If country music, BBQ and beer are some of your favorite things, you need to check out Windy City Smokeout this weekend. Located in the United Center parking lot, consider this one of the biggest tailgate parties in Chicago this summer. Of course, a festival is not complete without an array of awesome food choices, so here is the round up of must-eat food items at Windy City Smokeout 2021:

Bub City

If you’re from the Chicagoland area, you’re probably familiar with Bub City. This Windy City staple is known for their tasty smoked meats and traditional American dishes. Their BBQ Nachos are the perfect mashup of a hearty meal and finger foods. 

Leroy & Lewis BBQ

Serving up juicy smoked meats with a twist, Leroy & Lewis BBQ gives you traditional barbecuing with a dash of fine dining. Modern and innovative dishes are their expertise. We recommend their Bulgogi Beef Ribs & Kimchi. You can thank us later. 

Sugarfire Smokehouse

With their unique twist on traditional BBQ, Sugarfire Smokehouse is serving up ribs, burgers, and more; all St. Louis style. With juicy pulled pork dishes and beef brisket galore, they are a guaranteed hit. You’re definitely going to want to try the Burnt End Birra Tacos.

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!

Looking for a little spice outside of BBQ? Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba has got what you’re looking for. Between the tapas, pintxos, and the sangria, all of the flavor-packed sensations are just a bite away. 

Happy Camper

Pizza, beer, and good vibes: that’s what Happy Camper is made of. With multiple locations across the country, Happy Camper is ready to serve modern spins on traditional American fare that you won’t want to miss. 

Blue Oak BBQ

Located in New Orleans, what once started as a small pop-up, Blue Oak BBQ has taken the meat game to new heights. Offering smoked meats and savory sauces that are sure to take your tastebuds for a trip to southern goodness. 

For a complete list of food menus, beer lists and music artists, head over to the Windy City Smokeout website.

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A long-awaited street-gang trial set to begin at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse later this summer is suddenly down to one defendant: Labar “Bro Man” Spann, the alleged chief of the murderous Four Corner Hustlers.

Court officials have for years been planning a monthslong racketeering trial for Spann, Tremayne “Trigga” Thompson and Juhwun Foster. But Thompson and Foster suddenly pleaded guilty Thursday to their roles in the West Side gang.

Spann still intends to go to trial, according to court records and comments from lawyers. The trial is set for Sept. 13 and comes as Chicago again struggles with street violence, a scenario reminiscent of the federal racketeering trial of the Hobos “super gang” five years ago.

A sweeping 2017 indictment tied the Four Corner Hustlers to six killings between 2000 and 2003. Prosecutors later tied the gang to three additional 2012 murders. A separate trial for other defendants in the case had been planned for 2019, but it was scuttled by a series of last-minute guilty pleas.

Spann, Thompson and Foster had been set to go on trial in September 2020, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced court officials to put it off for another year. They wound up planning what might have been the most logistically challenging trial of the new era.

U.S. District Court

The trial had been set to take place in the Dirksen building’s 25th-floor ceremonial courtroom — its largest — with jurors in the gallery and one lawyer at each defense table to allow for social distancing, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin told lawyers in March.

He said that was the “only way we’re going to do it” and added, “we’ve done measurements.” It’s unclear yet how the new developments in the case will change those plans.

Spann, Thompson and Foster also potentially faced the death penalty at one point, but prosecutors took it off the table in April 2020.

Spann is accused in all six murders listed in the racketeering indictment, including the murder of Rudy “Kato” Rangel, who was a leader of the Latin Kings when he was fatally shot inside a barbershop in June 2003. Spann had previously been acquitted in state court in connection with the killing.

Cook County state’s attorney’s office

Thompson and Foster on Thursday each pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy and admitted their roles in, among other crimes, the April 2003 murders of George King and Willie Woods.

King’s murder followed a drug dispute with another crew that involved the shooting of Spann and the now-deceased Jasper Davidson, records and courtroom testimony show. Spann then allegedly ordered the Four Corner Hustlers to kill anyone working for the other crew so he could take over the drug territory.

On April 8, 2003, Thompson and Foster collected two firearms from a Four Corner Hustlers stash house and drove to the 3800 block of Jackson Boulevard, records show. They hopped out of the car, walked to the 3800 block of Adams and fatally shot King, who sold drugs there.

Meanwhile, someone hired Spann to kill Woods amid a drug dispute involving a member of the Traveling Vice Lords. On April 16, 2003, Thompson and Foster fatally shot Woods in the 1500 block of South Karlov on Spann’s orders, records show.

