Chicago Sports

NEW YORK — White Sox closer Liam Hendriks didn’t mince words, blasting Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson’s explanation for calling Sox shortstop Tim Anderson “Jackie” Saturday “delusional.”

Donaldson said it was an inside joke. The Sox viewed it as offensive, and the multiple exchanges between Donaldson and Anderson during the Yankees’ 7-5 victory resulted in a bench-clearing incident that is being investigated by Major League Baseball.

“Usually you have inside jokes with people you get along with, not people that don’t get along at all,” Hendriks said before the Sox and Yankees’ scheduled doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. “So that statement right there was complete bull—. Then again, my feelings toward the individual in question are pretty well documented in the fact that we don’t get along.”

Hendriks and Donaldson were teammates with the Blue Jays in 2015.

“The fact I have now spoken to four separate clubhouses he’s been in and as a whole, none of them get along,” Hendriks said. “So, trying to whip out that narrative is complete and utter bull—.”

Donaldson said Saturday that he has called Anderson “Jackie” in the past, referencing Anderson saying in 2019, “I kind of feel like today’s Jackie Robinson.”

“Obviously he deemed that it was disrespectful,” Donaldson said. “Look, if he did, I apologize. There was no meaning by me saying that to him other than he’s called himself that. That’s it.”

Sox manager Tony La Russa, who called Donaldson’s words “racist” Saturday, on Sunday said he wants to hear what the Yankees organization has to say about it.

“This is, just in my opinion, somewhere [Donaldson] should not be going,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.

“It’s not really important what I say here,” La Russa said. “I saw what Aaron said; he’s between a rock and a hard place there. I know him, I know his family and I know he doesn’t approve. But I’m really waiting to hear what the Yankees say. I know what they represent, right? God Bless America, seventh inning. So I’m waiting to hear what they say.”

When Donaldson came to bat in the fifth inning, Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal went face to face, causing the benches and bullpens to empty.

To the Sox, what Donaldson said was no joke, inside or otherwise.

“I don’t understand how he ever thought about it like that, it’s just straight delusional,” Hendriks said.

“A couple of our guys made sure a couple of their guys in the their clubhouse knew exactly what was going on. So whether it’s an internal thing that has to happen on their side or what, today we show up and do what we came here to do. We have a chance to win two games at Yankee Stadium and that’s what we plan to do today.”

La Russa removed Anderson from the Game 1 lineup (2:05 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM), saying he didn’t want to overuse him. Yoan Moncada, who has been dealing with minor leg soreness, was added to the Game 1 lineup. Anderson will play Game 2 (6:08 p.m., ESPN, 1000-AM).

Boone, meanwhile, said Sunday the Yankees were “trying to do as much as we can to diffuse it and just play ball.

“I talked with JD and a few other players to address this and get to the bottom of this, get the context and the history of this,” Boone said.

“When I first heard the name Jackie, I was really taken aback. Frankly, I was upset about it myself. When you hear the story of it — again, I don’t think [Donaldson] should say that even if there is a perceived relationship or whatever — but the original story of where it was born out of, and a few years of saying that, I’m less taken aback by it at that point. I sit here as a white guy and that it did change the context for me, I also understand how it can be offensive and upsetting. But since it was born out of that article, it does to me change the context.”

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The talk this offseason surrounding the Chicago Bears has been with quarterback Justin Fields.

The former Ohio State standout was selected No. 11 overall in the 2021 NFL draft but had a rocky rookie season in the league. Fields was named the backup to Andy Dalton and barely received any reps with the first team in the offseason. It was an injury to Dalton that forced Fields into early playing time otherwise we likely wouldn’t have seen him until very late in the year.

While there has been some criticism for new general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus for the lack of weapons Fields has in the offense, the quarterback says he feels a lot more comfortable going into this season due to knowing he will be the guy.

Here is what he told Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview:

“I’m more comfortable this year,” he said. “I kind of know what’s coming and know what to expect. … Me not knowing if I’m going to be the leader of the team or not last year compared to this year means a whole different mindset. Just comfortability and knowing that I’m going to be the guy and that this is my team is definitely a different mindset as I try to be a leader for everybody on the team.”

