bowl contention within three seasons, and a reset at quarterback would make that timetable tough to meet.

Fields is equally determined to make himself a fixture of the Bears’ future. To cement that in his own mind, he bought a place in the Chicago area.

“I didn’t want to rent anything — I didn’t want that mindset,” he told the Sun-Times. “I want to be here for a long time. I want to be here for my whole career. I want to make this home.”

It’s easier for him to feel that way after an offseason in which Poles and Eberflus sought to maximize his skills at every turn.

They’re treating Fields like a franchise quarterback with the expectation that he’ll become one, and that’s drastically different from what he dealt with under Ryan Pace and Nagy as he prepared for his debut a year ago. He began the season as a gimmick while the Bears committed to Andy Dalton.

No one needed a fresh start more than Fields.

“Now I’m the guy, so of course we’re gonna build the offense around me [and] around the stuff that we do well as an offense,” he said. “It’s just a different mindset. Just not worrying about, ‘If I make a mistake, will I get taken out?’ It just feels way better, for sure.”

Step One for Fields was working on his actual steps. Getsy and new quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko immediately retooled his footwork to make sure his left foot is forward when he drops back, which helps get the ball out faster. That machinelike timing is essential in the short-range passing game.

The belief in Fields within the organization is at an all-time high now that he’s fully empowered as the starter and a team captain. His coaches and teammates are convinced by his improvement. The season opener is the grand reveal, where everyone will find out how real all the talk is.

“You’ve got to respect what he brings to our team,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney said. “He’s a threat every time.”

If Fields lives up to that, the Bears’ outlook is bright. If he can’t, they’ll be right back where they’ve been for the last few decades: searching.

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Matt Eberflus hasn’t been here long, but he’s been here long enough.

Asked whether he uses the near-unanimous predictions of the Bears losing double-digit games this season as motivation, the first-time head coach paused Friday, as if to say that we should know him better than that. For seven months, Eberflus has preached that the Bears should be their own motivators — not the team across the field or anyone making predictions at home.

Depending on whom you ask, the Bears are entering their season opener against the 49ers as either one of the worst teams in the NFL –or the worst team.

NFL.com’s power rankings this week have them ranked dead last.

“I don’t think anybody alters our mentality,” quarterback Justin Fields said about predictions. “Our mentality is to go out there, be the hardest on the field, be the toughest, play the fastest, play the longest. That’s our mentality going into every game.”

To make it us-against-the-world would be giving the predictions credence, and Eberflus doesn’t want to do that.

“You can’t really pay attention to that,” Eberflus said. “Because every year they make these predictions about teams … and it’s always wrong.”

The Bears hope so, even as they’ve built their team to be more focused on long-term gains than 2022 victories. The $62.1 million the Bears are spending in dead cap space — money paid to players who aren’t on their roster anymore– is third-most in the league and more than double that of all but nine teams. They have an entirely new coaching staff, and more than half their roster is new. Justifiably, the Bears’ over/under this season is 6 1/2 wins.

Many experts have predicted fewer.

“It bothers me,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “I see it. I mean, honestly, anybody who says they see it and that it doesn’t bother them, I think they’re lying.”

Gone are the days when coaches could tell players to ignore social media. Players — including the Bears’ 15 rookies — grew up with their phones and won’t part with the information that comes from them.

“In today’s age, everybody looks at everything,” Eberflus said. “It’s part of our life now. You understand, you put that in a bucket–it’s an opinion of somebody’s, or it isn’t fact.”

Left tackle Braxton Jones, who’s set to make his NFL debut Sunday, is one of those rookies.

“There’s a lot of articles and stuff that will pop up on your phone,” Jones said. “You kind of leave it as is. It’s what they think. I’m not too big into reading those things or what they have to say. They’re not here.”

Tight end Cole Kmet spent most of his life as a Bears fan. He’d know going into every season what the consensus opinion was about the team’s chances. Once he became a Bear, though, he learned his life was simpler if he ignored the outside world.

“I get all my confidence from myself and my teammates,” he said. “You don’t wanna get it from other people.”

The same goes for motivation. Tight end Ryan Griffin, whose 10 years of NFL experience are third-most on the team, once had a coach who would post headlines — and even the pointspread — to fire up his underdog team. It didn’t work.