Thompson’s plea agreement calls for him to be sentenced to between 35 and 45 years in prison, though Durkin could give him credit for time he served in state custody. If Durkin declines to go along with those terms, Thompson may withdraw from the plea deal.

Foster reached a similar agreement, though his deal calls for him to be sentenced to between 30 and 40 years in prison.

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NEW YORK — Vaccinated teachers and students don’t need to wear masks inside school buildings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday in relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines.

The changes come amid a national vaccination campaign in which children as young as 12 are eligible to get shots, as well as a general decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

“We’re at a new point in the pandemic that we’re all really excited about,” and so it’s time to update the guidance, said Erin Sauber-Schatz, who leads the CDC task force that prepares recommendations designed to keep Americans safe from COVID-19.

The nation’s top public health agency is not advising schools to require shots for teachers and vaccine-eligible kids. And it’s not offering guidance on how teachers can know which students are vaccinated or how parents will know which teachers are immunized.

That’s probably going to make for some challenging school environments, said Elizabeth Stuart, a John Hopkins University public health professor who has children in elementary and middle schools.

“It would be a very weird dynamic, socially, to have some kids wearing masks and some not. And tracking that? Teachers shouldn’t need to be keeping track of which kids should have masks on,” she said.

Another potential headache: Schools should continue to space kids — and their desks — 3 feet apart in classrooms, the CDC says. But the agency emphasized that spacing should not be an obstacle to getting kids back in schools. And it said distancing is not required among fully vaccinated students or staff.

All of this may prove hard to implement, and that’s why CDC is advising schools to make decisions that make the most sense, Sauber-Schatz said.

The biggest questions will be at middle schools where some students are eligible for shots and others aren’t. If sorting vaccinated and unvaccinated students proves too burdensome, administrators might choose to just keep a masking policy in place for everyone.

“The guidance is really written to allow flexibility at the local level,” Sauber-Schatz said.

Indeed, in some of the nation’s largest school districts, widespread mask-wearing is expected to continue this fall. In Detroit’s public schools, everyone will be required to wear a mask unless everyone in the classroom has been vaccinated. Philadelphia will require all public school students and staff to wear masks inside buildings, even if they have been vaccinated. But masks won’t be mandated in Houston schools.

What about requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of school attendance? That’s commonly done across the country to prevent spread of measles and other diseases.

The CDC has repeatedly praised such requirements, but the agency on Friday didn’t recommend that measure because it is considered a state and local policy decision, CDC officials said.

Early in the pandemic, health officials worried schools might become coronavirus cauldrons that spark community outbreaks. But studies have shown that schools often see less transmission than the surrounding community when certain prevention measures are followed.

The new guidance is the latest revision to advice the CDC began making to schools last year.

In March, the CDC stopped recommending that children and their desks be spaced 6 feet apart, shrinking the distance to 3 feet, and dropped its call for use of plastic shields.

In May, the agency said Americans in general don’t have to be as cautious about masks and distancing outdoors, and that fully vaccinated people don’t need masks in most situations. That change was incorporated into updated guidance for summer camps — and now, schools.

The new schools guidance says:

–No one at schools needs to wear masks at recess or in most other outdoor situations. However, unvaccinated people are advised to wear masks if they are in a crowd for an extended period of time, like in the stands at a football game.

–Ventilation and handwashing continue to be important. Students and staff also should stay home when they are sick.

–Testing remains an important way to prevent outbreaks. But the CDC also says people who are fully vaccinated do not need to participate in such screening.

–Separating students into smaller groups, or cohorts, continues to be a good way to help reduce spread of the virus. But the CDC discouraged putting vaccinated and unvaccinated kids in separate groups, saying schools shouldn’t stigmatize any group or perpetuate academic, racial or other tracking.

Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, called the new CDC guidance “an important roadmap for reducing the risk of COVID-19 in schools.”

She added: “Schools should be consistently and rigorously employing all the recommended mitigation strategies, including requiring masks in all settings where there are unvaccinated individuals present, and ensuring adequate ventilation, handwashing, and cleaning.”

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona pledged to work with schools to help them get kids back into classrooms.

“We know that in-person learning offers vital opportunities for all students to develop healthy, nurturing relationships with educators and peers, and that students receive essential supports in school for their social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and academic success,” he said in a statement.

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WIMBLEDON, England — Cries of “Vai!” (Go!), “Forza!” (Let’s go!) and even “Andiamo, amore mio!” (Let’s go, my love!) rang through Centre Court, supporting Matteo Berrettini in his native tongue on his way to becoming Italy’s first Grand Slam finalist in 45 years.

