A man shot at July Fourth partygoers, killing one woman and wounding two others in Austin because he was angry that he was asked to stop shooting his gun in the air as children played outside, Cook County prosecutors said Wednesday.
After hearing the allegations, Judge Susana Ortiz compared Sunday night’s crime to the infamous 30-second 1881 “gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and ordered alleged gunman Calvin Gonnigan held without bail on murder and attempted murder charges.
Gonnigan shot 45-year-old Janina Ford in the face, killing her as she tried to help another victim and attempted to talk to Gonnigan Sunday night, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
Gonnigan fired at a group of people celebrating Independence Day because someone in that small crowd had asked him to stop firing his gun in the air from a nearby porch as children milled about, Murphy said.
Gonnigan, 34, initially threatened the partygoers, but went inside a nearby apartment building, Murphy said.
He then came outside and approached the group in the alley. Gonnigan allegedly pointed his gun at one person before aiming at and shooting a 32-year-old man.
When other partygoers sought cover, Gonnigan allegedly fired additional shots, grazing the abdomen of a 50-year-old man.
A 49-year-old man who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon returned fire, striking Gonnigan in both arms and hip, Murphy and Chicago police said. After he was hit, Gonnigan ran back inside the apartment building he went into moments before, Murphy said.
As Ford and others tried to help the 32-year-old victim, Gonnigan allegedly came back outside. That’s when Ford attempted to talk to him and was gunned down, Murphy said.
Gonnigan then allegedly stood over the 32-year-old victim and repeatedly shot him as he lay on the ground. That victim suffered 10 gunshot wounds and remained hospitalized in critical condition at Stroger Hospital Wednesday, Murphy said.
Gonnigan also shot the 50-year-old victim two more times before returning to the nearby apartment building, Murphy said.
When officers arrived, Gonnigan was identified as the gunman by several witnesses, including the man who shot Gonnigan, Murphy said. That man turned his gun in to police and has cooperated with the investigation.
Gonnigan tested positive for gunshot residue when he was taken into custody at the scene, Murphy said. His mother allowed officers to search her apartment where a box for a Springfield 9-mm handgun and ammunition was found. However, no firearm was recovered, Murphy said.
Gonnigan has previous convictions, including an unlawful use of a weapon by a felon conviction for which he received a 10-year prison sentence, Murphy said. He also has a prior aggravated robbery conviction, Murphy said.
Gonnigan had recently been living with his cousin in west suburban Brookfield and was employed by Frito-Lay as a package handler, where he worked 60 to 80 hours a week, an assistant public defender said.
“I think the situation is one in which there may be another side to the sequence of events that night,” the defense attorney added.
Ortiz noted that Gonnigan walked away from the camera during his live-streamed hearing before it concluded Wednesday.
The smell of summertime grilling filled the air of the Pullman City Market on Wednesday. Food trucks lined the street and dance hall music blared from a stage. This was 2021’s Taste of Chicago To-Go.
In lieu of the annual Grant Park food festival, the city — still recovering from the pandemic — found a new way to host the iconic summer event: neighborhood pop-ups.
The food truck event Wednesday at 111th and South Cottage Grove Avenue was the first of five days of Taste of Chicago pop-up events this week.
Taste of Chicago To-Go pop-up events
Thursday noon to 7 p.m. at 5610 W. Lake St.
Friday 4 to 8 p.m. at 2559 W. Division St. with a special Goose Island Brewery event from 5 to 8 p.m. at 1800 W. Fulton St.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Taste of West Side” at 135 N. Kedzie Ave. “I am Community” art installation at 10:30 a.m.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eli’s Cheesecake and Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs at 6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive.
1 to 8 p.m. 6300 S. Wood St.
Sunday noon to 3 p.m. “Let’s Talk Women Picnic in White” at 201 E. Randolph St.
While the city couldn’t plan for 1.5 million people to safely gather as usual, Neal Heitz, director of event production for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said the department could pull off pop-up events “on a dime.”
“Going to neighborhoods was an opportunity to engage the Invest South/West that is a real priority for this administration and spread the Taste throughout the whole city,” Heitz said, referring to Mayor Lightfoot’s community development initiative.
The Pullman City Market sported 10 food trucks Wednesday. The last Taste of Chicago in Grant Park in 2019 had 82 food vendors for attendees to choose from.
But for some vendors and foodies, the smaller event offered a connection to neighborhoods the large event often misses.
Rebecca Vanderkloot operates Doom Street Eats, a food truck out of the Pilsen/Little Village area. She said the truck has been at Taste of Chicago for five years but this year’s neighborhood pop-up version is a great way to help communities.
Tuesday was Doom Street Eats fifth time at Taste of Chicago. The food truck travels the city to attend pop-up events like Wednesday’s.Cheyanne M. Daniels/Sun-Times
“Some of the pop-ups are in the places that don’t always get attention,” she said, adding that the pop-ups give people who normally can’t make it to the downtown event a chance to attend.
Elizabeth Nix said she thought the address was a mistake at first but was glad the city offered something good for the community to look forward to.
“There’s been so much violence it’s nice to have something positive in our community,” Nix said.
While the city tried to host a spinoff Taste of Chicago last year, it had to work around pandemic safety measures that some vendors said weren’t the best.
“Last year, they had us drop food off in different communities,” Caribbean-Asian fusion Whadda Jerk food truck owner Thomas Brewer said. “This … gets people outside and gives some kind of normalcy.”
New small-business owner Ebony Blue also got a chance to show the South Side what she has to offer: coffee.
Southside Grinds, a mobile coffee bar started in 2019, made its first appearance at the Taste of Chicago, handing out ice-cold drinks and peach cobbler to sweaty attendees.
The line for the small Black-owned business never let up. The bar even had to stop serving its iced drinks for a short period after running out of ice.
“It’s really exciting to know that our mission and our vision and our hope for the South Side comes across to people,” Blue said.
