Chicago Sports

PHILADELPHIA — Joe Girardi was fired by the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday after his team’s terrible start, becoming the first major league manager to lose his job this season.

Philadelphia said bench coach Rob Thomson will become interim manager for the rest of the season.

Expected to contend for an NL East title, the Phillies are 22-29 and 12 games behind the first-place New York Mets.

“It has been a frustrating season for us up until this point, as we feel that our club has not played up to its capabilities,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. “While all of us share the responsibility for the shortcomings, I felt that a change was needed and that a new voice in the clubhouse would give us the best chance to turn things around. I believe we have a talented group that can get back on track, and I am confident that Rob, with his experience and familiarity with our club, is the right man to lead us going forward.”

Girardi’s first year with Philadelphia was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The Phillies went 82-80 last year and he ends his tenure with a 132-141 record. Girardi managed the New York Yankees from 2008-17 and the Florida Marlins in 2006.

The Phillies have lost 12 of 17 games heading into the opener of Friday’s three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Phillies have a $224 million payroll and boast 2021 NL MVP Bryce Harper and NL Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto and free-agent sluggers Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. Yet Philadelphia hasn’t made the playoffs since 2011, hasn’t won the World Series since 2008 and has watched fan interest plummet through a decade-plus of mediocre baseball.

Harper has been plagued most of the season with right forearm soreness and was forced to give up right field and play designated hitter. Second baseman Jean Segura is out for up to three months with a fractured right index finger. The Phillies are 12-15 at home and are 4-10 in one-run games. They are 3-7 over their last 10 games.

Girardi replaced Yankees manager Joe Torre after the 2007 season and spent a decade in pinstripes. Girardi led New York to its 27th World Series title, beating the Phillies in six games in 2009, and his 910 wins were sixth-most in team history.

Girardi said last week the season was “frustrating” but he was not concerned about losing his job. Girardi, though, likely had to make the playoffs this season after the Phillies declined to pick up his option for 2023.

“I’ve never worried about my job. I don’t worry about my job. I’ve got to do my job,” Girardi said. “It’s the business of being a manager.”

Philadelphia’s struggles go well beyond Girardi. Gabe Kapler was fired after a 161-163 record in two seasons and then led the San Francisco Giants to a 107-55 record and the playoffs last season.

The Phillies also fired coaching assistant Bobby Meacham and promoted Mike Calitri to bench coach.

Thomson was Philadelphia’s bench coach and coordinated spring training for the last five seasons. He was hired before the 2018 season.

“I am ready to lead this team and look forward to getting to work and turning this around,” he said.

His first game is against an Angels team that has lost eight straight games overall and six straight on the road.

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Former Notre Dame sports information director Roger O. Valdiserri died Thursday June 2. He was 95. His family said he died of natural causes at The Sheridan Place, a retirement community in Oak Brook.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father,” his family said in a statement. “We’ve been blessed to have had his unwavering love and support throughout his long and storied life.”

Valdiserri graduated from Notre Dame in 1954 and returned to his alma mater in 1966, holding several roles during his thirty-years in South Bend. He served as sports information director from 1966-1995 after being assistant athletic director from 1976-1982. He also was associate athletic director from 1983 until his retirement.

Before rejoining Notre Dame, Valdiserri, a native of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, worked as public relations director for Studebaker, Mercedes-Benz of North America and in 1965, the Kansas City Chiefs, working for head coach Hank Stram.

He was inducted into the CoSIDA (College of Sports Information Directors Association) Hall of Fame in 1981 and served as president of CoSIDA from 1986 to 1987.

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The 2022 NBA draft is less than three weeks away and the Chicago Bulls hold 18th pick in the first round in what is a critical offseason for the franchise.

Chicago will be hoping to add another young talent to their roster after a roller coaster of a season that fdended in slight disappointment. While they wont have the chance to land a lottery talent they will have the opportunity to draft someone who may fit their roster and make an impact.

Let us take a look at the players who have been selected at the 18th spot in the past 20 years:

Looking back, there have not been any immediate studs that jump right out of the page. Some of the players drafted in the 18th spot have gone on to become role players that got traded around or released. However, there are players such as Eric Bledsoe, JaVale McGee, JR Smith, and David West. These guys were able to put together solid seasons in the NBA and have tremendously helped teams. McGee and Bledsoe are still in the league after all of these years.