With booming serves delivering 22 aces, and powerful forehands helping compile a total of 60 winners, the No. 7-seeded Berrettini used an 11-game run to grab a big lead and then held on to beat No. 14 Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4 at Wimbledon on Friday.

“I have no words. Really. Just, ‘Thanks.’ And I need, I think, a couple of hours to understand what happened,” Berrettini told the capacity crowd. “I just know I played a great match. …. I never dreamed about this because it was too much, even for a dream.”

On Sunday, he will go up against either No. 1 Novak Djokovic, a 19-time major champion, or No. 10 Denis Shapovalov, a first-time Slam semifinalist.

Berrettini has created quite a sporting Sunday in London for Italy. After he plays in the Wimbledon final that afternoon — the first for a man from his country in a title match at any major since Adriano Panatta won the 1976 French Open — Italy will meet England at Wembley Stadium in the final of soccer’s European Championship that night.

“So far, it’s the best day, tenniswise, of my life,” said the 25-year-old Berrettini, who lost his only previous major semifinal at the 2019 U.S. Open. “Hopefully Sunday’s going to be even better.”

He’s now on an 11-match winning streak on grass courts, including a title at the Queen’s Club tuneup last month, when he became the first man since Boris Becker in 1985 to win the trophy in his debut at that event. Becker went on to triumph at Wimbledon that year.

The outcome Friday seemed to turn early against Hurkacz, never before past the third round at a Slam but coming off victories over eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and No. 2 Daniil Medvedev.

A key moment, oddly enough, came less than 20 minutes in, when Hurkacz was ahead 3-2 and held a break point. That was erased by Berrettini — no surprise here — by a service winner at 130 mph, punctuated by one of his many yells of “Si!”

From there, Hurkacz morphed from the guy coming off the biggest win of his career — in straight sets in the quarterfinals against his idol, Federer — back to the player who arrived in England on a six-match losing streak.

More than 50 minutes passed before Berrettini would drop another game, a stretch that gave him the first two sets and a 1-0 lead in the third.

He (almost) couldn’t miss. Hurkacz (almost) couldn’t connect.

In the first set, for example, the 6-foot-5, barrel-chested Berrettini compiled 21 winners — 11 off his forehand — and just eight unforced errors. Hurkacz, by contrast, did not accrue a single groundstroke winner in that span.

By the finish, Berrettini had 24 winners off his forehand alone, and merely 18 unforced errors. Hurkacz’s totals? Fewer than half as many winners, 27 — just four on forehands — and 26 unforced errors.

Hurkacz, so calm and collected against Federer two days earlier, was a picture of angst, leaning forward or rolling his eyes after some misses.

When Hurkacz got broken for the first time on the cloudy afternoon, the 24-year-old from Poland sat for the ensuing changeover and, between bites of a banana, motioned to his American coach, Craig Boynton, to adjust the seating arrangements in their guest box, wanting some people closer together and others more spread out.

As if that were the issue.

Hurkacz owns a formidable serve, too, but while he never seemed to be able to handle his foe’s, Berrettini did get good reads and would block returns back just to get a point started.

That worked well and eased the path to six breaks for Berrettini, who saved both such chances for Hurkacz.

Cheered from the stands by his girlfriend, Ajla Tomljanovic, who made it to the quarterfinals this week, and his parents — Mom captured his on-court interview with her cellphone — Berrettini was two points from winning on four occasions in the third set, all while Hurkacz served: twice at 5-4 (both at deuce), twice at 6-5 (at 30-all and at deuce).

But Hurkacz got through those spots, then extended the contest by grabbing the tiebreaker, in which he was granted a 4-0 lead when Berrettini netted what should have been an easy forehand volley.

“I was feeling that I was deserving to win that set, and I lost it, and I said to myself, ‘It doesn’t matter. I was … the stronger player,'” Berrettini said. “That’s what I said to myself and, eventually, it paid off.”

Hurkacz managed to regroup a bit by leaving for the locker room after the second set, and Berrettini headed off the court after the third. When play resumed, Berrettini broke to begin the fourth, and soon was back on the proper path. Hurkacz saved Berrettini’s initial match point, at 5-3, with a service winner at 134 mph.

Berrettini, and his supporters, needed to wait only five minutes for a second opportunity to close it, which he did.

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Lake Shore Drive is now named after Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the Haitian founder of Chicago. The city added an “s” to Douglas Park, changing its namesake from White supremacist Stephen Douglas to abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Last week, Mayor Lori Lightfoot dedicated a monument to journalist Ida B. Wells in Bronzeville.