It was clear that Fields’ confidence was shot at times last season, specifically in the Week 3 loss to the Cleveland Browns where he and the offense couldn’t muster anything. Fields was reportedly even pissed off about that game plan that Matt Nagy had for him.

But this offseason, Fields does look more confident out there and with training camp looming in July we will get to see just how comfortable he is.

If Fields does take that step forward, that would be good news for the Bears as they continue to search for their franchsie quarterback.

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

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After Cubs left-hander Justin Steele allowed one hit and struck out nine in five shutout innings Saturday against the Diamondbacks, you couldn’t blame manager David Ross for turning the game over to his bullpen with a four-run lead — the Cubs came in leading the National League in bullpen ERA (3.10), with virtually every key reliever on a roll.

But after Chris Martin got four consecutive outs to get into the seventh, a rare succession of bullpen failures spoiled Steele’s second consecutive fine start in a 7-6 loss in 10 innings at Wrigley Field.

Brandon Hughes, Scott Effross, David Robertson and Rowan Wick (1-1) allowed a combined seven runs as the Cubs (15-24) frittered away an early 4-0 lead to lose their fourth consecutive game.

“At some point you’re not gonna pitch as well as you’ve been pitching,” Ross said. “These guys give their effort. We were behind hitters at times. These guys [Diamondback hitters] took a lot of borderline pitches, to their credit. And we’ve got to make plays behind them.”

Ross said he wasn’t very tempted to let Steele go further after Steele had retired the last seven betters he faced. He threw 89 pitches.

“[Not] the way our bullpen’s been throwing the ball,” Ross said. “He had to work really hard, and when it gets to the back side of the start and he has a clean inning, it’s a perfect pocket for a right-handed reliever at the top of their order. So it made lot of sense to get him [out] and have two really good back-to-back starts.

Steele, who allowed one earned run and struck out 10 in six innings against the Diamondbacks last Sunday, said he felt good and would have gone more if asked.

“As a competitor I always want the ball in my hands,” he said. “But I respect every decision that’s being made. I’m not the one making those decisions. I’m just doing what I’m told. But our bullpen’s been absolutely fantastic this year, so I completely understand it.”

Hoerner closer

Shortstop Nico Hoerner (sprained ankle) continues to get close to returning. “Nico ran the bases [before the game]. Looked pretty good to me,” Ross said. “Probably looked about 80-85%. He’s getting closer.”

This and that

Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom hit back-to-back home runs off Diamondbacks left-hander Madison Bumgarner in the second inning to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. Seiya Suzuki hit an RBI double and catcher Yan Gomes followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0 in the third.Effross allowed Pavin Smith’s pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning to end a streak of 14 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run. Gomes made a nifty defensive play in the sixth inning, hustling to retrieve Yonny Hernandez’s bunt down the third-base line, then turning and throwing to first in one motion for the out.After the Diamondbacks scored three runs in the 10th, the Cubs nearly tied it. Jonathan Villar’s RBI double made it 7-6. But Suzuki struck out to end the game.Josh Rojas, who hit three home runs on Friday, had worse luck Saturday — he was called out on a check swing that hit him in the first inning, and left the game with a bruised hand.The start of the game was delayed one hour and 35 minutes because of rain. Read More

NEW YORK — Yasmani Grandal had Tim Anderson’s back.

So did Anderson’s other teammates during a 7-5 loss to the Yankees Saturday.

In the White Sox’ view, Josh Donaldson went too far with a comment manager Tony La Russa called “racist.”

“He made a disrespectful comment,” Anderson said. “Basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson, ‘What’s up Jackie.’ I don’t play like that. I don’t need to play at all. I wasn’t really bothering nobody today but he made a comment and it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for.”

Anderson said Donaldson said it in the first inning, and when he said it again in the third, Anderson said something back and second baseman Leury Garcia and third base coach Joe McEwing had to stop Anderson from approaching Donaldson. When Donaldson came to the plate in the fifth, Grandal was waiting for him.

