Hot on the heels of all Broadway theaters announcing proof of vaccination and mandatory masks for all performers, crew members and theater employees, the Chicago production Teatro ZinZanni today announced that proof of vaccination will be required beginning Aug. 4 for all guests over the age of 12.
The dinner-theater experience is currently in an open run in the intimate Spiegeltent ZaZou on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel at 32 W. Randolph.
The new mandate joins previously announced safety protocols which already included fully vaccinated cast, crew and staff, and an enhanced air filtration system.
“We believe the nationwide rise in the highly-transmissible Delta variant makes this measure necessary for the safety of our audiences, staff and performers. Given the unique nature of our intimate venue, social distancing is impossible, so vaccination presents our best option to continue operating safely,” said the show’s executive producer Stan Feig via statement.
Proof of vaccination, which must be presented at arrival/check-in, can be a CDC vaccination card or clear photocopy/cell phone photo of the card, showing that the individual has completed the required number of vaccine doses at least 14 days prior to show date. Children 12 years and under must wear a mask except when eating. Fully vaccinated patrons may wear a mask at their discretion. More information can be found here.
Since most Chicago theater companies are resuming in-person performances this fall or winter, fully COVID safety protocols have not yet been officially announced. Several companies, however, have already or soon will resume live, in-person performances.
The Goodman Theatre has announced mandatory masks, regardless of vaccination status, for all patrons and staff for its production of “School Girls; Or The African Mean Girls Play,” which begins in-person performances on July 30.
The Chicago Magic Lounge, which resumes productions Aug. 2, is also requiring that patrons have received all recommended doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to attend performances at its speakeasy/lounge venue.
A Chicago man was sentenced Friday to a year and a half in federal prison for carrying a gun during downtown looting last summer.
Javonte T. Williams, 28, dropped the gun from his waistband while officers chased him from the scene of looting early Aug. 10 near State and Lake streets, federal prosecutors said.
He was prohibited from carrying a firearm because of a previous gun conviction in Cook County.
Prosecutors, who asked for a two-year sentence, said Williams had boasted about the looting on social media.
“The defendant’s decision to be out in downtown Chicago in the middle of utter chaos is no mystery given his past public bragging about the amount of looting he himself participated in over the summer of 2020,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum.
When a friend cautioned Williams against posting to Facebook, Williams replied: “I’ll be rite back out f- – – em,” according to the memorandum.
Williams pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
He was the second person sentenced in federal court this week for gun possession during the looting in downtown Chicago last summer. On Tuesday, Brandon Pegues of Riverdale got a year in federal prison for having a handgun and a hammer on the Near South Side on May 31.
Starting her Lollapalooza headlining set with “We Can’t Stop” (preaching the general theme of “it’s my party and I’ll do what I want to”), Miley Cyrusset the tone early on: It would be one helluva time and she would be making all the rules. In following those two tenets, the genre-bending star dominated the festival’s opening night.
There were fireworks, some memorable covers, a motley crew of guests, moments of nearly flashing the videofeed cameras, and the artist taking a stand on the important of freeing Britney Spears. During Cyrus’ performance Thursday of her hit “SMS (Bangerz),” which features Spears, the jumbo screens next to the stage broadcast the trending #freebritney message superimposed with caricatures of handcuffs. (Cyrus recently championed Spears’ conservatorship emancipation at a show in Vegas too.)
Earlier in the performance, Cyrus — keen on doing covers lately — dished out a few tributes to songs that she said “made me who I am.” Among them were Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?,” Temple of the Dog’s “Say Hello To Heaven” (which she performed at a Chris Cornell tribute concert a few years ago) and a duet with special guest star Billy Idol on “White Wedding.”
The two also ran through their collaborative track “Night Crawling,” featured on Cyrus’ latest rock-leaning album “Plastic Hearts.” Other guest stars included G Herbo, followed by Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J (plus a random appearance by Benny the Bull) for their track “23” and Kid LAROI for the duo’s new song “Without You.”
Beyond the blitzkrieg of star wattage, Cyrus took moments to get philosophical too, pondering what the quarantine taught her, saying “it was humbling to be humanized together … experiencing the last year and a half with no division between us, all knowing the pain of being disconnected and the value of having one another in our lives,” before cracking a joke about her red sequined jumpsuit being custom made by Gucci and flown in from Italy.