Chicago is doing a great job of honoring the historical contributions of African-Americans. But these honors are going up even as life is becoming more difficult for African-Americans here. No matter how many monuments to racial equality we erect, the fact remains that Chicago itself is a monument to racial inequality—and that inequality is getting worse.

Consider this statistic on the mural above at Madison and Kostner in West Garfield Park, a neighborhood that is 95 percent Black, a result of Chicago’s history as one of the nation’s most segregated cities: The median home value in West Garfield Park is $164,500, compared to $593,000 in Lincoln Park.

It wasn’t always this way. In 1970, the median household incomes of West Garfield Park and Lincoln Park were nearly identical: $37,363 vs. $40,929, adjusted to current dollars. Today, West Garfield Park has an income of $23,857, while Lincoln Park’s is $100,326. In 1970, Chicago’s Black unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, compared to 3.5 percent for whites. By 2016, the gap was 21.9 percent to 4.9 percent. In 1980, Black wages were 4.6 percent lower than white wages. Now, they’re 21.9 percent lower.

What happened over the last 50 years? The social and economic factors that have destroyed the American middle class—globalization, outsourcing, the loss of blue-collar industrial work—have fallen particularly hard on Chicago’s Black community. The manufacturing jobs that drew African-Americans to Chicago during the Great Migration have disappeared, and they haven’t been replaced by equally well-paying work.

“While service, retail, and information sector jobs replaced lost manufacturing employment in many North Side neighborhoods, these developments did not occur to a similar extent in the South and West Sides of the city,” according to “Between the Great Migration and Growing Exodus: The Future of Black Chicago?”, a report by the UIC Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy. “Because major manufacturing companies served as anchors of employment and indirectly supported local neighborhood economies, many majority black neighborhoods in the city declined as jobs and economic opportunities continued to vanish.”

A map of Chicago’s middle-class Census tracts shows that, in 1970, they were spread evenly throughout the city. Now, most of the South and West sides are low-income, while the north lakefront is very high income. This maldistribution of resources has also resulted in a maldistribution of violence. A 2013 analysis by Daniel Kay Hertz found that in the early 1990s (when Chicago had 900 murders a year), the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago were six times more violent than the safest neighborhoods. By the late 2000s, the most dangerous neighborhoods were 15 times more violent. Blacks are 17 times more likely than whites to get shot in Chicago. The city’s murder rate is down from its all-time high, but most of the gains in safety have taken place in areas that are thriving economically. 

Fewer jobs and more violence results in population loss: since 1970, West Garfield Park has lost 63 percent of its residents. Citywide, Blacks were once Chicago’s largest ethnic group, but as their numbers have declined from 1.2 million in 1980 to 780,000 today. They’ve fallen behind whites, who are swelling the populations of Lake View, Lincoln Park and the Loop. This is imperiling Chicago’s position as the nation’s Black Political Mecca—home of more Black congressmen than any other city, training ground of the first Black president. On the City Council, two Black wards have flipped to other groups, and Blacks may be hard pressed to maintain their numbers in Congress and the legislature.

The legacy of segregation, it turns out, may be more enduring and harder to overcome than the legacy of Jim Crow. A report by the Corporation for Enterprise Development found that Chicago’s racial wealth gap is worse than the nation’s as a whole. The median household income for Blacks here is $30,303, compared to $70,960 for whites. It’s even worse than Mississippi, the state so many Blacks fled for Chicago during the Great Migration. In Mississippi, median Black income is $32,965. Illinois’s Black murder rate—36.4 per 100,000—was three-and-a-half times higher than Mississippi’s as recently as 2016.

The UIC study found that many of the economic incentives that drew Blacks to the North during the 20th Century have been reversed, with the South now offering more equality and opportunity:

Comparing black/white wage gaps in Chicago and three Southern cities from where a large number of blacks emigrated in the mid-20th century, wage discrimination in Chicago was much lower than in comparable Southern cities from 1940 through 1980,” the report’s authors wrote. “This is consistent with the pervasive narrative that blacks were moving away from the discriminatory South to the North, where economic opportunities were more readily available and racism was less prevalent. After 1980, however, racial wage gaps in Chicago worsened, becoming similar to many Southern cities in 1990 and 2000, and then worse than many Southern cities in 2010 and 2016. In 2010, for example, the black/white wage gap in Chicago, at 22%, was ten percentage points worse than the wage gap in Columbia, South Carolina, at 12%.”