Eberflus won’t do the same. Still, one of the biggest challenges of his early tenure with the Bears will be convincing his team to believe in something that the outside world doesn’t see –the Bears emerging from the bottom of the standings.

“I tell the guys that all the time — we’re writing our own book … ” Eberflus said. “Every game, individual players write their own book.”

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The Blackhawks’ prospect pipeline looks better and deeper now than it has in years.

That improvement largely has come at the expense of the NHL roster. And the pipeline still isn’t as talented and deep as the Hawks hope it will become in a few more years. But its continued improvement nonetheless should provide some optimism in an otherwise-bleak season to come.

As such, this list has been expanded from the top 10 prospects — as in previous editions — to the top 20. The rankings are determined partially by upside and partially by NHL readiness.

No. 1: Lukas Reichel, forward, age 20

Reichel dominated in the German league in 2020-21, then in the American Hockey League with Rockford in 2021-22. He projects as a versatile top-six forward because of his smooth puck-carrying ability, soft hands and excellent vision.

He has added much-needed strength and weight this offseason and might become a full-time NHL player this season.

No. 2: Kevin Korchinski, defenseman, age 18

The Hawks see Korchinski, whom they drafted seventh overall in July, as a future top-four offensive defenseman and power-play quarterback — a unicorn among the many defensemen in their system. He’ll continue developing with Seattle of the Western Hockey League this season.

No. 3: Frank Nazar, forward, age 18

Nazar, the 13th overall pick this summer, looked fantastic at development camp in July. He projects as a top-six center — like Reichel, only a few years further down the road — because of his skating and work ethic. He’ll be a freshman at Michigan this season.

No. 4: Arvid Soderblom, goaltender, age 23

S oderblom was Rockford’s MVP last season, his first in North America. His .919 save percentage in 38 games was somewhat miraculous, given the quantity and quality of shots he faced.

With his track record and size (6-3), he looks like an NHL goalie and might get some chances to prove that if Petr Mrazek or Alex Stalock suffers an injury this season.

No. 5: Drew Commesso, goaltender, age 20

Commesso’s ceiling is higher than Soderblom’s, given his potential to develop into an elite NHL goalie. On the other hand, he’s further away from the NHL and less of a sure thing.

Building on his 2022 Olympic experience, Commesso likely will be one of the top goalies in the NCAA this season at Boston University, where he posted a .914 save percentage last season.

No. 6: Ian Mitchell, defenseman, age 23

Mitchell has been a staple of Hawks prospect rankings for nearly a half-decade, and he still has the well-rounded repertoire that once made him a headliner.

Nonetheless, after spending all of 2021-22 over-ripening in Rockford, 2022-23 might be his make-or-break season to prove he can translate his game effectively to the NHL. If he fails, he might tumble out of the ”prospect” category altogether.

No. 7: Alex Vlasic, defenseman, age 21

Vlasic played his first 15 NHL games at the end of last season and improved noticeably even in that short period. His towering 6-6 frame long has been his selling point, and he skates and passes well for his size. He’s never going to be a star, but he has a high floor.

No. 8: Alec Regula, defenseman, age 22

Regula is similar to Vlasic in size (he’s 6-4, 208 pounds) and NHL experience (15 games last season), and he’ll compete with Vlasic — and Mitchell — for playing time this season. He has been productive in the Ontario Hockey League and AHL, and he said in April he believes ”there is a time where I’ll be able to make plays like that in the NHL.”

No. 9: Wyatt Kaiser, defenseman, age 20

Kaiser’s awareness and hockey IQ are elite, he defends well for his size (6-0, 183 pounds) — although gaining strength has been a point of focus — and he’s decent offensively, too. He’ll be a top player for Minnesota-Duluth again this season.

No. 10: Sam Rinzel, defenseman, age 18

Rinzel, the 25th overall pick this summer, is so far away from the NHL — he’s spending 2022-23 in the U.S. Hockey League, then enrolling at Minnesota — that he’s difficult to project.

He has arguably the second-highest ceiling (behind Korchinski) among all defensemen in the Hawks’ pipeline, but he might never pan out. Only time will tell.

No. 11: Colton Dach, forward, age 19

It’ll take awhile for Hawks fans to disassociate Dach from brother Kirby’s frustrating tenure, especially because he projects to be a similar type of NHL player.

If Colton develops into a Kirby-like second- or-third-line center, however, that’ll be a major victory, considering his draft position (62nd overall in 2021). He’ll turn pro after one more season with Kelowna of the WHL.