Southside Grinds owner Ebony Blue called Wednesday a “game changer” for her business, which strives to “spread love and caffeine across the South Side.” Cheyanne M. Daniels/Sun-Times
But Wednesday wasn’t just for food trucks. The Get Growing Foundation’s Plant Truck Chicago made an appearance, too, selling cacti and moss-ball Kokedama plants.
Still, for some, Taste of Chicago To-Go couldn’t beat the bigger, grander Grant Park event seen in years past.
Bryant Hobbs, 53, said he understood the city had to make a difficult decision but the event in Grant Park is “one of the events of the summer.”
But Heitz said there is no telling what next year’s event could see.
“In a perfect world, there [would] be an ability to do all these things and the downtown event,” Heitz said.
Right now, he said, the city hopes the pop-ups will help restaurants regain some of revenue lost to the pandemic.
Taste To-Go pop-up event at Pullman City Market, 11100 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Taste To-Go pop-up event at Pullman City Market.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Hot dogs and sausages on the grill at the Taste To-Go pop-up event at Pullman City Market.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
People learning to dance at the Taste To-Go pop-up event at Pullman City Market.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Taste To-Go pop-up event at Pullman City Market.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Taste To-Go pop-up event at Pullman City Market.
Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Cheyanne M. Daniels is a staff reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times via Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster the paper’s coverage of communities on the South and West sides.
A man who was found in the trunk of a burning car Tuesday on the Far South Side died of a gunshot wound to his head, according to an autopsy.
Authorities responded to a vehicle fire about 10:35 p.m. in the 12100 block of South Doty Avenue and extinguished the blaze, Chicago police said.
The severely burned body of Myron Richardson, 19, was found in the trunk of the vehicle, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy conducted Wednesday found he died of a gunshot wound to his head and ruled his death a homicide, the medical examiner’s office said.
While most guest soloists who perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra travel hundreds of miles from far-flung cities around the world, Jorge Federico Osorio will only need to take a 10-minute automobile ride.
The 70-year-old pianist, who lives in Highland Park about five miles from the 36-acre Ravinia Festival grounds, will join the orchestra there for the July 9 opening of its 15-concert residency. In all, he has performed more than 10 times at the summer musical extravaganza since 1998.
“It’s like my local festival, and it’s been wonderful,” he said.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jorge Federico Osorio, pianist
When: 8 p.m. July 9 (gates open at 5 p.m.)
Where: Ravinia Festival, 200 Ravinia Park Road, Highland Park
Osorio might not possess the flashiness or fame of some of his keyboard counterparts, but the Mexican-born pianist is highly esteemed within the classical world for his thoughtful, honest and refined style of pianism.
Among the soloist’s fans is famed conductor James Conlon, who served as the Ravinia Festival’s music director from 2005 through 2015 and led multiple concerts featuring Osorio as soloist with the Chicago Symphony, including a complete set of the five Beethoven piano concertos.
“Of the many artists with whom I worked at Ravinia, he stands out,” Conlon said via email. “In today’s age of inverted values, his deep, un-theatrical musicianship attests to a standard of seriousness that should be the norm but that one does not encounter as often as one wished.”
After a one-year hiatus because of the coronavirus shutdown, the Ravinia Festival is presenting a somewhat abbreviated season of more than 70 concerts, with certain capacity limits and other Coronavirus protocols in place to help ensure audience safety.
The July 9 performance will be just the 13th live, in-person performance by the Chicago Symphony since it returned May 27 to the Orchestra Hall stage after nearly 15 months of, at first, inaction, and later virtual, small-ensemble presentations.
It will be led by Marin Alsop, who makes her debut as chief conductor and curator of the Ravinia Festival — the first such position in the event’s history. In all, she will lead seven of the Chicago Symphony’s concerts this summer, including a July 10 program that focuses on works by women and composers of color.
Pianist Jorge Federico Osorio listened to recordings of the CSO as a child. “I always thought I would love to play with this orchestra,” he said. “Somehow, it just caught my imagination. So, what a thrill it has been for me to fulfill that dream many times over.” Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Osorio was supposed to perform Rachmaninoff’s beloved “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” at Ravinia in 2020, but he instead will take on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488, for this make-up appearance. The orchestra’s forces will be reduced to allow for social distancing onstage this summer, and the earlier, classical-era concerto does not require as many musicians.
“I’m delighted,” the pianist said. “I just love this concerto. I think it’s one of the most beautiful and unusual [of Mozart’s 27 piano concertos]. The colors that he gets with two clarinets and the wonderful adagio which is so poignant and expressive — it’s really something else.”
Osorio grew up in Mexico City, where he began his piano studies first with his mother and later at the National Conservatory of Mexico before leaving at age 16 for more advanced training in Paris and then the Moscow Conservatory.
He entered several competitions and won some prizes, but he did not catapult onto the music scene like some winners of high-profile contests such as the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Instead, his career developed more incrementally.
The young pianist did take first place at the little-known Rhode Island International Master Piano Competition in the early 1970s, and one of the prizes was a chance to tour the United States with the Warsaw Philharmonic. Then-music director Witold Rowicki later invited Osorio to play with the orchestra in Poland, and his career began to take off in Europe.
His big break in the United States happened on a lark. He was performing with the San Antonio (Texas) Symphony in the early 1990s when Henry Fogel, then the Chicago Symphony’s president and chief executive officer, happened to be in the audience.
Fogel clearly liked what he heard, and that appreciation led to Osorio’s first recital in Orchestra Hall in February 1996 and, soon afterward, an engagement with the orchestra to perform Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody” with guest conductor Christopher Wilkins.
“It’s a very competitive field,” the pianist said. “You need to be persistent, and I guess you need to be lucky. Like they say, sometimes it’s being in the right place at the right moment. Then, things start developing.”
Both of Osorio’s parents were musicians, and he listened to their recordings of the Chicago Symphony as a child. “I always thought I would love to play with this orchestra,” he said. “Somehow, it just caught my imagination. So, what a thrill it has been for me to fulfill that dream many times over.”
Professional athletes have always had difficulty telling themselves it’s time to retire, but fewer than ever seem to know when enough is enough.