In racial symbolism, Chicago can continue to claim moral superiority over the South. We don’t have any monuments glorifying the Confederacy. We didn’t vote for Trump. Illinois’s entire congressional delegation voted to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, while a handful of Southern Republicans voted no. But on matters of racial equality, the Land of Lincoln can no longer claim to be better than the South. We are, in fact, looking worse.

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Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Leeper extends no-hit streak; Homers by Morel and Davis propel Smokies to win; Casey brilliant before exiting with injury

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By Michael Ernst,
today at 9:41 am

AAA

St. Paul 10, Iowa 3

Game Recap

The I-Cubs fell behind 10-0 after starter Joe Biagini and reliever Ryan Lawlor were roughed up in the 3rd and 4th innings. They scored three consolation runs on a bases loaded double by Alfonso Rivas in the 6th.

The key takeaway from this game was the performance of the right handed relievers.

Jake Jewell is a guy who got a chance with the Angels a couple of years ago but a fairly hittable fastball (despite good velo) and then eventually a gruesome ankle injury suffered while covering home plate set him back for a couple of years. He’s been throwing well for a good month or more for Iowa though, and even if I still have doubts how his fastball will play, he does give the Cubs a more experienced arm should they chose to empty out their bullpen at the trade deadline. The Cubs would need to add him to the 40-man roster.

One guy already on the 40-man who will surely get another shot once a roster spot in Chicago opens up is Trevor Megill. He’s still inconsistent with his command and secondaries, but when he is on he can mow opposing hitters down. He’ll get rocked for the occasional big inning in the Majors, but he can put together stretches where he looks like a legit setup man.

Manuel Rodriguez has been on a nice run for a while. He’s got a nice power FB/CV combo, and while I predict his inconsistent command will cause some homer issues in the Majors, as another guy already on the 40-man I would expect the Cubs to work Rodriguez into a middle relief role in Chicago at some point in the second half.

The one I am most anxious to see, but the one who may have to wait the longest due to roster management is Ben Leeper. The undrafted free agent from last year continues to dominate with an explosive fastball that is now touching 98-99 mph, and a high-80s slider with a tight downward tilt. Because he is a first year pro and will not be ineligible for the Rule 5 draft for quite some time, the Cubs may chose to test out some older arms in the Majors ahead of him. I hope that is not the case though. Leeper has earned a shot.

Ben Leeper with a 1-2-3 inning with 2 k’s. In the sequence he did a fantastic job changing tempo and setting up his out pitches. He is so fun to watch! Hitting 98! #CubTogether pic.twitter.com/v2XNnsB9cv

— Caleb Webb (@calebgwebb)

July 9, 2021

In his 10 games with Iowa (totaling 12.1 IP) Leeper has yet to allow a hit. If you include his final appearance with Tennessee Leeper has strung together 14.2 consecutive no-hit innings while compiling 25 strikeouts against just 5 walks.

Top Performers

• Alfonso Rivas: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI (.200)
• Tyler Ladendorf: 2-4, 2B (.204)
• Ian Miller: 2-5 (.263)
• Jake Jewell: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K (3.16)
• Trevor Megill: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (6.00)
• Manuel Rodriguez: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K (0.00)
• Ben Leeper: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (0.73)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

The Cubs reinstated Justin Steele from the IL and sent him down to Iowa. He was already with the club on a rehab assignment where they’ve been stretching him out to multiple innings of relief. Beginning Sunday he will join the Iowa rotation. He is expected to be limited to aroun 40-50 pitches, before slowly ramping up from there. Should the Cubs decide to move on from Jake Arietta or trade a Zach Davies at the deadline, Steele will give the Cubs another option along with Kohl Stewart and Cory Abbott to join the rotation in Chicago.

Steele has been injury prone throughout his career, which doesn’t bode well for his ability to hold up as a starter, but it is probably worth one more try given the retool situation the Cubs find themselves in. Steele’s slider, which has become his most important secondary, is new since the last time he worked as a starter. That pitch could help him put hitters away quicker and work more efficiently. Hopefully that can help him pitch more consistently into the middle innings than last we saw him as a starter in Tennessee.

AA

Tennessee 5, Chattanooga 2

Game Recap

A three run bomb by Christopher Morel and a solo shot by Brennen Davis helped the Smokies overcome an early 2-1 deficit.

Here are your @Cubs affiliates Daily Dingers:

Christopher Morel (@Christo66021711)
Brennen Davis (@BrennenDavis__)
Jake Slaughter
Pablo Aliendo (@pabloaliendo14)#CubTogether pic.twitter.com/a5gq2qkpJK

— Caleb Webb (@calebgwebb)

July 9, 2021

Starter Javier Assad put together five solid innings and Luis Lugo provided three perfect innings of relief as continues his rebound from a disastrous opening month of the season. Cayne Ueckert closed things out to earn his 4th save.