“I want to make sure I got my teammate’s back,” Grandal said. “There’s no way you’re allowed to say something like that. It’s unacceptable.”

Benches and bullpens emptied. No punches thrown but Anderson had to be restrained by Jose Abreu, even after they returned to the dugout.

“This game went through a time where a lot of those comments were made, and I think we’re way past that,” Grandal said. “It’s just unacceptable. I thought it was a low blow.”

Donaldson said that he called Anderson “Jackie” referring to a 2019 interview in which Anderson said he felt like “today’s Jackie Robinson.” Donaldson said that he thought it was an inside joke.

“I called him Jackie,” Donaldson said. “He came out with an interview that says he’s the new Jackie Robinson … We’ve actually joked about that. I’ve said it to him in years past, not in any manner [other] than just joking around.”

But there was nothing funny about this to the Sox.

“I don’t think TA is just going to pop off to somebody without something being instigated,” Sox starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel said. “And I think that’s very sad, just first thought. There’s no need or room for that anywhere. Here or in the game.”

The Yankees led 6-3 at the time, scoring all their runs including four on a DJ LeMahieu grand slam against Dallas Keuchel. The Sox got three on a three-run homer by Abreu and narrowed the deficit to 6-5 in the sixth on doubles by AJ Pollock, Leury Garcia and Josh Harrison against righty Michael King.

A sacrifice fly by Anthony Rizzo in the sixth made it 7-5. The Sox (19-20) had 11 hits but were 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. The Yankees improved to 29-10.

Anderson and Donaldson, playing third base, got into it last Friday in the Yankees’ 10-4 win at Guaranteed Rate Field when Anderson, diving back to third base on a pickoff attempt, was tagged hard and was pushed off the base by Donaldson.

Donaldson has gotten into it before, including a spat with Lucas Giolito last June after he homered against the right-hander. At the time when a ban on pitchers using substances was going into effect, Donaldson yelled “It’s not sticky anymore.”

Said Giolito: “He’s a [bleeping] pest. That’s kind of a classless move.”

Donaldson would later approach Giolito in the parking lot. He said he would talk Anderson.

“I’m sure he’ll see [what I said postgame],” Donaldson said. “If If he wanted to talk, I’d be more than happy to talk.”

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NEW YORK — Benches and bullpens emptied during the fifth inning of the Yankees and White Sox game Saturday at Yankee Stadium, with no punches thrown but tempers flaring — especially Sox shortstop Tim Anderson’s — after Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal and Yankees designated hitter Josh Donaldson exchanged words at home plate.

Donaldson and Anderson had words at the end of the third inning after Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s inning-ending flyout to right field. As Donaldson, who was on first base, came into Anderson’s vicinity near second, Sox third base coach Joe McEwing and second baseman Leury Garcia stepped between Anderson and Donaldson as Anderson made his way back to the dugout.

When Donaldson came to the plate in the fifth, Grandal got close to his ear and said something that led to the benches and bullpens emptying. Anderson, visibly upset, had to be restrained by Jose Abreu, who kept a firm hold on Anderson even after they returned to the dugout.

There were no punches thrown or ejections. After the dust settled and the game resumed, Donaldson struck out against Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez.

The Yankees led 6-3 at the time, scoring all their runs against Dallas Keuchel. The Sox got three on a three-run homer by Abreu. DJ LeMahieu hit a grand slam in the second.

Anderson and Donaldson, playing third base, got into it last Friday in the Yankees’ 10-4 win at Guaranteed Rate Field when Anderson, diving back to third base on a pickoff attempt, was tagged hard and was pushed off the base by Donaldson.

“We had an opportunity to get a pick right there and I thought we were gonna get him,” Donaldson said. “It’sa baseball play. Obviously, he didn’t like that.

“Competitive guys, two guys competing, trying to make a play happen right there.”

Donaldson has gotten into it before, including a spat with Lucas Giolito last June after he homered against the right-hander. At the time when a ban on pitchers using substances was going into effect, Donaldson yelled “It’s not sticky anymore.”

Said Giolito: “He’s a [bleeping] pest. That’s kind of a classless move. If you’re going to talk s—, talk to my face. Don’t go across home plate and do all that. Just come to me.”

