Chicago Sports

CLEVELAND — Going around the league with the surrendering Oakland Athletics was kind of a drag, so coming to the White Sox, a disappointing team but one with a shot at the postseason, lightened Elvis Andrus’ outlook on the final six weeks of the season.

“We were rebuilding, it’s always a tough one, especially for me,” said Andrus, who played his first game with the Sox against the Guardians Friday after signing a deal for the rest of the season. “I want to be in this environment. I want to be competing for the playoffs. Every day counts, meaningful games. I am really happy and pumped up to be here.”

Released by the Athletics Wednesday, the Sox pounced on Andrus and got him for a prorated minimum salary for the rest of the season. With All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson likely out until the last week of the season after having surgery on his middle finger Aug. 11, the Sox were forced to play rookies Romy Gonzalez and Lenyn Sosa at shortstop when Leury Garcia went on the injured list this week.

Sosa was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room for a player with two All-Star appearances, two World Series appearances and a career .270/.326/.369 hitting line.

“He’s got a lot of game left,” manager Tony La Russa said of Andrus, who turns 34 next Friday. “He plays the whole game, still fields well, can run the bases, has a knack for getting hits against good pitchers. Played in a couple World Series [one against La Russa’s Cardinals in 2011]. We’re thrilled to get him here.”

Andrus also has slightly better numbers in the second half over his 14-year career and has hit well against the Guardians (.342/.409/.518 with a .927 OPS) and Twins (.281/.323/.392 with a .715 OPS), the teams the Sox need to overtake to win the soft AL Central.

“Yeah, I love it,” said Andrus, who popped out in his first at-bat as a Sox but said the ball has always looked huge to him at Progressive Field for some reason. “That was one of the things I saw when I signed with the team, ‘Ah, we’re going to play in Cleveland.’ I was like, ‘OK, that’s not bad, that’s not a bad place to start for me.’ Same thing with Minnesota. I always play really good against them.”

Andrus, with some of his Athletics gear at his locker in the visitors clubhouse, was at ease chatting away with Eloy Jimenez, Jose Abreu and others before the game. He batted seventh against the Guardians and right-hander Triston McKenzie.

“People talk about the player, the winner, the character that he has,” La Russa said. “So he’s going to fit right into our culture. We’re lucky to get him. Big debt of gratitude to the front office.”

Andrus played with second baseman Josh Harrison in Oakland last season, so there is familiarity in the middle of the infield. And he played behind the Sox’ Friday starter, Lance Lynn, in Texas.

“That’s the guy you want on the mound every four or five days,” Andrus said. “Unbelievable and kind of funny, my first game he’s going to be pitching. It’s going to make me feel a lot more comfortable for sure.”

Perhaps Andrus can help keep whatever spark the Sox (20-13 in their last 33 games) have had going. At the very least, he adds sound defense and a proven bat and locks down a premium position in a pennant race.

“The one thing that you appreciate, when you play many years, is having the opportunity to play meaningful games in September,” Andrus said. “That’s what I love the most about this game. It takes away the whole business and money side and you concentrate and do whatever you can that day to win. It’s all about winning. Do whatever you can that day to win.”

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SEATTLE — This time last year, as the Bears embarked on Matt Nagy’s final boondoggle with Andy Dalton at quarterback, Cole Kmet’s mind wandered into the future.

He saw then-rookie quarterback Justin Fields relegated to second-string as part of an ill-conceived plan that blew up on the Bears halfway through their second game and knew he needed to begin establishing their connection. He stayed late to practice with Fields knowing their time would come.

It’s here.

There remains great uncertainty about both players, but their careers are syncing up for a perfect opportunity this season. The Bears are finally fully committed to Fields as their starter and running an offense tailored to his skills. And as much as Kmet appreciated veteran Jimmy Graham’s tutelage, his departure was necessary for Kmet to fully step into the role of all-purpose tight end.

Either of them emerging would be big for the Bears. Both of them doing it would be enormous. And the work they began last summer seems to be building toward a breakthrough.

“I knew early on, down the road, that was going to be a big deal,” Kmet told the Sun-Times after the Bears beat the Seahawks on Thursday. “And it’s been progressing from that point to this offseason and then having a full training camp with him now and a preseason game — that’s a big deal.