You can blame Tom Brady for that. He won a Super Bowl last season at 43, turns a year older next month and apparently plans on playing and living forever. Suddenly, lots of athletes in their competitive golden years think that if they stop eating tomatoes, as Brady did, they can play at a high level into their 40s. This has to be killing the BLT lobby.
No one knows if Brady has discovered some nutritional secret to being able to play longer than everybody else or if he’d be just as successful on a diet of Big Macs. It doesn’t matter. Everybody thinks it’s the former.
This brings us to Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta, who is 35 and struggling to do what he used to do so well. I don’t know if he has looked to Brady for inspiration, but Arrieta has been a big fan of cutting-edge diets and exercise programs throughout his career. If he was being reticent during his 2015 Cy Young season, all a reporter had to say was, “Where can a guy get some decent kale juice in this town?” and Arrieta wouldn’t shut up. Brady’s success at an advanced age and his disavowal of some common foods — I’m talking to you, strawberries and eggplants — resonates with a certain kind of athlete.
The problem for Arrieta is that there doesn’t appear to be a secret recipe to stop the steady decline of his career (though maybe going on the 10-day injured list will delay it a bit). Since that magical 2015 season, when he had a 1.77 earned-run average and led the National League in victories, starts, complete games and shutouts, he has gotten worse every year. His ERA is an elevator that only goes up: from 1.77 to 3.10 to 3.53 to 3.96 to 4.64 to 5.08 to this season’s 6.30.
Former Cubs president Theo Epstein saw the decline happening fairly early and was smart enough to make Arrieta a contract offer he could refuse in 2018. Jake went to the Phillies, where the downturn accelerated. With Epstein gone, the Cubs reverted to their age-old habit of nostalgia when they signed Arrieta to a one-year contract before this season.
And it looked good for a while, didn’t it? He was the Jake of old in his first five starts, with an ERA of 2.57. But he went downhill after that. In his last two starts, he hasn’t made it out of the second inning, including an outing Tuesday in which he gave up seven earned runs and was pulled after 55 pitches.
Afterward, Arrieta was stubborn in the face of evidence, and reporters’ questions, that more than suggested he might be on his last legs as a productive pitcher.
“There is still a lot left in the tank,” he said. “No question about that. The stuff plays. The execution is not there. It hasn’t been for a while, but I’ve been in similar situations in my career. I’ve been in worse situations than this.”
Athletes are taught to never quit. It’s an excellent mindset when you’re down 20 points in the fourth quarter of a basketball game. It’s problematic when you’re past your prime and hurting your team. The loss Tuesday was the Cubs’ 11th in a row. Arrieta clearly isn’t the team’s only problem, but that doesn’t make him any less a problem.
“I have all the tools,” he insisted. “I know what needs to be done.”
It’s not easy giving up the thing you do best, especially at an age considered young by any standard except pro sports. We see it all the time, with athletes trying to hang on because they have no idea what else to do with their lives. There are always a few Olympians who refuse to leave the stage, but at least they can argue they don’t make the ridiculous money that athletes in the major sports do. Arrieta has made more than $100 million in his 12-year career. With a bit of belt-tightening, I think he’ll be OK.
If it inspires Arrieta to play better, great. If it inspires him but he can’t play better, then maybe the facts are exactly what they seem to be: evidence that it’s time.
Harry Christopher Caray (né Carabina) was born in St Louis on the 1st of March 1914 as the son of a Romanian mother and Italian father. Harry’s mother passed away when he was 14 and he had little recollection of his father who left to serve in WWI. He attended Webster Groves High School while living with his aunt & uncle who took him in.
A talented baseball player in his youth, Harry possessed sufficient skill to receive an invitation to play for the University of Alabama directly after high school. Unfortunately, financial woes forced him to turn down the offer. At the time WWII affected the lives of people across the world, Harry applied to enlist in the Armed Forces but was ultimately rejected due to poor eyesight. After being denied the possibility of both a baseball and military career he switched to selling gym equipment while looking for alternative avenues to continue pursuing his passion for baseball.
Harry spent several years learning the basics of his future craft at radio stations in Kalamazoo, Michigan as well as Joliet, Illinois. Bob Holt, the station manager at WCLS Joliet suggested Harry should consider changing his surname from Carabina to Caray. Mostly because Holt believed the Carabina family name sounded awkward on the radio.
By the time he retired Harry was one of the great legends of baseball. Over the course of his lifetime, he became ingrained as part of the baseball consciousness throughout America. It is highly doubtful baseball fans will ever have the luck to grow up listening to an expert, accurate game commentary, and often controversial opinions of a living legend of the game. The accomplishment did not come easy for Harry.
Chicago’s most important news of the day, delivered every weekday afternoon. Plus, a bonus issue on Saturdays that dives into the city’s storied history.
Today will be mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms and a high near 86 degrees. Tonight, expect more scattered thunderstorms and the temperature to drop to a low around 64. Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a high near 73.
A person of interest has been taken into custody after a Chicago police officer and two federal agents working undercover were wounded by gunfire this morning on the Southwest Side, police said.
Police spokesman Tom Ahern said in a tweet that the person was being interviewed by detectives, but gave no other details.
Police had found a white Chevrolet Malibu believed to be used in the shooting near 89th Place and Indiana Avenue. Officers had been looking for a suspect there, and a “drone command van” was sent to assist in the search.
The shooting happened shortly before 6 a.m. as the three were getting onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 57 near 119th Street, about a mile from the Morgan Park police station, police said.
The police officer was grazed in the back of the head, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was shot in the hand, and another ATF agent suffered a wound to his side, police said. All were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center.
Police Supt. David Brown told reporters the three “were conducting an investigation. They were all together in one vehicle when they were fired upon.”
South Side student athletes now have a new sports facility where they can practice.
Mayor Lightfoot cut the ribbon yesterday for a new indoor track in Gately Park in Pullman.
The 139,000-square-foot facility at 10201 S. Cottage Grove Ave. also will serve as the new flagship site for After School Matters, the non-profit group that hosts programs for students in the 8th through 12th grades at the Gately Park site and two other locations.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot spoke Tuesday at the opening of a new facility in Pullman which features an indoor track, plus space for other After School Matters programs. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Joyce Chapman, president of the Gately Park Advisory Council, said the facility is “a long time coming for the Far South Side.”
