Chicago Sports

MINNEAPOLIS — Luis Robert was still experiencing lightheadedness and was doubtful for the last two games of the White Sox series against the Twins, manager Tony La Russa said Saturday.

The Sox’ hottest hitter of late, Robert was replaced in his customary No. 3 spot in the lineup by designated hitter Andrew Vaughn as the Sox looked for their fifth straight win and third in a row in a four-game series against the AL Central leading Twins.

The cause remained unknown. Robert was uniform but manager Tony La Russa didn’t think he would play.

“He’s still not feeling right,” La Russa said.

“They’ve done some preliminary [tests] but wait until Monday to really take a really good look at him,” La Russa said.

The All-Star break is Monday through Thursday.

The hope is Eloy Jimenez (right leg soreness) will be available after the break, although La Russa wasn’t ruling him out as a pinch hitter.

La Russa said general manager Rick Hahn and training staff considered a 10-day injured list stint for Jimenez “and decided to get through this series. And I agree. We can get through it.”

Robert’s defense

Luis Robert’s fielding has been noticeably off this season, and defensive metrics show what eyes have seen. Robert won a Gold Glove his rookie season in 2020 with eight defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs, and was at four in 2021. Robert is minus-4 this season.

Coach Daryl Boston, who works with the outfielders, attributes Robert’s performance to his legs being at less than 100 percent.

“There have been some balls that in the past he was able to get to but he’s coming off some leg issues and, maybe some tough skies,” Boston said. “A lot of it has to do with his legs. He’s not running as much on the bases because of his legs. To bust at full speed, some balls [have fallen] in front of him.”

Robert has 11 stolen bases but is 0-for-1 since June 12.

A ball skipped past him for an error in the first inning Friday and Robert didn’t get a great read on a deep fly ball that was caught before he exited the game, but he may have been affected by what forced him to leave the game. Robert was on the COVID IL during the last week of May but has played almost every day since.

“He’s still an elite defender for us,” Boston said. “The level of expectation for him is probably unfair because of what we’ve become accustomed to.”

The draft is Sunday

The White Sox have the 26th pick in the draft Sunday, their lowest first pick since they selected pitcher Kyle McCulloch in 2006, the year after they won the World Series.

They like what they’ve done with their last three top picks — shortstop Colson Montgomery (22nd in 2021), left-hander Garrett Crochet (11th in 2020) and Andrew Vaughn (third in 2019), but nailing this one won’t be as easy.

“The process has changed significantly with this draft because in all my years of doing this when you get outside of pick eight or nine, you have no idea what’s going to happen,” Sox scouting director Mike Shirley said. “I don’t think we’ve ever had to work on so many players who possibly could be there at 26.”

Which has left the scouting department “a little exhausted because the amount of work they’ve had to put in to get to 26.”

Shirley, in his third year in his role as the department’s director. said the strength of the class is with college position players as a whole, at the top especially. The Sox’ pick will be a combination of need and best player.

Various mock drafts have the Sox taking high school left-hander Robbie Snelling, Oregon State lefty Cooper Hjerpe, East Carolina lefty Carson Whisenhunt, Arizona catcher Daniel Susac and an assortment of high school infielders.

The Draft begins at 6 p.m. CST (ESPN, MLB Network). Rounds 2-10 are Monday (1 p.m. CST, MLB.com) and 11-20 are Tuesday (1 p.m., MLB.com).

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Tim Anderson does more than hit baseballs

Tim Anderson made a big play to help the Chicago White Sox win Friday. The White Sox are in the middle of one of their most important regular season series against the Minnesota Twins. The White Sox are now three games back to the Twins after reaching .500 Friday night.

Anderson made a critical play in the fifth inning on defense as the White Sox were up 3-2. Twins outfielder Max Kepler hit a pitch that appeared to be a solid line drive. Anderson made an incredible leaping play to snag the ball out of the air and save a base hit. Kelper got robbed.

@whitesox

Tim-Tim the point guard showing out tonight. 🏀 #whitesox #mlb #timanderson

♬ original sound – Chicago White Sox

Tim Anderson’s incredible play kept the White Sox momentum.