“It gives you more confidence — both of us — because you know you’re the guy. It’s been good for us. We’re still far from where we want to be and what we can be, but I think that’s the exciting part about it.”

Kmet was quick to note that it was merely one drive in a preseason game, but the duo showed a glimpse of its potential in Seattle.

On their first snap, the Bears schemed Kmet open beautifully on a screen pass, and he turned it into a 12-yard gain by spinning free from a would-be tackler about halfway through the play and plowing forward in a crowd at the end of it.

The new staff at Halas Hall has been gushing about Kmet throughout the offseason, but it’s not always clear how genuine someone is when the cameras are rolling. It is more telling, though, that they’ve repeatedly raved about his training off the record, too. He’s a holdover from Ryan Pace and Nagy, who collaborated to draft him No. 43 overall in 2020, but he quickly won over his new bosses.

That catch Thursday was a snapshot of what they projected: a tight end with the speed, agility and power to do everything they’ll need. And specifically, everything Fields will need as he tries to prove he’s a franchise quarterback.

If any front office drew up a list of necessities for a young quarterback, a reliable tight end would be at or near the top of it. Kmet could consistently present himself as Fields’ surest option when he drops back, and given that he could face a lot of pressure this season, he needs someone he can trust in an emergency.

“When you get the non-verbal stuff going and you can just look at someone and have a feel of what they’re gonna do on every play, that’s where you want to get to,” Kmet said. “That takes a lot of time, but that’s the goal. We’re growing into that. It’s happening.”

It’s no surprise that the Bears’ offense looked more fluid with Kmet against the Seahawks than it did without him against the chiefs last week.

“He can do pretty much all of it,” Fields said. “He brings another weapon to our offense, for sure, so I was glad to see him out there.”

Bears general manager Ryan Poles brought in a group of mostly unknown skill players, and it would take a lot of faith to believe that’s sufficient for Fields to thrive. But if Kmet takes a major step forward after catching 60 passes for 612 yards and no touchdowns last season, Fields’ supporting cast could be viable.

Fields threw seven passes Thursday: three to Kmet (two catches, 31 yards), two to wide receiver Darnell Mooney (one catch, six yards) and two to backup running back Khalil Herbert (two catches, two yards).

Swap in David Montgomery for Herbert and factor in a contribution from veteran Byron Pringle, and that’s a rough sketch of how targets probably will be allocated during the season.

The Bears will steer through this season constantly glancing ahead to see what they’re putting together for next season, when Poles shifts his rebuild into high gear. As he makes those plans, he must evaluate Fields and Kmet with great scrutiny to see if they’re the answers he seeks or if he needs to start over at those two vital positions.

So they’re both stepping into the spotlight and they’re both on the clock.

It isn’t always this urgent this early for quarterbacks — Fields started just 10 games last season and played 57% of the snaps — but if the Bears are bad this season, they’ll have a very high draft pick. That’s the time to change direction at quarterback.

Not to mention that Poles and coach Matt Eberflus would be risking their jobs if they waited too long to decide whether they’re in or out on Fields.

Likewise, Kmet’s rookie deal ends after the 2023 season. If he convinces the Bears this season, a contract extension is in order next year.

That future Fields and Kmet started working on in training camp last summer is fully in their hands now. And they’ll have to help each other secure it.

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Teven Jenkinshas had a wild career already, and he’s barely more than a year into it.

Drafted by the previous administration to be the Bears’ left tackle of the future, Jenkins saw the new staff dismiss that notion almost immediately and demoted him to right tackle. And as his chances dwindled at that spot, the recently shifted him to right guard.

Jenkins has gone from the most prestigious position on the offensive line to the least. And to his credit, his humility and resilience have given him a chance to win a starting job.

“It was a rollercoaster for a little bit, not knowing what I was gonna do,” he told the Sun-Times. “And then seeing that I have a chance at right guard… I’m trying to go all in and make sure I’m able to get in the starting five and give my team the best chance to win no matter where I’m at.