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NEW YORK – Yoan Moncada was scratched because of right leg soreness and Jose Abreu was switched from first base to designated hitter because of a head cold as the White Sox opened a three-game series against the Yankees Saturday.

Moncada felt something rounding first base during his final at-bat in the Sox’ 7-4 victory over the Royals Thursday. Manager Tony La Russa indicated Moncada would be available on the bench and expected him to play in one of the games in Sunday’s doubleheader.

“Moncada will be our bench strength,” manager Tony La Russa said. “Want to make sure his legs are all right.”

“If I had to bet, he’d play the second game [Sunday]. He won’t play both.”

Moncada, didn’t play his first game of the season until May 9 because of an oblique strain suffered in spring training, has played on only nine games this season.

Anderson taking care

Tim Anderson spent two stints on the injured list with hamstring problems last season. This season, it’s so far, so good.

“I feel good,” Anderson said Saturday. “I get what I need to take care of myself.”

Which includes regular visits to the trainer’s room for maintenance.

“Like a pit stop,” Anderson said. “Got to go through it, get what you need and take care of your body. To be ready. I go to training room a lot. I’m not afraid to go in there and tell them what I need. They’re in there to help.”

La Russa has been mindful of keeping Anderson fresh. During the five-game series in Kansas City this week, he rested Anderson in Game 2 of a doubleheader Tuesday. With an off day Monday, La Russa said Anderson probably will play both ends of Sunday’s doubleheader.

Anderson said he took care of his legs last season but is more intentional about it this year.

“Not saying I didn’t take care of myself last year, but now I do a little more to stay within myself, try to stay feeling good every day,” he said. “I do recovery stuff at home. I just try to stay on top of it to try to prevent it. Taking care of the body, especially the legs.”

Cease: Rest is good

Dylan Cease’s normal turn would be Sunday on four days rest but he’ll get six days between starts if he faces the Red Sox, as expected on Tuesday. Starters will get extra rest throughout the season when the time is right.

“I feel good about it,” Cease said. “It’s always nice to get rest when you can. I’m feeling good either way but it’s smart to kind of strategically place it in there.”

Cease said he feels good now but said it’s “just smart to have it” for long-term benefits.

“There are the dog days of summer,” he said. “It’s good to find it when you can.”

The only drawback is “knocking off the rust, especially if it’s multiple times in a row, but it’s worth it,” he said.

Cease threw an “intense” bullpen Saturday and said he would probably throw 10 or 15 pitches off a mound Monday for fine-tuning.

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White Sox manager Tony La Russa is about as popular as a power outage. Every day seems to bring at least one move he makes — or doesn’t make — that sends Sox fans into a tizzy, and not the good kind. Wait, is there a good kind of tizzy? Never mind.

The point is, Sox fans look at La Russa like the manager of the all-you-can-eat buffet looks at your cousin Earl, who hasn’t been able to buckle his overalls since the Carter administration.

In this week’s “Polling Place” — your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter — we asked voters how much they trust the Hall of Fame skipper. The results were … yikes.

“I wouldn’t trust Tony La Russa to manage a T-ball team at this point,” @MJA773 commented.

We also asked which league has the best postseason among the NBA, NHL, NFL and — last and least, apparently — MLB. And we asked which of the four remaining teams in the NBA playoffs will win it all. On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Fill in the blank: I ____ trust Tony La Russa’s managing of the White Sox.

Upshot: Did we mention the whole Hall of Fame thing? Still not impressed? We’re sure it’s nothing a simple 10- or 15-game winning streak can’t fix. An interesting question, though, was raised by @RonaldVoigt: “Would Tony be getting the same level of criticism if he were 58 instead of 78?” Something to think about.

Poll No. 2: Which league has the best postseason?

Upshot: Saying the Stanley Cup playoffs are the best is one thing. Watching the Stanley Cup playoffs like they’re the best is another. Ratings are way up with games on ESPN and TNT, but the NHL still lags far behind in the eyeballs-on-screens department. By the way: The voters aren’t wrong; the more you watch it, the more you realize postseason pucks is basically a nonstop thrill ride. No extra charge for that inside info.