Her bandmates also wore her own merch, the ensemble all standing in front of banner that read “Sell Out to Sell Out.” Cyrus continues to be that perfect dichotomy of pop star kept at arm’s length and a “they’re just like us” celebrity who keeps everyone guessing.— Selena Fragassi
Black Pumas
Though the Black Pumas set ended predictably with the band’s giant hit “Colors” that has been ubiquitous in recent months (including placement in a Target commercial), what was not expected was the overwhelming wash of emotion that came over the crowd. Even frontman Eric Burton (wearing a David Bote Cubs jersey and hat) had to pause and collect himself watching the sea of hands in the air loudly applauding during a break in the performance.
“Cut it off,” he instructed the band, including his partner in the project, the exemplary guitarist Adrian Quesada, whose jam-session solos had been near transcendental to this point. “It’s just you and me,” Burton said, his attention turning to the crowd as he jumped down on the ground and shook people’s hands in the front row, his greetings to each person audible in the microphone.
Eric Burton left the stage for some of the Black Pumas set at Lollapalooza.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The moving song, with its Sam Cooke ambitions to inspire social change, was a tangible game changer in the day, literally bringing people together after nearly two years apart. As Burton sang the last line of the song a capella, the crowd joined in as a last-minute choir that made it one of the highlights of the day.
Elsewhere in the set, after a back-to-back deliverance of the band’s hit “Fire” followed by a rousing cover of Leon Bridges’ “Smooth Sailing,” Burton shared the story of how he went from being a street busker in Austin, Texas, to being on the cover of magazines and nominated for Grammys. That humility and authenticity came through impressively in this set, his passion shown in his octave-busting wails and his joy seen as he moved around the stage dancing with nearly everyone in sight.
The Black Pumas are often categorized as a revival music act — and no doubt they hark back to a time of James Brown, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye — but it’s their revival of the human spirit and connection to important values that is most needed in the world right now. — Selena Fragassi
Steve Aoki
There are a number of elements you can expect in a typical Steve Aoki performance — pyrotechnics, special guests, bass drops and cake throwing, to name a few.
That’s largely why the EDM giant’s Thursday night set at Solana X Perry’s Stage felt like stepping into a time warp to a pre-2020 period, one where thousands of screaming, jumping fans packed tightly at an EDM concert didn’t leave you worried about health risks amid a global pandemic.
There was a sense throughout the night that, despite the threat of COVID-19, concertgoers either felt confident in Lollapalooza’s new admission protocols, compartmentalized the risks to just have fun or went hard in spite of the pandemic and all that’s been lost throughout 2020 and 2021.
Regardless of the context, Aoki stuck to his familiar formula and gave a strong performance comprised of original tracks and remixes that had the entire crowd dancing consistently throughout his hour-and-fifteen-minute set.
He had fire and smoke shoot from the stage.
He brought out several special guests, like All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth — and Darren Criss of Glee fame, who performed a mystifying cover of Dave Matthews Band’s “Crash into Me.”
He had a bass drop in just about every song he blazed through in his Serato, which spanned multiple genres to include everything from Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” to Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams.”
And he threw multiple cakes into the crowd, asking “Who came here tonight to have cake all over their face?” before lobbing one into a lucky fan’s face.
Aoki had complete control over the crowd and demonstrated a distinct ability to connect with the seemingly endless sea of faces. He gave his fans exactly what they wanted and they responded enthusiastically to every effort he made to hype them up.
When he raised his arms like a puppet master, the crowd followed his motions. When he popped bottles of champagne, they clamored to be spayed with the bubbly. When he led them in a singalong of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On,” they belted out every word until it progressed into a buildup and eventual bass drop.
There is no wind-down in a Steve Aoki set and his final songs of the night pushed the crowd into an even higher level of euphoria, which hadn’t seemed possible after seeing the way they responded when he played his BTS collaboration “Waste it on Me” and his remix of Panic! At the Disco’s “I Write Sins not Tragedies.”
His nearly 12-year-old remix of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness” came second to last and elicited perhaps the biggest response from Lollapalooza fans, some of whom sprinted from wherever they were on the festival grounds and into the crowd to catch the song.