After School Matters and the Chicago Park District announced the project in 2018, according to CEO Mary Ellen Caron. It was set to open last year but was delayed by the pandemic.
Yesterday was the first day of programs at the new facility, which has seats for 3,500 spectators and, Lightfoot said, will “put Chicago on par with New York City and Boston” when it comes to track and field championships.
In addition to the track, the building’s After School Matters wing has art and dance studios, music rooms, culinary spaces, tech labs and a rooftop garden spread over two floors.
More details on Bears training camp: Players report July 27, 14 practices will be open to the public and 1,000 fans will be allowed to attend each day.
With Adam Engel back off the injured list, the White Sox designated outfielder Adam Eaton for assignment today. The move will end Eaton’s second stint with the team after hitting .201 with five homers in 58 games.
Your daily question ?
How would you define the “Midwest Nice” label? Do you think it’s accurate?
Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.
Yesterday, we asked you: How do you feel about the fireworks fired off throughout the city during Fourth of July weekend? Here’s some of what you said…
“You have the nerve to ask this question. They’re still popping at 3 a.m. in my neighborhood two days later. — Kenny Guest
“I feel bad for all vets, pets and wildlife, so I don’t think it’s worth it. I read that the U.S. needs to look into silent fireworks, like Italy.” — Yvette Spearman
“Fireworks are beautiful and fun! Chicago sure enough represented strong! It’s our tradition growing up. Not everyone can make it to the big shows downtown, neither are a lot of us really wanted down there. My heart goes out to the dogs and birds etc. Just for the record — I don’t like the noise from cops, firemen, ambulances, car music, airplanes, freight trains and other noises either.” — Keith Davis
“Scheduled fireworks during a set period of time is fine. It is the random fireworks, set off at random intervals, durations, and inappropriate times, that I strongly object to.” — Gail Waldoch
“I love it. It’s a national tradition that has deep cultural significance. People should respect their neighbors and not carry on until 2 a.m., but I think the tradition of families and neighbors setting off fireworks always brings to mind what the observance represents, and it’s a fun way to commemorate the people who fought for our hard-won independence.” — Rich Williamson
“Old man talking here: back in the day, a few “captains,” or whatever you want to call them, would get portions of a neighborhood together and there’s be some localized fireworks. Now? Everyone and their brother must show how they have their own fireworks. Like OK dudes, you have the exact same fireworks at the other 900 people on the block. Congrats. And the city’s inability to crack down? In a time when they at the very least could be fining people for noise violations? Ridiculous.” — Joe Kushner
“I hate them! In my neighborhood, they start a week early and are still continuing! I will tolerate them on the Fourth of July only. At times they make the whole house shake — it sounds like a war zone! My poor dog nearly has a heart attack! The municipalities offer wonderful fireworks displays. That should be enough — we don’t need your dynamite!” — Charlotte Deutsch Meyer
“I like them. Too many square people with no lives just like to complain a lot to ruin it for the rest of us.” — Ibrahim Ali
“It was worse than ever. I’ve never heard nonstop booms and explosions of that intensity. Terrible for people, animals and wildlife. The garbage and mess in Welles Park the next day was shocking.” — Liz Strause
“I love it. They always start in June. A little here and there. I love the fireworks by Winnemac Park. I’ve lived here for over 20 years. Yes, I have dogs — they survive each year. So I hope they don’t stop. Now it’s over and you may hear them once in a while.” — Sandra Sanchez
“I tried to enjoy the fireworks but I kept jumping because some sounded like gunshots.” — Erica Palmer
“They started way too early for this graveyard worker.” — Michelle Burke
“I have a 21st-floor balcony, and someone on the roof of a nearby shorter building was shooting huge rockets all evening/night. They went off so close to my unit that I had to close the balcony door, as it was deafening. I was afraid to step outside for fear a stray spark or firework would land on my balcony or me. It started out interesting and ended up annoying and scary.” — Mary Jane Tala
“I love it. I will admit my neighborhood went a bit overboard. I think some of the stuff was too big for a residential area.” — Terry Barnicle
“We talk about vets and pets, but children with autism and sound sensitivity suffer too. We have had six weeks of the neighborhood fireworks nightly, and it’s still happening. Enough.” — Sheila Bobik
Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
There is an unquestioned top prospect (at least stateside) in the Cubs system, and it is Brennen Davis.
Drafted as a raw, two-sport star from the prep ranks in Arizona three years ago, his ascent to the top of the Cubs prospect list and up through the ladder of the Cubs Minor League system has occurred quicker than any could have dreamed.
Always a guy with a good eye and contact oriented approach at the plate, a swing overhaul during the 2018-19 offseason changed Davis from a guy punching at the ball as an amateur, to one incorporating his lower body and with increased loft in his bat path which enabled Davis to access power within games. Added mass and increased strength has increased his raw power as well.
Davis has not become a free swinger though. He’s continued with his gap-to-gap approach, it is just that he is now able to drive the ball to and over the wall in the power alleys instead of settling for singles. There is an abbreviated, two-handed follow through on his swing, which indicates to me Davis is more interested with staying in control of the bat rather than letting loose. That mentality will likely turn some potential homers into doubles, but should help him maintain solid contact rates as a trade off. I’ve not been able to spot any holes despite possessing pretty long levers in his swing.
While Davis still runs pretty well once he gets under way, his once plus speed only plays as above average now, and could continue to trend toward average as he continues to physically mature. Davis is getting more of a chance in center field this year after splitting his time with left in 2019. I think he can stick in center for a while, but a move to corner seems likely, especially if his speed does degrade. His arm is fine, so he could settle into RF, but probably wouldn’t be a difference maker out there.
He was hampered by a hamstring issue his final year of high school, suffered a finger injury cut his 2019 campaign short, and then he missed the start of this year as well. There isn’t enough there to consider him injury prone, especially since the finger issue was caused by a hit by pitch, but Davis should be monitored. His body has changed a lot over the last three years and as he added some bulk he has lost a bit of fluidity.