No. 12: Landon Slaggert, forward, age 20

Slaggert’s versatility and work ethic are intriguing. He projects as a jack-of-all-trades NHL forward who could fill holes throughout a lineup. He’ll be a junior at Notre Dame this season.

No. 13: Ethan Del Mastro, defenseman, age 19

Del Mastro will return for a third season with Mississauga of the OHL after taking a massive step forward last season and signing a slide-eligible NHL contract.

No. 14: Isaak Phillips, defenseman, age 20

Already having two AHL seasons under his belt at his age has given Phillips a developmental head start on other Hawks defensive prospects. His ceiling is low, but he might be a competent third-pairing NHL option rather soon.

No. 15: Jakub Galvas, defenseman, age 23

Galvas looked good in six appearances for the Hawks in January and February but has been somewhat forgotten since. His poise and puck-moving ability is encouraging; his size (5-11, 165 pounds) is a concern.

No. 16: Nolan Allan, defenseman, age 19

Just a year after being picked 32nd overall, Allan is in a tough spot. The general manager who reached for him (Stan Bowman) is gone, and nine of the 15 prospects ahead of him in these rankings are also defensemen.

His projection as a third-pairing shutdown guy hasn’t changed, but as he returns for another year with Prince Albert of the WHL, the road to get there has.

No. 17: Paul Ludwinski, forward, age 18

Ludwinski will return for a second season with Kingston of the OHL after being selected 39th overall in the draft in July. His skating and motor are high-end.

No. 18: Ryan Greene, forward, age 18

Greene, picked shortly after Ludwinski, is a well-rounded center headed to Boston University this season.

No. 19: Jalen Luypen, forward, age 20

The Hawks’ decision last summer to use a seventh-round pick on Luypen, an over-ager, panned out. His 64 points in 66 games in the WHL justified a pro contract, and he’ll try to translate that to the AHL this season.

No. 20: Jaxson Stauber, goaltender, age 23

Stauber posted a .921 save percentage in 37 games for Providence last season, earning a pro contract. He’ll start the season as Soderblom’s backup in Rockford.

Other prospects to watch

Antti Saarela, forward, 21Michal Teply, forward, 21Gavin Hayes, forward, 18Samuel Savoie, forward, 18Aidan Thompson, forward, 20Dominic James, forward, 20Nicolas Beaudin, defenseman, 22Louis Crevier, defenseman, 21Taige Harding, defenseman, 20Read More

KEY MATCHUP

This is a huge test for an unsettled Bears offensive line — and nowhere more than at left tackle, where rookie Braxton Jones will be starting and likely to get a heavy dose of 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, who had 15.5 sacks and an league-best 21 tackles for loss last season.

Jones, a fifth-round draft pick from Southern Utah who at this time last year was preparing for Tarleton State, has met every challenge so far since earning the initial look as a starter in OTAs. He knows what he’s up against — as best he can know — but isn’t selling himself short, either.

“He’s a great player,” Jones said. “Obvious a vet in this league. Everybody knows who Nick Bosa is. You’ve got to respect what he does. I think it’s a good chance to go out and attack a player and have a great game.”

TRENDING

The Bears were 3-0 in the preseason, but preseason is not much of a barometer. For what it’s worth, the Colts were 0-4 in season openers when Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator –allowing an average of 28 points in losses to he Seahawks (28-16) in 2021, Jaguars (27-20) in 2020, Chargers (30-24 in overtime) in 2019 and Bengals (34-23) in 2018.

The 49ers are 2-3 in season openers under Kyle Shanahan, including a 41-33 victory over the Lions at Ford Field last season.

PLAYER TO WATCH

A year ago at this time, Justin Fields was a backup to Andy Dalton in an ill-fated apprenticeship plan that seemed doomed from the start. Now he’s the unquestioned starter, a team captain and the player who sets the tone not only for the offense, but the defense as well.

“There’s a lot more confidence knowing it’s his show, he’s the guy we’re looking at,” veteran defensive end Robert Quinn said. “And everyone else is embracing it around him, making sure they do their jobs but helping him be successful as well. It’s a joint thing. Everyone’s gotta do their part.”

Though Fields has had moments of being spectacular — including a 22-yard touchdown run against the 49ers last season — much of his success at this stage is likely to depend on his supporting cast. If the Bears can run the ball and protect him, he’ll have a chance to reach another level.

