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Buck’s is a five-star in my bookon July 3, 2021 at 8:42 pm

Chicago’s Art and Beer Scene

Buck’s is a five-star in my book

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18 shot, 6 fatally, in Chicago since Friday nightSun-Times Wireon July 3, 2021 at 6:39 pm

Six people have been killed and at least 12 others wounded since Friday night in shootings across Chicago.

In the latest fatal shooting, a man was killed while riding in a car in Lawndale on the West Side.

About 4:40 a.m., the 39-year-old was traveling in the back seat of a vehicle in the 4400 block of West Cermak Road when the rear window was shattered, according to Chicago police. He suffered a gunshot wound to the back of the head and was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, police said.

Earlier Saturday, a 19-year-old man was found shot to death early Saturday in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side.

About 1:25 a.m., officers responded to a call of shots fired in the 2200 block of North Lockwood Avenue and found the teen lying unresponsive on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to the back and abdomen, police said. He was transported to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

Friday night, a 40-year-old man was fatally shot during an altercation in an Englewood apartment after he was playing music and a neighbor made several noise complaints, police said.

About 11:20 p.m., the man was playing music in his apartment in the 7400 block of South Emerald Avenue when a neighbor in the building made several noise complaints, police said.

The man then came to the front door of his apartment and began arguing with a person who shot him several times in the torso, police said. The person fled and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

About three hours earlier, a man was shot to death outside his home Friday night in Roseland on the Far South Side.

The 28-year-old was in his backyard about 8:30 p.m. in the 11200 block of South Vernon Avenue when he was shot in the head, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

A man was killed and another wounded in a shooting Friday evening in Lawndale on the West Side.

The men, both 20, were in a vehicle that was stopped at a red light about 6:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of West 16th Street when a person approached them on foot and fired shots, police said.

The driver suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the back and torso and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The other, a passenger in the vehicle, was struck in the leg and was transported to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said.

A 22-year-old man was fatally shot about an hour earlier in Hermosa on the Northwest Side.

The man was standing on the sidewalk about 5:30 p.m. when a person stepped out of a light-colored vehicle and fired shots in the 2700 block of North Kilbourn Avenue, police said.

He suffered gunshot wounds to the head and body and was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

In nonfatal shootings, a woman was critically hurt in an attack on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

The 55-year-od woman was traveling south on I-94 just after 7 p.m. when her vehicle was struck by gunfire near 49th Street in the Fuller Park neighborhood, according to Illinois State Police.

She suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, fire officials said.

At least 10 other people were wounded in shootings citywide since 5 p.m. Friday.

Last weekend, ten people were killed and 68 others wounded in shootings across Chicago.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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18 shot, 6 fatally, in Chicago since Friday nightSun-Times Wireon July 3, 2021 at 6:39 pm Read More »

DuPage County, Illinois Muslims and Chicago copson July 3, 2021 at 5:05 pm

The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

DuPage County, Illinois Muslims and Chicago cops

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DuPage County, Illinois Muslims and Chicago copson July 3, 2021 at 5:05 pm Read More »

Chicago’s Leadership/Another Facing the Federal Slammer/ The Gangs Shoot Babies and Children Don’t They/Shameful and Shameless/ Al Capone Who?on July 3, 2021 at 4:05 pm

JUST SAYIN

Chicago’s Leadership/Another Facing the Federal Slammer/ The Gangs Shoot Babies and Children Don’t They/Shameful and Shameless/ Al Capone Who?

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Chicago’s Leadership/Another Facing the Federal Slammer/ The Gangs Shoot Babies and Children Don’t They/Shameful and Shameless/ Al Capone Who?on July 3, 2021 at 4:05 pm Read More »

Independence Day, so what?on July 3, 2021 at 3:01 pm

Uncommon Sense

Independence Day, so what?

©2021 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team

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Independence Day, so what?on July 3, 2021 at 3:01 pm Read More »

Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Morel blasts 3 homers and Young homers and doubles twice during doubleheader; Howard with 4 hits; Assad tosses 6 shutout, Williams with 5on July 3, 2021 at 3:34 pm

Cubs Den

Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Morel blasts 3 homers and Young homers and doubles twice during doubleheader; Howard with 4 hits; Assad tosses 6 shutout, Williams with 5

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Daily Cubs Minors Recap: Morel blasts 3 homers and Young homers and doubles twice during doubleheader; Howard with 4 hits; Assad tosses 6 shutout, Williams with 5on July 3, 2021 at 3:34 pm Read More »

Casey Krueger’s road to the Tokyo OlympicsAnnie Costabileon July 3, 2021 at 2:30 pm

Casey Krueger was at home when she got the call from Vlatko Andonovski letting her know she’d be an alternate on the 2021 U.S. women’s national team Olympic roster.