Poll No. 3: Who will win the NBA title?

Upshot: “The Warriors seem to have the hot hand,” @JeffreyCanalia wrote. Come to think of it, it does seem like this Steph Curry fellow has gotten kind of good at putting the ball in the basket. Who knew? Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins aren’t so untalented themselves. Good team. Scary team. A title team? Our voters sure are feeling it.

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I was thinking about how little I know about you folks who follow my weekly quiz. Then again, you don’t know that much about me, either. For example, I have a master’s degree with a specialization in reading disability (NYU didn’t offer one in being a quizmaster). I mention this because I frequently remind parents and grandparents how important it is to read to — and with — the children in their lives. This is why I love the Book Buddy program, which is part of the Chicago Sun-Times Charity Trust (read more at https://charitytrust.suntimes.com/chicago-reads-program). I’m going to be contributing to it, and I hope you will, too. On that note, with the legendary Bob Ryan of ESPN, I’ve got a new book out: ”In Scoring Position: 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair.” My publisher, Triumph Books, which is located in the heart of Chicago, will be making some of their age-appropriate books available to the program, as well. Good folks.

So read a book, share some books and help the kids of Chicago.

On to the quiz:

1. Through 30 games this season, the White Sox were a meh 15-15. I don’t want to put a damper on things, but they’ve never reached the -postseason with a start like that. When was the last time the Sox started at .500 through 30 games?

a. 2017

b. 2007

c. 2003

d. 1991

2. On May 28-29, the White Sox will host the Cubs. In the last 10 seasons (2013-22), which team has the better record against the other?

a. Cubs

b. White Sox

c. The same

3. ”Now on the mound for the -Cardinals, Albert Pujols.” Well, that was -unexpected. Pujols, 42, became the oldest player to make his MLB pitching debut since Lena Blackburne pitched at 42 for the 1929 White Sox. Who was that team’s manager who made the decision?

a. Tony La Russa

b. Eddie Collins

c. Lena Blackburne

d. Ray Schalk

4. Which of the following position(s) has Willson Contreras played besides catcher?

a. First base

b. Second base

c. Third base

d. All three

5. Which of the following position(s) did Ernie Banks play besides shortstop?

a. First base

b. Second base

c. Third base

d. All three

6. During his Hall of Fame career, Frank Thomas stole 32 bases. I was surprised that Harold Baines, during his Hall of Fame career, stole only two more (34). Here’s a question that should be easy for old Yankees and/or Hall fans out there: Who stole more bases, Joe DiMaggio or Yogi Berra?

a. Joltin’ Joe

b. Yogi

c. The same

7. In the last 10 seasons (2013-22), which pitcher has thrown the most complete games for the White Sox or the Cubs?

a. Kyle Hendricks

b. Chris Sale

c. Lucas Giolito

d. Jake Arrieta

8. Through May 15, Nico Hoerner and Jonathan Villar were the only two Cubs to have four hits in a game. How did that compare with the number of players the Sox had?

a. More

b. Less

c. The same

9. Through May 15 (33 games), the Cubs had homered 13 times in the first three innings, more than in the rest of the game combined (seven homers in the middle three innings and four in the last three). In those 33 games, how many homers did Cubs pitchers allow compared to the number the team hit in each third of the game?

a. More

b. Less

c. The same

ANSWERS

1. Just so you know, those weren’t random numbers. They started 15-15 in each of the seasons listed, with 2017 the most recent.

2. If you like the glass half-full, the Cubs and Sox each have 23 wins. If you look at the glass as half-empty, they each have 23 losses. They are 23-23.

3. Blackburne was the player/manager, and he brought himself in to pitch on June 5, 1929, in what was to be his final MLB game. The Red Sox beat the White Sox 17-2. Blackburne faced one batter, who singled and drove in two runs. The batter was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double, and the side was retired.

4. Contreras has played first and third.

5. Banks played first and third.

6. DiMaggio and Berra each stole 30 bases in the regular season.

7. Sale tossed 13 complete games for the Sox, Hendricks and Arrieta had six each and Giolito had five. That totals 30 complete games, the same total that Fergie Jenkins had in 1971.