The Cristian Hernandez Tier
I don’t have much information on the 17-year old IFA signing from last year. Considered a top five prospect in the class, and by some reckonings top three, Cristian Hernandez is an agile and strong 6’1″ athlete. He’s one of those dream about projection types who you hope retains his quickness and finesse as his body matures into a more powerful specimen.
If he does, then you’ve got a shortstop with above average to plus offensive tools across the board. A potential star. Even if Hernandez outgrows short and moves to second or third you’ve still got a potential impact player, but it places a heavier burden on the bat to develop.
It doesn’t look like we’ll see him stateside in 2021, so expect most updates to remain in statistical form, as we rarely get scouting reports out of the DSL.
Miguel Amaya and Ed Howard are guys that have and/or could pop up in the back end of some Top 100 prospect lists. They aren’t overwhelming athletes but they have enough tools to combine with their plus instincts and plus work ethics that they should develop into everyday options for the Cubs down the road. Much like Nico Hoerner, they probably won’t end up as impact guys, but they are they could become the type of steady contributors every team needs and the Cubs have been lacking in recent seasons.
Amaya remains a good receiver with a good arm who should become a reliable starting caliber backstop. His offense is driven by a good eye and above average power. Most comfortable using the right center field gap at this point, Amaya does flash some plus pull power, but given the rigors of the catching position I wouldn’t expect more than 15-18 homer output from him in the future. He’s a collection of average-to-above-average tools who could settle into the 6th or 7th spot in a Major League lineup for a while, but he falls a bit short of a star profile.
Now, Ed Howard does flash some plus tools. His actions at short are smooth and quick, which makes up for speed and arm tools which are more like 55s than they are 60s, so overall there is plus package on defense.
The story is similar on offense, but the total package is far less refined right now. The raw tools are more above average than plus, but there is an outside shot it all comes together to form a plus offensive player. His bat speed is good. The plate discipline, pitch recognition, and bat control all flash. But as a cold weather prep bat his progress was further stunted by the pandemic layoff. He just hasn’t seen enough quality live pitching the last two years for him to have developed a consistent approach yet.
I have seen some occasional issues with handling velo up in the zone, but at other times he has turned those pitches around. The same goes for a little too much tightness while trying to adjust to offspeed down in the zone, but again, at other times he’s handled it fine. I’m not worried much about Howard’s numbers at the plate this year other than plate appearances. Just getting him at bats is the most important thing this year.
The potential to fill an everyday role at one position does exist for Christopher Morel (third base is likely his best position long term), but ultimately I envision his role as a multi-position de facto starter. Think Javy Baez serving as a 9th starting position player as he moved between 2B-SS-3B in 2015. Even when he didn’t start he almost always played a key role off the bench, taking multiple ABs and serving as defensive replacement. Morel will eventually fill a similar role, except he won’t just move around the dirt, but more like Kris Bryant, he will move around the grass as well. He’s inexperienced in the outfield but his range and plus arm play anywhere, and I have little doubt he’ll develop into a good option.
Comparisons to Baez don’t end there. Like Javy, Morel plays an aggressive, exciting brand of baseball, and always with a smile on his face. His raw tools fall short of Javy (who has always had otherworldly instincts and hand speed/strength), but Morel does have good bat speed and wiry strength. Whereas Javy has 35+ homer power, Morel likely settles in more as a 20-25 guy. Morel is also an aggressive hitter like Baez, so walks will likely not be a big part of his game (even though we’ve seen some recent progress there), but he also don’t take aggressive hacks like Javy, instead settling more often for solid contact.
The There Is No Such Thing As A Pitching Prospect Tier
At his best Brailyn Marquez projects to be just as high of an impact player as Davis. Unfortunately, Marquez is not anywhere near the athlete, and has shown nowhere near the aptitude for locking in adjustments.
There is no questioning the fastball. There simply aren’t many lefties on the planet capable of hitting triple digits. As a starter Marquez sits in the 94-97 range, but has more available when he needs it. .
Marquez was still working on the shape of his breaking ball when last we saw him in 2019. At times it looks like a good compliment to his heater, but his feel and command of the pitch comes and goes. I don’t think it will ever be much of a weapon against right handed batters, but should be enough to get lefties to chase.
If Marquez is to succeed as a starter he needs a reliable secondary pitchand to me the more likely is his changeup. It flashed in 2018 and again in 2019, but in the lower levels he didn’t need it much and didn’t seem to trust it either. I think there is a potential above average swing and miss pitch there though, and I wish the Cubs asked him to throw it more often.
Marquez is a big guy whose height and physique has changed quite a bit since turning pro. He’s very powerful, with a thick lower body, so he should be able to hold up under a starter’s workload. But he also isn’t the greatest athlete. The combo of size and below average athleticism has led to inconsistent mechanics. It is the main reason there is still question as to his ultimate role. There are some traits of a top of the rotation starter, but he needs work on repeating his mechanics, tightening up his secondaries, and it is difficult to project if Marquez is a good enough athlete to accomplish it.
Kohl Franklin represents a better bet to stick in the rotation long term. Only throwing in the mid-80s in the late stages of his prep career and forbidden the throw breaking balls at a young age, the nephew of former big league closer Ryan Franklin was given an overslot bonus in the 6th round of the 2018 draft in the hopes that his projectable 6’4″ frame would add velo as he matured, and that with more experience he’d develop feel for a breaking ball.
The velocity has spiked as hoped. Franklin worked in the low-90s (T95) late in 2019, and there were reports he took a further step forward during the time away from the field in 2020, but we’ve yet to verify it in game action or whether he can sustain it over longer outings.
If Franklin can work in the mid-90s with consistency it opens the door to him becoming a middle of the rotation arm, and potentially even more. Probably because he couldn’t rely on a breaking ball, Franklin displayed an advanced feel for a changeup as young pitcher in 2019. It was consistently average or better and on occasion flashed plus or even plus-plus. It was one of the best I’ve seen from a prep arm pitching in the Northwest League in recent years.