X-FACTOR

Eberflus has looked the part of NFL head coach. But game-day management is a new challenge, one that vexes even the best head coaches. Eberflus knows that’s a work-in-progress like everything else.

“We’ve been working on that since the last preseason game,” Eberflus said. “We’re continuing to educate and go through scenarios. Somebody once said those situations are like snowflakes –they’re all different. Time, time outs, score, field position, all that. I think it’s important we keep educating ourselves so we do a good job on game day.”

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Zach LaVine had a different way of looking at his boost into a new tax bracket.

When the Bulls handed the All-Star guard a five-year, $215 million extension in July, there was heartfelt gratitude from LaVine but also a feeling of justification.

In LaVine’s mind, the max deal was earned, not gifted.

“I think it’s just a credit to my hard work,” LaVine said. “I think I’ve had the same work ethic and the same goals before the contract, after the contract.”

That’s a great attitude, but it’s about to be tested.

LaVine never has flinched when discussing pressure. If anything, he has welcomed those situations as obstacles that needed to be overcome to get to where he wanted to go.

Becoming the 17th-highest-paid player in the NBA when he’s not even the best player on his team, however, will be uncharted territory.

There are expectations with max players — all-or-nothing expectations that far too often are unobtainable. It’s NBA title-or-bust for LaVine as a Bull.

Just take a glance at some of the company LaVine keeps: Steph Curry will be the highest-paid player in the league this season at $48 million, and he has four rings. LeBron James is fourth at $44.4 million and also has four titles.

Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Khris Middleton and Anthony Davis are in the top 20, and they’ve all hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Then there’s the group that falls in the jury-is-still-out category.

Paul George, Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Jimmy Butler reside there.

But LaVine doesn’t want to find himself in the bad-contract-gone-worse area code. That’s the territory of John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard and Tobias Harris — all among the 20 highest paid with front offices that regretted doling out those deals. Three of those players eventually had a change of address.

The concerning part about that list is that, besides Harris, they’re all guards — and defensively challenged guards at that. Ring a bell? It’s a scouting report LaVine has carried for most of his first eight years.

There seemed to be a defensive awakening, however, last summer. LaVine was playing with Team USA and wanted to show a different mindset with that group. It carried into the NBA season with LaVine seemingly motivated by defensive-minded teammates such as Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.

Then his left knee started acting up.

By February, LaVine was back to the all-too-familiar identity of score first, defend as an afterthought. The numbers verified that, and coach Billy Donovan admitted as much.

But the knee was a valid excuse, especially for a player making $19 million and change.

Max players don’t get excuses. Max players aren’t allowed to be one-and-done in the playoffs. Max players face scrutiny from media and fans on a nightly basis.

It will be interesting to see how LaVine handles that pressure, starting in a few weeks when camp begins.

Throughout his NBA career, the kid from Seattle has been one of the easiest All-Stars to deal with from a media standpoint.

He’s approachable, thoughtful in his answers and honest.

“Obviously, you can’t control everything with injuries, being traded, whatever it is, but I could always control my demeanor, my work ethic and what I brought to the game,” LaVine said. “I always pictured myself as the player that I am, and the player I’m going to be, continue to strive to be, and what comes with that is being compensated at that level.”

True, but with that lavish compensation comes a level of scrutiny that LaVine has never had to deal with.

Ready or not.

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Today’s headline was brought to you by the innovative mind of comedian Steven Wright. He’s the guy who also said, “I kept a diary right after I was born. Day 1: Tired from the move. Day 2: Everyone thinks I’m an idiot.” He also asked, “How young can you die of old age?” Oh, and he told us, “I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ “

Well, you might have figured out that my theme is not about the brilliant Mr. Wright, but about birthdays

(although the Red Sox had a pitcher named Steven Wright) and aging. A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday. Getting older is not something that bothers me. It is indeed better than the alternative. Adding another year to my r?sum? just simply widens the gap between my chronological age and my level of maturity. So, now let’s see if I can find nine questions for you on age and birthdays without taking a nap while I’m writing them.

Have fun.

1. In baseball’s first Hall of Fame class, made public on Feb. 2, 1936, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner and Babe Ruth were named as five of the finest players since 1900. Who was the oldest and who was the youngest of the five at the time of this announcement?