The White Sox needed a win Friday night. Anderson’s magic kept the White Sox rolling until Adam Engel hit a three-run shot to put the club up 6-2 for the eventual winning score. The White Sox have now won four straight games. They have outscored the Twins in this series 18-4.

The White Sox still have two more games this weekend against the Twins before heading into the all-star break. If the White Sox can win the next two games, they’d only be behind the Twins one game after the break. Anderson is a big reason the White Sox will have a chance to do that.

White Sox fans react to Anderson’s catch on Twitter.

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We take a look at rookie Dalen Terry’s first few Summer League games for the Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls 2022 first-round draft pick Dalen Terry has shown flashes of talent in the team’s first three Summer League games but there’s still room for improvement.  The 6’7″ guard has shown off the good and bad of his decision-making in the Bull’s first couple of showings in the Summer League.

The Bulls made an effort of putting the ball in Terry’s hands, allowing him to make plays for his teammates in his first NBA action last Friday against the Dallas Mavericks. Terry put up an impressive six assists while making some tough passes that were of a high degree of difficulty.  These passes although impressive were still too risky at times which led to a team-worst six turnovers.

What has Dalen Terry shown so far?

Terry showed off some of the athletic abilities that warranted him being taken with the 18th overall pick in the Bulls’ next game against the Knicks. The Bulls’ guard played a team-high 27 minutes and was aggressive on the offensive end by earning multiple trips to the free-throw line.

Terry finally tied it all together Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors. The rookie guard played his best game of summer league action scoring 14 points along with 2 assists, on 66% shooting from the field. But the most important stat was his turnovers, which terry cut down to just two for the game. A big part of this was the bulls deciding to take the ball out of Terry’s hands and let him use his athleticism  in transition.

“We trust him to make the right plays,” Bulls summer-league coach John Bryant said in an interview with Darnell Mayberry of the Athletic. “But sometimes he’s trying to make the home-run play. You watch this game; he just made the simple play.”

Dalen Terry really impressed on the offensive end in Thursdays matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 20 points shooting 66% from the field, making both his two 3-point attempts as well.

The Bulls and Terry have one more opportunity to showcase themselves, tonight at 6 p.m against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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The take a look back at the “other” Bears linebacker from the 60s and 70s, Doug Buffone

Who is the first Chicago Bears linebacker people think of when you mention the 1960s and 1970s? The legendary Dick Butkus, of course. And rightly so, because he was one of the most dominant and intimidating figures in the history of the league. However, another linebacker arrived in Chicago the year after Butkus and was a mainstay on Bears defense for 14 seasons: University of Louisville star Doug Buffone.

Arrival in Chicago

Buffone arrived as a 4th Round Pick in the 1966 NFL Draft. The 6’3″, 230 pounder was installed at LOLB and stayed there for the duration of his career. Along with Butkus, they formed a formidable tandem of linebackers for the Bears until Butkus’ retirement following the 1973 season.

On-field performance and retirement

While not the superstar that Butkus was, Buffone was a solid linebacker for 14 seasons with the Bears. He finished his career with 9 fumble recoveries and 24 interceptions. Although not an official statistic until 1982, he was also credited with 15 sacks. He had a career high 158 tackles in 1972. At the time of his retirement following the 1979 season, Buffone had played more games (186) than any other Chicago Bears player, a record that was later eclipsed by Steve McMichael (191) and then Patrick Mannelly (245). He was also the last active player to have played under George Halas as a coach and received quite the send off in his last game.

Doug Buffone’s post-retirement years, legacy, and death

Buffone stayed in the public eye following his retirement as a Chicago sports broadcaster. He hosted or co-hosted shows for WSCR 670 AM and was also a producer on other ones such as The Neal Anderson Show and The Mike Ditka Show. As an entrepreneur, he was part owner of several Chicago-based businesses including Gibson’s Steak House. Buffone passed away at his residence on April 20, 2015 at the age of 70.

While he may not have been the splashy name of Chicago Bears linebackers, Doug Buffone was a solid player for a long time in the Windy City, as well as being a successful broadcaster and businessman.

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Chicago Bears need an offensive tackle like Orlando Brown Jr.