His breaking ball did lag behind in 2019, never flashing more than average despite reports of good spin rates. He changed his grip a couple of times and I’ve heard he reworked it again during the pandemic. We’re in waiting mode to see how the new velo/breaking ball package plays in game action.
I liked the attack mentality Franklin showed on the mound in 2019. He doesn’t nibble or back down from hitters. So, if the stuff has improved as much as some reports suggest, I’m confidant Franklin will put it to good use. I’ve heard the injury which has kept him out reported as a shoulder or an oblique. It is possible there were two separate injuries as Franklin did begin to ramp up a while back before backing off again.
A surprise pick in the first round back in 2019, Ryan Jensen is a 6’0″ righty with two distinct plus fastballs. His size, long arm action and inconsistent secondaries put a lot of question into whether Jensen can stick as a starter, but two things he did show in college, and among the main reasons the Cubs felt comfortable drafting him where they did was his athleticism and stamina allowed him to maintain his velocity deep into starts.
So far the Cubs have not allowed Jensen to pitch deep into games, but his spotty command along with a fastball dominant approach wouldn’t likely hold up in that regard anyway. His slider certainly has the upside to provide a viable third pitch, but as of yet he hasn’t sustained it throughout an outing, let alone from start to start. The hope is Jensen’s athleticism eventually wins out enough to lock in his slider and his complicated throwing motion. If not, there is still late inning relief as fallback option, just as there is with Marquez.
A grip it and rip it lefty, D.J. Herz is another athletic pitcher who flashes the stuff to start, but with a high energy delivery and as it stands now erratic command, is more likely to profile into a relief role. Unlike Jensen, Herz has shown more consistent feel for his secondaries, with both a power curve and changeup that have elicited swings and misses with Low-A Myrtle Beach this year.
While his velocity is a more modest 92-95, it appears Herz gets tremendous backspin on his four seamer. Combined with a crossfire delivery and plenty of extension he often blows the ball past the less advanced hitters he is facing with ease. His curve plays plus to lefties right now, and the changeup has flashed as above average to righties. With more work I could see both becoming reliable pitches as he moves up the ladder.
The real test will be once he gets a shot in South Bend. More hitters can handle velo up in the zone (or lay off it). So Herz will need to refine his command and control to remain as effective as he’s been with the Pelicans. I have my doubts he will be able to harness his delivery on a consistent enough basis to command his pitches as a MLB starter, but we are still a long ways away from having to close the book on that too.
The Upside Tier
I hedged on where to place Chase Strumpf. He’s never going to be a great fielder, but I think he can become a passable option at second and third, with left field and first base versatility if need be. Where Strumpf’s value will lie is with his bat. And if he hits enough he could certainly settle into being a solid starter, but I think the more likely role for him is as a part time player.
My main concern with Strumpf at the plate in 2019 was his inability to drive pitches on the outer third with any kind of authority. Often he had to settle for fouling them off. He’s made strides with that this year though. Not only is he more willing to go the opposite way, but he is also stronger, so he can even do occasional damage when driving the ball to right field. This is important because the bat needs to develop near its full potential for Strumpf to have an impact beyond a platoon option or AAA shuttle player.
The rest of the group in this tier is on the younger side. Owen Caissie and Reggie Preciado are the two main pieces from the Yu Darvish deal this past winter.
Caissie projects as a slugging corner outfielder and/or first baseman with a patient approach at the plate. He’s not a bad athlete but I’ve yet to find anyone who seen him in the outfield project him as anything but average or worse defensively, which is why a move a first could be in the cards down the road depending on how much he fills out.
And Caissie does have the type of frame to add significant weight. He’s broad shouldered but still relatively thin. He doesn’t tap into much power yet, but give him 20-30 pounds of muscle in the future and it is easy to see a potential 30+ home runs from the left handed batters box.
There’s a greater range of outcomes and a higher ceiling with Preciado. Right now the Cubs are keeping him at shortstop because his hands play there and he still possesses enough range to make the necessary plays. But, like Caissie he is also 6’4″ (albeit with a narrower frame), so the expectation is that he will eventually outgrow the position. However, some guys manage to hold onto their athleticism as they fill out, and it is possible Preciado could fall into that category given his frame.
Preciado has impressed scouts with his bat speed and ability to get the barrel to all parts of the zone on time from both sides of the plate, despite his long levers. That means his hit tool could keep pace with his emerging power, but all could depend on his strike zone judgement and ability to adjust to offspeed pitches, which reportedly lag behind some of his other tools right now.
Both guys have gotten off to hot starts in the ACL and you will find scouts willing to place one or both inside the Cubs top 10 or even top 5 prospects. I look forward to seeing one or both in Myrtle Beach later this year.
Three players who have already gotten their shot in Low-A this season are Yohendrick Pinango, Kevin Made, and Luis Verdugo.
Pinango is the most advanced of the trio. Despite taking aggressive hacks, he’s shown me the ability to get the bat head through on time to all quadrants of the strike zone despite a heavy bottom hand swing that results in a lot of backhand tennis slice action on the resulting contact. It means that right now Pinango hits the ball on the ground or on a low line drive trajectory to the opposite field with regularity.
As a corner outfielder that does not result in the greatest profile, but we’ve also seen flashes of Pinango turning on mistakes in hitter’s counts to drive the ball with authority to his pull side. After finishing without a home run in 62 games down in the DSL in 2019 he’s got 3 in 49 so far this year.
The 19-year old is one of the youngest players in Low-A, often facing competition 2-4 years his elder, and has held his own all season. There isn’t much in the way of physical projection with Pinango, so the hopes with him fall onto his ability to adjust his swing to make hard contact (in the air) with greater consistency. I’m bullish right now on his ability to do so, given his advanced feel at such a young age, but he’s going to have to thread the development needle a bit to end up a future big league regular. His ceiling is probably as an average left fielder who makes contact at a high rate and hits 15 or so home runs.