2. Here’s a great tweet from Dan Clark: “On Aug. 29, 2001, Serena Williams wins at U.S. Open, Albert Pujols hits a HR and Vlad Guerrero Sr., Craig Biggio and Dante Bichette all record a hit. On Aug. 29, 2022, Serena Williams wins at U.S. Open, Albert Pujols hits a HR and Vlad Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Bo Bichette all record a hit.” Who is older, Serena Williams or Albert Pujols?

3. Since 1901, who is the oldest batter to homer while wearing a Chicago uniform?

a. Charlie Root b. Ernie Banks c. Carlton Fisk d. Omar Vizquel

4. Jan. 31 is a great baseball birthday date, and not just because Tommy La Stella was born on that date. Which of these Hall of Famers was not born on that date?

a. Ernie Banks

b. Nolan Ryan

c. Jackie Robinson

d. Hank Greenberg

5. Since 1901, who is the oldest Chicago pitcher to win 20-plus games in a season?

a. Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander

b. Mordecai Peter Centennial “Three Finger” Brown

c. Early “Gus” Wynn

d. Eddie “Knuckles” Cicotte

6. Three of the four players listed had four hits on their birthday while playing for Chicago. Who was the one who celebrated his birthday with five hits?

a. Mike Kreevich

b. Mike Caruso

c. Mike Fontenot

d. Brant Brown

7. Ichiro Suzuki, Nomar Garciaparra, Bartolo Colon, Todd Walker and Todd Hollinsworth were all born in the same year. What year?

a. 1970 b. 1971 c. 1972

d. 1973 e. 1974

8. Frank Thomas was born on May 27, 1968, the exact same day as what other Hall of Famer?

a. Trevor Hoffman

b. Jeff Bagwell

c. Greg Maddux

d. John Smoltz

9. Today is the birthday of some great players. Your job is to determine which of the following were born on Sept. 10.

a. Randy Johnson

b. Joey Votto

c. Roger Maris

d. Paul Goldschmidt

e. All of them

f. None of them

Thank you to all of you for your kind emails and your attention to my weekly fun. I hope you learned something, had a few laughs and appreciated some oldies but goodies. I close with a terrific tweet from Bill Simmons, who wrote: “I’ve been following sports my whole life and one thing never changed — the aging near-the-end superstar improbably thriving one more time is still the greatest thing to watch.”

ANSWERS

1. Honus Wagner was the oldest, born on Feb. 24, 1874. Babe Ruth was the youngest, born on Feb. 6, 1895. Christy Mathewson was born on Aug. 12, 1880. Walter Johnson was born on Nov. 6, 1887. Ty Cobb was born on Dec. 18, 1886.

2. Serena was born on Sept. 26, 1981 (age 40), and Albert was born on Jan. 16, 1980 (age 42).

3. When Pudge Fisk homered in his first game of the season for the Sox on April 7, 1993, he was 44. Charlie Root was the oldest to homer for the Cubs. He was a 42-year-old kid when he homered on July 16, 1941. Root, a pitcher, was famous for giving up Babe Ruth’s “called shot” in the 1932 World Series.

4. Hank Greenberg was born on New Year’s Day 1911, and the other three were born Jan. 31.

5. I loved the names of these guys. It was Early Wynn, who, late in his career, won 22 games for the White Sox in 1959 at the age of 39. He led the American League in wins and also in innings, throwing 255 2/3.

6. The three Mikes had four hits apiece. Brant Brown of the Cubs celebrated his 25th birthday with five hits on June 22, 1996. He went 5-for-9 as the Cubs beat the Padres 9-6 in 16 innings.’

7. They were all born in 1973, and they will all be 50 next year (hopefully).

8. If I were writing a quiz for the Houston Chronicle, the question would read: “Jeff Bagwell was born on May 27, 1968, the exact same day as what other Hall of Famer?”

9. They all were, and they all make and made baseball magical.

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Matt Eberflus has found a way to measure almost anything on a football field.

When his player tackles someone along the sideline, Eberflus watches to see how far he pushes him out of bounds. At the least, the ballcarrier has to tumble across the 6-inch chalk border that surrounds the field and land on the other side.

“From the green through the white,” he told the Sun-Times. “That’s a way we measure intensity.”