The Chicago Bears are heading into the 2022 season without one of the most critical positions on the offense being solidified and Orlando Brown Jr. would do just that. The Bears were trying out rookie Braxton Jones, as well as second-year players Tevin Jenkins and Larry Borom at the left tackle position this offseason.

None of those players are proven at that position yet. PFF thinks the offensive line is 31st in the league. A pro-bowl-caliber player protecting quarterback Justin Fields‘ blindside could be beneficial to the Bears unit this season and in the future.

Enter some offseason drama from the Kansas City Chiefs. Per reports, three-time pro bowl offensive tackle Orlando Brown turned down a six-year contract with the Chiefs. Brown will likely be franchise tagged but it’s currently unsigned. He’s a perfect candidate on the perfect team for the Bears to trade with.

The Bears have a veteran to trade and some cash in their pocket for Orlando Brown Jr.

Just north of $19 million is sitting in the Bears’ cap space currently. They have more than enough to pay Orlando Brown’s salary and certainly will be able to offer him a sweet future deal. They also have a veteran the Chiefs could use this season to immediately make their defense better in their quest to win a Super Bowl now.

Robert Quinn and some high draft picks would have to be on the table. Quinn’s name has been linked to the Chiefs before. But it would be worth it for a sure thing like Brown. The former third-round draft pick has played more like a top ten draft pick since coming into the league.

Bears’ new general manager Ryan Poles should use his connections with the Chiefs and make an offer. This is a golden opportunity for the Bears and would make a pretty boring offseason a success with a marquee addition like Brown.

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Would the Chicago Bulls consider trading for Kyrie Irving?

In wake of the Kevin Durant trade demand, it looks like the Brooklyn Nets may be headed for a rebuild if they decide to follow through with his request. A backcourt of Simmons and Irving may would be a strange fit and would likely have a tough time making the play-in games. Irving may soon be on his way out of Brooklyn. With a good core of players and plenty of trade assets, the Chicago Bulls are well positioned to make a trade for the all-NBA guard.

Due to the Gobert trade, it looks like the price for trading for a star player is a bit steeper than many anticipated. The Bulls will certainly have to give up some future assets in any trade, even if trading a star player in the process.

As a preface to the trade packages, the number of picks mentioned in each trade below is more of an indication of market value/precedent set by the Gobert trade– they’re definitely not set in stone and I could see the number of picks swing 1-2 1st rounders in either direction. With that being said, here are some trade packages the Bulls could put together for former all-NBA guard Kyrie Irving:

Contend now: Vucevic Package

Bulls Receive: Kyrie Irving

Nets Receive: Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, 2 future 1st-round picks

This is the most likely package in my mind. Nets get better by adding some much-needed defense, outside shooting, and interior offense to take a load off of Durant. The trade machine says -8 wins for the Bulls, but I can’t see how a lineup of Ball, Irving, LaVine, DeRozan, Drummond is worse than last year.

While 3 of those players are score-first guys and don’t rack up a lot of assists in the box score, they are all craft veteran players who know how to move the ball in an offensive system. This lineup could lead the league in scoring by a wide margin. Imagine the 3rd best defender on a team has to guard LaVine– that’s a crazy thought.

Contend now: DeRozan Package

Bulls Receive: Kyrie Irving

Nets Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Ayo Dosunmu, 1 future 1st-round pick

I would hate to see DeRozan leave after having such a great season last year (and the fact that he will have been involved with 2 blockbuster trades for a mercenary player trying to win a ring). However, this trade would make a lot of sense. For the Bulls, they would add

Nets young talent acquisition package

Bulls Receive: Kyrie Irving, 2 future 2nd-round picks

Nets Receive: Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Coby White, Dalen Terry, Tony Bradley, Ayo Dosunmu, 1 future 1st-round pick

The Bulls mortgage their future to try for a championship now. This would be a package centered around the idea that Irving is a rental and has no commitment to resigning with Chicago when his contract expires. I can’t see Chicago adding more than one first-round pick to this given that they are giving away all their young talent through this trade.

This would have to be a scenario where Brooklyn is willing to accept 50 cents on the dollar for Irving. However, if it went through, Ball, Irving, LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic is a serious lineup for any team to contend with.