I haven’t seen much of Kevin Made yet as an injury kept him out of action for quite a while in Myrtle Beach, but it is easy to see what the Cubs saw in him when they made him a key part of their 2019 IFA class. He’s of a similar build and projectable frame as Cristian Hernandez, his tools are just a little less loud at the plate. He looks like a pretty high floor player though, as he is pretty sure to remain an average or better defender at short even as he fills out.
It is that potential added strength which makes him intriguing in the long run. He currently shows a compact, line drive swing which should produce plenty of contact. Add 15-20 pounds of muscle on him over the next few years and he is likely to add double digit home run power to his profile.
Verdugo graded out as a pretty good shortstop himself in his short season stints according to scouts, but he’s made the conversion to third this season to accommodate Howard, Made and potentially Preciado and Hernandez in the coming years. His foot speed has never graded highly so despite the hands, actions and arm to stick at short, the thought was that he’d eventually outgrow the position due to range issues. Third base is an excellent match for his skillset though, and he could develop into a plus defender there.
The question will be with his bat. He’s got enough bat speed and raw power to hit 20 homers in the future, but his approach has been too aggressive and his swing has gotten too long at times. I’m still a believer though. When Verdugo is right I see glimpses of Chase Strumpf at the plate. There is definitely a question of whether Verdugo will be able to make enough contact against top pitching though, so at this point he remains in the wait and hope category of prospects. Verdugo has been a slow starter at each level so far, so we could see some improvement in the 2nd half of the year.
Although he’s fallen behind fellow 2018 draftee Brennen Davis, the Cubs have pushed Cole Roederer pretty aggressively up the organizational ladder, and I’m not sure it has been to his benefit. He’s kept his head above water, but has also never gotten into a sustained groove or had an extended hot streak to help stoke his confidence.
He has gotten stronger since turning pro and displays average or better pull side power, but he’s struggled to get the ball in the air, or use the whole field consistently (he has flashed opposite field gap power). An injured elbow has kept him out of action since late May, robbing him of some much needed at bats. I have been pleasantly surprised by his work in centerfield which is why I can still see a potential 4th outfielder or strong side of a platoon role in his future. If his range slips, limiting him to left, it will place a burden on the bat I’m not sure it can withstand.
Ismael Mena received the highest signing bonus among the four prospects acquired from San Diego, but he is currently considered the most raw of the bunch. A plus runner who has grown in height since turning pro, Mena currently projects as a solid defender in center field, but there are questions as to how much he can hit. And with his body still maturing there is some concern he loses speed and will be forced into a corner which would place even greater emphasis on his bat to produce.
From reports, Mena strikes me as a height/weight/speed tools package who is still really raw and a long way from making an impact on the baseball diamond, but if it all goes right you could have a versatile player capable of helping your ball club in all facets of the game.
The More Proof TINSTAAPP Tier
It is impossible to know where this batch of arms currently stands.
Chris Clarke is a big guy capable of hitting mid-90s and pairing it with a big curveball but he’s been missing from game action throughout the start of the 2021 season with an undisclosed injury.
Riley Thompson seemed on the verge of a breakout 2021 as he improved his fastball command and incorporated a potential plus changeup in 2019. His curveball hadn’t developed as hoped, despite reports of good spin, but I did hear it looked better at the South Bend alternate site last year. A shoulder injury has kept him out thus far in 2021 though.
Tommy John surgery struck down Michael McAvene during his collegiate career. He was able to avoid another surgery despite a strained elbow suffered this spring, but it has resulted in a lengthy rehab. The Cubs intended to use the former Louisville closer as starter, but we’ll have to see if this latest injury changes those plans for the second half of 2021.
Someone who did not avoid the knife was lefty Jack Patterson. A guy who suffered through a series of unfortunate injuries in college had bad luck strike again. He emerged as one of the feel good stories of 2019, relying on a 92-94 mph fastball with good natural sink and good slider. His curve tended to blend with his slider but did get some takes in the zone. I do believe the intention was to rework the pitch at the South Bend site last year.
Yovanny Cruz emerged as an old school sinker/slider/changeup guy in 2018. Since then he unexpectedly added significant size and saw a velo spike up to the mid-90s and capable of touching higher. Injuries and a bout with control issues limited his starts in 2019 and it appears bad luck has struck again in 2021. Though not confirmed it appears Cruz also underwent TJS just before the season.
I haven’t heard any reports on what has kept Josh Burgmann out of game action in 2021. He struck me as a potential back-of-the-rotation or middle relief option with an average fastball but good breaking balls off the 2019 video I saw of him. If he managed to add any velo during the time away in 2020 it would be a boon to his chances to stick as a starter.
You can probably throw Richard Gallardo into this category too. He’s added some velo this year, but his stuff still rates pretty average to me across the board. He commands it well for a young pitcher, so I’ll never say never, but there isn’t really any physical projection remaining with him.
Suddenly The Cubs Have A Bunch Of Hard Throwing Relievers
Manuel Rodriguez is the guy on the 40-man roster, and Burl Carraway received the draft day headlines, but as I write this Ben Leeper is the Cubs top relief prospect.
Unchosen in the abbreviated 5 rounds of the MLB Draft last summer, Leeper was one of several hard throwers the Cubs targeted as undrafted free agents. It has proven a wise investment. Slowed by a second Tommy John surgery and the subsequent control issues that sometimes follow it, Leeper never really got in a groove while on campus, but it has been a different story as a pro.
His velo has not only come back fully, but he’s even improved upon it, sitting mid-90s and regularly dialing up 97-99 when necessary, with a ton of life up in the zone. His upper-80s slider is a deceptive pitch which gets more downward movement than lateral sweep. I’m not fully sold on it being a true plus pitch against MLB competition, but I’m getting there the more often I watch. The Cubs have also asked him to experiment with other third pitches.
While he is more control than command, the carry he gets on his fastball up in the zone gives him a little leeway with its placement. A tad more consistent command of his slider could turn Leeper into a viable closer candidate. As it is he should settle into a setup role in the near future, but since he is not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, other arms could get added ahead of him, pushing a potential debut into next season.