8. Through May 15, no member of the White Sox had a four-hit game. Tim Anderson had six three-hit games.

9. Cubs pitchers allowed 14 homers in the first three innings and then 11 each in the next two thirds.

Read a book (hopefully mine)! Write me an email: [email protected]. Stay safe, stay healthy.

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Patrick Williams said all the right things in his exit interview with the media recently.

The Bulls power forward always does.

When it comes to actions, however, that’s where the No. 4 overall pick from the 2020 draft has fallen short.

Williams often talks about being aggressive offensively but seldom has been. He has been open about being an elite defender but has appeared overmatched against the game’s best. He has spoken about being a driver of the Bulls’ bus as the organization has returned to relevancy but can often be found in the back seats near the emergency exit.

That’s why this offseason will be paramount for Williams and the franchise.

At some point, words and actions have to join hands if the former Florida State standout is going to justify his No. 4 selection.

Even Williams knows that. At least he said he did.

“As long as I know what I’m capable of . . . I know what I can do. I know what I can’t do. I know what I’m learning to do,” Williams said of living up to his high draft status. “Obviously, I have confidence in myself, but when you have the confidence of the coaching staff, your front office, your teammates, it’s easy to kind of back yourself, be confident in yourself. So I don’t really think too much of it. I just play basketball, learn as much as I can, take it one day at a time, and I think I have the talent, the skills. Then, of course, you have the love and support of the people around you, and the people around you want to see you do better. The people around you want to see you be a star.

“I think it’s inevitable, honestly.”

It needs to be inevitable, especially with the way the starting frontcourt was constructed. DeMar DeRozan is listed as a small forward but plays like a scoring guard. And with Nikola Vucevic’s defensive holes, a lot of the weight of defending the opposition’s best wing player falls on Williams when he’s healthy.

But he wasn’t available that much in 2021-22 because of a freak wrist injury that sidelined him for most of the regular season.

If there was some light at the end of the tunnel, however, it came in the last two games of the first-round playoff loss to the Bucks.

Williams had 20 points and 10 rebounds in Game 4, then 23 points in the elimination Game 5. Baby steps, but big-boy numbers. It was a small sample size that needs to transform into a trend.

But even if it does, the Bulls need more size and physicality at forward. The playoff series against the Bucks was a reminder of that, and the Eastern Conference is loaded with physical teams such as the Celtics, Heat and Raptors.

Fortunately for the Bulls, it’s a forward-heavy draft class.

WHAT THE BULLS HAVE

DeRozan, Williams, Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr., Troy Brown Jr.

WHO COULD BE ON THE MOVE

Jones is an unrestricted free agent and likely will be hitting the market, while the Bulls could make a qualifying offer to Brown. Don’t expect that to happen, as the forward spot needs some offseason help.

THE DRAFT

With the 18th pick, there will be some help available for the Bulls at power forward. LSU’s Tari Eason showed high-octane defensive ability, and Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell brings physicality to the position. Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan could be one of the better all-around defenders, as well as one of the younger prospects in the class, but he could be gone by No. 18.

FREE AGENCY

Unless the Bulls can free up some money, there’s little help in free agency with the type of player they need. And it’s not a great free-agent class overall, especially at forward.

WILD CARD

A tough-minded veteran who will guard and offer leadership off the bench, and would do so at a discount? Not an easy get. Thaddeus Young has to be on speed dial to see if he wants to return for some unfinished business.

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Hockey is a sport of extreme fluidity, of constant movement by a dozen players making in-the-moment decisions that interact -dynamically with each other.

Baseball is a sport of chronological, singular events, hundreds of which combine to complete a game.

The latter is enormously more quantifiable, and the Cubs, for instance, have mastered the systems that most accurately quantify it and use that information for a supposed competitive advantage. But so has nearly every other MLB team, diminishing the advantage.

That’s not the case in the NHL, where some analytics have taken root over the past decade but not nearly to the same degree they have in baseball. That’s a product of the sport’s complexity, not an indictment on the smart minds behind hockey’s analytics movement.