Top Performers

• Brennen Davis: 1-3, HR (4), R, RBI, HBP (.269)
• Christopher Morel: -4, HR (10), R, 3 RBI (.214)
• Zach Davis: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI (.268)
• Tyler Payne: 1-2, 2 BB (.214)
• Chase Strumpf: 1-4, 2B, R (.171)
• Javier Assad: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, BB, 4 K (W, 2-3, 3.91)
• Luis Lugo: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (5.29)
• Cayne Ueckert: IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K (S, 4, 2.14)

High-A

South Bend 4, Beloit 0

Game Recap

In one of the most dominant performances from a starter in the Cubs system so far this year, Derek Casey mowed down ten batters over 5.2 shutout innings using a good combo of a lively low-90s fastball, breaking balls with sharp break and a good straight changeup. It was a complete performance which looked like it could extend even a little further as Casey was at just 71 pitches, but he came up lame while fielding a dribbler in front of the plate with one out to go in the 6th.

Here are the seven whiffs from Derek Casey’s first inning yesterday.

Changeup
Curveball
Curveball
Fastball
Fastball
Slider
Changeup

Legit, right? Assuming he’s healthy, he should be in Double-A next week. pic.twitter.com/I3Nu9UB6CB

— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects)

July 9, 2021

Thankfully for South Bend, Tyler Suellentrop and Eury Ramos were able to secure the shutout. Jake Slaughter came through with a solo homer on offense.

Top Performers

• Derek Casey: 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 10 K (W, 5-5, 3.24)
• Tyler Suellentrop: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K (7.36)
• Eury Ramos: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K (2.91)
• Jake Slaughter: 1-3, HR (1), 2 R, RBI, BB, SB (8) (.229)
• Josue Huma: 1-2, BB (.229)

Injuries, Updates, and Trends

No starter in the Cubs system has given his affiliate more consistent innings out of the rotation than Derek Casey. A 9th rounder from the 2018 draft, he’s gone at least 5 innings in 8 of his 11 starts this season. I’d written him off as a future org arm after a less than stellar 2019 but he’s gotten himself into great shape and he’s improved his secondaries enough where he is now a guy to keep an eye on, even if his ceiling is still only a back of the rotation starter. Hopefully, he can return shortly.

Low-A

Augusta 6, Myrtle Beach 5

Top Performers

• Alberto Sojo: 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, HBP, 5 K (0.00)
• Pablo Aliendo: 1-4, HR (3), R, RBI (.256)
• Matt Mervis: 2-4, R (.209)
• Jordan Nwogu: 1-4, 2 RBI (.168)

AZL

Cubs1 6, Giants 3

Top Performers

• Reggie Preciado: 1-4, HR (2), R, 3 RBI (.414)
• Ezequiel Pagan: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI (.385)
• Cam Balego: 2-3, R (.800)
• Jose Lopez: 1-3, 2B (.125)
• Ismael Mena: 1-3 (.240)
• Tyler Schlaffer: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K (W, 1-1, 6.75)

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  Michael Ernst

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  Velazquez is trending back up after stalling out in 2019. He lost a little athleticism as his body changed in…
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  bleachercreature

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  Question Michael, why is Nelson Valazquez not highly thought of? What’s the scouting report on him? He plays CF (or…
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  Terrific write-up Michael. Thank you so much for all your work. Hopefully some of the injured players will make it…
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  Nico and Happ make you wonder about Theo’s development program.
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The title of Hyun Jung Jun’s exhibition reads like an incantation, as if upon entering the gallery, viewers will be instantly transformed. Fittingly, “by flame by fog,” Jun’s solo show at Goldfinch in East Garfield Park, conjures a glade, where reality is suspended and unearthly charms work a strange magic. Visitors enter through the back gallery and immediately encounter the building’s vine-adorned windows, kissed by several wax figurines shaped like winged insects. A burst of color hits if you turn around. Jun has painted two walls in broad strokes of reds and blues, creating the illusion of a windswept and misty landscape that dizzies the eye. On small wooden shelves perch more wax critters, their wings extended as if ready to flutter skyward.

Jun, an Evanston-based artist, makes artworks that are meant to be transient as much as they play with our stock measure of time. She has received national press for her elaborate, edible cakes, made under the name Dream Cake Test Kitchen, whose aesthetic one could describe as Seussian cottagecore. Look closely at her wax sculptures, and you’ll see that they are candles; the wicks of the Goldfinch batch seem to double as graceful antennae. Carefully dipped in Jun’s kitchen, each candle is intended to eventually meet their fate by fire. “I actually want people to burn these, I want them to perish,” Jun said when we spoke in mid-June. “Really to just disappear.”