The Bulls will still have a chance to select a difference-maker for their team with the 18th pick. The 2022 NBA Draft will take place on June 23, 2022, in Chicago.

Let us take a look at some of the potential targets for Chicago on draft night:

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Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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It’s festival season! There’s no better way to spend summer than with local bites, brews and tunes at festivals across Chicago.

Each neighborhood has something unique to offer, from music on the lawn to a foodie’s paradise. Make the most of summer by attending some of our favorite fests in and around Chicago:

June

Do Division Street Fest: Enjoylive music from 30 bands, food, local art vendors, family fun, fashion shows and more. June 3-5. Division St. from Damen Ave. to Leavitt St. $10 suggested donation; do-divisionstreetfest.com

Pivot Arts Festival: The showcase features dance, theater, opera, music, film and more from artists who have demonstrated creativity and resilience. June 10-18. The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway St. Tickets $10-$35; pivotarts.org

Old Town Art Fair: Discover200+ art vendors, live music, a garden walk, family-friendly activities and more in the Old Town Triangle District. June 11-12. 1763 N. North Park Ave. $12 suggested donation; oldtownartfair.org

Ravenswood on Tap: Sip on a selection of beverages from breweries and distilleries across the iconic Malt Row community, like Half Acre, KOVAL Distillery and more. Food trucks, axe throwing and live music are also on tap. June 11-12. Ravenswood Ave. and Berteau Ave. Suggested donation; ravenswoodchicago.org

Wells Street Art Festival: Visit the happening Wells Street corridor in Old Town to shop a selection of artists and 20+ food & drink vendors, enjoy music, entertainment and family fun. June 11-12. Wells St. from North Ave. to Division St. $8 suggested donation; wellsstreetartfest.us

Artists of the Wall Festival: Over 150 muralsare painted each year on the sea wall at Loyola Beach to celebrate community and creativity. Listen to 12 live bands and watch this year’s theme, “World of Tomorrow,” come to life. June 18-19. Loyola Beach, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave. Suggested donation; loyolapark.org

Chicago Pride Fest: Celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with live music, DJs, drag shows, food & drink, 100+ art vendors and more. June 18-19. Halsted St. and Waveland Ave. $15 suggested donation; chicagoevents.com

Festival on the Square: Theatre performances, live music and more showcase Black creativity on Juneteenth. Special guest performers include Melody Angel Ayodele Drum & Dance. June 19. Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W 35th St. Free; congosquaretheatre.org

River North Live Music Festival: The inaugural riverfront festival kicks off with a three-day event. Headliners include The Calling, Emo Night Brooklyn, Michigander and Baysik. June 24-26. River Park at theMART, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza. Tickets $10-12; rivernorthlive.com

Strawberry Festival: Get your strawberry fix with sauces, jams, smoothies and more. Carnival rides, complimentary children’s activities and live music will go on all weekend. June 24-26. Historic Downtown Long Grove, 308 Old McHenry Rd., Long Grove. Free for children 12 and under, $5 for adults; longgrove.org

Friday Night Flights: Sample craft beers from the South Side, the West Side and the North Side in Bridgeport, the Chicago Brewing District and Ravenswood. June 24, Aug. 26 and Sept. 16. Citywide. Tickets $25; chicagofridaynightflights.com

July

African/Caribbean International Festival of Life: Celebrate the 4th of July at this vibrant Hyde Park festival with fabulous food, family fun, reggae, R&B, jazz and more.July 2-4. Washington Park, 55th St. and Cottage Grove Ave. Free for children 12 and under, $20-$175 for adults; internationalfestivaloflife.com

Rogers Park Music & Art Fest: Tune in to the diverse music and art scene of Rogers Park. Headliners include Sarah Potenza, Satellite Union and Choctaw Wildfire. July 8-9. Flatts & Sharpe Music, 6749 N. Sheridan Rd. Free; flattsandsharpe.com

Square Roots: Craft beer and unique tunes flow freely at this Lincoln Square festival. Headliners include Bob Mould, Guided by Voices and Dehd. Grab a brew from Half Acre, Dovetail Brewery, Begyle Brewing Co. and more. July 8-10. Lincoln Ave. from Montrose Ave. to Wilson Ave. $5-$10 suggested donation; squareroots.org

Southport Art Fest: Explore art of many mediums and interactive kid-friendly activities right down the road from Wrigley Field. July 9-10. Waveland Ave. and Southport Ave. Free; starevents.com