“Some guys might say they’re a left tackle and they’re staying at left tackle. I’m more of a team player type of guy. Whatever it takes for the team to win — it doesn’t matter to me… This is about me buying in now and believing in myself that I can do it at right guard.”

If this works, it would solve several problems for the Bears.

A week or so ago, it seemed plausible that they’d outright cut Jenkins — a second-round pick last year — because of where he sat on the depth chart. And it also looked like right guard would be the most problematic spot on their line.

If Jenkins thrives there, it could help solidify his and their future. This season is essentially an open audition for all five o-line spots in 2023, and jobs general managerRyan Polesfills now will allow him to use salary-cap space and draft picks elsewhere next year.

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A four-star prospect and a pair of teammates are among the area’s top running backs.

Here’s a rundown:

1. Tysean Griffin, Morgan Park

The 5-11, 165-pounder didn’t play his first high school game till March 2021 because of the pandemic, but had his first Division I offer two weeks later. Now the versatile two-way standout has 13, from the likes of Arkansas, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Michigan State, Tennessee and Wisconsin. He’s a four-star prospect ranked eighth in Illinois and in thetop 325 nationally in the247Sports.com composite ratings.

2. Darrion Dupree, Mount Carmel

Another junior from the South Side, Dupree is a three-star prospect ranked 22nd among junior runningbacks, ninth in Illinois and 350th overall nationally. He has 17 offers, including Cincinnati, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers.

3. Tony Phillips, Kankakee

The 5-6, 170-pound junior already has won four state track titles, sweepingthe Class 1A 100- and 200-meter dashes each of the past two seasons. A three-star transfer from Bishop McNamara, he’s a top-15 player in the state and top-40 running back nationally. His 10 offers include Arkansas and Tennessee.

4. Vinny Rugai, St. Ignatius

Few players fill a stat sheet like this 5-11, 190-pound senior. He ran 198 times for 1,275 yards and 16 touchdowns last year; at linebacker, he had 58 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He’s a four-year starter and a big reason for the Wolfpack’s breakout season in 2021.

5. Jaydon Wright, Kankakee

Like Phillips, Wright is a junior moving across town to join the 2021 Class 5A runners-up. The 5-10, 220-pounder is ranked 13th in his class in Illinois and 35th nationally among running backs. He has 11 offers, including Minnesota and Purdue.

6. Nathan Greetham, Prairie Ridge

When the Wolves have a proven fullback in their trademark option offense, they tend to play deep into November in Class 6A. Greetham, a 5-8, 175-pounder, fits that description and he’s also a standout in the classroom with a 3.8 grade-point average.

7. Ethan Middleton, St. Rita

Yet another junior from the South Side, this 5-11, 180-pounder is a three-star prospect ranked in the top 15 among Illinois juniors and 78th nationally among athletes. He has a Penn State offer and likely will be getting many more.

8. Joshua Robinson, Bolingbrook

The Raiders have a long tradition of producing quality backs and Robinson is the latest member of the club. A 6-2, 210-pounder, his 12 offers include Air Force, Army and Northern Illinois.

9. Andre Crews, Simeon

One of the area’s premier two-way players, Crews was a first-team All-Public League pick last season as a defensive back. The 5-9, 180-pound senior is being recruited primarily as a cornerback and his seven offers include Kentucky and Air Force.

10. Davonte Johnson, Kenwood

The Broncos have as much top-level talent as any program in the area and Johnson is part of that group. The 5-11, 170-pound senior’s offers include Army and Navy.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday swung back at Republican Darren Bailey’s insistence that Chicago is a “hellhole” — and that she is partly to blame — by slamming the downstate farmer’s gubernatorial campaign as a “dumpster fire.”

“Chicago is no hellhole, but the Bailey campaign sure is a dumpster fire,” the mayor tweeted.

Bailey, who is running against incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the general election, appeared Thursday at a GOP rally during the Illinois State Fair, where he again attacked Chicago and its Democratic leadership for failing to address crime and other issues.

The ‘hellhole’ jab is a line he introduced in a debate in Chicago nearly three months ago — and it’s become part of his campaign patter since then.