She had been preparing for this call for months but didn’t prepare herself to hear that she’d be heading to Tokyo.

“My husband knew I had the phone call coming up,” Krueger said. “I think he thought it was going to be a bad phone call, too. So he kind of left the room and said, ‘If you need me, let me know.’ He came back in and heard the tail end of things.”

Krueger isn’t a pessimist. In fact, she’s described by her peers and coaches as one of the most positive players to work with. But when it comes to making the USWNT roster, she has become a realist.

Her goal since she was a young player growing up in Naperville was to compete with the USWNT for a World Cup title and Olympic gold.

Leading up to the 2019 USWNT World Cup roster announcement, Krueger was at every camp. She had high expectations for herself and believed she was a lock to make the team. When the call came from then-coach Jill Ellis saying she wouldn’t be competing in France, Krueger was shocked.

“It was definitely a very difficult time for her when she didn’t get named to the World Cup roster,” said Red Stars teammate Tierna Davidson, the youngest Olympian on the team. “She turned it around and ended up making every single NWSL Best XI in the 2019 season.”

Krueger still hasn’t received any clarity on why she wasn’t part of the 23-player roster that won a record fourth World Cup title. Her call with Ellis was short and emotional, so Krueger never got a clear picture as to why she was omitted.

Looking back, she said she wouldn’t change a thing about that experience because it gave her perspective.

After the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup season, an injury to her hip left Krueger on the outside of multiple USWNT camps last fall. Instead of stressing about what it meant for her future with the team, Krueger enjoyed the time away.

She got married, did some soul-searching and hit the reset button. When Krueger returned to the field in preparation for the 2021 NWSL season, she felt stronger than ever, and Andonovski took notice.

Krueger replaced Alana Cook on the 2021 SheBelieves Cup roster after Paris St. Germain denied Cook’s release because of quarantine requirements.

After the 2021 SheBelieves Cup, Krueger wasn’t called into another USWNT camp. Thinking she was out of the running, she put the Olympic roster out of her mind and shifted her focus to Chicago.

Through the 2021 Challenge Cup and the first half of the NWSL’s regular season, Krueger again proved herself as one of the most consistent outside backs in the game.

“I said all along that [players’] performance in the NWSL will matter when we make final decisions,” Andonovski said after announcing the Olympic roster. “Casey is a good example of that.”

There have been multiple reports that the International Olympic Committee will grant approval for competing teams to expand their rosters to 22, making the four alternates available on the active roster.

Andonovski confirmed that the team will have flexibility with the roster but said he’s waiting to see what the exact rules will look like.

When she paused to consider her journey and where it could end, Krueger struggled to find the words.

“I have chills thinking about [winning gold],” Krueger said. “It’s what I’ve been working for since I started on the soccer field.”

Red Stars 1, Spirit 0

Julia Elisabeth Roddar knocked the ball into her own net in the 33rd minute as the Red Stars won Friday night in Washington.

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Casey Krueger’s road to the Tokyo OlympicsAnnie Costabileon July 3, 2021 at 2:30 pm Read More »

Chicago White Sox: Jake Burger is perfect for the South SideVincent Pariseon July 3, 2021 at 2:00 pm

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 06: Jake Burger #78 of the Chicago White Sox looks on against the Cleveland Indians during a spring training game on March 6, 2021 at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear Arizona. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: Jake Burger #78 of the Chicago White Sox looks on against the Cleveland Indians during a spring training game on March 6, 2021 at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear Arizona. (Photo by Ron Vesely/Getty Images)

The Chicago White Sox is one of baseball’s best teams after half of the 2021 MLB season. It has been an incredible team to watch so far this year. One big story to come out recently is the emergence of Jake Burger. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft for the White Sox. Unfortunately, he has been hit hard by injuries since being drafted. These injuries have kept Burger from developing the way that he needed to for a long time.

Luckily, Burger never gave up. He kept on keeping on which allowed him to work his way all the way back to Minor League Baseball where he absolutely dominated. He had MVP caliber numbers down there which earned him his first Major League call-up. On Friday night, Burger had a very memorable MLB debut.

He went 2-4 with a double and a run scored in his debut which makes it a night that he will never forget. The fanbase also will likely never forget it either which is great news. He is already a “fan favorite” type player so we can only hope that he is able to stick around.

Jake Burger of the Chicago White Sox is the perfect player for the South Side’s team.

When we call him a “fan favorite”, it is for a reason. He is perfect for the South Side of Chicago. There are some players that come through every now and again that you just know fit right in. Guys like Tim Anderson and Lance Lynn are perfect because of their attitude. Jose Abreu is perfect because of his toughness. Well, Burger is perfect because of his resiliency.