In the open field, Eberflus measures the last three yards of the possession. Does the tackler accelerate to the ball-carrier and drive his feet? Does he perform a hamstring tackle? Unlike most coaches, Eberflus teaches that the tops of a player’s shoulder pads should be level with the ball-carrier’s waist. The defender must drive through the player’s hips, wrap up near the hamstrings and take three firm steps while taking him to the ground.

Any additional tacklers need to try to force a fumble. Eberflus measures whether they do, and which technique they try: the punch, the hammer or the rake. The punch is an uppercut through the fat part of the ball and the hammer is a downward strike. The rake is more violent — peeling back a ballcarrier’s fingers and reaching for the tip of the ball to dislodge it.

“If you’re not punching the ball on every play, the way we coach it, that’s a mistake,” Eberflus said.

The coach watches exactly where defenders are punching: former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman has taught Eberflus’ teams both in Indianapolis and Chicago to try to time the punch to coincide with a ball-carrier’s rocking motion as he runs. Don’t punch where the ball is, Tillman preaches, punch where it’s going to be.

“Are you really stripping it every play?” Eberflus said. “Not just sticking your hand out there to appease me, but are you really going after it?” he said. “We coach that every single play.

“It’s all measured, so you can coach details every single play. What you’ll see is that when you do it on offense, defense, and kicking, your team will understand the exact standards because everything is on the table. You don’t hide anything.”

Those defensive tenets helped the Colts finish second in the NFL in takeaways over Eberflus’ four-year stint as defensive coordinator — which in turn landed him his first-ever head coaching job.

The main tenet of his H.I.T.S. system — which has found a way to, Eberflus believes, quantifiably measure hustle, intensity, takeaways and smarts by grading game film — is that he’s always watching.

Sunday at Soldier Field, the 52-year-old will have his first exposure with the ultimate measurable: wins and losses as an NFL coach. Because a rebuilding Bears team figures to have much more of the former than the latter, it raises the ultimate conundrum for someone whose coaching ethos is based on grading the ungradeable. Beside wins and losses, what would the Bears consider a success?

Eberflus’ boss has an idea.

“Resilience,” general manager Ryan Poles said. “I’ve been on teams, a Super Bowl team and teams that, ya know, anywhere in between. And the teams that can just stay level and look at “What are the solutions?” instead of just pointing at the problem and being negative with like, ‘Look at that! It’s not good.’ No. ‘How are we going to fix it?’

“So as an organization, as a team, as a locker room, as a staff, just being resilient through the ups and downs and just continuing to fight and have that arrow pointing up.”

o o o

Eberflus collects sayings the way other men his age collect vinyl records or bottles of Bordeaux. He uses so many of them, so often, that those inside Halas Hall not only have favorites, but former favorites.

“It’s about the takeaways,” linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi said. “He says that one every day.”

“To get the ball, you have to be fanatical,” defensive line coach Travis Smith said.

“Together, we can,” safeties coach Andre Curtis said.

Secondary coach James Rowe, who spent last season as Eberflus’ cornerbacks coach in Indianapolis, lists one specific saying as the most important. It’s actually just two words, said twice apiece: “Player-coach, coach-player.”

It’s what separates Eberflus from his predecessor, Matt Nagy.

“You can be a player’s friend, for sure, no doubt,” Eberflus said. “But you have to be his coach first.”

Nagy held dance contests and Saturday night ice cream parties for his players. He conceived of “Club Dub” in the locker room after the game — though Joe Maddon’s Cubs get credit for the inspiration — where he’d stand in the center of a circle and motion his right arm to the ground like he was spiking a football.

“Boom!” the players would scream.

When the Bears won, Nagy was inspirational. When they lost, his players said they wanted to win for him. But something was missing. Nagy was 39 when the Bears hired him; Eberflus was 51. Perhaps the age gap breeds more of a professional distance.

“The coach is there to serve and to help the player,” Eberflus said. “That’s your job. And you have to have the right mindset as a coach because it’s not about you. It’s about the player.

“The player is the product we put on the field. And that’s the product of the Bears. So he comes first — whatever we can do to help him to be his very best. And the coach has to show that to the player.And when he does, there’s a relationship built. They have this relationship where it’s a partnership — coach-player, player-coach partnership.”

o o o

Eberflus was a 22-year-old assistant at Toledo when head coach Gary Pinkel held a football in the air and, in a moment of coach zen, sent a simple message.

“Guys,” he said, “it’s all about this.”