West Loop Summer Fest: Dip your toes in the sand as you enjoy tropical jams, yacht-rock and refreshments from local vendors. July 9-10. Washington Blvd. and Sangamon St. $10 suggested donation; chicagoevents.com

Horner Brew Fest: Sample over 40 beers, eat at local food trucks and catch live tunes while supporting sustainability initiatives on the North Side. July 15. Horner Park, 2741 W. Montrose Ave. Tickets $10-$45; hornerbrewfest.org

Taste of Lincoln Avenue: Grab a bite from local food vendors and explore arts & crafts, main stage music and fun for the whole family. July 22-24. N. Lincoln Ave. from Fullerton Pkwy. to Wrightwood Ave. $10 entry; chicagoevents.com

Wicker Park Fest: This music-centric festival features a lineup handpicked by Subterranean, local eats, retail and art. July 22-24. Milwaukee Ave. from North Ave. to Paulina St. $10 suggested donation; wickerparkfest.com

Fiesta Del Sol: The eight-block Latinx festival features a Ferris wheel, over 100 vendors, tacos, tamales and two entertainment stages for its 50th anniversary. July 28-31. Cermak Rd. from Ashland Ave. to Morgan St. Tickets $55+; fiestadelsol.org

Lincolnwood Fest: Live music, old-time carnival rides and games, food & drink, family fun and more return to the annual community festival. July 28-31. Proesel Park, 6915 N. Kostner Ave., Lincolnwood. Free; lincolnwoodil.org

Chinatown Summer Fair: The 43rd annual festival will feature performances, artisans, family activities and Asian cuisine to celebrate Far East culture. July 30-31. Wentworth Ave. from Cermak Ave. to 24th Pl. Free; ccc-foundation.org

August through Labor Day

Dancing in the Streets: Bring your dancing shoes, jam to bands and cool down with refreshments from the Chicago Brewing District. Aug. 5. Hubbard St. from Paulina St. to Wood St. $10 suggested donation; westtownchamber.org

Northalsted Market Days: Hop around Halsted to peruse performances across six stages, 250+ vendors, food & drink, DJs, dancing and more. Aug. 6-7. Halsted St. from Belmont to Addison. $15 suggested donation; northalsted.com

Illinois State Fair: The fairgrounds feature rides, attractions, competitions, food, music, horse racing and more. Attend concerts at the Grandstand for an additional cost. Headliners include Sam Hunt, Demi Lovato, Willie Nelson & Family and Shaggy & TLC. Aug. 11-21. Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 Sangamon Ave., Springfield. Free for children 12 and under, $3-$10 for adults; illinois.gov

Clark After Dark: Food, drink, music and more will light up the annual River North block party in appreciation of Illinois’ military personnel. Aug. 18. Hubbard St. from Clark St. to LaSalle St. Tickets $10+; starevents.com

Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest: Shop from over 120 art vendors, view art demonstrations, listen to live music and indulge in street food and craft beer in Rogers Park. Aug. 19-21. Glenwood Avenue Arts District, Glenwood Ave. and Morse Ave. Free; glenwoodave.org

Oak Park Microbrew Review: Drink sustainably from an array of local craft breweries at this zero-waste festival. Aug. 20. Marion St. from Lake St. to Pleasant St., Oak Park. Tickets $60-$250; sevengenerationsahead.org

Chalk Howard Street: All are welcome to decorate Howard Street with chalk drawings, appreciate chalk artistry and explore the shops and cuisines of Rogers Park. Aug. 27. Howard St. from Paulina St. to Ashland Ave. Free; howardstreetchicago.com

Port Clinton Art Festival: Downtown Highland Park hosts 260 artists from around the country, live music and food from neighborhood spots. Aug 27-28. 600 Central Ave., Highland Park. Free; portclintonartfestival.com

Rockin’ in the Park: This free concert series features tribute bands galore and a fireworks show. Highlights include Departure, Yachtley Crew, Deadfest and Elton Rohn. Through Sept. 1. Parkway Bank Park, 5501 Park Pl., Rosemont. Free; rosemont.com

Chicago Jazz Festival: Get jazzy at the return of this beloved festival. Concerts will pop up in Millennium park and across Chicago neighborhoods. Sept. 1-4. Millennium Park, Pritzker Pavilion, Michigan and Randolph and citywide. Free; chicagojazzfestival.us