He never quit baseball when nobody would have blamed him for it. Now, he is in the Major Leagues and he looks like someone who could be a major contributor to a winning team. He isn’t going to bat .500 for his entire career but his talent and track record show that he might be able to have a really nice MLB career. If it all works out well, there isn’t a better place for Burger to try it than on the South Side.

Related Story: It is time for the Cubs to start selling

Burger joins a team that is in first place of the American League Central by 6.0 games. They have dealt with a lot of injuries but that means that someone like Burger is able to get opportunities. If they keep getting healthier while guys like Burger contribute at the MLB level, they are going to be tough to beat by the time the playoffs roll around. The hope is that Burger can stay on the active MLB roster while this team makes a long run towards the AL Pennant.

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Chicago White Sox: Jake Burger is perfect for the South SideVincent Pariseon July 3, 2021 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Dustin Poirier is the pick to beat Conor McGregor — againRob Miechon July 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm

LAS VEGAS — That Dustin Poirier might assume underdog status in the run-up to his UFC 264 headliner with Conor “Notorious” McGregor next Saturday astounds Chicago native and MMA expert Jordan Sherwood.

For proper and provocative perspective, Sherwood believes there would be value in Poirier, known as “The Diamond,” even if he were a -175 to -180 favorite.

“I’d still think that’s stealing,” Sherwood says. “I just don’t think Conor McGregor is going to win this fight.”

In price, value and blind patriotism, the main event at T-Mobile Arena might belong among the 2017 McGregor-Floyd Mayweather and August’s Manny Pacquiao-Errol Spence Jr. boxing matches.

The odds on McGregor-Poirier are about dead even. One Vegas sportsbook has McGregor -115, Poirier -105; another Poirier -115, McGregor -105. A third shop has the 32-year-old, 5-9 southpaws at -110 apiece.

If Poirier (PORE-ee-ay) gets tagged with a plus price? Brett Okamoto, ESPN’s Vegas-based MMA analyst-reporter, says, “That would be an A+ play, in my opinion.”

Sherwood expects more greenbacks from McGregor’s fellow Irishmen and ardent base to flood the market. He suggests patience by Poirier fans, to pounce on an optimal price in the few days, even hours, before the fight.

“Dustin Poirier had a chance to take a title fight, but he chose this one,” says Sherwood, 39. “This is a winnable fight, an easier fight, and he’s going to make boatloads of money.”

WWF TO MMA

Born and raised in Glenview, Sherwood went to Glenbrook South and earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism at Illinois.

A claim to fame might be the 32-man rock-paper-scissors tournament he organized in the chapter room of his Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house in the winter of his junior year.

The entry fee was 20 bucks, best-of-five rounds, winner-take-all. He didn’t last long. However, he displayed an early handicapping knack by profiting on an array of in-game side action.

“I have no idea how we seeded 32 guys,” he says. “It was probably on a Saturday night, just some pregaming before heading out to the bars.”

His childhood affinity for pro wrestling, especially Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, helped hook Sherwood on MMA. He began betting it in 2006 and soon started handicapping the fights.

He highlighted MMA on his Cleveland radio show, attracting national attention. He amplified that coverage at a West Palm Beach, Florida, station for more than 10 years.

About three weeks ago, Sherwood, his wife and two young children moved back to Chicago, where he creates marketing and advertising campaigns for ESPN 1000 and his beloved White Sox.

Displaying his MMA prowess, he often guests on the Vegas Stats & Information Network, and he provides picks to a handicapping service.

Floods of typical Filipino cash on Pacquiao in Vegas have made the price on Spence — from -450 down to -230 (risk $230 to win $100) — rather enticing for their Aug. 21 boxing clash at T-Mobile.

Which harkens Sherwood back to the exceptional squared-circle deal Mayweather backers relished in 2017 against McGregor, whose countrymen created immense value for “Pretty Boy Floyd” inside T-Mobile.

Mayweather had open-ed at about -2500, but he closed around -450 as battalions of Irish influence sliced McGregor from +950 to +325. Mayweather supporters salivated before and after his 10th-round TKO.

“Floyd was the cheapest [price] he’s ever been, when he boxed McGregor,” Sherwood says. “That’s insane! The greatest boxer of all time such a slim favorite over a guy who’d never boxed? Ridiculous.”

QUICK-DRAW CONOR?

Poirier and McGregor first fought, as featherweights, at UFC 178 in September 2014, here at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Sherwood saw the flamboyant Irishman intimidate Poirier before the first bell.

McGregor won, via a controversial paw to the back of Poirier’s noggin and subsequent stoppage, after just 106 seconds.

“Dustin could not handle the pressure or spotlight,” Sherwood says. “Poirier stayed active … became an interim lightweight champion. McGregor sat out a couple of years, had some issues with the law, had his run-in with Mayweather.”