She first began working with candles as an undergraduate at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago when she would light them on fire in performative pieces. In Jun’s Candles & Water Gun (a 2012 work including a series of images and a performance) she squirted a water gun at a lit candle and photographed her attempts until she hit her mark. The resulting images of this markedly fatuous race between water and fire revel in the subtle shifts of a metamorphosis interrupted.

Ideas of shape-shifting and suspending time have continued to guide Jun, though her candles have since become less stick-like, more fantastical. Those at Goldfinch are inspired by moths, which break from their long sleep in cocoons spun by their former caterpillar selves. Jun’s moths are fetching but undeniably grotesque, presenting nubby protrusions on their wings and abdomens and a color palette that blends earth tones with high-key hues that bring to mind a confectioner’s counter. “The candles before this were butterflies, and I wanted to go into a direction that’s a little bit darker,” Jun said, noting that she is also afraid of moths: “They’re really beautiful, but I’m not over their eeriness.”

There is something quietly unsettling about Jun’s wax creatures, displayed to recall pinned species in a nascent lepidoptera collection and destined to burn. Fully formed for now, but not quite in flight, they suggest in this moment our own positions as humans emerging from more than a year of limbo: profoundly changed, dizzied, and surviving precariously.

When life now seems surreally supercharged and repressurized as Chicago reopens, “by flame by fog” proffers a timely invitation for deep introspection. In addition to candles, Jun has assembled on one windowsill cracked eggshells that cradle strawberry seedlings; on one wall hangs small, photographic stills of the moon and clouds, taken from footage Jun recorded in Chicago and her native South Korea. Like the cleansing licks of fire or the nebulous drift of a rising brume, these simple scenes denote meditative ways of experiencing time, as a slow but persistent unfolding. Indulge in minutiae and dream against routine, Jun seems to urge, while asking: Who can we become when we stall the consuming march of time? v

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There’s nothing better than partying on the weekend with your favorite cocktail, beer, or drink. But at the end of the weekend, most of us are left feeling…gross. The solution? A healthy cleanse! Here’s a quick roundup of top-notch juice bars in Chicago to help you look and feel your best. 

211 E. Ontario St. Chicago, IL 60611

Check out this “juice apothecary” serving up smoothies, cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, and more grab ’n go items. Everything on the menu at this juice bar in Chicago is 100% plant based so you know you’re getting a major dose of goodness. Use code 15LESS at checkout for 15% off in July!

160 W. Kinzie St. Chicago, IL 60654

Reach optimal nutrition with 100% organic cold-pressed juices. HI-VIBE delivers good vibes with their Keto coffees, superfood smoothies, grass-fed bone broth, and more. Unlock 10% off your order by entering your email and phone number on their website. 

5558 S Kedzie Ave Chicago, IL

With so many options on their menu, it might be hard to choose. But we got you. Try the Green Detox for a boost with spinach, parsley, ginger, pineapple, cucumber, apple, and lemon. Or go with an Immune Booster for a vitamin C kick featuring orange, carrot, lemon, and ginger. 

2931 N. Broadway Chicago, IL 60657

Say hello to an all organic health and juice bar in Chicago specializing in cold pressed juices, superfood blends, elixirs, and cleanse packages. This husband-and-wife owned juicery will get you feeling good again in no time.

1562 N. Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL 60622

From fresh fruit smoothies and raw vegan juices to CBD infused coffee and protein shakes, the folks at Bru Chicago have a little bit of something for everyone. Also, if you need to get some work done, stop by Bru for plenty of cozy seating. 

51 W Huron St Chicago, IL 60654

Not feeling your greatest? Travel to this juice bar and order juices like Crimson Love which combines red cabbage, apple, ginger, and lemon juice. Or try the Grateful Greens which features celery, parsley, collard greens, apple, lemon, and ginger juice. We’ll take both. 

2344 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60614

Fuel your mind, body, and soul with high-quality superfoods found in every Pure Green juice. Ingredients range from pitaya and raw cocoa to spirulina to grass-fed whey protein. Not only are their juices healthy AF, they’re also tasty too.

2909 N Broadway Street Chicago, IL 60657

What makes Rise Up different? Well, for starters, they use the #1 Meal Replacement Protein Powder to make the most delicious (and healthy) smoothies. Plus they offer personal coaching,  fitness and meal plans, as well as online support if you need it. 