Fans of all ages danced passionately straight into the end of his set, as Aoki smiled and moved from behind his DJ setup to the edges of the stage, jumping up and down with them. — Matt Moore
Orville Peck
Orville Peck performs Thursday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Orville Peck may have been the only one wearing a mask at Lollapooza on opening day, but his faithful crowd (quite substantial for the early afternoon set) did come decked out in cowboy hats. Peck, a mysterious and unidentified Canadian artist who is turning modern country on its head and taking great advantage of country’s current moment, has a shtick of wearing a long, fringed facial covering for every performance. He looked every part old-school Nashville in his accompanying fringed vest and sequined chaps while brandishing a classic Gretsch guitar, quickly moving over to the piano for his rollicking set.
Songs “Big Sky,” “Legends Never Die” (his memorable duet recorded with Shania Twain) and “Drive Me Crazy” (“about truck drivers and love”) from his acclaimed EP “Show Pony” deftly blurred the lines between country twang, indie rock and even some added psychedelic swag.
Eva Adams (lifting hat) and Bridget Brazil cheer during the Orville Peck performance.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“Hello I’m Orville Peck,” he said, conjuring the ghost of Johnny Cash to open the set, and then proceeded to show off his deep baritone, a bat signal for his many followers who sold out his pre-show Wednesday at Thalia Hall. There’s a part of Peck’s rise that feels very Gaga-like (he also wisely offered up his cover of “Born This Way” on Thursday). From the garish costume choices to the pseudonym to becoming a beloved LGBTQ icon, his career seems poised to reach that pinnacle in due time. Watch out for this one, mask and all. — Selena Fragassi
Playboi Carti
Playboi Carti performs Thursday at Lollapalooza.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
The returning Lollapalooza crowd might not have been ready for Playboi Carti, and the rapper didn’t appear ready for them either. The headline-making hip-hop star drew a large throng of people, and as a result, his disjointed set was marred by constant stops and starts as Carti pleaded with the crowd to step back and open up some personal space, after a number of people began passing out. Not a first for Lollapalooza by any means, but in these times, the idea of people suffocating each other takes on a whole new dismal tone.
Carti for his part was wearing a mask, though it was likely more part of his off-kilter ensemble than any functional purpose. The accessory did not help his set, though, which often came off muffled (even by mumble-rap standards) as he ran through what felt like one long track with identical sampling. Among the highlights was “Go2DaMoon,” his track recorded with Kanye West, but overall the performance lacked the panache we’ve come to expect from the artist, and at times he seemed to lose himself in the magnitude of the stage, which was just begging for guest stars. — Selena Fragassi
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World barreled into its set with a guitar solo that led straight into the band’s 2004 single “Pain.” It was enough to get concertgoers funneling off South Columbus and into the larger crowd of fans rocking out in front of the Bud Light Seltzer stage. “It’s so good to be back,” lead singer and guitarist Jim Adkins said.
Eventually, the energy that permeated the crowd for the first couple of songs plateaued as the band moved into the rest of the hourlong set and played more songs from its nearly 28-year discography. A few slower-tempo songs were met with a muted crowd response. And while there may have been a few off notes, they ultimately added to the band’s presence as a seasoned, foundational and tight unit that has fun and will never give an identical performance.
The set ended with songs from the beloved album “Bleed American,” which turned 20 years old last week. The shift into “Sweetness” followed by “The Middle” fully jolted the crowd to life, with people dancing and singing, ending the set on a high note. — Matt Moore
Flo Milli
Flo Milli performs Thursday at Lollapalooza in Grant Park.Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
When Flo Milli stepped onto the stage for her Thursday afternoon Lollapalooza set, it was clear she came to do one thing: rap her heart out.
Devoid of backup dancers, a D.J., flashy visuals or any of the other staples artists use to hype crowds, she commanded the stage alone with a blistering set that practically ignited the thousands of fans packed in tight to see her in the excruciating heat.
The 21-year-old Mobile, Alabama, native strutted across the stage, blazing through select tracks from her 2020 mixtape “Ho, Why Is You Here?,” putting her whole chest into every line and the crowd shouted each word back to her. She wasted little time talking in between songs, making the pace of her set feel almost identical to the hit parade that is her mixtape.