Pinkel’s zeal for takeaways — and against turnovers — was a success. He retired in 2015 as the all-time leader in wins at Toledo and Missouri. At the time, only two coaches could make the same claim about two Division I-A schools: “Bear” Bryant and Steve Spurrier.

Eberflus, his defensive coordinator at Missouri from 2001 to ’08, took Pinkel’s focus on takeaways to the NFL. He was the Cowboys’ linebackers coach in 2014 when Rod Marinelli, the former Bears assistant, was named defensive coordinator. Eberflus at first wanted to be just like the man he called a “master coach,” but then he decided he wanted something unique. His H.I.T.S. principle, which combines elements of Marinelli’s tracking of player “loafs” and Eberflus’ meticulous film grading, was born.

“Most people just look at scheme, like, ‘OK, he did his job and completed pass and all that,’ ” Eberflus said. “Well, we don’t look at the game that way. We look at the game a different way.”

At Halas Hall, that meant teaching the system to the defensive assistants who didn’t follow him from Indianapolis and creating offensive grading points.

The meetings took hours. He was met with wide eyes.

“The coaches had the same response as the players — ‘Gosh, I didn’t know it was like that,’ ” Eberflus said.

Eberflus spent his first few months at Halas Hall coming up with ways to measure offensive performance with the same level of obsession he did defense.

Just as cornerbacks must tackle the right way, receivers must block them properly.

“There’s no house guests here,” Eberflus said.

Just as defenders’ punches at the ball are meticulously measured, so are the steps ballcarriers take to thwart a takeaway. They must keep five points of pressure on the ball — their fingertips, palms, forearms, biceps and chest — and clasp their hands when they run through traffic.

When Smith interviewed for the Bears’ defensive-line job, he asked about Eberflus’ takeaways secret. Eberflus said he was fanatical about it. It wasn’t until Smith got to Halas Hall that he saw what that looked like.

“Watching how we practice and how we attack the ball, it makes sense,” he said.

It’s tangible. Which means it can be measured.

“Then everybody knows what the standard is,” Eberflus said. “As opposed to saying, ‘Hey, just play hard.’ Or, ‘Hey, take the ball away.’ “

o o o

Eberflus didn’t raise his two daughters by shouting aphorisms and measuring hustle, although he does have one go-to phrase that makes sense for a protective dad to Grace, who just graduated college, and high schooler Giada.

“I always tell my girls, ‘Keep your head on a swivel,’ ” he said.

Otherwise, Eberflus said, he’s not the same man at home as he is on the sideline.

“I know how to have fun, relax,” he said. “The whole principle and foundation isn’t an uptight thing. It’s just how we live. It’s the standard.”

His new boss is all in.

“I love that dude,” Poles said last week. “He is consistent. His message is clear. There is no gray area. When he approaches the team meeting and gets in front of the guys, he’s got juice. But it’s not fluff. It’s not fake. It’s real. And you can feel that energy that he has. The guys love it. I love it. I’m so pumped about his leadership and how he’s going to lead this team.”

Safety Eddie Jackson has noticed Eberflus’ big ideas and little gestures. The coach has yet to be late for a meeting.

“Just holding everyone to that accountability and just letting his action match his words,” Jackson said. “I feel like that’s the big thing.”

Rowe, the secondary coach, can feel Eberflus’ personality on game day. It’s the same “stern intensity” that the Bears want out of their players.

“All the greats have a switch that they turn on and off, and it’s probably more important to turn it off,” he said. “He’s intense. He’s intentional. His passion to win is unmatched. And you feel that from him when he talks about football.”

That intensity, of course, can be measured.

“If you turn on the film, the film reflects the coach,” said Borgonzi, the linebackers coach. “If you have an intense team, then that’s a reflection of the coach, the position coach and the coordinator. The film’s your r?sum?. The film does the talking.”

It will speak for the first time Sunday.

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OAKLAND, Calif. — Miguel Cairo is enjoying the ride.

And what a ride Friday’s improbable 5-3 win over the Athletics was for the White Sox, who won for the eighth time in 11 games since Cairo, the Sox’ bench coach, took over as acting manager.

Down 3-0 and being no-hit for six innings, the Sox (71-68) scored five runs in the ninth, four of them after two outs, to stay within 1 1/2 games of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.