The Best Foodie Fests

Taste of Chicago: Explore Chicago cuisine at the ultimate foodie and music festival. Pop-ups will grace three neighborhoods — Austin, Pullman and Little Village — in June and the traditional three-day festival will take place in July. June 11, 18 & 25 and July 8-10. Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St. and citywide. Free; tasteofchicago.us

Roscoe Village Burger Fest: Dig in to some of Chicago’s best burgers as you relish in live music and family fun. Attendees get to vote for Chicago’s Best Burger. July 15-17. Belmont Ave. and Damen Ave. $10 suggested donation; chicagoevents.com

Taco Crawl: Clark Street restaurants are serving up the finest tacos in Rogers Park at this community-focused event. July 21. Clark St. from Devon Ave. to Rogers Ave. Tickets $20-$30; rpba.org

Pizza City Fest: Pizza fanatics will gain access to 10 different types of all-you-can-eat pizza from 40 pizza makers, panels and seminars, merchants, music and more. July 23-24. Plumbers Hall, 1395 W. Randolph St. Tickets $59-$249; pizzacityfest.com

Festa Italiana: Savor Italian cuisine, wine, music and more. And, don’t miss the meatball eating contest on Saturday! Aug. 5-7. Naperville Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Free for children 12 and under, $5-$25 for adults; starevents.com

Ribfest Chicago: Ribs, ribs and more ribs! Enjoy beer, entertainment and family fun as you snack on a slab. Aug. 19-21. Lincoln Ave., Irving Park Rd. and Damen Ave. Suggested donation; ribfest-chicago.com

Taste of Greektown: Delight inMediterranean flavors from Greektown eateries and celebrate Greek culture with live music and games. Aug 26-28. Halsted St. from Van Buren St. to Adams St. Suggested donation; tasteofgreektown.com

Chicago Food Truck Festival: Grab lunch every Friday from an assortment of Chicago’s finest food trucks. Through Oct. 7. Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. Free; thedaleycenter.com

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If you believe recent studies citing surveys and Spotify data, researchers have allegedly pinpointed “33” as the exact age most people stop discovering new music. Val Haller, for one, takes issue with that statistic and is on a mission to change the idea that new music is simply a youth movement.

In 2007, the Winnetka mom of four and concert fanatic started her brand, ValsList, as a response to the advent of the “endless abyss” that was the iTunes library, narrowing down the millions of songs suddenly at listeners’ disposal by curating playlists with her personal picks for bands about to break. ValsList continues to thrive today as a music discovery site to help busy adults keep up with new releases and artists. But the platform has become so much more.

Haller’s modest venture soon turned into hosting emerging bands in her suburban living room with a tip jar on her dining room table that often pooled together more money than the bands would make at a club gig. And, after booking successful pop-up shows at the Chicago Botanic Garden and Wrigley Field’s Gallagher Way, today, the idea has extrapolated even further into the Winnetka Music Festival, expanding on Haller’s desire to link up artist and music fan that might not otherwise find each other.

Now it in its 6th year, returning after COVID stalled it in 2020 and diverting to a smaller footprint in 2021, the Winnetka Music Festival makes a full return on June 18 in the downtown Elm Street district, with a lineup featuring marquee acts like blues rock savants The Record Company, as well as ’90s mainstays Guster, alongside up-and-comers Melt, Minor Moon, Abby Hamilton and more.

“We really built this out of nothing,” Haller admits, noting that after word of the house concert series started getting out in the industry, “everything started going on auto pilot.” One of the regular patrons of her house shows happened to be on the village board and asked Haller if she was interested in doing something bigger.

“The Village of Winnetka is very open to new ideas and things in the arts and for community,” says Haller. “It ended up being a really good partnership and built it up really quickly.”

In the first year, Haller and her business partners (her husband Mark, and Scott Myers, who was once on the Chicago Olympics bid committee) booked 12 acts with Chicago’s own Wild Belle headlining.

“We thought maybe 50 people would come,” recalls Haller. “12,000 ended up coming over two days.” Later years have welcomed Larkin Poe, St. Paul and the Broken Bones and Billy Strings in their infancy — all acts that have gone on to viral fame.

Over the years, Haller has become respected in the industry as a music tastemaker, and when it comes to knowing who to evangelize on ValsList and to book for the fest, she says, “I listen to music 24/7 trying to find new sounds, and I really try to look for the different. There’s so much fabulous music out there but so much of it sounds the same and it can be hard to pluck a great emerging act when it’s all starting to sound beige. … Maybe it’s an artist that doesn’t have a pitch-perfect voice but has great stage presence. Or they play instruments you wouldn’t think of.”