Photo by K15 Photos on Unsplash

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Every baseball fan’s favorite part of the year is here! It’s time for the 2021 MLB All-Star Game! This season, players will take the field for the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 12 at Coors Field in Denver. Something they haven’t had the chance to participate in since 2019.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that led to a reduced schedule for last year’s MLB season, the All-Star Game celebration was put on hold. But now, thanks to more and more vaccinations and somewhat of a shift back to normal, it’s back on!

What To Expect For The 2021 MLB All-Star Game

Baseball, baseball, and more baseball! That’s exactly what you can expect for this year’s All-Star festivities, among other things. But seriously, there will be so much baseball related activities going on over the course of the three-day long event.

Kicking off the event will be the Futures Game on Sunday, July 11 at 2 p.m. CST. Top prospects all across Major League Baseball will play in a seven-inning long game to see who’s the best of the young guys. Next up on the schedule is a fan-favorite, the Home Run Derby, which will go down Monday night at 7 p.m. CST. Pete Alonso of the New York Mets is the reigning derby champion from 2019. However, he’s not even considered the top seed this year. Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve still probably heard the name Shohei Ohtani once or twice. We won’t go into too much detail about the guy, but as a starting pitcher for the Angels, he leads the league with 32 dingers and is the number 1 seed in this year’s Home Run Derby.

And finally, the 2021 MLB All-Star Game will wrap up the show on Tuesday night. You can watch the star-studded game on FOX, while the Home Run Derby will broadcast on ESPN’s network. You won’t want to miss seeing all the players from both the Chicago White Sox and Cubs rosters play.

Who Of Our Guys Made The Cut?

Were there some snubs for Chicago players? Maybe. But, it’s not like one team missed out on sending guys to the All-Star Game. We just wanted to see more! For the Chicago Cubs, you’ll see third-baseman Kris Bryant and pitcher Craig Kimbrel represent the northside for the National League team. Both earned reserve or reliever designation for their team. For the Chicago White Sox, we actually sent a pair of starting pitchers to the American League All-Star team in Lance Lynn and Carlos Rodón. Liam Hendricks made it too as a reliever. We sure can’t wait to see our guys try and tear up the mound against some of the league’s best.

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Chicago Blackhawks: 3 absurd trade packages for Vladimir Tarasenko by Vincent Parise

The Chicago White Sox have defied the odds so far this season, staving off a ridiculous number of injuries to currently sit at 51-35 with an eight-game lead in the American League Central over the Cleveland Indians.

The White Sox are about to get a big boost when Eloy Jimenez returns to their offense.

While they have dealt with the various 10-day IL stints that most teams navigate over the course of a long season, they have been disproportionately impacted by significant injuries to many of their key players, including losing Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Nick Madrigal, and most recently Yasmani Grandal for extended periods of time.

Unlike their counterparts on the North Side, the White Sox have handled adversity well and kept the ship afloat despite all of these injuries. With the trade deadline looming, fans will be looking to general manager Rick Hahn to see whether he will make a big splash move for a bat to mitigate the impact of these injuries.

However, a recent development may impact his decision-making process, as the White Sox got some good news regarding Jimenez.

On March 31, Jimenez had surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle sustained while trying to make a play in the outfield during a spring training game. At the time, there was little hope he would be able to return at all this season.

Remarkably, just three months later, the White Sox announced that Eloy will begin his rehab assignment with the Winston-Salem Dash, the team’s Class A-Advanced Carolina League affiliate, on Friday.

BREAKING NEWS! Eloy Jimenez will begin his rehab assignment on Friday with Winston-Salem. pic.twitter.com/Unb9BxSVNf

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 8, 2021

This is an incredible turn of events for the White Sox who will certainly benefit from getting Eloy’s bat back in the lineup but will also get a lift to the team’s morale simply by getting him back in the clubhouse.

With the All-Star Break coming up, and a substantial lead in the Central, the Sox have the luxury of bringing him along slowly. When he does finally return to the big league club, expect him to get significant time as the team’s designated hitter, especially since they are not going to want to risk another injury in the outfield, where Eloy looks shaky at best.

With the news that Luis Robert has been cleared to increase his baseball-related activities, the White Sox could find themselves pretty close back to full strength offensively sooner rather than later.

Next: Billy Hamilton the ultimate weapon

Fans will have to wait and see how, if at all, this affects Hahn’s decisions ahead of the trade deadline, but with the team poised for a playoff run, he shouldn’t take his foot off the gas at this point. Therefore, expect Hahn to make some moves to solidify this team as the favorites in the American League.

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