Blow it up package

Bulls Receive: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving

Nets Receive: DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, 4 1st-round picks

With this trade, the Bulls become the premier threat in the east with a terrifying starting lineup of Ball, Irving, LaVine, Durant, and Drummond, but sacrifice most of their bench unit in the process. The Nets gather a core of solid role players that should work well around Simmons, along with DeRozen still serving as the primary bucket-getter. A lineup of Simmons, Caruso, DeRozan, Warren (or Williams), and Vucevic would definitely make some noise in the east.

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We take a look at 3 Chicago Bears veterans who are on the bubble come training camp

When the Chicago Bears report for camp later this month, many battles will ensue to capture roster spots. The new coaching staff will get the opportunity to observe these players with the pads on. That makes for some fierce competitions across the board. The following players find themselves in an uphill battle to secure a spot on the final roster.

Nathan Peterman

Unless the Chicago Bears decide to keep three quarterbacks, this is probably the easiest cut to see coming. Nathan Peterman is firmly entrenched as the third option behind starter Justin Fields and backup Trevor Siemian. Barring the best camp of his life, Peterman finds himself on the short end of the stick.

It is probable that the Bears sign him to the practice squad once he clears waivers, but will most likely only see the active roster in the event of an injury to Fields or Siemian. There is also the possibility of a quarterback being let go by another team at final cuts that interests the Bears more, so being on the practice squad is no guarantee.

Kindle Vildor

Due to thin cornerback depth last year, second-year man Kindle Vildor found himself the starter opposite Jaylon Johnson for most of the season. His performance was underwhelming to say the least as he found himself ranked among the bottom five corners of the league with a 45.6 coverage grade according to PFF. He also produced zero interceptions.

With the arrival of rookie Kyler Gordon as well as veterans Tavon Young and Thomas Graham, Jr., competition will be fierce and Vildor could find himself as the odd man out.

David Moore

Darnell Mooney is a known quantity at wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. The rest of the crew, not so much. Dazz Newsome barely saw the field as a rookie last season. Velus Jones, Jr. is a talented but unproven rookie. Free agent signees Byron Pringle, Dante Pettis, and Equanimeous St. Brown were role players at their previous stops. Add in the recent arrival of N’Keal Harry from the Patriots and that is one crowded receiver room.

Then there is David Moore. He had a couple decent seasons with Seattle, but did nothing in limited opportunities with the Broncos last year. He faces long odds to secure a spot even if the Chicago Bears keep six or seven receivers. His offseason arrest doesn’t help his chances either.

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The problem with July is, well, it stinks. For sports, that is. We’d invite you to try to name a worse month on the U.S. sports calendar, but we already know you can’t. There’s baseball, plus a little of this, maybe some of that and, hang on, did we mention baseball? Google “worst month on the U.S. sports calendar,” and you’ll find July dismissed here and there as “the least exciting month,” “the most uneventful month by a country mile” and “your chance to take a break from sports and recharge.”

July stinks, is the point.

The day after baseball’s All-Star Game is often singled out as the very worst day for sports, and that’s because there’s more action in a sloths’ mosh pit. There’s certainly no baseball being played, though, let’s face it, that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re a Cubs fan. But we’re still talking about a monthlong slog here, not a one-day blip.

When your old pal worked at national sports magazines in his pre-newspaper days, July would loom and the 1,000-yard stares would begin setting in.

“Think we’ll make it to football season?”

“I’m not writing about NASCAR, you do it.”

“I wonder if the nuclear plant is hiring.”

But here in Chicago, this July is kind of wild. It’s certainly very weird. Too disconcerting to be dead, too improbable to be ignored and too sonorous for the snooze alarm.

Our teams — most of them, anyway — are up to all sorts of strange business and busyness. Like the Cubs, for example, who seem not to understand how much they’re risking by not only losing night after ignominious night, but also by waving their money in fans’ faces instead of putting it into the product on the field. As a gaudy ballpark sportsbook gets shoehorned into gaudy Rickettsville, the filthy-rich Cubs are preparing to trade, as has become their custom, everybody who’s anybody, with Jed Hoyer in the role of glorified used-car salesman.