She adds, “That’s why I love to go to so much live music — I’m in audience as a fan watching the artist on the stage, and it needs to be visceral.”

She really sees the festival and her ValsList platform as being a gateway for the over 33-year-old crowd to prove they haven’t aged out of listening to new sounds and going to shows. For three years, Haller had a New York Times column aimed at Boomers, matching up a classic band they were familiar with alongside a likeminded newer act she recommended. Haller also used to plan excursions to Lollapalooza with a group of 50-plus peers to show them they can enjoy the event just as much as their kids.

“Our demographic is good for the artist. We grew up listening to music and not taking selfies during a live show. We grew up buying music,” says Haller. “I want to be the spokesperson for my whole age group and even younger, who think they are too busy. Anyone who has given up on new music is secretly sad because we didn’t think that would ever happen.”

The Winnetka Music Fest, which features an all-ages family stage and activities for kids, really caters to this more discerning adult audience.

Says Haller, “I really wanted to bring a downtown vibe up to the ‘burbs. You could plop our model right on Randolph Street and it would fit. My goal really is to get more people here to go out to live music,” Haller says. “There’s room in this industry for every type of fan and I want to broaden it because the artists need us.”

Winnetka Music Festival will feature two mainstages, a busker stage with local talent and some dad bands in honor of the Father’s Day weekend. As well there will be a Chapel Stage (at the Winnetka Chapel) that finds Haller teaming up with Evanston’s SPACE for the first time. Food trucks and local Winnetka restaurants will also be highlighted in the fest’s food court.

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Two people were killed and a United States marshal was among 10 others wounded in shootings across Chicago Thursday.

The U.S. marshal and his K-9 dog were shot while serving an arrest warrant on the Northwest Side Thursday afternoon, authorities said. A Chicago police officer returned fire but did not strike the two suspects, who were arrested, police said in a statement. One of those suspects opened fire around 1:20 p.m. in the 5200 block of West Belmont Avenue as the U.S. marshal was serving a warrant, police said. The marshal rushed the wounded K-9 to the MedVet Chicago clinic about 3 miles east near Belmont and California avenues, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. The marshal, from the Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force, then realized he had been shot in his hand and an ambulance was called, but he declined to be taken to a hospital, Langford said. The dog’s condition was not released.Hours later, a man was killed and a teenage boy seriously injured in a shooting Thursday night in South Chicago. The pair was walking down an alley just before 8 p.m. in the 8300 block of South Houston Street when three males began shooting at them, police said. The man, 21, suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said. The boy, 17, was struck in the leg and hand, police said. He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in serious condition.Hours earlier, two men were in the 7100 block of South Champlain Avenue when someone fired shots, police said. One man, 39, was struck in the chest and abdomen, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The other man, 41, was shot in the chest and taken to the same hospital, police said. His condition was not immediately known.A man, 48, was struggling with a male over a gun in the 7000 block of South Laflin Street about 11 p.m. when the gun discharged, striking the man in the foot, police said. He was taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition, police said.

At least six others were wounded by gunfire Thursday.

Two people were killed and five others — including a Chicago police officer — were wounded by gunfire in Chicago Wednesday.

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When Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson looks back on his development over the past year, he’s most proud of the way he moved past his struggles at the end of last season.

“Being able to go through success and then failure, and come out the other side I think is a big thing for me,” he said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “Because you’re not going to have success every single time [you go out].”

Now, after a dominant start to the season, Thompson is back in the rotation, at least for the time being. On Thursday he allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-5 win against the Cardinals to open a five-game series at Wrigley Field.

Cubs manager David Ross has talked plenty this season about how valuable Thompson is coming out of the bullpen for multiple innings every third day, rather than starting every fifth day. But the Cubs don’t have that luxury anymore. Their rotation is missing too many pieces.

Injuries to veteran lefties Wade Miley (left shoulder strain) and Drew Smyly (right oblique strain) in the past week put the team in a bind. Right-hander Alec Mills is nearing a return from the 60-day IL, but he’s scheduled to make at least one more rehab start, on Tuesday.

So, is Thompson’s addition to the rotation temporary, as the Cubs sort through injuries, or an opportunity to claim a spot more permanently?