When asked by a reporter Thursday whether he thought most Chicagoans, who account for more than 20% of Illinois’ general population, actually view their home as a “hellhole,” Bailey stood by his comments, saying, “Actually, I believe they do. … Because it’s unsafe.”

Bailey’s campaign also responded to Lightfoot’s tweet with a series of posts including links to news stories about Chicago crime. Another tweet, quoting the mayor’s, calls Lightfoot, Pritzker and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx “the three blind mice of crime, corruption and chaos.”

Chicago Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens tweeted out her own response, a series of photos showcasing the city’s beauty under the ironic “hellhole” label. Others quickly joined in, tweeting photos alternately countering — or seconding — Bailey’s narrative.

Shootings and homicides in Chicago are down substantially from the historic highs of last year, according to Chicago Police Department data, but there’s been a 35% increase in overall crimes reported in 2022.

Lightfoot, who’s running for reelection, has repeatedly defended the efforts of CPD under the leadership of Supt. David Brown. “I will always have your back,” the mayor said 10 days ago at a police graduation ceremony.

And she’s clashed with Bailey before.

Earlier this month, the Republican state senator dubbed Lightfoot, Pritzker and Foxx “the three musketeers of crime.” Bailey said the trio not only “turned their backs on our police officers,” but he said the three Democrats “have actively attacked them.”

The mayor countered with a lengthy response at an unrelated appearance that day with Pritzker, arguing that Bailey is not fit to be governor.

“This feckless person no way, no how deserves to be taken seriously, and he certainly doesn’t deserve anyone’s vote to be governor of the state,” Lightfoot said. “We have a governor that’s leading us, and he’s standing right here. His name is J.B. Pritzker.”

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A day after the Republican candidate in the Illinois gubernatorial election again called Chicago a “hellhole,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot snapped back Friday on Twitter by defending the city while slamming state Sen. Darren Bailey’s campaign as a “dumpster fire.”

Bailey, who is running against incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the general election, appeared Thursday at a GOP rally during the Illinois State Fair, where he again attacked Chicago and its Democratic leadership for failing to address crime and other issues.

When asked by a reporter whether he thought most Chicagoans, who account for more than 20% of Illinois’ general population, actually view their home as a “hellhole,” Bailey reportedly stood by his comments, saying, “Actually, I believe they do … Because it’s unsafe.”

Bailey’s campaign also responded to Lightfoot’s tweet by replying to it with a series of posts including links to news stories about Chicago crime. Another tweet, quoting the mayor’s, calls Lightfoot, Pritzker and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx “the three blind mice of crime, corruption and chaos.”

Shootings and homicides in Chicago are down substantially from the historic highs of last year, according to Chicago Police Department data, but there’s been a 35% increase in overall crimes reported in 2022.

Lightfoot, who’s running for reelection, has repeatedly defended the efforts of CPD under the leadership of Supt. David Brown. “I will always have your back,” the mayor said 10 days ago at a police graduation ceremony.

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Rob Heitz, 41, who was paralyzed after diving head first into shallow water in Lake Michigan in Racine, Wisc. in 2003, swims in Lake Michigan near Ohio Street Beach in the Gold Coast neighborhood, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022. Heitz is training to swim a mile to two miles in San Francsico Bay on August 19. Heitz, who describes himself as a “high functioning quadriplegic,” had an incomplete spinal cord injury in 2003 and still feels weakness and tingling on the left side of his body.

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The Chicago Police Board has voted to fire an officer accused of beating and choking a man during an arrest, even though a judge found him not guilty of the charges earlier this year.

In a 5-2 decision, the board voted to dismiss Chicago police officer Louis Garcia for his actions on May 31, 2019, when Garcia and his partner arrested a man at a bus stop in the 9700 block of South Commercial Avenue.

The board found that Garcia not only beat and choked the man, but didn’t secure him in the police car and didn’t record the full arrest on his body camera. The board also accused him of lying in a report about the arrest.

Garcia was criminally charged with official misconduct last year by Cook County prosecutors who said the confrontation began when the suspect used a racial slur against Garcia.

Garcia then placed his hands around the man’s neck for more than 10 seconds, when Garcia’s partner intervened. Once in the police car, prosecutors said the suspect tried to bite the officers from the backseat and Garcia hit the man in the face with his elbow.