“Congrats on the All-Star honors, Willson Contreras and Ian Happ. Now what’s it going to take to put you fellas in a couple of shiny contenders?”

The spasmodic White Sox, meanwhile, stagger two steps backward, as they did in the first two games in Cleveland on their current, hugely important road trip, then they lurch two steps forward, as they did in the last two games against the Guardians. In the end, the Sox always seem to be right back where they started, often having done a bunch of foolish and sloppy things in getting there. They ebb and they flow, usually in the same week, and it’s both stultifying and fascinating. They are a .500 machine — and the longer that persists, the more inflamed Sox fans get. There’s a lot of anger here, and it’s perfectly understandable.

And the Blackhawks? They’re trading everybody, too. Quick, somebody stop Kyle Davidson before he tries to ship Contreras to Calgary. It was a gut punch when new general manager Davidson — who’s clearly intent on making his mark — moved terrific scorer Alex DeBrincat and also momentous, if less jarring, when he did likewise with 2019 first-round pick Kirby Dach. Letting Dominik Kubalik and Dylan Strome disappear into the mist is only going to make the Hawks worse in the short term, and then there are the giant shoes that have yet to drop: What the heck is happening with franchise greats Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, not to mention $76 million veteran Seth Jones? It’s dizzying to think about.

At least the Bears are moving on up. Wait, correction: moving on out. Aren’t they still bound for Arlington Heights? Just saying, it seems like an inevitability — unless, of course, they stay put on the lakefront in a stadium that eventually becomes the world’s largest set of Russian tea dolls. A 1920s-style coliseum with a spaceship on top of it and an ultramodern dome heaved on top of the spaceship? Wouldn’t a circus tent be cheaper and more apt? In summary: Bears fans don’t know if the team has a real quarterback, don’t know if it has a real coach, don’t know if it has a real general manager and don’t know where it’s going to play. Other than that, everything’s perfect.

These are supposed to be the dog days on the sports calendar. Steamy, slow, languid. But who can keep up?

Our college sports scene is bonkers, too, and nothing is even in season. Every time we turn around, Illinois’ basketball team has landed another prime-time player via the transfer portal or more traditional recruiting. The Illini could win a national championship soon, or this method of roster building — birds sit on rhinos’ backs longer than some Illini players stick around nowadays — could blow up in coach Brad Underwood’s face

Craziest of all is college football, which we’ll get into more if and when we begin to comprehend what the hell is going on. It seems to be along these lines: If you aren’t moving to the Southeastern Conference or the Big Ten, you aren’t surviving for long. And if you are in one of those leagues, it’s going to require more fundraising for football than ever to even have a chance to be competitive. What does this mean for Illinois and Northwestern? And for Notre Dame, still an independent?

It means the ground is shaking. Take a break? Recharge? Maybe next year.

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There have been a few good moments.

Marko Simonovic’s 27-point, 13-rebound showcase, and rookie Dalen Terry putting up 14 points and five rebounds in a comeback victory against the Raptors. Then there has been Terry’s overall in-your-face demeanor on the court.

So, yes, there have been some nice stories during this Summer League for the Bulls.

But help?

Actual on-court, crunch-time help in a big late-March Eastern Conference showdown?

That likely won’t be coming from the Summer League roster.

And, frankly, Zach LaVine is fine with that.

When LaVine sat down with executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley to discuss the future and why he should stay a Bull for $215 million over the next five years, the two-time All-Star knew the current core would be leaned on to carry the load.

That means LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic remain the “Big Three,” and Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso headline an important supporting cast buttressed by the additions of Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic.

“I mean, obviously [last season] was tough because we started off so good, and we could see the ceiling and the goal of the team in the first half of the season,” LaVine said. “But injuries happen, and you want to see a full roster and a full team all the way through. I think we had some key additions already, adding guys like Goran and Drummond, so I think it’s gonna be good. As long as guys stay healthy, I think that’s the biggest thing for any team. We get to go back at it again.”

But the five teams in front of the Bulls in the conference aren’t about to simply cede their territory.