“Could be all the above,” Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said, adding that workload concerns could come into play later in the season. “I always love guys that get opportunities and seize them. I think if we’re building what we want to build in this organization, you should reward guys for pitching well and doing well.

“Now, with that being said, obviously as a team, you take into consideration what is the best option for everybody, and you don’t want to sacrifice one person for another, just because it’s a balance of all that.”

The Cubs tried to build up Thompson to start late last year. But after a series of short starts, they eventually shut him down for the last week of the season, citing shoulder inflammation.

This is different. Thompson is already built up just shy of starters innings and pitching as well as anyone on staff. Before Thursday, Thompson had already thrown a pair of five-inning starts. Entering play, Thompson’s 1.17 ERA as a reliever was the best among major league relievers who have thrown at least 20 innings.

“Some of the stuff that I’ve heard him say is just about being an out-getter,” Ross said when asked how the reliever mindset has carried over to Thompson’s starts. “And simplifying it in that way, rather than setting some kind of tone or going out and trying to go seven innings and trying to pace yourself.”

Both Ross and Hottovy mentioned the impact of Thompson finding a routine that works for him.

Thompson prepared for spot starts just like he was coming out of the bullpen – no long toss on the field, warming up in the bullpen. He’d started plenty before in the minors, but he didn’t see a reason to change what had been working for a single outing.

Now, it’s turned into more than that.

“I can’t explain how valuable it is for a young guy to learn early that you don’t need to make extra throws just to get ready,” Hottovy said. “And would he have learned that if he was not in the bullpen before? You never know. But him being in the bullpen and learning from some of the veteran guys about how they control their throwing programs and what it takes, and the work you put in between outings that make it all pay off. So I think it’s been fun to watch.”

Thursday wasn’t Thompson’s best start of the year. He’d set a high bar in his last two starts, throwing five scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks and holding the White Sox to one run. But he gave the Cubs a chance to win against the No. 2 team in the division.

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Some of our best sports movies feature fictional players and teams, from Roy Hobbs and the New York Knights in “The Natural” to Reggie Dunlop’s Charlestown Chiefs in “Slap Shot” to Phil Elliot playing wide receiver for the North Dallas Bulls in “North Dallas Forty.” Great movies, one and all — but when sports films combine fictional characters with real-life players and coaches, and we don’t have fake teams a la the Miami Sharks (“Any Given Sunday”) or the Western University Dolphins (“Blue Chips”), that verisimilitude often gives the story an extra shot layer of authenticity and immediacy.

Such is the case with the latest Adam Sandler/Netflix film — wait, come back, this isn’t some throwaway nonsense on the order of “The Ridiculous 6” or “Hubie Halloween,” this is the Adam Sandler we respect and admire, the Adam Sandler of “The Meyerowitz Stories” and “Uncut Gems”! In director Jeremiah Zagar’s savvy basketball drama “Hustle,” Sandler delivers one of his most endearing performances as Stanley Sugarman, a former college hoopster and longtime scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who has been sent on a global mission to find the next Luka Doncic, the next Giannis Antetokounmpo — or face possible extinction.

This is “Trouble With the Curve” meets “The Air Up There” with a dash of “The Blind Side” and it’s set largely in Philly so there are some direct nods to “Rocky” as well, and while “Hustle” breaks no new ground and we can see the plot pivots coming from the last row of Section 315, the basketball sequences are crisp and well-choreographed, the behind-the-scenes machinations feel true to the sport and the myriad of real-life former and current stars adds to that veracity factor.

Sandler puts his shambling physicality, low-key intensity and hangdog expression to great use as Stanley, who has been traveling the globe for 30 years and is worn thin by the grind — and thus thrilled when the 76ers’ crusty but beloved owner Rex Merrick (Robert Duvall, how about that) promotes Stanley to assistant coach of the big club. “Feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to become a coach,” says Stanley as Rex beams with paternal pride.

Uh-oh. If we know anything about the Venerable Character Actor Playbook, if there’s a touching moment early on when the legend gives their blessing to the underdog, we’re due for a memorial service scene and a reversal of fortune for our hero. Sure enough, Rex dies, and his petulant grown son (an underused Ben Foster) assumes control of the team and sends Stanley back on the road, callously telling him he’s going to miss yet another birthday celebration for his daughter. What a cad!