Eloy Jimenez homered for the third time in three games against A’s lefty A.J. Puk to start it before the Sox scored four runs after two outs. Andrew Vaughn singled home pinch runner Leury Garcia, Romy Gonzalez (after striking out three times) singled home pinch runner Adam Engel with the tying run (Engel sneaking his hand over the plate with a fading slide) and former Athletic Elvis Andrus delivered the tiebreaking shot, a two-run double into the left field corner scoring two runs.

“We were like sleeping for a bit and we just got a wakeup call,” said Cairo, who pushed all the right buttons in the ninth inning pinch-hitting Yasmani Grandal (walk) and using two pinch runners. Cairo took over when Tony La Russa left the team for medical reasons.

“They don’t give up. That’s the phrase Tony uses, never give up. And [play for] 27 outs],” Cairo said.

“That was a good win. We have to come back tomorrow with the same intensity, same fire.”

The Sox have won eight of their last 10 games. Cairo said the streak has been a team effort on the field and with the coaching staff with former manager Jerry Narron and coaches Shelley Duncan, Joe McEwing and Ethan Katz all putting their heads together.

“They all help with the moves, with everything,” Cairo said. “Everyone is contributing.”

The Sox were a disappointment the first five months of the season but are now playing as planned.

“Amazing win,” said Lucas Giolito, who pitched six innings of three-run ball. “To put five runs up in the ninth inning like that. It was a lot of fun to watch. Maybe there was a little hangover from last night [scoring 14 runs on 21 hits] early in the game.

“Keep the good vibes rolling. There is a lot of fight in this team. Just amazing clutch at-bats by all the guys. This is stuff we can do when we’re playing loose and free.”

The Sox beat the Mariners for a series win Wednesday after their first seven batters struck out. They were down 4-0 in that one.

“It shows how resilient this team is,” Andrus said. “Eloy’s homer woke us up. This win shows how much heart and passion this team has.”

“These are the games early in the year we wouldn’t win,” Hendriks said. “The attitude in here is a little more yelling at each other which is one of the things we’re thriving on.”

Liam Hendriks, who pitched the ninth for his 32nd save against his former team, said Cairo “has done things differently here but it’s been fantastic.”

“As far as winning percentages he’s the winningest manager in White Sox history, right?” Hendriks said. “We’ve had Miguel for a couple years. It’s been fantastic watching him. We want Tony to get better and healthy and make sure we’re firing on all cylinders but Miggy stepped up admirably into that role.”

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After missing two major-league seasons because of Tommy John surgery and six weeks with a strained oblique, left-hander Drew Smyly is enjoying one of the best stretches of his 10-year career.

Smyly threw seven-plus innings of one-hit ball Friday in outdueling former White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon and earning a 4-2 victory against the Giants.

“You never know somebody’s true character until you’re with them every day and [see] how bad they want to be out there,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “To manage him and watch him go about his business and continue to want to go out there and stay out there, it’s just really rewarding when you watch him pitch, and it finally pays off. [He has] been such a big piece for us.”

Smyly, 33, has allowed one run or fewer in five of his last seven starts, posting a 2.29 ERA. He matched his season high in innings and might have pitched longer had it not been for a throwing error by shortstop Nico Hoerner to start the eighth inning.

“It’s definitely nice to feel confident and in sync with your mechanics and trust your stuff,” said Smyly, who rebounded from his last start Sept. 3 in St. Louis in which he allowed seven runs in 2,, innings.

David Villar’s double with two outs in the second was the only hit allowed by Smyly.

Nostalgic Nico

Hoerner celebrated the third anniversary of his first major-league promotion by singling and stealing second base, which set up Yan Gomes’ home run in the second, and he smacked a two-run homer off Yunior Marte in the sixth that loomed large when Evan Longoria hit a two-run double in the eighth off Manny Rodriguez.

“I actually was aware of that [anniversary],” Hoerner said. “I remember the date. It’s fun.”

Hoerner got his first major-league hit off former Stanford teammate Cal Quantrill in San Diego and has since overcome a COVID-shortened 2020 season and a ridiculous demotion to Triple-A Iowa to start 2021 before emerging as a dependable shortstop.

Madrigal reinjured

Second baseman Nick Madrigal left after three innings because of tightness in his right groin and will undergo tests Saturday. Madrigal missed 46 games because of a left groin injury earlier this season.

Right-hander Keegan Thompson (tight lower back) threw a bullpen session, and catcher Willson Contreras (sprained left ankle) did some light running.

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