The Celtics added Malcolm Brogdon, the 76ers grabbed P.J. Tucker and the Bucks kept their core together.

“People are going to move every year, and there’s still a lot of movement that I think can happen during the offseason,” LaVine said of the new-look landscape. “It’s just teams trying to get better and better, and I think we’re trying to do the same thing, as well. We made some additions but pretty much have the same core of guys intact and want to run it back.

“I think that’s what AK and Marc were going to go after and really see what this team is like when whole and healthy.

”I’m fine with it. I understood how good we were in the first half of the year, but we’ve got to put two halves together and really go after it. I’m excited for the competition.”

That sounds good, but will the Bulls even be fully healthy?

Karnisovas spoke on ESPN during theSummer League win Tuesday against Toronto and was asked about Ball’s left-knee rehab.

Like Eversley said a few weeks ago, there was optimism that the knee was improving and guarded optimism about Ball being ready for the start of training camp.

No wonder Dragic was added. He could prove to be a key insurance policy.

“[Ball is] progressing,” Karnisovas said. “That’s as much as I can say.

”He’s getting better. Probably not at the speed that we would like. But he’s getting better.

“Hopefully, he’s going to be ready for training camp. That’s just our hope.”

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Owner Joe Mansueto explained why the Fire stuck with Arlo White.

“I like Arlo White,” Mansueto told the Sun-Times. ”He’s one of the best soccer TV announcers on the planet, and I respect his right to work for whomever he wants to work for. I think that’s a slippery slope, trying to judge countries and evaluate them and determining who you want to have relationships with.”

White recently joined Saudi-backed LIV Golf as its lead commentator. The Saudi government is responsible for numerous human-rights violations, and the nascent tour is seen as an example of sportswashing. That said, relationships with the Saudis or other governments with poor track records are common in sports and geopolitics, including the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.

Mansueto understood the criticism of the decision to stay with White despite his new employer but said “everyone has a right to free speech.”

“It’s fine to criticize, it’s very fair if you don’t like a relationship someone has with a particular country, but I would draw the line at withdrawing employment from somebody because of those relationships,” he said. “Fine to criticize, but to deny somebody employment, I think goes too far. I think you’ll get more traction in changing countries by engaging with them rather than ostracizing them — engaging with them, setting a good example, exposing them to our values rather than trying to shun them, ostracize them and hope they’ll wake up one day and change. That’s my personal view.

“Which countries, which issues, it’s a slippery slope, and in many ways I think sports should be a bit of a safe haven from politics. [There’s] pretty much politics all around us, so that’s really what went into this decision.”

Training facility

The Fire are moving forward with the city to build a new training facility in the Roosevelt Square area of the Near West Side as they work through approvals with the Chicago Housing Authority, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the city council.

Mansueto said the team is hopeful the process will be finished by the end of the year.

In June, ProPublica reported on how that land was promised for affordable housing but is now earmarked for the Fire. Mansueto noted that the land has sat vacant and that he didn’t know of any plans to build affordable housing there. He also said the constraint in Chicago is not the land, but the funds to build the housing.

“We’ve relocated, working with the city, all of those affordable housing units to other land that the city has,” Mansueto said. “There’s been no lessening of the number of units of housing.”

He added that the Fire are paying a “premium” to build there and that it would be less expensive to go to the suburbs. Instead, Mansueto said he wants to spur development around the training facility.

“We’re making a significant community-benefit investment,” Mansueto said. “The land needs some remediation, so we’re investing quite a bit, and we think it’s for the good of Chicago.”

Soldier Field

The team’s initial three-year option on Soldier Field is up at the end of the season, and Mansueto said the current plan is to sign on for the next three-year portion. The 11-year pact begins with three three-year segments, then two one-year extensions.

Though Mansueto is pleased with the results and what the move has meant for the fan experience and isn’t looking for land to build a new stadium, the Fire aren’t satisfied with certain aspects of the arrangement. He wants to improve some of the economics, including the high costs of refreshments. Parking is another concern.

“It’s another example of the cost structure that we face,” he said. “We don’t control the parking price, that’s Soldier Field, but it’s an example of maybe other costs that are similarly a little higher than you think they should be.”

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