About that family: Queen Latifah has a wonderful and natural presence as Stanley’s wife, Teresa, and Jordan Hull sparkles as their teenage daughter. The domestic scenes with the three of them are sweet and warm and plausible and add to our rooting interest for Stanley as he rolls the dice on an unpolished but clearly talented streetball player from Spain, bringing him back to Philly and putting him up on his own dime after the 76ers take a pass on him.

Here’s where we get into the meshing of real-life basketball figures and fictional characters, with three key characters:

Journeyman NBA veteran Juancho Hernang?mez plays the aforementioned prospect, one Bo Cruz, a physical specimen who possesses all the tools to become a star — if he can control his temper and shake off his past. (Hernang?mez is playing someone with a greater skill set than his own, but he IS an NBA player, so we believe him as a spectacular talent on court, and he has a likable presence as an actor.)Basketballer turned broadcaster Kenny Smith turns in excellent work as Leon Rich, the most powerful agent in the game and a former college teammate of Stanley’s at Temple.Up-and-coming star Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves is fantastic as one Kermit Wilts, a top pro prospect with an enormous ego and a cruel streak who becomes the Apollo Creed to Bo’s Rocky at showcase workouts and the NBA Combine.

“Hustle” features a ton of basketball sequences — but it’s virtually all about the practices and five-on-five scrimmages and playground ball, as we see Bo demonstrating flashes of greatness but also showing signs of wilting under pressure. Does Bo have what it takes? Are we going to get more than one training montage? Will Stanley and Bo forge a bond that goes beyond basketball? What do you think, veteran viewer?

We also get a host of cameos from real-life NBA figures including Shaquille O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban, Trae Young, Mark Jackson, Pat Croce, Tyrese Maxey, Seth Curry, Doc Rivers, Julius Erving and Allen Iverson, among others — and the added treat of seeing playground legends such as Grayson “The Professor” Boucher and Larry “Bone Collector” Williams. Even in its more melodramatic moments, “Hustle” feels like it’s taking place in today’s NBA world. This is Adam Sandler’s love letter to the game, and it is great fun from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

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Cubs right-hander Alec Mills stopped by Wrigley Field Thursday to check in and throw in front of pitching coach Tommy Hottovy in between rehab starts, as the team searches for answers to their pitching shortage.

Mills, who becomes eligible to return from the 60-day IL (right quadriceps strain) on Monday, is scheduled to make his next rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Iowa.

“After that, I don’t know,” Mills said.

If all goes well in that outing, the Cubs could use him in the rotation.

In the past week, the Cubs have lost veteran lefties Wade Miley (left shoulder strain) and Drew Smyly (right oblique strain) to the 15-day IL.

Miley threw a bullpen on Thursday, but Smyly’s facing a much longer recovery process.

“The first three, four, five days, they just told me just to rest it and just do treatment on it,” Smyly said Thursday. “But then hopefully, by this road trip, we can start kind of pushing, and just kind of testing it out to see how close we are.”

He doesn’t have a set timeline to return, but his IL stint is expected to be longer than the minimum 15 days. Smyly said he’d dealt with a similar injury in his rookie season, 10 years ago. About four weeks after the injury, he started pitching in games again.

“Hopefully it’s a very similar timeline, where within the next four weeks, I’m going to be close to building back up,” Smyly said.

He was also younger then. Much of Smyly’s rehab process will progress based on how he feels each day. Oblique injuries are infamously finicky.

“According to Dr. [Stephen Gryzlo, the team orthopedist,] if you try to push it and come back too early, you’re just gonna re-injure it,” Smyly said. “It’s not really something you can push through. So he made it pretty clear that we have to just kind of put everything on hold for the time being.”

Mills knows something about unexpectedly long injury recovery. He originally started the season on the 10-day IL with a back injury. But after his first rehab start, he felt tightness in his quad.

“I was just working out after a bullpen, and it just kind of grabbed on me pretty good,” Mills said. “It was something that we thought, maybe it wasn’t as bad as it was at first. And then I tried to throw three or four days later, and it definitely was worse than what we thought. … It’s been a long process.”

Mills re-started his rehab assignment a month later. He’s made three starts with Triple-A Iowa, building up to 3 2/3 innings in his last starts, almost 60 pitches. He hopes to throw about 75 pitches in his next start.

Lou Gehrig day

Major League Baseball celebrated their second annual Lou Gehrig Day on Tuesday, raising ALS awareness and funds for related charities.