What’s notable about the mixtape is Flo’s lack of melodic hooks — she opts instead to repeat extremely memorable and catchy lines. This translated really well live. For the majority of the songs she performed, she rapped without a backing vocal track on the verses, then let the vocals accompany her on the chorus, serving as an invitation to the fans to participate, and they did loudly. It flexed her prowess as one of the most talented hip hop artists in the game.
By the time she went into her song “In the Party,” the already high-energy crowd turned up even higher, prompting her to hop off the stage and into the front row.
But after a blistering 25 minutes, which included a brief snippet of her feature on Yung Baby Tate’s “I Am,” the set ended, cutting off what was scheduled to be a 45-minute slot. The crowd didn’t seem to mind, though.
We can’t wait to see Flo again on a bigger stage with more material. — Matt Moore
Kaytranada
A solitary beat reminiscent of a pulse pounded from the speakers as Grammy Award-winning producer Kaytranada stepped in front of the crowd. It was a fitting entrance because as soon as he dropped his first beat, he brought life to the area, with some fans packed as close to the stage as they could get while others opted to dance on the outskirts.
The man, as smooth as his production, sipped from a bottle of wine and danced along with the steady grooves as the sun dipped behind the skyline.
He masterfully pieced together songs from his albums “99.9%” and “BUBBA,” in addition to remixes and collaborations, all while hyping the crowd with encouragement on the microphone. It showed his dexterity as both a producer and a performer.
Savvy, too, were his repeated references to Chicago artists. This included dropping Chance the Rapper’s “All Night” and Kaytranada’s Mick Jenkins-featuring “Gray Area.” Add to that the remixes of songs from artists like Kelela and Rihanna.
It all worked to get the crowd smiling and dancing, ready to face the rest of the first night of Lollapalooza. — Matt Moore
Ant Clemons
It’s amazing that Ant Clemons isn’t a household name yet. Kicking around since 2016, he’s primarily been a songwriter, the Oz behind a curtain of top singles for acts like Beyonce, Camilla Cabello and Chicago’s own Kanye West, with whom he worked on the 2018 track “All Mine.”
Clemons introduced that song in his set as one that changed his life “when a gentleman from Chicago picked a poor young man up off the floor,” and then proceeded to give a sampler-platter medley of his other big numbers as a way to “get to know” him. That included H.E.R.’s “Damage” (followed by an audio snippet of her winning a Grammy) and “Better Days,” the track he did with Justin Timberlake and that both performed at President Joe Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration in January.
Early in the set, Clemons also dropped a bomb with what is presumed to be the live debut of his new song “Appreciation” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, that he announced would drop at midnight Thursday night. If his previous work — like the EP “Happy 2 Be Here,” nominated for a Grammy this year — is any indication, expect his new music to make just as much of a dent and usher in his prime-time appearance at the next Lollapalooza. — Selena Fragassi
LP
Singer-songwriter LP performs Thursday at Lollapalooza.Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Like Ant Clemons earlier in the Day, LP is an artist that got to come into their own on the Lollapalooza grounds. Though they spent decades logging hits for Cher, Christina Aguilera and other pop stars, the demure singer-songwriter, real name Laura Pergolizzi, showed off the writing chops that kickstarted their career and reportedly sparked a bidding war between labels early on. Alongside a versatile backing band, LP offered a canon of trademark catchy material, including “The One That You Love,” “Girls Go Wild” and “When We’re High.” Though the vocals carried incredibly throughout the park (making one wonder if LP even needed the microphone), the strength of the performance wasn’t enough to draw a huge crowd to their flame. Intimate venues, like the pre-show LP did Wednesday night at Metro, are the way to see them. — Selena Fragassi
The Cubs have traded All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to the White Sox. They’ll receive second baseman Nick Madrigal and right-hander Codi Heuer in the deal
Kimbrel has had an amazing turnaround since arriving in Chicago in 2019 and after a miserable end to the 2019 season and start to 2020, MLB’s active saves leader has found new life.
Kimbrel is having one of the better seasons of his career in 2021, with a 0.49 ERA in 39 appearances for the Cubs this season with 23 saves, earning his first All-Star nod since 2019 in the process.
Kimbrel becomes the third member of the Cubs’ bullpen traded this week with left-hander Andrew Chafin going to the Oakland A’s and right-hander Ryan Tepera also going to the White Sox.