In January, as lightweights, Poirier was a leg-kicking dervish at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. He withstood some power punches and exploited the wide McGregor stance that provides him with such dynamic leverage.

Poirier whipped that front leg repeatedly, leading to his TKO victory 2 minutes, 32 seconds into the second round.

“There was a fundamental difference between that fight and the first one, which Poirier knew was a dog-and-pony show,” Sherwood says. “Poirier is leaps and bounds above the guy who stood across from Conor seven years ago.

“Execute your game plan. You know how to beat this guy, and you’re going to win. That’s exactly what he did in the rematch in January.”

McGregor (22-5-0) is guaranteed $3 million, with bonuses that could boost his payday to $10 million; Poirier (27-6-0) $1 million and $3 million, respectively. All 20,800 T–Mobile tickets for the scheduled 12-fight card were nabbed within seconds in April.

(In the last two UFC events, favorites have gone 21-3-1.)

Sherwood envisions McGregor winning only if he begins in a blaze of fists and fury, ensuring that it doesn’t extend past the first of five five-minute rounds.

“He’ll have to blow the doors off of Poirier and get him quickly,” Sherwood says. “Conor can’t go into deep waters with Poirier because Poirier has more ways to win and gets better as the fight goes on.”

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Dustin Poirier is the pick to beat Conor McGregor — againRob Miechon July 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Take the Sun-Times’ Chicago baseball quiz Volume 1.4Bill Chuckon July 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm

Welcome back to another edition of the Sun-Times’ Chicago Baseball Quiz. I am your quizmaster, Bill Chuck. These quizzes are designed to be fun and can be played on your own, or you can test your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues or cellmates. The questions are easy if you know the answers. Other than stats, there will be no math. This is purely for entertainment purposes, so no wagering, please.

Are you ready for the Chicago Nine?

Play ball!

1. I’m very tired of hearing about the youngest to accomplish some baseball feat, so indulge me by telling me the oldest Cub to hit a triple in a game.

a. Gary Gaetti

b. Walker Cooper

c. Davey Lopes

d. Larry Bowa

2. The designated hitter came to the American League in 1973. Since then, which White Sox pitcher has gotten the most hits. I’ll give you a hint: He had five hits.

a. Mark Buehrle

b. Jon Garland

c. James Shields

d. Carlos Rodon

3. On June 9, 1957, Ernie Banks hit the 100th homer of his career. I’ll even tell you that it was against the Phillies and off HOFer Robin Roberts (not the one on “Good Morning America”). You just need to tell me at what position did Ernie play in that game?

a. First base

b. Shortstop

c. Third base

d. Left field

4. In the 1950s, the Yankees won the American League pennant each season except in 1954 (Cleveland) and 1959 (White Sox). One guy managed both of those outliers. Who was it?

a. Paul Richards

b. Al Lopez

c. Jimmy Dykes

d. Eddie Stanky

5. Frank Thomas leads White Sox Hall of Famers with 1,165 strikeouts while with the team. Which of these HOFers had the second-most whiffs while playing with the Sox?

a. Harold Baines

b. Carlton Fisk

c. Jim Thome

d. Luke Appling

6. Ernie Banks has hit the most Cubs homers against the Cardinals. Which Cardinal has hit the most homers against the Cubs?

a. Stan Musial

b. Albert Pujols

c. Mark McGwire

d. Ted Simmons

7. Who is the White Sox’ leader in

interleague homers?

a. Jose Abreu

b. Paul Konerko

c. Frank Thomas

d. Magglio Ordonez

8. White Sox manager Tony La Russa played for the Athletics, Braves and Cubs in portions of six seasons. In 203 PA/176 AB, how many homers did he hit?

a. 0

b. 4

c. 8

d. 10

9. Against whom did Cubs manager David Ross hit his first MLB homer?

a. Todd Zeile

b. Mark Grace

c. Jesse Orosco

d. Randy Johnson

ANSWERS

1. Davey Lopes was 41 years and 49 days old when he tripled June 21, 1986.

2. Mark Buehrle (OK, the hint was lousy).

3. Mr. Cub played third.

4. Al Lopez.

5. Harold Baines struck out 918 times.

6. Stan “The Man” Musial hit 67. If it makes you feel better, he hit 89 homers against the Giants.

7. Paul Konerko totaled 60 interleague -homers, 57 with the Sox.

8. Tony still is looking for his first MLB homer.

9. Rossy homered off Diamondbacks first baseman Mark Grace, who was making his only appearance on the mound.

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Take the Sun-Times’ Chicago baseball quiz Volume 1.4Bill Chuckon July 3, 2021 at 1:00 pm Read More »