Rodriguez uses a good four seam and power curve combo to bully Minor League hitters. His fastball lacks the same life Leeper gets on his, which will force Rodriguez to be more precise with its location, and I’m not sure he has the command to do so. I think it will lead to Rodriguez being a bit too prone to the home run ball to be counted on as a primary late inning reliever, but his stuff is more than good enough to settle into a middle relief role.
From a pure stuff perspective Burl Carraway may not have a match among Cubs relief prospects. He generates a ton of spin on his fastball and curve. Carraway has also tried to expand his repertoire with a slider and/or changeup. At times he has been unhittable for hitters in High-A. Unfortunately, he’s battled mechanical issues of late, leading to an extremely high walk rate. If he gets straightened out Carraway could make a leap up the developmental ladder quickly.
Max Bain and Cam Sanders are a couple of power arms currently being trotted out as starters, and who have the stamina to carry their stuff long enough in games, but have struggled with consistency and likely end up in the pen down the road. There is no reason to pull them from the rotation in 2021 though. Let them continue to get innings, and it is possible one or both could find a groove as a starter.
Ethan Roberts isn’t very tall (listed generously at 6’0″) but he uses the lack of height as a weapon to give his high spin fastball a unique path to the top of the zone. The pitch also has some late cut which has proven a challenge for opposing hitters to square up. He pairs it with a changeup and an elite RPM breaking ball which has likewise been difficult to barrel.
This article is already stretching out longer than I intended, so I won’t go into detail on any other relievers, but the Cubs do have plenty of other arms to keep an eye: Dakota Mekkes, Michael Rucker, Cayne Ueckert, Dakota Chalmers, Brendon Little, Darius Valdez, Brandon Hughes, Hunter Bigge, Eury Ramos, Joe Nahas, Bradford Deppermann, Jose Albertos, Jeremiah Estrada, Sam Thoresen, Luke Little, just to name a few.
Bats with lower upside who can still provide MLB depth
There are also some bats to keep an eye on who I don’t project as having MLB starter upside but who could provide the club with valuable depth as shuttle or maybe even full time bench players: Alfonso Rivas, Andy Weber, Nelson Velazquez, Yonathan Perlaza, Edmond Americaan.
A few high profile signings/draftees who have gotten off to rocky starts at Myrtle Beach include Yeison Santana, Ethan Hearn and Jordan Nwogu. They all have tools but need a lot of work at the plate (Santana with pitch selection and Hearn/Nwogu with swing adjustments). I have my doubts with each, but I wouldn’t argue with scouts who like them. I’ll never be surprised if a toolsy player succeeds.
Other ACL Notes
I have heard or seen mixed reports on high profile signings/draftees Ronnier Quintero, Koen Moreno, Raphael Morel, Tyler Schlaffer, Felix Stevens, Benjamin Rodriguez, and a few others. I’ve yet to see any of them for myself to lend weight to either side of the ledger. Hope or condemn any as you see fit.
A person of interest has been taken into custody after a Chicago police officer and two federal agents working undercover were wounded by gunfire Wednesday morning on the Southwest Side, police said.
Police spokesman Tom Ahern said in a tweet that the person was being interviewed by detectives, but gave no other details.
Police had found a white Chevrolet Malibu believed to be used in the shooting near 89th Place and Indiana Avenue. Officers had been looking for a suspect there, and a “drone command van” was sent to assist in the search.
The shooting happened shortly before 6 a.m. as the three were getting onto the northbound lanes of Interstate 57 near 119th Street, about a mile from the Morgan Park police station, police said.
The police officer was grazed in the back of the head, an agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was shot in the hand, and another ATF agent suffered a wound to his side, police said. All were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center.
Lea este articulo en espanol en La Voz Chicago, un servicio presentado por AARP Chicago.
Police Supt. David Brown told reporters the three “were conducting an investigation. They were all together in one vehicle when they were fired upon.”
Brown gave no details about the undercover operation. He said one of the ATF agents is a woman. The police officer and the other ATF agent are men.
Illinois State Police troopers were called to assist with the investigation.
Cmdr. Patrina Wines was one of two Chicago police officers shot and wounded early Monday.Ashlee Rezin Garcia / Sun-Times
The two wounded ATF agents and police officer are among five law enforcement officials shot in Chicago over the past three days.
Chicago police Cmdr. Patrina Wines and a sergeant were wounded by bullets fired into a crowd of revelers in the 100 block of North Long Avenue in Austin at about 1:30 a.m. Monday. Wines was struck in the foot, and the sergeant was grazed in the leg.
Brown said 36 Chicago police officers have either been shot or shot at this year.
“We have more than 100,000 gang members in the city of Chicago,” Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) said Wednesday. “They are emboldened and have nothing to fear from law enforcement. The police are under siege.”
O’Shea, whose ward includes the area where the shooting occurred, said the police department is struggling with a shortage of manpower because of a record number of retirements this year.
Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th): “The police are under siege.”Pat Nabong / Sun-Times
“We’re at a critical point in the city of Chicago. We need help. Police can’t do it alone,” he said, appealing to President Joe Biden, who is visiting Crystal Lake Wednesday.
“In some communities, mothers and fathers are scared to let their kids out in front of their house,” O’Shea said. “We continue to have these episodes here on the South Side, and today was another example of the utter lawlessness we see in the streets.”
In case you forgot, the seed of insurrection was first planted by the contention that individual voter fraud was rampant. Despite the evidence that this was is preposterous fairy tale, millions of you persisted in your immutable delusion.
Since unassailable data can’t budge you from your purblind faith, I’ve decided to invoke a suggestion that some regard as antediluvian: drafting the uncommon powers of Common Sense
I know; I know; Mark Twain famously defined common sense as “that which tells us the world is flat,” but in some cases, the conclusions are inescapably true.
So here’s the common sense question I want all you self-serving, self-described Patriots to pose to yourselves.
Would you or anybody you know risk years of imprisonment by fraudulently casting a ballot that would add one measly vote to your candidate’s total?
Of course only a completely irrational lunatic would even consider doing such a stupid thing.
And only a blinkered lunatic would believe that hundreds of thousands would do such a thing.
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