“Tepera, Chafin, Kimbrel were the guys that we went to to win baseball games,” manager David Ross said. “When you lose two of those three guys, it makes it difficult. Those guys pitch really big innings.”
Madrigal has been considered one of the best prospects in baseball for the last several years. The second baseman was off to a great start for the Sox this season, slashing .305/.349/.425 with four triples, two homers, 11 walks and just 17 strikeouts before needing season-ending surgery to repair the proximal tendon tears in his right hamstring.
Looking back, it is hard to believe how long it has been since I put pen to paper (or in this case words on a screen) and written something for the blog. Between getting married, the passing of my mother, the birth of my daughter and the pandemic, life these last three years has taken its toll on me. I have had a lot of time to self reflect and give myself some much needed self care. I am immensely grateful to Kin for keeping things running in my absence.
So what brought me back (hopefully for good)?
Yesterday the Chicago Cubs traded away the player who has got to be my favorite Cub of all time, Anthony Rizzo.
In my heart of hearts I had hoped that he would be the one player left standing when the dust settled. I knew that many players would be traded this year, but I had hoped that he would be the one who remained. In my little world, he was the heart and soul of this team. While he never wore the “captain’s C” he was the veteran leader. He was the one who players went to when they were struggling. He was the one who tried to keep things loose and fun no matter what was going on with the game on the field. He was “that guy”. So of course, he HAD to be the one to stay. Right?
As I said, that is what my heart told me.
However, in my head I knew that anyone and everyone likely would be traded, even Rizzo. We all knew that Kris Bryant would likely be traded as he would likely not be re-signed before reaching free agency. While he has not been traded yet (not as of this writing), he is almost sure to go. Javier Báez has been rumored to be sought by the New York Mets, Craig Kimbrel, Willson Contreras, all of have been rumored and linked to trades. This is a hard pill to swallow, and to be completely honest I fought back tears last night when I heard Rizzo had been traded. I try to cheer myself up by saying he could be re-signed in the off-season, but I know that while possible, probably not likely even though that situation has happened in the past (like the Yankees did with Aroldis Chapman).
I guess I am just a bit sad seeing this team which brought us so much joy in 2016 being sold off piece by piece. Sad that this great group only won one World Series. Even so, from 2015-2020, this has been the best six years I have ever seen as a fan. The core was great for that time, and I will cherish what they gave us forever. I will always cheer for them from a distance, and wish them all nothing but success (unless they are playing the Cubs).
So to Rizzo, Bryant, Báez, Contreras (who’s hopefully sticking around since he still has a year of club control)…. from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for everything you have given this team, this city and the fans.
Rice Cube is the Executive Vice President of Snark for World Series Dreaming. Rice is not a native Chicagoan and thinks all your traditions are crazy but still loves the Cubs so hopefully we can all get along.
TOKYO — Sunisa Lee’s life changed the second she placed a gold medal around her neck. The newly minted Olympic gymnastic champion’s plans, however, have not.
At least for now.
A day after a thrilling victory in the women’s all-around, Lee insisted she’s ready to go to start her college career at Auburn. Really ready.
When incoming freshmen are expected to report to their dorm rooms on The Plains on Aug. 11, Lee plans to be there.
“(College) just has been another one of my dreams and goals after the Olympics,” the 18-year-old said Friday, less than 24 hours after edging Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade for the top spot on the podium. “So I feel like if I were to go pro, it would have to be like something like really good.”
Well, it might be. The Americans have produced each of the past five Olympic champions. The previous four — Carly Patterson, Nastia Liukin, Gabby Douglas and Simone Biles — were teenagers at the time of their triumphs. None of them competed collegiately, opting to turn professional in an effort to cash in on their newfound celebrity.
Back then, however, things were different. Gymnasts had to choose between accepting endorsements or college scholarships. Those days are over thanks to recently passed legislation that allows collegiate athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness.
There will likely be no shortage of possibilities for the charismatic Lee, the first Hmong American to win an Olympic medal. She’s getting a bit of a crash course on the finer points of the rules surrounding NIL. Whatever comes along, however, she expects to compete for the Tigers next season.
“I do want to go to college and have fun and kind of get away from this elite atmosphere just because it’s so, like, crazy,” Lee said. “And I know that college is going to be way better.”