At Wrigley Field, I AM ALS cofounder Brian Wallach and Team Gleason co-founder Steve Gleason were joined by their families to throw out ceremonial first pitches. The 50/50 raffle, with a $20,000 guaranteed jackpot Thursday, pledged half of the jackpot to ALS charities.

Cubs broadcaster Jon Sciambi is on the board of Project Main St., a charity created in honor of one of his close friends, Tim Sheehy, who lost his life to ALS. Project Main St. partnered with Obvious Shirts to create “END ALS 4 LOU” shirts in team colors for clubs across the league, which could be spotted on players and coaches during pregame warmups.

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Before there was “Alien,” before there was “Star Trek,” before there was “Star Wars,” there was “It Came from Outer Space.” The 1953 sci-fi film may look cheesy by today’s standards but that, and its Ray Bradbury pedigree, has only added to its status as a cult classic.

Now Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair, the musical theater team behind the hit show “Murder for Two,” have met the challenge of transforming the film, which was based on a Bradbury story, into a stage musical.

Yes, Kinosian (book and music) and Blair (book and lyrics) have been spending a lot of time thinking about aliens. “It Came From Outer Space” is a flying saucer tale that examines society’s fear of outsiders. When a spaceship crashes by accident into the Arizona desert, the aliens inside are benevolent and mean no harm, but the small-minded citizens of Sand Rock feel otherwise and form a posse to hunt them down.

Because of the pandemic, the musical’s opening was extended and extended and extended, says Kinosian. Originally it was to open in the fall of 2020 but was pushed to winter 2021, then summer 2021.

That long wait ends in late June when the musical makes its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater under the direction of Laura Braza. The Sand Rock couple determined to help save the aliens — scientist John Putnam and schoolteacher Ellen Fields — are portrayed by Christopher Kale Jones and Jaye Ladymore. The remaining cast — Jonathan Butler-Duplessis, Veronica Garza, Alex Goodrich and Sharriese Hamilton — each portray multiple characters, both human and alien.

Blair says in 2016 they had the opportunity to look through the Universal Pictures catalog to “see if anything jumped out at us for adaptation.” Around the same time, they saw “It Came from Outer Space” in all its 3-D glory on the big screen at New York’s Film Forum movie theater.

“It was a blast,” Blair recalls. “We walked away thinking there were hokey elements, but it was the height of the 2016 presidential campaign and a lot of the subject matter, particularly what Bradbury brought to the table, felt familiar and ahead of its time in terms of being a story about the fear of otherness.”

While the project was thrown off course over the past two years, the duo along with editor Daniel Schloss got creative last summer with a virtual film mockumentary, “We Are Out There,” which introducedthe events that occurred in the town of Sand Rock and starred Chicago actors.

The side project gave them a good jump start on casting and the chance to work on the music and orchestrations. Kinosian admits at the beginning, it took him awhile to find his way into the music.

“How do you do a sci-fi musical without relying on the hokiest go-to options,” Kinosian asks. “We’re all familiar with that eerie theremin sci-fi sound. It’s a minefield of cliches and limited imagination.”

Kinosian says since the musical is set in the ’50s, the golden age of musicals, he wanted to include that type of “reassuring sound.” And since the story takes place in the “wide open spaces and endless desert of the West,” he was also listening to a lot of Aaron Copland for inspiration.

But with the music representing the aliens, he says it can be anything you want: “In creating that, I was thinking along the lines of Laurie Anderson’s music, simplified, repetitive with meaningful changes, a multi-layered tapestry of both organic and electronic sounds.”

Kinosian (from Milwaukee) and Blair (from Seattle) met at the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in 2008 (“It’s basically speed dating for musical theater writers,” Blair says with a laugh.) It was here where they teamed up to create the Jeff Award-winning musical “Murder for Two,” which premiered at Chicago Shakespeare in 2011 and went on to a successful Off Broadway run.

The amiable duo agrees the first draft of “It Came from Outer Space” was the best first draft they’ve ever written.

“I don’t expect this to ever happen again,” Kinosian says, laughing. “The movie just provided a solid foundation for it all to come together.”

“I think it was kind of a perfect piece for us because ‘Murder for Two’ is escapist and we like writing comedies, we want to always write musical comedies,” adds Blair. “But this was an opportunity to give a much needed bit of substance to what is otherwise a kind of silly and fun sci-fi thing. It allowed us to mature a little bit while still remaining somewhat immature.”

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