The Blackhawks, who hadn’t exactly been leading the analytics movement, now are attempting to race well ahead of the curve and adopt a more MLB-like -approach.

That’s why they hired Kyle Davidson, who built the Hawks’ new in-house analytics department last summer, as their general manager. Then Davidson took things a step further, hiring longtime Cubs executive Jeff Greenberg as his associate general manager.

But it’s easier said than done. The challenge that lies ahead is sizable.

“[In] baseball, most if not all teams have put in place pretty modern, sophisticated systems to process that information and then leverage it to actually drive their decision-making,” Greenberg said this week. “That’s something that hockey is probably behind in right now, and I’m here in part because we want to try to fill that gap.

“What we’ve seen in baseball is [that] having the information . . . in itself isn’t enough. It comes down to, ‘How are you using those things? How are you leveraging those things effectively? How are you getting them onto the field to make your players better?’ ” . . . It’s [about] that integration to really impact what you’re doing, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do. We’re not trying to build good systems or processes for the sake of building good systems and processes. We want it to really help drive what we’re doing and how we’re acquiring players, how we’re developing our players, what we’re doing in-game. There [are] principles and lessons in baseball we can apply in hockey.”

Greenberg, a devoted lifelong hockey fan despite having worked exclusively in baseball management since college, and Davidson, a baseball fan during hockey offseasons, bonded over texts and calls after Davidson beat out Greenberg in March for the GM job.

Their resulting Hawks front-office marriage, complemented by the presence of a more old-school hockey guy in Norm Maciver, will test the feasibility of integrating the two sports’ ways of operating more than anyone has attempted before.

“It starts with knowing how the process and the steps of, ‘How did baseball get there?’ ” Davidson said after the season. “So we have to figure out how hockey gets there. And who better to get us to that point than someone who’s done it in another sport already?

“Let’s be honest: We’re probably not going to be able to get all of the predictive information that they can in baseball just based on the nature of the sport. But if we can get a few, then that’s huge value. [With Jeff] bringing that level of insight into the process of getting to that point, that’s where I need to fill the gap for myself. I’ve never gone through that process before. He has. So he brings a big experience bank and just the understanding of, ‘If you were to do it again, what steps would you avoid? What things would you do a little bit better?’ “

Davidson and Greenberg’s descriptions are lacking in specific details about what those systems will entail — and understandably so, considering the Hawks want to pioneer this crossover.

Nonetheless, Davidson admits he envisions software — unmistakably similar to the Cubs’ so-called “Ivy” system — that centralizes information into an efficient and accessible database.

“We want to get to a point where all of our information . . . [is] housed in one system, and that’s a big build,” he said. “[It’ll be] a central housing unit for all your information. It’s the heartbeat of the operation, so you know what’s going on in every area and you don’t have to reach out to 10 different people to try to figure out who they talked to, what they said.”

That information won’t merely be the hockey equivalents of WAR, BABIP, spin rate, exit velocity, the data that prompts defensive shifts and all the other in-game analytics that have made baseball, for better or worse, such a computer-driven game. That information also will include prospect scouting reports, coaching insights, front-office efficiency evaluations and more.

The Hawks will need to hire developers to help build that software — a few of the many personnel changes and additions yet to come this offseason that will round out the leadership structure beneath Davidson, Greenberg and Maciver.

But Greenberg will head the project. That freedom is why he was willing to even consider leaving Addison Street for Madison Street. He talked extensively with former and current Cubs presidents Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer, weighing their advice about organization-building, as well as for him personally, before agreeing to make the move 36 blocks south. Now only time will tell if he and the Hawks can learn to swim in these uncharted-in-hockey waters.

“I had a pretty good sense that baseball was pretty far ahead,” Greenberg said. “I didn’t know all the details, but that was one of the reasons why the [job] initially was pretty interesting. My sense was there was an opportunity to move the needle and close that gap between where hockey is now and where baseball has gone over the last 10 years.

“It wasn’t something that I was actively looking to do, [but] this opportunity in particular . . . was the right place, right time.”

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