The transition should be easy. Lee’s longtime coach Jess Graba and Auburn coach Jeff Graba are twin brothers. Jeff Graba doesn’t see why Lee can’t go to school while enjoying the trappings that come with being a multiple-medal winner in one of the Olympics marquee sports.
“There’s a pro league for gymnastics, it’s just endorsements,” Jeff Graba said. “So it’s name image and likeness. Time permitting, she should be able to make just as much money as she would have normally made.”
Lee could become the first true litmus test for athletes in traditionally non-revenue college sports. She’s in no hurry to find out. She’s a favorite to add another medal to her gold in the all-around and team silver during the uneven bars final on Sunday.
Maybe by then, things will have settled down a little. They didn’t in the hours after her steady, poised performance on floor exercise helped her soar to the top of the podium. Her phone practically melted from her notifications on social media from random well-wishers to actress Reese Witherspoon.
Not bad for someone whose slow recovery from a broken foot left her wanting to bail on trying to make it to Tokyo. She hung in there and now finds herself one of the new faces of her sport and the U.S. Olympic movement.
St. Paul, Minnesota, where Lee is from, declared Friday “Sunisa Lee Day,” a symbol of just how quickly things can turn when you stand atop the podium at the Olympics with the national anthem playing and NBC’s ever-present cameras zooming in.
Yes, she’ll arrive at Auburn as not just another freshman. Yet she is looking forward to the chance to bring some balance to her life. The run-up to the Olympics is a grind at the elite level. NCAA rules will limit her practice time. She needs the rest.
“My body just needs time to heal itself,” she said.
She hasn’t ruled out trying to do both collegiate and elite gymnastics at the same time. Maybe she’ll try to make the world championship team in 2022 and 2023. The ones coming this fall are out of the question. There are classes to get to. A roommate to hang out with. A life to begin.
“It’s just a different environment,” Lee said. “I won’t be doing any gymnastics. So it’ll be really exciting for me when I can just, like, go out and do stuff.”
TOKYO — Transgender weightlifter Laurel Hubbard is in Japan for the Tokyo Games and thanked the International Olympic Committee on Friday for helping to make it possible for her to compete.
Hubbard has been a focus for support and criticism since qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. She is a medal contender in the women’s over-87-kilogram weightlifting category on Monday.
“The Olympic Games are a global celebration of our hopes, our ideals and our values. I commend the IOC for its commitment to making sport inclusive and accessible,” Hubbard said in comments provided by the New Zealand Olympic Committee.
“Laurel has just arrived a couple of days ago. I just bumped into her at lunch and we understand that she’s comfortable,” NZOC secretary-general Kereyn Smith said. “She’s getting ready. She well understands the size of the stage and is very grateful to be able to compete in this environment.”
The IOC in 2015 drew up a set of recommendations for including transgender athletes. Many sports bodies including the International Weightlifting Federation have implemented similar policies based on the IOC recommendations. Different sports are allowed to set their own specific policies.
The IOC signaled it will release a new “framework” for transgender athletes’ eligibility, taking into account newer scientific studies. That will form a basis for sports to draw up their own updated policies.
IOC medical director Richard Budgett said the organization was funding research into the effects of transitioning. Current IOC guidelines require athletes to demonstrate low testosterone levels for 12 months before a first competition.
“We funded some of those (studies) based particularly importantly on individuals who are transgender and seeing what the effect of transitioning actually has on their performance, because that’s what we really need to know,” Budgett said.
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals infielder Starlin Castro has been suspended for 30 games without pay and fined an undisclosed amount for violating Major League Baseball’s policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Shortly after MLB announced the penalty Friday, the Nationals said they would release Castro when the ban concludes.
Castro will be ineligible for the postseason under the terms of the suspension and will be required to undergo evaluation and treatment, MLB said.
“Having reviewed all the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Castro violated our policy and that discipline is appropriate,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said earlier this month, while MLB was investigating allegations against Castro, that he didn’t plan on having him back with the team this season.
“We take all allegations of abuse and harassment very seriously. We fully support the commissioner’s decision,” the team said in a statement after the MLB announcement.
Castro was was accused of sexual assault in connection with a 2011 incident in Chicago but was not charged. Rizzo said Castro was vetted before the Nationals signed him to a two-year contract in January 2020, adding that he was “angered” by the new allegations.