A judge acquitted Garcia on all counts this past April.

Garcia’s lawyer, Jim McKay, said the police board “had it wrong” and that he was advising Garcia to appeal the dismissal.

“There’s no evidence whatsoever that Garcia choked this man with the intent to restrict his [airflow],” McKay said. “This is against the totality of all the evidence in the hearing.”

A federal lawsuit filed last year accused Garcia of assaulting the same man during a July 2007 arrest, though the suit says that case was settled out of court.

Garcia has drawn more use of force complaints than 99% of his colleagues in the department, according to the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit that collects government information.

Garcia has been named in lawsuits with other law enforcement officials over the last 12 years, with allegations ranging from excessive use of force to creating false charges.

Supt. David Brown had recommended dismissal for Garcia, his partner and two officers who failed to “adequately review” reports of the incident.The partner,Manuel Giron, was given a 20-day suspension without pay.The two other officers werereinstated.

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CLEVELAND — The White Sox announced the signing of shortstop Elvis Andrus Friday, shoring up a need at a position thinned out by injuries to Tim Anderson, Leury Garcia and Danny Mendick.

The former All-Star, released by Athletics on Wednesday, cleared waivers and was signed by the Sox and was in the lineup batting seventh and playing shortstop for the opener of an important three-game series Friday in Cleveland.

All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson is out for another five weeks with a finger injury, Danny Mendick is out for the season with a knee injury and Leury Garcia is on the injured list with a back strain, depleting the Sox’ shortstop depth and forcing them to play rookie call-ups Lenyn Sosa and Romy Gonzalez in recent days.

Sosa was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte to make room on the active roster.

Andrus, who turns 34 next week, isn’t the fielder he was during his All-Star years with the Rangers and is batting .237/.301/.378, but he’s a definite upgrade at a key position going into the stretch run of the season.

He’s in the final season of an eight-year, $120 million contract signed with Texas, but the Sox, who signed him through the end of the season, will owe Andrus the prorated league minimum for the rest of the season, with the A’s responsible for the remainder of his $14 million salary.

Andrus will wear jersey No. 1.

Andrus is a career .270/.326/.369 hitter with 87 home runs and a .695 OPS over 14 seasons, his first 12 in Texas. He was a teammate of Sox second baseman Josh Harrison last season.

The signing is expected to be announced Friday. Triple-A left-hander Yoan Aybar was outrighted, creating room on the 40-man roster.

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Matt Forte was somewhat critical of the Chicago Bears while commenting on Roquan Smith’s situation.

Ten days ago, Roquan Smith requested a trade from the Chicago Bears. Smith claims that the organization refuses to recognize his true value. You can view Smith’s full statement here.

Many analysts and former players have commented on the ongoing situation. Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher made his thoughts clear as soon as this situation became public. Urlacher urged the Bears to pay Smith.

Former Bears running back Matt Forte is the latest to share his thoughts on the Roquan Smith hold-in. Forte was with the Bears for eight seasons, and only Walter Payton has more all-time rushing yards with the franchise. Forte went on 670 The Score and commented on Roquan Smith, players, and their negotiations.

“I respect him standing his ground and being like, ‘Look, I need to get paid,’ because you can get hurt any day.” Forte continued, “And if you get hurt and they cut you, then they just release you and be like, ‘Well, you’re injured. You’re not the same guy anymore.’ So, you have to use your leverage as a player.”

Many former players have made it clear that they are on Roquan Smith’s side in this ordeal. Roquan has made it clear that he wants to play for Chicago, whether or not a deal actually gets done remains to be seen. Matt Forte also commented on what might be holding up a potential deal, and it’s something that Bears fans know all too well.

“The Bears, they are definitely cheap, and they give guys a hard time,” Forte said. “I don’t know, they pay a lot of guys who don’t deserve the money, and sometimes the guys who do deserve it, they don’t pay them.”

With the regular season only weeks away, this situation will need to be resolved quickly. Thankfully, one insider hinted that it may be resolved soon. Hopefully, the cheapness that Matt Forte referenced doesn’t get in the way of the Bears and Roquan Smith coming to an agreement.

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