The 31-year-old Castro is a 12-year major league veteran and a four-time All-Star who has played for the Cubs, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins. He played 87 games for Washington this season, mostly starting at third base.
A 16-year-old boy is charged with two recent carjackings in Douglas on the South Side as carjackings continue to rise over the previous year.
The first attack was on July 7, when the teen carjacked a man in the 500 block of East 33rd Place, Chicago police said. He allegedly forced the man to drive to several locations and give his credit card information to make purchases.
On Aug. 31 last year, the teen carjacked a man at gunpoint in the 3200 block of South King Drive and drove him around too, forcing him to give his debit card information to withdraw money, police said.
The teen was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of carjacking, two counts of kidnapping and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm and robbery.
Carjackings are up 53% this year over the same time in 2020, according to public police data. There have been 870 carjackings this year through July 22, compared with 566 during the same period in 2020.
Carjackings have tripled this year when compared with 2019, when 286 carjackings were reported during the same time.
I try not to get too emotionally hooked into individual players on my favorite professional sports teams. That seems like a strange statement from someone who gave his youngest daughter the middle name of a former Chicago Cubs second baseman, but I’m more about the team itself than its players.
But, then 2016 happened.
How can you not get the feels for the players that brought the Cubs franchise its first World Series championship in more than a century? After being a fan of a team that gave you heartbreak after heartbreak for sixty years of fandom, how can you not get emotionally hooked on the men who gave you your greatest sports thrill?
I usually look at professional athletes like a business, almost like the front office of the team they play for does. My hope is we get the best years of the player’s career. Then they trade them when they start to regress for players that will also give us their best years. It usually works in theory, but then came yesterday.
The Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees.
I remember when the Cubs made the trade for Rizzo with the San Diego Padres, on January 6, 2012. They gave up pitcher Andrew Cashner. My brother who lives in San Diego was excited to get the pitcher for someone he called the next Dave Kingman. He predicted lots of home runs and lots of strikeouts. I told him I’d love for Rizzo to hit more than four hundred home runs. Anthony didn’t make it to that number, but he gave us so much more.
Rizzo was the one that went through the losing part of the rebuilding of the franchise. He was the one that scored the winning run in game seven. He was the one that caught the final throw from Kris Bryant that clinched the title. He was the one that the team should have carried off the field in victory. Anthony Rizzo was the face of the franchise.
But, he was far more than a champion baseball player. Anthony Rizzo is a championship human. His foundation has raised millions of dollars for childhood cancer research. And Rizzo not only raises money, but he also puts in the time. Many times we’ve seen him visiting a child fighting cancer at a hospital. He’s won many awards for his community service, but you get the feeling he’d be doing the same thing if there were no awards given or cameras around.
The photo at the top was taken in the spring of 2017. It was only a few months after the Cubs won the World Series. We were still basking in the glory of their victory. I walked into my local Jewel grocery store and Rizzo was doing a promotion. It was the release day for Rizzo cereal. Anthony was there to shill for the product with his face on the box. The cereal itself wasn’t bad, maybe a little too sweet, but the profits from its sale were going for childhood cancer research. That was sweeter than the cereal itself.
Seriously, with all of that, how can you not love this guy?
When I heard about yesterday’s trade, my first thought was the Cubs did pretty good. The prospects they received in return seem to be okay. Maybe one of the two will turn out to be pretty good somewhere down the road….we’ll see. But, when you add up what he’s done for the team and its fans with his contributions to the cancer charity, his leaving hurt more than other beloved players who have been traded.
So to Anthony Rizzo, thanks for everything and we’ll see you on the other side….and by that I mean the south side of Chicago when the Yankees play the White Sox in a couple of weeks. Go Yankees….nah, can’t quite go that far.
My so called friends think it’s time to edit this section. After four years, they may be right, but don’t tell them that. I’ll deny it until they die!
I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for four years.
It started as a health/wellness thing and over the years has morphed to include so many things that I don’t know how to describe it anymore.
I really thought this was going to be the final year of the blog but then Donald Trump came along. It looks like we’re good for four more years..God help us all!
Oh yeah…the biographical stuff. I’m not 60 anymore. The rest you can read about in the blog.
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